The "Healthy for Life" Program is based on cutting-edge medical research and the implementation of these healthy lifestyles that just happen to have a side effect of permanent fat loss. You will begin to develop a triad of healthy lifestyles, which have many health benefits. You will learn how to eat a healthy diet that does not spike your blood sugar and contains those good, low-glycemic carbohydrates, good fats, and good proteins as you also develop a consistent, moderate exercise program, and learn the significance of consuming what I refer to as cellular nutrition. You will begin recording and documenting these new lifestyle changes in your own personal Lifestyle Journal. Those of you who have signed up for the Coached Program have already been assigned your own personal lifestyle coach.  This coach will mentor you and guide you into these new healthy lifestyles. Hopefully, you have already taken the tour of the website and understand how to best use and navigate around this helpful website.  If not, I would encourage you to become familiar with all the aspects of the web site before you begin the program.

I recommend that all the participants of the "Healthy for Life" Program start by using Usana’s 5-Day RESET Kit, which provides 3 meals and 2 snacks daily along with Usana’s Health Pak. Usana Health Sciences has developed wonderful meal and snack replacements. They not only taste great, but they are also convenient, inexpensive, and best of all will not spike your blood sugar. Usana understands the science that is the basis of the Healthy for Life Program. They have combined those good carbohydrates that are absorbed slowly, those good fats, and good proteins in making their healthy, delicious meal and snack replacements. I have found that these healthy meal and snack replacements are a great behavioral modification tool. They allow you a break from your normal eating pattern as you begin to establish a healthier diet. You quickly get out of any “glycemic stress” because you are not spiking your blood sugar and you get rid of those carbohydrate cravings because you are stimulating the release of those stress hormones. Their natural appetite slowly comes under control. It is a great start in establishing those new, healthier lifestyles. However, it is important to realize that it is just a start. Once you complete the 5-Day RESET Kit, you absolutely must move on immediately to Phase 1 of the Healthy for Life Program. I personally believe that if someone is not willing to continue on to Phase 1 of the Healthy for Life Program, I do not even recommend that they do the 5-Day RESET.

Now you are ready to begin Phase 1 or the Transform Phase of the "Healthy for Life" Program. You certainly can go to the Basic Meal Plan for Phase 1 on my web page, which is simply a guide, and become more familiar with the overall concept. You will also need to refer to the Recommended Food Guide to learn more about the recommended foods in the "Healthy for Life" Program.

In phase 1 of the "Healthy for Life" Program, you will replace 2 meals and 1 snack with Usana’s meal and snack replacements. You will eat 1 regular meal and snack that does not spike your blood sugar. You will learn which foods are desirable and which ones are not so desirable. This is why in Phase 1 of the program you will also be encouraged to avoid all bread, flour, rice, cereals, pasta, potatoes, and sugar. These are the foods that are dangerous and can quickly get you back into those carbohydrate cravings. However, remember if you are hungry you just need to eat another meal or snack that does not spike your blood sugar. Going hungry is just not part of RESET or the "Healthy for Life" Program. 

You will also need to begin a modest, consistent exercise program like walking briskly or light strength training for 30 minutes 5 times per week. Nutritional supplementation is also a critical aspect of RESET and the Healthy for Life Program. I recommend that all the participants of the "Healthy for Life" Program take either the Usana Essentials or Health Pak along with Biomega 3. 

Now I encourage all my clients to stay on Phase 1 of the "Healthy for Life" Program until they have reached their health and weight goals. Then I recommend that they move on to Phase 2 of the program. 

In Phase 2 of the "Healthy for Life" Program, you need to replace just 1 meal and 1 snack with Usana’s meal and snack replacements. You will eat 2 regular meals and 1 regular snack that does not spike your blood sugar. Again, you should never go hungry. If you are hungry, you will be encouraged to just eat another meal or snack that doesn’t spike your blood sugar. You will also increase the intensity of your exercise program as you continue to provide that cellular nutrition by taking either Usana’s Essentials or Health Pak. In Phase 2, you will also begin adding back those healthy whole grains, breads, cereals, rice, pasta, and potatoes. 

Most of you have not been in good shape for years. If you are over 40, you should consult your personal physician before you begin an exercise program. However, common sense is usually the best order of the day. Start slowly and build up to the recommended level of exercise. Being consistent and doing your work out 5 times weekly is more important initially than being aggressive during your workout. The goal you are working toward is to be exercising 30 minutes 5 times per week. However, you may need to start out exercising only 10 to 15 minutes daily 5 times per week. You need to use this simple guide: Do not fatigue yourself and don't do so much one day that you can't do the same the next. If you suffer from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, you need to be even more careful and make sure that you don't work out two days in a row and not work out more than 3 times a week.

It really does not matter what type of exercise you choose to do. It is more important that you choose an exercise activity that you will look forward to doing and will be more consistent in doing. Walking, biking, hiking, tennis, swimming, racquetball, aerobic classes, golfing (walking instead of riding), aggressive yard work, and the options go on and on. The results of the program will not vary if you are consistent with whatever you decide. You can also combine several different activities throughout the week as a way of developing an effective lifestyle program. You will learn that adding weight resistant activities have additional healthy benefits. However, initially I would recommend just keeping everything simple.

It is also critical that you actually have your workouts scheduled and not be deceived into believing that you can work them into your present schedule. It has been reported that the average American male watches 29 hours of TV and the average female watches 34 hours of TV each and every week. Now this is not only a concern for the overall activity each of us has daily but also it shows us that if we gave up a little TV we would have plenty of time to exercise. However, there is one important truth that I have learned over the years and that is the fact that if your workouts aren't scheduled they most likely will never happen. In fact, many of my patients intentionally schedule workouts every day of the week simply knowing that they are going to have to miss one or two of them. At least, they usually get in 4 or 5 of the workouts during the course of the week.

I encourage everyone to purchase a pedometer (this can be ordered through USANA) and wear it daily throughout the program. It will give you a very good indication of your overall activity during the day. Your goal will be to build up to walking over 10,000 steps at least 5 days each week. It is a very good idea to report the number of steps you have recorded on your pedometer in your Lifestyle Journal. This will help both the Self-Directed participants and the Coached participants determine your overall activity level.