16February2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In; Taking Charge of your Type 2 Diabetes; Type 2 Diabetes Prevention-Maintenance.
by Stuart A. Seale, M.D.
During a recent 5-day Stopping Diabetes Workshop, a patient presented me with a packet of material for review and comment. The information was professional in appearance and design, marketing a product that claimed to be a solution for the chief complaint of most diabetics – fatigue. According to the material, all one needs to do is consume 1 to 3 servings of their “energy drink” per day, at a cost of $1 per serving, and fatigue will disappear. What is this amazing product? Nothing more than an effervescent multivitamin, priced 10 to 20 times higher than standard, and comparable, multivitamin pills. A multivitamin will not treat the underlying cause of your fatigue, nor will it help your diabetes or weight problem.
Fatigue does commonly accompany diabetes, and can be caused by a variety of factors: being overweight, sedentary, or depressed; and in uncontrolled diabetes it may be due to an inability to efficiently convert blood sugar into energy.
In my clinical experience, most patients with type 2 diabetes feel a total lack of control over their disease, and with that lack of control comes depression and fatigue. The ultimate solution is to gain control. There is a way to do this, but it is not found in a pill, an energy drink, or any other “quick fix.” Gradual weight loss, acheived by eating high-fiber foods as recommended in The Full Plate Diet, combined with becoming more physically active, will cause blood sugars to lower and become stable. What follows is a sense of control and hope, and you realize “I can do this!” Energy levels increase as a result. Making big changes is not required – even taking small steps can lead to big results.
Today this is what you need to do – eat more fiber and take a 15-minute stroll after every meal.
16February2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In; Losing Weight; Type 2 Diabetes Prevention-Maintenance.
by Stuart A. Seale, M.D.
The last few years of my professional, as well as personal, life have been dedicated to helping others lose weight. The mantra has become simple – eat more fiber foods, drink more water, don’t eat when you aren’t hungry, and move a little more. But in the course of delivering this message, I am afraid a more deeply philosophical point has often been overlooked. This is understandable, because it is disregarded by almost every American on a daily basis. What I am referring to is the ethics of eating.
Let me give just a few examples. Our planet’s resources are slowly being depleted, and at the same time population is increasing. Growing fiber foods is 10 times more efficient than raising livestock. Because of this, eating fiber foods contributes far less to water and air pollution than eating, say, a steak. Wouldn’t ethics dictate that we should eat more fiber foods and not eat when we aren’t hungry?
Here’s another. Childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, and the health of our children is suffering as a result. It is now estimated that children being born today will be the first generation who don’t live longer than their parents. A major contributor is the standard American diet, consisting of processed and fiber-poor foods. Ethics would dictate that parents should not only defend their children from a diet that harms them, but adults should also set an example by eating the healthiest diet possible themselves. This just so happens to be a diet high in fiber foods. Think of it this way – naturally occurring fiber in a food is a marker for other healthy nutrients. The more natural fiber there is, the healthier the food.
There are many more examples – too many to list. What I am asking is this – just give thought to what you eat, and ask yourself whether or not you are eating ethically. For every instance you can think of, consuming a diet rich in fiber foods and not eating when you aren’t hungry will always be the most principled way to live. And besides, it helps you slim down, look great, and feel years younger.
16February2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In.
by Stuart A. Seale, M.D.
I talk to a lot of patients who don’t set the right goal as they try to lose weight. They get side-tracked and focus only on the amount of fiber they eat, instead of what they really need to be concerned about – getting thinner.
If you focus only on how much fiber you eat, there is a possibility that you may succeed in achieving your fiber goal, but fail at dropping pounds. This is because the benefit of eating fiber foods can be overcome be overeating, or by eating too much of fiber foods that also are high fat. I’ve heard stories about people eating a meal that had over 40 grams of fiber – a giant burrito, for example. But the real issue is whether or not they needed to eat that much food at one meal because they were still hungry, or if they did so just because they thought stuffing themselves with that much fiber would in and of itself cause weight loss.
Your goal should be to lose weight. Eating more fiber is just a tool you use to achieve the goal. Fiber satisfies those hunger pangs and helps stop the need for snacking between meals. Eating more fiber is the roadmap that helps you get there. So don’t lose your direction. Eat more fiber foods as a means to an end – but don’t let it be the only tool you use.
To reach your weight loss goal you also need to stop eating when you aren’t hungry. You may only need to eat half of that 40-gram burrito to feel satisfied, for example. Just because it is lunchtime, you don’t have to eat lunch if you aren’t hungry. Try to skip a meal or put it off for hours, and wait until you are truly hungry – just remember to stop eating as soon as the hunger pangs disappear, and to eat slowly. Also, keep in mind that feeling hunger is not a state of emergency. Look forward to the feeling—it means you are reaching your goal by burning body fat.
Getting thinner is your destination. Put fiber foods to work, and then the pounds will melt away.
16February2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In.
by Stuart A. Seale, M.D.
