The Big 5

Your body's best defense is a wicked (as they say in Dr. Wayne's birthplace) offense. As we approach the challenging cold and flu season, instead of encouraging you to get a toxic flu shot (more on this later), we are going to give you the gift of a winning supplement combination that has been proven to be a one-size-fits-all boost to the body's immune system.

Here you go:

1. Fish Oil
2. Probiotics
3. Multi-Vitamin
4. Vitamin D
5. Magnesium

Keep in mind that not all supplements are created equal - especially when it comes to fish oil. There are lots of fillers and substandard processing methods in the unregulated vitamin industry. It's a good idea to use your natural health practitioner as a filter to get the best supplement for your precious dollar.

Be Healthy. Cook. Be Inspired.

Just have to inform you of a foodie blog that just emerged:
(www.lexieskitchen.com)
If you've been within listening range of Dr. Tompkins these days, you will realize why we're promoting such a site. He is forever telling patients about inflammatory foods. Yes, even a good ol' wholesome loaf of home-baked bread can make you more susceptible to disease and cause you to hurt. There are so many wonderful and tasty alternatives to foods that can sabotage feeling really, really good.

As you will read on this blog site, Alexa has chosen to make healthier choices in cooking for her family to address developmental challenges that her 2nd son has faced since his birth.

Big kudos to Alexa for not only making efforts for her own family's health, but inspiring the rest of us to do the same. Keep cooking, keep blogging, Lex.

Day 12 & 13: A Study in Contrasts

Day 12:
A cleanse day - just the cleanse juice, snack capsules, and tons of water to drink.
Accomplishments - Up at the crack of dawn, painted dining table, paid bills, had company, put antique-look glaze on dining chairs, played with 22-month-old daughter, made bread from sourdough starter.

Day 13:
Shake-Meal-Shake day - Fell off the wagon and indulged in several (won't tell you #s) homemade cookies and drank too much coffee.
Accomplishments - Straightened house for company, was in a fog from all the sugar & white flour I inhaled, couldn't take a nap when hubby did as I was wired on coffee.

Plan of Action: Back on the wagon tomorrow. Not going to beat myself up too bad as I learned some valuable lessons.

Day 7: What? No Sweets Cravings?

A week down, 3 more to go. I am surprised how easy this is. I am loving this energy. Something I just realized is that I'm not having my usual cravings for sweets, especially in the afternoon. They say that once you rid your body of those simple carbs, your body then doesn't miss them.

As Dr. Wayne mentioned during his cleanse days, the sleep during the cleanse is heavenly. I am really relishing those ZZZZs. It also helps that I take a magnesium supplement right before bed. This morning, I was raring to go at 5:30 a.m. Whoa!

Now, if I can just save sweets for special occasions only after these 30 days are up, my body will thank me...

Healing for the Bones: Day 5 of Cleanse

Something amazing to happening as I trudge through Day 5 of my 30-day cleanse. I have an old injury in my right ankle...it happened when I was in college, which is a good 10 years ago now. It was first thought to be a sprain but later proven to be a fracture. It has bugged me off and on since then. But, in the past few days I have felt a warm sensation in that area...like a rush of blood to that area that I haven't felt before. Dr. Wayne stated that he feels confident that its definitely a healing effect going on from my abstaining from inflammatory foods like grains, sugars, dairy and excess coffee. He teased me this morning and said, "The reason the rush of blood hasn't made it to your ankle before now is that it was blocked by a giant mound of Starbucks coffee grounds (and the accompanying simple carb treat!)" Just had to share...

We did it!!

The 30 day cleanse is complete for all of us and the success has been nothing short of remarkable. I know what you naysayers are probably thinking: Yeah...now lets see you keep the weight and extra bloating off longterm."

Well, we're happy to say that with the life coaching aspect of the program, our patients have made serious commitments, to keep their bodies free from offending substances. We arm them with a plan before old habits come back to haunt.

All of them have said how much they now pay attention to how they feel immediately after eating a not-so-good-for-them meal. They've used words like: "yucky", "lethargic",
"no energy", "bloated", etc. That is a terrific observation, as we often forget when we're in the midst of culinary bliss and the food has only hit our tongues and not our tummies, that we are eating something that is going to TAKE from us in the form of energy, lucidity, sleep, you name it.

One way our patients are going to manage their weight for the long term is to substitute 1 meal/day with a shake. The weight will continue to come off and nutrients and enzymes will keep coming in. Our patient Lori, (who lost over 10 pounds and her husband went down from a 44 to 40 in pant size - congrats!) said that she and her husband are going to drink a shake for dinner if they haven't eaten before 6 p.m.

