Week 15: Motivation Lies in The Measurements

Numbers don’t lie. They tell a story. Numbers motivate us by knowing exactly what’s going on inside our body, our habits, and overall health. This week, The Daniel Plan dives deeper into the numbers we need to be tracking and the science behind them.

Warning: Don’t discard this week’s information, believing you already read, and watched, the first week’s video and article about knowing your numbers. Although it may be helpful for some to review Week 1, this week we’re explaining your blood work to emphasize the specific information you need to work on. Once you’ve done the complete blood panel and identified the areas you need to improve, follow up blood tests can focus on those areas without having to order another complete blood work panel. Some numbers are basic and everyone should know these, according to Dr. Oz, host of the Dr. Oz Show.

To help us learn about our lab work, functional medicine expert Dr. Mark Hyman uses two real-life examples to explain via video what the report tells us about our health. Then, read about Liz and Gary Puffer whose numbers are improving, but more importantly their health choices have become habits!

On The Daniel Plan Web site, we’ve included ways to track your numbers, including weight, waist size and blood pressure. We will help track your lab results as well in the Extended Health Profile section. This will help our researchers measure the effectiveness of The Daniel Plan. In the near future, we will be adding a “Health Risk Assessment” to guide both you, and our team, even further.

Additionally this week, read about the powerful influence sugar has on our society, you, and your families health. We asked brain-scan expert and best-selling author Dr. Daniel Amen, his wife Tana and Saddleback’s own Tina Pretsch to offer healthy sweetener alternatives so you can avoid the sugar trap. Ms. Pretsch also reveals the numerous health benefits hemp has and offers a recipe to try.

In week 9, we suggested many of you may want to go on a six-week food detoxification. So Dr. Hyman offers an article about reintegrating foods as a follow up to see how your body responds to certain foods. We’ve added several new recipes for you as well.

Finally, The Daniel Plan Fitness Coach Tom Wilson demonstrates basic weight-training exercises and why every body benefits from improved strength.

Coming Soon!
The Daniel Plan Fun Run/Walk (5K, 10K and 1K for kids) — June 11.
Plan now and start training! Refer to Week 14 for details.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

NEXT STEPS

Update your numbers. We recommend updating your basic Health Profile weekly (weight, waist size, blood pressure). But if you’ve been on the plan from the beginning, it’s time to update your lab results from your Extended Health Profile, focusing on the numbers that needed improvement.
Avoid, or eliminate, sugar. Learn the various forms of sugar, and try healthy sweetener alternatives. If you were on the six-week detoxification, read this article and determine your next steps.
Add strength training to your workouts. Doesn’t have to be heavy weights, but according to Tom Wilson, improving your strength has multiple benefits.