Take it from Cohen

CEBU, Philippines - Six years ago, Barbara Young was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and it called for a lifestyle change pronto, or she would wrestle with diabetes permanently. She weighed 176 lbs. 

Coming from a family with a very long medical history, Young took the challenge for a lifestyle shift – from bingeing on anything she fancied to cope with stress from the corporate world, to religiously following the personalized eating plan tailored to her body’s needs. It’s an eating plan that consists of three meals daily “taken in specific quantities from the basic food groups of proteins, vegetables, fruits and carbohydrates” sans exercise. 

This is the Dr. Cohen Diet in a nutshell: eating the right food in specific quantity/portions to rapid (average: 8-10 lbs. in a month) fat loss result (not a loss of muscle and water) without experiencing hunger pangs, no cravings but still feeling energized. 

Young was introduced to Cohen in Singapore. After four and a half months, she lost 46 lbs. and had given birth twice while she was under the Cohen Program. She shared this good news to friends and on October 2009, she brought the program to the country via the Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre Philippines at the Medical Plaza Makati, to help more women and men with their weight-loss woes.

“Following the program precisely will allow the body to correct the hormonal imbalance naturally. The Cohen Program is also a safer, healthier and cheaper alternative to invasive procedures,” enthused Young, CEO of Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre.

The diet concept sprang from a three-year international nutritional research conducted more than 20 years ago by Dr. R Cohen, MD, FCOG (Wits) of South Africa.  In a press statement: His “research isolated the hormones responsible for obesity. These are the human growth hormone (HGH) which preserves muscle tissue and breaks down fat, insulin which regulates blood sugar levels and therefore stops hunger pangs and serotonin which tells the body when it is full or satisfied.  In people who suffer from the ‘obesity syndrome,’ there is an imbalance in these hormones - the HGH level is low; unnaturally high levels of insulin are released and serotonin is not discharged correctly. As a result, obese people constantly crave food and despite how little or how much they eat, they still gain weight.

“With the Cohen Program, Dr. Cohen personally develops an individually tailored Eating Plan by analyzing a person’s unique body chemistry from his/her specific blood test results.  The personalized eating plan is designed to use food to trigger the body’s natural ability to shed off fat rapidly and safely and to bring the hormones back in balance, thus ‘food becomes your medicine’.”

Olga Caballero, 34, was married for eight years before finally having a baby. She weighed 177lbs. when she started with Cohen in October 2011. She was under a six-month program yet she stopped when she was on her 5th month since she discovered she was eight weeks pregnant. She was 123 lbs., 8lbs. from her goal weight.

“For the first three weeks (under the program), I had a hard time. I experienced headaches because I was not used to eating food at the right amount since me and my husband are fond of buffet meals,” shared Caballero who is now a busy mom.

Richele Hilario, 34, wants to lead a healthy life in order to have more quality time with the family. Back then, she was in and out of the hospital because of hypertension. Her blood pressure reached 160. She had breathing problems, as well. She was obese for 10 years, at 210 lbs.

“I want to extend my life. I want to be there for my family. I don’t want to give them problems when I get old,” she related. “I was overdosing on food. I feasted on sweets and junks. But when I enrolled in the program, I confined myself at home; got rid of the chocolates, sweets and junk food. Akong family nadamay. They also eat healthy food. I pays to have a very supportive family. Also, I cooked at home instead of going out or else I’ll be tempted to take anything that’s unhealthy,” she confessed.

After nine months, Hilario weighed 110lbs. 

Most of the time, for most of us, when we already achieve our goal in weight, we slack and stop the diet and exercise. As a result, we regain the lost weight. Worse, we gain more. “It’s back with a vengeance,” as Young put it. “The good thing about Cohen is it has a refeeding program. This is done after the specialized eating program to reintroduce richer food to stabilize your weight,” she pointed out.

“This ensures that the weight will not be regained once the individual resumes normal eating, provided that management guidelines are faithfully followed,” according to the press statement.

The Cohen Program is now accessible to Cebuanos with the recent opening of Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre Cebu branch at Suite 105, Oakridge Business Center A, Oakridge Business Park along A.S Fortuna, Mandaue City. Give them a call at 236 2334 or visit www.cohenlifestyle.com.ph . (FREEMAN)