Adventures With Herbalife

Breakfast with Herbalife!

2011-02-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

I found a tiny, inoffensive commercial about Herbalife Healthy breakfasts -- made in the UK. I am showing it to you because a small video is worth about a million words -- the entire breakfast-making process is demonstrated while Louis Armstrong sings to you.

I will admit to a certain profound distaste for commercialism -- if these products weren't so good I could NEVER EVER do this. But they ARE this good, and for that reason both my ultra skeptical scientifically oriented husband and I stand behind them, true believers and living lab rats!

Without further ado, here is your brief but very very informative (yes I admit it's a) commercial spot for Formula 1 shakes and how to make them! It won't take but a moment of your time, I promise. It's Saturday night and I just felt like talking to "you" out there!

And it's kind of cool or I wouldn't have put it up on my site. I have been plowing through video-lets of sweaty bicyclists and soccer players -- nothing against them, I love them too! Those guys USE Herbalife to get their game on.

But as this brief little bit of commercial information shows you how to make a great shake, I think it's well worth the time. Let me know what you think! Are these commercials too obnoxious or do you want to see videos that I choose for you? What I do NOT think you want is a home-style video of us making fools of ourselves for YouTube, nope, I do not think this would work well.

Honestly, this is an industry where truth is hard to discern. This is a country where many people, no matter how many pounds of food they have consumed, have virtually starved for real nutrients during their entire lives. When people like this get on the program, I have seen tremendous results!

I want to make certain that you have access to excellent research materials so that you have an understanding of what this company has been doing in its several laboratories around the world for THIRTY YEARS!

It's virtually miraculous, and I can barely believe it myself, but they've maximized the capacity of our very cells to receive nutrients. On the website www.herbalife.com you can read about the science of Herbalife and all sorts of other research documentation.

But there are few opportunities to get the kind of nutrition into your body that one Herbalife shake in the morning provides to you. I just couldn't live with myself if I DIDN'T share what has revived me and made it possible for me to recover from a savage breakdown and rebuild my health -- plus lose 35 pounds, yahooey!

NB: From what I can tell after a year of watching people and their first encounter with this sort of regimen -- the feeling of doing without is the most difficult part of the whole concept of "diet" and we don't think of it in that way.

Another thing I want to promise those of you who visit here or consult with me/us about nutrition, or might want to buy products or get coaching from us: we don't push the business opportunity. We don't PUSH much of anything. But we DO have a strong desire to educate people about diet and health from what we have learned as being living, breathing lab rats, and what we have to say could be summed up thusly:

You ARE what you eat!! Eat Herbalife!!

Hugs, J&P

P.S.

2011-01-29T21:56:00.001-08:00

Coming soon -- a redesign of this absurd blog, which is one long endless page. We've come a long way, baby -- we can do better than this. See you, um -- err -- soonish! Possibly even soon.

Once More, She Rises ...

2011-01-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hello, world, once again I return. I return to sing the praise of Herbalife products -- for real -- for lo I hath fallen off the wagon and I do pay a HEAVY price. I mean, dudes, I was too thin anyway, right??

Hahahaha! As if. But yes, I have come before you after having taken a holiday from Herbalife. We didn't mean to, but our refrigerator is slightly broken, and the way we like our shakes -- with frozen bananas and other fruits -- was not happening.

Beloved refridgerator died completely some months back. A few days later it healed itself, kind of. However, at this point everything, a considerable amount of everything, had already gone off, or worse. We haven't been in a financial position to fix fridges, so we fell out of the habit of the eating the best food that ever came out of a lab, or something like that! Seriously! Well, it is!! Those people have put 30 years of research into high tech nutrition, and it made me blossom like a flower at 60 -- now I feel more like -- sigh -- a ragweed.

Sometimes you HAVE to take a break. I am not one of those boosters who claim "every day for the rest of your life" because you will probably not want to do that. People sometimes don't want the sweet stuff. Sometimes I need to have food, glorious food, the best food -- and we know how to make that happen in our own lives somehow, so we are fortunate indeed!

However, I'm not here to speak of the flavorful, but of the powerful. Oh let me tell you what has happened to my body during the time I have been without my beloved Herbalife.

