The Curves Connection!
Greetings and  Happy
Holidays!
The holiday season has arrived and of course that means lots
of shopping, family, and food. The cold weather coupled with
the holiday mayhem can leave our bodies completely stressed
out. This season, it is so important to stay focused on your
health, and what could be more effective then to fight off
the holiday stress with a quick 30 minute work out, 3 times
a week?
Since Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner is right around the
corner, we thought it would be appropriate to provide a "holiday" nutrition
article that will help keep your weight loss on track, but
still allow you to enjoy the holidays—guilt free.
If you know someone who may benefit from an article, feel
free to recommend the newsletter to them by clicking on "Refer
a Friend" on our website. We believe
that knowledge and information can improve lives.
Congratulations to all of you who are staying on track this
fall. If you need to re-commit to your program, there's
no time like the present! To those of you who have just joined
us, welcome to the Curves family!
Your Curves Family,
Dr's. Craig, Marissa, Jeff and Tammy
End of Year Promotion!
Tis the Season for Giving!
 What a better gift to give than the GIFT OF HEALTH! Starting
November 15, 2004, you can give 5 family members or friends
a one-month gift membership for free... a $50 value! (At participating
Curves gyms only!) Now you can help your loved ones take charge
of their health and get an early start on 2005!
Ask your participating gym for a GIFT CARD and fill it out
with 5 of your favorite people. When you hand it in to your
gym, they will personalize each letter and send it off to your
list of recipients with the gift card attached.
Hurry, because your gift recipients must come in to Curves
before December 13th, 2004 in order to utilize their full free
month, which will expire January 15, 2005.
Featured Article: Candidas Albicans Overgrowth—
A
Dangerous Systemic Yeast Infection
By Dr. Jeff Bartlett
 If you've ever taken antibiotics, birth control pills,
been pregnant, eaten a high-carbohydrate diet, or have had
chronic bloating of your lower abdomen, there is "a fungus
among us" that you need to be aware of. Candidas Albicans
Overgrowth (a.k.a. Candidiasis) brings with it a long list
of health problems.
When this opportunistic yeast is allowed to proliferate and
become a chronic yeast infection throughout the digestive tract,
it will mutate and become very hard to control. Like a predator,
this yeast-like fungus will branch out from the intestinal
mucous membrane and invade the body. As it changes to a fungal
state, it becomes invasive and produces rhizoids, which are
branches that bore through the mucous membrane seeking nourishment.
The microscopic holes can allow fecal toxins, bacteria and
yeast to enter the bloodstream. Once the fungus becomes systemic
in nature, it can:
- suppress the immune system, increasing your susceptibility
to disease
- overload the eliminating organs (liver & kidneys)
with toxins
- cause skin eruptions and rashes as your skin
tries to eliminate the toxins
- worsen food, chemical, and
environment sensitivity (i.e., smoke bothers you more)
- cause
chronic respiratory infections
- result in bloating of lower
abdomen/excess gas/painful intestinal pressure
- be possibly
linked to fibromyalgia (general weakness)
Researchers have also linked Candidiasis to a number of other
health problems including depression, anxiety, irritability,
constipation, heartburn, indigestion, lethargy, migraine, headaches,
urethritis, repeated vaginal yeast infections, premenstrual
tension, menstrual problems, and more.
How is Candidiasis diagnosed and treated?
If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, Candidas
Albicans Overgrowth may be the cause. While you should talk
to your doctor, remember that this fungus is often an under-diagnosed
and unrecognized problem in allopathic circles. We highly
recommend trying a natural alternative approach before considering
any anti-fungal medications, as taking any pill comes at
a price, both in terms of dollars and damage to your overall
health. (Anti-fungal medications have been linked to severe
liver damage, skeletal muscle destruction, and acute kidney
failure.) Here are some natural alternatives to combat this
fungus and rehabilitate your body:
- Proper diet. Avoid
sugars in all forms. No more sugar, syrups, fruit drinks,
soft drinks or honey.
- Detoxification. It's so important
to cleanse and detoxify your body to help fight off this
opportunistic yeast. See the September article "Are
You Clean Inside?"
- Attack the yeast! Find a natural anti-fungal supplement
that includes olive leaf, garlic, Pau d'Arco, grapefruit
seed extract, and oregano. While we recommend the "Ultimate
Cleanse" from Nature's Best, any high-grade
yeast-fighting product is sufficient. There are also
Cellulase enzymes that have the ability to attack the
Candida cell wall.
- Rebuild the colon by repopulating
it with "good/friendly" bacteria.
Saccharomyces Boulardii is a "friendly" yeast
that has the capability to fight off Candidas Albicans.
You should be able to find this at any natural food store
or Whole Foods.
While treating Candidiasis is not simple, if you follow the
above recommendations, your condition should improve. The advantage
of the natural approach is that you are much more likely to
control the yeast permanently and put your immune system back
on track so that it can resist other problems that may come
your way.
^top
Ruth's Success Story
"It's Never Too Late!"
A year ago I was severely overweight, and afraid I would die
young. I needed to do something. I had belonged to Jazzercise
for 7 years, but I had yet to learn how to make myself healthier.
I had asthma and was using my inhaler daily. But that was all
about to change.
I joined Curves one year ago and started seeing changes in
myself right away. I was feeling better and had more energy.
