~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

'Inspirations!' is sent only to subscribers. For unsubscribe information, see the bottom of this newsletter.

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

IN THIS ISSUE:

• 1) Cindy's and Bruce's ramblings.
• 2) Weight loss series begins ...An interview with Mary!
• 4) Parasites - Guess who's coming to dinner...Yuk!
• 5) Book review - The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer
• 6) Just for laughs! :-)

Weight loss problems?...Diet supplements?...Exercise programs?... Women's health issues?...Motivational concerns?...

Tell us what you want to hear about !

Fire off your most burning issues, suggestions, questions, etc to...

Cindy@BusyWomen'sFitness.com

And if you enjoy this newsletter, forward a copy to your friends.

If you received this copy from a friend and would like to subscribe, go to... Inspirations! sign-up page

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

RAMBLINGS...

Many apologies for the fact this report is so late. In spite of our best intentions to publish on an schedule, life has a way of messing things up. We will endeavor to do much better in the future.

The positive comments we received after last month's newletter were a big boost!...Thanks everyone.

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

WEIGHT LOSS SERIES BEGINS ...An interview with Mary!

In this issue we'll be starting the weight loss series with a short interview with Mary, a good friend of ours, about the struggles she has had with her weight.

Though her circumstances may not be universal, you might just be able to relate to her plight and then rejoice at the results she is now attaining.

I've known Mary since high school. Her birthday is within a couple of weeks of mine which will make her...ahem (please read this quietly)...47 next month. Mary, a very attractive lady, has always been a high-energy and active person and there was never an extra pound on her no matter how much she ate. In fact she was one of those with a figure that would turn heads. The boys in high school envied her boyfriend.

Well, at about age 40 things began to change.

Cindy, who did the interview will take it from here. Though not in the form of dialogue, Cindy wrote this up as an overview of one persons weight loss story...

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

"Mary is one of most health conscious individuals I know. I’ve known her well for eight years and know first hand that she eats an extremely nutritious diet, and follows a well balanced fitness routine including running, pilates, resistance training, yoga and meditation.

In spite of Mary’s diet and exercise practices she found herself overweight. Following the birth of her last child, and her fortieth birthday, she steadily gained twenty-plus pounds over seven years.

Having never been overweight before, and in fact at times considered too thin, she was surprised to find the extra pounds resistant to her attempts at losing them. Mary had tried reducing calories, eating for your blood type (as in the book with the same title), and increasing exercise intensity.

Nothing seemed to work. Her metabolism would not respond.

Several factors were involved in Mary’s sluggish metabolism. She had undergone lifestyle changes with a new husband and baby at the onset of a new career.

She was peri-menopausal, being negatively affected by unbalanced hormones (estrogen dominance).

She was feeling the stress of trying to balance too many things at once. Overwhelmed with clients at her busy massage therapy clinic, taking correspondence and weekend courses, and attempting to keep a complicated home life that includes four of her own children and two step children, running smoothly. Not to mention a major renovation project that took over a year to complete and required her family to move out of their home for six months.

Frustrated and exhausted from stress, she knew it was time to make some changes. Mary needed a more holistic approach to gain control over her weight and her life. She started using a natural progesterone cream to help balance her hormones. She began to see a counsellor to help her deal with home and relationship issues. And, she decided to take a sabbatical from her massage therapy clinic to give herself a much needed rest.

A couple of months ago a book called The Naturopathic Diet caught Mary’s attention and after reading it she decided to follow the basic principals.

For four weeks she eliminated all carbohydrates and increased her protein intake.

During this time she eliminated her exercise routine to be sure that it was the diet change influencing any weight loss.

After an initial weight loss she added back her exercise program. She then re-introduced carbohydrates but now limits the carbohydrates to one serving per day. She has lost fourteen pounds and continues to lose gradually.

Mary feels that it was the added protein in her diet, more so than the lack of carbohydrates that gave her metabolism the boost it needed. She is now careful to include some protein with every meal. But she notes that emotional health and well being can not be overlooked when addressing weight loss."

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

Mary's story doesn't explain all of the principles set out in the naturopathic diet she followed.

