The Real Reasons We Gain Weight

Why Do We Gain Weight?

Here is the West we have an increasing epidemic of obesity. Obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world. A similar trend, toward weight gain and obesity, is seen in industrialized countries where dietary and lifestyle factors mimic those seen in the US. In 2010 37% of all adults and 17% of all children were classified as obese. This number continues to rise year over year. In 1997 the rate of obesity was 20%, the rate almost doubling in the last 13 years. Weight gain and obesity is a problem because as the numbers on the scale rise so do the cost to your health and well being.

Research has shown that as weight increases, the risks for the following conditions also increases:

• Coronary heart disease 
• Type 2 diabetes 
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) 
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) 
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides) 
• Stroke 
• Liver and Gallbladder disease 
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems 
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) 
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility) 

In particular, diabetes is of great concern. Diabetes has become the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. In 2008 57 million adults, aged twenty and older were pre-diabetic, 23.6 million diabetic, with 90–95% of the latter being type 2-diabetic.

Obesity has also been shown to increase the prevalence of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Babies born to obese women are almost three times as likely to die within one month of birth and almost twice as likely to be stillborn than babies born to women of reasonable weight.

Obesity has been cited as a contributing factor to approximately 100,000–400,000 deaths in the United States per year and has increased health care use and expenditures, costing society an estimated $117 billion in direct (preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to weight) and indirect (absenteeism, loss of future earnings due to premature death) costs. This exceeds health-care costs associated with smoking and accounts for 6% to 12% of national health care expenditures in the US.

Besides the health complications associated with increased weight, there are the emotional costs to being overweight including lowered self esteem and confidence in oneself. Confidence is what gives you the inner strength to accomplish in life what you desire and as well as have healthy relationships and interactions. Confidence is diminished when you don't feel healthy or are feeling good.

Now we know that weight gain and obesity are real and present issues, for our society in particular. So why is it that we see such an epidemic of weight issues in the US? There are very specific reasons we in the West gain weight, none having to do with genetics.

Reasons We Gain Weight

Sugar

In the US we consume 156 pounds of added sugar each year. That is 31 five-pound bags for each individual. Only about 29 pounds of this comes from traditional sugar, or sucrose, the rest comes from foods. The biggest chunk, 26% of added sugars, comes from a variety of prepared foods like ketchup, canned vegetables, fruits, cereals, breads and peanut butter.

The body uses traditional sugar, carbohydrate as fuel, but it can only use so much fuel at one time. Once that threshold is crossed, the body begins to store any excess sugar as glycogen, to later be converted back to fuel. The body can only store a very minimal amount of excess fuel, approximately 2,000 calories, an excess day's worth of needed fuel. Once that amount is stored, the rest is converted to longer term storage, fat. The amount of sugar we consume in this country has a direct link with the amount of excess weight we accumulate. Our body cannot handle that much sugar, has no need for it and ends up storing it for years.

Fat

The body needs fat. Specifically it needs fat for energy reserves, to help cells work properly and help nutrients do their job. There are healthy fats, fats that we must get through our diet and need, and fats that are very unhealthy and health harming. All fats come to us through the foods we choose to eat.

Of the unhealthy fats we have:

Saturated fats come into our body exclusively through animal products. Saturated fats raise bad cholesterol and also interfere with the body's ability to utilize sugar as fuel, increasing your risk of diabetes.

Trans fats occur naturally in some foods, especially foods from animal origin. However, most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook with and less likely to spoil so are a favorite of processed, refined and fast foods. Research shows that trans fat can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.


Cooked fats are also unhealthy. Fats are especially vulnerable and sensitive making them a prime candidate for degradation. Especially degrading to fats is heat and light. Heating fats changes their structure, making them less digestible (useable) and having negative impacts on your health. Raw fats on the other hand, such as raw coconut oil, raw nuts, avocados and seed, contain living enzymes (lipase) which metabolize fat properly and completely. Lipase helps in digestion, fat distribution and fat burning throughout the body. With lipase present and active in a fat, the body is able to immediately use that fat for energy. Without lipase fat stagnates, is stored and accumulated.

Of the healthy fats we have:

Monounsaturated fat which is found in a variety of foods and oils and is the main fat in coconut oil. Studies show eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) improve blood cholesterol levels, decreasing your risk of heart disease, benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet.

MUFAS also: 

• Promote heart health 
• Promote weight loss when and if you need it 
• Support your immune system health 
• Support a healthy metabolism 
• Provide you with an immediate energy source 
• Help keep your skin healthy and youthful looking 
• Support the proper functioning of your thyroid gland 

Polyunsaturated fat is a type of fat found mostly in plant-based foods and oils. Evidence shows that eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease and also help decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes.

One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, are especially beneficial to your health including the health of your heart and brain. Omega-3s, found in some types of fatty fish, decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.

Deficiency

Modern food from depleted soils, laden in toxic chemicals, refined and processed is striped of its naturally high nutrient content. For example, when whole wheat is milled and refined into white flour, the vitamin-and mineral-rich bran and germ of the wheat kernel are removed and discarded. The resulting white flour is high in starchy carbohydrate and calories, but depleted of vitamins and minerals. The calorie content is high while the nutritional content is low, which is a similar pattern found in all processed and refined foods. When fresh juices are processed into commercial store bought juice the fruits are subjected to high heats which destroys much of the vitamins and all of the enzymes and phytochemcials. Sugar and other additives are then added to give the juice a sweeter taste and longer shelf life, which increases calorie content, but decreases nutritional value. This is pretty much the same with any processed food, which is why over time the body can become depleted of needed nutrients.


When the body is depleted of nutrients it is perpetually hungry. The body uses calories for energy, but it is not the main determining factor of hunger. Hunger is turned off when the body gets the nutrients it needs, in addition to the calories it needs. However if the calories are nutrient deficient, as we see happening in processed foods, the body will continue sending hunger signals until it gets the nutrients it needs resulting in a cycle of perpetual hunger, overeating in empty calories, weight gain, back to perpetual hunger.

Deficiency also translates to more fat storage. When the body is deficient of nutrients it begins sending signals to store everything as fat, because it believes it is starving, which in fact it is, starving of nutrients. Once the body starts getting the nutrients it needs, it begins releasing excess fat stores as it thinks the “starving” crisis has come to an end. This can take a bit of time as many times the more fat storage one has, the greater deficient state present. Restoring a long term or severe deficiency can take some time. The caloric intake amount does not matter the most, what matters is your nutrient content, so pay attention to your nutrients.


