I was coming back from a short road trip last week and was struck and saddened by five billboard signs encouraging lap band surgery or gastric by-pass surgery. One sign read, "Diets fail, lap bands work." In what other country in the world would you see this billboard?

Unfortunately, we have become desperate and lazy about taking care of our health. We want magic-bullet fixes, surgery, or pharmaceutical medications, which come with high price tags and sides effects.

Remember our bodies are not deficient in Prozac, Crestor, or Prilosec. We are indeed deficient in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Over time, these deficiencies create the unhealthy conditions we are experiencing.

Health is a choice and we all have this amazing capacity to make better choices. The time is NOW to wake up and take action with your health.  Millions of people are without health insurance. The conditions which I am used to seeing in a 60 or 70 year old are now appearing in people much younger.

Yes, taking action means moving out of your comfort zone. Yes, it means cooking more, spending more money on organic, antibiotic and hormone-free animal proteins, and eliminating the daily junk food. And yes, it means making time to exercise for at least 30 minutes, four times per week.

As a nation, we are failing to educate ourselves on how to stay healthy. Food manufactures are filling your grocery aisles with processed foods; fast food restaurants are selling "food" for under a $1.00 (what do you think you are really eating?); beauty care manufacturers are selling skin and hair products filled with chemicals that are absorbed through your skin and go directly into your bloodstream; insurance companies are keeping your doctor visits to 15 minutes; prescription medication is overused and misused; chemical companies are controlling the food supply with genetically modified seeds and foods; excessive vaccinations are mandated (a child now receives 32 vaccinations compared to my 17 when I was a child); and our water supplies are contaminated.

There are times when medications are necessary. Similarly, there are times to let yourself enjoy your favorite treat or drink. But we've lost the sense of moderation and balance in our lives.

There are many things out of our control, yet YOU can control what goes into and onto your body. It is time that you start making choices that prevent disease and help you age with quality.

10 Action Steps to Integrate Towards Making You Healthier:

1.  Stop eating at fast food restaurants.

2.  Reduce or omit the intake of white flour, refined sugars, dairy products, trans fats, soda, and
alcohol.

3.  Drink 8 glasses of purified water daily. Any herbal or green teas count as a credit towards your 8 glasses.

4.  Buy organic vegetables and fruits, antibiotic and hormone-free eggs, dairy products, chicken, turkey, and red meat.

5.  Cook at least three healthy meals a week. Incorporate dark leafy greens daily (kale, spinach, arugula, broccoli, baby greens, etc.)

6.  Start a basic supplement regime to replace what your body is missing and to neutralize environmental toxicity:

1. Multi vitamin/mineral without iron
2. Extra vitamin C
3. Extra vitamin E
4. Omega 3 fish oil
5. Evening primrose oil for women
6. Probiotics
7. Free form amino acid blend
8. Green powder for alkalizing the body, such as Nanogreens or Macrogreens

7.  Exercise at least four times a week: walking briskly, yoga, swimming, or your favorite sport.

8.  Buy only personal health care products that use non toxic chemicals. Brands such as Alba, Aubrey, Weleda (toothpaste and deodorant) on vitacost.com, iherb.com, or amazon.com

9.  Relieve stress by either meditating for 5-10 minutes before you spring out of bed, yoga twice a week, journal each morning or night, breath deeply throughout the day, smile and laugh several times a day, hug a tree for 1 minute

10.  Stay informed and educate your family, friends, and neighbors with free daily health oriented web newsletters: www.mercola.com and www.naturalnews.com

Love and respect your body. Yes, you are more than just a body, but if you don't protect, nourish, and honor your "house," it will crumble.

Source: Quintessential Healing Inc. | Newsletter by Ann Boroch, February 2011 

Several girls in my community are pressing on with the team we formed last year – “Pinkalicious” -- and are thoroughly enthusiastic about the upcoming event!  So on November 5th, 6th & 7th of this year, I will walk 20 miles each day with a group of women who share my vision and goal to help put an end to breast cancer.    You can be a part of this amazing journey too!  You see, each walker in this event must raise a minimum of $2300, which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.  I am asking for your support towards this important research, which will hopefully one day totally eradicate this horrible disease that has affected us all, in one way or another, at least once in our lives.  Anything you can give is truly appreciated, and tax deductible!  (Yes, you will receive a receipt for tax purposes.)    Please go to my personal page within the Breast Cancer 3-Day site, and use the donation link there:  http://www.the3day.org/goto/debrawadams

I invite you to share my vision for a world without breast cancer.  Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.

