If you've watched any health-related news lately, you know that obesity is a serious problem in the United States. In fact, it's one of the most common chronic diseases we've ever seen, with nearly two in three American adults suffering from plus-sized waistlines. That comes out to almost 78 million people affected by obesity in one way or another. It's a sobering, scary statistic that doesn't seem to be getting better.
Obesity in America causes a wide range of issues, like:
It's easy to point at a large person and call them things like "undisciplined," but if you're struggling with weight issues, you know it's not that easy. It's not like you want to look like you do or go through the daily stresses that being overweight can bring. Maybe, if you're many others, you've tried just about every diet there is to try, only to fall back into your bad habits. Millions of people make weight loss progress every year but end up failing and gaining more weight than before. Or perhaps there are other factors at play that prevent you from losing the weight you want.
Either way, you know you've got a problem that needs to be addressed, but how can you fix it for good? Should you try another diet that promises super-quick results? The resounding answer to that question is "no!" Long-lasting weight loss doesn't happen overnight. It happens with time, planning, persistence, and professional help provided by doctors and coaches who care. If you're over strange diet fads and other unsafe weight loss methods that don't work, Nutrifit40 is the solution you need.
Nutrifit40 is Florida's premier alternative weight loss and wellness clinic. Comprised of motivated health coaches and compassionate doctors, our team is dedicated to helping you lose weight and improve your health with a comprehensive 40-day program.
At Nutrifit40, our experts will help you lose weight naturally and provide the support structure you need to take back control of your life and body for good. Unlike unreliable diets, our medical weight loss program in Tarpon Springs, FL doesn't leave you hungry and constantly craving food. Instead, our patients feel nourished, have plenty of newfound energy, get incredible sleep, and are happier as a result. All it takes is getting fresh, yummy food from your local grocery store and sticking to our time-tested medical weight loss plan.
Our medical weight loss programs include:
Whether you're suffering from diabetes, hypertension, or you just don't look and feel like the person you used to be, our team will work closely with you to help meet your weight loss goals. That way, you can get in shape, stay in shape, and fall in love with the benefits of healthy living. After just 40 days, you will learn life-changing, transformational skills to help you break old habits and shed weight the healthy way. Sound too good to be true? Check out some of the reviews on our website - Nutrifit40 is as real as it gets, and we're ready to help YOU.
Here at Nutrifit40, we get dozens of questions every day about the best ways to lose weight. One of the most common questions is, "Is it really necessary to go to a medical weight loss clinic in Tarpon Springs, FL? Can't I just go to the gym?"
Going to your local gym for a good workout is a fantastic idea, but unfortunately, it isn't enough for many people. Despite taking the steps we think are necessary to lose weight, sometimes we never hit those lower cholesterol numbers. As a result, many of us are left confused and discouraged, creating a never-ending cycle with mediocre results.
That's where medical weight loss clinics like Nutrifit40 come in.
Medical weight loss facilities are clinics where average folks can get medical assistance to lose weight. Most clinics, like Nutrifit40, give patients access to knowledgeable physicians and helpful coaches who are educated and trained to help them lose weight.
Typically, patients also benefit from diet counseling and informational sessions about how their diet affects their bodies and increases the risk of diseases like hypertension. To help fortify their journey back to healthy living, most clinics include personalized weight loss plans. Unlike other diets, these plans are tailored to each patient's needs and help you incorporate incremental lifestyle changes into your day-to-day life.
At Nutrifit40, we know how hard it can be to take the first step toward signing up for a medical weight loss program. Luckily, our team of doctors and coaches will be there for you every step of the way as you take steps to reclaim your health. Preparing for your body transformation takes place over three easy and fun-to-follow steps:
Step 1
Get set up with your first no-stress body-positive weight loss clinic appointment at Nutrifit40 by calling our office or requesting an appointment online using our contact form.
Step 2
Meet with one of our highly-trained health coaches or weight loss doctors to discuss your goals. During this appointment, you'll also complete your personal weight loss and wellness profile at our weight loss clinic in Florida.