Cooking further reduces the high nutrient content naturally present in foods. Heat kills all enzymes and phytochemicals. It also causes minerals to loose their ability to work and decreases vitamin content. Heat also changes the molecular composition of carbohydrates and fats, as previously discussed. It degrades amino acids and makes them less digestible and assimilable in the body. If eating mostly cooked foods over time the body becomes deficient in the nutrients lost through heat.

Toxicity

We live in a highly toxic world. Our efforts to make everything as convenient as possible has resulted in highly toxic food products. Additives and preservative are added to foods to retain shelf life while refining methods which strip foods of their nutrients create food products that can be quickly cooked. The additives, preservatives, flavorings and colorings included in foods are not able to be used by the body and result in toxic waste. Likewise personal care products and the air we breathe are both filled with a concoction of body toxic chemicals and pollutants. Anything that goes into your mouth, onto your skin or in through your lungs, gets into your body. Toxins are toxic to your body and so the body must find a way to get rid of them or at least eliminate their toxic impact on vital organs and processes. The body uses fat to neutralize, trap and store toxins away from vital organs. The more toxins in your body, the more fat needed to protect you from their toxic impact. As you begin to flush and remove the toxins from your body, fat stores begin to dissipate.

Acidic pH

The body likes to be slightly above alkaline. Your internal pH is a good indicator of how balanced your internal environment is and how well your current diet is working for your individual body type.

An acidic pH can be an indicator of several things:

1. Your digestive system is not functioning properly. Healthy digestive enzymes have a lot to do with how balanced the pH in your mouth is. Digestive troubles or upset can be a sign of digestive enzymes problems. If your digestive system is not functioning properly, your food is not being digested, assimilated or excreted in a healthy way which gives rise to an acidic environment in your digestive system. 
2. The foods you are eating, in the way and proportions you are currently eating them is not working for your body. Some people become acidic when eating higher amounts of protein, while others become acidic when they eat higher amounts of carbohydrates. Knowing which foods in what amounts work best for your body not only helps to balance your weight naturally, but also helps increase your health and energy levels. 
3. Your diet is far too acidic. The Western diet is a highly acidic diet. Refined and processed foods, sugar, stimulants, animal products and prescriptions drugs are all acidifying to your body. If your pH is acidic look to the type of foods you are eating. Foods in their natural, whole and organic state are naturally alkalizing. 
4. Your buffering system is depleted. The body does not like to be acidic so will use minerals, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium, to buffer acids in the body. Over time if the internal environment remains acidic, the body depletes its reserves of these valuable minerals and can end up pulling calcium from the bones and teeth to buffer acidity. This is one of the reasons we see such high osteoporosis rates in the US. Restoring your pH balance prevents this from happening. 

When your pH is acidic your body also uses fat to neutralize the acidic wastes that are in the body. This goes hand in hand with toxicity. The body treats acid wastes in the same manner it treats toxins.
Poor Digestion


Our digestive system is one of the most energy consuming and active systems in your entire body. Its job is not only to digest the food we eat, but then transport and make use of the various nutrients we take in through our food. After which time it continues its work by getting rid of all the toxins and material we cannot use nor no longer need. This is a massive undertaking, comprised of many different organs, cells, systems and processes. This is also the most important overall function your body completes. Without proper digestion the body becomes stressed, worn down, less efficient and eventually sick. “All disease begins in the gut” is a famous saying by Hippocrates who recognized that without proper digestion the body becomes ill.

Overburdening our digestive system, disrupting the natural rhythm of the digestive process, irritation and inflaming various digestive organs through how and what we eat causes digestion to become less efficient. When this happens food does not get fully digested, assimilated or excreted resulting in a build up of toxins, a deficient and acidic state.
Emotional


We also eat for reasons completely independent of physical need. The purpose of eating is to nourish, sustain, balance and heal our bodies. Food was created with living and active components all of which do just this. However, in our society especially, we have been “trained” from an early age to use foods for a variety of other reasons, most of which are highly unhealthy, addicting and binding. This results in the accumulation of unwanted or unneeded weight and the degradation of our overall health. It is estimated that 75% of all overeating is caused by emotions. The key to this being free from emotional eating is connecting to your body and its needs on a deep level, thus becoming able to hear and respond appropriately to the body's varying need at the time it arises.

The 5 Reasons We Eat

1. Social - We eat because we are in social situations where eating is involved. We may be meeting friends at a restaurant, attending a birthday party, event or gathering all of which may have food present. The key is to find the healthy options and stick to those. Sampling of less healthy items is quite alright, but overindulging or binging is when it can become a problem. If you know there won't be any healthy options bring a healthy plate for everyone to share and make sure you eat well and feel satisfied prior to the gathering. 
2. Emotional - Many times we eat because we are feeling depressed, bored, lonely, angry, anxious, frustrated or stressed. Foods in fact help us to address some of the physiological reasons for our states of emotions. The nutrients contained in foods can help our emotional states increase but the key is to identify the feelings. Once the true feelings are identified we can go about devising a structure to our intake of foods in a way that brings the greatest levels of health and well being. Other emotions that can’t be addressed by food; loneliness, boredom, anger and stress, need to be identified in the moment and then other tools need to be sought to address these. 
3. Situational - We eat often when the opportunity presents itself. We may walk by a bakery, see an ad on television or be offered food at work. We may eat while we watch T.V. or when we go to a sporting event. These are all times when our body is not telling us it needs food, our mind is telling us we need food. We must become aware of these situations and know it is ok to say no to food when we are not in specific need. 
4. Thoughts - Many times we eat in response to negative self talk that we are not fully conscious or aware of. Thoughts such as, “You will never be able to loose weight.” or ‘What is the point?” can lead us to eat, even though we are not in need. 
5. Need - This and only this is when we want to eat. Our body sends us signals when food or nutrients are needed. We may be hungry, have low energy, feeling blue, have a headache or other health symptoms arise. Again, the key is to become conscious of these signals our body sends to us and become able to respond to them appropriately. It is entirely acceptable and needed to eat when our energy slumps, but we must reach for foods that address and resolve this need completely and healthfully. It is also completely acceptable and needed to reach for liquid or foods with a high water content when we have a headache. 

