Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy life
NOW THAT the Christmas season of excess is well and truly over, people turning their thoughts to health, fitness and weight loss need look no further than Paula Duffin at the Wexford Health and Wellness Centre in Piercestown.
Paula, whose background is in psychiatric nursing, became interested in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture and set up her own clinic, AcuMed, in Piercestown 11 years ago. Last year, Paula took over the local branch of the Motivation Weight Management franchise, the aim being to offer both services through her new Wexford Health and Wellness Centre.
Paula’s interest in alternative medicine was influenced by her experiences as a psychiatric nurse saying that she became disheartened by the ‘revolving door’ of treatment whereby patients came in with issues, went out with medication that didn’t suit them or that they didn’t want to take, and came back in again, never getting to the root of their health concerns’
‘I thought there had to be something better and more natural to help people than the medication being given to them. I started researching and then studied acupuncture for three years at the Irish College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.’
Paula subsequently studied Chinese Herbal Medicine for another three years and spent several more years studying practices including Tui Na massage, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Abdominal Acupuncture and Tung Acupuncture which is fantastic for giving rapid relief of pain.
She also spent a month in China working alongside masters of Chinese medicine.
ACUMED
Paula explained that acupuncture was a practice that was growing in popularity, saying it had a proven track record for alleviating numerous ailments including: chronic and acute pain; recurring sinus problems, stress, anxiety; and digestive issues. It is also a well-known treatment in the area of fertility with studies showing that acupuncture increases the success rate of those undergoing IVF treatment.
She added that doctors were referring people for acupuncture treatment, saying it was great to see western doctors becoming more open to alternative medicine, and it becoming more widespread.
Paula is also trained in the area of cupping therapy which has received a lot of attention recently with sport stars like Michael Phelps opting for the treatment. Paula explained that it’s very effective for treating pain and respiratory issues.
Lynne Murphy works alongside Paula at the centre. She specialises in massage and reiki therapy with over ten years experience in the field. Lynne worked at the award-winning Monart destination spa for several years.
Paula says she is delighted to now offer these additional therapies at the centre.
MOTIVATION WEIGHT CLINIC
Having taken over the local branch in August 2017, Paula says that the clinic is different to other places in that it focuses not just on the dietary side of things but on a complete lifestyle change, aiming to address the habits and underlying issues that people have with food. It’s incredible but 70% of us eat not because we are hungry but because of some emotional link.
‘Our tagline is: It’s not just what you eat, it’s why. We find that if you don’t address the habits, behaviours and attitudes behind unhealthy eating habits, you’ ll fall back into them and regain weight. The difference with our programme is that clients also maintain their weight loss. Clinical studies show an amazing 82% weight maintenance after four years, compared with 5% maximum after one year on conventional diets. It’s about being aware of what your triggers are and learning the techniques to address them; we provide you with the tools to do that.’
Under Motivation plans, clients will eat five to six times a day and will never feel hungry or deprived as the food choices are tasty, nutritional and balanced. On average, clients will lose one stone in four to six weeks. They will have more energy and lower cholesterol. The clinic offers several different programmes depending on the amount of weight the person wishes to lose and in what time frame. Perhaps most appealingly, the programmes are delivered on a one-to-one basis, something which is a big draw for men who, Paula says, often feel put off by group programmes. The first consultation takes 45 minutes; the second one lasts half an hour; and weekly meetings thereafter take 15 minutes. Clients can also undertake an initial assessment, which costs just €25 to establish which plan best suits their needs. Most plans last between ten and 20 weeks. There are a range of payment plans to suit all budgets.
Motivation is a guilt-free zone, Paula says, pointing out that it’s about bouncing back after lapses rather than letting them beat you.
Both Paula and Lynne are Motivation Weight Management consultants, fully trained in Dr. Maurice Larocque’s weight management system.
For more information, contact Paula, by phone, on 053 91 26505; by email on: wexford@motivation.ie or log on to www.facebook.com/pauladuffin/ website: www.motivation.ie / www.acumed.ie