Step 3
You can start your program right away, and you'll get everything you need to begin your weight loss journey at our Nutrifit40 clinic, including the confidence and motivation you need to hit the road running.
In short, yes, they are. That's because programs like Nutrifit40 don't focus on overnight results or dangerous medicines. Instead, we focus on becoming your partner in the weight loss process. We take the time to sit down with you and explain that your weight isn't a punishment for being "lazy" or "unmotivated." Instead, we teach you about your body and what you should expect during the medical weight loss process. A trustworthy, legitimate weight loss location will also teach you about concepts like:
The goal of a weight loss clinic shouldn't be to chastise and embarrass you. It should support, educate, and encourage healthy changes in your life in a nurturing and positive atmosphere. It should also use science and medicine to design potent plans that actually help you lose weight and get healthy.
If you're looking for a medical weight loss clinic that has your best interests and health at heart, it's time to contact Nutrifit40. Some of the most common conditions that our doctors and coaches can help you with include:
Hypertension (or high blood pressure) and hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) are two of the most prevalent and deadly chronic diseases in America. CDC statistics cite over 115 million Americans as having high blood pressure, while nearly 94 million young people under 20 suffer from high LDL cholesterol.
Both high blood pressure and cholesterol can wreak havoc on your body and increase your chances of strokes, heart attacks, and much more. Thankfully, lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol means lowering the odds of these deadly conditions, and one of the best ways to do that is through long-lasting weight loss.
According to WebMD, losing 20 pounds can drop your systolic blood pressure by 5-20mmHg. That's a big improvement, and a significant impact on your LDL cholesterol numbers. Nutrifit40, designed by Dr. Maria Shelton, was designed especially for situations like these, where patients need custom medical weight loss programs to get healthy.
Personalization is the key to the program's success; Dr. Shelton maps out a plan for you based on your specific health needs. Dr. Shelton will show you how to shed pounds while restoring your cardiovascular health through doable diet and lifestyle changes, innovative technology, and targeted physical activity.
727-977-8201
Diabetes and diabetic neuropathy are concerning conditions that affect millions around the U.S. CDC statistics show that 34 million Americans have diabetes. Perhaps more frightening is that 88 million people are considered prediabetes. That means more than 37% of the U.S. population is already diagnosed or at risk of the disease.
Of those 34 million diabetes patients, almost half will suffer diabetic neuropathy. This condition causes nerves to be exposed to excessive blood glucose for long periods of time, causing extensive damage and symptoms like burning, numbness, tingling, and pain. Because the leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is obesity, it makes sense that losing weight may be able to help.
If you are overweight and dealing with diabetes or diabetic neuropathy, the Nutrifit40 program might be perfect for you. In 40 short days, you can shed up to 40 pounds.
Our medical weight loss team has helped thousands of good, hardworking people like you lose weight. With time, diet, exercise, and guidance from our weight loss experts, success is easier to achieve than you may believe. With ongoing adherence to a healthy life and exercise regimen, Type 2 diabetes patients can get their blood sugar levels in check.
Book AppointmentDid you know that over 45 million people in America try going on a diet every year? With as many obese people in the nation, that makes sense. Unfortunately, about half of those people fail to meet their weight loss goals. Often, it's because the diets they choose aren't focused on making them healthy - they're only about quick, unhealthy weight loss.
In reality, most diets don't work in the long run. The best way to lose weight and keep it off for good is with practical, healthy lifestyle changes. That's where physicians and other weight loss professionals can help. Unlike fly-by-night diets, medical weight loss has been proven to be effective.
But how do you know if you're a candidate? Let's take a look at five common signs you need medical weight loss treatment.
While it's true that about 42% of the U.S. population is considered overweight, not everyone needs a weight loss program to follow. However, if you're more than 100 pounds over the recommended weight for your height and age, medical weight loss might be the best option for weight loss.
Book AppointmentAre you at your wit's end because you've tried every diet under the sun, only to make minimal to no progress? Millions of other Americans are going through the same problems you're experiencing. At Nutrifi40, we work with many different patients, many of whom come to use exasperated because nothing they try works. You may be tempted to give up, but we encourage you to consider a medical weight loss clinic for help.