MY STORY – WHY I WALK:

When I was in eighth grade, approximately 13 years old, we had an assignment in our English class involving signing up with a high school pen pal exchange program.  You could select the age, gender, and nationality of your desired pen pal, and then the service would facilitate you getting in touch with each other so you could begin writing (pen and paper letters mind you, before the invent of e-mail).  I opted for a female about my same age in the UK, and was delighted when I received contact information for a girl named Liz Budge in Bedfordshire, England.  We began corresponding immediately and learning about each other’s families and culture.  All through high school, and more than one move for each of us, we kept writing and occasionally calling, and developed a remarkably close friendship.  She visited me for the first time in the early 90’s and then again a couple of years later – hosting her was such a joy, and she was greatly entertained by the rodeo and Dallas Cowboy football game I took her to.  Liz loved Mexican food and margaritas, and was so amused with all things Texan!  Our lives evolved and we grew, but we never lost touch.   Liz had a rather exciting life I thought, as she served in the Royal Air Force and then in civil service as (what we would call) a “911” operator.  Shortly after we got married, Lewis and I traveled to Europe to visit Liz and her husband John, and their 2 year-old daughter, Abigail.  It was such a fabulous vacation, and our relationship was like we were girlfriends who just lived around the corner from each other – not “across the pond.”  We had truly grown up together, albeit thousands of miles apart.  A couple of years later, Liz had another daughter, Harriet, and Lewis and I had Julia, Olivia, and then Ethan.  Liz and I both had our happy families and beautiful homes, and were content with our lives -- but sadly, that was about to change. 

In mid 2007, Liz informed me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was horrified and in shock, but I prayed and provided her with all the moral support I could from afar.  She commented that she was nervous about her upcoming chemo and losing all her hair, especially because she could not find any good hats to wear.  The next week, I sent her a book on how to tell young children about cancer… and a box full of colorful, funky hats to lift her spirits!  She underwent months of chemo and in February of 2008 got the “all clear” from her doctors… the cancer was gone and she was well again.  We rejoiced together and I honestly felt as if all my prayers had been answered.  Our oldest daughters – her Abigail and my Julia – had become pen pals by this time, but via e-mail, not the “snail mail” we started with.  Once again, things were back on track and the future was bright.

I received an e-mail from Liz on April 15th of 2008 explaining that after a series of infections, the doctors had determined that her cancer had returned and metastasized to her liver.  The devastation I felt was amplified by Lewis explaining to me that this is precisely what killed his mother, years before I even met him. 

On May 12th of 2008, on my 41st birthday, I received an e-mail from John, sharing the sad news that my lovely friend Liz had passed away – in her own home, listening through the windows to the sound of her 3 year-old and 9-year old daughters play in the family garden.  Liz was just 39 years old.

I am told that even until her last breath, Liz never lost hope that someday, someone would find a cure for this horrible thing called CANCER!  In her last weeks, she would tell her husband, “maybe today they will find the cure, and I can take a pill and it will all be gone.”  I lay awake at night still thinking about Liz and the sadness of her last days, knowing that she would soon be taken from her beautiful daughters and loving husband.  In her final weeks, John told me that she labored over boxes of items for her girls – special boxes to be opened on their 13th birthdays, 16th birthdays, for their weddings, and so on – knowing that she would not be there to share those moments with them.  She was dying, yet she was selfless and utterly hopeful – a true testament to just how special she was.  I miss my friend dearly, and I am haunted each and every day by thoughts of her sorrowful demise.  And so, to show the love I have for her, and to pay the deepest, most heartfelt respect to her memory, this year, for the third year, I am walking... walking to help find that “pill” that Liz so desperately hoped for.

 Are you looking for a weight loss program that actually works?

Do you want to eat healthier?

Are you tired of cooking every night?

Would you enjoy the convenience of having healthy, affordable food delivered right to your door?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I encourage you to give Meal Balance a try.

I have struggled with weight my entire life.  I’ve tried diet after diet, but I was never able to stick with them.  Luckily that all changed when I tried Meal Balance.  In one month on the plan, I lost 15 lbs!!  It’s so easy to follow that it doesn’t even seem like a diet – no looking at labels, no counting points, etc.

When I was first approached about Meal Balance, I was very skeptical, but then I went to a tasting and discovered it is REAL food; definitely not what you think of when you think “diet food.”

Meal Balance is very convenient — no cooking, no cleanup and you never have to worry about “what’s for dinner?”

The plan consists of 3 meals and 2 snacks per day — protein, vegetables and simple dairy products. The food is precooked, so you just toss it in the microwave for 2 minutes. The proteins and vegetables are in different bags, so you can grab and go, and mix and match. The food is very tasty and filling.  Best of all, it is REAL food — real chicken breasts, real brisket, real hamburger patties — NO mystery meat!

You order online by selecting food from a varied menu, and then it is freezer-pack shipped to you the next day.

If you live in the Dallas area and would like to “try before you buy,” I will be happy to accompany you to a "tasting" held once a week at a house near Royal and Hillcrest.

The cost is $12 per day for 3 meals and 2 snacks. Prior to starting the program, my husband and I ate out all the time.  Living in Dallas, it’s hard to find just one meal for $12, but Meal Balance provides 3 meals for just $12!!  You must order in 2-week increments, so the total is $179, but you no longer have to go to the grocery store or out to eat at restaurants — so you are replacing an expense, not adding one!

Check it out at http://www.mealbalance.com/mypage/KimRogers.  Feel free to e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions!

P.S.  Meal Balance is now offering a one-day trial tasting pack that includes 1 mesquite chicken, 1 smoked brisket, 1 broccoli, 1 bermuda blend mixed veggies, 1 cheddar egg omelet with maple sausage and 1 cocoa almond snack.  The cost is only $22 with shipping included.