In the coming issues, we'll be discussing some of those principles and others that will help you design your very own weight loss plan.

You are an individual and what works for Mary may not work for you.

Remember, information and an understanding of how your body uses what you feed it are keys to gaining control

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

If you have a website of your own and want to know how effective link exchanging (not link pages) can increase your rankings in the search engines, here is a great, no-cost service called 'Value Exchange' SiteSell Value Exchange

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

BOOK REVIEW: 'The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer'

Having the right information is your best weapon in the war on fat. Paul Crane's book, 'The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer' has it.

Pauls research, ideas and conclusions concerning lower carbohydrate and increased protein intake coincide with our own and his explanations of why this works for weight loss and health are right on the money.

The updated version of his book explores the 'Atkins Diet' and the 'Zone' and then draws you to his own practical solution to long-term, keep-it-off-and-don't-gain-it-back weight loss.

The right information, a low price and a full refund guarantee make this a best seller and a must read!

Plus Paul has recently added the bonus of Erin Roger's 'Healthy Express Cookbook' and a 1 hour consultation with diet-coach Dona Kerr.

Highly recommended.

Here's the link... 'Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer'

~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

Parasites...Guess who's coming to dinner?!

If you think being infected with parasites is something that happens only to people in under-developed countries or to those who live in unsanitary conditions, the following information might shock you: Parasites are everywhere.

What may be more alarming is the fact that they are commonly transmitted to humans.

Parasites are organisms that feed off a host -- and that host may be you. These uninvited guests thrive within your body, affecting various tissues and organs, and often without your realizing it.

In fact, parasitic infection frequently is undiagnosed because symptoms can be confused with a variety of conditions and diseases.

But as parasites steal your nutrients and feed off your cells, they damage your body by creating such health problems as diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, joint and muscle aches, suppressed immunity, chronic fatigue, and brain or nervous system dysfunction.

Getting rid of parasites and detoxification of your body is a great way of starting off a new health and weight loss program.

There is much to consider and our written report gets a little long for this newsletter, so we added a page to our website here...

Don't miss it, it's kind of shocking! Here's the link... Rid Your Body of Parasites

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~

JUST FOR LAUGHS...

Mid life: Isn't this the truth!

I've seen two shows lately that went on and on about how mid-life is a great time for women. Just last week Oprah had a whole show on how great menopause will be....

Puhleeeeeeeze!

I've had a few thoughts of my own and would like to share them with you. Whether you are pushing 40, 50, 60 (or maybe even just pushing your luck) you'll probably relate.

Mid-life is when the growth of hair on our legs slows down. This gives us plenty of time to care for our newly acquired mustache.

In mid-life women no longer have upper arms, we have wingspans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts, we are flying squirrels in drag.

Mid-life is when you can stand naked in front of a mirror and you can see your rear without turning around.

Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and you realize that this is the only time someone will ask you to appear topless.

Mid-life is when you want to grab every firm young lovely in a tube top and scream,"Listen honey, even the Roman empire fell and those will too."

Mid-life brings wisdom to know that life throws us curves and we're sitting on our biggest ones.

Mid-life is when you look at your-know-it-all, beeper-wearing teenager and think: "For this I have stretchmarks?!"

In mid-life your memory starts to go. In fact the only thing we can retain is water.

Mid-life means that your Body By Jake now includes Legs By Rand McNally -- more red and blue lines than an accurately scaled map of Wisconsin.

Mid-life means that you become more reflective... You start pondering the "big" questions. What is life? Why am I here? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it's no longer a healthy choice?

But mid-life also brings with it an appreciation for what is important.

We realize that breasts sag, hips expand and chins double, but our loved ones make the journey worthwhile. Would any of you trade the knowledge that you have now for the body you had way back when?

Maybe our bodies simply have to expand to hold all the wisdom and love we've acquired.

That's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it!

REMEMBER: "Stressed" spelled backward is "desserts." Send this to four women and you will lose two pounds. Send this to all the women you know (or ever knew), and you will lose 10 pounds. If you delete this message, you will gain 10 pounds immediately. (That's why I had to pass this on-I didn't want to risk it! :)