Weight Off My Mind: Thyroid Diet Weight Loss News -- May 2003

Notes From Mary: A Technique That Works To Change Health & Emotions

BACK ISSUES:
Online, back to December 2001

A Weight Off My Mind email edition is published monthly, and is copyright 2001-2002, by Mary Shomon.
Web: http://www.thyroid-info.com
Email: diet@thyroid-info.com
Regular mail: Mary Shomon, P.O. Box 565, Kensington, MD 20895-0565
Fax: 425-977-1175

IMPORTANT NOTE: All information in this newsletter is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should always seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and always consult your physician or health practitioner before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, herbal therapy, supplement or other self-directed treatment.

Welcome to the fifteenth issue of "A Weight Off My Mind," Mary Shomon's email newsletter for thyroid and autoimmune disease patients who are interested in losing weight and feeling better through diet and nutrition. You are receiving this issue because you signed up to receive this free email report. (Note: If you are no longer interested in receiving future issues, or you wish to unsubscribe, email weightoffmymind-unsubscribe@topica.email-publisher.com. If you have something you'd like to see covered in future issues, drop me a line anytime at diet@thyroid-info.com.

IF YOU’VE SENT ME A QUESTION: If you wrote me a personal message or question with your "subscribe" message, I'm afraid that my system automatically extracts email addresses, so I didn't see your message. Feel free to send it again to me at diet@thyroid-info.com, with a subject line that doesn’t say “subscribe.”

SEND NEWS! If you see something diet-related in the news or on the web, please feel free to let me know, send me a note, or forward the URL to me if it's on the web. My email is news@thyroid-info.com , regular mail is P.O. Box 565, Kensington, MD 20895-0565, fax is: 425-977-1175

SHARE YOUR THYROID & WEIGHT LOSS STORIES FOR MY NEW BOOK!

Sorry for the missing the April newsletter. I was just finishing up my new book, Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, which is coming out early in 2004, and worked like a crazy woman all throughout April until I delivered my manuscript in mid-May.

Now, I'm hard at work on the NEXT book!! Which is where you come in!!

Were you a skinny-mini until your thyroid headed south, and then you couldn't stop gaining weight? Have you found losing weight with a thyroid problem one of the most difficult challenges you've ever faced? Does your doctor tell you that thyroid disease only causes a few pounds of weight gain -- but you know better? Have you finally figured out what works for you to lose weight with your thyroid problem? Did you manage to maintain a healthy weight, despite your thyroid diagnosis? Have you found an approach, program or product that helps you effectively lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight.

Here is your chance to tell YOUR story, share your experience, and tell it like it REALLY is, instead of how the doctors IMAGINE it to be. For my new book on thyroid, diet, and nutrition, I would LOVE to hear your stories about weight gain, weight loss, diet, and exercise. What works, what doesn't? What helps, what doesn't?

How does it make you FEEL? Have weight gain wreaked havoc on your self-image, your sex life, your energy? Share your thoughts with me now.

You won't be identified by name (unless you specifically ask to be), and I'll change any specifically identifying information, so all your contributions are anonymous. You can share your important ideas and make them public, without compromising your own privacy.

Are you a practitioner, trainer, or alternative health expert who has ideas and approaches that work specifically for weight loss for thyroid patients and other people with metabolic dysfunctions? I'd love to hear from you too, with your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. (Just an FYI, if you are representing any multi-level marketed weight loss supplements, I've already heard from so many people many times about these various products and companies, that I don't really need any more stories on those products at this point, but thanks!)

Send all contributions to me at: dietbook@thyroid-info.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

AVOIDING COMMON THYROID PITFALLS

If your thyroid isn't getting optimal treatment, it's pretty difficult -- if not impossible -- to lose weight. Find out if you or your practitioners are falling prey to the most common thyroid pitfalls, which are covered in this helpful online guide. Among the common thyroid pitfalls are:

Calcium and Iron
Rushing into RAI
Weight Gain
Undertreatment
Overlooking the Autoimmune Connection
Hair Loss
Forgetting To Take Your Medicine
Smoking
Too Much Soy, Too Much Fluoride
Not Being an Empowered, Informed Patient

Read About the "Common Thyroid Pitfalls" Now!

