Just What You Need for Your Summer Slimdown

By Gabriella Marin

Breads. Cookies. Pastas. Ice-cream. Chips. It’s all so good, yet, so bad for you.

Staying healthy isn’t the only reason why you should stay away from these foods. Let’s face it, many of us just want to look good and feel better about ourselves, especially when the summertime comes around. But we all know that staying away from “fatty foods” isn’t always easy. We’re surrounded by them every day…

·         The fast food joints on the way to work

·         Those glazed donuts in the break room

·         And the yucky (but yummy) over-processed and hard-to-digest foods in the pantry that we like to think is “for the kids”

Some people find it easier than others to resist those “not-so-good-yet-delicious” goodies. But many of us need that little boost; a little help to get us through the day eating right and not undoing our day in the evening when those chocolate cravings kick in.

That’s why Total Family Healthcare and the weight-loss medical staff recommend Trim+ from the TFH PLUS line. Trim+ has a unique, high-quality formula that curbs appetite, diminishes cravings, and increases the metabolism safely and effectively.

The Total Family Healthcare weight-loss program recommends that patients take this dietary supplement to aid their in their weight loss and help with their cravings. Best part is: you don’t necessarily have to be a weight-loss patient to take it.

Anybody who is looking to lose a few pounds this summer can order Trim+ online: http://www.totalfamilyhealthcare.com/

If you are interested in the Total Family Healthcare weight-loss program, you can schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation online or by calling (352) 394-4237

And if you're already part of our program, you can receive $25 off your next visit when you refer a friend. They, too, will get a $25 discount when they sign up.

Stay fit, slim, and healthy this summer!



Beat the Heat and those Summer Cravings!

Summertime! Shorts, tank tops, swimwear...lot's of skin showing.

Now is the time we wished we were at our ideal weight. Not only to look good, but to be able to take part in all the activities summertime has to offer. It should be easy to lose a few pounds right now, with all of that motivation! Not so much.

Summer is a weight challenge. Just like every other season! Summer means cook-outs, vacations, school breaks, long days, no routines! All of these things add up to dieting disaster. Just when we want to get slim, be slim, stay slim...the summer crazies open up the door to icecream!

Summertime is not when you want to gain five pounds! Well, is there ever a good time for that?

It's mid-June. That means there is still time to gain control of your summer weight. "No school" means less routine and structure for most families. Structure makes it easier to stick to a plan of any kind! Make sure you are eating your meals and snacks at the same time each day. This keeps your blood sugar levels steady and your belly full. You'll be much less likely to binge this way.

The days are longer. But that shouldn't translate to more meals! Save a snack for the evening-time if you need to, but be aware that more daylight does not increase your need for calories.

Make sure you are not skimping on your sleep. That will make it even more difficult to stay on your plan. Get your eight hours of shut eye!

It's hot outside. Exercise might be the last thing on your mind. Those daily walks you were taking in the spring seem like torture now that it's 95 degrees! Time to switch up the exercise routine. Break out the old exercise DVDs or the Wii Fit. You will be much more likely to exercise indoors this time of year.

Did you know that moderate exercise is a natural appetite suppressant AND releases all those feel-good hormones we love? Don't make any excuses! Make it a priority to stick to your good eating habits this summer.

You May Not Be as Healthy as You Think

Why Multi-Vitamins are Essential to Your Health
By Gabriella Marin

My dad was an avid reader, his favorite topics being nutrition and healthy living. He made sure that every morning before school I’d take my daily vitamin… those Flintstones ones, remember those? Of course, I didn’t really understand why I had to take the vitamin; it looked like a little candy so I'd happily eat it without asking questions.

But for some reason, as I got older, I found that I slowly stopped taking my multi-vitamins, and slowly began feeling less alert. Actually, I know of a handful of people who used to take vitamins as a child but stopped as they started to grow older.

So what makes us think it’s okay to stop taking our daily multi-vitamin once we reach adulthood? Is it because we think we are now big and healthy? Big? Yes. Healthy? Don’t be so sure.

Many Americans don’t realize that the foods today are not providing all the nutrients and minerals their bodies need to stay healthy. Even if a person is eating a balanced diet everyday and eats the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, there are numerous things that affect and prevent our bodies from absorbing the necessary nutrients it needs, including:

·     Farming; modern-day farming practices are not the same as they were 200 years ago. We use pesticides, synthetic chemicals, herbicides, and more! The use of chemicals affects the way produce grows and naturally develops its natural nutrients.

·     Cooking; did you know that if you cook food over 118 degrees, all of its nutrients and enzymes are practically destroyed? The enzymes in “live” foods aid in digestion and can help prevent diseases such as arthritis and cancer.

·     Processed foods; the worse of all. How many isles would you say a grocery store has? 15? Maybe even 20? If you’ve noticed, most of the refrigerated section goes around the store, and most of those foods are the less processed ones. Think of the grocery store's layout as a "U" with a bunch of lines in the middle. The "U" is the refrigerated section; the lines are the grocery isles (or pantry foods). So guess what types of foods are stocked in all of those isles that are not in the refrigerated section. Processed foods that are filled with chemicals to keep them from going bad in your pantry.