I had lost 35 pounds but I gained 10 back -- partially because I couldn't get thyroid meds for that a while and my metabolism was showing signs of slowing -- and my hair became its former thin self. I was so fluffy! It's not fair! But I know what I need to do. I have seen the light. Back to the Herbalife program with me, full tilt boogie!

I did spend 18 months on the product, 6 months off -- I am a walking talking living breathing experiment, and this body says that this stuff is the real deal, and there are people all over this country who could benefit tremendously physically if they would have one shake a day. One shake a day -- that's all I did, and my entire body completely changed. Well, I also took a few of their supplements, but nothing outrageous, nothing at all compared to most regenerative programs.

I've notced that people on the Herbalife regimen can have a problem sticking with it -- people freak out when their fave foods are denied. I'm learning this -- I never realized how much difficulty the strongest women have in doing something "diet" like on a regular basis. But after my experiences, I would tell every human I know to knock one back at least once a day for your body's sake -- what can happen is semi-miraculous, and I can't get back there fast enough.

I didn't have a super-gigantic weight problem (well, it was for ME), but I still didn't feel up to drinking two shakes a day -- I just wasn't that hungry. Everybody's different, and certain people could use the supplementation of two shakes -- they slam down hunger and bring on the stamina for sure!! The two shake a day approach also works for people who are SERIOUS about weight loss and determined to stay on course -- of course it's important to find a product that works for your body, and that you can tolerate.

It's also a good thing just to DO IT WHEN YOU CAN. You seriously will not believe the changes that will occur in your body if you give it a chance. I've seen a close friend, seriously overweight, shed pounds like water in weeks -- effortlessly. It isn't that way for everybody, but that's what happened to me, let me remind you. I lost 35 pounds in 6 months.

Also, I don't have many cravings right now. Bipolar disorder, they say, is odd in that peoples' appetites are influenced. I know that's true! I'm in a mood where it is difficult to eat. Two weeks ago I was ravenous. I never know.

But anyway, I miss my Herbalife, and we are getting back together again. I just thought I'd let you know! The romance is still on, the passions burn high! It's just the best stuff.

Love, Julie

A small gift for you -- a copy of a watercolor done by my mate, Patrick Gavin Duffy. This work is called "Yosemite -- The Finger" and is a painting of a wonderful swimming hole in the High Country up in back of Yosemite National Park.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Herbalife, except that we take our products in packets to the High Country to augment our camping diets! Yes, we're back on THAT again -- but not tonight, my dears, not tonight. I hope you enjoy Patrick's paintings, as I will be slipping them into this blog.

FYI: We don't consider this site a finished product -- just so you know. I simply couldn't stand the other one a minute longer, and at least we've begun. There's still quite a bit of work to do, but I am quite simply too sleepy!

I hope -- god and the brain weasels be willing -- to be able to chat with you much more frequently again. The next step will be linking this blog to our little internet store, so that you can see what this Herbalife thing is all about. In the meantime, babies, in between time -- go to www.herbalife.com and check it out.

If you find yourself interested, please come back and talk to me about it -- whether it's for dietary reasons or to pick up an additional income stream -- it's VERY useful as an income stream in this economy. I won't like and say I've made a zillion dollars, but I've been a sick puppy, so I'm going to just start all over again.

She's Back! Ready to Talk About Relapses?

2010-07-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well hello everybody, it's me -- once again back from the brink. I warned you when I began this blog that my problem with depression (Bipolar Disorder) would interfere with my communications to you, and to my regret -- my true regret -- it has. I am so sorry -- but the clouds are lifting and I believe that the worst is over. Without Herbalife I cannot imagine having lived through the last year.

Depressed people don't eat -- or they eat too too much. If you have anyone in your life that is going through hard times -- and so very many of us are -- Herbalife offers solutions that are inexpensive and easy to find. Don't let anyone try to tell you that our meal replacements are expensive -- if you think paying about $1.75 for a meal that is utterly restorative, uh -- you might want to re-think that!

I amuse myself (for I am beyond embarrassment) by telling people that when I started on Herbalife last year, I was in a total, all-out bed-ridden depression. My only form of exercise was rolling from one side of my bed to the other!! hahahaha! And I will tell you further that I rolled through 3 pairs of flannel pajama bottoms in that horrible winter when I lost my life savings and fell into the pit of despair.

