Walk With A Doc in Davidson begins Saturday

By Melissa Atherton

"Health may not be everything, but without health, everything is nothing."
- Dr. Hans Diehl, Complete Health Improvement Programs (CHIP) Founder

Walk With A Doc (WWAD) Davidson begins Saturday, March 10th, from 9-10 am, beginning at the Davidson Town Green. WWAD will feature a five-to-ten minute health-issue talk by a physician followed by a 30-45 minute walk. The talk, walk, water, coffee, healthy snacks and blood pressure checks are complimentary for all participants. WWAD will meet every other Saturday and is partnering with Davidson Parks and Recreation. The program is sponsored by Live Healthy Carolinas, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, whose mission is to “provide motivating education that inspires healthy lifestyles, promoting physical, nutritional and emotional well-being that leads to the alleviation of chronic disease” (livehealthycarolinas.org).

Davidson resident, Patrick Coleman, DMD, is an owner and Co-Founder of Live Healthy Carolinas. Additional board members include a marketing professional, consultant, nutritionist and two physicians. Live Healthy Carolinas is also partnering with Davidson Parks and Recreation for their Diabetes Undone program which is scheduled for eight consecutive Thursday nights in April and May. Meetings will be held in the Davidson Town Hall Board Room from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Coleman shared his inspiring personal health story in an interview:

"Live Healthy Carolinas started from a personal passion to better health. My father had his first heart attack at age 35, bypass surgery at 43, dead at 50. After running the Chicago Marathon for my 50th birthday, in honor of my father, I went through many years of my weight yo-yoing up and down. Approximately nine years ago, on blood pressure and cholesterol medications, and faced with going on diabetes medication, I decided to make a change. I began reading, researching and educating myself through seminars and conferences and getting certified in Plant-Based Nutrition. I knew there had to be another answer to health than drugs, which only mask symptoms, but don't address the underlying cause of disease. I have now gone from 245 pounds down to 190, and I am on my way to 180; I’m now free of chronic disease and off all medications. I am continuing to educate myself further all the time.

Out of this passion developed the idea of creating a non-profit to educate others, children and adults, on better dietary and lifestyle habits to promote long-term health. Along with much help from several other dedicated individuals (Denise Andersen, Denise Streppa, Leigh Beth Lairamore, Live Healthy Appalachia in Athens, Ohio, and others), Live Healthy Carolinas was created. My wife, Connie Coleman, has done the yeoman’s work with all the IT aspects. She is our Chief Chef; none of this would have been possible without her help.

It has taken over a year-and-a-half to finally get things up and running, but everything is now coming together. We start this Saturday, March 10th, with Walk With A Doc partnering with Davidson Parks and Recreation. March 12th is our first Complete Health Improvement Programs meeting. April-May our Diabetes Undone program will meet at Davidson Town Hall (again in partnership with Davidson Parks and Recreation).

In August, our Live Healthy Kids Program will commence in all five second-grade classrooms at Lake Norman Charter School. Getting our health message to children at an early age is the key to combating the national epidemics in childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes.

Our new website is now up and running, livehealthycarolinas.org, and gives more information on all these programs. People can also sign-up to volunteer as well as make tax deductible donations in support of our causes directly on the website. We are always looking for volunteers with a passion for health to help us with these programs. We are engaging Davidson College for student volunteers to fulfill their community involvement requirement and working with the Ada Jenkins Center on some exciting new initiatives. Some of our programs require a fee to cover costs and to also fund our school and non-profit functions. We are looking to be an active force in promoting healthy dietary and lifestyle habits in the Lake Norman area and eventually beyond. Feedback on how we are doing and questions are always welcome."

Put on your walking shoes and grab a friend! We hope to see you this Saturday at the exciting inaugural Walk With A Doc Davidson event!