From the beach, these five brought a smile to my face.
Their playfulness was not threatening and even though I had much to
learn about surfing,
still,
I paddled out, and hoped their silliness was contagious.

As I made my way across the stones,
and paddled towards the group,
I noticed something I had not seen,
from the beach.

They were not adolescents at all,
not even young adults.
This group of 60-ish men, were out there,
without a care in the world,
swimming, hanging ten, falling, and laughing.
Most of all, laughing.

We spoke very little, if at all,
but we laughed, and paddled, and floated, and tumbled
without a care in the world,
in a place so few go.

From the beach, I saw them,
and had I stayed with the sand under my toes,
and the blue line stretched out,
out of reach,
I would have never known their story,
and they would have never known mine.

Without a word, or care, or worry,
we managed, somehow, to communicate,
in a way that I would have never discovered,
from the beach.

Please visit www.fourleafclover.us for more essays, services, and life moments. Help support SurfAid by purchasing a Get Tide Bracelet or by pre-ordering postcards form the road, which will be available VERY soon. It will be available online at my home on the web, several local bookstores and at Amazon.

Spread the word!! four leaf clover is growing, and would love to continue to expand services and offerings. If you like the essays please help me grow by leaving thoughts, comments and overall love on the comment board, sharing this website with friends and family, and of course supporting the cause!

Thank you, Chris

There are several ways you can enjoy the day to the max and also show your children how to be safe and have a great time celebrating this wonderful tradition.

One of the best ways to make the loud bangs from the fireworks less scary is to pick a place that is close enough to see the fireworks, but far enough away where the bang is muffled or not heard at all. This will allow you time to explain what the fireworks stand for, and also explain when the loud noises may occur.

You may also want to “prepare” your small child for what is coming by showing them a fireworks display on You Tube or anywhere on the internet, a few days before. This may also get them excited to see the real deal!

Another great way to minimize the noise of fireworks is to have the children use earplugs of some kind. This will help minimize the shock of the bang and help to lessen the anxiety of the loud noise for little children, which will in turn, lessen your anxiety!

As tempting as it may be, it is usually a good idea to avoid home fireworks when small children are around. They can be dangerous and extremely scary to children.

The 4th of July weekend is a great time to relax, cook out, garden, catch some rays, take children to the playground and just enjoy the outdoors. It is important to remember what the holiday stands for, and share that message with children as well. Keep close to your heart those who serve in our military each and every day, and who do not have the option of keeping a safe distance. Honor them and use this special family time to send a message to the Universe to bring them all home safely, very, very soon.

Peace.

Is anyone going out? To a big bash? or do most people stay in? I think most people stay in where it’s safe and quiet, but maybe that’s just me…..

I hope no matter what festivities you participate in you all have a safe, wonderful night and a happy, prosperous new year!

I don’t know about you, but mine are a combination of things I can remember and ones I don’t think anyone else will. What’s strange to me is just how often I need to type one in. With that thought, I decided to change them all! Just like that.

I changed the random passwords to something that would make me stop, and think, and breathe. Instead of surf19 (just an example, lol) I could go with something like breathe4me. As often as I type them in, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give them a meaning, right?

I suggest everyone do that. It’s a simple act that will help remind us to do simple things, like breathe, relax, listen, give. The options are limitless and I have to admit, a little fun to think of.

If we are forced to secure everything from ATM’s, to emails, to facebook accounts and on and on, then I suggest, I even dare you, to make this worthwhile. Be good to yourself. (I also suggest you write them down in a secure place as we are creatures of habit and change can sometimes be challenging to remember!)

I wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful new year! Give yourself this small gift. Take this time to think of something that makes you smile, and every time you type it in you will smile again.

PEACE!

What I have come to realize lately though, is that no matter how far you go that unless you are having fun, and enjoying life, then it is really no fun at all. I guess you take you wherever you go. If you are unhappy, well that goes, and if you are sad, you take that on the plane too, and if you are lucky enough to be happy and at peace, well then that trip, will be the best.