Do small things that will have a big impact with your weight loss over the next year. Here are some examples that you can start putting to use today:
- Lose 18 pounds in a year: replace soft drinks with water. The average American drinks 450 cans of soda pop per year. That’s equivalent to about 65,000 calories, or a little over 18 pounds of fat. Drop the soda, drop the weight. By the way, switching to diet soda doesn’t help. Studies have shown that the more diet sodas you drink, the more weight you will gain.
- Lose 20 to 30 pounds in a year: just move more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, shovel snow instead of using the snow blower, wash dishes by hand, use a walk-behind and not a riding mower, change TV channels without the remote – all of these help you burn more calories, without going to a gym. Any increase in how you move during the day will make a difference, so look for ways to move more. Burn calories, lose weight.
- Lose 35 pounds in a year: skip dessert. If you have one 350-calorie dessert per day, you’re eating the equivalent of 35 pounds of body fat every year. Maybe you don’t do typical desserts, but you drink one of those gourmet coffees every day. They’re really the same as a dessert. Start skipping them and you’ll start getting skinny.
- Lose 50 to 90 pounds in a year: make supper the lightest meal of the day. You can have a huge plate of steamed, above-ground veggies; a giant green salad loaded with veggies and dressed with lemon juice; or a piece of fruit for supper. Any of these options will only have 100 to 150 calories. You won’t feel starved at night, you’ll sleep better, and will wake up looking forward to breakfast. A typical supper will have 600 to 1,000 calories, or more, especially if you dine out. The choice is yours. Eat smart, look smart. Drop pounds while you sleep.
18January2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In.
Are you already losing weight on The Full Plate Diet? Are you worried you will gain the pounds back? Here are some practical tips that will help turn your diet into a way of living. Start with the first tip and add a new one each day – at the end of a week you’ll be looking like a slim person and eating like one too.
- Think differently about hunger. Consider the feeling of mild hunger as a desirable condition (rather than an emergency). This is when your body is burning fat and you are accomplishing your goal!
- Fill your plate with half the food you think you may need. If you are really still hungry after eating your first plate, wait 10 minutes to give your body time to begin digestion and let your brain know you are full before getting seconds.
- Chew slowly and stop eating when the hungry feeling stops. The time to stop is well before you feel “full” or “stuffed.” The goal of eating isn’t to feel miserable afterwards. Take time to savor your dining experience.
- Try not to eat like it is your last meal. Even if you don’t know when you will eat again, overeating at a meal means your body will store up fat.
- Leave that “one last bite” on your plate. It is better to let the food go to waste outside your body rather than stored on the inside. Any food eaten beyond what you body needs will become fat.
- Focus on eating. Multi-tasking leads to overeating. Try not to eat while driving, reading, talking on the phone, working, watching TV or while at the movies. You’ll not only enjoy your food more, but you will eat less of it.
- Don’t eat within 4 hours of bedtime. Food gives us the energy we need to be active during the day. You don’t need energy intake right before you go to sleep. If you take in energy that you don’t need or use, it will be stored as fat.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Posted by Stuart A. Seale, M.D. at 12:06 PM 
18January2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In.
In 2005, Time Magazine attempted to answer that question, and the conclusion was “Yes, you can.” This was based on the observation that many who are overweight or obese have normal blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar values – therefore their health did not appear to be in jeopardy. For sure, there is much debate, even among experts, over this issue. But the overwhelming majority of medical research indicates that being above your ideal body weight is bad for your health.
A study published by Circulation on-line, December 28, 2009, concluded that overweight individuals with no abnormalities of blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar (all indicators of “being healthy”), have a 50 percent increased risk of developing heart disease compared to those of normal weight. For those who are obese with numbers otherwise normally associated with good health, the risk is increased by 95 percent.
Beyond being bad for your heart, overweight also increases your risk of cancer, the second leading cause of American deaths. That’s right – cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that over 100,000 cancers of various types are caused each year by overweight and obesity. And half of Americans don’t know this relationship exists.
Added to these disorders is an up to 40 times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese. Type 2 diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, blindness, and non-traumatic lower limb amputations in America.
It really doesn’t matter if your motivation to get slimmer is so you can look good in your bathing suit this summer, or if you want to avoid a heart attack, cancer, or type 2 diabetes. Regardless of why you lose, you will still gain better health. What’s the easiest, and also healthiest, way to lose those pounds? Eat more fiber foods, drink more water, and stop eating when you’re no longer hungry.
So, can you be overweight and healthy? Possibly, but I wouldn’t want you to bet on it – certainly not with your life.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
Posted by Stuart A. Seale, M.D. at 11:12 AM
18January2010
Posted by admin under: Dr Seale Weighs In.
Have you tried diets in the past? If so, were you able to lose weight? If you did lose weight, how long were you able to keep it off? Have you gained the pounds back, possibly even more than you lost?
Answers to these questions lead most people to the same conclusion: diets don’t work! There are many reasons for this. Small portions. Pre-made, special foods to buy. The need for pills, potions, or powders. Elimination of essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, which the body will eventually crave. Forbidden foods. Repetitious and boring meals. Complicated regimens. Need to count calories. Requires a program membership. Can’t be continued forever, so you go back to your old ways. The list goes on. You know this. You’ve been there.