Enter Herbalife -- 5 weeks later I'd lost 15 pounds and at least could go out of the house without feeling I needed and WANTED a burqua! Some of you know how this is. 5 months later I'd lost 35 pounds, as some of you know. But I've suffered a relapse YES SUFFERED A RELAPSE and as this is an honest blog, it is confessional time!

What happened? How could I go backwards?

I didn't have my miracle products -- it's as simple as that. I had adapted to a diet of Formula One shakes with extra protein powder, the addictive candy/protein bars -- which feel like sin but do the body good as they have 10 protein grams and only 4 grams of sugar -- and my favorite energy treat: a combo of HL energy drink LiftOff, their electrolyte balancing, energizing drink H30 Fitness Drink, and finally either the Mango Peach or the Wildberry Beverage Mix, which has 15 protein grams!

Now this little recipe is mine -- I like combining things, and I found that this particular combo satisfies me on many levels -- I take some dehydrating meds and the H30 really helps me with that. The Beverage Mixes are tasty and so easy to knock back, as a client said. Finally, I don't drink coffee but I DO like an extra boost,
and that's what the LiftOff provides. Be careful though -- two tablets in a day keeps me awake longer than I should be.

You should be aware that each of these is meant stand on its own, but I find the combination delightful, refreshing and energizing. It also helps me fulfill my protein requirements -- most women need about 75-100 protein grams a day to maintain lean muscle mass. We'll talk about that another day!

When I relapsed and gained back oh sheesh about 15 pounds -- I did not have my products. I had the shakes, which are great, but on my own I just don't get the protein I need, and my sweetie likes to bring me pastries and all the wrong foods to cheer me up. Men don't get it -- most women don't want to be fattened up like the prize pig at the county fair, oh no we don't.

I was off the program for several weeks -- we were having a very hard time financially and I couldn't even afford my own stuff! We didn't have heat, can you believe it -- the recession has bitten us in the backside, I can tell you that! No heat in this house for two years! Ah well, better days are at hand. I have crawled out of my bedroom to find that life is really rather glorious after all.

Anyway, I'm back on track, and despite my fear of the scale, I can tell I'm going down again. It happens -- don't lose heart. So many people that have tried Herbalife freak out after a month or two and don't let it work its magic, which makes me sad. Herbalife rocks -- 30 years in the best laboratories working on ways to make nutrition work on a molecular, cellular way. They've achieved near-miracles, and I cheerfully invite you to join me on this path to better health! I lost mine at age 17 -- I don't suppose you would believe me if I told you that at age 62 (sigh, yes, it's true) I feel better than I felt in my 20's, but it is absolutely true.

So -- if Herbalife can help me, one of the sickliest people (from birth) (mommy smoked & drank but she didn't know any better) -- I believe it can help you too, whether your goal is to lose weight or to gain it -- or simply TO FEEL BETTER.

My heartfelt advice to anyone who wants to feel more healthy is to investigate these products and drink a shake a day for the rest of your life. In one year I have 60% less gray in my hair -- that's impressive. My sweetheart was brought back from the brink of death and rejuvenated. This company and its products are not just about weight loss -- they are about global well-being! Herbalife is now in almost 75 countries -- which, considering import & export laws, is absolutely mindblowing.

Next blog -- I'll stop now as I've gone on long enough -- will be about a lovely new client that found us on the Yellow Pages online -- he was introduced to HL in RUSSIA, tried it -- whoops, I'm giving away my story already. I'll stop now and bid you a pleasant evening. If you want to check out our site, it's at http://herbal-nutrition.net/julieandpatrick --

Happy Trails for now! And thanks to twitter client "amomslove" for giving our site a shout-out today through feedjit!

julie and patrick

Return of the Adventure Paks!

2010-05-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Remember last year when Patrick and I got all excited about our "Survival Paks" -- we specifically had them in mind for Burning Man, but it became very clear to us that these things -- there's soup available this year to add to the mix -- would be useful for so many different sorts of summery activities. Perfect for camping & backpacking & climbing & biking and anyplace where one wants high quality high protein foods that taste good!