Although I have enjoyed all of my travels, and wouldn’t trade them for the world, some of my best trips have happened within just a few hours of my own home. Although I have traveled to New Zealand, Santa Cruz, the Bahamas, Florida and many other great places, my greatest escape has been to a small beach in Rhode Island where I have been fortunate enough to paddle out against Mother Nature, myself, my Self and the great Atlantic.

In this very local, very cold, very rocky, mostly unknown break, I have worked out my feelings towards the Universe, the cold water and everything in between. I have been allowed to be someone else ever so briefly, every time I surf, I am not me. Every time I pull into the wet, bumpy parking lot of this unknown break I am granted a free pass to be someone else. For this brief time I can be whoever I want.

Me, is anxious, nervous, moody and not really willing to take chances. When I make this trip I get the chance to be someone else. I get to be someone who surfs in cold water in Block Island sound, in a rocky reef, with far better surfers than I will ever be. I get to be whatever and whoever I want, so I paddle out, take chances, and go home happy. As I stand on the shore I almost always, chicken out, almost. It takes everything in me to put my board in the water. I guess in that way I am not your average surfer. Unlike most, I pray for small waves, a calm break and very few witnesses. I pray for peace.

I have surfed the biggest waves in the world (and hit the beach with the wind knocked out of me and crying) and the smallest, (thanking God I lived) and felt the same general feeling each time. This time, this day, is mine. It is unlike any other and it is owned by me. After my day out in the surf, wind and cold I always find an Irish bar to celebrate my not drowning, with a cold Corona. My tales of the day are not grand. They are what they are and this makes me happy. Each time I sit back, enjoy new found friends, and breathe. I have done what is not natural to me and not only lived through it, but thrived on it. I have made my peace with my fears, my ghosts, and I have won. Today I am what I thought I would be.

As I drive home I wish, with all my heart, that the feeling would last forever, but I know it won’t. I know I must tempt fate, push the envelope and paddle when I’m scared and stand when I want to disappear to feel that I am alive.

I wonder if we all did this, went beyond our means, and lived outside the box (whatever that means), what the world would look like. At night, as I drift off to sleep I try to not only imagine this, but the many great days I have had out in the surf. Some would say that my greatest escape is neither great or an escape, but I would beg to differ. Unlike most days, my escapes provide an opportunity for me to live as I should, to the fullest extent of life. I go to the beach looking for peace and take from it energy, life and all that it has to offer. I take from it……well, I guess that is my secret. I will tell you this though, what I get out of it I take, it is not given, and it is between me and the ocean and She isn’t telling.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season. I hope you all find a small piece of time to enjoy your great escape, whatever it may be!

Merry Christmas!!

Christine Brooks
writer, small wave ambassador, grandma

I don’t want to give away too much just yet….but I hope you will all stay tuned for more information and details! I am VERY excited to have done, finally, what makes me happy, what I love, and what will hopefully, provide me with a living.

I thank you all for your support over the years and hope you will follow me on my journey!!

What would YOU like to read about? What questions do you have? Things you have wondered? Ideas you wished were in print…what is it that makes YOU tick?

Please, email or comment, I know I have a small amount of readers, but from you, I ask this…what is it that interests you?

I’m open to write about anything. What’s on your mind?