One of the most challenging aspects of being obese is that everyday life gets much more complicated. Yes, trying to fit into regular clothes is probably off the table, but so are ordinary things that require minimal effort. Simple tasks like carrying groceries from your car into your house are extremely difficult. Other activities, like walking upstairs in a friend's home, are out of the question.
Book AppointmentSomething has to change if you've been living with extra weight for a long time and you're sick and tired of living an unhealthy, unfulfilling life. Are you ready to heal your body and make fundamental changes? If you are, we've got great news - Nutrifit40 is prepared to be the partner you need to achieve your weight loss goals. The first step towards achieving a healthy weight and, by proxy, healthy life is to actually take that first step. If being fed up with how you look and feel is enough motivation to get started, pat yourself on the back. You're already making progress!
Medical weight loss is about much more than aesthetics or vanity. It's about preventing or reversing weight-related health issues that put your life at risk. Once you cross a certain threshold, it's hard to get off meds like cholesterol pills, but with medical weight loss, it's possible. If you have any of the following obesity-related health problems, you should consider Nutrifit40:
727-977-8201
If you have been battling your weight for years only to find yourself in the same cyclical rut keeping you unhappy, unhealthy, and unfulfilled, it's time for a shift in your life. Why live with ill-fitting clothes, an inability to be active, and dangerous health conditions like high blood pressure? By joining the Nutrifit40 weight loss program, you're taking the first step to a new, healthier life.
Nutrifit40 is safe, effective, and available to patients with a variety of pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, high cholesterol, and even diabetic neuropathy. Contact our office today to schedule your first one-on-one weight loss consultation with our highly trained doctors. Before you know it, you'll be well on our way to restoring your health and confidence for good.
727-977-8201
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — When John Lulias looks back on his upbringing in Tarpon Springs, he remembers feeling like he lived in a Greek village.What You Need To Know “Wherever you went, everybody spoke Greek,” he said. “The vegetable man would come around in his truck to your house, we delivered bread to the homes — it was those kinds of things you had in Greece.”Lulias, a second generation Greek-American, still sees the close-knit, unique town he grew up in as he walks...
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — When John Lulias looks back on his upbringing in Tarpon Springs, he remembers feeling like he lived in a Greek village.
“Wherever you went, everybody spoke Greek,” he said. “The vegetable man would come around in his truck to your house, we delivered bread to the homes — it was those kinds of things you had in Greece.”
Lulias, a second generation Greek-American, still sees the close-knit, unique town he grew up in as he walks through Tarpon Springs today.
“Of course it’s changed,” he said. “But every place has and we try to keep part of the old spirit of Tarpon Springs, especially with some of these religious celebrations.”
One of the town’s oldest traditions is Epiphany. For more than a century, crowds have descended on Tarpon Springs every January for the celebration. Epiphany is a constant in Lulias’ life. He’s been participating since he was just two years old and is now the choir director at Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
“It’s also a homecoming,” Lulias explained. “Many people come back to Tarpon Springs on Epiphany day to see friends that have moved away and things like that, so it’s a wonderful thing for families to get together and celebrations all over town.”
To Lulias, the meaning behind the festivities is the most important part. In the Greek Orthodox faith, Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ. The day begins with a mass at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, followed by a procession down to Spring Bayou, where thousands of spectators gather for the cross dive.
“It’s a symbolic thing where they throw the cross and boys dive in and the one who retrieves it, it’s supposed to bring them luck for a year,” Lulias explained. “To many of the boys who have caught it, it’s changed their lives.”
One of those boys is Lulias’ older brother, Nikitas. He retrieved the cross 50 years ago and is now the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain.
Lulias has watched Epiphany in Tarpon Springs grow and transform over the decades. What started as a small gathering in the Greek Orthodox Church has grown into the largest Epiphany celebration in the Western Hemisphere, attracting up to 20,000 people each year.