When I do my grocery shopping I try to stay away from the isles as much as possible because I know that the freshest foods are OUTSIDE the grocery isles; in the "U". Fruits, veggies, deli meats, cheese and dairy, etc.

But you might say, “Apple sauce is inside the grocery isles, and it’s healthy, isn’t it?” For the most part it can be. But unless “apples” is the first ingredient on the ingredients list and it is not packed with sugar, you're much better off eating a fresh apple (preferably organic) from the produce section, or the "U".

I’ll be the first to admit that I have no time to make myself a healthy and wholesome breakfast in the morning. It’s so much more practical to grab a granola bar (which is likely full of sugar), a breakfast sandwich in a drive-thu, or skip breakfast all together. During lunch break, 30 minutes is not enough time to go home and create a healthy meal, so I go with a sandwich or last night’s leftovers I brought from home. And for dinner, sometimes I’ll cook, and sometimes it’s just easier to pop in a TV-dinner in the microwave.

And like me, there are many others. Keeping a balanced diet and making sure you get the necessary vitamins and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy is a lot harder these days than it may seem. That’s why it is so important that we keep taking our daily multi-vitamins even after childhood.

Just like children need vitamins to grow healthy and strong, adults need vitamins to STAY healthy and strong. Nutrition though our diets is simply not enough anymore, unfortunately. It is recommended to take a daily multi-vitamin every day to:

·         Keep our defenses strong

·         Prevent sickness and diseases

·         Get the Recommended Daily Allowance of nutrients

·         Activate enzymes essential to cellular function

·         So much more!

Dr. Cara Jakob at Total Family Healthcare recommends COMPLETE+, a complete multi-vitamin from our TFH PLUS line of vitamins and supplements. It delivers more than 60 well-balanced nutrients that benefit:

·         Brain and nervous system

·         Liver, heart and vascular system

·         Immune system

·         Musculoskeletal system

·         Energy production

·         Digestion, metabolism and antioxidant defense

You can purchase any of our vitamins and supplements at our Clermont or Orlando office, or order online at TotalFamilyHealthcare.com

The REAL Food Challenge

I love a three day weekend.  Memorial weekend is the big kick off to summer and we had a cook out at the Beckett house.

My whole weekend was based on burgers and chips and ice cream.  And guess what?  I woke up the next day feeling achy, bloated, and gross.  My skin had broken out and I had a headache.  I can tell you why.  It was the poison I fed myself all weekend.  I had a junk food hangover!

For the most part, I eat real food.  By "real food" I mean food that I have to cook myself.  Nothing boxed, packaged, frozen, or processed.  Think a-hundred-years-ago food.  I usually eat meat that I season and cook myself.  I eat eggs and veggies and fruits and nuts.  I soak and boil beans for soups and salsa.  I do eat cheese...someone else makes that!  But for the most part I prepare my own food.  So when I eat the packaged stuff, I feel terrible.

Worst part is... the packaged stuff is EVERYWHERE!

Chips and hamburger buns, cereal and crackers, ice cream and cookies, pizza and tortillas, frozen meals and canned goods...the list is long.

These foods, fast foods and convenience foods; they aren't really food at all.  They are so filled with preservatives, added colors, flavor enhancers and other chemicals our bodies hardly recognize them as food. That is why I woke up feeling so crumby.  I'm full of junk.

Why do I eat this stuff?  The same reason everyone else does.

They taste good!  They are convenient.  They are cheap.  But I am paying the price!

I did not feel great.  I wanted to feel great.  So the next day I was back on the real food challenge.  No more junk.

I put my time in the kitchen woke up feeling good.  I know it is expensive and time consuming.  But how much would you pay (in time and money) to be fit, thin, healthy, and feel great?  Most would be willing to pay a hefty sum.  You just have to pay in advance!!!

The fit, thin, healthy, great feeling gets delivered at a later date :)

And... have you heard about Total Family Healthcare's Detox+ vitamin?

If you've been indulging in unhealthy foods and are ready to begin a new, healthy way of eating, then try Detox+ for healthy liver health, function, and detoxification. It will help with fat digestion, bile production and balance blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Detox+ is 100% doctor recommended and pharmaceutical grade.
Log on to http://www.totalfamilyhealthcare.com/ to order your vitamins today!

B12, The Energy Vitamin

Why B12?  This is a question we get often from our weight loss patients.

B12 is critical to avoiding fatigue.  Who isn't fatigued these days?   Every vitamin in your diet, including B12, plays a role in keeping you healthy.  

Vitamin deficiencies make it harder for your body to do the basics.  This is what leads to fatigue.  We want you body to work optimally.  Ideally, we should be able to get all of our essential nutrients from the foods we eat.  But that doesn't often happen.  We need an insurance policy...supplementation.

B12, along with folic acid, is a key factor in how effectively the body absorbs food and therefore replenishes its energy supplies.