Then I started learning more about my body, and how it works,
and what changes I needed to make in order to make my body
function better. I learned how to eat healthier. more fruits,
vegetables, and a lot more protein. Incorporating exercise
into my daily routine has become a huge priority in my life.
Each and every day I look at what I put into my body and what
I get out of it. If I don't eat well I don't feel as good as
I normally do, and cannot work out as hard as I would like
to. On the other hand, when I eat well I feel better and work
much harder.
The Curves family is indescribable. The idea of being able
to work out while socializing with women just like myself was
very appealing to me. Some mornings the reason I come in is
so I can talk with the other ladies. The Curves staff has become
my fitness family, always there to encourage me, and be my
cheerleader.
I know the changes I have made have given me back my life.
Instead of worrying about not being able to do things with
my family or dying young, I am out living life. I can now keep
up with my kids. I can now dance the night away with my husband.
I have my life back.
For those of you thinking about whether Curves is for you,
I say it is never too late to get your life back.
Total loss: 43 inches, 51 pounds
^top
Ask
the Doctors
By Dr's. Jeff, Craig and Marissa
 Question: "What
type of vitamins should I take to stay healthy?"
Answer: Choosing a vitamin product can be
confusing, but when it comes to your health, it's worth
investing a little time and money to ensure you get the right
product for your particular needs. For optimum health, the
body needs 16 total vitamins and more than 70 major and trace
minerals, phyto-nutrients and antioxidants. Sadly, with the
depletion of our soils, our vegetables and fruits no longer
provide sufficient nutrients. Before choosing a vitamin/ mineral
product, consider its absorption qualities. Instead of "you
are what you eat," it should be "you are what your
body absorbs." The body's ability to absorb nutrients,
especially minerals, becomes more difficult as we age. Plus,
the food manufacturing industry has mass-produced useless,
cheap, synthetic, and over-processed vitamin products that
inevitably have no benefit. With vitamins in particular, the
quality of absorption is a crucial factor. Liquid-form products
are 90-98% absorbable, while pills are only 20-40% absorbable.
If you take vitamin pills, you're getting only a fraction
of the nutrients your body needs. We recommend an all-in-one
liquid form, multi-mineral / multi-vitamin product. The next
time you're at Curves, take a look at Curves
Complete and compare it to what you're taking now.
For more answers to your common health questions, visit Ask
The Doctors on our Website.
^top
Nutrition
News: Holiday...Weight Loss?
By Dr. Jeff Bartlett and Tammy Bartlett
 Is it possible to enjoy the holidays and still lose weight?
Some of us splurge and vow to take off the extra pounds after
the holidays, while others skip the holiday dinner and sulk
while everyone else enjoys themselves. It doesn't have
to be this way. There are many nutritional holiday alternatives
that can help keep you and your family on track without spoiling
the fun.
The most common holiday diet is the "see-food" diet,
or "eating everything you see." People on the see-food
diet rely on their New Year's resolution to save the
day. Unfortunately, 90% of us will fail to follow through on
our 2005 goals. Since many traditional holiday foods—mashed
potatoes, candied yams, turkey stuffing, Yorkshire pudding,
and pumpkin pie, to name a few— use lots of starch and
sugar, here's a few ideas on how you can enjoy these
favorites without gaining weight:
- A simply way to complement your turkey/ham dinner is to
include high fiber/ low glycemic side dishes rather than
the familiar high starch/ high sugar dishes. Think Brussels
sprouts with mustard cream, oven-roasted winter vegetables,
and green beans in a butter sauce.
- You can also replace starchy
side dishes with healthy, great-tasting low-carb entrees.
Check out this month's recipe for Tasty
Mashed Cauliflower & Low-Sugar Pumpkin Pie. And try
replacing the white bread crumbs in your stuffing with
low-carb bread crumbs available at low carb stores and
Trader Joes.
- If you must indulge during the holidays,
try Phase 1 of the Curves Program for a few days after
the holiday dinner (20 grams of carbs/day). To find
out more, ask your Curves staff or send an email to info@curveshealthclub.com.
No matter how you decide to celebrate, have fun, but don't
let the holidays break your stride. While it's true that, "to
celebrate is to eat and to eat is to celebrate," you
can do both without gaining weight if you plan ahead.
^top
Recipes
of the Month
Tasty Mashed Cauliflower & Lo-Sugar
Pumpkin Pie
 Tasty
Mashed Cauliflower
(a Mashed Potato substitute)
1 head cauliflower (cut off flowerets)
1 TBSP Cream Cheese.
2 TBSP of Mayonnaise
2 TBSP of Butter (from a grass fed cow!)
Salt & Pepper (optional)
Cook cauliflower until soft. Place in a bowl with butter,
cream cheese, salt, pepper, and mayo. Mix with electric beater
until well blended.
Lo-Sugar Pumpkin Pie
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 package cream cheese
2 tsp Pumpkin spice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Splenda
1 container of Cool Whip
Blend ½ cup pumpkin and package of cream cheese together,
add spice, vanilla, and Splenda. Blend well with mixer. Fold
in or mix ½ tub of Cool Whip. You may use plain pie
pan or nut crust. May freeze for an hour or so and keep chilled.
Add Cool Whip for garnishment. Makes one pie.
^top
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