I am a journalist based here in Brisbane and work for one of Australia’s leading women’s magazines. The pressure of both work and the terrible loss of our little nephew Sammy this past year saw me completely run down. I woke up one morning, and felt as though my entire body had broken down.

I have always been a very fit person, and my diet is regarded very healthy. I had nowhere to turn to, and was referred by a friend to Step into Health in Carindale. I had been living abroad for many years and had no real support network here in Brisbane.

That day when I walked into Step into Health, everything changed. Meeting Maxine and Laurie has changed my life – with their expertise, kindness, guidance, and at times, stern words, they handed me a challenge which we all knew was going to be tough – but I said bring it on, and I have not looked back. My weight had soared to 66 kg from 58 kg – all due to fluid retention. My body had simply shut down. I combated a serious bacterial infection, a liver detox, and a complete overhaul – I had a goal in sight and I achieved it.

This would not have been a happy ending if not for Maxine and Laurie – they were as committed as I was, taking my calls and answering my emails at all hours, talking me through some very low moments. Today I am back to where I should be – a healthy and vital woman in her late 40′s. Call it miraculous, but the transformation both physically and emotionally would never have been so dramatic had it not been for Step into Health.

The most redeeming part of this success story is the fact that I will be continuing to see them for consultation, ensuring I am on top of things, and not let anything topple me again. Through hard work, and sheer determination, the change and transformation in me in just under eight weeks is remarkable.

Thank you Maxine and Laurie for giving me my life back.

My name is Megan and I’m thirteen and a half years old.

When I first came to Maxine, I was really over my body. I hated the way I looked and the way I felt all the time.

This was me before I started losing weight

I was always tired and crabby and I felt generally unhealthy. I was always telling myself how fat and ugly I looked. I tried a million different things to change my eating and exercise habits. I tried going it alone, dieting with my mum (who is now also with Maxine),  Mum and I did Weight Watchers together, we even got a gym membership that I used, like, twice. I always found it really hard to keep motivated. And of course, I could never find a weight loss program to sign up for that didn’t require me to be over sixteen. And that would make me feel bad about myself, so I would go home and eat. Chocolate, mostly. And then I would feel bad that I ate chocolate, so I would eat chocolate to make me feel better. Do you see a vicious circle forming?

The worst part about feeling fat and ugly was clothes shopping. At my heaviest/biggest, I was twelve years old, 156 centimeters tall and I weighed 82 kilograms and had to buy size 16 to 18 clothes. So while my friends were borrowing clothes from each other, I could barely fit into clothes that their mums wore!!! So I would go into the WOMEN’S section of Target or Kmart or Big W, and I would try and find something that fit me and that I liked. Yeah, good luck with that. And I would look wistfully at Cotton On and City Beach and think, “Man, if I went in there, those skinny, perfect looking girls would just whisper to their friends, ‘Guuuuuuuuuurrrll, you are WAY too fat to be in here. Stop being a try hard.’ ” So I would be as difficult as possible for my poor mum so that she didn’t take me clothes shopping too often.

So feeling fat really restricted my life. I even hated going swimming in public. I tried to put on this  ’I don’t really care about how I look or what you think of me, I’ll eat whatever I want’ facade, when really I cared deeply about how people perceived me. I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was when a charming young boy in the year below me at school thought it would be a fabulous idea to call me ‘heifer’, (a female cow, not the thinnest of animals, if you get my drift) ‘tank’ and the highly original, ‘fatty’. That was when I decided that I wasn’t going to let my weight control my life anymore. I was tired of feeling awful and creating the illusion that everyone was staring at me. I was going to change.

Enter Maxine and Laurie…

Me, skinny again!

My mum was the one who wanted me to do the whole naturopath thing. By this time I was absolutely desperate. I just wanted to feel good about myself. She asked me whether I was going to see this through and in my head I was like, “DAMN STRAIGHT!!” but she would have looked at me funny so I just said, “You betcha!”

