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| Splash photo by Kelly Moore |
From left, owner Susan Ashley, manager Debbie Clayton and weight loss consultant Betty Peraza keep operations running smoothly at the new clinic.
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New weight loss clinic opens in Liberty Lake
11/17/2010 9:36:48 AM
By Kelly Moore
Splash Staff Writer
The area's newest weight loss clinic, Healthy Living Liberty Lake, opened Nov. 5 in the space formerly filled by Eclectic Gifts.
The clinic, 23801 E. Appleway Ave., specializes in the SlimXpress HCG diet, which restricts calorie intake to 1,000 daily while adding a number of supplements, including HCG - the pregnancy hormone.
Dr. Susan Ashley, who also owns the neighboring Family Medicine Liberty Lake, said she opened the new clinic to help patients with an issue she sees all the time.
"The number one health problem we deal with is obesity, and I looked for months for something that would help my patients," Ashley said. "If we can do something to get the weight off, we can help with diabetes, we can lower hypertension." Advertisement
Ashley said she chose the current program because she knew it would help patients drop weight fast and permanently. In fact, before the clinic opened, she tested the program out herself. In three weeks, she lost 13 pounds, and her sister lost 16.
The program strictly regulates diet, but the secret weapon is the HCG supplements. Ashley said the hormone signals the brain to burn extra fat and also acts as an appetite suppressant. She said the hormone is safe for men as well as women, and the amount of the hormone used is "way too low" for any kind of pregnancy symptoms to develop.
At Healthy Living Liberty Lake, the hormone can be taken through injections, tablets under the tongue or as a topical cream.
In a patient's first visit to the clinic, representatives spend about an hour and a half on program education as well as taking measurements.
"We talk a lot about when to start weighing and why it'll work," Ashley said.
In addition to the HCG supplements, the program focuses on a diet of high-protein and low-carbohydrate foods. To take the guesswork out for patients, Healthy Living Liberty Lake will be stocked with foods that align with the diet.
"We know people will fail if they think there's nothing they can eat," Ashley explained.
Even if people don't want to do the diet, they are welcome to shop for the specialty diet foods carried at the clinic. Ashley said she's stocked up with what she sees as the best high-protein, low-carbohydrate foods. These include rare finds like Miracle Noodles, a zero-calorie, zero-carbohydrate pasta.
Ashley reported that patients on the SlimXpress HCG diet average about 20 pounds of weight loss each month, and the diet is for everyone.
"It's just for somebody who wants to get the weight off. Whether it 5 or 500 pounds, this can work," Ashley said.
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