For a person trying to lose weight, every little bit of help HELPS!!  We want to keep enery levels high while restricting our calories.  Nothing sends people to the cookie isle faster than a mid afternoon slump.  Being tired makes us seek out a sugar fix!

Try our Total Family Healthcare blend of B12 to keep a bounce in your step!

You can order them from TotalFamilyHealthcare.com or purchase them from the Clermont or MetroWest clinic.

I Gained a Few "Grapefruits" After my Marathon..?

I did it! I ran the Cap City Half Marathon yesterday.
It took me 2 hours and 47 minutes to do it but I finished! It is a bucket list item for me that I can now cross off!
Will I do it again? Maybe.

Twenty-four hours ago I was running the first mile of 13.1 miles so it's a bit too soon to tell. I do want to tell you what I learned from this experience though.

I did not lose weight. In fact, I gained weight while training for 4 1/2 months. Seven or eight pounds. And NO, it was not muscle. I can assure you, it was fat. One pound of body fat is about the size of a big grapefruit. And I was carrying EIGHT grapefruits! Two in my belly, two in each cheek (you know the ones), and two in each thigh. How can that be? Yes, I was running an average of twenty miles per week. You would think there is no way I could gain. Wrong. You still can't eat whatever you want even when you exercise. I was eating like a teenage boy. I burned an extra 800 calories per day running for an hour but I was eating an extra 1500. In the end, it is all about calories in vs calories out. And I was definitely taking in more calories than I was expending.

Why couldn't I cut back on my intake?
It sounds so simple doesn't it?
Why can't all of us just cut back our intake?
I've confirmed through 4 1/2 months of self experimentation that we have a few mental roadblocks on the journey of "just cut back.".
The first one is called self discipline. We have a small bank on this stuff to use everyday. When it gets taken up on other things, like running, there is none left for stopping at one serving! This bank of discipline gets drained by work, kids, school, you name it. We only have so much discipline to go around.
The second roadblock is a close cousin to discipline, it is called entitlement. "I ran 6 miles today." I am going to eat what I want. But it could just as easily be, "The kids are driving me crazy" or "It was a rough day at work". There are times when we think we deserve it. But we deserve the grapefruit size glob of fat that goes with it!

I know for sure that I like being fit. And I know everyone out there can be fit, too. Health and fitness are not reserved for the special. It is within every one's power to become fit (or more fit.)

If I can do it, you can too. It does require a bit of your daily discipline bank and maybe forgoing an entitlement or two :)
But in the end it's worth it. Grapefruit and all.

Finding Your Inner Warrior

I've been keeping a secret. 
At Christmas time, while I was busy putting on those 5 pounds that I still haven't managed to take off, I agreed to run a half marathon with my fabulous and fit sister-in-law in May.  Now, let me tell you, I agreed to this AFTER two glasses of wine.  Plus, I was feeling all smug and invincible because all of my Christmas shopping was done.
"Sure!  I'll run a half marathon with you!  How hard can it be?" 
Well, it's 13.1 miles of hard to be exact.  After I registered, paid my entrance fee, and the wine and holiday high wore off I asked myself, "What have you gotten into?"  Too late to back out now.  The commitment has been made.

Why didn't I tell you about this earlier?  Well, some part of me didn't really think I would do it.  I didn't want to expose myself as a QUITTER!  I thought that if it was too hard I could just slink away unseen.  Not the best attitude to have for a big physical commitment, right?  The attitude I wanted to have was something along the lines of, "I'm a capable and powerful 45-year-old lioness!  I can do this.  I can be fit and fabulous just like my sister in law!"  HA!  Too bad I only felt this way part-time.  Self doubt being right there on my shoulder saying things like..."Maybe you will hurt yourself and have to back out!  Hope for an injury!"

Starting in January, I followed a beginner training schedule on the Cap City Half Marathon website.  I only had to run a mile to start.  Only a mile.  It was the longest mile of my life!  I thought my lungs would explode and my legs would buckle.  After that first run I had serious doubts on my ability.  But for some strange reason, I did it again two days later. 
I won't lie, it felt just as bad.  I said I would give it one more try.  And I did.  I think it might have been just as painful. 
But something clicked.  It wasn't that it became easier in just three attempts, it was that I learned I could take 15 minutes of heavy physical exertion.  I was strong enough mentally and physically to take 15 minutes of exertion 3 times per week.

The following week I did the same thing.  Guess what? It did become easier, physically.  But the mental battle was already won.  In my head I could do it.  Each week or two the schedule added another mile.  In the beginning I couldn't imagine ever getting up to 10 miles.  But that's what I ran this weekend.  10 miles.  No stopping.  It took me an hour and 50 minutes.  I am the same woman that could barely run a mile and was hoping for an injury just 4 months ago.  I can't believe I've come this far. 

The race is in 4 weeks and I'm actually ready.  That is why I'm sharing this today. 

I found my inner warrior. 
I am going to finish a half marathon in a few weeks.