“Live Better, Feel Better – For Life!”
By Jane Murray, MD, Johnson County LIVING WELL Magazine
Everyone wants to feel better, look better and live longer, right? Too many of us are overweight, have an elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.
In fact, the number one epidemic in America today is obesity and other related illnesses that reflect our lifestyles. These include arthritis, low sex drive, irritability and low mood, poor sleep, heart disease, cancer, chronic fatigue – you name it!
Because of this unhealthy trend, we are constantly bombarded with ads for the latest pill or device that will surely make us thinner and more beautiful. Or the magic prescription that will cause weight loss, prevent heart disease and promote youth – with no effort on our part. So much information is out there on the Internet, the Dr. Oz Show, in magazines and on TV. What is safe? What is really effective for the long term? These are the questions I am asked everyday by my patients who want to be healthier, live vibrantly and get off medications. They want to be rid of all their aches and pains, and of course, lose weight.
What I tell them is that a healthy, balanced lifestyle – especially making wise decisions about what to eat – is the MOST important, most crucial step a person can take to have optimal wellness. Food is fuel for the body, and also a strong messenger to all our cells on how they should behave. Virtually all the chronic diseases we see everyday (heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, diabetes, fatigue and even mood disorders) are the result of INFLAMMATION at the cell level. Our body reacts to distressed cells that are inflamed by sending out hundreds of substances that are meant to help heal those cells, but also have unfortunate adverse effects on us, resulting in disease and discomfort. Being overweight itself is a highly inflammatory state and sets the stage for all the problems and complaints listed above.
An important first step is to consume 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily (six vegetables and four fruits). These whole foods have so many of the micronutrients our cells need to function properly; they literally make the cells happy! (Imagine your cells smiling…) Another step is to minimize grains of all kinds, and drink at least enough ounces of water to equal half your body weight in pounds. Think more nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and less animal protein.
By learning the details of how to eat healthfully (and joyfully!) and give your cells the right messages, you can lose weight, reduce your medications, feel better and live longer. The Sastun Center is the first practice in the Kansas City area to be certified in First Line Therapy © – a proven, safe therapeutic lifestyle program centered around eating healthfully for life (NOT a “diet”), engaging in proper exercise and learning to manage stress. There are no gimmicks, no diet pills, no stimulants or appetite suppressants. First Line Therapy involves detailed personalized tools and coaching you can use for the rest of your life to be healthy.
We do a panel of tests to evaluate your metabolic status, fat mass, cellular hydration and inflammation and design a program specifically for you. Our goal is to improve your health and help you feel better, reduce your risks for most chronic diseases and have the life you truly want.
Call today to meet with our staff and get started on a new path to health and wellness! 913-345-0060. The Sastun Center of Integrative Health Care is located at 10875 Grandview, Overland Park, Kansas 66210 (building 22 in Corporate Woods). And on the web at sastuncenter.com.
About the author: Dr. Jane Murray is medical director of Sastun Center of Integrative Health Care – Overland Park, Kansas, and clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Kansas and UMKC. She is one of KC Business Journal’s “Best Doctors in Kansas City.”