-Jerry Garcia

Because these islands exist independently and far from any access to the modern world, they are forced to use what little resources they have just to stay alive. Unfortunately the resources they do have are mainly limited to wood, red clay, coconut husk, and sand. Families mainly cook with wood inside their homes and due to poor ventilation the smoke fills the lungs of anyone who lives there. Mothers often cook with their babies at their hip, exposing both mother and child to the deadly smoke. A solution to this type of cooking is to educate them on how to cook with clay stoves.
Cooking on clay stoves can not only greatly reduce the risk of respiratory infection but they are also cleaner, more efficient and inexpensive to operate. The clay stoves can decrease the amount pollution and wood being used by over 50%. A smaller amount of wood is needed in the clay stoves, so natural resources that exist on these small islands can last longer.
The clay stoves can be built using the resources that are available on the island. The stoves can be made with red clay from the hill behind the village (from the tsunami temporary evacuation site), shredded coconut husk and sand from the nearby beach. Water is also added to create an adequate consistency. The clay stoves can be made fairly easily by piling up the wet sand to form the cavity inside the oven and then covering the sand with banana leaves to prevent the clay mixture from sticking to the sand. The mold can then be plastered over. The shredded coconut husks act as a binder and add strength to the mixture. When dry, the mixture of sand, clay and coconut is nearly impossible to pull apart. A serious drawback is the drying time. It can take nearly two months to dry completely due to the hot, humid island climate. Another issue is installing a proper chimney. With limited resources, a pipe chimney is economically out of the question, so one must be constructed from fired clay cones, which isn’t as good as a typical chimney but does prevent the smoke from being directly inhaled. Of course, the risk of fire to the dry bamboo and thatch is another ever present danger that must be closely monitored.
The Mentawai people exist in a model of change. With our help they can be educated and empowered to think, act and prosper within the sandy walls of their village. The potential benefits that could result from our efforts to develop and implement these clay stoves cannot be measured in terms of percentages or graphs. Thousands, if not millions, die each year due to indoor air pollution and the Mentawai islanders are no exception. They are faced with the challenge of not only burning and cooking with clean resources, but doing so in an environment that does not promote many alternatives.
The people of Mentawai and the villagers of Katiet have faced adversity that most of us will thankfully never confront. Tonight we are safe. We will cook in a clean oven free of poison. We will not inhale toxic fumes or watch those we love breathe in deadly poison. Tonight as we enjoy our meal we may forget those that we cannot see and probably will never meet. Set an empty place setting at your table though to remember them, for if we forget, sure enough an empty place setting will be at their table soon enough.

To contribute to this awesome cause please visit http://www.surfaidinternational.org/site/pp.asp?c=ekLPK4MOIsG&b=665821

I have a 5 step approach that will provide you a tighter, leaner tummy in just a few weeks. This is much different than other walks I have mentioned in previous newsletters….this is no Miracle Walk, or walk to find inner peace, or meet new people. This is serious. Well, at least serious for all but one day. It requires a definite commitment and will produce results. Spring is in the air and it is time to buckle down so we look and feel our absolute best for bathing suit season.

The first step is to walk for one hour per day. I know, I know…you are all saying ONE HOUR? That’s so much. Unfortunately I don’t make the rules…it will take one hour of walking to lose the fat we have gained over the cold, winter months (or warm winter months for those of you lucky enough to be in Hawaii or Florida!) According to the National Weight Control Registry (a database that registers thousands of people who have lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year) This Registry has found that “most of these successful individuals have used walking as their primary source of exercise and walk for at least an hour or more daily.” On a bright note, you don’t have to walk for 60 consecutive minutes, you can break it up into sessions of 2 or 3.

Step number Two: Walk seven days per week. As I have said, we are meant to move and keep moving so….MOVE IT! We are not designed to sit in front of the TV or computer (this is why we have back pain, neck pain, eye strain etc) On Day 7 though, we r e l a x. Take a nice leisurely stroll, relax, look at the scenery, listen to your music. You might be wondering how relaxation ties into weight loss. Many studies have shown that when people are stressed they gain weight in the abdominal area and have a more difficult time losing it. So, on Day 7 we can take our Miracle Walk, or day trip walk, or meditation walk. We must still walk, but this day is ours to walk as we like! (drop me a line or comment if you don’t know, or would like to know, what a Miracle Walk is)

The third step is to combine walking with abdominal exercises. I’m sure most, or all, of us know by now that we can’t spot reduce, but we can strengthen our ab muscles in combination with our cardiovascular routine. I recommend at least two days of ab exercises per week, and up to five days is great! On your off days remind yourself to sit up tall (just like Mom said), keep your back straight, and pull in those abdominals!

