Welcome

We hope all our readers have had a great month. We're coming up to the crazy time of year - full of celebrations and gift giving.  Sometimes the rush of getting all the preparations done over-takes from the wonderful spirit of the Holiday Celebrations.  This month’s newsletter will show you how to recharge and catch a relaxing moment during your busy days.  

We've also included some amazing information on the connection between obesity and breast cancer. This may help you have the willpower to feast moderately and not over-indulge this Christmas season.  This edition's features are:
 

* Research show a strong link with obesity and breast   cancer - notes from Drs Heber, Thun and McManus  * Steps you can take to reduce breast cancer risk - six simple actions that can significantly reduce your risk  * Minimize Stress  - de-stress in a moment! * New Recipes! - delicious and health enhancing * A Light-Hearted View of Ageing From the Eyes of Barbie!

 
Look out for all the regular features with recipes, articles and humor.
 
We would like to congratulate our weight loss 'losers' from  October, and a warm welcome to all our new subscribers this month. As always, we welcome you to offer suggestions for what you would like to see in our ezine.
 
All the best,
The Long Term Weight Loss Team   www.leanmachine.org

 Pamper Yourself 
For Great Skin

 
 Dr Jamie McManus tells us what our Drs don't have time to tell us! Available at Amazon.com

Recognition   October Congratulations Wellington lost 16 lbs Brian lost 15 lbs Roxanne lost 10lbs   See their program  here

We URGENTLY Need people to join out team!
 
- Do you enjoy helping people?
- Do you have interest in health or are interested in getting healthy?
- Are you sick to death of being overweight and want to make a change?

- Are you interested in earning money from home?
 
Then this is a perfect opportunity for you!  We're looking for individuals who have basic phone and internet skills to join our team of work-at-home-ers. If you're serious about earning money from home and are willing to work (this isn't 'get rich quick'), then we'd like to help you grow a profitable business. We offer complete training, online and offline resources and a partnership for success.  More information here.

We hear it all the time…"lose weight for your health". 

Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.

In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5’10” weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity. 

Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and author of “Your Personal Guide to Wellness” notes that while this study referenced extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts. She also estimates that there are 600,000 obesity related deaths each year in America.

Just how does obesity shorten our lifespan? The answer to this question is complex, yet there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. An extensive study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increased the risk of cancer developing in the following organs: breast, colon, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, kidneys and gallbladder.

Michael Thun, MD, vice-president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) says one reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol that promotes rapid division of cells, increasing chances of a random genetic error while cells are replicating, which can lead to cancer. In addition, fat centered around the abdomen may increase insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which may increase cancer risk.

"Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer," notes Thun, "and obese men have a 40% higher relative risk of colon cancer…. Gallbladder and endometrial cancer risks are five times higher for obese individuals”. 

There is evidence that cancer rates in developed countries are increasing at 5 to 15 times faster than developing countries. A major contributor to this alarming reality has proven to be diet. In populations where the diet consists mostly of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains – in contrast to the typical Western diet of fatty meats, refined flours, oils and sugars – the risk of cancer is much lower.

The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of “What Color is Your Diet” and "The LA Shape Diet", says “It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer”. At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells. It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle.

Being overweight or obese has been identified - next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. 

  So it’s never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old 
  to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a
  more healthy weight.
  
  These simple steps can make an immediate difference to your health 
  and vitality and if you are overweight, help reduce your risk of 
  breast cancer. Even losing 10 pounds or 5kgs can have a positive
  effect on your health.

1. check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. According to recent research, 60% of Americans, Australians and New Zealanders are overweight, defined as having a BMI (a ratio of height to weight) over 25. Of those, up to one half (27%) qualify as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, just 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI at the website here.

2. Match your diet to your body’s requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner (see below), and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. 

6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits concerning the food they eat.  A study, “Effects of Internet Behavioural Counselling on weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes” shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didn’t. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.

SHAPE YOUR SUCCESS

Barbie gives us...

A Light-Hearted Look at Ageing
Finally a Barbie we can relate to! At long last, here are some NEW Barbie dolls to coincide with her and OUR aging gracefully. These are a bit more realistic...

Hot Flash Barbie.  Press Barbie's belly button and watch her face turn beet red while tiny drops of perspiration appear on her forehead. Comes with handheld fan and tiny tissues.

