WHICH ROAD ARE YOU TRAVELING?

Which Road Are You Traveling?
By Dr. Paula L. Ruffin

I just returned from Chicago where I received a certification as a First Line Therapy Therapeutic Lifestyle Physician. I realize now more than ever the importance of helping people reduce their risk of chronic diseases. A “therapeutic lifestyle” means making choices every day that will enhance your health and help prevent disease, enabling you to achieve a full, healthy life. We’ve all heard about doing things in moderation but even a little arsenic in moderation isn’t good!

Good Health
Isn’t that what everybody wants? We all would love to live a life with high energy, mental clarity, full function, and absence of disease well into old age. For those whose health is severely compromised, this may sound like a dream. However, research now confirms that many of today’s diseases are truly a result of lifestyle choices which means that you are not a victim of your family’s genetic path. You are merely the driver choosing the roads that turn on or off your genes. Your choice to drive a healthy road will keep the healthy genes turned on. Regardless of your current health situation, it is possible to turn onto the healthy road

Based on Science
First Line Therapy Therapeutic Lifestyle Program is based on extensive scientific research demonstrating that many of today’s chronic diseases associated with aging can be prevented or even treated by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Therapeutic lifestyle programs are now recommended by leading health organizations as a primary therapy for individuals with many conditions such as:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Stroke
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Fatigue disorders
• Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)
• PMS
• Menopause
• Other hormone-related symptoms
• Conditions related to overweight and obesity
• Stress-related disorders
• Metabolic syndrome

Fundamentals of Healthy Lifestyle Change begin with:
• Knowledge of a healthy lifestyle
• Balanced eating habits
• Regular physical activity
• Appropriate nutritional supplementation with condition-specific nutrients
• Stress management for internal balance
• Sleep for proper mind/body functioning

It is the orchestration of the fundamentals that what will help ensure your success in finding a healthier path. It’s simple when you have the information necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle and an “orchestra leader” to keep you on track. The end result is a program that not only helps control premature aging, but also helps to prevent chronic disease and prolong vitality.

Getting Started
In order to measure your progress, you first need to know your current health. Assessments may be performed, including a measurement of your body composition (the ratio of your body fat to your lean muscle mass). Excess body fat can greatly increase your health risks. Conversely, a higher ratio of muscle increases your metabolism and is associated with a lower incidence of illness.

Perhaps the most powerful tool in controlling the aging process and restoring vitality is to improve your muscle-to-fat ratio (body composition). But that doesn’t mean just a bodybuilding program in the traditional sense of the word. Proper nutrition and a healthy diet can give you a workout inside your body, requiring only a simple plan of physical activity to help you reach your health goals. Many weight loss programs only use a scale to measure progress. But, if you’ve lost 10 pounds, was it fat, muscle, or both? Because of its importance for our immune system we can’t afford metabolically to lose muscle mass. So, the more important issue is how is your body composition changing? Some people may not need to lose any weight. They may just need to change their body composition to improve their health. In a First Line Therapy Program your body composition will be closely monitored to ensure your body composition is changing for the better.

More people are getting sick at a younger age with diseases that are lifestyle related. By committing to an actual therapeutic lifestyle change program you are taking the first step toward better health. Understanding the importance of making better choices and reducing your risk factors will offer you better health now and for a lifetime. Start your new year off by traveling the healthy road. It’ll be a year to remember!

Dr. Paula L. Ruffin has been in private practice at New Hudson Chiropractic Wellness Center for over 8 years. She is a Certified First Line Therapy Therapeutic Lifestyle Physician and specializes in chiropractic health, nutritional and hormone balancing, weight loss. www.drruffin.com.