Finding Balance In 2021

BeBalanced, Leesburg Builds Community from Hormonal Harmony, Stress Management and Healthy Eating

Jan Benjamin, owner of BeBalanced in Leesburg, has been changing lives through the natural weight-loss program for more than a year now, to the point that her referrals are making referrals. But it was still a surprise when she received a note from Christine Yeates from across the Atlantic…

In March, Christine turned 60, and had a fun-filled year planned, starting with a cruise early in the year. “My friends who went on the cruise with me sent me photos of myself, I really could have cried.” The woman looking back at the camera was so overweight, “I didn’t think it was me,” Christine said. She decided immediately that she needed to do “something” and spoke to an American friend who had lost 15 pounds with BeBalanced and, “she said I should give it a go.”

“So I reached out and spoke to Jan and I decided, ‘you know what? I’m going to give it a try. From that point on my head has been in gear. It’s so easy to follow, it’s so simple to do and because we’re locked down [in the UK], I can’t go out for a meal. I used to go out to eat a lot, but I couldn’t do it on the program because I know what I can eat and I know what I can’t eat.”

Christine lost 78 pounds in 6 months!

Christine credits the program with having trained her way of thinking about what is healthy and what isn’t. Bottom line, she has lost 78 pounds in 6 months and says, “this is just the way I’m going to live my life from now on.”

As if her weight loss success wasn’t amazing enough, she reveals that she also has diabetes. “One of my aims for the program when I was talking to Jan was to at least halve my medication if not eliminate it completely.” That has already happened and in speaking with her doctor, “they’re intending to reduce it even further. We’re not convinced that I need it anymore – which is amazing!”

She relishes the support she receives from her Virginia BeBalanced community, but it’s nothing compared with the affirmation she’s received from loved ones. “My son is 32 and he can’t believe the change in me. He finds its incredible. He’s never seen me this thin.”

Mark Laing, a local Realtor, tells a similar tale of ridding himself of blood pressure medication. In his characteristic staccato he says, “Changed my life. Forty pounds gone. No more high blood pressure.” He adds, “I have a lot more energy,” which he says surprised him because “I’m not a workout person. I need to be but I’m not there.” For him, the impetus to change was just that he was “pushing 57 and it was time to change my body.” His stylish new jeans are a size 32, down from a size 38.

Finally, from the small group Jan assembled in her Leesburg office on an early Tuesday morning, Denise Napoli said, “The hormonal part of this diet was what attracted me because I knew my hormones were out of whack.” Hormonal imbalances can certainly interfere with weight loss, as well as all the symptoms associated with menopause in women. The BeBalanced program works to bring the body’s hormones in balance naturally by eating foods that reduce the body’s need for cortisol. “Getting my hormones in balance was the most important part of it for me because I saw everything else fall into place,” Denise asserts.

Clients Denise (left) and Mark (right) with BeBalanced Leesburg owner, Jan Benjamin (center).

Stress was certainly a byproduct 2020. Jan’s own life underwent substantial changes that could have otherwise thrown her for a loop. She doesn’t say that having a balanced life means being able to do it all with a smile on your face. But she does affirm that stress, frustration, frenetic yet unfocused energy and activity, all leads to the buildup of a stress hormone called cortisol, with the double whammy of weakening your immune system.

Balance is something that exists inside of you…

To people who ask her, “is finding balance even possible?” she says, “Yes, yes it is, but you don’t really ‘find’ balance or even ‘create’ it. It’s something that exists inside of you if you take the time to help your body heal and produce the kinds of hormones that allow you to maintain an inner sense of calm in the midst of chaos.”

Eating nutritious foods, hydrating – a LOT of hydrating – and finding time to exercise on a routine basis helps create physical balance. Sufficient sleep also is essential to feeling revitalized and refreshed. Making time for friends and family creates balance in our personal lives.

Denise now swears by the personal relaxation and meditation time that she has carved out for herself around 4 p.m. every day as part of the program. “My husband knows not to bother me no matter what is going on. It’s that critical to my daily well being.”

All of Jan’s clients have lost weight on the program, though few can claim the kind of success that Christine has had. If one thing characterizes those who find long-lasting success, it is the determination that they won’t face aging carrying excess weight. They were tired, they say, of feeling powerless to do anything about it. As we observed in an earlier story, a giant “a ha!” revelation grips Jan’s clients when they discover, “it’s not me – it’s my hormones!”

Feeling overwhelmed, in other words, is exactly the right place to start.

BeBalanced is creating a community of women – and men! – who are balancing their lives and taking control of their health and wellbeing. Through guided support, nutrition, stress management, and natural supplements, Jan says, “We help you balance your hormones naturally so you CAN take control and create healthy habits that displace your bad ones.”