Photo: Melia West, who is currently is working at Odyssey Health Spa & Fitness in Centre. (Messenger file photo)
Melia West of Melia Total Body Health, The YMCA of the Coosa Valley, Snap Fitness in Glencoe and Odyssey Health Spa & Fitness in Centre, is certified in AFAA Personal Trainer, Nutrition, Holistic Nutrition, Naturopathy, Health and Wellness. She believes your health is truly your wealth.
West has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years and has been a student of holistic health for over 20 years.
“Our bodies heal themselves if we create the right conditions and stop doing the things that cause the sickness,” she said. “We should listen to our body. Symptoms are signs for us to take better care of ourselves. A healthy lifestyle will give you more energy throughout your day, boost your immune system, and help keep you from getting sick.
“You only have one body, and it is up to you and only you to take care of it. You will thank yourself 10 to 20 years from now as you reap the benefits of taking care of your body. You are what you eat, think, drink, breathe, say and do.”
West said that exercise is a great start to a healthy lifestyle and noted that there are three types of exercises for the body – cardio, strength training, and stretching.
“All three types are equally important,” she said. “People make the mistake of only doing one of the three. Exercise reduces stress hormone levels in the body. All forms of exercise produce endorphins that can improve your mood. It also is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Overall exercise promotes a better quality of life.”
West pointed out that one should eat to live, do not live to eat.
“Eat to live with living foods, which consist of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains,” she said. “They have not been refined, bleached, preserved or chemically enhanced. Living foods are not processed, packaged or stored on a shelf. When you eat living food, the enzymes interact with our digestive enzymes.
“God created the living food with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and phytonutrients. These foods were created for your digestive system, bloodstream and organs to function properly.”
West said that “dead foods” are the opposite of living foods.
“Dead foods have been altered in every way possible to make them last longer,” she said. “They hit your body like an intruder. Chemicals, additives, and preservatives put a strain on the liver. This can also set your body up for disease.”
West stressed the need to choose living food if one wishes to be a healthy and energetic person.
“We should strive daily to incorporate more living food in our diet,” she said. “This will make you feel more alive and vibrant. A healthy lifestyle should be a priority, because your life depends on it.”
West offers several wellness programs, including:
* Personal Training. An individualized workout session that caters to a person’s current fitness level.
* Health Coach Program. The total body health program will focus on achieving a healthy lifestyle. West will advise individuals based on their current health on how to improve diet, lose weight, improve immune system, supplements, detox, meal plan, shopping list and natural living. “This program is a total lifestyle plan for healthy living,” she said.
* One on One with Melia. This session includes a health topic of one’s choice, examples of which are detox, essential oils, super immunity food, nutrition and supplements.
For more information, contact Melia West at 256-328-3895 or on Facebook at Melia Total Body Health.