Being aware of these five eating triggers can help us to make more conscious choices when deciding when, where and how to eat.

When the true reasons for weight gain are understood then awareness can be used to begin making healthy choices. Weight must be addressed holistically, on every level, for real balance to be found and sustained. At Align Holistic Health & Well Being we have created a holistic 12 week journey into balancing your weight naturally and finding Your Perfect Weight once and for all. You can email or call our office for more information and to begin your own journey to better health and well being.

Blessings of health.

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC

A Place Where Health is Transformed

www.alignholistichealth.com

720-277-9124

candice@alignholistichealth.com

Being Aware of Your Relationship with Food ~ Naturally Balancing Your Weight Series

This is the first article in a series I will be writing on natural, holistic weight loss and balancing your weight naturally. 

The purpose of eating is to nourish, sustain, balance and heal our bodies. Food was created with living and active components naturally contained within them, all of which are designed to do just this. However, in our society especially, we have been “trained” from an early age to use foods for a variety of other reasons, most of which are highly unhealthy, addicting and binding. This results in the accumulation of unwanted or unneeded weight and the degradation of our overall health. Eating when when our body is not in need is classified as overeating. It is estimated that 75% of all overeating is caused by emotions. 

Critical steps in finding our natural, balanced weight is changing our relationship to food, restoring our connection to food’s ability to heal, nourish and balance our body while addressing other needs in our lives with more appropriate tools, other then eating. The key to this entire process is connecting to our body and its needs on a deep level, thus becoming able to hear and respond appropriately to the body's varying needs at the time they arise. This in itself is a journey, but one worth embarking on, not only in finding our perfect balanced weight but also in reversing health symptoms and achieving the highest levels of health and well being. 

There are 5 predominate reasons we eat. 

1. Social - We eat because we are in social situations where eating is involved. We may be meeting friends at a restaurant, attending a birthday party, event or gathering all of which may provide food. Often times the foods offered in social gatherings are unhealthy, for example chips, highly processed meats and cheeses, soda pop, pizza and fried foods. If we are very social beings, this may add up to a lot of unhealthy food coming into our body, resulting in excess weight and lowered health levels. A great way to get around this problem is to bring your own healthy yet delicious side dish to the event. Another way is to ensure you are pleasantly satisfied with healthy foods prior to the gathering. Then instead of gorging, out of hunger at the event, you merely sample some of the foods. 

2. Emotional - Many times we eat because we are feeling depressed, bored, lonely, angry, anxious, frustrated or stressed. Foods in fact help us to address some of the physiological reasons for our states of emotions. The nutrients contained within foods can help our emotional states increase and stabilize, which is why we have a natural gravitation toward food during these times, but the key is to identify the feelings. Once the true feelings are identified we can go about devising a structure to our intake of foods in a way that brings the greatest levels of health and well being. Other emotions that can’t be addressed by food; loneliness, boredom, anger and stress, need to be identified in the moment they arise and then tools that address these needs should be sought in replacement of food. If we are bored maybe it is a good time to get in touch with what we are passionate about or start on the road to pursuing dreams we have long lost touch with. The key is to identify the feeling and address it appropriately and instead of just reaching for food.

3. Situational - We often eat when the opportunity presents itself. We may walk by a bakery, see an ad on television or be offered food at work. We may eat while we watch T.V. or when we go to a sporting event. These are all times when it is not our body but our mind telling us we need food. They key again is to be aware. Are we eating because we are in need or because the opportunity presented itself? Every thing we bring into our body is either contributing to a state of increased health or degraded health. If we are not in need, we are contributing to a state of degraded health. We must become aware of these situations and keep on walking, saying no to food when we are not in specific need. 

4. Thoughts - Many times we eat in response to negative self talk that we often are not fully conscious or aware of. Thoughts such as, “You will never be able to loose this weight.” or ‘What is the point?” can lead us to eat, even though we are not in need. Self talk is often times very subversive and not something we are fully aware of. Every time before we decide to eat is important to stop, get quiet and listen to our body. Is this food being brought in on a need basis or are we trying to drown out or give into negative thoughts our mind is keeping on a playback real. If we take the time to stop and listen before we eat we can begin to hear what our body is saying and better determine if why we are eating. 

5. Need - This and only this is when we want to eat. Our body sends us signals when food or nutrients are needed. We may be hungry, have low energy, feeling blue, have a headache or have another health symptom arise. Again, the key is to become conscious of these signals our body sends to us, and be able to respond appropriately. It is entirely acceptable and needed to eat when our energy slumps, but we must reach for foods that address and resolve this need completely and healthfully. It is also completely acceptable and needed to reach for liquid or foods with a high water content when we have a headache.  

Being aware of these five eating triggers can help us to make more conscious choices when deciding when, where and how to eat. 

The goal is to become connected and aware of the times in which we are eating, what needs trigger us to eat and what we are eating in response to these needs.

Through Align Holistic Health & Well Being's Your Perfect Weight Program we delve into this issue in depth and utilize tools to help us overcome the unneeded forms of eating. Holistic weight loss address all relationships, needs and habits surrounding food and is the only way to finding Your Perfect Weight naturally and healthfully.


Contact us today to learn more about Your Perfect Weight Program and begin your journey to better health today!


Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC
www.alignholistichealth.com
720-206-4648


A Place Where Health is Transformed

Restoring Health & Balance Internally & Externally ~ 5 Steps to Make Earth Day Every Day

Earth Day is a yearly reminder to respect, treasure and love the world we live in. What we often overlook is that loving and respecting our external home, Earth, is also loving and respecting our internal home, our body. The health of our environment and our planet is a direct reflection of the health of our internal home and vice versa. The state of health externally is our mirror for the state of our health internally. When we look out into the world and see toxicity, degradation and imbalance we know this is a direct reflection of our internal world. As our internal health becomes restored, clean and balanced, so does the health of our external world. The two cannot operate independently. Therefore, what we do to restore health and balance internally directly effects the health of our environment and planet. 


Remembering valuable concepts, such as love, respect and balance, once a year isn't going to make much of an impact on our external or internal health. However, taking small steps each and every day to remember these concepts will make a tremendous impact. There are small and simple things you can begin doing today to restore balance and health to your internal environment, while at the same time making a significant impact on the greater world. 


