Newsletters, Caroline Sutherland

Have you ever dreamed about spending time in a completely different environment, stepping off the planet for a brief period of time and immersing yourself in a whole new culture? Well, dreams do come true!

My husband Gary and I spent 2 weeks in Europe earlier this month.
We visited England for a few days and then hopped over to France and spent 10 days in the "perfect French village." What magic to be part of village life.
We stayed in a delightful, quaint apartment in a walled city about an hour north of Nice. Sure we took a few side trips down to the Mediterranean coast, but we delighted in retreating to our own little piece of heaven among the charming narrow streets with open air cafes', the butcher where we bought fresh pate' and the grocery store where we bought farm fresh vegetables.
I got a chance to practice my rusty French which came alive after a few days.
We were a few steps away from the local 17th century cathedral where we witnessed the marriage of a young local couple and attended the most beautiful choral concert by an a-cappella choir from Nice.
We bought fresh olive oil from the local olive oil producer. And we took long walks into the hills around the village with stunning views of the Var River valley below.

One morning, we were awoken at 2:30am to the sound of barking of dogs and the clanging of hundreds of bells. We witnessed something truly magical - the "transhumance" or the transfer of thousands of sheep and goats from the farms in the region down into the valley, and then to be led up into the high pasture for 3 months of summer grazing and cheese making. It was a breathtaking sight in the wee hours of the night.

We enjoyed the food and were able to manage quite nicely on our "program." Goat cheese and various pates were in abundance. Everything is grown locally, fresh and organic. Everything tasted delicious. Chicken really tasted like chicken. Dishes were delightfully seasoned from local herbs of the region. Herbes de Provence, a mixture of basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and savory, is my favorite.

These are some of the items we enjoyed that you can make at home:

Cornish game hens brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt and rosemary. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Wrap 1 tablespoon of goat cheese (chevre works best) in a thin slice of prociutto, Italian cured ham. Drizzle with lots of olive oil. Dribble-y, drool-y and sensuous. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Cut 1 pound of zucchini into thick strips. Cut each strip in half. Saute in 6 tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence and just a hint of fresh grated nutmeg. Continue to saute until golden brown.
Leftovers? Add to your salad at lunch tomorrow.

Are you dreaming? Think about life in another country.

I have had a weight problem since I was 13 years of age. I have tried every type of diet out there - all of them ended up in failure.

Last July, nearly a year ago, I took a trip to Paris with my family.
I weighed 350 pounds.

With this kind of a weight problem, I had lived in my own little world - between work and my home. I existed within a small circle.
The trip to France posed new challenges and brought me face to face with my weight issues.

I made the decision on July 18th 2005 that I'd had enough. After barely being able to fit in an airplane seat, having great difficulty keeping up with my family in Paris, the severe pain in my massive body and the lack of energy and self esteem, just made me say - this is it!

With tears of pain and anguish pouring down my face in that Paris hotel, I made the decision to give up everything I loved - the ice cream, the garlic bread, the mashed potatoes and the chocolate. I figured that had to be the key. Lo and behold, the weight started to pour off.

Three months later in November, a friend gave me Caroline Sutherland's book, the Body Knows Diet - Cracking the weight Loss Code. I realized that the program that I was following was exactly what was outlined in this book only I didn't know why it was working. The Body Knows Diet brought me the missing pieces and the explanation why I had experienced a lifetime of cravings and why food allergies, yeast and hormone imbalances were the root of my problems.

Following this program has liberated me from food, and it has given me back my power and self-esteem. I feel good about myself.
A huge part of my success comes from listening - every night to Caroline's CD in the back of the book. I even listen to it during the day when I do my bead work.
The CD keeps me on track and motivated toward my goal weight of 160 pounds. I know I can do it.

I have now lost 98 pounds. I'm ecstatic! These are some of my successes:

I can now fit into a chair with arms, I can tie up my shoes, squat down, get up from the floor without crawling and I can even cross my legs for the first time in many years!

My blood pressure has returned to normal, I no longer have pain in my back and my legs. I used to have to go to bed when I came home from work - I was so exhausted. Now I have boundless energy and I can go out with my friends. I even took a boat cruise last week.

I had to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. I will have to do that again when I lose another 50 pounds. Last week, I bought a pair of pants with a zipper instead of an elastic waistband - that's a first!

When I took a bath, I used to put 6 inches of water in the bathtub and it would be full with my body in it. Now I can put 18 inches of water in the tub and fit into it very comfortably.

All these things are breakthroughs for me. They may seem small to you but to an overweight person, they are huge milestones. If I can do it, you certainly can.

Mimi Losier

Bellingham, WA -- September 14
Seattle, WA -September 16
Sacramento, CA - September 18
Carmel, CA-September 19-20
Santa Barbara, CA - September 22-24
Encinitas, CA - September 26
San Diego, CA - September 27
Carlsbad, CA - September 28
Portland, OR - October 13-15
Omaha, NE - October 20-22
Bellingham, WA - TRAINING October 27-29

Dr. Steven Ayre

I really admire medical doctors who have stepped out and bridged the gap between traditional western medicine and complementary approaches and I have had the delight in knowing and working with many such professionals during the course of my career.
Their level of dedication and commitment continues to inspire me.

The very best practitioner you can hope to have is someone who is familiar with both the traditional and non-traditional worlds.
Dr. Steven Ayre is a Chicago Area medical doctor who specializes in Insulin Potentiation Therapy. IPT is low- dose chemotherapy which works to maintain the integrity of the immune system without the usual side effects that accompany high dose chemotherapy  fatigue, nausea, hair loss etc.

Take a look at Dr. Ayres website and sign on for his very informative newsletter covering exciting research, complementary therapies for cancer. There are IPT doctors in many areas of the country and in other countries as well.

www.c ontemporarymedicine.net

I am constantly researching products that I believe will help you to achieve your health goals.
Summer is a great time to focus on getting healthy, cleansing and building up the immune system.

Cleansing the body and the arteries is something that each person should focus on at least once a year - especially after the age of forty!
More about this next month in my July newsletter.