With the decadent and rich food that the holiday season can
bring, many of us share the same resolution as January rolls around- to lose some weight.

It seems many of us want to drop that 10 pounds and yet research shows that most of those who do lose it somehow
find it again-fairly quickly, too! Yes, food plays an important role in weight loss and gain but is really only one aspect of a complex issue. Health and successful weight loss requires a balanced approach.

First, we need to remember that we all have different body types. Our Western society, fuelled by the mass media, sets some pretty harsh standards for weight and beauty. Rather than get upset about that, we can choose to find inspiration in two cultures that have much to teach us about natural health and healing-Chinese and East Indian.

In the Chinese language, there is no word for "diet," in the sense of a weightloss program. Their equivalent to "diet"
is simply a word that means "the food we take into our bodies." Their theory is that if you eat the foods that are good for you and are balancing for your Element type (earth, fire, wood, water or metal), then you will be healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

Ayurvedic medicine, which comes to us from India, places people into three distinct body types or doshas (kapha, pita or vata). Again, the idea is to embrace and accept your body type and live in accordance with rules of good health and eating. There is absolutely no point in a naturally bigger boned, larger framed kapha trying to fit into her pita friend's size 2 jeans. Not only is it unlikely to happen, it can also be dangerous. By rebelling against your body's natural shape, you set yourself up for disease and emotional turmoil.

Such natural balance philosophies are behind the Balanced Weight program (www.balancedweight.com) in Vancouver,
BC. Director Allan Lawry says that the program is a shift in terms of how to look at weight. He says, "We are getting away from 'ideal weight' and BMIs; these are obsolete, really." The program method includes using a tool called duel energy x-ray analysis (DEXA) to get a more balanced read out of the body. The safe, low-level x-ray measures lean tissue, fat percentages and bone density, the latter of which is usually overlooked.

After the scan, an individual health program is created to help balance all of the active weights. One's "personal weight" has nothing to do with a number on a weight scale.

Lawry explains that most weight loss programs make the mistake of just trying to take weight off and not specifically targeting the areas that need help. This can result in loss of lean muscle tissue or bone rather than fat. "There are three kinds of fat: visceral, adipose and subcutaneous white and brown fat," Lawry explains, "We target the white subcutaneous fat as it is the most moveable. When stress is reduced and the hormones come back into balance, then the visceral fat is lost too."

Targeting these fats means that body shape will change without negative effects. The extra toxins that we carry around can make a big difference when it comes to body shape as well. Therapies such as lymphatic drainage massage can make a huge difference for someone who retains a lot of water. Lymph fluid flows through a complicated network of ducts throughout the body, collecting waste and toxins from the cells, which are then eliminated through the bladder. The tricky part is that the lymph system requires movement to keep those toxins moving out of the body.

Many of us have experienced swollen ankles and feet, or even hands, after a long day. Such swelling is often caused by lymph that is sitting and unable to move properly. Because several major lymph nodes run under the arms and into the torso, underwire bras cause some nasty congestion as well. Lymphatic drainage massage is a type of massage that stimulates lymph, gently pushing it in the correct directions, while unblocking stubborn congestion. Since cellulite is basically toxins protected by fat, removal of the toxins via the lymph system can be a very effective way of getting rid of cellulite.

Toxins can hide in other areas of the body, too. If the digestive system is not getting rid of waste effectively, there can be several pounds stuck in the colon. This
can be resolved with treatments such as colon hydrotherapy.

Some herbal cleanses can also be helpful in this respect, though caution is required. Colonics effectively stimulate the body's natural peristalsis to remove toxic waste, which can promote balanced weight in two ways; first, by
getting rid of the dead weight sitting in the colon and, second, by allowing the digestive system to work more efficiently overall. With improved digestion we improve absorption of nutrients and reduce food cravings.

All health goals are more easily achieved when we take the different facets of health into account. The idea of a "personal weight" is appealing because it rejects the notion that we should all look like movie stars and instead works to help each one of us as individuals. Much of a healthy weight comes down to creating new healthy habits in regard to food and exercise, with the help of hands-on therapies and cleansing. A good program will address all of these areas and sometimes requires a team of people.

Let's change our resolution for this year. Rather than trying to lose anything, let's each aim to gain a great personal weight. Who knows? It may be a resolution that doesn't end in an ice cream binge or a dusty, unused gym membership by the end of January.

[Alexis Costello is a natural health consultant working with kinesiology, massage and nutrition in Kelowna, BC, at the Okanagan Natural Care Centre. (250) 763-2914

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