5 Steps to Make Earth Day Every Day 

1. Choose Organic - When you buy conventional produce, you are getting half to twenty percent of the nutrient content of organic foods, chronically poisoning your body, and continuing the cycle of degrading the planet, our food supply and environment. Organic foods not only have a substantially higher nutrient content, they are pure (free of poisons), taste better, balance and heal your body while supporting and increasing a sustainable economy, a healthy pure environment, a higher quality food supply, richer soil content, and increased health, at both the individual and planetary levels. All organic agricultural methods are not only evaluated to ensure they do not utilize health harming chemicals, but methods and products used are also evaluated for their long term effects on the environment. They also utilize organic composting methods, and crop rotation agricultural methods, both of which help to enrich and enliven the soil for foods now and in future generations. Organic farming practices are also more efficient and use less waste. When calculated per unit area, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste from packaging materials for chemicals and other products used. Organic growing methods also conserve land space and increase natural biodiversity. Toxic chemicals used on conventional produce end up everywhere in our environment from our land, to our water supply which not only poison our bodies but the bodies of all other species on the planet.

2. Use Reusable Bags - Single use plastic and paper bags represent a large threat to our environment and health. There are approximately 380 billion shopping bags used each year, of those, 100 billion are plastic shopping bags. That equates to more than 1,200 bags per person per year! This number does not represent the individual plastic produce bags or plastic and paper packaging used in store purchased foods. It requires 12 million barrels of oil to make this volume of shopping bags, and only 1-2% of these are ever recycled. That means over 372 billion of these bags end up in landfills, oceans and other places in our environment. Envirosax, a reusable bag manufacturer, states that The United Nations Environment Programme estimates there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean, resulting in the death of thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds each year. The plastic from these bags never goes away, and toxic particles from the plastic can enter the food chain when they are then ingested by animals.

If you think choosing paper bags over plastic is the more responsible choice think again. Envirosax continues by stating Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year. Approximately 14 million trees must be cut down every year, and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid, which leads to acid rain and water pollution, are needed and used to support this amount of paper bag production. This is a ridiculously needless statistic when it costs about $1.50 to purchase a sturdy reusable cloth, hemp or other natural fiber bag that will last months or even years.

Individually wrapping each of your produce categories in plastic bags is another area of concern. Imagine how many plastic bags just you alone will use in a year, if you buy a large quantity of fresh produce each time you shop? How many of those plastic bags will you recycle? Apart from the environmental concerns, there is a great health concern posed by these plastic bags as well. Bisphenol-A, commonly referred to as BPA, is a component in plastics and epoxy resins. Studies have suggested BPA is linked to many health problems, including hormone cancers, obesity, ADD, ADHD, brain damage, immune suppression, early puberty and lowered sperm counts. One of the main issues with BPA is that, once ingested, it mimics estrogen in the human body. Excess estrogen in the body results in big health problems. Estrogen stimulates cells to grow and divide, which is needed for the development of sex organs, but can spiral out of control. An excess of estrogen in the body has been linked to hormone cancers. Cancer cells continue to grow and divide without any regulation or control. Too much estrogen only feeds this process. These chemicals are more rapidly leeched out of plastic and into foods when the food is wet. Taking wet store-bought organic produce and placing it in soft plastic bags at the grocery store poses a potentially very serious health risk.

Instead, buy reusable fabric mesh produce bags or just throw all your produce into one of your cloth reusable grocery bags. Not only will you be helping the environment, you will be keeping your organic food pure and toxin free. 

3. Buy Local - According to the National Resource Defense Council, buying local helps reduce pollution, improves air quality and improves your health. Buying local also strengthens your local community and economy. Local food connects us to our land, our food and our neighbors, strengthening the bond of community and bringing us back into harmony with the outer world. I firmly believe local food is one of the biggest and most important steps forward in shifting our planet and bodies back into balance. Most food, in conventional grocery stores, has been shipped hundreds, if not thousands of miles. Food comes from other states in the U.S., but also other more distant places, such as Chile and Mexico. A typical American meal consisting of meat, grains, fruits and vegetables consumes 4-17 times more petroleum than the same meal from a local source. These long travel times have disastrous effects on our foods and environment. Eating foods that have been shipped long distances create other environmental and local economic issues as well. We depend on petroleum to ship our foods hundreds or thousands of miles, creating a continued dependence on foreign oil while, at the same time, increasing our levels of greenhouse emissions. When you choose local foods, you reduce your ecological foot print and help the environment to be less polluted. Local foods don't have to be shipped long distances, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil and lowers the amount of greenhouse emissions being poured into our air. Buying local also helps support local small business, and keeps money circulating in your own community. Local small businesses are the largest employers in the country, and are directly responsible for creating more new jobs then large corporations. Small local businesses also bring a rich diversity of shops
and stores to the area. While big local chains may be convenient, they are monotonous, and bring little flavor and new life to the community. Big corporate stores also contribute less per dollar to the local economy.

4. Go Raw - We often disregard how much waste and environmental pollutants we contribute to, just by the way we shop. Plastic bags, cardboard boxes and food packaging not only take a tremendous amount of natural resources to create and ship, but most of it ends up in landfills, our oceans and even our bodies. Eating raw foods, foods in their natural states, not only effects the health of our internal environment, but also our external environment. Buying foods in their natural state means no packaging, wrappers or boxes needed. When buying produce, there is no need to individually bag each produce item in plastic bags or bring foods home in multiple plastic or paper bags. Eating raw encompasses shopping consciously and responsibly, so as to reduce your ecological footprint and responsibly care for and utilize the Earth's resources.

5. Compost - Composting is nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Anything that was once living will decompose. This decomposing material is rich in beneficial nutrients and microbes for plants and for our bodies. Composting has a dramatic effect on the environment. Composting is a method of resource recovery. By taking organic left overs and converting them into a useful end product, a product that is absolutely essential and beneficial to creating a sustainable environment. Plants require healthy soil to thrive. Charles E. Little in THE DYING OF THE TREES points out how trees all around the world are dying due to pollution which human beings are causing. Composting is a way of returning beneficial nutrients and microbes back into the soil where plants use them to them build healthy plant structures. This in turn improves our air quality and food supply. Healthy plants from healthy soil look better, produce better and have a much greater ability to fight off pests and diseases. Composting also helps to cut down on waste. Yard and food waste make up 30% of the waste stream. Composting your kitchen and yard trimmings helps divert that waste from the landfill, waterways and water treatment facilities. Adding organic materials to the soil also improves moisture retention, which cuts down on the amount of water needed and used on plants and in your yard.

