Peak
Health is a weekly feature on Rip 97.9, broadcast every Friday
morning
at 6:40 and again Saturday morning at 8:40. Peak Health
focuses on personal health & wellness issues, featuring Darlene Van de Grift,
a certified nutritionist, life coach and teacher. In this 12 week series,
Darlene offers talk and conversation with our very own (Not So) “Big Jay”
Fink on the challenges and successes of weight loss and weight management.
While recognizing that each individual’s weight issues are uniquely
different, we offer up some of what Jay has experienced in his ongoing work
with Darlene on his own weight loss, nutrition and well-being in the hopes
that it will be of help and inspiration to listeners.
Peak Health # 1–Download mp3 Introduction: Darlene Van de Grift sets the stage for our journey through weight loss
and discovery. As you listen or download these messages and discussions,
remember you can come back and review any of the installments of Peak Health
that are of particular interest to you. Let Peak Health
begin the foundation that helps you build the confidence and develop the
support system you need to help you conquer your fears, dispel your doubts
and change the way you look at food. What I hope you will discover, as I
have, is that what Darlene describes is not a diet, but a purposeful,
sensibly directed lifestyle change. Let’s do it!
Peak Health # 2 – Download mp3 Preparation:
Establishing goals and purpose to weight loss is key. Darlene
describes in this installment how to prepare for the process by
taking inventory of your belief system. Developing a plan is the
key to success. Also, you will consider the different types of
food you currently eat, and look at the options for adding to
your menus those foods that provide a more rounded source of
nutrition.
Peak
Health # 3 – Download mp3 Support: Darlene says,
“The more support you have, the less likely you are to give up
your dreams of being thinner.” In this installment, Darlene
discusses how to build the necessary support network that will
help strengthen your resolve and keep you on track. If you are
supporting someone else in their weight loss, this week’s Peak
Health will help you better understand some of what friends or
loved ones are facing every day in their journey to become
thinner, and what you can do (or not do) to be an effective
coach and cheerleader.
Peak Health
# 4–Download mp3 Feelings and Emotions: Conquering
feelings and emotions that have knowingly (or unknowingly)
contributed to chronic weight gain over time is absolutely
essential l to “rounding the turn” on the road to a new you. I
can say without a doubt that this is for many of us the most
difficult hurdle to overcome. Our minds are powerful
instruments that can work against us. When we turn to the
reinforcing comfort of food - to lessen the hurt, calm the
chaos, or avoid unpleasant situations, our minds develop these
powerful connections that, over time, become so routine and
commonplace that we never think twice about taking that third or
fourth slice of pizza, plopping in front of the DVD with a feast
of junk food, or eating so much and so fast that our body
doesn’t even get the twenty minutes it needs to actually tell
you “I’m full.” For some of you, the road may end here, but I
challenge you to really listen to what Darlene has to say. If
you have adequately prepped and mapped out a plan and purpose
for your weight loss, begun to make better food choices, built
the necessary support structure and have begun to honor the
rewards of even the slightest weight loss and change, then DON’T
deny yourself the chance to break those “ties that bind”.
Listen. Recommended
Reading
Heal Your Body
by Louise L. Hay
Feelings Buried Alive Never Die
by Karol Truman
Waking The Tiger
by Peter Levine and Ann Frederick
Peak Health # 5 – Download mp3 Food Cravings: Why do
we crave certain foods? Sugar and carbohydrates are the most
common cravings people develop, whether in the form of candy and
sweets or breads, pizza and pasta. The problem with eating too
much of these foods, or eating them in place of more nutritious
food puts many of us on the “Sugar/Carb” cycle that we hear so
much about. Here I share with Darlene what happened when I
finally cut the carbs and sugars – and opened up a whole new
world of food and tastes.
Peak Health # 6 –
Download mp3
Accountability:
“Be Real With Who You Are” – Darlene discusses with Jay how
being accountable for your actions – in this case, making wise
food choices, is essential in not only accomplishing the goals
we set out in weight loss, but also in conquering any task in
life.