In some ways, though, Epiphany feels the same as when Lulias was a kid.
“A lot of it hasn’t changed,” he said. “The services are the same, the choir, the priest, the Archbishop coming every year — because this is where it’s sort of the official celebration of epiphany in the United States, so the Archbishop of the United States comes here to celebrate.”
As Epiphany continues to draw in curious spectators, Lulias hopes people hold on to the true meaning. He looks forward to keeping the beloved tradition a staple in his life for years to come.
Lulias’ brother, Archbishop Nikitas, will be returning to Tarpon Springs for the 118th Epiphany celebration, in honor of his 50-year anniversary of retrieving the cross.
TAMPA, Fla. — The wildfires in Greece have destroyed homes and triggered massive explosions at an Air Force ammunitions depot. Meanwhile hundreds of Tarpon Springs residents are currently in the country attending several huge family events. Johanna Gatzoulis is one part of the large group of Floridians and has seen crews fight to keep the flames at bay.What You Need To Know “I couldn’t smell it but I did see helicopters with water going back and forth to bring over to that area," Gatzoul...
TAMPA, Fla. — The wildfires in Greece have destroyed homes and triggered massive explosions at an Air Force ammunitions depot. Meanwhile hundreds of Tarpon Springs residents are currently in the country attending several huge family events. Johanna Gatzoulis is one part of the large group of Floridians and has seen crews fight to keep the flames at bay.
“I couldn’t smell it but I did see helicopters with water going back and forth to bring over to that area," Gatzoulis said. “And I know there was some deviation in Rhodes right now. That has been contained. I have friends that are there right now and they’re okay.”
The fires forced Gatzoulis to change her travel plans and spend most of her time in Kálymnos, an island about 80 miles southeast of Rhodes where much out of the fire is burning, but she’s not alone.
“Half of Tarpon Springs is probably here," she said. “We had a big wedding last weekend on the hottest day of the year. It was 111 degrees that day.”
More than 300 other Tarpon Springs residents are in Kálymnos too as guests of a prominent Tarpon Springs couple who tied the knot there.
“And a lot of them are still here," she said. “Because we had a baptism Friday and another baptism on Monday.”
Gatzoulis says the wildfires didn't impact any of celebrations at all, but the fact that authorities say some of the fires were set by arsonists has everyone in the country on alert.
“I used to live here in Greece and fires are very common in the summer," she said. “And it’s common they do this to clear ground. Some are by accident, but the majority of times it’s because arson.”
But she says there's no other place on earth she and the rest of her big Greek Tarpon Springs family would rather be now.
“It’s safe to be in Greece," she said. “It’s beautiful to be in Greece and to see friends and family and I know anyone one comes here will love this hospitality of Greece.”
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — After thunderstorms moved past, Florida’s largest Greek Orthodox community celebrated the Epiphany on Saturday as a 16-year-old boy dove into chilly water to retrieve a cross in an annual rite that draws thousands.John Hittos found the cross before 64 other boys after it was thrown into a bayou in Tarpon Springs, a town on the Gulf Coast 30 miles north of Tampa and known for its large Greek community. The retriever of the cross is believed to receive a year of blessings. It is one of the largest...
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — After thunderstorms moved past, Florida’s largest Greek Orthodox community celebrated the Epiphany on Saturday as a 16-year-old boy dove into chilly water to retrieve a cross in an annual rite that draws thousands.
John Hittos found the cross before 64 other boys after it was thrown into a bayou in Tarpon Springs, a town on the Gulf Coast 30 miles north of Tampa and known for its large Greek community. The retriever of the cross is believed to receive a year of blessings. It is one of the largest Epiphany celebrations in the country.
“I didn’t see where the cross went in the water,” Hittos told reporters after emerging from the 65-degree (18-degree Celsius) water. “I didn’t know where it was, but I had a feeling and I just went down. I couldn’t see anything, but it was in my hand.”
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Bulgarians celebrate the feast of Epiphany with traditional rituals
What is the Epiphany? Why is it also called Three Kings Day? And when do Christians celebrate it?
The Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus to the world and comes from the Greek word “epiphaneia,” which means “appearance.” It is marked by Christians around the world with celebrations ranging from parades and gift-giving for children to the blessing of water. The holiday is also called the Feast of Epiphany, Three Kings Day and Theophany. In some traditions, it celebrates the baptism of Jesus and in others the visit of the Three Magi to the Baby Jesus.
The boys were led to the water from St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral by clergy and a nervous 17-year-old Chloe Kotis, who carried a white dove representing the Holy Spirit, She released it over the water before the dive.
“I’m happy to hold something that means so much,” she told the Tampa Bay Times.
Many Greek immigrants were drawn to Tarpon Springs because the waters were flush with sponges, and they quickly built a thriving industry. Others established restaurants, pastry shops and markets that offer a Mediterranean feel.
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — It’s Greek Epiphany time.The largest Epiphany celebration in the western hemisphere is once again set for Jan. 6 in northern Pinellas County.What You Need To Know Epiphany is celebrated worldwide but the famous celebration in Tarpon Springs turns the small town known for its quaint sponge docks into a unique festival that sees 20,000 people descend on the area.Now in its 118th year, crowds annually turn out at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral and...
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — It’s Greek Epiphany time.
The largest Epiphany celebration in the western hemisphere is once again set for Jan. 6 in northern Pinellas County.
Epiphany is celebrated worldwide but the famous celebration in Tarpon Springs turns the small town known for its quaint sponge docks into a unique festival that sees 20,000 people descend on the area.
Now in its 118th year, crowds annually turn out at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral and at Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs during the first week of January for the traditional throwing of the cross during Epiphany celebrations.
The event includes a blessing of the fleet on Friday, and an Orthros and Liturgy services at St. Nicholas Cathedral, which includes visits from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of the Greek Orthodox Achdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain and Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta.
After a procession from the Cathedral to the bayou, about 60 young men will take their places in the usually chilly waters of the Bayou in hopes of retrieving the cross from the water and the yearlong blessing that is said to come with it.
On Saturday, the day begins with a church service at St. Nicholas, followed by the procession, the releasing of the doves and the cross throwing.
8 a.m. – Orthros and Divine Liturgy
9 a.m. – Archierarchical Liturgy including the Blessing of the Waters, followed by a procession to Spring Bayou with clergy, altar servers, visiting dignitaries and children in traditional Greek costumes.
Where: St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 17 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs, Fla.
7 p.m. – Epiphany Ball
Following the ceremony and cross throw, the Epiphany Glendi (festival) at the Spanos-Pappas Community Center (348 N. Pinellas Ave.) with food, drink, live music and dancing.
This year’s dinner and dance will celebrate 50 years since His Eminence Archbishop Nikita’s retrieval of the epiphany cross.
Locations: Area bounded by Spring Boulevard, Pine Street, Levis Avenue and Lemon Street.
Major thoroughfares of Alternate US Highway 19 (from Pine Street to Lemon Street) and Tarpon Avenue (from Levis Avenue to Spring Boulevard) will be closed as well as many smaller roads within the area of the procession.
Time Period: Saturday, January 6, 2023, from approximately 10:45 am until 3:00 pm
Please observe posted detours, expect heavy traffic and yield to pedestrians. There will be NO overnight parking Thursday night or during the event within the procession area (Pinellas Avenue between Orange Street and Tarpon Avenue; Tarpon Avenue between Grosse Avenue and the Bayou; Orange Street between Pinellas Avenue and Ring Avenue).
The Orthodox Christian Church celebrates Epiphany on Jan. 6 of each year, in remembrance of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the water of the Jordan River 2000 ago.
The observance spread to the new world and eventually to Tarpon Springs, which boasts the largest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the U.S.
Tarpon Springs’ Epiphany began as a simple affair in 1903 and has grown in size ever since.
The local ceremonies are identical to those taken place in and around Greece.
Most young men growing up in Tarpon Springs dream of retrieving the cross when it comes their time to dive.
