Dr. Taryn Deane BScKIN, ND 
@DrTarynDeane

In the wellness and confidence world few questions appear as frequently as this one:

“How do I get into the best shape possible?”

We wouldn’t be living in a continent where obesity is an epidemic and eating disorders are the norm if this was such an easy question to answer. In this short article, I will do my best to narrow it down to a few key factors in achieving and maintaining your ideal shape.

• Get creative about exercise – rethink how you get around, get down and go to town. Transportation, social time, housekeeping, cooking, dog-walking, sex, dancing and cleaning are all opportunities to include some movement in your life. A little goes a long way, and yes there is such thing as too much.
• Simplify your diet – rediscover the pleasure of real nourishment and everything that comes with it…including family time, gratitude and rest. Stick to foods that come from a farm or garden, preferably nearby so you can feel good about supporting positive change. Know that the fat fairy thrives off of sugar and diet products.
• Take it easy on yourself – remember, we hang onto weight with a cocktail of hormones set off by the shame storm you create when you hate on yourself and your body. Fretting about it will only keep them swirling about. You have what you have, find reasons to be thankful for what’s currently there and focus on those.

Tackling this complex issue is always easier when you have a supportive and educated team on your side to cheerlead and pick you up when you inevitably fall off the wagon. Consider investing a little of your hard earned cash to hire:

• A nutritionist to help you on the food end of things,
• a personal trainer who can show you how to fit fitness into your life,
• a doctor to make sure your health is where is should be by testing for any physiological reasons for the change in shape like: blood sugar dysregulation, adrenal dysfunction, food sensitivities, detox issues and hormone imbalances.

Be surprised at how comforting it is to wholeheartedly believe you are enough as you are and your ideal shape is your current one. Any improvements are bonuses and another reason to feel blessed. Trust yourself, be patient and enjoy the process.

Dr. Taryn Deane ND hails from New Brunswick but now calls Vancouver home, where she moved 7 years ago to study Naturopathic Medicine. She currently practices downtown at Evoke Integrative Medicine, where she specializes in skin, sex and self-esteem by following a unique holistic approach to the underserved population suffering from these ailments.

Born into a family of teachers, it is no surprise that when she is not practicing, Dr. Deane is committed to improving the education of holistic healthcare practitioners. She’s thrilled to be teaching at both her alma mater – the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine – as Chair of Clinical Diagnosis, and at the Institute for Holistic Nutrition where she passionately teaches nutritionists about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. In her spare time, she loves playing sports, dancing and spending time wandering around the Kitsilano community with her rescue mutt, Monte.