Why did I put that first? because I am me, and I like the things I eat to taste good, even if they ARE slimming), that are light-weight low-waste, and that range from energy drinks to protein beverages, meal replacement shakes that also are available lactose-free, the most delicious protein bars I have EVER tasted ever, creamy chicken soup, soy nuts (although to be honest you could make those yourself quite easily!), effervescent immune strengthening fizzy tabs -- the basics are all covered in our Adventure Paks!

Certainly, other things can be added, but it is a really good thing to know that you are getting absolutely first rate concentrated foods, the kinds that have been crafted to give your body the finest nutrition for such circumstances that I believe is available. Thirty years in the laboratories, ladies and gentlemen -- and that wasn't to find the perfect sort of puffery to tempt people with. Herbalife, with the intention of a firm that intends to be the best in its class no holds barred -- has no competition in the world of highly concentrated foods, diet foods for lack of a better term.

They are simply perfect to take on all varieties of life's adventures, and we are bringing them back! We've bought muslin bags and I am impatiently waiting for Patrick to make the design happen so that we can put the "Julie and Patrick's Adventure Paks" online on a site with a shopping cart so we can make these things available. We really really think you will love them.

We are gradually clearing our heads and emerging from the disasters of our lives in the last years. Limping slowly, I admit it, but that's the way it works sometimes when you are in a constant state of fear re your house and your ability to keep it or even make a living at all. Things sometimes work out, though -- and so we are still here, still at it, hopefully stronger than ever.

We both think that having these Adventure Paks available is a great way to make these products known to the public. Most people have heard the word "Herbalife" but have some opinion or other about network marketing (like Avon, etc.) that acts as an unconscious barrier to these terrific products which I am so besotted with. Few people comprehend the level of actual cellular nutrition provided by these various powders and bars! Just add water! I would say that they are "space age" but that seems an archaic term now, almost fifties. Targeted cellular nutrition, in each and every bite.

I've shaken Jimmy Carter's hand --but I have never had the opportunity to hear a President of the United States, a POTUS, speak in person before, not ever! So there he was, MY President -- perhaps my favorite President, we shall see. He's up there, that is for certain -- he and Mrs. Clinton -- what a team. Patrick and I had the great honor of volunteering at an event attended by President Obama and our "subcompact" Senator Barbara Boxer (that's what the Prez called her; it was so cute -- something like "a subcompact Senator with inexhaustible energy").

What an incredible event -- we had the thrill of helping people (like ourselves, actually) that have ADA problems, or who were elderly, in crutches, or fragile. We manned the elevator at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco when the President came to town. These lovely people were gathered and brought to our station, I escorted them down the elevator to the Terrace Level to their check-in point, and then ran up the back stairs back to Patrick, who was chatting up the next batch of guests. It was a blast! I think we truly had more fun than anyone there!

We met the most extraordinary people -- I met a woman who quietly counsels the President about education, not wanting anyone to know her special role. Her friend told me, and with that knowledge I drank in the presence of that beautiful woman, a real product of the Civil Right's movement, quoth Patrick, smarter than hell and wiser than oh just anything -- what a pleasure and a privilege it was to meet her! I am usually ultra shy and don't put myself in this sort of position, but when I do I throw myself in with a vengeance, to make up for lost time!

We took protein bars along, but did not think to bring LiftOff which would have been A HUGE help -- as it's just easy to tuck away and have when you need a -- lift.

Ha, didn't see that coming, did you? Oh -- you did, of course you did! But we could have handed out some to our team -- people could have used the boost. I was running. I felt needed. It was awesome and I loved it, every minute of it. Only when we shared a citrus protein bar with a woman we'd just met (she really liked it, and is a woman of most discerning taste, I can tell you that absolutely!) did I remember to wish I'd brought business cards, LiftOff, little hand-outs -- but my mind was not on business that night - it was on serving my President and my Senator in any small way that I could.