And most, if not all, have a relative in the small, tight-knit community that grabbed the cross from the murky waters.
This year’s dove-bearer is Chloe Kotis, 17. Her sister, Fotini Sisois, 25, was chosen as dove bearer in 2016 and Kotis, 17, will be following in her footsteps.
“It’s been in my family for a long time. My grandfather, Vasil Kotis, caught the cross in 1956,” Kotis said. “Which just being here representing my sister, my grandfather and my mom, (she) has one of her boats out here. She passed away in 2018.”
Last year, George Stamas retrieved the cross.
His great grandfather retrieved the cross in 1938, and great uncle did it in 1941.
“God blessed us for this to happen,” Stamas said. “So it’s a blessing. It’s for a reason.”
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — In Tarpon Springs, the history, hard work, and heart that family businesses and sponge divers pour into the Greek community make the Sponge Docks the special place it is.“We dodged a bullet again,” Bill Gresko, who began sponge diving 35 years ago, told ABC Action News.Gresko and his friend, fellow sponge diver Muhip Goktepe, braced for Hurricane Idalia.“We’re all freaking out beforehand because if Steinhatchee was here or Fort Myers was here, we’d all have lost ...
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — In Tarpon Springs, the history, hard work, and heart that family businesses and sponge divers pour into the Greek community make the Sponge Docks the special place it is.
“We dodged a bullet again,” Bill Gresko, who began sponge diving 35 years ago, told ABC Action News.
Gresko and his friend, fellow sponge diver Muhip Goktepe, braced for Hurricane Idalia.
“We’re all freaking out beforehand because if Steinhatchee was here or Fort Myers was here, we’d all have lost our boats. And that’s our livelihood,” Gresko said.
“It’s scary, you know? It’s not good. But we’re okay,” Goktepe said.
Still, Gresko feels for the local family businesses, who spent Thursday cleaning up and salvaging what they could.
“I just feel for sorry for everybody that got flooded out,” he said.
Sunset Hills Elementary School secretary and her family loses belongings in Hurricane Idalia
Though street flooding is common on the Sponge Docks, with some areas flooded on Thursday from the daily high tide and rain alone, Emmanual Psomas told ABC Action News at Hellas Restaurant & Bakery, “It never gets inside.”
That changed with the storm surge from Hurricane Idalia. This was different.
Psomas is the General Manager at Hellas, a Tarpon favorite.
“The last time we flooded was the No Name Storm,” Psomas said. “This one had a name.”
From the No Name Storm in 1993 to Idalia in 2023 — both will be remembered.
PHOTOS: HURRICANE IDALIA IMPACT ON FLORIDA
“The sandbags were just submerged,” Psomas said, describing the impact of Hurricane Idalia.
Around 7:00 Wednesday morning, he said he walked through the water to look at the restaurant.
“It was just under my waist,” Psomas said of the storm surge.
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Hellas plans to reopen on Friday.
At Katherine’s Linens & Gifts on the Sponge Docks, employee Debbie Thompson said there was four feet of water.
“It came up over,” Thompson said of the water. “It should have never come over the cash register area.”
It did.
ABC Action News spoke with Brent Barkway of Pinellas County Economic Development between his visits with businesses on the Sponge Docks.
“We’re just out talking to local businesses to see what kind of damage they incurred and let them know that we’re going to be submitting a report to the Governor’s office in hopes of possibly getting some state and federal funds available to help people in the area,” Barkway said.
“This is a family,” Thompson said. “Everything is tied into the business. If they can’t get it open, it’s like anybody else, they lose money.”
On Thursday, desperate to help clean up and prevent more damage, she stood outside of the family business, begging cars to slow down as they drove through fresh flooding from the high tide and more rain.
“They’re like my family. And I will fight tooth and nail to get it back,” Thompson said of the business, wiping away tears.
As of Friday, not all stores and restaurants have reopened. Please call ahead to check.
Visit FloridaDisaster.biz, a partnership between the Florida Department of Commerce and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to complete a Business Damage Assessment Survey.
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