STUDIES SAY ATKINS DIET WORKS

The Atkins diet has been around for 31 years, and in those more than three decades, it has taken quite a bit of abuse by the medical establishment. But this month, the publication of two favorable studies in the New England Journal of Medicine have moved Atkins further into the mainstream of weight loss approaches. The two studies were some of the first to look at the low-carbohydrate approach pioneered by Atkins for more than 90 days, in comparison to low-fat diets. The studies showed that while the Atkins approach was slightly more effective for weight loss, it was associated with greater improvements in blood fats known as triglycerides, which contribute to atherosclerosis and heart disease. One study also found that those who followed the Atkins approach for a year also raised their levels of HDL cholesterol, which helps prevent atherosclerosis. These research findings have challenged the assumption that a higher-fat diet such as the Atkins approach would raise LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol. Experts are calling for longer studies to determine whether the improvements in blood fats last, and whether there are other longer-term risks to the diet.

If you're interested in jumping in to the Atkins approach full-force, get the Dr. Atkins' Three-Book Package, which features his book, The New Diet Revolution, the New Diet Cookbook and New Carb Gram Counter. This 3-book package is only $27.90 at Amazon.com, with FREE shipping!

Or, dip your toe in the water with a paperback copy of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution ($7.99 at Amazon.com.)

IS COCONUT OIL A THYROID AND DIET CURE?

The May 20, 2003 issue of Woman's World featured a story "The New Thyroid Cure," claiming that coconut oil can "cure" your hypothyroidism and ensure rapid weight loss. I asked Dr. Ken Woliner to tell us whether it's too good to be true. Get the scoop now!

THYROID DIET/WEIGHT LOSS POLLS

HOW MUCH WEIGHT DID YOUR THYROID MAKE YOU GAIN?
Some doctors say you won't gain more than a few pounds, but some patients vehemently disagree. How much weight do YOU think your thyroid condition caused you to gain? Tell us now!

WHAT DIET IS MOST EFFECTIVE FOR YOU TO LOSE WEIGHT?
Is it low-carb, low-cal, low-sugar, no-grain, metabolic typing, vegetarian, an in-person program, or an online program? Find out what's working right now for thyroid patients who want to lose weight! Vote now, and see the results!

HOW IMPORTANT IS EXERCISE TO YOUR WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS?
Do you need to hop on the treadmill every day very day or you gain, or can you avoid all exercise and still lose weight if you eat properly? Contribute your perspective, and find out what other thyroid patients think.

CONSUMER GROUP WARNS AGAINST ARMOUR THYROID

In an article heavy on accusations and short on fact, the May, 2003 issue of Public Citizen's Worst Pills, Best Pills newsletter disguises a shoddy, poorly researched and misguided opinion piece as analysis, and rehashes the tired old arguments against Armour Thyroid. What went wrong with this supposed consumer right champion, why do they think you shouldn't take Armour, and what can and should you do about it? Read the article now.

SUSPECT SALADS: LETTUCE MAY BE TOXIC TO YOUR THYROID

New research has shown that lettuce grown in the fall and winter months in Southern California or Arizona -- providing much of the lettuce Americans eat all winter -- may contain higher levels of toxic rocket fuel byproduct, perchlorate, than is considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the Environmental Working Perchlorate can cause thyroid problems, and is of particular concern to unborn children. Are you, your family and thyroid health at risk simply from eating salads? Find out now.

THYROID DRUG RECALLS

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued recalls for certain Levothroid products, made by Forest Pharmaceuticals, particular batches of Levoxyl, made by King Pharmaceuticals, and Forest's Thyrolar. For information on recalls, see:

THYROID AUTOIMMUNITY, HYPOTHYROIDISM, INFERTILITY AND PREGNANCY

Researchers have found that there is a very definite connection between thyroid autoimmunity, hypothyroidism and infertility, as well as abnormalities during pregnancy. Among the findings, thyroid autoimmunity can affect fertility, miscarriage rates, and complications, even when thyroid function is normal. (Read the full story in the print newsletter*).