By implementing these 5 steps into your daily life, you are taking tremendous steps toward restoring the balance and health of both your internal environment and external environment. Over time, these small steps turn into significant impacts that change everyone's health and well being for the better!

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC

A Place Where Health is Transformed

www.alignholistichealth.com

720-277-9124 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            720-277-9124      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

10 Tips to Beating Seasonal Allergies Naturally

26 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, while an estimated 50 million suffer from all types of allergies. One of the most annoying health symptoms you can experience is seasonal allergies. Runny eyes and noses, sneezing, coughing, troubles breathing, clogged airways, ichy everything are all a invariable nightmare! Allergy medications can help to suppress some seasonal allergy symptoms, but at the same time can come with many unwanted side effects including drowsiness and many don't seem to work at all. In fact, at a recent meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Dr. William E. Berger reported that nearly a third of allergy patients think their medications don’t work. Allergy medications also do nothing to actually heal the underlying cause of the allergic response in your body, which means long term, allergies can get worse or cause other health problems. To treat allergies naturally the root cause must be addressed and the root cause of seasonal allergies is not Spring plants or the dying of those plants in Fall, it also is not pesky pollen. The true cause lies within an imbalance in your nervous and immune systems. So that is exactly where the focus of treatment should be.

Seasonal allergies are caused by a hypersensitive nervous system and a dysfunctional immune system. Poor stress management, lack of rest, poor and inadequate nutrition, and an overly toxic internal environment, gradually creates both a hypersensitive nervous system and a dysfunctional immune system. Once this imbalance is created, seasonal allergies begin to show as surface symptoms. The focus in treating and reversing seasonal allergies is to focus on strengthening the immune system while at the same time balancing the nervous system.

Steps to Reversing Seasonal Allergies Naturally

Reversing seasonal allergies completely is possible with the guidance and direction of a knowledgeable holistic health practitioner, but there are some general steps you can take on your own to begin the process and reduce symptoms.

1. Eat Fresh Fruits & Vegetables - During the allergic response, oxidants in your system team up with histamines to attack the body, causing an allergic response. Carotenoids, a phytopigment (chemically active color) in plants defend against those oxidants. Food sources of carotenoids include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, collard greens, papaya, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Fresh fruits and vegetables also help to flush the build up of toxins in the body. Choose organic produce to reduce your exposure to additional body harming toxins.

2. Stay Hydrated - Drinking water helps to flush toxins in the body, thins mucus and hydrates airway and nasal passages. Your body uses water to trap and rid itself of toxins, so more water is needed when toxin levels are high or allergy producing substances are floating around in the body. Drink more water during allergy season to help reduce symptoms.

3. Antioxidants - Antioxidants help to defend against oxidants which can trigger the allergic response as previous mentioned, but other specific antioxidants have been found to help eliminate or reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. Research shows that 800 mg of vitamin E helps to ease allergic symptoms. The antioxidant Quercitin helps to block the release of histamine. Quercitin is found naturally in apples and onions but supplementation during allergy season of 200-400 mg 3 times a day can also be helpful. 

4. Bromelain - Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme derived from pineapple stems. Quercitin and bromelain work synergistically to suppress the inflammation of allergic reactions in the body. Bromelain helps to increase the absorption of Quercitin, so take the two together.

5. Vitamin C - Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine. It prevents histamine release and increases the detoxification of histamine from the body. A 1992 study found that taking 2 grams Vitamin C daily lowered blood histamine levels by 38% in healthy adults in just one week. However, a single dose of Vitamin C failed to lower histamine levels, indicating that the antihistamine effect of Vitamin C requires regular ongoing use. Take a 1-2 grams 2 hours prior to exposure to any known allergens. For ongoing use, take 1 gram of Vitamin C for every decade you have been alive, daily.

6. Acupuncture - Acupuncture helps to boost the body's immune system by stimulating your natural defense response and energy. Studies have shown that regular acupuncture treatment significantly reduced allergy symptoms without any side effects.

7. Get Moving! - Exercise helps to strengthen your body's immune system and at the same time is necessary to move lymph. Lymph is an immune system fluid that helps collect unwanted materials for removal from the body but the lymph system does not have its own pump, so sits stagnate until muscular movement moves it. Exercise moves your body's muscles which in turn moves lymph out of the body, removing unwanted toxins, excess histamine and allergic irritants.

8. Probiotics - Probiotics are friendly bacteria in the gut and are intrinsically related to a healthy immune system. Probiotics are killed and naturally depleted in most bodies because of the high amount of antibiotics and toxic food additives circulating in our food system, all of which kill this friendly bacteria. A high quality probiotic supplement and eating only organic foods can help to replenish friendly bacteria and naturally strengthen the immune system.

9. Don't Shun the Sun - Sunlight is important to a healthy body and healthy immune system. Without it, our bodies lack vitamin D which is needed to regulate hormones and also for a strong immune system. Know your body and skin type and never allow your skin to burn, but do get some Sun exposure on bare skin each and every day. 

10. Living Juices - Living juices, juices that have not been processed, refined, or heated, remove toxins stored in tissues and cells, deeply hydrate the tissues and infuse the internal environment with the highest levels of Vitaimin C, antioxidants, oxygen, enzymes and vitamins and minerals. Juices specifically remove toxins from the insulating sheath that surrounds the nervous system, helping to calm and restore balance to an overly active nervous system.

These are some essential tips to helping end the cycle of seasonal allergies and heal the underlying root cause. For an individualized approach to reversing seasonal allergies for good, talk with our knowledgeable holistic health practitioner and make this the last season you suffer needlessly!

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC

www.alignholistichealth.com

720-277-9124

candice@alignholistichealth.com

A Place Where Health is Transformed

Nutritional Deficiency ~ The Sneaky Health Culprit Often Overlooked

When we think of deficiency, we think of the millions of starving people in countries far far away that we see on television from time to time. Visions of Somalia and Darfur come to mind. Yet here in the West it seems impossible for any one of us to be deficient. There is no shortage of food. The sheer number of calories we have available to us and consume on a daily basis seems to make it impossible for one to be deficient of anything, let alone anything nutritionally related. However, upon closer examination we find that most U.S. residents are severely deficient and it turns out this is one of the two most common sneaky culprits that cause a multitude of health symptoms, most health symptoms in fact, and is most often overlooked. It has been demonstrated that 90% of all cancers are linked to nutritional and environmental factors and that you have a 75% chance of dying from a disease state caused by a nutritional or lifestyle factor. The two root causes of both of these statistics lie in deficiency and toxicity of the body.

