My story is a familiar one. I was a high school athlete, but sometime during my adult life I started to decline physically. It started with hypothyroidism, allergies and depression in my 20s and 30s. By my 40s, my allergies progressed to asthma. I frequently got colds, had trouble sleeping and gained 15 pounds I couldn't get rid of. Quite frankly, I felt like my body was falling into a downward spiral that I feared would end badly. Experts told me what to eat and how to exercise, but no matter what I did, my body seemed to break down more. That's when I set out to find new ways to improve my health. I took classes, studied my own body, and experimented with elimination diets and exercise. Eventually, I recognized the subtle ways my body was telling me what it needed that I was ignoring. The smarter and more diligent I became about responding to my body's cues, the better the results...the bigger the transformation. Now in my 50s, I'm in the best health and shape of my life Family and friends who hadn't seen me in a while immediately noticed a difference and wanted to know what I was doing. That's when I formalized my method which I call Integrative Body Conditioning...with an emphasis of finding what works for you This book is presented in four sections, each focusing on one aspect of Integrative Body Conditioning, and one short section at the end that ties all the information together. -The first section (Irritant Elimination) addresses the primary reasons the body weakens and gets sick. Consisting of four chapters, it covers the environmental, biological, physical and psychological factors that cause inflammation in the body and explains how, if left untreated, they can sabotage your health and fitness efforts. -The second section (Nutrient Replacement) is also made up of four chapters. It describes the importance of figuring out which foods rejuvenate and rebuild your body (while fixing any nutrient deficiencies) and how to create a meal plan that ensures you're getting enough of the "good stuff" every day. -The third section (Weightlifting and Conditioning) covers the importance of continually leveling up and individualizing your strength training plan. The key is targeting exercises that build and maintain whole body muscle strength in the shortest amount of time. Starting lists of exercises and conditioning workouts are provided. -The fourth and final section (Becoming a Body Whisperer) describes how to take the concepts learned from the first three sections to achieve your best body potential. It includes a brief explanation on how I practice the method on a daily basis, as well as the single most important habit you need to embrace to build and maintain a strong body for life. I've also included homework at the end of each section to help readers make the most of the material. Don't skip the homework. If you really want to "get it," you're going to need to witness and experience everything that's happening in your body. Hence, I strongly recommend you start a health journal. Not only will it help you keep track of the homework, it will help illuminate the subtle ways your body reacts to different food, exercise and lifestyle choices, as well as the cues its providing to help re-balance it. Finally, if you're looking for a "quick fix," this book probably isn't for you. This method is all about finding out how your body works and what it needs Each person's journey is different, but by practicing this method, you won't just learn how your body works, you'll have the key that unlocks your ability to create a slender, healthy, strong and glowing body for the rest of your life