Source: Poppe K, et. al. "Thyroid autoimmunity and hypothyroidism before and during pregnancy," Hum Reprod Update 2003 Mar-Apr;9(2):149-61

STUDY DEFINITIVELY LINKS EXCESS WEIGHT AND CANCER

There's no question anymore -- being overweight increases not only the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, gallbladder disease and other conditions -- but now it's official -- it also increases your risk of developing cancer.

A 16-year study just published by the American Cancer Society showed that a variety of different types of cancer, including cancers of the colon, rectum, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, ovary, cervix, liver and prostate, and multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, are all linked to being overweight or obese.

Overall, the research found that the heaviest men had death rates from all cancers that were 52 percent higher, and the heaviest women had death rates 62 percent higher than among people of normal weight.

The study estimates that 90,000 cancer deaths each year could be prevented if all adults maintained normal body weights. The authors of the study concluded that being overweight or obese could account for 14 percent of all deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of those in women.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, April 24, 2003

ADRENAL FATIGUE/ADRENAL EXHAUSTION

Adrenal fatigue may be the reason that you don't feel well, despite your thyroid treatment. If you are continuing to experience fatigue, low energy, poor stamina, and little resistance to stress and infection, you may be adrenally exhausted. Find out the signs and symptoms, and the treatments.

SHOULD SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM BE TREATED?

At a presentation of the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP) in April, one expert reported that subclinical hypothyroidism should be treated. (Read the full story in the print newsletter*).

*HOW TO READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT NEWSLETTER

Full length versions of all the stories that are marked as "Read the full story in the print newsletter"are featured in the May/June issue of "Sticking Out Our Necks: Print Edition." This newsletter is available only to paid subscribers. If you order by June 15th, you can still get the March/April issue, AND a FREE GIFT -- the 8-page Thyroid News Roundup. A one year subscription to Sticking Out Our Necks is only $25. To order securely online right now, go to: http://www.thyroid-info.com/subscribe.htm.

If you are not receiving the Sticking Out Our Necks bimonthly print newsletter, you are missing out on essential thyroid news. Plus, if you subscribe now, you'll receive the free 8-page "In-Depth Thyroid News Roundup Report," which features 45 news reports on thyroid disease, with research references. To subscribe, go to: http://www.thyroid-info.com/subscribe.htm. A one year subscription is only $25. Order securely online now, with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover, or via mail/phone/fax (Visa and MasterCard only). For information about subscribing see http://www.thyroid-info.com/subscribe.htm or call 1-888-810-9471.

Order online now, securely, using Visa, Mastercard, American Express or your Discover card, via secure processing with CCNow, and receive a year's subscription (6 bimonthly 12-page issues), plus the special 8-page Thyroid News Roundup Report, which features 45 important thyroid-related news stories!

Free Special Report When You Order Now!

Some of the important news stories included in the free 8-page "In-Depth Thyroid News Roundup Report," include:

A Third of Patients Become Obese After RAI
Overweight Frequently Have Undetected Endocrine Problems
Low-Calorie Diets Cause Reduced Thyroid Function
T3 Treatment for Obesity?
Hyperthyroidism Increases Carbohydrate Cravings
Obesity and Hyperthyroidism Linkage Explored
Thyroid Disease and Its Effects on Blood Pressure
Iodine Use During Pregnancy
Gluten Sensitivity and Loss of Balance/Coordination
Thyroid Linked to Vitiligo
Subclinically Hypothyroid Women With Infertility and/or Menstrual Problems Should Receive Treatment
Thyroid Hormone Treatment Can Help Subclinical Hypothyroidism
New Cause of Congenital Hypothyroidism Discovered
Calcification and Solitary Nodules Present Greater Risk of Cancer
Head And Neck Cancers Rising Among U.S. Kids
T3 after Thyroidectomy or Prior to Thyroid Cancer Scan May be Unnecessary
Graves' Disease With Thyroid Cancer
Relapse Rates After Antithyroid Drugs for Graves' Disease
Total Thyroidectomy Recommended As Standard Graves' Treatment Outside U.S. Controversies Over RAI Examined
Effects of Suppressive Goiter Treatment on Osteoporosis Risk
Moderately Low TSH May Point to Nodular Disease
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Can Show Up As Knee Pain
Cigarette Smoking and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
New England Journal Researchers Followup on T3 Use
T4 Plus T3 Best Achieves Normal Levels in Blood and Tissues
Thyroid Surgery Under Local Anesthesia?