While we have grown accustomed to judging what we eat by the number of calories we intake, that view is extremely myopic and causes us to overlook one of the biggest contributors to health problems in our country, deficiency. Here is the U.S we are deficient in key and essential nutrients our body needs in order to ward of sickness and disease, to remain balanced, to have high energy levels and attain and maintain superior health. Deficiency is defined as a lack of something. As pertaining to our health and diet, deficiency is a lack of essential nutrients that are vital for the body to rebuild itself and function as it should. The body's health is only maintained when there are sufficient quantities of all the nutrients it requires. If any one of these nutrients is not supplied sufficiently, there is an immediate slowdown in physical function. When deficiencies continue for an extended period of time, it creates substantial changes in the make up of the body and causes a gradual weakening of the body's resistance. As the body is continuously deprived of essential nutrients it begins to slow, functions become less efficient, organs become stressed and over time there is a general wearing out. The lowered overall resistance of the body also makes it highly susceptible to sickness and disease. A body suffering from nutrient deficiencies functions less effectively and eliminates wastes and toxins more poorly. Illnesses of all kinds come into existence as the body is overloaded with wastes and toxins and is suffering from deficiencies. 

A report entitled National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey issued by released from the USDA-ARS Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) found that Americans are deficient in key nutrients.The most alarming shortfalls were found for Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Selenium, Magnesium and Potassium. Although they found these to be specifically deficient, vitamins and minerals work synergistically and when one is deficient others are unable to work as they should and they also become deficient. This is why nutrients are found together in foods, because they are dependent upon one another. Minerals and vitamins and especially dependent upon one another. Minerals are the catalysts that cause vitamins to work, without them vitamins cannot do their job. All vitamins, minerals and trace elements are intricately dependent on each other in the body. Therefore a deficiency in any one of the nutrients, causes a series of other deficiencies. To some this may not seem like a big deal but when you look closely at what each of these nutrients are responsible for in the body, you begin to gain a different perspective:

• Vitamin E is is intricately connected to four other nutrients: vitamin C, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin B3. Vitamin E is essential for your hair, skin, fingernails and organs. It has antioxidant qualities that help heal, repair and rejuvenate. Vitamin E also plays a role in the formation of red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for delivering nutrients and oxygen to other parts of your body, along with a variety of other important jobs. Without healthy red blood cells your body becomes oxygen deprived and a low oxygen environment creates and acidic environment which is fertile ground for the growth of disease and the degradation of health, energy and vitality. 
• Vitamin C has been found to have over 100 different actions in the body. It is one of the most versatile and valuable nutrients in the body. Vitamin C has significant interactions with several key minerals in the body - it enhances iron uptake and is required for regeneration of vitamin E. Both Vitamins C & E appear to work together as powerful antioxidants and in the survey both were found to be deficient. Vitamin C is important for a strong and healthy immune system and is a powerful antioxidant. It plays a key role in helping the body stay cancer free. 
• Vitamin A is a fat-soluable vitamin and the transport and utilization of vitamin A is dependent upon several vitamin A binding proteins. Adequate intake of dietary fat and zinc is necessary for the absorption and utilization of vitamin A. It is essential for supporting your vision, skin, healthy bone growth and your immune system. As an antioxidant vitamin A helps skin to repair, stay moist, and produce the enzymes that stabilizes the production of collagen.
• Selenium is indirectly responsible for keeping the body's supply of at least three other nutrients intact - vitamin C, glutathione, and vitamin E. The chemistry of these relationships is complicated and centers around an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase. This enzyme cannot function without selenium. Selenium is an essential mineral that helps protect cells against oxidative damage from free radicals. It is necessary for thyroid function and immune system functioning, as well as for overall health.
• Magensium is required for calcium uptake and maintaining balance in the body's metabolism. Magnesium also has an important relationship with potassium, and helps regulate the movement of potassium in and out of our cells. It is an essential nutrient for maintaining an alkaline environment in the body. 
• Potassium works in the body through a mechanism known as the "sodium-potassium" pump - sodium and potassium work together to initiate muscle contraction and nerve transmission, and to maintain the body’s normal distribution of fluid. These two minerals are dependent on each other to maintain balance in the body. Potassium is known to decrease the excretion of calcium, so adequate intake of potassium is as important as adequate intake of Vitamin D and calcium for bones.
• Vitamin D plays a major role in maintaining normal blood levels of calcium and impacts the absorption and storage of calcium. Vitamin D also stimulates the absorption of phosphorous. It is also a key element in healthy hormone regulation in the body. Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and kidneys. Vitamin D deficiency may also result in iron deficiency.

In addition to these key nutrients, Americans are increasingly deficient in fiber, water, oxygen, enzymes and biochemically active phytochemicals. All of which work in the body to keep it healthy and balanced. So how is it in a nation that has no shortage of food has such a high rate of nutritionally deficiency? The answer lies in how we create and consume food. 

Essential vitamins and especially minerals come into our body through the foods we eat, sunlight, water and through bacteria in our gut. Healthy bacteria in the gut manufacture certain vitamins most especially B-vitamins. The largest volume of nutrients come into our body from plants. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, you are getting the key nutrients you need through plants, either first or second hand. If you eat animal products the animals first eat the plants and then you eat the animal. Vitamins are organic substances, which mean they are found in foods. Mineral are inorganic and are found in the soil, water and air.

