the real you program Outline
the real you program is a unique medical program created with the goal of helping patients take control of their own health by learning how to prevent illness and treat disease with good nutrition and regular physical activity.
Why start the real you program?
the real you program is able to help patients with the following:
1. Lose weight healthfully for long-term maintenance
2. Treat the following illnesses entirely or as an added tool to routine medications:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Elevated blood cholesterol
- Asthma
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Muskuloskeletal aches and pains including fibromyalgia
- Depression and anxiety
- Insomnia
3. Prevent Disease: 50% of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are preventable with good nutrition and regular physical activity
4. Slow down the aging process
5. Inspire “joie de vivre” a.k.a. renewed zest for life
6. Develop greater self-awareness, strength, stamina and sense of purpose
WARNING: Probable side effects of the real you program include:
Increased energy, improved self-confidence, reduced overall aches and pains, better sleep, more youthful appearance and significantly increased overall enjoyment of life!
How do I start?
You begin the real you program with an initial consultation with Dr. Neda. In your initial consultation, Dr. Neda will obtain a detailed history about your health, past illnesses, medications and current health and weight-related concerns. This visit is covered under OHIP. If you are suitable for the program, Dr. Neda will recommend for you to begin your initial 10-week Real You adventure.
What does the real you entail?
the real you program has 3 main components:
1. Exercise Prescription:
Regular exercise or physical activity, which includes some form of daily cardiovascular activity and stretching, and a minimum of twice weekly resistance training (weight-training, yoga or pilates), is essential for promoting good health, preventing aging and chronic disease. WE CANNOT LOSE AND MAINTAIN LONG-TERM WEIGHT-LOSS WITHOUT REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DESPITE ALL THE VARIOUS CLAIMS OF OTHERWISE.
In this part of the program, patients work one-on one with a the real you program certified personal trainer to learn how to incorporate regular exercise or physical activity, safely, into their life. Here, patients will learn the most essential cardiovascular, strength or resistance training, and stretching exercises individualized to their level of fitness, age, health and personal abilities.
Working with the real you personal trainer, you will learn how to exercise effectively and safely, regardless of your age and medical condition(s), and you will be supervised and monitored by your team of physician and trainer regularly, throughout the 10-week program.
The key benefits of this program is that our team will teach you how to use inexpensive free weights and portable and light-weight exercise tools to stay active at home. Although many patients who complete the program often choose to join a gym, patients can discover how to be active regularly from their own home.
2. Nutritional & Behavioural Counselling
Here you will learn how to eat for health and for life. Your healthy eating habits may be starting with the real you program team but our hope is that it will certainly not end with us. Our goal is to help you become aware of how you eat and how eating in general affects your body and mind. With this raised awareness, we will help you learn how to make changes to your eating habits, slowly and with no end in site. You will never be coming off of any diet with our program but will hopefully be always ADVANCING in your healthy eating journey.
Once you begin the real you program, you will meet with Dr. Neda typically every 2 weeks for individualized healthy eating and behavioural management sessions. In these meetings, patients learn how to change their thoughts and use their own power of imagination and visualization in order to effect the changes in their health, which they are seeking.
Dr. Neda also teaches patients the basic principles of a healthy diet by regularly reviewing patients' own records of their weekly dietary intake and outlining what changes can be made, gradually, in order to move toward a more healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. There is no calorie counting or restriction, and you are not required to purchase any special foods. The type of eating Dr. Neda promotes is easy, wholesome, delicious and surprisingly intuitive. It is based on holistic food principles, with practical tips on how to adjust this based on patient's personal food and cultural preferences. Dr. Neda also debunks many nutrition myths that are propagated in the public, and help patients realize that eating healthy can be fun, interesting and most of all, really enjoyable. As a food lover herself, Dr. Neda believes food was intended to not only nourish our body, but also feed our 5 senses with pure pleasure: good nutrition should never fall from its ultimate pleasure-fulfilling goal!
But will I lose weight?
DEFINITELY YES.
Patients can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week and anywhere from 1-3 sizes within the first 10-week program. This is what most healthy weight management specialists and experts recommend. More rapid weight-loss is possible using various calorie and nutrition restricted programs but this weight-loss can have many negative health effects, is very difficult to maintain long-term and is often regained once patients resume a more “normal” eating pattern. If you require a weight-loss of more than 20 pounds for optimal health, you can repeat the 10-week exercise prescription program and/or meet with Dr. Neda individually until your weight-loss goals are achieved.
How much does the real you cost?
Although the real you program was developed with the vision of having our public health care system compensate physicians for this healthy lifestyle intervention (as physicians are funded for our currently pharmaceutical-focused health care system), this goal has yet to be realized (please see Medical Post article March 2006) and every effort has been made to make the cost of the program not a barrier for the majority of patients.
A portion of the cost of the program may be covered by some third-party insurances and OHIP. Dr. Neda will outline the expected cost of your program at the end of your first consultation.
Can I see Dr. Neda if I have another Family Physician for the real you?
Yes. Please request a referral for the real you program from your physician which can be faxed or brought in at your initial consultation. Patients can also see Dr. Neda for the program if unable to obtain a doctor's referral.
Dr. Neda believes it is beneficial for you to have your family physician aware of you taking part in this program and she will forward the results of any investigations you do during the program to him/her given your consent.