Step number four is to, as Emeril says, kick it up a notch!!! Two days per week pick up the intensity. If you want to burn more calories, you have to work harder! So as you walk, every few minutes add a power walk for a minute or so, return to normal pace and then power walk. Alternate this as much as possible until you can a dd a 3rd day of Intense Walking. BAM!

Step Five is my favorite and can’t be left out! Research has shown that variation in programs leads to faster results so here is where your personality shines through. How can I vary a walk you might ask? Well, here’s some thoughts:
-take a different route around the neighborhood, or take the same route but start where you would end and end where you would start
-break up your walks to include walks wherever you are…..lunch time walks around your office building, park walks while your kids play sports, take a couple extra laps around the grocery store etc.
-take the car…..to a destination like the park to walk
-wear a funny hat

Have fun with it, make it your own, just make sure it doesn’t become monotonous! For those of us in New England, the trees and flowers are beginning to bloom, take advantage of this and enjoy nature! Remind yourself that the trees and flowers blooming are our gentle reminder to get outside. They are blooming for us. The birds are coming home to sit in your bird feeders and they deserve our attention….in fact, the woodpecker outside my window this morning was demanding it! Breathe in the fresh air and breathe out your worries…BREATHE! This is very important…no holding your breath!

I know this sounds like a rigorous schedule, but you’re worth it!. It is necessary. It will give you results, help to lower your stress and keep you around a bit longer. And remember, if you don’t like your new body your old body is easy enough to get back!

Also remember to combine this routine with a proper diet and to get clearance from your physician if your health is in question

For the calories counters out there I have broken down an average meal for you:

a 3 oz. serving of corned beef 210 calories, 15 grams of fat (of that 5 saturated), and sodium is about 960 mg’s
cabbage-free
carrots -free
potato’s- mostly free
1 Guinness 210 calories, no fat

(* Guinness has less calories than most beers)

Now with that being said, it is certainly not the green light to overeat, over drink and skip exercising. It is a great weekend to enjoy the company of friends, watch parades, and get some fresh air! (and a few indulgences won’t hurt that much either!) I have included a few pointers on getting us through this weekend, and week, of merriment!

First, get some fresh air! There is some scientific evidence that says fresh air (especially chilly fresh air) may help us burn more fat….so get out there an enjoy it! Take time to watch the parades in your local towns and appreciate everyones hard work. Try to remember the first parade you went to, think hard, and breathe deeply. Smell the crisp air and listen to the laughter in the air. It is a time to smile, be silly and enjoy everyone elses good mood.

Second, don’t forget to wear green! (it really doesn’t matter if you’re Irish or not!) Get in the spirit! This is one holiday that doesn’t require decorating, presents or huge family gatherings…it is one designed for the kid at heart. A time to let loose. Sing. Skip. Do all the things you wanted to do last year but didn’t!

Third, eat if you’re hungry. For those of you who are health conscious and watch what you eat on a daily basis, I encourage you to have a little indulgence on this special weekend. A little extra fat, or something not usually found on your menu may help jump start your metabolism and you may actually end up burning a little more fat! (I don’t recommend this as an every weekend event, but once in awhile it is important to have a little extra.)

And fourth, its nice to know who Saint Patrick actually was when we tip our glasses of beer. For those of you who don’t know, he was born in Britain and kidnapped at 16 and brought to Ireland. He was sold as a slave in the county of Antrim and served in bondage for six years until he escaped to Gaul, in present-day France. He later returned to his parents’ home in Britain, where he had a vision that he would preach to the Irish. After 14 years of study, Patrick returned to Ireland, where he built churches and spread the Christian faith for some 30 years. It is said that he worked many miracles, lived in poverty and died on March 17, 461 in Saul, Ireland.

And last, but not least…..HAVE FUN! Give yourself permission to enjoy yourself…..you deserve it!

I hope you all have a happy and safe St. Patty’s Day! Slainte!

We have spent the couple of weeks and months planning for others, shopping for others, traveling to see family, and have spent very little time thinking about ourselves. This is the time to be selfish. It’s really the one time of the year that being selfish is not only acceptable…it’s encouraged.

So put down that cup of coffee, grab a pen and paper and start your list! (For those of you addicted to the computer, a Word document is also acceptable) This is the FIRST rule…MAKE A LIST! We are all getting older and although our memory is still okay, it’s not what it used to be. Just like you tell your kids…make your list and check it twice. Take 5 minutes to write down your goals (we’ll cover those soon) and read them out loud to yourself. Trust me it works.

Secondly make sure your goals are realistic! If your goal is to weigh 120 pounds, ask yourself if you have ever, in your life, weighed this. If the answer is no, do yourself a favor and make it realistic. Pick a goal that is attainable and one that will make you happy. So now take 2 minutes now to revamp your original list.

Thirdly, tape that list up so you can see it. (this should take about 3 minutes) It doesn’t have to be in a place that everyone can see…just you. It could be on your computer table, refrigerator, or for those shy people, try inside your day planner, locker etc. TAPE IT UP though!

So there you have it. Seem simple? Seem too easy? It is! Here’s just how easy:

Proper Planning + Realistic Goals = SUCCESS

So, I know we ALL have 10 minutes at some point this week to get this done! We have given of ourselves for the past few weeks and months remember? Now is the time to be selfish! And for those who you need an added incentive to be selfish…well here’s what I’ll do. For those of you who get this done and email it to me by Friday, I’ll have a special surprise for you! So take the first step…..I can help you with the planning aspect but I can’t tell you what your goals are, only you know that.

Also, please know that as long as your goal is realistic, it’s a goal. Some examples of goals are:

-better health
-improved sleep
-stress reduction
-weight loss
-financial security
-better time management
-mental clarity

Please understand that this is just a short list…..everyones goals are different. What are yours?

I know many people like real trees and many of us still prefer the srtifical Christmas Tree. Whatever your preference, the biggest tip here is to keep it safe. If you decide on a real tree, be sure to give it enough water. A dry tree near electrical outlets, strung with lights is a big NO-NO! Not to mention if the tree is watered properly, the needles will be less likely to drop off as quickly.

A real tree is also nice (and the choice I like.) With a real tree, there is not only less upkeep but also its easier to get a big, full tree at zero cost! (after the initial investment of course.)

As for decorating, again safety is the key! Make sure all the lights are operating properly and the outlet is protected from little ones and pets. Most importantly when it comes to lights remember, less is more. A few lights is pretty but loading the tree down with lights can be hazardous and run up your electrical bill very quickly.

It’s also a good idea to hang “pointy” ornaments or ones that may be tempting to pets and small children up higher or in the back. This can help prevent your tree from toppling over when you least expect it!

There are many ways to decorate and each persons preference can be as different as the trees themselves! Just try to always think of safety first and I’m sure your tree will be one to be proud of!

Remember to unplug the lights at night and always, always check for faulty lights and overworked electrical outlets.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

First, and most important, please do yourself a huge favor and NEVER, EVER say the following words…”I’ll start dieting AFTER the holidays.” I beg you to do this for yourself. Don’t fall into this trap. This way of thinking automatically sets us up for binge eating, overwhelming guilt and certain failure. There really is no time like the present to put whats good for you into your body. We all agree (I hope) that we are what we eat, we don’t get a different body, and we’re stuck with what we were given, so why torture ourselves. Be good to your body, and I promise, you will be glad you did!

With that being said, I certainly understand that sometimes we want a little extra snack, the kind that only comes along during the holidays. Italian cookies, eggnog, chips and dip, chocolate and all the other little sweets that come with the holidays are okay. One day of a few extra goodies won’t put on fat, that’s why its so important to focus on how many days we are allowing these treats. Awareness is half the battle! If you want that cookie, have it. If you want to toast with a glass of Eggnog, do it! Don’t count the calories, just be aware. *alcoholic drinks can add up quickly with each one containing between 150-300 calories! (not that I’m counting…..just a little FYI)

Finally, take time for yourself. I know many of you have little ones and many have family parties and this weekend only represents stress and insanity, that’s why this tip is so important. Most of us will take the time to have that extra cookie, extra potato chip, extra glass of wine, we will take the time to feed our body, but we must remember that our mind is also in need of nourishment. The little treats that come with the holidays don’t stop at the food. Take the time to look at the Christmas tree you never thought you’d have time to put up, or the whiteness and crispness of the snow. Take a glance at your neighbors lights, after all, they put them up for you, appreciate it. I hear so many people say that they spent so much time, money and energy getting ready for the holidays and it was over before they knew it. Don’t fall into this trap. There is still time to wonder at this magical time that really opens happens for a few days once a year. For these couple of days, we are all a little kinder, a little happier, and a lot more stressed out! Embrace all of these feelings (yes even the stress). Long lines in the grocery stores and malls only represent a time for you to be silent, and still, and think, and look, and listen. For many of you, this is your cue…enjoy it! Alone times don’t come along often, use them to concentrate on your breathing (in and out for those of us who have forgotten), huffing and puffing doesn’t move the line any faster. Remind yourself that you did buy enough food, and presents and beer, you do have enough time to get things done and your present to yourself this year is awareness. Those little snowflakes won’t drift down like that forever, take a moment to notice them, and if you’re really crazy, honor them with a snow angel, a snowman or a good old fashioned snowball fight. If that’s not you, no one will notice if on the way to your car one day you catch one on your tongue! Enjoy!

I wish you all the happiest and healthiest of holidays and hope you all find that quiet place where you can enjoy the wonder of the season!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Eat a little less, breathe a little more.
Be thankful a little more, and complain a little less.
Appreciate those who prepared your meal, and remember those who, this year, will go hungry.
Remember those loved ones who you could not be with, and love the ones you are with.
Watch a little less television, and talk to each other a little more.
Volunteer to clean up, and resist the urge to leave early.
Look into the eyes of your family members a little more, and make excuses a little less.
Be grateful for all the loving people in your life, and never forget all the military families who will have an empty table setting this year. Keep them close to your heart.
Be a little more tolerable, and forgiving and peaceful. And don’t expect the same in return.
And when the time comes to go home, hug your family like you will never see them again, and let them hug you back.
This Thanksgiving be present in all the moments that you are offered, and offer a few more presents.

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

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Pumpkin carving contests for your kids and their friends (or for your friends) is a great way to have a fun, safe evening. Buy a few smaller pumpkins and give prizes for the most creative. It is a perfect time of year to bond with little ones and/or friends and family.

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When choosing a pumpkin to crave for Halloween, make sure that you find one that fits the carving idea you have. If using a template, make sure that it will fit. Also, keep in mind that some of the patterns available are complicated, and although easy enough to do, take time. Plan your time wisely and remember, the more intricate the pattern the longer it will take to do.

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Keep all your pumpkin carving tools in a tool box so you’ll know where they are every year. Keep them clean and sharpened and you’ll be all set for carving! You’ll be surprised how many tools, patterns, paints and other fun pumpkin accessories you’ll quickly accumulate!
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Support your local farmers and pumpkin growers! Instead of buying your pumpkins in a grocery store, check your phone book and newspaper for local pumpkin farms. Make a fun trip with your kids and let them pick out their own pumpkins! Also, pumpkins are usually less expensive at farms and stands and you’ll be supporting your neighbors.

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What do do with the pumpkin remains after Halloween? Do you throw away your jack-o-lanterns when they start to rot? Start a tradition of burying them instead! Make a ceremony, get the whole family together and honor the pumpkins that gave their lives for your Halloween!

Or even still….they sell carve-able pumpkins now that you can save and re-use each year.

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No matter how you celebrate, be sure to be safe, watch all candles, and most importantly….HAVE FUN! It really only does come once a year!

According to the National Center for Infectious Disease (Division of Parasitic Diseases), forty-one percent of the world’s population live in areas where malaria is transmitted and a staggering one million people will die this year from this disease, most of them young children.
Unfortunately the people that suffer from this disease often live in poor communities where health services are non-existent and education about the disease is simply not adhered to. These underdeveloped areas, such as Mentawai, face many barriers in controlling the disease, but one of them is certainly their lack of education about it, and their inability to make a change in their behavior.
There are several ways that malaria can be controlled and many of them are as simple as window screens, wearing light colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants, repellants, and the use of mosquito netting. Although we do not consider these measures “rocket science” in the humanitarian field they are just that. The question is what can be done about?
The answer is simple. A change is must happen, and although we can help, the change must come from within these rural, poverty stricken communities. With the help of health committees set up locally and volunteers that are trained to engage with the residents, malaria can be controlled. Together the committees and volunteers can organize residents in malaria control activities, including education sessions for pregnant women and mothers of young children. In some countries, drama has been used as a way to teach both children, and expectant mothers about malaria. This is done through songs and dramas about malaria.
Sustainable behavior change involving health care professionals, volunteers, community leaders, schools, pregnant women, and the wider community will make an important contribution to reducing the spread of malaria. This change must occur in order to decrease the rate of both morbidity and mortality. It is also important that not diligent follow up be done to ensure that measures are being taken to prevent the spread of this disease.
With proper education, follow up, and the availability of the necessary equipment, malaria can be controlled in third world countries. Behavioral change, while difficult, can help prevent unnecessary suffering and death among groups like the Mentawai Islanders.
To learn more about ways you can help, visit SurfAid at

This is no fad diet, quick fix, or “magic pill” (remember that post?) This is the real deal. It IS possible to snooze away unwanted fat, and here’s how.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published studies suggesting that a lack of sleep may increase hunger and affect the body’s metabolism, which may make it more difficult to maintain or lose weight, according to Dr. Breus.

In late 2004, researchers found a strong connection between sleep and the ability to lose weight, he said. “The more you sleep, the better your body can regulate the chemicals that control hunger and appetite.”

Also, a study at Columbia University found that the more sleep deprived you are, the more likely you are to become obese. And those who were between the ages of 32 and 59, who got four hours sleep or less per night, were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who got between seven and eight hours.

Wow! Dr. Breus even goes on to say, “Sleep deprivation makes you feel hungry even if you are full,” Dr. Breus said. “Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake.

“It also increases fat storage. Sleep loss may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step into the development of diabetes.”

It really is simple. When you don’t get the proper amount of necessary sleep it causes an increase in appetite and a decrease in metabolism, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. On top of that, when we are feeling sluggish and have not had enough sleep we tend to reach for all the wrong things….high caffeine, high sugar and high carbo snacks so we can get that rush of energy.

And finally, as if all that wasn’t enough, Dr. Breus adds that one extra hour per night of sack time can burn as many as 147 calories per night….that equals about 14 pounds per year!!!!

Now I’m not suggesting you stop exercising and sleep all day. I’m only reminding you to treat your body right. Work out hard, eat right and catch the needed ZZZ’s your body needs. It will reward you!

Sleep tight!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog, Lucky. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company
come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy.

Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky’s toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky’s favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very
particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy immediately.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her…what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary’s dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary
thought. He won’t understand that I didn’t want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn’t even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn’t come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed. When Mary woke for a second she couldn’t understand what was wrong. She couldn’t move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!

While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every night.

It’s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.