Our patient, Ashlee, who lost around 7 pounds, after not having success on any other program, has made a commitment to introduce swimming into our life as exercising in the water is a welcome treat, instead of a dreaded chore.

I'll end this post by telling you that I, Angela Beth Tompkins, will now be embarking on the cleanse journey. I haven't had the privilege to do this because I was either pregnant or nursing. Now, that I can, I will. My goals: to curb cravings for sweets, to gain clear thinking, to cut down on coffee, and just to better my overall health. Keep following...

Here it is: week 4!

We're on the final countdown cleansers! We have to remember why we did this thing to begin with and what are we saying 'yes' to that we were saying 'no' to a month ago. Were we saying yes to a bigger belt size, a bloated feeling, achy joints, restless nights, and foggy thinking? If you've experienced what I have, you're feeling juiced to keep feeling good. (minus the unpleasant effects that go along with any detox program) Please don't go to Dairy Queen the day it's all finished! Celebrate your success with something you've wanted. For the ladies, maybe it's a new outfit you've been dying to get but couldn't fit into! For the men it might be a visit to Lowe's or Home Depot. (But watch out...it can be hard on the pocketbook) :) It doesn't have to be major...but celebrate the occasion with something other than food. This is a rite of passage...and one worth marking.

By now you may be ready for a little different taste in your shake. If you chose the vanilla shake, here's a great recipe for you. If you have a heavy duty blender, you can put this all in without chopping, otherwise you'll need to help out your blender. (I'm convinced the Blendtec offered on our website will chop up small tree roots!) Here's the recipe:

2 scoops Isagenix vanilla shake
8 oz H2O
1/2 cucumber
1 stalk of celery
1 pear
1 T grape juice concentrate
1/2 C apple juice
1 t natural vanilla
2 t plain yogurt
1 leaf of kale

(If you're being extremely disciplined on the cleanse, leave off the yogurt)

Tell me if you never knew kale, cucumbers and celery could taste so good!

Midway through the 30 day Cleanse

Hello Cleansers,

I have to tell you something exciting. I already touched on it briefly in the last blog but it's a big enough deal to make a big deal about. I have had chronic right shoulder pain, neck pain, and right hip pain for several years. Yes, I get adjusted regularly and that keeps me functional, but not always comfortable. It's due to old injuries, car accidents, wrestling, and lots of physical labor when I was a boy a long,long time ago! Point being, on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being unbearable, my pain would usually get up to a 6 once or twice a week. If I did anything extra...it shot up to 8 or 9. It was a burning, hot, nervy type pain. For the last week (I've been on the cleanse for almost 2 weeks) my pain level in these areas has been between 0 and 2. This is nothing short of amazing! So...the cleanse is an anti-inflammatory type diet too. AND...toxins will settle in joints (the body in its wisdom knows that's preferable to settling in an organ) so the joint becomes inflamed and therefore painful. A detox and anti-inflammatory diet is KEY to lowering pain and inflammation.

Another remarkable result: I injured my right foot seriously in a car accident about 8 years ago. It resulted in my foot becoming dry and cracked...totally unlike my left foot. My wife and I jokingly call it my 'old man's foot.' For about a week, it also has majorly improved and the skin is almost indistinguishable in appearance from my left.

So....take note of chronic, grumpy old acquaintances in the form of aches, pains, aging skin etc. See if you can't tell a difference! These acquaintances might be looking to find some real estate elsewhere...specifically with somebody who isn't paying attention to the amount of sugar, saturated fat, and refined grains they're consuming.

All for now blog followers....happy cleansing

Sleeping Good and Pain-Free!!

As you know, I have been cleansing for about 10 days. It was my goal to sleep better and to eliminate some chronic joint pain in my hip. I am more than pleased to say that I have already seen a HUGE improvement in both of these areas. I am sorry to say, though, that I have lost some weight that I didn't need to lose. BUT, this is good news for those that are doing this to lose weight. It really works...

What's for supper...

....baked tilapia with pineapple salsa (http://www.recipezaar.com/Pineapple-Salsa-10643) and a big, fat green salad.

The tilapia is brushed with olive oil and the juice of one orange mixed together, with garlic powder and sea salt sprinkled on top with a little dusting of chili powder. Bake the fish for about 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Our salad consisted of lettuce, mixed with some of a herb spring mix, alfalfa sprouts, raw zucchini, green onion and some carrot curls. The dressing is our all-time favorite from our Italy days...a little bit of olive oil, white wine vinegar and sea salt mixed right in the salad bowl. Buon appetito.

