Dr. Clarence Ing: making changes for eternity.

It's not exactly like preaching to the choir. But every time a new group of guests checks into the Weimar Institute's NEWSTART program, Dr. Clarence Ing knows he's got people serious about a lifestyle overhaul. "I don't have to persuade them," says Ing, Weimar Institute of Health and Education medical director since the late 1990s. "They've come ready to make changes."

In 1977 the Seventh-day Adventist Church purchased the institute which sits in Weimar, California, on a 500-acre campus 45 miles northeast of Sacramento. The nonprofit organization launched NEWSTART a year later to support church members and others questing for better physical, mental, and spiritual health via self-management.

NEWSTART initially involved a 36-day stay Ing says. Now, patients typically spend 18 days applying to their lives what the acronym spells: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God.

The back-to-basics program can be learned and practiced at home, but many find the institute helps jump-start their success. In addition to the customized diet, exercise evaluations, and action plans, patients attend vegan culinary classes in which they learn how to make good-for-you foods taste great. Ing's bottom line in the kitchen boils down to a memorized motto: "Whole plant foods eaten whole at regular intervals, with nothing between meals, in sufficient quantity to attain and maintain your ideal weight."

The institute's NEWSTART program also schedules spa-like hydrotherapy and massage sessions to further relax and rejuvenate the body.

Ing and his wife, May--who works alongside him as a registered dietician--have practiced this lifestyle for many years, even while serving as medical missionaries in Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the Marshall Islands. "The pay may not be high," Ing says with a chuckle, "but seeing people's health improve--that's our pay. And the retirement plan is out of this world!"

Now in their 60s, the Ings have swapped running marathons for walking regularly. But sticking to a vegan diet--no meat, fish, chicken, eggs, or dairy--remains doable along with all the other NEWSTART elements.

NEWSTART's "T" stands for trust in God. Though it's the last letter, it's the first step to making changes with staying power, insists 66-year-old Ing. "It's not what you know; it's what you do. And it's Whom you know that really counts," he states.

For many institute participants, trusting God more often means exploring forgiveness and learning how to let go of any bitterness or resentment before heading home. Forgiveness fosters a better attitude toward self and others, Ing tells each patient.

"NEWSTART's spiritual ministry is about them learning to be at peace with God and their fellow man," the doctor explains. He raises the issue of attitude during the program's opening days by asking patients to answer probing questions. "Are you an optimist or a pessimist? And why is the glass half full or half empty? Attitude makes a difference in health."

Ing grounds his philosophy in the proverb that teaches "As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is."

The medical director, who is board-certified in preventative medicine, understands that fear, hopelessness, and discouragement are facts of life. But the self-described "enthusiastic, realistic optimist" leans on the Lord to renew his attitude day by day. "A good attitude [comes from] realizing God's unconditional love and being willing to talk with Him," Ing says. "He'll guide you, help you, and help you help other people."

Those at Weimar Institute have discovered that fully embracing that simple statement can create a new start in anyone's life.

Pam Mellskog is a health writer living in Boulder, Colorado.