A Shared Vision
Sun Health Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Tracy Garrett (L) with client Sharon Brubaker
Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing A personalized approach to weight loss improves health and wellness
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he Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing, opened in 2014, provides personalized physical and emotional support to approximately 10,000 seniors each year. From health education and fitness classes, to support groups, nutrition counseling and more, the center’s health and wellness services are varied and far reaching. One program that is proving particularly beneficial is the center’s weight management program. In May 2015, Sharon Brubaker tipped the scale at 330 pounds; she needed a cane to walk and couldn’t stand for more than five minutes. Not willing to undergo weight loss surgery as recommended by her doctor, she turned to the registered dietitian nutritionist at the Sun Health
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Center for Health & Wellbeing for help. Receiving one-on-one counseling, practical tips and ongoing support, Sharon was able to reshape her outlook on food, her approach to eating and her life plan for managing her weight. Sharon went from regularly eating fast food – sometimes two fast food meals at a time – to preparing meals at home using whole foods, fruits and vegetables. At the suggestion of her nutritionist, she documented her food intake in a journal as a way of increasing her motivation and holding herself accountable. Sharon also worked to ditch the cane. She began physical therapy before eventually hiring a personal trainer at a local gym. Today, Sharon works out five days a week along with regular walking and bicycle riding.