Building Wealth The engagement ring was contingent on Lisa Robillard dropping several dress sizes...
Most brides-to-be want to shed a few pounds before the big day. However, for Robillard, the goal came with some extra pressure. Her fiance would only marry her if she lost weight.
Robillard struggled with weight her entire life. In fact, she told the Financial Times she attended her first WeightWatchers meeting at age 11. Her whole family had problems with their weight. They'd try to lose it together, but the reality is, they were hamstrung with a genetic mix that kept the pounds on.
She ended up losing the weight for her fiance... but they broke off the engagement anyway (probably for the best). And Robillard lost all the progress she made as the weight came right back.
The unhealthy weight led to some terrible times in her life... Humiliation. Self-hate. Thousands of dollars spent on diets and weight-loss programs. And, of course, a failed engagement.
In 2018, after 40 years of struggling, Robillard visited yet another doctor in suburban Virginia, only to get the same recommendation that never did her any good – use diet and exercise to lose weight.
But fate was about to intervene.
On her way out, she noticed a sign... "Struggling to lose weight? You don't have to do it alone."
"Why not?" she thought, and went into the dingy office to speak with whomever was there.
It was here that Robillard heard something she had never heard before... "Obesity isn't your fault." It isn't always the result of a gluttonous lifestyle. It's a disease that needs to be treated like any other.
This was a brand-new message for her.
The doctors in this clinic were advocating diet, exercise, and living a healthy life. But they had another tool to help patients, too. It was a new drug – originally used to treat diabetes – that offered the promise of meaningful, sustained weight loss. And doctors were enrolling people into a clinical trial.
After doing her homework, Robillard decided to give it a try. It seemed different to her. It was based on research and science rather than another dieting fad.
After a year, she had shed 57 pounds – a feat she had never accomplished in her life. In fact, the average person in the trial lost 15% of their beginning weight.
It was life-changing.
Now, longtime readers know my familiar recommendations... By eating a diet packed with whole foods, making sure you're moving every day, and getting a good night's sleep, many folks can head off all sorts of illnesses – and enjoy a healthier weight.
But for some people, like Robillard, that isn't enough.
One of my colleagues just shared his own personal weight-loss journey. It's something we haven't done before... sharing an intimate story of struggle and how a breakthrough technology was able to save his life.
His touching tale also holds the secret to a generational investing opportunity you won't be able to ignore after you've seen it.
If you have just a few minutes today, I urge you to click here and hear what he has to say.
Now, let's get into this week's Q&A... As always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected]. My team and I read every e-mail.
Q: Just read your article on Suja juice that was not that complimentary. I juice carrots, store for the winter from my garden for the base liquid, then add cut up apples, pineapple, blueberries, banana, avocado, kale, spinach, blackberries, and whatever else is on sale from produce and nuke it in my NutriBullet. If it is too thick, I just add more carrot juice. No sugar, honey or maple syrup added. Are we getting the sugar spike like Suja, and are we getting the fiber after the greens are added to the NutriBullet and all ground up?
My wife and I take our morning vitamins and prescribed meds with this great-tasting juice. Our BS levels and A1C have been fine at yearly mandatory Medicare check ups. And I also eat a lot of produce from our garden. – P.H.
A: Thanks for your question, P.H. A handful of studies have tried to tackle this question over the years... with contradictory results. So in the end, science has no conclusive answer for you.
Here's what we do know...
As we mentioned in our Suja juice Q&A, the main problem with juicing is that it removes the fiber. That fiber is what helps slow your body's absorption of the sugar – and inevitable blood-sugar spike.
Blending doesn't remove fiber or other nutrients... But it does break everything down.
That can make nutrients like fiber easier to digest. On the flip side, though, that could also mean that the fiber isn't doing as much to slow sugar absorption as it would when your digestive system has to break everything down itself.
Blending your fruits and vegetables into a smoothie is unquestionably healthier than some sugary drink. It's also better than a vegetable juice like Suja.
And since you're also getting plenty of whole produce and you seem to be healthy, P.H., our vote is that you should keep doing what you're doing.
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Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
February 28, 2025