Does Losing Muscle Mass Have to be Part of Normal Aging?  

Greetings!

I say no!

And Jack Lalanne agreed with me! In fact, he was the perfect example of how to keep our muscle strength as we age, through proper diet and exercise.

One of my favorite quotes from Jack is "I can't die - it'll ruin my reputation!" Well, he did leave his body behind recently and it did not ruin his reputation at all! 

I'm writing a series of articles and blog posts with recommendations on how to build muscle, easy exercises that you can do at home and the foods that give the most benefit when doing strength training.

I won't repeat myself here, but if you missed them, here is a link to the start of the series.   

I'm also adding a section to these weekly newsletters for all of you avid readers. So many of us today are enjoying book clubs and discussions of books that inform or take us to some far off place, and being a book lover myself, I thought it would be good to share what I find with all of you. I welcome your comments and suggestions as well, so please let me know if you love the books I recommend or if you just read something fantastic that you'd like to share with me!   

Here's a great opportunity - mark your calendars:

Chat LIVE with Marianne Williamson and Crystal Andrus.

Wednesday May 25th at 7 PM ET

Crystal and Marianne will be exploring the insights and wisdoms found in Marianne's book "A Course in Weight Loss". It doesn't matter if your struggle is with weight, relationships or finances, the underlying reason remains the same: you've forgotten who you really are... Reclaim your authentic self with this transformational conversation.

To get the call-in details click here! 

Make the call LIVE and have a chance to WIN WIN WIN!

Over $10,000 in prizes, including one lucky woman who will win a

FREE tuition to The SWAT Institute!

I'll be sending more details next week, but I wanted to give you all a heads up for what I believe will be an amazing and transformational evening!

Best of Health,

Today's Health Tips...

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

I know I sound like a broken record here, but only because water is so important for over-all health. Not only does it help strengthen our muscles and lube our joints, but did you know that our 3-pound brain uses as much as 25% of the water we consume? Scientific studies have clearly shown that only 10% dehydration can reduce your measurable intelligence as much as 50%! That means one glass of water could be what's standing in the way of you creating the next brilliant computer app or viral video!

Arnica (Arnica montana).

This daisy-like mountain flower is known to help relieve the pain from bruises, sprains, soreness and swelling/muscle spasms from sports or your work-out, and also helps reduce arthritis symptoms set off by seasonal changes this time of the year. Rub the tincture, ointment, or cream on your sore spots, but don't use it on any skin that's cut or broken. To make an arnica compress, mix one tablespoon of arnica tincture in one pint of purified water. Use a cotton ball or gauze to rub it into the troublesome joint or bruised area.  I recommend using pure arnica extract, which can be found in health stores.

Lose the Spring allergies!

Speaking of seasonal changes, If allergies are bugging you, there is a simple, natural solution - local honey!  The theory behind using local honey is that it was made with pollen from the same local plants that are causing your itchy eyes and runny nose. This means that by taking a tablespoon of this honey in your tea every day, your body builds its own immunity to these allergens. You must be patient, however, because it takes about 6 months to build this resistance, but after that, you won't have to try to catch up to your runny nose any more. My friend Ned tried this a couple of years ago and he has barely a sniffle now as compared with constant runny nose before building his immunity with tasty honey! Until your own build up is complete, practice Legs up the Wall, or Bridge. These poses help open nasal passages and drain your sinuses. Here are photos of these two poses.    

  SMILE!  

Happy Spring!

Kathi