Set specific, achievable goals: Instead of setting a vague goal like “lose weight,” try setting a specific, measurable goal like “lose 5 pounds in the next month” or “walk 10,000 steps a day.” This can help you stay focused and motivated.

• Keep a record: Write down what you eat, your physical activity, and any other factors that may affect your weight loss, such as stress or sleep. This can help you identify patterns and make adjustments as needed. Smart watches, health apps, and other tools are a great way to track and motivate.
• Celebrate your progress: Recognize and celebrate your small victories along the way. This can help to keep you motivated and reinforce your healthy habits. 
• Be patient: Weight loss is a process that takes time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results and remember that setbacks are a normal part of the journey.

It’s important to maintain a balanced diet for weight loss and provide tips for incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and lean protein into meals.

• Start your day with a healthy breakfast. The first meal of the day should always include a significant protein – this is more filling, keeps you fuller longer, and does not spike the insulin levels like sugars and carbs.
• Make vegetables the main attraction of your meals. Try roasting, grilling, or sautéing a variety of vegetables as a side dish or adding them to grain bowls, stir-fries, or pasta dishes.
• Incorporate protein-rich foods into every meal and snack. Some options include eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
• Keep a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand for quick and easy additions to meals.
• Make it easy to grab healthy snacks by prepping cut-up vegetables and fruit, or portioning out nuts and seeds, and storing them in the fridge or pantry.
• Experiment with plant-based protein sources, such as beans, lentils, and tofu, in place of animal protein in some meals.
• Add fruit to your meals for a natural sweet touch. For example, top your morning oatmeal with sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey, or add berries to your salad.
• Choose whole grain options, such as whole wheat bread, pasta, and rice, over refined grains to increase your intake of fiber and nutrients.

Physical activity is essential to achieve and maintain weight loss. Here are some tips for finding enjoyable and sustainable ways to incorporate more movement into daily life.

• Take advantage of opportunities to walk or bike instead of driving, such as walking to the store or biking to work.
• Look for ways to add movement to your daily routine, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing a quick stretching or yoga session at home, or going for a walk during lunch breaks.
• Incorporate physical activity into your leisure time, such as joining a sports team, going for hikes, or taking up a new hobby like dancing or gardening.
• Find an activity that you enjoy and that fits your lifestyle and preferences, as this will make it more likely that you will stick with it.
• Consider working with a personal trainer or exercise professional to create a personalized fitness plan that meets your goals and needs.
• Make physical activity a social event by exercising with friends or joining a group fitness class.
• Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try new activities to keep your workouts interesting and prevent boredom.

It is beneficial to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues and avoid distractions while eating. Here are some more benefits:

• It can help you tune in to your body’s hunger and fullness signals, so you can stop eating when you’re satisfied rather than overfull.
• It can help you identify emotional triggers for overeating, such as stress or boredom, and find healthier ways to cope with those emotions.
• It can help you slow down and savor your food, which can lead to increased satisfaction and enjoyment.
• It can help you make healthier food choices, as you are more likely to pay attention to the quality and nutritional value of your food when you are fully engaged in the eating experience.

Easy to say, hard to do! Here are some tips to help you practice mindful eating:

• Eat slowly and pay attention to each bite.
• Avoid distractions while eating, such as watching TV or scrolling through social media.
• Notice the flavors, textures, and aromas of your food.
• Check in with your hunger and fullness levels before, during, and after meals.
• Eat without judgment and try to let go of any negative thoughts or feelings about food.

Find support: Surround yourself with supportive friends and family members or consider joining a weight loss group or hiring a personal trainer or coach. Having support can help you stay motivated and accountable. At Flourish, we offer weight loss support. Contact us for more info! Here is a great resource we created to help you make good food choices. It’s our Easy Food Swap Guide ready for you to print>>

Consistency is important in weight loss efforts because it helps to establish healthy habits and behaviors that can be sustained over the long term. When it comes to weight loss, it is often the small, daily choices that make the biggest difference. By making consistent efforts to eat a healthy diet, stay physically active, and practice other healthy behaviors, you can gradually and steadily lose weight and improve your overall health.

By following these tips and finding what works best for you, you can achieve and maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime of good health. At Flourish, we will come along side you. Contact us for the guidance and support as a partner in your heath and wholeness.

Testosterone is a very important hormone for both men and women. Levels begin to decrease in women 10 to 20 years prior to menopause. In men, levels drop each year beginning in the 20’s - 30’s. There are significant consequences with regard to aging because of declining testosterone levels. There are testosterone receptors in most cell types in the body, making it a vital hormone for maintaining youthfulness and vitality.  

Our goal is to optimize your levels of testosterone, not just replace some of what is lost. In men, we achieve levels betweens 1000 and 1200, which is the upper quartile (25%-ile) of the normal range. Most men in their thirties and above are in the 200 to 500 range. A normal range for women is not well established. After treating over a million women in this country, researchers at BioTe have found that women feel the best, with the least side effects, at levels from 150 to 250 or higher. This can vary as every person is unique and special. Blood levels will be checked 2-5 weeks after pellet placement to ensure that the optimal range is achieved. If levels are below optimal, we will provide a ‘boost’ with your office visit follow up at no extra charge.  

In addition, testosterone prevents and treats osteoporosis, protects the heart, lowers blood sugar, and decreases the risk of Alzheimer's Disease and breast cancers. Learn more about the Bioidential Hormone Replacement Treatments we offer at Flourish. Contact us to make a consultation. 