SUBSCRIBE NOW!!

A one year subscription is only $25. Order online now, securely, using Visa, Mastercard, American Express or your Discover card, via secure processing with CCNow, and receive a year's subscription (6 bimonthly 12-page issues), plus the special 8-page Thyroid News Roundup Report, which features 45 important thyroid-related news stories! Newsletter Order Information Page

HOW YOUR EMOTIONS DETERMINE YOUR WEIGHT

by Shawn LeBrun, Personal Trainer

Have you ever had a time in your life when everything was going well and you felt really good about yourself?

Chances are, you were hitting the gym with regularity and getting your daily walk or run in as well.

You felt confident and happy and as a result, you enjoyed the process of getting fit.

On the flip side, has there ever been a time in your life where things were going so badly that the last thing on your mind was working out and getting in shape.

The physical shape you are in is a direct result of your emotional shape.

Trying to achieve optimum physical fitness when you are not happy with your life is like trying to dig yourself out of a hole:

You do not get very far.

How you feel at any given time about yourself and what's going on in your life influences what type of physical shape you are going to be in.

When you are sad or depressed, often times food is a comfort that allows you to forget about the problems for a brief time.

Unfortunately, when all the food is consumed, you are still left with those same problems.

When you are happy and feeling like things are great, food is just thought of as fuel and sustenance and not comfort.

When you're generally happy, you do not eat just to fill a void, you eat just enough to satisfy your hunger.

When you are sad, you eat just to feel better.

So how do you get yourself on a roll and have piece of mind that allows you to enjoy the process of getting in shape?

You have to start focusing on all the areas of your life that need improving and be willing to take the steps to change them.

When you start feeling better about other areas of your life, you also start thinking of ways to get into shape.

You're also more likely to start doing those things and keep doing those things that will help you reach your fitness goals.

When you're happy, you actually enjoy the process of working out or going for a run.

When you're sad, exercise is the last thing you feel like doing because your body is in a depressed and sluggish state.

You need a period of time in your life where you're willing and able to workout regularly and invest in your fitness.

You must also have piece of mind and be generally happy about where your life is.

Take out some blank pieces of paper.

At the top of one, write FINANCES.

Another write CAREER.

Another write RELATIONSHIPS.

Yet another write HEALTH & FITNESS.

Another write SPIRITUAL.

Of course, these are just a few of the headings you can have, but at the top of each piece of paper, write out the important areas of your life.

Now, under each heading, write out what you want to achieve in each area and what you would have to do to accomplish it.

For example, if under CAREER you wrote "Find a new job" you then would write down "Typing out resume, sending out applications, going for interviews, etc.."

What you're doing is identifying the areas in your life you're unhappy with and you're taking the steps to change them.

When you begin to take action to change the areas of your life you are unhappy about, you'll soon start to feel better about yourself.

When that happens, you'll also start to make better choices about your fitness approach and what you have to do to change your body.

When you're happy in most of the areas in your life, the process of getting into shape will not be far behind.

Trying to get into shape when you are depressed and unhappy is virtually impossible.

If you do achieve it, it most likely will not be long-term.

So make the commitment to yourself that you're going to look at the areas of your life that you want to improve and start taking action to change them.

As you gather momentum, you'll also begin feeling better about exercise and eating better.

It's so much easier to get in shape, lose weight, or be healthy when you're generally happy and feeling good about yourself.

* * * * *

Shawn Lebrun Fitness has one mission--to help you lose fat, gain lean muscle, and get your best body ever! Sign up for the web's most informative fitness FREE newsletter! http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/weight-loss-plan.html

HOW TO BREAK OUT OF A WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU

by Renee Kennedy

What is a weight loss plateau?

You are on a diet, but you reach a period of time (two or more weeks) where you can't seem to lose any weight. Your weight may actually fluctuate 3 lbs up or down, but you can't seem to break below this range.

