One of the most exciting things happening now in the heath care and wellness field is the concept of Wellness or Medical Nutritional Centers within Medical and Health Care Practices. Wellness Center owners can generate substantial additional income from the body composition analysis ELG III and product sales. Patients are weighed and measured, given a body composition analysis and questionaire. Based on the results, the patient receives a recommendation for a nutritional program designed to address their health needs. The concept is simple and proven; increase nutrition, decrease calories, great taste, simple to prepare, hunger is sated for 3 to 4 hours.



Nutrition Clubs and Healthy Weight Loss Solutions
                                    
    These can also be implemented as stand alone commercial centers called *Nutrition Clubs*. Nutrition club owners generate income from individual shake and beverage sales, as well as closed product sales. The concept is based on proven nutritional science and recent studies at *Johns Hopkins, Harvard and UCLA Medical* schools. The foundation is the concept of high quality and delicious meal replacement shakes, combined with targeted products, healthy meal and snack choices, as well as exercise. Not to be confused with Grocery store offerings or Mega Protein muscle shakes found in gyms and malls, these meal replacements can be used to reduce fat, increase lean mass and improve metabolic abnormalities commonly associated with overweight and obese persons by providing complete nutrition and a targeted amount of protein based on the individuals body composition, in a low calorie great tasting meal shake.

    All of the above mentioned studies showed two to three times greater weight loss, faster yet healthy weight loss, greater long term compliance and satiety, and less expense to the dieter than traditional diets. A white paper reviewing these studies is available by request.

    One particular study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from studies at University Hospital in Ulm, Germany showed even better results with a group of 100 obese patients. Half of the group followed a self selected diet of 1200 to 1500 calories per day, which included 3 meals and two snacks. the other half followed a similar self selected diet, but replaced two of their three meals with meal replacement shakes.

After three months, the people on the self selected diet lost an average of 2.9 pounds, while the people on the meal replacement program lost an average of 15.6 pounds!

    In a health care practitioners' office, a patient has the benefit of more precise monitoring, and the confidence associated with with being treated by their professional health care provider, who may also be able to recommend or provide other services, blood work, or even prescriptions in the short term if needed. However, the goal is to address the patients issues first and foremost with proper and balanced nutrition. The concept is simple and elegant; if the body receives what it needs from a standpoint of nutrition, hydration and exercise, the body will most often care for itself.

    In the Nutrition Club model, the concept is a commercial or public offering and is essentially a cross between a Weight Watchers, a Smoothie King, and Starbucks Cafe. Think of it as a Wellness Center with the friendly ambience of your favorite cafe disguised as a smoothie shop. Clients drop in, receive an initial wellness evaluation, and follow ups for weight, body comp and measurements. The key is great tasting smoothies and convenience with proven results. Clubs feature 40 flavors of incredible shakes that are true meal replacements. People cannot believe that they will actually lose weight and improve health with these because they taste as good as the sugar and calorie laden smoothies found in malls. Yet a typical client will find that in only two to three days, they have more energy and their pants fit differently. Three great tasting beverages quickly improve the common complaints of weight, energy and digestive issues, and targeted products combined with smart food choices offer major support for many other of the common health concerns that confront us these days.

    Banner Therapy offers implementation and support for both concepts; professionals wanting to implement a Wellness or Medical Nutritional Center and the aspiring business owner interested in helping people with their health. In both models, the end result is a healthier community. For the Wellness Professional, that means additional healthy profits as well. For the entrepreneur that had considered opening a healthy cafe or restuarant or even buying a Smoothie King or LA Weight Loss Franchise, you may seriously want to consider the Nutrition Club Concept. The entry price is far more attractive, the model is well-proven, duplicatable, and profitability is typically reached in months, not years.