It's Friday and the cleanse is on....

Hey losers! (I just love saying that)
How's it going? Week 1 of the cleanse. Most of you are started by now. It's day 4 for me. I have to say how amazed I am at my energy level. I'm hesitant to admit it but I almost think I am staying more balanced with the shake for breakfast than when I have green eggs and ham. That's not a typo, it's standard fare when you have with a 20 month old in the house.

More tips for being a good loser:
An often overlooked key to keeping the toxins moving out of your system is...H2O, H2O, H2O! (See my first blog article for more details). All of you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 200 lbs., then drink 100 oz. Yes, this is a lot of water, but it will help keep your energy level up, make you feel full, and flush the toxins that are clinging to your fat cells.

Salads come in many forms with many flavors: pears and apples add a great crunch factor. Whatever your dish try seasoning without salt and pepper. Instead use ginger, garlic, cilantro. Not only do they add zing, they also have great anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Some confessions...I've had a few 'dtox headaches.' This is a common side effect of cleansing. It's just part of the ball game. Oh...and I've had a few more trips to the bathroom than normal, but that's all good. As one herbalist so aptly put it, 'Get the junk out of your trunk.' :)

Cravings...really not bad so far. It helps not to have double stuffed oreos in the cupboard. The barbeque man was selling his pork sandwiches at Country Mart today. They smelled soooo good. But...then I remembered how I felt the last time I downed one and it wasn't hard to say 'no' to a tastebud sensation and 'yes' to an unbloated stomach, a clear head, and joints that don't ache!

What is your 'yes'?

Have a great weekend...Dr. Wayne

Detox your heart out! Week 1, Day 2

Hello cleansers, detoxers and big losers!
It's day 2 of the cleanse for me and all of you are either about to get started or in the beginning stages. Here are a couple tips for you all:

1) Keep the big picture in mind:
The ultimate goal isn't to get to the end of the next 30 days...it's to establish a different lifestyle, feel better, have more energy and...fill in the blank. With this mindset, you'll have more leverage on yourself, and an ability to think past the 90 days to changes you want to keep and maintain.

2) If you need some extra fuel for physical work, go ahead, but be smart about it:

An extra handful of almonds or 4 oz. of chicken breast won't sabotage your efforts, just don't go for the greasy burger. A boiled egg is a great snack loaded with protein and energy sustaining power.

3) Choose your cleansing days with care!

The one day a week that you're cleansing (not having the shakes or a meal) should be the time when you're least likely to be tempted by food (maybe you're not at home, or around the refrigerator, or busy enough to keep your mind off of it). Also, it should be a day that doesn't require heavy physical activity or labor.

Happy detoxing!.....Dr. Wayne

Stimulate Your Health with our 50% off New Patient Exam

In response to the strains on peoples budgets, Tompkins Wellness Center is choosing to embrace the economy and is reducing it's new patient exam from $90 to $45 through the month of January. There is no better time than the New Year to ACT on the resolutions and purposes that have been stuck under the cobwebs of the far corners of your heart and mind. If you or someone you know is frustrated because there is something about their health or their bodies they would like to change or improve (i.e. sleep better, lose weight, eliminate pain, regulate blood sugar, eliminate headaches etc.)then please take advantage of this opportunity to feel better or help your friends feel better. And remember...for every new patient you refer (or if you came in yourself), you will get a free 1/2 hour massage with our stellar massage therapist, Elaine

Dr. Tompkins vows to complete the 30 day cleanse alongside his patients!

In an unprecedented announcement, aides to Dr. Tompkins stated today that he has openly discussed and committed to completing a 30 day cleanse right alongside his patients. His daily sweet, chocolate and carb cravings will be posted right here on his blog along with daily tips on how to successfully complete the cleanse and get the most benefit out of the experience. Of course, Dr. Tompkins' goal isn't weight loss, but rather a more vibrant, energetic, and clear thinking mind, and a body that functions at its maxiumum potential! While Dr. Tompkins generally experiences good health, he looks forward to reduced joint pain, greater energy levels, and more normal sleep patterns.

If you're thinking about doing the cleanse, you might want to qualify for some life or health insurance after the fact. Cholesterol, blood pressure, (and of course your weight) are all moderated by the weight loss, cleanse. So...get excited and join me starting Monday, January 18. LET'S GET HEALTHY TOGETHER!