How Denise Changed Her Life: A NHC Success Story

Over the course of the year, I’ve shared a lot of information, offered a lot of advice and voiced a lot of very strong opinions on my blog. The main drivers behind the topics covered and the passion I have for living a “wellness lifestyle” all year long, are real people – people who have made the decision to change their lives in order to feel better, function better and live longer.

As we wind down 2013, the year of the family, I’d like to share some of these success stories that I’ve been privileged to witness here at Natural Healthcare Center. One such story involves Denise, who I first met years ago during a lunch-and-learn seminar at the Asbury Park Press.

Denise had been dealing with weight issues since she was eight years old. This led to self-esteem issues, whether she considered herself the “fat girl” in the group or couldn’t find clothes that fit. This caused her to go through an endless cycle of diets and weight loss gimmicks, losing weight temporarily and gaining back that weight and more.
Denise was looking for a program that would provide the structure and direction she would need to make a true lifestyle change. At the time, she was dealing with pain in her back and swollen ankles. A blood test revealed significant inflammation, which I believed could be addressed through proper nutrition.

Denise lost touch with me for several years due to a change in health insurance, but returned to Natural Healthcare Center several years later when she was convinced that something was medically wrong with her. She remembered the nutritional program we had discussed and wanted to make real changes in her life.

At this point, Denise was 52 and, as she puts it, an emotional mess. She cried throughout our appointment. I told her that Dr. Coetzee, my team and I would do everything in our power to help, and Denise promised to give our program three months to work.
She returned the following week for another emotional appointment, this time discussing her history with Dr. Coetzee. Denise was classified as having pre-diabetes, which was very scary for her considering the history of diabetes in her family. She was also dealing with acid reflux and was against treating these conditions with medication.

Denise began a three-month program that combined a nutritional planning, detox, physical therapy and chiropractic services. She was a little overwhelmed at first, but never missed an appointment, staying focused and committed to our program and preparing healthy meals and snacks according to our daily menu plan. She would even pack food to bring on trips out of town to visit her mother and sister.

During the first month, Denise lost 15 pounds. She was excited but still skeptical about being able to continue to lose weight and keep the weight off. After three months, Denise lost a total of 27 pounds, and the pre-diabetes classification and acid reflux symptoms were gone. Her ankles were neither painful nor swollen, and she was sleeping more soundly.

Excited by the results, Denise stuck with the program. After eight months, Denise lost a total of 45 pounds, dropped three or four sizes, and experienced no swelling in her ankles, even during the humid summer months. She eventually added acupuncture treatment to her program. Denise feels better physically and emotionally, getting through challenging times by reminding herself that “nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”

As happy as I am that Denise has been able to lose weight and keep it off, I’m much more excited that she has reduced her chance of stroke, heart attack and the advancement of type II diabetes. Weight loss is simply a by-product of living a wellness lifestyle, which often requires a true understanding of the complex science of how the body functions.
This is the kind of story that motivates and inspires me every day. I’ll close with an excerpt from a letter written by Denise:

“I do have a long way to go on this journey. However, I am now confident, not skeptical, that with the guidance, dedication to their patients and positive encouragement I continue to receive from everyone at Natural Healthcare Center, I know I will reach the finish line for the first time in my life! Thank you from a very grateful heart. I give thanks to God for leading me to Dr. Proodian and his entire staff.”

Dr. James Prood­ian is an accomplished chiropractic physician and health educator who founded Proodian Healthcare Family of Companies to help people feel better, function better, and live longer. His expertise for the past two decades has been in physical rehabilitation, and he has successfully established himself as a spinal specialist. In his practice, he advocates the science of functional medicine, which takes an integrative approach to treating patients by addressing their physical, nutritional, and psychological needs. Alarmed by the escalation of complex, chronic illness in our country, Dr. Proodian has been speaking to companies and organizations through his “Wellness at Work” program since 1994, motivating thousands of people to make positive lifestyle choices and lead healthier, more productive lives. He can be heard weekly on his radio program, “Proodian Healthcare By Design,” on Tandem Radio.