Because of spinal problems I wore a back brace for that occasion; because I still think I am a kid I ran upstairs and whooshed around corners, meeting lovely people and escorting them down elevators for three hours. Afterward I noticed my shrieking back -- I'd been having too much fun to pay the slightest attention earlier and Patrick, who looks out for me in ways too many to mention and too precious to convey, found me a chair. A chair in a place where all our elderly and disabled friends were sitting! And, as it turned out, one of the BEST seats in the house -- and some had paid quite a bit for their seating! Goes to show you never can tell!

Given that I could NOT stand, I was grateful; when one is in extremis one wishes to sit. One at that point remembers how many decades one has been alive, and laughs to oneself to realize that if you laid out my age and laundry list of conditions I'd be considered disabled, but thanks to Herbalife I've found my body again.

It was hiding under 35 pounds of excess baggage.

I should stop, no, really, I should! So the news is -- Adventure Paks on the way; the only thing between you and those handy items are whether Patrick gets his act together, design-wise.

PATRICK!! YOO HOO!! C'MON --!!

Hey y'all I wanted you to know right away that when I mentioned to Patrick that I had informed the world that our project DEPENDS ON HIM -- even though I'm sure we have a rather small audience -- it was enough to get him going off to the art supply store for the silk-screening materials.

So we shall see you soon with good news, I believe!

Springtime!

2010-04-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

It has been such a great relief to have the Herbalife products I need back on my shelf, and to feel my puffy body losing fluids and getting back to normal again. I find this all so fascinating, and of course I don't recommend that a person only live on Herbalife! Lest I forget to mention this, real food is also a great idea!

When one is going on the Herbalife weight loss plan, the recommendation is that you use two shakes as a meal replacement (with extra protein powder -- that makes ALL the difference) and then enjoy a healthy, colorful and varied meal, preferably at lunchtime. Eating later at night is harder on the metabolism.

When you've reached your optimal weight, you can then go on a more normal regime, but keep that one Herbalife shake as a meal replacement, and you should be able to keep a stable weight. I will say that once we got into the shakes we found them completely pleasurable to drink, and so easy to make that they satisfy us completely.

I've always known protein was important, but I never realized until this last year what a profound difference it made, and how necessary it was in terms of DAILY intake. If you don't get the protein you need on a consistent basis, you start to crave sugar and carbohydrates, and the weight just piles on -- again. In my 6 weeks without my favorite protein bars and drinks, I gained five pounds at least. I'm got them on the run, and I must make sure I have my products on hand!

I never imagined that anything like this could work, and work so well. I encourage anybody reading this who has difficulties maintaining their proper weight to consider the advantages of Herbalife -- the place where Science meets Nutrition, and they dance together!

Terrible Things That Happened to My Poor Body Without --

2010-04-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Terrible Things That Happened to My Poor Body Without

Herbalife Bars & Beverages, Part 2

Hello again!

I have just whipped myself up a shaker full of my other favorite in-between protein snack/energy booster. I errr "made this up myself" although I'd have to say I'm pretty sure others have thought of this idea before.

Whazzat, you say? Well! The other two items in my longed-for Herbalife package that arrived at our house that day were a few boxes of "Tropical-Fruit Force Liftoff"!!

This fizzy energy drink comes in several different and very refreshing flavors -- but this one is my particular favorite. 1 calorie, 1 carb -- but plenty of vitamins and a good balance of natural stimulants. By itself it's terrific and gives you a real boost, but my special trick is to have it together with Herbalife's "Beverage Mix" -- sounds pretty generic, doesn't it? -- which is a low calorie protein snack (15 protein grams per serving, 70 calories, no fat) that blends fabulously with the Tropical Lift-Off.

There are two flavors of the beverage drink -- Wild Berry and Peach Mango. I love them both equally, and I love them both especially WITH my LiftOff and crushed ice oh yum. In fact, excuse me while I go and mix myself up a one of those to drink. BRB.

All righty, I'm back. I find these things so satisfying that I cannot imagine drinking sugary sodas when I can do this. Funny thing -- when I first joined Herbalife a year ago, I jumped right in at the Supervisor level and received a bunch of products I wasn't at all familiar with. Of all of them, those Beverage Packs confused me the most. I didn't even bother opening one of them for months -- it took an imaginative friend to show me what to do with them, and I've been hooked ever since.