So I filled out the questionnaire with my answers to the what I thought slightly intrusive questions and went into Maxine. Yeah, I was a little wary thinking it would be all the Chinese symbols and Indian chant music and the smell of incense thick in the air and herbs everywhere and I thought, “Oh no, this Maxine is going to come out looking like a stick insect wearing a flowy white cheesecloth shirt with a daisy chain round her neck and flowy blue hippie pants with bells on the bottom, and she’ll say I have to go vegan and live on leaves and berries.” WRONG!!!!! Maxy comes out, with funky clothes and big cool chunky necklace and heels! Not at all fat, but not freakishly thin. Normal and approachable but utterly fabulous!! She whisks me into her little room and has a look over my questionnaire and tells me some stuff about listening to my body, and completely unjudgemental!! Yay!! I remember quite clearly when we came to the last page of the quiz she said to me, “Attractiveness? You put a four? You know that’s the worst one? You don’t think your attractive at all?” I shrugged sheepishly. “You are an attractive, vibrant young woman and attractiveness has absolutely nothing to do with your weight.” The foundations of my brand new positive mind set were in place!!

So Maxy told me the proper foods to eat and gave me the herbs that I forgot to take for ages but I eventually took them regularly. Everything was tailored to my exact needs and lifestyle. But good old Maxine was definitely not afraid to pull me up if I needed a bit of a reality check. And so I FINALLY began losing weight!!! I reached my first weight goal, 78 kilos, then 75 kilos and I started having to buy new clothes. Well. Wasn’t that a very…special experience. I felt totally defeated!! Nearly in tears, I said to Mum, “I’m so fat, I still have to shop in the same shops, I’ve worked so hard for nothing!!” So Mum, being Mum, consoled me and told me that, realistically, I may have to do that, but let’s go look in Sussan.  It was there that I found my favorite black tights that I practically live in and
my favorite gorgeous flowery shirt. I tried them on and looked in the mirror. And proceeded to burst into tears. Yep. Crying in the middle of the changing rooms. A poor woman that was trying something on and she didn’t know what was going on!!! But I felt so good to feel good in something!!

So with new resolve I pressed on with my weight loss. I went through all the stages of dieting:

not eating because I couldn’t find anything good to eat and I was so over having to think about it and make choices all the time, recklessness, exercising to within an inch of my life, making my diet so strict and restricted I literally only ate meat, fruit, vegetables and nuts, and of course the inevitable ‘I’m so fat moments’, through all of which my wonderful, amazing friends, family, parents and of course Maxine and Laurie supported me.

Skinny Minny at Mt Coot-tha!

I still have a bit of a way to go in my weight loss journey, but I am almost at my goal weight, size and shape. I am now 69.25 kilograms and I am a size 12, with one size 10 dress in my box of tricks!! This brings my total weight loss to 12.75 kilograms, and taking with it four dress sizes. But in this I have gained invaluable self-confidence and knowledge about health and nutrition which will help me in a million ways in the future. I feel so much better about myself. I have learned not to put myself down so much and that
I have been created exactly as I am and to celebrate it!! I also learned that I can’t just spit my dummy in the dirt because I ate a chocolate or some loser laughed at me about my weight. We are strong!!!! But I could not have done any of this without the amazing support of my wonderful friends, my gorgeous family and the absolutely fabulous Maxine and Laurie!!! I owe them my health and my self-image!!   Thank you!!

Megan

After the birth of my second child things began to drastically change with my body and eating habits.  I stayed very healthy throughout my pregnancy and was fortunate enough to have had cravings for healthy salads of any kind. By the time my daughter was 7 months old I had actually put on weight and craved sweet foods and carbs.  I become depressed and suffered extreme fatigue.  After seeking medical help and being diagnosed with Hashimotos disease, I turned to Step into Health  for help to lose weight and to get healthy again.