You can experience a weight loss plateau for different reasons:

1. You are consuming too many calories for the amount of calories that you are burning off.

2. You are not consuming enough calories; your body defends itself by slowing down your metabolism.

First, you need to determine if you are experiencing a plateau or if your weight is in a state of normal fluctuation.

Weigh yourself once per week. If you have not lost any weight after 3 weeks, you've hit a plateau.

Remember, people lose weight at different rates. If you've lost even one pound after three weeks, you are still losing weight and probably don't need to change anything. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it will be to lose weight.

Second, if you are experiencing a plateau, look at your current diet and exercise patterns. The NutriCounter can function as a measurement tool to see how many calories you are consuming each day. http://www.nutricounter.com

It will also help you determine if you are eating the appropriate amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. You should also keep an exercise journal that will help you determine how much exercise you are getting each day.

Here are some patterns that you may need to break. (Note: before trying any of the methods below, get your doctor's advice. This is especially important if you have special dieting needs.)

1. You should be eating at least 1200 calories a day if you are a woman and 1500 calories per day if you are a man. If you restrict your calories too much your body will start stockpiling fat because it thinks you are starving.

2. You may try to break a plateau by decreasing the percentage of carbohydrates and increasing the percentage of protein that you intake each day.

3. Another common recommendation is not to mix your protein and carbohydrates. If you have a protein breakfast, wait 2-3 hours before resuming your balanced meals.

4. Generally speaking, you should be exercising no more than 1 hour per day. However, ask yourself if your fitness routine is intense enough? Simply walking around the block for 15 minutes a day may not be enough for you. Each person is different. Also, walking around the block may have been an excellent exercise when you first started to lose weight, but it may not be enough now that you've hit a plateau.

5. If you have recently added a fitness regimen to help you lose weight, you may experience a slight weight gain for the first few weeks, especially if part of that routine involves weight lifting. This can be a very frustrating experience. If you are engaged in an intense workout regimen, it may help to measure yourself with a measuring tape, rather than the scale. You will be putting on muscle and muscle will burn more calories than fat, but it's also heavier.

6. If you are already on a low calorie diet and you are sticking to it, then it is not recommended that you cut out any more calories. Increasing your activity is really the key to breaking out of a plateau. However, if you are "supposed" to be on a low calorie diet but you are not sticking to it, well, the answer is obvious: you need to stick to it.
* * * * *
Visit the NutriCounter web site for more information on how nutrition and fitness influence weight loss, diabetes, pregnancy, heart disease and more! http://www.nutricounter.com

BLUEBERRIES AND VINAIGRETTE MAKE SALMON SALAD SPARKLE

Bright colors and cool flavors come together in a healthy, easy main-dish salad. Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette is a palette of colors from juicy blueberries, grilled salmon, bright greens and red onion marinated in red wine vinegar.

The vinaigrette in this recipe has much less oil than most. The smooth taste of the red wine vinegar gives the salad just the right amount of tang.

Scatter on plenty of blueberries for color and flavor as well as a nutrition boost from health-promoting antioxidants.

Salmon and Blueberry Salad with Red Onion Vinaigrette
1 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced in half rings
1/4 cup Regina red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
11/2 pounds salmon fillet, cut crosswise in 4 portions
6 cups lettuce leaves in bite-sized pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries

In a microwaveable cup, combine onion, red wine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper; cover loosely with plastic wrap; microwave on high power for 1 minute. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until onions turn pink, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler. Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on both sides of the salmon fillets; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill or broil salmon, skin side down, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Divide lettuce leaves among 4 dinner plates; place salmon in the center. With a slotted spoon, remove onions from vinegar; scatter onions, along with the blueberries, over and around the fish. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the vinegar mixture; drizzle vinaigrette over salmon.

YIELD: 4 portions

TAKE FIVE SMALL STEPS TO PREVENT DIABETES

Almost 16 million Americans are well on their way to developing diabetes-and most don't even know it. They have a condition called pre-diabetes, which means their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet diabetic. The good news is there is now scientific proof that they can delay or prevent the disease and its devastating complications.

