Clinics use genetic testing, education, nutrition to get people on the right track
By Scott Thoma
With many people “grounded” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the idleness has led to an influx of weight gain for many people.
The additional unwanted weight has contributed to high blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, and increased blood sugar levels which in turn, have led to incidence of Type-2 diabetes, heart disease and overall decreased health.
“The repercussions of the pandemic are contributing to increased stress, which in turn causes people to gain weight,” said Dr. Adam Fink of Hutchinson Chiropractic & Wellness. “There has never been a more important time than now to learn how to take back control of our weight and health.”
“The most noticeable thing I have seen in people over the last year is the accumulated stress,” said Dr. Seth Nelson of Rising Sun Chiropractic/Southern Minnesota Weight Loss Clinic in St. Peter. “The year was filled with large stress events and that led people to make stressed choices. Many people felt powerless in 2020, working from home, changes in activity levels and stress eating led people down the path of weight gain, body pain and feeling stuck.”
Dr. Fink and Dr. Nelson were college classmates at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington and became chiropractors 12 years ago, each owning their own business. They eventually introduced Activate Metabolics Weight Loss programs into their respective clinics.
Activate Metabolics utilizes DNA genetic testing to determine which type of foods a particular person needs.
“It’s like putting the right type of gas and oil in your vehicle to keep the engine running smoothly,” Dr. Fink explained. “People need different amounts of certain foods to keep them healthy and have more energy.”
And the proper eating habits will also take weight off, especially during this pandemic period when people are spending less time exercising or getting out of the house.
Fitness centers have been closed, sporting events were shut down, and some people are even afraid to go out to shop,” said Dr. Fink. “And they are stressed out because of COVID so they are eating more. And this leads to a lot of health problems.”
Drs. Fink and Nelson are passionate about having their clients lose weight the heathy way through the advanced DNA Genetic Testing method that they each have incorporated into their respective practice.
“Being overweight leads to mechanical stress and causes musculoskeletal injuries; especially the lower back and hips,” Dr. Fink said. “That’s why we started Activate Metabolics Weight Loss in our clinics.”
With many diets, people lose weight only to have the pounds come right back. With Activate Metabolics, the clients learn to eat the foods their body needs, making it easier to keep the weight off.
“I decided to lose weight when my doctor diagnosed me with Type-2 Diabetes,” said Tammy V. “She gave me an ultimatum – lose weight, exercise, and bring my A1C down, and she won’t prescribe medication. Since beginning the Activate Metabolics program I have lost 35 pounds in the first 41 days. I’m learning healthy ways to eat and healthy ways to prepare food. I feel like I have control of my own weight loss and I can do it all without shakes and unnecessary expensive supplements.”
“For many years I tried different weight loss programs,” said Lori R. “I would lose the weight but gained it all back. I was never taught how to cook healthy meals or how to eat in a healthier manner. Since starting Activate Metabolics four months ago, I am down over 50 pounds. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel better about myself, I have started to exercise on a daily basis, and overall have more energy.”
Activate Metabolics Weight Loss program is based on four pillars:
(1) It includes the latest in weight-loss technology, including genetic testing and scanning devices to perform a body composition analysis.
(2) A Metabolic Booster Meal Plan.
(3) Proprietary nutritional formulas.
(4) Individual one-on-one coaching and daily support.
One misconception about dieting is that a person must avoid any type of fat.
“There are good fats and bad fats,” explained Dr. Fink. “And by our genetic testing, we can determine that some people need more good fats than others.”
Monounsaturated fats are considered healthy fats and can be found in things such as nuts, avocados, coconuts, dark chocolate and olive oil.
Saturated fats, or bad fats, can be found in things like margarine, vegetable oil, fatty meats and deep-fried foods.
“We don’t use fake foods in our program,” said Dr. Fink. “We don’s use protein bars, shakes or pre-packaged meals. A person can lose weight with these types of items, but it’s difficult to keep the weight off.”
Drs. Nelson and Fink educate their patients on shopping for healthy foods, preparing healthy meals and eating healthy.
“It’s important that we don’t try to frame this as a diet,” said Dr. Nelson. “We promote this as a shift in their lifestyle and incorporate genetic testing to show them how certain foods affect them.”
Dr. Nelson also explained that he and Dr. Fink also teach patients the proper foods to eat through extended follow-through and one-on-one daily support.
