Special Spotlight on Success is 80 year young Sunny R. who feels healthier and more vital than he did at 70!
I am just turning 80 but 4 years ago, when I started working with BeWell, I was seriously underweight, had no energy and was in constant severe pain from my spine. My bones were crumbling, causing the back pain that kept me in my chair or bed all day.
My tolerance for physical activities was so low that I required a home health aide to complete basic household chores. My balance was so poor that I did not feel comfortable walking outside even with a cane!
Now my balance is almost normal and I am able to walk about a half mile along a circuit near my apartment, which requires me to walk up and down fairly steep hills. I still use my cane for better balance and wear a back brace which I have needed after a compression fracture about two years ago.
I am generally pain free unless I overdo it with exercise or stretching.
Following the advice of BeWell nutritionists, my body weight is almost back to normal and I feel so well that I work out several times a week at the State College YMCA.
What specific results did you see from sticking with the program and weaving it into your life?
1) reduced pain. I no longer take any pain meds (several strong ones), like I did when I first started with BEWELL ASSOCIATES. I couldn’t drive most days due to the medications but now I drive my own car without any trouble and take NO pain medications.
2) Four years ago I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis, which was causing much of my severe back pain. I was down to 120 pounds or less, skin and bones and very sensitive to cold weather. Now I tolerate the cold weather much easier, my body weight is up to about 135 pounds, which is close to my “normal body weight” and as my bones have become stronger and more dense, I generally have no significant pain.
3) As I started with the program, I frequently had either constipation or very loose stools. Now my bowel movements are generally more regular due to the increased exercise and fiber in my diet.
4) During the first year of the program, I sometimes had great difficulty falling asleep and needed to use CDs with a guided meditation or visualization to reduce stress and to help me relax at night. Now I easily fall asleep at night and wake up refreshed each morning after 8 hours of deep sleep.
How did you make the dietary changes work for you?
I love to cook and read about healthy nutrition. I look up healthy recipes, generally avoiding gluten and other foods to which I am sensitive. In addition, I needed to boost my intake of healthy protein foods and healthy fats, while reducing my carbohydrates, which was difficult for me at first. It became easier with time, especially when I noticed how much better I felt. I seldom eat out in restaurants, preferring my own food. So whenever I go out for longer than two hours, I take a water bottle and either a snack or a full balanced meal in a small ice chest to keep it cold.
What else other changes have helped improve your sense of well-being?
I attend yoga classes once a week and usually practice Qi Gong and/or home exercises several times a week. On days when I am not out shopping or running errands, I walk about 0:5 miles around the road leading up to my apartment, which forms a circuit at the top of a hill in the community where I live. If it is icy outside or too cold, I walk up and down a stairwell just outside my apartment.
I now practice meditation a few times a week (on my own) and also meet with a Spiritual Friendship Circle twice a month. We meet in person, not via Zoom.
Sunny-State College, PA
BeWell Associates
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