Facial Hair Barbie. As Barbie's hormone levels shift, see her whiskers grow. Available with teensy tweezers and magnifying mirror.

Flabby Arms Barbie.  Hide Barbie's droopy triceps with the new roomier-sleeved gowns.  Good news on the tummy front, two MuMus with tummy-support panels are included.

Bunion Barbie.  Years of disco dancing in stiletto heels have definitely taken their toll on Barbie's dainty arched feet.  Soothe her sores with the pumice stone and plasters, then slip on soft terry mules.

No-More-Wrinkles Barbie. Erase those pesky crow's-feet and lip lines with a tube of Skin Sparkle-Spackle, from Barbie's own line of exclusive age-blasting cosmetics.

Soccer Mom Barbie. All that experience as a cheerleader is really paying off as Barbie dusts off her old high school megaphone to root for Babs and Ken, Jr., Comes with minivan in robin-egg blue or white and cooler filled with doughnut holes and fruit punch.

Mid-Life Crisis Barbie. It's time to ditch Ken.  Barbie needs a change, and Alonzo (her personal trainer) is just what the doctor ordered, along with Prozac.  They're hopping in her new red Miata and heading for the Napa Valley to open a B&B.  Includes a real tape of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do".

Divorced Barbie. Sells for $199.99. Comes with Ken's house, Ken's car, and Ken's boat.

Recovery Barbie. Too many parties have finally caught up with the ultimate party girl. Now she does Twelve Steps instead of dance steps. Clean and sober, she's going to meetings religiously....Comes with a little copy of The Big Book and a six-pack of Diet Coke.

Post-Menopausal Barbie. This Barbie wets her pants when she sneezes, forgets where she puts things, and cries a lot.  She is sick and tired of Ken sitting on the couch watching the tube, clicking through the channels. Comes with Depends and Kleenex. As a bonus this year, the book "Getting in Touch With Your Inner Self" is included.

For some people, the chemicals released when we are stressed - the fight or flight response - may lead to weight gain.  An important part of your general well-being  AND weight loss management program is to laugh, relax and ensure your life contains enough fun to counteract stress. Use these points to balance your daily routine and minimize stress.

Lower your expectations and you will suffer less disappointment. Try seeing everything as already perfect and accept things as they are, then you can strive less and relax more.

Learn to say NO. Next time someone asks you to do something, before the word ‘yes’ slips out, pause, say you can’t give an answer just yet – you’ll get back to them. This technique gives you time to think. Now you can choose to say NO, calmly, politely and kindly.

Do one thing at a time. SLOW DOWN! If you are racing, so is your heart! Write yourself a list, prioritize your tasks and work through your list methodically. You need to enjoy what you are doing, not just the results of your efforts.

Stop trying to fall asleep. So many people go to bed desperate to fall asleep as quickly as possible, and then suffer the frustration of wakefulness. Quit struggling – you need to relax before you can sleep! Be thankful that you are warm, safe and cozy, be glad that your body is resting. Breathe deeply, slowly, gently and listen to your heart beating peacefully.

Laugh more! Get serious an about humor. Laughter is seriously healing. The special chemicals released when we laugh are nature’s finest form of natural medicine. When you’ve suffered a stressful day, make sure you ‘suffer’ some serious humor in the evening. Watch a comedy show or film, one you know will produce copious laughter, to counter the stress you’ve endured.

Treat yourself to a catnap and don’t feel guilty. When your body is pleading for rest, “40 winks” works wonders but only if you don’t feel guilty about this.

Get out in the fresh air! Drab office, the whir of computer hard drives the drone of your boss’s demands. Get outside during your lunch break, find a patch of green, some flowers, even wander around a garden center! Lose yourself in nature and feel your tensions dissipate, for a while at least.

Live in the now. The past is gone, you can’t change it. The future is mysterious and seductive, but only with you in your dreams. What you need is with you NOW so make the most of it. Be creative and give everything you’ve got to NOW.

Peppered Snapper With Tomato Mint Salsa

This is an incredible meal, very low in calories and high in protein, low in fat and carbs.  The weight will fall off you if you have two delicious shakes a day, one snack (ladies), two snacks (men) and this meal with colorful vegetables.   It can't get any simpler than this! :~)

Shelieah has made an incredible difference to her life by concentrating on her health.  Read more...