Health Coach
Health Coach
"PEP" Personalized Education Program
Dr. Higgins is a trained Health Coach, participating with other physicians from the United States and Canada interested in helping people achieve optimal health naturally through changes in lifestyle, i.e., diet, exercise, detoxification, sleep and thought patterns. Health Coach clients learn to modify the 8 risk factors for unhealthy aging.
Our Health Coach Personalized Education Program (PEP Program) is for people who choose to take a proactive stance regarding their health, want to revitalize their life now, stay active and invest in their future so they can move into their golden years without debilitation and chronic pain.
A Health Coach Personalized Education Program begins with an extensive health assessment profile of your environment, work, dietary, physical symptoms and personal requirements and habits. A series of tests measure many of the bio-markers related to health and aging such as lean body mass, body fat and basal metabolic rate that have been identified by studies on aging done at Tufts University. Biomarkers are clues to the speed of aging in any given individual.
Health Coach clients meet one on one with the doctor after completing informational surveys and paperwork followed by a Health Coach nutritional exam, possible chiropractic films and vitality/longevity body composition testing. Glucose testing may also be part of the work up. The doctor then formulates an outline plan for the patient based on the findings and works with the patient individually using lifestyle education, counseling, video, audio tapes, books, PEP articles and worksheets.
Additional procedures that may be used during Health Coach sessions include food sensitivity screening, implementing a modified elimination diet and supervised detoxification protocols.
Detoxification is important because the most common reasons people go to medical doctors include fatigue, sleep disturbance, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, allergy symptoms, confusion and anxiety. These are also the symptoms of chronic poisoning. A supervised detoxification program can help eliminate many of these conditions.
In the adult only 25 percent of our health is determined by the genes we were given. Seventy-five percent of our health is determined by our activity level, foods we eat and thoughts we think, in other words, our environment. Therefore nutritional evaluation and therapy can play a big part in moving us further into recovery and optimal wellness.
Dr. Higgins uses applied Kinesiology, which is a form of muscle testing used to help evaluate body function and screen organ systems and enhance diagnoses. Food/chemical sensitivity screening using Applied Kinesiology is also used to uncover possible causes for headaches, chronic illness and joint pain.
These techniques help clear underlying energy patterns, which can create blockages and ill health as well as pain. Dr. Higgins has studied specific techniques to help find and clear these patterns when appropriate, to help return people to optimal functioning and wellness.
As part of the Health Coach Personalized Education Program, Vitality/Longevity Assessment Body Composition Testing is done to evaluate lean muscle mass, protein, fat, fluid shifts, toxicity, essential fatty acids and cellular health, which together give significant insight into the overall health and aging of an individual. We use this testing to monitor progress during detoxification, weight loss and anti-aging programs since decreased muscle mass is one of the first signs of aging. Dr. C. Everett Koop, the former surgeon general, reported that 8 of the 10 top causes of death are directly related to poor nutrition. Unhealthy body composition produces increased risk to other serious health concerns including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Higgins is available for a free 5-10 minute consult. Call Elizabeth at 651-631-9488.
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Fructosamine Test
A simple finger stick blood test is used to determine how well your body is breaking down and utilizing the basic food starches and sugars, by its production of fructosamine an indicator of oxidative stress in the body. This blood testing will show if there are unusually high levels of oxidative stress taking place, which is known to drive the aging and disease process. For example, oxidative stress in the pancreas can lead to adult onset diabetes, in the heart, atherosclerosis, in the brain, decreased cognitive function such as Alzheimer's, etc.
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VLA/Body Composition Test
Body Composition testing, including the total amount of body water, and where it is distributed on a cellular level, is measured with a bio-impedance analyzer. The ratio can be changed through diet, detoxification, nutrition therapy, exercise, etc., to produce improved health and vitality.
On site Food Sensitivity Testing is done to determine possible health related associations. Over 80 percent of our immune system is located around our intestine and colon region so it is important to consider the impact foods we eat could have on our health.
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KinesiologyTesting
Kinesiology tests the relationship between 27 muscle groups and associated organs providing a virtual non-invasive window into body health and maintenance.
Individual susceptibility to electromagnetic stress is also assessed and can be reduced by wearing a protective device and a repositioning of electrical field sources in the home or workplace.
Structural and physical stress, usually caused by injury or old trauma, poor posture, repetitive motion, etc., is decreased with gentle chiropractic adjustments and therapies including muscle work and acupuncture.
As our society continues to live longer, these monitoring tools, combined with state-of-the-art knowledge of nutrition, health and fitness, means individuals have a remarkable opportunity to take active control of their aging process. Today, the average person spends nine years in declining health; our goal is to help you increase the quality of life you experience, and literally add more life to your years.