IOU Health Exchange, LLC Weight Loss and Wellness

04/13/2026

IOU Family,

I wanted to take a moment to gently remind you of something foundational to your success—your daily nutrition matters just as much as your medication or supplements.

Fruits and non-starchy vegetables should make up a significant part of your day, with a goal of 5–9 servings daily. These foods provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, cancer fighting antioxidants, digestive enzymes and nutrients that support metabolism, hormone balance, gut health, and long-term weight management.

I’ve noticed a trend of relying heavily on processed protein sources like shakes, bars, packaged and processed chips and snacks. While these can be convenient tools when needed, they should not replace whole, real foods. Your body responds best to nutrients in their natural form.

Meals should be built around non-starchy vegetables first—these should be eaten at the start of your meal—followed by your protein source. This helps with blood sugar control, satiety, and overall metabolic health.

For snacks, please choose whole, simple options such as fresh fruit, a handful of nuts, boiled eggs, or similar real foods rather than processed items.

Please prioritize:
• Non-starchy vegetables at each meal (eat these first)
• Whole fruits (not juices)
• Real, balanced protein sources (animal or plant-based)
• Whole-food snacks like fruit, nuts, or boiled eggs

Think of shakes and bars as occasional support—not the foundation.

Consistently choosing real, whole foods will improve your results, energy, and overall health.

If you need help with ideas, meal planning, or making this more manageable, I’m here to support you.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feel stuck at any point, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to support you every step of the way.

Health Coaching is included for all weight loss/HRT members at no additional charge: https://www.optimantra.com/optimus/patient/patientaccess/modalities?pid=Z2pGRytrYW9TUi9PVTJMVEg2cWZiQT09&lid=OStUQjFwd1UzaDhVSGN0UDJuR0ZlUT09

We are now offering payment plans through Cherry. If you're interested, please apply before your appointment by using this link: https://pay.withcherry.com/iou-health-exchange-llc

Keep up the great work and stay consistent—you’re building lasting habits. You’re always welcome to reach out—support is available whenever you need it.

Cherry: The Smarter Way to Pay

04/06/2026

Your progress matters, and staying consistent with a few key habits will help you continue moving toward your goals.

As a reminder, a healthy and sustainable rate of weight loss is typically around 1–3 pounds per week. Some weeks may be a little higher or lower, and that’s completely normal—what matters most is staying consistent over time.

1. Please make sure you are weighing in 2–3 times per week. This helps us get a more accurate picture of your progress and allows us to make any necessary adjustments along the way.

2. Continue prioritizing real, whole foods—foods that grow from the earth and are in their natural form. Focus especially on non-starchy vegetables, along with clean protein sources and healthy fats. Keeping your nutrition simple and whole will make a big difference in your results.

3. Focus on eating intuitively—only eating when you are physically hungry, rather than out of habit and repetition.

In addition, please follow the dosing adjustments provided to help ensure appetite suppression throughout the full 7 days. This will support you in eating smaller portions and staying consistent.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feel stuck at any point, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to support you every step of the way.

Health Coaching is included for all weight loss members at no additional charge: https://www.optimantra.com/optimus/patient/patientaccess/modalities?pid=Z2pGRytrYW9TUi9PVTJMVEg2cWZiQT09&lid=OStUQjFwd1UzaDhVSGN0UDJuR0ZlUT09

Or you may send a message in the patient portal (Optimantra)- https://www.optimantra.com/optimus/om/patient/login

Keep up the great work and stay consistent—you’re building lasting habits!

Leading online Practice Management, EHR and EMR software for Integrative Practitioners - Acupuncture, Chiropractors, Naturopaths, TCM, Massage Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, Doctors

04/04/2026

Your stomach is the size of a softball 🥎 Please eat on the saucer size plates, and yes, I started with my Brussel sprouts🥬 first.

04/01/2026

Follow this page for Recipe ideas!

04/01/2026

Amen!