Flourish Medical + Wellness was created to provide care that optimizes how healthy bodies function. Hundreds of years of research have been done to optimize health. This type of medicine promotes living long and healthy lives instead of living longer while fighting illness with daily handfuls of pharmaceuticals. The individualized therapies, treatments, and protocols we recommend for you will not be dictated by yur insurance company. Rather, you will receive the care you need based upon your symptoms, labs, testing, and thorough assessment.

What sets FMW apart is the unique team approach that we offer. Not only do we provide medical care, we also have a highly-trained team that can coach you on holistic Functional Medicine including nutrition and supplementation.

When you choose to partner with us, you will feel heard, feel comfortable asking questions, and will understand how to advocate and navigate the medical world. Just ask our patients! We can't wait to meet you and help you start your wellness journey toward living long and healthy.

In previous blog posts we've outlined the benefits of Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) for men and women. The symptoms and discomfort resulting from low hormone levels is very real to those experiencing it. And it is not a condition that should just be tolerated and lived with. We all know that having optimal health both physically and emotionally increases your enjoyment of life. It also makes you more pleasant to be around. If God made us for relationship, then that is vital to our survival. To be loved and lovable.
 
The question then becomes, how do I know if I need BHRT? A consultation with Jackie Tewes APRN, CNP, MSN is the first step. She will do a blood draw to establish hormone levels and explain the results. She will offer suggestions to help you reach your optimal levels (not just share the normal range with you). Jackie will do more than outline next steps - she will educate you - which helps you make an informed decision for your health. Then you can schedule your therapy as needed.

​Here are a few questions that have come from patients and a few answers that will serve as a helpful resource for you.

A: Some symptoms for women include fatigue, night sweats, hot flashes, decreased sex drive, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, irritability, anxiousness, mood swings, depression, and discomfort during intercourse. For men, symptoms may be the same but include decreased bone mass, increased waist size, brain fog, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar.

A: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helps to re-establish your natural, optimal hormone levels, bringing your body back into balance and improving the negative symptoms you are experiencing. Traditional hormone replacement therapy consists of synthetic hormone preparations which increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, prostate cancer and breast cancer. However, Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) does not have these associated risks. Learn more»

A: It is a replacement that is identical in structure to what the ovary and testicle produce. Pellets are bio-identical hormones that are plant-based and smaller in size than a grain of rice.

A: We want to offer the best treatment possible. Because hormones are naturally released, the ideal hormone replacement would be a continuous absorption of a small amount of a natural product over a long period of time. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) has been studied extensively and has shown to have the opposite outcomes of synthetic hormone replacement therapy. BHRT can improve bone density, reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer, lower cholesterol, promote weight loss, and reduce blood sugar.

A: The process of inserting a small pellet painlessly under the skin. It is not surgically implanted, but a small amount of local anesthetic is used to numb the area. The pellet is inserted with a patented trocar, similar to a mini epidural needle. Then a steri-strip is used to close the entry point. After your clinic visit you can return to your regular life. There are a few restrictions for the first three days after treatment such as no swimming, hot tub, or bath and no strenuous exercise.

A: Hormone pellet replacement therapy has become a time-tested treatment that was first performed in 1939. Women will feel the benefits within one week of treatment and men within two weeks. Symptoms are relieved for months from that one pellet insertion.

A: The key is to optimize and balance your hormones. So, depending on when you start to feel symptoms returning and when the lab results show a hormone level change you will know when you need another pelleting treatment. Typically, it is every three to four months for women and every five to six months for men. Let our practitioners create an individualized treatment plan for you.

Watch these patient testimonial videos or read the stories from our patients.

Let the recommendations of others and guidance from a medical professional help you toward a healthier life. Our daily motivation at Flourish Medical +Wellness is to help our patients make an informed decision that brings them closer to who God made them to be. We hope you will schedule your first visit and reach out with any questions.

It helps to understand that toxins are fat soluble, meaning they are stored in our fat. This allows them to remain in our bodies for many years or decades. So, with continued daily exposure to even small amounts, the total amount of toxins in our bodies gradually increases. Toxins are also stored in the fatty tissues of animals and therefore are in the animal products we consume. Now, let's uncover the long-term effects of chemical exposure.

If you are experiencing symptoms of inflammation or would like to know more about your personal exposure to toxins, call us to schedule a total toxin test to check for levels of toxin poisoning. We'll give you the resources and care you need. 

Symptoms for men include fatigue, low sex drive, loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, changes in mood and irritability. If you experience brain fog, anxiousness, and stress you likely also have elevated blood sugar levels and high cholesterol. Any one of these symptoms can make daily life insufferable, but many men live with several or all of them. Women experiencing pre-menopause and menopause often report the most bothersome symptoms as mood changes, weight gain, mental fog, decreased sex drive and irritability. Other symptoms may include fatigue, anxiousness, difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, and discomfort during intercourse.

Decide if hormone therapy is the best treatment option for you to regulate your hormones. Consult with our team at Flourish on a regular basis to discuss changing symptoms, especially throughout your menopausal years period by taking the right steps, you can experience freedom from discomfort and frustration. When hormones are properly balanced, things like memory issues, brain fog, fatigue, sleep issues, irritability, mental health concerns, decreased strength, joint pain, and low libido can be concerns of the past.

Hormone therapy is very individualized and should be tailored to each person's needs. It should also be evaluated on a regular basis. At Flourish Medical + Wellness, it's our priority to empower you to live the way God made you to be. A large part of that means no longer being burdened by avoidable health limitations. One of our most cutting-edge treatment options is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). Through BHRT, we can support your body as it works to optimize hormone levels, bring your body back into balance, and improve the negative symptoms you are experiencing.

Learn about the difference between BHRT and HRT treatments and read the stories from our patients.

Together we'll determine the best options for you and offer guidance to improve your health and wellness. Find out more information and contact us to schedule a consultation.