Result being -- without trying, I've added 50 protein grams daily to my diet -- two drinks and two bars -- and then the shake for 30 grams -- my requirement is around 100 protein grams -- so that's perfect. And it felt perfect. I didn't know HOW perfect until I ran out of the bars and the drinks and after about 4 weeks I noticed the new squishy me, and in 6 weeks I knew I had to get that stuff back in my body no matter what.

It just is easier for me this way. I never got sufficient quantities of protein -- not for ages. I would get hungry and carb out. But a year on these Herbalife products has shown me that with the right amount of protein in my system the fat literally converts itself to lean muscle mass, right in front of my eyes. And that, my friends, is a good, good thing!

"The Wells Fargo Wagon Is a Comin' Down the Street!"

2010-04-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose that was a somewhat cryptic title for those of you under a certain age who have never ever seen "The Music Man"! It refers, my children, to a time in another century when our U.S. Mail trucks were horse drawn wagons from Wells Fargo (It is, I believe, the same company that we know now with different functions. Instead of stagecoaches filled with mail & frequent stage-coach robberies and the eventual (or not) delivery of goodies from back East, we've got the United States Postal Service, and I'd say that's a good thing.

Except for the fact that Wells Fargo is now a bank, and we have gotten rather used to the banks robbing US these days. I speak from bitter experience. But never mind that!

Delivery days are a very good thing, and I had a double whammo the other day; I received two things in one day that I wanted very much! The first was a replacement printer for my beloved HP 6500 wireless (insurance on printers is important for people like me who seem to burn through electronics at a fearsome rate). May seem like a crazy thing to get excited about, but not in this house, where a printer is an object dearly beloved by me. That was item #1.

The second big box was from Herbalife, and not a moment too soon! This is not going to be one of those blogs wherein, every page or two I go on a rant about how I've sponsored 50,000 people in the last hour and so can you! I'm not going to tell you that in the last year, while bipolar disorder was kicking me in the head, I still managed to make bank. But I HAVE developed a deep and abiding LOVE for these products; if I can help it I will never be without them. I'd like to make as many of you as possible see why -- they are that good!

Back to the other parcel that caused so much joy in my house on Saturday -- the big box from Herbalife. We haven't been able to order several of my favorite Herbalife products for a few months due to financial difficulties. We've been a little cold and hungry lately, hardly a fashionable thing to admit, but really I don't give a damn. It's true and I don't care if you know it. Because of the particular way in which I was smashed by giant banks and left for dead, the trauma was so deep and the cost so steep that it has taken a while to even comprehend what it would take to come back.

When a big box of your favorite Herbalife goodies arrives at the door after a drought, there is much rejoicing. I admit it freely; I am virtually addicted to the protein bars. We all have our favorites -- Patrick is partial to the citrus lemon - he says it's just about the best "candy bar" he's ever tasted - it's so good he puts it in the "candy" category instead of the boring oatmeal based protein bar that's so ubiquitous in Whole Foods. Mine is the "vanilla almond" and it is so good, so yummy and chewy and tasty -- 10 grams protein, 5 grams sugar, 140 calories and it's a perfect mid-day snack. Perfect.

The great thing about these super-deluxe bars is that you can have a couple a day and do yourself NO HARM at all because instead of indulging in carbs -- even if they are healthy ones -- you're munching on protein, and without noticing it your body begins to re-shape itself.
Follow this link and glance in over at the Herbalife site, where the bars are featured, so that you can take a look at them -- of course, it isn't until you've tasted your favorite that you start wondering what goes into those delicious little chewy things that makes them so very tasty and satisfying -- something addictive perhaps?

Confession: there were days (blush) when I ate 3 of them a day and still lost weight. It's the PROTEIN!!

Strangely enough you actually feel as though you are getting away with something, because the damned things are soooo good they couldn't be good for you, right? Well, no -- wrong, as it turns out, wrong, wrong, wrong! Sooo good and still good for you. My body does not lie, and neither do I!

Yes, protein! Easily assimilable protein. So if you like them, go for it without guilt. My body is MUCH happier with them than without -- I like the leaner look that simply happens to me when that protein is upped on a daily basis. I have had people say to me that it isn't THAT hard to get enough protein -- but it is a matter of daily consistency, and it isn't as easy as you might think, especially if you aren't paying attention. This is, I admit, the lazy AND health-conscious person's way out!