RFK Jr. just announced hospitals will now be required to serve healthy food to keep federal funding.

“Dr. Oz sent out a health and safety notice to every hospital in this country… asking them now to align their food purchases with the dietary guidelines.”

“In order to enjoy continued eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare payments.”

04/01/2026

Weight ⚖️ is comprised of muscle, fat, water and bones 💪

Two men. Same height. Same weight. Same BMI of 27.
One carries 22% body fat. Muscular. Metabolically healthy.

The other carries 38% body fat packed around his liver and pancreas. Insulin resistance developing. He has no idea.

A 2025 study followed U.S. adults for 15 years. High body fat percentage predicted mortality. BMI did not. The scale missed the signal entirely.

Roughly one in eight adults with a normal BMI carry dangerous amounts of visceral fat that is completely invisible from the outside. Researchers call it TOFI: thin outside, fat inside.

Your scale combines your bones, organs, water, muscle, and fat into one number. It cannot tell you how much is fat, where it's stored, or whether you're quietly losing muscle underneath it.

Three numbers matter more than weight: body fat percentage, body fat in pounds, and visceral fat level. Most people have never measured any of them.

And this one stopped me cold: just 14 days of poor sleep increased visceral fat by 11% in a controlled trial. It didn't go back down after recovery sleep.

I wrote a full breakdown: the three numbers that predict your metabolic future, how to measure them at home, which scales actually work, and the 7 lifestyle levers that move these numbers.

Read it below 👇️

Share this with someone who trusts their scale. It might be lying to them.

03/27/2026

We must still make healthy choices to maintenance good health, even while on vacation 😉

03/26/2026

Amen!

A study found that the way you talk to yourself about aging changes how your body actually ages.

People with positive perceptions of aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with negative perceptions.

That effect was larger than the effect of low blood pressure, low cholesterol, healthy weight, or not smoking.

Researchers at Yale analyzed data from 660 adults who had been asked decades earlier how they felt about statements like "As you get older, you are less useful." Those who rejected those statements, who viewed aging as a time of continued growth, lived significantly longer.

The effect held after controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, loneliness, and functional health.

7.5 years. From how you think about getting older.

Why? The researchers point to both behavioral and physiological pathways. People who view aging positively are more likely to engage in preventive health behaviors. They also show lower cortisol levels, lower inflammatory markers, and greater will to live when facing health challenges.

Your beliefs about aging become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe decline is inevitable, you stop trying. If you believe growth is possible, you keep showing up.

Every time you say "I'm too old for that," you are writing a prescription for your future. Be careful what you prescribe.

The words you use about your own aging are not just words. They are biology.

03/21/2026

This is really my life 🤞💪🌿⏳️ Working. Learning. Applying. Teaching. Repeat 🔁

03/18/2026

It’s always a choice 💗😘

03/18/2026

Amen! 🙏

Dr. Wendy Wood spent decades studying habit formation at USC. Her finding, repeated across dozens of studies: willpower accounts for a small and unreliable fraction of habit success.

What accounts for most of it: context.

The people who exercise consistently do not beat themselves up into the gym. They live near a gym. They sleep in their workout clothes. They have a friend waiting for them. The behavior happens because the environment makes it easier than not doing it.

Wood calls this a friction audit. The question is not 'how do I get more motivated?' The question is 'what is the friction between me and this behavior, and how do I remove it?'

And on the other side: what friction can I add to the behaviors I want to stop? If the phone is in another room, you scroll less. If the running shoes are next to the door, you run more. This is not philosophy. It is architecture.

You do not need discipline. You need a redesigned Tuesday.

03/05/2026

Over the last 2 weeks I have done a lot of traveling ✈️ it’s okay to eat a balanced diet ⚖️ and skip fast food, even while on the go!

Here are some examples of real food that I ate!

I always eat my veggies 🥕 first and then my protein 🥩, carbs 🥖 🥔 last and in moderation. I eat small portions and don’t fill my stomach and intentionally do a lot of walking.