The key to diabetes prevention is taking small steps toward living a healthier life, according to the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Everyone can benefit from the rewards of avoiding diabetes and its serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, or losing a foot or leg.

The Diabetes Prevention Program's Clinical Trial, a landmark study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, showed that people with pre-diabetes lowered their risk of developing diabetes by more than half by getting 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week and losing five to seven percent of their body weight.

If you are over 45 and overweight, you are at increased risk for pre-diabetes. Here are five small steps you can take today to live a healthier life and prevent or delay diabetes:

1. Find out if you are at risk: The first step is to find out if you are at risk for diabetes or if you have pre-diabetes. Talk to your health care provider at your next visit. One test that can help, in addition to a blood glucose, is the Hemoglobin A1C. You can even get your own HA1C test done at home. See http://www.thyroid-info.com/hometests.htm for information on Biosafe's FDA-approved home test kits.

2. Set realistic goals: You don't have to knock yourself out to delay or prevent diabetes. Start by making small changes. For example, try to get 15 minutes of physical activity a day this week. Each week add five minutes until you build up to the recommended 30 minutes a day, most days.

3. Make better food choices: Try to eat more fruits and vegetables (five to nine servings a day), beans, and grains. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Choose grilled or baked foods instead of fried.

4. Record your progress: Write down everything you eat and drink. Keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off. Review this diary with your health care provider.

5. Keep at it: Making even modest lifestyle changes can be tough in the beginning. Try adding one new healthy change a week. Always get back on track, even if you fall off a few times. The key is just to keep at it.

If you have pre-diabetes, the NDEP has information to help you. To get a free copy of "Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your Game Plan for Preventing type 2 Diabetes," call 1-800-438-5383 or visit the NDEP website at http://www.ndep.nih.gov.

Source: NAPSI

WEIGHT LOSS ARTICLES

YOUR FAT CELLS ARE LISTENING
If you keep telling your body it is FAT, it will continue to be fat for you. How can you change the tune your fat cells are hearing? Energy therapist Carol Tuttle has some wonderful advice.

LOSING WEIGHT BY FINDING TIME
How can you make changes in your diet when you have such a busy schedule and so many things to do? Find out from psychologist Dave Junno why one hour a day is all it takes to make the difference to your life, and your weight loss efforts! Find out now!

GOING BACKWARD TOWARDS SUCCESS WITH HEALTHIER LIVING
What do you do when you're making an effort to watch your diet or exercise, and you hit a wall. You eat some junk food, or skip a day of exercise, and can't get back on track. When you find yourself unable to move forward, what can you do? Go backward, says psychologist, Dave Junno. Find out his secret.

PAYING ATTENTION FOR HEALTHIER LIVING
Are you finding yourself on automatic pilot, and not paying attention to routines and habits that affect your health? Discover these three ways to help make healthier choices, from psychologist Dave Junno.

FROM GYM TO SWIM: HOW TO TURN INDOOR EXERCISES INTO A WATER WORKOUT
So it's too hot to walk or run outside in the summer, you say? Don't feel like riding a bike or playing tennis in the heat? Do you want to enjoy your outdoor summer exercise without that sweaty, sticky feeling? Hop into the pool, and get a great workout says fitness expert Maia Appleby!

7 DAYS OF TRANSFORMATION
Can you transform yourself in just a week? Personal empowerment coach Sibyl McLendon gives you a 7-day program that can help you focus your energy, and making lasting and important changes in your life. Explore the topic now!

MERCOLA'S NO-GRAIN DIET IS AVAILABLE -- WITH FREE E-COOKBOOK

Dr. Joseph Mercola's first major book, The No-Grain Diet, has hit the bookshelves, and is already proving to be popular with readers, including thyroid patients. I've read the book, and it is an excellent addition to any thyroid or autoimmune patient's library of health books! It has excellent information that can help you determine the best way you should eat to optimize your metabolism, feel your best, and lose weight. The book is already an Amazon.com bestseller, and has become a huge success across America.