Peak Health # 7 –
Download mp3 Better Foods: For most of
my adult life, I was an aimless, careless eater, conveniently
wrapping my poor habits around the euphemism “power eater”. In
time the fat, the sugar and carbs caught up with me and I am now
faced with having to lose 100+ pounds to reclaim my life and
health. Working through the various steps and concepts we
feature in Peak Health each week, and with the guidance and
counsel of Darlene Van de Grift and my personal physician, I am
now more than halfway toward my goal, leading this significant
lifestyle change. And the journey continues! Whether your own
goal is to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds or more, Darlene points
the way to the better foods you should focus on – and tips to
get the most out of what you eat. We mention juicing, in
passing, which is something I discovered along the way that
promotes “peak health” and vitality. People like Jack LaLanne
aren’t just whistling Dixie!
Peak Health # 8 –
Download mp3 Plateaus and Sabotage: You
didn’t think you could take the weight off faster than you
gained it, did you? Darlene reveals why we arrive at plateaus
during weight loss, and why they’re important. Just as important
is to know and work your “saboteurs” – those thoughts and
voices that announce failures or shortcomings, or put you in an
compromising position, that - if not addressed, could
undermine you in your weakest moments. Can we rid ourselves of
the saboteur(s)?
Peak Health # 9 –
Download mp3 Detox and Parasites:
We hear a lot of talk about how our bodies often become
polluted, or toxic - from the chemicals and preservatives in the
food we eat, to the abuse of processed sugar products or
alcohol, even from unhealthy fumes we breathe in. Over time the
liver, kidneys, spleen and lymph system wind up with an
over-abundance of these various toxins, which should be
completely released. Darlene discusses the process and benefits
of the detox process. Darlene also touches on parasites, the
living organisms inside all of us that can interfere with proper
body function if we get too many of them, or the wrong kind.
Peak Health # 10 –
Download mp3 Stress: From the moment
our feet hit the floor in the morning, to the time the kids are
put to bed, we all experience some level of stress in our lives.
Naturally, carrying around too much stress is unhealthy if you
are to successfully navigate this lifestyle change for permanent
weight loss and effective weight management. This week, Darlene
touches on ways to deal with this most common form of stress.
You will also hear about a different type of stress, one that
while on the surface may seem a bit unhealthy, is quite
necessary to our dietary routine.
Peak Health # 11 –
Download mp3 Exercise: Time to get
moving! Getting into an exercise routine – or at least any
routine where you are more active than you were before you
started - will greatly contribute to your overall health and
help hasten loss of weight. It’s pretty common knowledge that
exercise will help speed your metabolism, improve circulation
and muscle tone, etc., but as you hear Darlene describe,
exercise is truly essential for our bodies to function properly.
While some of us can safely take on cardio workouts as our
preferred calorie-burners, regular walking and stretching – when
you had not done any before – is absolutely worthwhile. Whatever
your choice of movement – make it something you can do three or
more times a week and you’ll stick to it and make it part of
your new lifestyle.
Peak Health # 12 –
Download mp3 Who Am I Now? If
you’ve taken your commitment to lifestyle change seriously and
have achieved measurable success in pursuing the goals outlined
on Peak Health, take the time now to congratulate yourself on
accomplishing what in the beginning may have seemed the
impossible! Be proud of who you have become, and reflect on all
that you have achieved!
Because of the continued positive feedback to Peak Health, we will
continue this weekly series in the hopes of expanding the radio
show to include a monthly or bi-weekly community weight loss
outreach, in the form of group meetings and/or presentations
hosted by Darlene and other recognized experts in the field of
health, wellness and nutrition. We’ll wrap up this chapter of
Peak Health with a thought from Darlene: “I believe who we
are today can always be improved upon, whether our thoughts, our
bodies or our beliefs are in need of change. We can always be
more of who we want to be. Remember, your future is in your own
hands, by the choice you make every day.”
Darlene Van de Grift offers professional services on a first-come, first
served basis to individuals willing to make a serious commitment to
permanent weight loss, better health and a greater awareness of self. She
may be reached at 518-734-5120.
