Numbers Tell A Compelling Story

I have started and stopped many diets, purchased many pieces of exercise equipment,  subscribed to numerous health and fitness magazines, watched videos, dvds, and most recently became a Wii fitness fan. The struggle for me continues to be one of making the right choices consistently to be healthy.

This past year, one of my business clients shared with me that her organization was launching a new Wellness Program that included an initiative which included a plant based diet. I heard her but thought that wouldn't be of interest to me- after all, I love having meat as a part of my diet. A few months later, she once again brought up the Wellness Program and mentioned that employees were getting engaged and beginning to see progress. And again, I didn't engage in conversation about the program. Then a few months ago, while we were meeting and discussing an organizational issue that she could relate to recognition of the Wellness Program, the numbers presented from the employees engaged in the plant based diet initiative got my attention. One employee had lost 75 pounds, no longer on high blood pressure medicine and was able to complete job duties he had been unable to do before because of his weight. Another employee had lost 80 pounds and her husband 100 pounds. The husband was no longer reliant on his asthmatic medication and she had more energy and was more productive. Then there was another employee who had lost 50 pounds and no longer diabetic. These numbers were astounding but what really got my attention were the ultimate outcomes- lowered cholesterol, decreased blood glucose levels, decreased use of medications. These numbers tell a compelling story - that by making good diet choices a person can prevent some diseases and can also reverse them. The Wellness initiative was now worthy of a closer look.Wanting to know more led me to viewing the Forks and Knives video, read some of the research findings by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, review the China study and  many more articles packed with data (which I love). The findings consistently affirmed that diet and lifestyle habits can prevent most degenerative diseases and also have the power to stop or reverse them. That did it for me. I went from disinterested- to interested -to becoming a member of the Wellness Forum (Worthington, OH). My journey has begun with me enrolling in Wellness 101- four interactive sessions led by experienced and certified facilitators. Additionally, I get to participate in weekly workshops that cover a range of topics from cooking tips to cancer prevention.

Follow my blog as I chronicle this important journey to wellness. It's really up to me- I choose to "be my B.E.S.T."