Dr. Mercola is running a special No-Grain Diet contest, offering some incredible prizes. You can help spread his vision to change the medical paradigm in the process -- and get a complimentary copy of a new e-cookbook loaded with healthy recipes! Just visit the No-Grain Diet home page to find out more about the contest and how to participate.

ARE YOU READY to try the No-Grain Diet? Order a copy now from Amazon.com, and pay only $17.47, which is a $7.48 -- 30% -- savings off the cover price of $24.95.

SAVE MORE & FREE SHIPPING! And if you want to save even more money, and deal a one-two punch to the forces that are preventing you from feeling and living well, then add in a copy of my latest book, Living Well With Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know, Order Now! for only $10.47, a $4.48 -- 30% -- savings off the cover price of $14.95. You'll get both books, AND free shipping from Amazon.com!

ATTN: NEW JERSEY DIETERS! CURVES FOR WOMEN FITNESS OPENS IN CARTERET

A new branch of Curves, one of the hottest and fastest growing fitness facilities’ in the nation, opened Monday, May 19 at 771 Roosevelt Avenue in the Carteret Shopping Center in Carteret, New Jersey. Over 1 million women are using Curves to stay or get in shape in a positive, reinforcing environment of just women. The Curves system offers a complete aerobic and strength workout, built around easy-to-use hydraulic resistance machines. Curves specializes in a fast, in-out workout, and I've been getting many reports from thyroid patients who are having great success with the Curves' cost-effective, fast and supportive approach to exercise, along with their diet suggestions. The new Curves happens to be owned and managed by my cousin, Connie Raymond. According to Connie: “With great determination, healthy eating and regular visits to Curves, you can make significant progress in losing weight and shedding inches.” More information is available by visiting the Curves Web site at www.curvesinternational.com or emailing carteretcurves@aol.com. Or you can call Connie at the Carteret Curves at (732) 541-7880.

INSIDE MARY SHOMON'S MEDICINE CABINET

Find out what thyroid medicine I take, as well as my daily supplements and vitamins, what I take to fight colds and flus, things that help with weight loss, enhance energy, and help hair and skin. Open Mary's Medicine Cabinet Now!

START LOSING WEIGHT NOW! REVISED "THYROID DIET SUCCESS GUIDE" PUBLISHED

Thousands of people have already ordered their copies of the "Thyroid Diet Success Guide,” and people are reporting that the low-glycemic approach featured in the guide is helping them slowly and safely lose weight.

Thousands of people have already ordered their copies of the "Thyroid Diet Success Guide," and people are reporting that the low-glycemic approach featured in the guide is helping them slowly and safely lose weight. And now, I've updated the guide for 2003!!

Just a few of the key features in the updated and revised 35-page Guide include:

Is Your Thyroid Causing Your Weight Problem
Weight Loss Requirement: Optimizing Your Thyroid
Common Questions About Thyroid and Weight Loss
Do Your Doctor's Mistakes Stop You From Losing Weight
The Habits of Successful Weight Loss
Menstrual Cycle Linked to Weight Loss
Weight Loss Secrets for Thyroid Patients
The Thyroid/Weight Loss Connection - Some Theories
How To Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism
Stevia for Sweetening
Thyroid Diet Newsbriefs
Nuts for Nuts: Can They Help your Diet?
Weight Loss Success: How I Lost 25 Pounds in 12 Weeks
Choosing a Good Protein Bar
Dieting for the Disinhibited: "Am I Really Hungry?"
How Much Weight Do You Need to Lose?
The Ultimate Thyroid Exercise Program
Seeing Results with Weight Loss and Exercising
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Overview

The "Thyroid Diet Success Guide" features a diet plan that you can follow, and specific information on exercises, and many other tips and resources. The Success Guide will help you get on the right track, with information that has actually helped other thyroid patients -- including me -- to effectively lose weight!

Order online now, securely, using Visa, Mastercard, American Express or your Discover card, via secure processing with CCNow.

DISCOUNT FOR ONLINE ORDERING!
US ORDERS: $12, plus $2 shipping and handling, for U.S. online orders
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NOTES FROM MARY: A TECHNIQUE THAT WORKS TO CHANGE HEALTH & EMOTIONS

I know you're going to think I'm losing my mind. Because I truly can't explain how or why the technique I'm going to tell you about works. Frankly, when I first read about the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) at Dr. Joseph Mercola's website, I thought he'd lost HIS mind! Tapping on the head and face points on the body to change emotions, or even health issues? It sounded ridiculous...

But I'd heard from a few people who had good experiences with EFT, and so I decided it was worthwhile to at least review the concept of EFT. I figured I could look into it, quickly determine that it was worthless, and move on to something else. Instead, I ended up becoming more interested...

EFT was created and pioneered by Gary Craig over a decade ago. It's based on the same general concepts that acupuncture and acupressure rely on -- that energy that flows through the body and regulates our health can be channeled and directed to places where it is most needed, physical AND emotional. As a fan of acupuncture, I figured I couldn't totally dismiss the idea, but it sounded pretty wacky, to be honest.

The way Dr. Mercola and other practitioners describe it, EFT is a sort of a psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, tapping with the fingertips is used to input energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest, while at the same time you think about your specific problem - whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, a craving, pain, etc. -- and you voice positive affirmations. This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation is meant to clear the "short-circuit" - the emotional block -- from your body's bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body's balance.

All right, sounds a little bit far out there...but again, I wasn't going to completely write it off until I had a bit more information.

So I had an opportunity to review Dr. Mercola's DVD course on EFT. After watching for about an hour, I was still convinced that it was fairly nuts. But I'd watched him walk through the technique several times on the DVD, and try it on various volunteers that were taped at one of his in-person seminars, and decided that before I spent any more time viewing, I would try the EFT technique myself.

My objective? To treat an incredibly annoying eye tic that had been plaguing me for months. This irritating tic in my left eye started almost as soon as I woke up in the morning, and there it went, tic tic twitch twitch, all day long until I went to sleep. Nothing seemed to help it, and I was seriously thinking about going in to my doctor to have a shot of Botox put into it to calm down the muscle, as it was causing headaches and eye strain. As I watched the DVD, the eye was twitching and tic-ing away -- quite irritatingly.

So after watching for about an hour, I had mastered the tapping spots for EFT, and figured out an affirmation that fit with my eye tic problem, and followed the process, which took less than a minute. I stopped. I waited for the tic to start back up. No tic. I waited for a few minutes, full expecting the tic to pick back up. No tic. I went back to watching the DVD, fully expecting that once I diverted my attention from the tic, it would come right back. I watched for another hour, and no tic. Three months later, it still hasn't come back.

A few weeks later when some heart palpitations were bothering me (I have mitral valve prolapse) I again thought about the EFT technique. I'd taken a beta blocker, and done some relaxation exercise, and nothing was helping. I tried EFT, and within minutes, my palpitations were gone. I've now also used the EFT to also successfully deal with a craving for chocolate, and for stress. I've used it on my husband, and child, for assorted ailments and stressors. And it worked every time.

And guess what -- my eye tic STILL hasn't returned since that first attempt at EFT.

You can learn how to do EFT simply by reading the free manual at Dr. Mercola's site, you don't need to watch the DVDs or videos, as I did.

But if you want to really delve into it more fully, the DVD or videos really can take you to the next level and get the 5 Video Tape Set, or 5 Disc Digitally-Enhanced DVD Set, for only $97.00 plus $10 shipping and handling.

Order the 5 Video Set or the 5 DVD Set

You also have a one-year, no questions asked, money-back guarantee from Dr. Mercola himself, so it's a no-risk situation.

I know some of you are going to write to me and tell me I'm definitely headed for Looney-Land ;-) -- and as I did, you are going to think that on first glance, EFT sounds pretty crazy. But seriously, I would feel as if I was doing a disservice if I didn't share information about something that really worked -- even if it sounds a bit off!

Coming next month:

A look at the popular "DietPower" computer program
In-depth info on Pilates

In the meantime, live well,

-- Mary

All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting a new treatment program. Please see our full disclaimer.

Sticking Out Our Necks and this website are © Copyright Mary Shomon, 1997-2006. All rights reserved. Mary Shomon, Editor/Webmaster
All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting a new treatment program. Please see our full disclaimer.