Diabesity: Diagnosis Shock

Cancer, Diabesity, Diabetes, Preventive Health , , , , , 0 Comments

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Best letter in the Richmond papers this week: a certain Dana expressed relief that the city had finally passed the by-law banning the use of pesticides on private lawns and government-owned land.

At least I now know that I can go for a power-walk in the park without coming back with a lungful of toxins. I’m grateful to all the lobbyists and picketers who made this possible.

What caught my attention, though was not just the letter, but Dana’s reason. Dana was grateful because her athletic brother, recently diagnosed with cancer, would no longer have to put up with the toxic fumes. Hmmm. Dana had not been part of the lobby groups, or the groups holding protests, passing out pamphlets. She was now going to join the coalition. No one else was going to get such a diagnosis if she had anything to do with it.

In-ter-es-ting.

Here’s another example. Gayle’s recent breast cancer diagnosis was a shock. Nobody, she said, should have that diagnosis at 36. Nobody. She wanted to know how she should adjust her diet and what exercise program she should start. She is now going to join “Walk Richmond”, a program of terrific trail walks put together by the City’s Health services.

Engineer Marc was having trouble concentrating on the job as a troubleshooter for his company. He works with an average of three contracts per day to tweak their ventilating systems, and “doesn’t have time” to eat healthily. He suddenly realized he’s put on 25 pounds since 2007; just yesterday, he was diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition. He’s in shock—who wouldn’t be—and wants to know how he can prevent this becoming full-blown diabetes. I assured him it was reversible, provided he was serious about following my 12-week program.

See the common thread? These folks are just like you and me. They share the same traits. We all too often wait till there’s a crisis to do something. What if we took a peep into the future—our personal future—and asked ourselves: why do we wait for a nasty wake-up call to make a change?

Is there anything in your lifestyle that’s calling out for change?

Do you get in the minimum of 10 thousand steps per day? Are you still consuming sugar in almost everything you eat—and drink? Do you get enough sun exposure? Can you see your feet when you look down? What’s the ratio of you hip measurements to your height? Are you taking in the right fats? Getting close to Diabesity?

Many surprises could be lurking in the shadows. Take a look at 10 of them by filling in the blanks in the form on the right of this page. It’s free. See you there!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada