WHAT'S YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION? ~5 EASY TIPS~

The News sure is interesting today! There's a 36 year old woman missing off a cruise ship, the CIA is using Viagra to fight Afghanistan, and a crazy guy in a Santa suit shot his ex-wife and all of his in-laws on Christmas Eve then he shot himself (I guess he didn't watch "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve, like we did). Now that's a sad story. Too bad Clarence couldn't have talked some sense into him! They are also saying on Fox News that heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and that getting more sleep can help combat it (hmmm....they didn't mention exercise and eating right). What's your New Year's Resolution? More sleep? More exercise? Eat right? All three? Remember, you shape the course of your own life. Your choices determine your health, happiness, and also your HOPE! What choices can you make to steer you toward success in 2009? 1. Join an exercise class and introduce yourself to the Instructor. Make sure she/he knows your name. Introduce yourself to some of the class members. 2. Don't go grocery shopping hungry. Always go when you are in a good mood too! Bad choices at the grocery store will follow you home and end up on your waistline! 3. Get involved in a group that does something positive. A ladies bible study group, a group that tutors children with reading problems after school, a homeless shelter, or orphanage. Even if you participate only 1 hour every month, it's better than nothing, and your participation will lift your spirits, which helps promote better health (and weight loss!) 4. Go to the doctor. Get a complete blood profile done and have the doctor go over the results with you. Make sure your cholesterol and triglycerides are normal. 5. Keep your fat grams below 20% of total calories. Saturated fat should be less than half of total fat. I haven't met any woman yet who can eat more than 40 grams of fat per day and still lose weight. You must keep your fat grams between 20 and 40 for weight loss. Your body NEEDS fat for proper functioning, so do not cut fat out altogether. Try to make sure most of your fat is healthy fat (olive oil, salmon, walnuts, for example). Read this article on good fats: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/good-fat-bad-fat-facts-about-omega-3 I HOPE THESE 5 TIPS HELP YOU WITH YOUR NEW YEAR'S FITNESS RESOLUTIONS! YOUR FITNESS COACH, Anita Stone p.s. I hope you like my Christmas Bell below! Follow Me: http://www.twitter.com/anitastone FIND ME ON THE WEB: www.superfoodvideos.com www.anitastone.qassia.com www.timetogetfit.blogspot.com www.superexercisevideos.com http://profile.to/anitastone Facebook http://digg.com/users/seeme4fitness www.timetogetfit.biz (Makeover Story) www.myspace.com/videofitnesscoach www.timetogetfitrecipes.blogspot.com http://www.mytalk.at/my/anitastone.php www.videofitnesscoach.com (Enroll now!) www.flickr.com/people/videofitnesscoach www.groups.myspace.com/videofitnesscoach http://groups.podclass.com/Diet-and-Exercise www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/seeme4fitness www.socialauthority.ning.com/profile/videofitnesscoach www.squidoo.com/donotdiet (Please visit and give Squidoo some stars!) www.bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/seeme4fitness (Bodybuilding.com page) http://www.yoursqueezepage.com/displayPage.php?id=10248 (Podcast page) MERRY CHRISTMAS

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FDA WARNS ABOUT DIET PILLS

MEMBERS! Read this important notice from the FDA!

HealthwatchWASHINGTON (AP) ― If you're looking for a little help shedding extra pounds after the holidays, the government is warning you to stay away from nearly 30 weight-loss products that contain unlisted and possibly dangerous ingredients.

The pills are advertised as "natural" fat busters and have intriguing names like Imelda Perfect Slim and Zhen de Shou. Some are touted as new versions of "ancient remedies" from Asia. They may promise an easy fix to weight problems, but the Food and Drug Administration on Monday said the concoctions contain unlisted ingredients, including high doses of a powerful anti-obesity drug, as well as a suspected carcinogen.

"When consumers are buying these products online, we're telling them that if it sounds too good to be true, it is likely to be too good to be true," said Michael Levy, an FDA lawyer who works on enforcement issues.

FDA lab testing found 28 dietary supplements that could land unsuspecting users in the emergency room. Most of the diet pills appear to be coming from China. They are mainly sold on the Internet.

Nearly all of the pills contain sibutramine, a powerful appetite suppressant that's a chemical cousin of amphetamines. It can cause heart attacks, strokes and heart palpitations, especially in people with a history of high blood pressure or heart problems.

Sibutramine is also the chemical ingredient in the prescription drug Meridia, which is used to treat obesity. But FDA testing found that some of the diet pills contain nearly three times the recommended daily dose.

Several of the pills contain phenolphthalein, a chemical long used as a laxative, but which is now being withdrawn from the market because of cancer risks.

None of the supplements lists the dangerous ingredients on the label. "Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that can cause serious health consequences," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, head of the FDA's drug evaluation center.

The FDA is considering criminal charges against some of the companies, because they have not responded to requests for recalls.

The products are:
Fatloss Slimming, 2 Day Diet, 3x Slimming Power, 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming, 3 Day Diet Japan Lingzhi, 24 Hours Diet, 7 Diet Day/Night Formula, 7 Day Herbal Slim, 8 Factor Diet, 999 Fitness Essence, Extrim Plus and GMP.

Also: Imelda Perfect Slim, Lida DaiDaihua, Miaozi Slim Capsules, Perfect Slim, Perfect Slim 5x, Phyto Shape, ProSlim Plus, Royal Slimming Formula, Slim 3 in 1, Slim Express 360, Slimtech, Somotrin, Superslim, TripleSlim, Zhen de Shou, Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. http://cbs11tv.com/health/fda.diet.pills.2.893311.html

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New Hampshire Public Television's LiveFIT Program for Kids

By Rachel M. CollinsDecember 04, 2008

Playing with Frisbees, jump ropes, basketballs and hula hoops, New Hampshire students — like those in St. Mary Academy's third- and fourth-grades — are discovering how easy it is to get exercise.
"The kids had a chance to see that they don't need a lot of expensive equipment to get exercise," said Linda Leonard, a teacher at St. Mary Academy in Dover. "It was just a really fun day for us."
That's because as part of New Hampshire Public Television's LiveFIT NH's community engagement project, the station is hosting school workshops, like the one at St. Mary Academy, that promote a healthier lifestyle.
"They brought in a lot of equipment that the kids might already have at home, then they played with it," Leonard said. "The children absolutely loved it."
Not only did the young students talk for days about what they had learned, Leonard said they also told of teaching their siblings what they had discovered and they took many of the games out to recess in the subsequent days.
"Here was something they could do without being part of a team or without a lot of practice," she said. "They learned a lot of things they could do just for fun."
Certainly the push of NHPTV's LiveFIT initiative begun in 2006 is to help keep the state's residents fit.
After all, the N.H. Child Advocacy Network has estimated that 22 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls in the Granite State are overweight.
Therefore, through television segments, educational and outreach activities and online resources, LiveFIT NH has been encouraging healthy eating and physical activity in an effort to curb obesity and promote a healthier lifestyle.
"It is a long-term challenge," said Heather Mason Herod, educational program coordinator at NHPTV. "We are averaging 2,500 to 3,000 unique visitors a month on our Web site so that's really terrific."
Those who have taken advantage of the NHPTV's offerings agree.
"Each child received a challenge or pledge card and we are encouraging them to do these activities with their families outside of the school environment," Leonard said. "We want them to know that just getting up and doing something can be fun."
After all, LiveFIT NH is focused on doing what it can to increase awareness of, and help reduce the incidence of, childhood obesity, which has become an epidemic in the United States.
Health experts say that obesity causes serious health complications, shortens lifespans and strains the nation's health-care system.
With its partner organizations statewide, NHPTV's approach, therefore, is comprehensive.
In addition to the workshops and online resources, the station is demonstrating through television segments ways that individuals, families, schools and communities can combat obesity trends.
A 16-part series airing since 2006 on N.H. Outlook, NHPTV's award-winning public affairs program, has addressed everything from mindless eating and aging and exercise to heart disease and stroke prevention. And these segments can be viewed online anytime at www.nhptv.org/outlook/live-fit-nh/.
In addition, NHPTV offers the LiveFIT NH Challenge, which promotes six actions and activities known to improve health — such as exercising moderately or vigorously 30 minutes a day and eating plenty of fresh vegetables.
To promote the challenges, NHPTV even offers on-air "Fit Tip" health breaks.
Another part of the LiveFIT NH Challenge is the Family Health Nights.
Presented around the state by NHPTV's Ready to Learn staff, these nights offer fun activities, resources and theme-related children's books, as well as workshops on nutrition, exercise and healthy family lifestyles for parents, educators and caregivers.
"Kindergarten-age children are not going to be preparing their own meals," said Lynn Zuccarelli Austin, who oversees the LiveFIT NH project. "These family-focused events show the adults that their choices do impact a child's health and well-being."
Topics often include choosing healthy snacks and school lunches.
"We ask them, 'When you have down time, is it sitting at a computer or are you going outside to run around for half an hour?'" Austin said. "'When you reach for a snack do you reach for an orange or an apple or do you reach for a shake and some cookies?'"
Then there is the Web site — which offers information about the project, the LiveFIT NH Challenge and special events, as well as links to state and national resources and partner organizations.
And the good news is that the LiveFIT NH project, which had been due to end in January, now will be continued for another two-year cycle thanks to the project partners and an initial $25,000 grant, Austin said.
That's good news for teachers like Leonard, who already has talked with Herod about doing another workshop with the students next year.
"The whole idea is to let the children know that they don't need to be part of an organized team or a big group to have fun and to exercise," she said. "There are things you can do in the back yard with just one or two friends."

And, whether they know it or not, they'll still be exercising.

Think you or your group should be profiled in Get off the Couch? Contact Rachel Collins at Rcollinsme@aol.com. GO & DO: Visit the LiveFIT NH Web site at www.nhptv.org/livefitnh/ to learn more about the workshops, television segments and challenges.