Maxine with her compassion and wisdom put me on a weight loss plan and support for my health concerns.  After having followed the program, taking the recommended supplements and shakes I noticed not only a massive difference in my weight but also my overall health.  I felt brighter, lighter and my energy levels increased dramatically!  I dropped back down to the weight I was before my pregnancy and felt better than ever!

The wellness plan was simple and easy to follow and fitted into my lifestyle.  I would have no hesitations in recommending Step into health Wellness Centre for a permanent and lasting change to your  health and life.  The support was incredible and the service superb!  Not only did I lose weight and gain my health and life back, but learnt so much about what to eat and how to support my health issues with the right supplements . I was also pleasantly surprised when my weight loss efforts won me first prize in Pharma Food national weight loss competition and I received a travel voucher to any destination I desired!  I pampered myself at a health spa retreat in the mountains to top of my amazing wellness journey!

If you want to change your health and life for the better, go to the business with ‘heart and soul’. Thank you Maxine and Laurie so much!

Jullyana Landels

Laurie

I am sharing my story in the hope I can encourage and inspire other people and their families in their journey of recovery and that there truly is life after “STROKE”.

PLEASE PASS ON MY STORY TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING WHAT I WENT THROUGH. HOPE IS WHAT WE ALL NEED.

On December 8^th 2004 at approximately 10am I became one of the 60,000 Australians a year who suffer a stroke, causing me to become part of the largest group of disabled people in Australia. No warning signs, no blood pressure or cholesterol problems, extremely fit, non smoker and occasional social drinker. In fact I had just had a full cardio check up including a hospital stress test a few weeks before my stoke – all results were perfect.

The event at 10 am on December 8th was the first of some 10-12 strokes that I had throughout the day. By the morning of 9^th of December my life as I knew it was to change forever. Not just for me, but for my wife, our family and friends.

The strokes occurred in my right hemisphere resulting in a total paralysis of my left side. I could not stand up let alone walk. My left arm and hand was completely paralysed I could not chew or swallow solid food, I could barely talk, my hearing, eyesight, concentration  and memory were effected as were my emotions and the shape of my face.

So began three months in hospital and three years of hospital rehab, working with occupational therapists on a weekly basis learning to walk again, talk, eat and come to terms with this life changing event..

My wife Maxine is an exceptional naturopath and so right from day one she started working on a recovery program for me that I could use in conjunction with hospital protocols. She brought several pieces of our clinic’s therapy equipment to the hospital for me to start using immediately.

One was our computer controlled QRS electromagnetic treatment mattress which I used for up to four hours a day. The other was an electronic muscle stimulator( EMS) which I used for at least two hours a day on my left foot, left leg as well as my left hand and arm. Maxine had also worked out a nutritional program consisting of high strength pure fish oil, Co Enzyme Q10, vitamin B12 shots, phosphatidylserine, Vitamin C, high dose Magnesium and Vitamin D which were all taken with the blessing of my Doctors, Specialists and therapists.

Together Maxine and I set some urgent recovery goals:

1. To talk
2. To walk
3. To get my driver’s license reinstated.

So began hours of speech and mobility therapy.

The staff at the P.A. hospital in Brisbane was exceptional, allowing me to do whatever I could to get myself to a discharge situation. Three months later I came home to ramps for my wheelchair, support rails and a walk belt. We continued my rehab at home by getting me on to the front desk at our natural therapy clinic and wellness centre as the receptionist instead of Laurie the sports therapist.

Our clients were terrific, making allowances for my new shortcomings. As my mobility and speech continued to improve I began to focus on getting my driver’s license, a goal aimed at giving me greater independence. The hospital arranged for a driving assessment test and in the mean time I had to hand in all of my hard earned and highly valued car, motor cycle, semitrailer, bus and ridged truck licenses. The day of my test arrived using a car fitted with a spinner on the steering wheel. We set off from the P.A. hospital car park with the tester, occupational therapist and me.

Long story short I passed and was granted a license for an automatic car, this was a huge mile stone for my confidence and rehabilitation. This all took place at the end of April 2005.Five months after my stroke.

By this time my walking and balance had improved to the point where I did not need the wheelchair or walk belt. I was now able to attend hospital therapy without relying on ambulance pick up. I was fully discharged from hospital therapy in January 2008 just over three years since the day of my stoke.

Strokes do not discriminate; they can strike at any time to any age group. Obviously the fitter and healthier you are the more chance you have of some sort of recovery. Sadly a number of the people in the stroke ward at the time I was there either passed away or were not successful in their pursuit of recovery.

At the time of writing this (December  2011) it has been seven years since the strokes. Currently I am able to assist Maxine in our wellness centre on a daily basis.

I need to add a P.S. here. It is now February 2012 and I have had some amazing improvements. During December 2011 another Naturopath told us about a company that was marketing a supplement that enhanced the production and effectiveness of ADULT STEM CELLS.  I started taking just one of their products (they have two) and within a week I went to show Maxine how I could move the fingers on my left hand, which is something I had not been able to do in seven years. I have continued taking them and the next thing I could lift my left arm a little. Tonight while out driving I actually moved the automatic gear level with my left hand. I am almost too afraid to be excited about this new experience in case it should disappear.

So it reinforces my belief system and my challenge to you – TO NEVER GIVE UP

In my opinion Recovery after a Stroke is dependent on several factors:

1. 1.    The type and severity of the stroke-

Stokes generally result from a clot or a bleed and can produce a mild effect to major damage.

1. The fitness of the person at the time of stroke-

It would seem that a fit non smoking non drinking person has a better chance of not only survival,     but better recovery than a person who is overweight and has neglected themselves.

1. Their attitude to recovery-

We saw many stroke patients during my time at the hospital who really accepted their condition as being the end of the line and the fight to overcome was never there. This is where good positive support from family and friend helps immensely. Having interests or a business you are passionate about also helps in recovery.

1. Their support network-

I was very fortunate to be in a dedicated stroke ward with the associated staff, as well as having my wife Maxine and her vast experience in natural medicine pertaining to stoke recovery as my live in carer.

1. Regaining independence-

It is essential to get back to living as normally as possible as quickly as you can. You may be clumsy and feel very awkward, but see each challenge as a step in your rehabilitation. Do as much as you can without the help of others, this feeds your independence and confidence. However never be too proud to ask for help if it is really necessary.

1. Work on your rehabilitation daily-

Set an exercise program aimed at regaining strength and balance. Set distance goals for your walking.  Visit a naturopath that specialises in Stroke Rehabilitation and have them set up an eating and nutritional program for you to follow. Always keep your Doctor informed about what you are doing with regards diet, exercise and supplements. Most GP will be pleased to see you working on helping yourself.

HOME REHABILITATION

The great thing about home rehab is that you are not tied to nurse or occupational therapist time tables. You can set up your own schedules that fit in with your family, helpers and your energy levels at the time.

Very low energy, poor muscle strength and lack of balance were my initial concerns. So to start off my home rehab we removed the wheelchair, but kept the walk belt so that Maxine could help me move to the table for meals and to the toilet and shower. This forced me to become more mobile.

We also purchased a Vitality 600 revibe platform to help me with regaining balance and strengthen my muscles. The revibe platform gave them a good daily workout. The treatments with our QRS and EMS equipment that we used from early days in the hospital, continued every day.

As my strength and balance started to improve I began treadmill sessions. Initially for just 5 minutes at about 1.5 kilometres per hour, building to 3.5 kph for 10 minutes after about 6 weeks. Gradually I was becoming more able to function on a daily basis. Sure there were some ups and downs and quite a few falls, on one occasion resulting in a trip to hospital, but all in all we were making fabulous progress.

Funnily enough the simple things become the most frustrating – things like cutting fruit or trying to fill an envelope one handed. As time goes on you do adapt by using special kitchen and office aids to help with daily tasks once taken for granted.

There is no doubt that the nutritional program I am still using today along with daily exercise and a strong will to recover, are the main factors assisting with my ongoing recovery.

I very soon became aware of the major adjustments a family must make to accommodate the disabilities of a person who has suffered a major stroke. Maxine has been my absolute rock, being there for me always, putting up with my frustrations and making sure my life is as normal as possible.

Because of the different complexities of stroke not everyone will respond the same way. Each person should seek out their own path to recovery. Please feel free to contact us at STEP INTO HEALTH WELLNESS CENTRE  email stepintohealth@optusnet.com.au or phone 3398 1977 and ask us any question you may have. If we can help anyone toward their goal of stroke recovery or even just lighten their load we would be delighted to do so.

(c) Laurie Wright, Step Into Health Wellness Centre, www.stepintohealth.com.au           www.facebook.com/stepintohealthwellnesscentre 07 3398 1977

Since meeting Maxine at Step into Health 4 years ago, my life has dramatically improved. Initially I went to see her with a whole list of issues regarding my health; low energy levels, mood swings, and some needed advice on losing the last 5 kilos I just couldn’t shift with improved muscle gain. Instantly I was impressed by the level of service she provided. Maxine was extremely thorough and took the time to really understand me, my life style and my current health state. From this she prescribed appropriate herbs and supplements specific to my needs. More importantly she taught me new habits and a lifestyle to see me succeed in maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

I have referred many friends and family members to her and none have been disappointed. Also as I work as a personal trainer many of my clients have also benefited from her great knowledge of inner well being and weight management through nutrition.

Thank you Maxine for not only helping me succeed in creating a healthier self but also others around me who’s wellbeing is important to me.

Lianne Shadwell

FLAUNT IT. tv

Shane Nesic

Hi my name is Shane and I really wanted to share the amazing difference introducing this smoothie, has made to my health, mostly energy.

I started having it when  Maxine sent out the email newsletter promoting them along with the instructions on how to make them up. I did it for about a month, then told her how good it was for me, but life got busy and I stopped. Two weeks ago I started making them every day as soon as I got home from work. Almost immediately I started feeling great – so much more energy it is almost unbelievable. My skin looks so healthy people have been commenting about how good I look. Just by drinking the blue berry green smoothie each afternoon.

Here’s the recipe for your BLUE BERRY GREEN SMOOTHIE in case you want to try it!!

If you like a frosty smoothie, use frozen berries.  Yield: 2 cups, 1 serving

2/3 cup water

1/2 orange, peeled and sectioned

1 ripe banana

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup chopped spinach, Swiss chard, or kale

Place all the ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth. Serve immediately.

Real change occurs when you change behaviours and beliefs from the inside out.

Shane Nesic  11..12..11

Teri and Stacey

I was referred to Maxine Wright by a friend when my partner was diagnosed with a serious condition a couple of years ago.

We were very impressed with Maxine’s knowledge and service but it was her calmness and down to earth manner that made all the difference for us. We were able to relax, focus and get on with the business of improving our health with her guidance.

We were able to commit to Maxine’s regimes as they were easy to incorporate into our daily routine and she even customs designs them for fussiness & stubbornness! This has been important to us as we are time poor professionals and the fact that you can purchase all your prescriptions on site at an affordable price is an additional advantage.

We have never felt better since our first visit to Step into Health . Maxine& Laurie are always available for any questions or follow up making us feel like they genuinely care. We thank you both for all you do for us, and recommend you to anyone who wants to feel well when they wake up to the day.

Stacey Platts & Teri Maguire

Lorral Love

HI my name is Lorral Love and when I first thought about giving Maxine a testimony I thought how easy,  no problem it would be a cinch, now I find myself trying to find the words to say what I need to convey.

I first started with Step into Health back in 2008 and for whatever reason (and I am sure I had many )I ceased going, I swear I was like 20 kgs lighter back then maybe even more.

But here I am full circle back to where I began, my story isn’t necessarily one of great success but it is success none the less. I was 101kg on the scales and knew I had to do something so I started lite n easy, although it was easy it wasn’t necessarily lite for me, this is nothing against the company either they are fantastic for a lot of people but it was not working for me, as my health also needed some TLC not just my waist line.

Hence I ended up back on the doorstep of Step into Health desperately trying to do that, step into health that is, my attitude changed and it became more of a health focus than a weight focus I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

It’s been a slow progress as my health has a mind of its own, I am wavering between 93 and 95 kgs at the moment some weeks are worse than others but needless to say I am still hanging in there and honestly the support and love I get from Max and Laurie is something that you don’t expect to get from anyone in the medical world natural or otherwise (well its nothing that I have found before).

But I can say my skin is looking and feeling great from the saunas, the advice and products that have helped me feel great for the first time in a long time have been priceless (without the MasterCard), I don’t feel like I have failed even when I have not progressed, all I receive is encouragement and suggestions on how to make small but significant changes and thanks to Laurie I don’t even mind walking up a hill now as I have his voice telling me he would rather me walking 10 mins on a steady incline that 30 mins on flat ground. I make better food choices both in the supermarket and take away when I am too tired or hungry to bother.

As I said earlier I have had some issues with my stomach which at times leaves me feeling so bloated that it is discouraging but I have the wonderful help and support from Max and Laurie and though I am on again off again with my walking and sometimes participate in too many morning teas at work I am still on the road to recovery and I am gearing up and getting ready to face the Step into Health weight loss challenge in the new year(it’s ok Maxine I am still watching myself now and over the Christmas season).

I just so love the emails and the tips from Maxine, she strongly believes in educating you on your choices, when your armed with the facts it’s a little hard to ignore the consequences, I will be seeing some of you around in the new year and I will reach my goal weight because I am inspired by the story of others like Tina and the support from Maxine and Laurie.

Losing weight and finding good health is one of the hardest challenges I have had to face and I have faced a few, it’s an uphill battle but thankfully none of us have to do it alone and the great part is while you lose weight you get healthy, oh and that, did you really eat that, look from Maxine which is priceless, you have to start somewhere and I could not think of a better place to start, it is one on one, personal and personalized including any workout you need to do, no standing in a gym feeling like the world is staring at you. But don’t be fooled by Laurie’s charm he can be a hard task master but somehow he makes you want to do the work.

I want to say a personal huge thanks to both Max and Laurie, I couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to do this without you and I can completely understand how you are the leading weight loss clinic you are both amazing.

Lorral Love

Bettina Jude

It is with pleasure I write this testimonial for Maxine Wright, a woman who projects good health and wellness.

I can remember the first day I met Maxine, her aura of wellbeing shone through…  As a busy professional woman I appreciate professionalism and first class service that makes my life easier.

Her ability to take me when I am worn out to a peak of health within weeks is just amazing. I put my faith in alternative medicine, learning with it as I get older and wiser I hope.

Bettina Jude

Director

Belle Property South Brisbane

Here are some of the lovely things our facebook fans have been saying about Step Into Health Wellness Centre.  We so appreciate each and every one!

Great people and great results. Known them for about 20 years. They have helped me and so many others. It is a one stop Health business…. Julie Didlick

If you are looking for personal, caring guidance to health and weightloss then you have found it…. Lorral Love

Pick up some sound advice and enjoy this site!  (www.facebook.com/StepIntoHealthWellnessCentre)  …. Lisa Petri

Maxine is a very nurturing caring healer. I would recommend anyone with a health issue, however hopeless you think it is, to visit Step Into Wellness. Choose health!….June Price