Vibrance for Life. Lorraine MD Maita M.D.

      What’s Motivating You?

      What made you buy this book? Do you want to be inspired to have vibrant health no matter what your age is? Are you looking for simple ways in which you can improve your health and lead a more fulfilling life with energy, clarity, and self-confidence?

      Congratulate yourself for taking that first step. I’ll share with you the secrets and strategies that I use to work with my patients so you, too, can live younger and healthier. Developing the mindset, understanding your motivations, setting clear goals, and establishing a plan are keys to success, along with monitoring and tracking your progress. While it’s best to have a professional who can guide you, hold you accountable, monitor your progress, and help you get past obstacles, I have kept this simple enough for you to follow on your own so you can benefit from improvements in your overall health. While this is not meant to diagnose or treat any underlying disease, these lifestyle modifications have shown proven benefits in the medical literature.

      Can You Relate?

      My knees hurt and I have fat around my midline, I am on blood pressure and cholesterol medication, my blood sugar is creeping up, and I don’t want to die of a heart attack like my father.

      My mother died of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s runs in the family. I don’t want that to be me.

      I feel tired all of the time, I have no sex drive, and I am afraid my wife will leave me or I will lose my job.

      The hot flashes are interfering with my sleep. I am tired and irritable, and can’t have sex because I am so dry.

      People come to me for many reasons. Some are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Others are on medications that have unpleasant side effects or they no longer want to be dependent on medication. Others are well and want to stay well because their parents or siblings suffered from diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, or other illness. Some are in pain, either physical or emotional. The reasons you picked up this book or go to a doctor to seek help and guidance are varied, and it’s these reasons that will keep you on your path. Writing them down and committing to them is important. Here’s why.

      I take notes and during every visit I ask patients what has changed. Here is a typical scenario:

      What’s different?

      Really nothing. I am not feeling any better.

      How is your sleep?

      It’s good. I sleep through the night.

      Do you remember telling me that you would keep waking up and were not able to go back to sleep?

      Oh yeah! Now I remember!

      How is your energy level?

      I am still tired.

      Are you as tired as you had been, and do you still fall asleep at your desk in the afternoon?

      Now that you mention it, no, I am not as tired. I am able to do more now. I don’t get so exhausted that I pass out at my desk.

      You get the picture. The changes are small, gradual, and not readily noticeable because the ultimate goal and vision have not yet been met. The subtle changes were not recognized as progress. Metabolic medicine is slower and less dramatic than taking a pharmaceutical drug. You may not notice the effects because they are so gradual. I often get phone calls from people saying they have been taking the supplements I recommended and don’t feel better. When I ask how long they have been taking them and they say a few days, I smile inside. We are a culture of now — expecting fast results, a magic pill, and a quick fix.

      The analogy I use is that of renovating a house, or a vintage or high-performance car. You have to go slowly, brick by brick, or the structure will collapse. It takes longer to renovate a house carefully than it takes to build one from scratch. Removing and replacing worn or damaged structures (cells and tissues) has to be done carefully with proper timing and order. The quality of the materials we use (food and supplements) is what will make the structure last and withstand stressors. An aging body is like owning a vintage car. A vintage car is exotic and beautiful, and it requires more maintenance. A high-performance car requires the proper fuel and maintenance to perform at its optimum with power and speed. You wouldn’t dare put substandard oil or gas in such a classic. It’s a labor of love to care for a house, or a vintage car, so love yourself and care for yourself in that way that you would a precious classic!

      The point is that caring for something or someone we love comes from the heart, and the very act itself can be rewarding. Also, every bit of progress that you can monitor and track will keep you motivated. It’s easy to forget how far you have come. The progress isn’t always dramatic; it can be subtle and small, but nevertheless, if you are moving forward, you can gather momentum.

      The Pleasure Pain Principle

      “The pain pushes you until the vision pulls you.”

      ~ Rev. Michael Beckwith

      Your challenge is to create a clear vision of what your dream of success and health looks like that is so compelling that it gives you the energy and motivation to push through obstacles. You may have setbacks, and when the going gets rough you start telling yourself you weren’t feeling that bad and that you really don’t mind taking so many medications because it is easy. You convince yourself that some of the things you are experiencing are not so bad. This type of rationalization will set you back into old habits that will derail you. To develop new habits takes some time and effort. You can make it hard, or you can make it easy. Resistance can make it hard. A sense of curiosity, play, and experimentation will not only make it easier, it can make it fun.

      Getting Ready: Assess

      Motivational Self-Assessment: Are You Ready to Leap?

      Answer these questions. These will serve as the foundation for what is motivating you to change. When you come across an obstacle or setback, you can refer to these to recapture the motivation and inspiration that got you started. (These are listed in Appendix A with room to write your answers.)

      Where am I now?

      •What am I most afraid of?

      •What is bothering