My journey to wellness actually began six months before my wellness vacation. My husband and I went on the “Rice Diet†which began at Duke University in Durham, NC and we both lost 20 pounds in less than a month.
The diet was discovered in 1939 by a German-born Duke University physician, Dr. Walter Kempner, who was treating a woman for high blood pressure, renal disease and a gamut of other medical problems. The physician learned that his diet not only caused her medical condition to improve, but she also lost weight!
We followed the diet from an out-of-print book that was written by one of Dr. Kempner's patients in 1986 and decided to travel to Durham to visit weight reduction programs in search of a successful approach to diet and wellness in the 21st century.
During our visit to Durham, we learned that health care is Durham's primary industry with 300 companies related to diet and medicine. Thousands of people travel to Durham each year from around the world to participate in a diet program.
In fact, our hotel, The Millennium, offered a free shuttle service and made stops at the various diet and medical facilities.
We visited three diet facilities in Durham, all equipped with important health, diet and wellness information. We started our path to wellness at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center where the “Rice Diet†originated.
The Duke facility is designed to provide an intensive educational experience which emphasizes key components of successful lifestyle change through nutrition, fitness, behavioral health, medical management and lifestyle coaching. They still use many of the principles of the rice diet program but have expanded their menus to appeal to a larger group of overeaters.
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