I used to be obese, not just overweight (of course, if I’m going to do something it will be all the way.) I, like many Canadians, have issues with my weight: Weight gain, weight loss, weight maintenance. Fortunately for yours truly, the bulk (and what a bulk it was) of my weight gain was in my teenage years. As I approached the nerving trip to university I decided it was time to get a handle on my love handles. I dropped the pounds and left home half the person I was, with twice the personality.
Sadly, while I can laugh at my past and look back with a sigh of triumph, for many it is difficult to relate to this story. Weight can be one of the most difficult struggles anyone has to grapple with; just look at its prevalence among adults and a rapidly growing number of children.
The weight loss industry is one of the largest and most convoluted around. Daily, perceptions of “ideal image” are entrenched in the collective psyche, leading many, especially women, to look for ways to drop the weight fast and achieve that “perfect” self. Pharmaceutical companies have banked on this trend and have made billions of dollars selling hope in pill form, such as quick-fix caplets and eat-whatever-the-hell-you-want-and-still-drop-the-weight liquigels.
It is rare to come across a help-you-lose-weight supplement that actually advocates proper nutrition and exercise as part and parcel of the product. Integrity Health, a company with natural supplements such as Internal Flush and Beat the Bloat, does just that. Founder and President Gina Broccolo asserts that “supplements are really meant to help you to achieve wellness. You don’t want to weaken the body when you’re trying to lose weight. I try to get out there and explain the backbone of weight loss is what you’re eating and your activity level; supplements play a key role.”
Broccolo has a leg up on the mega-conglomerate pharmaceutical and supplement corporations because she started her business after conquering her own fight for wellness. Being 5’8” and 125 lbs. for several years, she went through a period of weight gain, not unlike many women. “My lifestyle changed dramatically. I was making the wrong choices in food and not exercising.”
Every week, Broccolo started a new diet. They didn’t last long, and inevitably her attempts would fail. “I spent the better part of two years trying everything. I’d buy the hope and dream that ‘this is going to work.’ By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was looking for that magic potion.” Finally, Broccolo read about a cleansing program in Florida. With her earlier attempts proving fruitless, she signed up for the 30-day cleansing spa which she describes as “life changing.”
“I learned the body is weighed down by toxic waste, and that buildup of toxins is an underlying factor in weight-loss difficulties. I realized a healthful diet is the backbone of any nutritional program. Cleansing also plays a huge role.”
Broccolo was on cleansing herbs during her stay at the spa, and these, coupled with the necessary lifestyle changes – diet and exercise – are what started her down the path to health and wellness. After returning home and continuing the program, she left her career in the travel industry and began selling single herb ingredients in a salon. The catalyst for Broccolo’s career switch was becoming a mentor for other women, helping them get on the right track.
She made the decision to start her own business, and surrounded herself with doctors and scientists to formulate a product that would aid a nutritional program and exercise. Her breakthrough formula was born, and the product became the centre of her program, with nutrition and lifestyle being necessary components.
“Companies come around and say you can take this pill and eat all you want and lose weight, and people who are desperate will take them,” explains Broccolo. “There’re crusaders like myself who try to get the word out there. If I could yell anything from the rooftop it’s you have to have a nutritional program and exercise.”
Nutritional supplements became one of the fastest growing product categories, and Internal Flush was rated number one in an AC Neilson report, due in large part to the product’s quality. “My company will always exceed standards. We use the best extracts and will always search for the best. If I wouldn’t give something to my family, I wouldn’t give it to my customers.”
Women are tired of being misled, they are looking for honesty. Broccolo’s steadfast determination to mentoring women on attaining wellness is commendable. Her company conducts focus groups to help further understand women and their own perceptions of their image. Broccolo helps them to forget about the size of clothing and instead focus on body fat in relation to organs and waist measurement – actual indicators of levels of health.
Integrity Health will continue to support women and help them achieve their realistic weight goals. For Broccolo, being able to mentor women inspires her to push on. “I got into the industry for the rest of my life. This is my life’s purpose.”
For more information on Gina Broccolo and Integrity Health, visit Gina's new site.
Adam Mazerall is Women's Post's Editor-in-Chief.
