June 1999

Personal Fitness Training:
A New Paradigm

While many of you are away on vacation this summer, I will be earning my second yoga certification from the White Lotus Foundation, the home of my favorite kind of yoga - a beautiful flowing version of Ashtanga, demanding, yet graceful at the same time.

I dedicate my work there to developing a deeper vision of how best to serve.

Over the past month, as I have reflected on what I do every day, I have revised and expanded my mission statement: To empower each of my clients to achieve total fitness of mind, body, and spirit through individualized exercise and nutrition, ongoing education and positive partnership.

I realizing I am changing my paradigm about health. I want to learn how to take better care of myself and teach others how to do the same.

In this view of health and fitness, doctors of traditional and alternative health care are our partners.

Self-care develops confidence in our own inner resources, leads to personal transformation, and optimizes performance in all areas of life.

Because I have realized that fitness is much more than simply lifting weights, I continue to study and to grow as a trainer.

Here is an updated list of services I offer individuals:

• Strength training, with A.C.E. specialty recognition in strength training and certification in Freestyle weight lifting for women.
• PNF stretching and yoga to dramatically increase range of motion, with an A.C..E. recognition in mind-body fitness.
• Body-type dieting information through Dr. Carolyn Mein and Shaklee nutrition for weight management.
• Brain Gym for mental fitness.
• Touch for Health for pain relief.
• Balance and posture training for muscular efficiency.

Client Success: Weight Loss + Pain Reduction

One of my great success stories this year is Betty Davis, a realtor with Jenny Pruitt Realtors who has lost 18 pounds and reduced or eliminated chronic knee, back, and hip pain through a combination of Brain Gym movement re-education, PNF stretching, Touch for Health, balance board training and strengthening exercises. Her routine: a low carbohydrate diet, regular walking, personal training with me , and 6-8 glasses of water a day. She cut way back on bread and ate only fruit for dessert. Her next goal: To become stronger by working on the balance board. “I feel like balance is key,” she says.

Shaklee Nutrition

If you are a Shaklee member, you may reorder at any time by calling 1-800-VITA-LEA. This is important information for any of you who expect to run out of organic products while I am away.

Your member price and mine are the same.

Also, the Shaklee Corp. is updating all its computer records. All members who want to continue their membership must order at least $250 in products for the 12-month period beginning and ending in June.

To reorder your Shaklee products, call 1-800-VITA LEA. You may give your social security number for idenitifcation.

If you are a Shaklee member, you are entitled to a free nutrition assessment. Call me at 404-350-8581 or 770-365-9615 if you would like to set up an appointment.

Also, don’t forget to take advantage of Shaklee’s other organic products.

I never thought much about buying organic until I learned how chemicals depress the central nervous system. There’s an entire chapter in my book about all the chemicals that are known to cause depression. But our mental health is just one of many reasons why it’s important to avoid chemicals in our cleaning and personal care products. An alternative medicine doctor I was speaking with told me recently that different chemicals shut down various metabolic pathways in the body.

The Good fat:
Lift Your Mood, Run Faster and Farther

Two new reports that fat is good for you:

A study from the University of Buffalo found that women athletes on the highest-fat, lowest carb diet performed longer and at the highest intensity. Top performers ate peanuts.

A study at Harvard University found that fish oil was so successful treating patients with manic depression that the research was stopped on ethical grounds to give all the participants the fantastic supplements.

I take Shaklee EPA, an excellent source of fish oil and Omega-3 fatty acids. Why supplement? Because you’d have to eat 15 cans of tuna a day to get the same results.

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has found similar improvements in using fish oils to alleviate ordinary depression.

“While both improved their performances on a higher-fat diet, women benefited more than men,” said Dr. Peter Hovarth. The study’s optimal diet contained 35 percent fat and only 51 percent carbs.

Kiddo Yoga:
Free at 1:30 P.M. on Thursday, June 17

No, it’s not a new style of yoga – Kiddo Yoga is what I call yoga that’s fun for kids!

From time to time, the mothers who come to my yoga class on Wednesdays at 12:30 have brought their children, who have had a great time. Due to previous success, we are holding a trial class for kids and their parents on Thursday, June 17, at 1:30 p.m. If you and your kids want to come, give me a ring at 404-350-8581 or on my mobil 770-365-9615.

If everyone is well behaved and has a good time, maybe we can make this a regular treat!