Our modern ways of growing foods: commercialized farming practices; Manufacturing foods: refining, processing, packaging and shipping; and Eating foods: microwaving, high heat cooking and BBQ'ing, all contribute to nutrient deficiency. It all begins with the soil. Commercialized farming methods have strayed from the natural ways of growing foods in an attempt to increase profits. While doing so they have degraded the soil to a point that the naturally present high nutrient content of living plants foods has been almost completely destroyed. Organic, healthy, fertile soil yields plants with higher contents of all key nutrients, and also living enzymes, probiotics, phytochemicals and pure oxygen and water. Foods grown in depleted, degraded, chemically laden soil yield similar depleted, degraded, toxic plants. High heats then applied to foods through processing, refining and cooking destroy another 80% of the nutrients naturally present in living plant foods. Over 105 degrees, sensitive phytochemicals, living enzymes, pure oxygen and water are all completely destroyed and vitamins and minerals are further destroyed and degraded. Long shipping times and shelf lives further contribute to a food's nutrient loss, as do toxic chemicals used on inorganic foods which interfere in the body's ability to utilize nutrients. Processed and refined foods are then further manipulated with chemical additives, preservatives, colorings and taste enhancers. What we have relegated ourselves to then are toxic chemically laden foods, grown in depleted degraded soils, refined, processed and mechanically manipulated, shipped hundreds if not thousands of miles, filled with additives, preservatives and other chemicals "enhancers." It is no wonder we are deficient! Deficient in everything natural and healthy that our body needs!

If you eat a Westernized diet that is high in cooked, processed, refined and fast foods you are most probably suffering from deficiency. 

Steps to Reversing Deficiency:

1. Eat Organic Foods. Organic foods come from healthier, more nutrient dense soil which in turn yields higher nutrient content plants. Organic foods are also free of additives, colorings, taste enhances and toxic chemicals that interfere with the body's ability to utilize nutrients and increases the amount of toxicity present in the body.

2. Eat Live Foods. Foods that are alive are still in their natural state, having all their nutrients still 100% in tact. Nutrients begin to be degraded when a foods are heated or processed, sometimes multiple times, from their original natural state. Eat foods in their living natural state and deficiency is impossible. A minimum of 50% living foods in your diet, to a most healthy ratio of 80% living foods in your diet will keep you at the highest levels of health.

3. Eat Whole Foods. Once a food has been degraded from its natural state, through processing or refining, its nutrient content has also been degraded and it becomes increasingly possible to become deficient when eating these foods. Keeping foods in their natural state, whole, keeps all of their valuable nutrients in tact.

4. Cleanse. Cleansing the body is a powerful tool in eliminating built up toxins and wastes while restoring deficiencies with a high concentration of nutrients. Cleansing does not mean taking a supplement or pill to "cleanse", a true cleanse is one built on living, raw foods and juices which infuse the body with powerful living nutrients, cleansing out waste and restoring deficiency. When you cleanse the right way you not only restore deficiencies but also cleanse the body of wastes and toxins, addressing both roots of health symptoms. Cleansing & Detoxification

When you address deficiency and toxicity in the body you see health symptoms, you may have even lived with for years, suddenly vanish. You also attain and maintain strong and consistent levels of energy, clarity and health you never knew possible.

At Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC we offer natural, holistic approaches to restoring deficiencies through Individualized Nutritional Therapy, Healthful Cooking Classes, Grocery Store Learning Excursions, Lectures, Workshops and Holistic Raw Food & Juice Cleanse Programs. All of our approaches are based on organic, live, whole foods and address all areas of one's body, mind and spirit simultaneously. For more information about how our services will help you reverse health symptoms and attain and maintain superior levels of health and well being visit our web site at : Align Holistic Health & Well Being

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC
A Place Where Health is Transformed
www.alignholistichealth.com
720-277-912424

How to Prevent Toxicity in a Toxic World

Whether our intention is to live in a pure world or not, the fact is we live in a toxic world. The habits we have become accustomed to:  quick, convenience foods; conventional farming methods; transportation methods; and commercial personal care and household products all contribute to a toxic environment, externally and internally. It is estimated that there are 21,000 toxic chemicals in the water we drink and 4,000 toxic chemicals in the air we breathe. There are 77,000 chemicals currently produced in North America, over 3,000 chemicals that are added to our food supply, over 10,000 chemical solvents, emulsifiers and preservatives used in food processing and 1,000 new chemicals are introduced each year into our lives. The effects of this toxicity are profound.

A report by the Columbia University School of Public Health estimates that 95% of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity. Most Americans have between 400 - 800 chemicals stored in their bodies, typically in fat cells. This is because the body uses fat to neutralize toxins. A report compiled by the CDC in 2009 stated that there are at least 212 toxins lodged in human tissues and circulating throughout our systems, many of which are carcinogens. Some of the short and long-term effects of these toxins include:

Neurological disorders (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, etc.) Cancer Nutritional deficiencies Hormonal imbalances

Enzyme dysfunction Altered metabolism Reproductive disorders Fatigue Headaches Obesity

Muscle and vision problems Immune system depression Allergies/Asthma Endocrine disorders Chronic viral infections Less ability to tolerate/handle stress

The decisions we make every day contribute to the environment and planet in which we live. When we make healthy, life sustaining choices our environment evolves into the same, however when we opt for convenience and the status quo, we continue to contribute to a toxic environment which leads to a toxic body. 


So how do we assist in creating an environment, planet and body that is pure and toxin free? Here are some easy tips you can put into practice today to reduce the total amount of toxicity:


1. Eat Organic - Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Foods are produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Organic foods are completely free of all chemicals, including herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, larvacides and food additives, all of which are toxic to living beings and our planet. Pesticides, herbicides and food additives have all been linked to numerous health problems, including cancer, nervous system disorders, birth defects, alterations in DNA, liver, kidney, lung and reproductive problems, weakened immune systems, allergies, hyperactivity in children and neurotoxicity resulting in poor concentration and reduced mental functioning and clarity. In 1987, The National Academy of Sciences concluded that in your lifetime, conventional foods will cause more than a million additional cases of cancer. These poisons are especially harmful to small children and their developing bodies. Organic foods also contribute to the health of the soil and water and increase the nutrient content of foods while decreasing toxic pollution of our land and water supply. 


2. Choose Green Household Products - The products you use in and around your home have a direct impact on your health. The average american uses about 25 gallons of "TOXIC" or "HAZARDOUS" chemical products per year in their home. A major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products. The most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners. Labels that come with detailed warnings stating, "Danger" or "Poison" are good indications that these products are not safe. Once used in your home, these products are flushed down the drain and end up in our environment. In a May 2002 study of contaminants in stream water samples across the country, the U.S. Geological Survey found persistent detergent metabolites in 69% of streams tested. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants. Garden and lawn products also pose a potential risk. A study found children in homes where household and garden pesticides are used, have a sevenfold greater chance of developing childhood leukemia. Look for products that are biodegradable and toxin free. Seventh Generation is a good brand. http://www.seventhgeneration.com/products


3. Buy Organic Personal Care Products - The average American woman uses about 12 personal care products per day, the average man 6. Each product containing about a dozen or so chemicals which equates to about 150 toxic chemicals being used on your body DAILY. Some of these chemicals are carcinogens others are neurotoxins while others still are reproductive toxins, but only about 20% of all body care products have been tested for their health effects. That leaves 80% of personal care product chemicals whose effects are completely unknown. Choose products that are completely natural, this means having ingredients that you know and are familiar with. Buy from companies whose commitment is to the preservation of health in every way. Most importantly READ LABELS! Companies who are committed to natural products make it well known on their labels such as "cruelty free, paraben free, eco friendly" and other environmentally and health safe labelings. 