“The foundation of the program we use, Activate Metabolics, is focused on strategic choices with real fresh food,” Dr. Nelson said. “We promote low glycemic, anti-inflammatory foods and our dietary systems lead to profound changes with profound health benefits.
“The best part of all of this is that we don’t need to rely on pills, stimulants or crazy fads. We help people understand foods, how they work in our body, how their genetics play a key role, using foods like medicine to achieve amazing weight loss and a whole new outlook on life. When you can look at your plate, know that it’s helping you lose weight and feel better than you have in years AND be delicious it makes these changes easy.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic is not expected to go away anytime soon and people will continue to be limited in terms of activities they can and cannot do, weight gains are likely to continue. Joining Dr. Fink and Dr. Nelson’s Advanced Metabolics program can start them on a path to eating the right foods and reducing their weight, which in turn will put them on a path of reducing their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
“The combination of lifestyle changes for many people led to the most frustrating year of their lives when it came to health,” said Dr. Nelson. “All around us, we saw what the accumulated stress did to us, reduced energy, more difficulty with recovery, difficulty with concentration and focus, increased body pain, poor sleep and more frequent illness.”
Genetic testing utilizes the advanced techniques of testing a patient’s DNA in order to determine their metabolic tendencies and recommended daily intake of fat, carbohydrates and protein.
“I joined Activate Metabolics with my wife to lose weight and address high blood pressure and arthritis pain in my knees and hips,” said Kevin V. “I have lost 38 pounds in 42 days and as of now am no longer on blood pressure medications. My knees and hips feel better than they have in years and I can go up and down stairs with no pain.”
The genetic testing used by Dr. Fink and Dr. Nelson is quick and easy and there is no discomfort.
“We basically perform a swab test where we take a sample of the patient’s DNA by rubbing a swab inside their cheek,” Dr. Fink explained. “We send that DNA sample to a lab, and they, in turn, send us back a 50-page report that provides us with detailed information about the client’s genetics.”
DNA influences a person’s metabolism, and metabolism is what burns fat.
“Through these tests, we can determine the foods you need, more or less, to speed up your metabolism process,” Dr. Fink said.
“We can teach people to eat and stay healthy, but it’s important to note that people have to want to do this,” Dr. Nelson added. “Our hope is that we can show how this is something you can do for yourself.”
The doctors continually support their clients daily via text messages or emails through the first couple of months of the program. The clients then relay information such as how much weight they have lost and their overall health status. If the doctors see certain trends, they can guide the client to influence those trends in a positive way.”
Dr. Fink and Dr. Nelson became chiropractors because of a desire to help others. And their weight loss programs are an example of that.
“It never gets old to see people feeling better,” said Dr. Nelson. “It is rewarding to see the change in how they feel. It’s not always easy and there certainly are challenges for them. But it can be a positive outcome for the rest of their life. And that’s the rewarding part.”
“It’s rewarding to see the changes in people when they lose weight,” Dr. Fink echoed. “Not only is it rewarding that they are a smaller size, but also their personality improves, they are sleeping better and they have more energy.”
One of the most challenging parts about losing weight is when a person “hits a plateau” when the scale isn’t continuing to show the steady decline in numbers.
“That does happen to some people, but that doesn’t mean the program isn’t working,” Dr. Fink remarked. “They might not see the weight coming off, but they are losing inches off their waist or somewhere else. Because they are eating healthier, they feel better and have more energy, so they are exercising more. So they might not be losing weight because they are building muscle and toning up instead.”
“COVID’s most deadly side effects come from a run away inflammatory response, and unfortunately the lifestyle that leads to obesity is a lifestyle that is filled with a very high level of inflammation,” said Dr. Nelson. “At Rising Sun Chiropractic/Weight Loss we have always promoted taking control of our inflammation through the choices we make everyday. We can either contribute to more or less inflammation and if we really want to reduce our health risks from COVID and things like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia we need to take responsibility for the dietary and lifestyle choices we make.”
Dr. Fink’s Hutchinson Chiropractic & Wellness is located at 233 Hassan St. SE in Hutchinson. For more information or to make an appointment, call 320-234-3584 or visit the weight loss website at loseweighthutchinson.com.
Dr. Nelson’s Rising Sun Chiropractic and Weight Loss Clinic office is located at 1520 S. Minnesota Ave. in St. Peter. For more information or to make an appointment, call 507-304-3743 or visit the website at risingsunwl.com.
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