Nature cures for pain and fatigue

As Jennifer Noyes watched her two young boys climb the jungle gym at the park while she sat on a bench nearby, all she could think was, I wish I could play with them, but I can barely walk.

“I was so embarrassed, most days I didn’t even want to leave the house,” Jennifer reveals. She knew that with the weight holding her back, her health would eventually get worse. “I already had asthma and knee pain. I needed to make changes fast.”

Jennifer started by revamping her diet, replacing processed junk foods with more fruit and vegetables. And since she had always loved the water, she signed up for an aerobics and aquatics class at her gym two days a week. Says Jennifer, “I loved being in the pool

because it relieved the impact and pain in my knees.”

Jennifer didn’t have to wait long to see her efforts pay off. She lost 11 pounds the first week. “When I got stronger, I started to add in laps on my own,” she says. She also used a Fitbit and the MyFitnessPal app to stay on track. As weight continued to melt off at a steady clip, Jennifer’s knee pain and asthma vanished.

Flash-forward 12 months: Jennifer lost 190 pounds total and an amazing 27 inches from her waist. But the best change has been having the energy to take long walks or go bowling with her kids. “My confidence soared,” Jennifer cheers. “I feel like I can do anything now!”