4. Eat Whole - Foods that are processed or refined, meaning they come in a box, can, package or other container are filled with additives, preservatives and other food chemicals. It is estimated that American spend about 90% of their food budget on processed and refined foods, which means 90% of what you eat is contaminated with toxic chemicals. The effect of processed versus natural foods effect on the immune system was tested and documented. It was found, the intake of processed foods so disturbed the pattern of white blood cells of the immune system, that the disturbed pattern of the cells looked identical as the white blood cell patterns seen in infections. Further found, when processed meats were ingested, such as hot dogs and salami, the white blood cell pattern looked the same as is seen in sever food poisoning. Yuck! Stick with foods that are whole and have only 1 ingredient, that food! For instance the ingredients in a head of lettuce: lettuce, in an orange: orange. when you do have to buy a canned, boxed or packaged food make sure it is organic and read the labels. If there are words you cannot pronounce or do not know, put it back on the shelf. With a little bit of practice and awareness it is easy to switch to a 100% whole food diet. Fresh made organic tomato sauce is so much better then that jarred stuff anyway.

5. Cleanse - No matter how conscious you are about your own personal lifestyle the fact is we live in a toxic environment. As the body is overwhelmed with toxic substances, food chemicals and additives, stress, negative thinking, poor nutritional choices such as unhealthy fats, sugar and processed foods it begins to slow and is unable to effectively eliminate the amount of toxicity that is being brought into the body. The un-eliminated toxins begin to accumulate, mostly within the fatty tissues in the body and organs and there they remain. These retained toxins slow down body processes and systems depleting energy, clouding the mind and causing health symptoms to begin to emerge. The impact over time on the mind, body, body organs, systems and processes is substantial and detrimental. Cleansing is one of the best approaches to preventative health care and an important component in a healthy, natural lifestyle.


The benefits of cleansing include:

Increased energy

Better sleep

Improved digestion

Reduced allergies

Weight Loss

Disease prevention

Health Symptom Reversal

At Align Holistic Health & Well Being we offer several approaches to cleansing, which are all natural and holistic. You can find program specific information at: http://alignholistichealth.com/CleansingDetoxification.aspx


Do you part to create a more healthy and pure world for us now and for future generations. Be conscious, be aware and make the change to a clean lifestyle. Little steps add up to substantial changes, especially long term.
What steps will you take today to prevent toxicity in your life? 

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC

www.alignholistichealth.com

720-277-9124

candice@alignholistichealth.com

Holistic Wellness Coaching - What is it & How can it benefit me?

The most common goal I hear from my clients is that they want to be healthy, always. That is a general but also very specific goal. My next question is always, how do you plan to achieve that goal? That is where most people feel at a loss. They know they want to be healthy, they don't want to be older and sick or in pain, but how they will stay healthy in the midst of epidemic proportions of sickness and disease in the West seems like a daunting and possibly improbably goal. Well I am here to tell you it is not improbable, it is completely possible! Staying healthy in every moment, for all of your life is the most natural way to live.

Through One-on-One Holistic Wellness Coaching you are able to attain your goals, by staying on the right track in the here and now. When you visit your local MD a few general guidelines may be given, but they are usually very myopic in view and not at all holistic. In addition, there is no follow up, through or connection to you the individual. The moment you leave your local MD's office most thoughts of what you need to do to stay healthy have also left the building. Holistic Wellness Coaching changes all of that by balancing all areas of your life, thereby balancing your health perfectly. The intentions and goals you have to maintain your health stay with you throughout your lifetime, as they are established as new ways of living and integrated into your life as a way of being.  

What is Holistic Wellness Coaching?
Holistic Wellness Coaching is a process that allows you to connect one-on-one with someone with the knowledge and expereince you need to achieve goals you wouldn't otherwise be able to achieve alone. The holistic wellness coach is there to assist, encourage, hold you accountable, challenge, love and know YOU on every level. The holistic wellness coach comes to the table with the understanding that this is your own personal unique journey and they are only a tool in the process. Holistic Wellness Coaching helps you attain the goals you have invisioned and set for yourself but that you may have had trouble previously reaching on your own. Holistic Wellness Coaching is the perfect solution for those who have good intentions and goals but struggle with follow through, the day-to-day journey or long term change.

Most of all the holistic wellness coach is your biggest cheer leader and greatest resource, an invaluable asset in returning to a place of perfect health, balance and well-being!

Why Holistic Health is the Only Way to Total Wellness
Holistic Health unites all areas of life into one complete whole, bringing all areas of your life into balance and harmony; eliminating the possibility of the occurrence of unbalance, disease, sickness, emotional or spiritual disturbance and introduces the ability to find and sustain the highest levels of health, vitality and wellbeing ~ body, mind & spirit. Well Being is a dynamic journey that is individual and continues throughout our lifetime.

• Well Being is a way of life not a system or program. It is a path you create to achieve your highest potential in life.
• Well Being is also process. A developing awareness that there is no end, but that health and well being are possible each moment in the here and now.
• Well Being is a balanced approach to life and living. Balance within you and with the world around you.  
• Well Being is returning to wholeness in the body, mind and spirit through the awareness that everything you do, think feel and believe has profound effects on your internal and external health.
• Well Being is living and being who you are in total harmony, balance and perfect health.

Holistic Wellness Coaching is an invaluable tool in assisting you in experiencing the highest levels of personal health and well being.

At Align we offer personalized one-on–one Holistic Wellness Coaching to help you succeed and continue in your health goals and intentions long term.


Wellness is not so much a place as it is a journey...

Let us guide you on your journey!

Align Holistic Health & Well Being, LLC

A Place Where Health is Transformed

www.alignholistichealth.com

720-277-9124