The Full Plate Diet doesn’t have any of these drawbacks. Portions are abundant; there are no special supplements or pre-made foods to buy; no programs to join; no forbidden foods, boring meals, calories to track, or anything complicated to remember; and , best of all, it is easily continued long term. It is a diet only in the sense that it will become the way you eat for the rest of your life.
So when is a diet not a diet? When it’s The Full Plate Diet. Check it out. Go to http://www.fullplatediet.org/ for more information and great resources, or get a copy of the book today at any major bookseller. Make it the last “diet” you ever do.
The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
9January2010
Posted by admin under: Taking Charge of your Type 2 Diabetes.
“It’s up to you to take responsibility”
When it comes to your health, no one cares more about it than you. Not friends, neighbors, co-workers, family or even your doctor. It’s up to you to take responsibility for the life you live, and realize the effects your lifestyle choices have on your well-being. Until you are personally ready to make a lifestyle change, nothing will happen. Your body won’t change until your actions change, and your actions won’t change until your thoughts have changed.
According to the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change developed by James Prochaska, Ph.D., based on more than twenty-five years of research, we all go through a predictable sequence when it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes. These “stages of readiness” are:
1. Precontemplation (I won’t or I can’t)
2. Contemplation (I might)
3. Preparation (I will – soon)
4. Action (I’m doing it now)
5. Maintenance (I’ve been doing it for at least six months)
Following is a Readiness Assessment from the work of Dr Prochaska, to help you determine if you’re ready for change.
Please assign a score (1–5) to each of the following 16 statements.
1 = not important 2 = slightly important3 = somewhat important 4 = quite important 5 = extremely important
☐ 1. Some people would think less of me if I changed.
☐ 2. I would be healthier if I changed.
☐ 3. Changing would take a lot of time.
☐ 4. Some people would feel better about me if I changed.
☐ 5. I’m concerned I might fail if I tried to change.
☐ 6. Changing would make me feel better about myself.
☐ 7. Changing takes a lot of effort and energy.
☐ 8. I would function better if I changed.
☐ 9. I would have to give up some things I enjoy.
☐ 10. I would be happier if I changed.
☐ 11. I get some benefit from my current behavior.
☐ 12. Some people would be better off if I changed.
☐ 13. Some people benefit from my current behavior.
☐ 14. I would worry less if I changed.
☐ 15. Some people would be uncomfortable if I changed.
☐ 16. Some people would be happier if I changed.
Now add up the total score you gave the odd-numbered statements, then do the same for the even-numbered ones.
If the total for the odd-numbered questions is 17 or below, and the even-numbered score is at least 28 or above, you’re definitely ready to change and the likelihood of your success is high. We can help you move through these stages, so when you do start the program you really will be ready for it. Please contact us today to arrange a time to talk about how we can help you change your life in a very positive way.
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1November2009
Posted by admin under: Type 2 Diabetes Prevention-Maintenance.
SEDONAFIT CHOICE
“A health and weight loss program designed to help you achieve your ideal weight and prevent or manage type 2 diabetes”
I have diabetes and before I attended your two day seminar I was somewhat skeptical. I am no longer skeptical and am now a firm believer in your program. It works! – Dick F.
Let our combined 85 years of experience help you improve your health and quality of life!
Pictured Left to Right:
Stuart A. Seale, M.D., a board certified family physician and co-author of The 30-Day Diabetes Miracleand The Full Plate Diet, has helped thousands of patients over the past quarter century. More Information
Elaine Rankin, R.N., Psy.D., CG-C, A.C.H., C.L.C. has been a registered nurse for over 30 years, and in the psychology/counseling/life coaching and wellness consultation business for the past decade.
Wally Reule, B.S., ACE-CPT, C.W.C., has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years, and as a personal trainer and wellness coach he has inspired countless individuals to achieve their fitness and weight loss goals
(For more in-depth Information about our Team go to About Us
Numerous studies have shown that being overweight or obese can lead to a myriad of health problems, including heart disease, several forms of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
SedonaFit Choice is a unique and powerful program that will help you achieve and maintain ideal weight to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes. Our supportive team will will give you the tools and information you need, and then assist you in the development of your own personal plan to restore health, based on your individual needs and circumstances. Your plan, a personal roadmap to success, will empower you to:
· Eat for better health and weight loss
· Get the right amount and the right kind of physical activity
· Change the way you think in order to change the choices you make
If you’re like most Americans, you already know that regular exercise and a proper diet are good for you, but you’re not consistently doing either one. With our program you will begin to:
· Gain the confidence that you can control and possibly reverse your diabetes
· Improve blood sugar control
· Safely decrease or eliminate medications
· Lose weight and keep it off
· Manage your thinking and behavior to restore and maintain your health
Our Promise to You
We will assist you to achieve your vision of better health through group education, motivation, goal setting and accountability.
I am thrilled to have given myself the gift of this program. It has helped me so much!– Marianne S
