We are very excited to present to you the inaugural podcast from TWE! This short 14 minute audio will hopefully answer that burning question, what the heck is a holistic health counselor? As well as tell you why you would want one. I hope you enjoy, and share widely with all your friends, family, co-workers and random strangers you meet on the street. 
Podcast: Play in new window
I am extremely excited to announce the GRAND OPENING of the latest in personal wellness services, The Wellness Epidemic!! Many friends and family received the heads up last year that I was in training to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach (CHHC) and now I?m just jumping for joy at the chance to help others discover what works best for them and achieve their best selves.
The Wellness Epidemic (TWE for short) encourages everyone to find their inner kindergartener to experience infinite energy, joy and wonder about life and the world around us. It?s not just about food; it?s about life and what you need to be fulfilled. Current clients report boundless energy, better sleep & concentration, regulated hormone levels, consistently better food choices and less confusion around health, diet and life in general. Visit my testimonials page for more details!
Want to know more? Contact me today for a FREE consultation and find out how I can help you create the life and wellness you deserve. I?m currently running great introductory specials on all my services. The best part is I can coach you no matter where you live or travel! Please feel free to pass this great opportunity to everyone you know who could use more energy and happiness in their lives!
I had envisioned sort of “easing into” my new blog with some lighter posts, but it seems that hasn’t been working so well (see lack of posts since 1st)… So, grab your swimsuit, we’re diving right in!
As we get to know each other better, you’ll find I’m generally not a big fan of pharmaceuticals. Sure, they have their place in certain instances, but overall I think they are really best avoided. At all costs.
Really, put down the prescription bottle!
Ok, now I’ve gotten that out of my system lets get to the point. 
Yesterday it was announced that the FDA had approved Belviq (Lorcaserin), the first new prescription weight loss pill in over 10 years to hit the market. The new president of American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery said: “I think this is great. Thirteen years without any other medical option.” [source] Well of course he did! He isn’t privy to the bevy of natural, holistic methods that have been so effective in overcoming obesity and other lifestyle diseases. Medical doctors are not trained in nutrition or holistic lifestyle management. They get ZERO hours of nutrition training, zero. Nada. Zip. I feel bad for them, really I do. They’re missing out on the opportunity to witness such amazing results, without all the nasty side effects found in surgery and pharmaceuticals.
This drug was actually first sent for FDA approval in 2010. Back then it was rejected over “concerns about possible heart damage, depression and other issues.” [source] That same site (the company’s own) states concern over tumor development in lab rats. Well, apparently the FDA has now determined the the benefits outweigh any possible negative side effects. While I can’t find any formal documentation yet, several online sources list headaches, nausea/dizziness, upper respiratory infection, depression/suicidal thoughts and tumors. Odd to me that heart disease isn’t actually on anything I’ve seen so far… Although the site does reveal that while total cholesterol in trial patients dropped, blood pressure stayed the same. ????
What are the benefits? Over the 12-week trial period patients reported anywhere from 4 – 8 pounds, depending on dosage, and they weren’t monitored for diet or exercise during that time. That’s a maximum of 0.67 pounds per week. I’m sorry, but I feel like if you’re going to hit me with all those side effects I’d better be getting like 2 pounds a week! I don’t get excited about 1/2 a pound or less. I can get that, and more, through diet and exercise, and all while eating until I’m full and satisfied. Oh, and longer term studies (1 -2 years in length) resulted in 5% body weight reduction, that’s 15 pounds if you weighed 300 to start, and that was WITH diet and exercise programs added in!
So, how does it produce these “miraculous” results (can you hear the sarcasm dripping???)? It’s an appetite suppressant. I’m still not sure how it’s all that different from what we’ve seen on the market so far, but now that I think of it, most appetite suppressants now are over the counter, aren’t they? Anyway. So, you aren’t as hungry. Cool. But if you’re still eating crap, now your also malnourished and probably cranky? You’re also limiting the calories you’re getting, thereby reducing your metabolic rate. I know, I know, reducing calories is widely recognized as the answer to weight loss. But guess what, it’s not. I promise.
My bottom line on lorcaserin is it’s too little results for too high a price. And restricting your caloric intake is kind of important, but not like this. It’s not about the volume of food, it’s about what that food is and the nutritional density of the food you eat. When you are consuming mostly whole, unprocessed foods of all kinds you naturally eat fewer calories and you feel so much better in the process. And it’s not as hard as you think. Honest.
So, it’s the default WordPress title for a first blog entry and I figured I’d go with it! Welcome to the new Wellness Epidemic website and blog. I hope to fill these “pages” with useful and entertaining information from the world of health, wellness and miscellany.
I’ve worried a lot about the “message” or theme for my blog. I tend to read a lot of recipe heavy blogs and I think I was intimidated. I’m most definitely not a kitchen goddess so if you are hoping to find a lot of recipes you’ll be sorely disappointed. Then I realized, just this morning actually, that no one says I have to have a recipe blog. DUH! I can do what I love to do, read all about health and wellness from around the web, and I can post the coolest and most interesting (or head scratching) stuff I find here. That way you (hopefully I’ll have readers someday…) won’t have to go through the trouble of trying to find time to read 5 million different blogs and webpages and whatever. You can just LIVE!
I’m not sure where this blogging journey will take us, but I’m glad you’re along for the ride. Who knows, maybe someday in the future my site really will be “THE source for what’s new and good in the world of health and wellness from around the blogosphere”.
Here’s to that!