Try them all -- which one would your favorite be? Vanilla Almond, Citrus Lemon, or Chocolate Peanut? There are other, non-deluxe Herbalife bars that I've only tried one flavor of. I will admit I was not overly impressed. I would rather pay a few more dollars for something delicious that REALLY works for us. Next time we'll discuss the other goodies in the box -- back soon!

Health and happiness,

Julie and Patrick

Time for the Monthly Post

2010-04-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

Oh my dears, forgive me! It has been far too long since I have written here, and the time has come for me to pull myself together and take this a lot more seriously.

It is true confessions time, and there are so very very many of them to make. I know it will take more than one post, as I have some stories for you.

First of all, I love writing -- it's nothing I ever really feel blocked about, and I haven't been writing long enough to be burned out. So what happens? Am I just a lazy, bad thing? No, alas -- I used to think I was, but that was before I understood I had Bipolar disorder -- the one thing Herbalife cannot fix. I'll tell you, if they could they would, because this stuff could fix just about anything. But I digress.

I felt I needed to talk about what it is that makes me periodically disappear, because I am so stoked about what we've experienced with Herbalife that I want to write about it, and the benefits that I can see for all sorts of health issues with all sorts of people. It isn't just about the weight. It's the whole body, the whole system, that transforms itself. If I could upload it into my poor disordered brain I would. But I fear I cannot.

And sometimes I get depressed, and it is hard to write or do much of anything. But -- I have opened some floodgates for myself re advertising -- a bundled package with AT&T Yellow Pages -- or yellowpages.com -- which includes a hosted website, SEO, traffic driving and the like for the Megalopolis that is the Greater San Francisco Bay Area: Santa Rosa to Santa Cruz! Sooo I'd better get on my game, and make this a more regular thing.

It's kind of a bipolar thing to blitz out into the mainstream, all sparkly and ready to roll -- and then the energy goes away and you crawl back into bed for a year or two. Oh I wish I were kidding. But the time has come to try to change some MORE patterns. And I truly want to make a more disciplined approach to this blog. Plus I want Patrick, my dearly beloved, to contribute as well. I am saying this to you so that I will have to come up to it.

Plus I have just signed on over at a really fun place called "Sponsored Tweets" -- a lot of my traffic comes from my two twitter accounts and the 3500 followers I have there. Sponsored Tweets connects people up with advertisers. The Twitter Nation is now filled with scads of mini-copywriters, everyone trying their hand at finding just the perfect phrase to describe a product in that 140 character parameter. It's a really fun way to pick up some extra cash, and I really want to recommend this to you!

So let's just say I am really just beginning. Soon this blog will be hosted on something a wee bit more professional than blogspot, as I am ready to focus more of my energy on Internet marketing in all of its glory. I have never been so interested in anything in my life -- not professionally, not ever. So I have a few great things shaping up for me -- products I truly believe in, a place to write for (o jason at politicus I'm not ready yet forgive me!), and I'm almost ready to put up a product website! The last one truthfully sucked, and I could not bear to be associated with it.

We're still going to get out those emergency nutrition packs. We are getting cloth bags -- made of a light muslin. We were going to call them Emergency Nutrition Packs but I'd rather call them "Adventure Packs" and focus on the hikers and campers and festival goers -- our great land is full of people who know how to have fun! We can put together a little something nutritionally to make your experience much easier, and I'll be showing you soon!

I promised myself I would only write a few things and a few paragraphs tonight, so that I would have to come back and tell you the really big discoveries I have made in the last two months WITHOUT MY NORMAL SUPPLY OF HERBALIFE GOODIES. ICK! Seriously, just ick -- that's all you have to know until later!

Love, Julie

America, We Have a Problem!!

2010-02-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make: I have never been inside a Wal-Mart. There isn't one around here, and it is one of life's experiences that I have not sought out. I think that Wal-Mart has been doing some great things to combat global warming, and this is not an anti-Walmart screed. But the pictures I have seen on this page jolted me out of what little complacency I still had, which wasn't much. While I don't think that the people who visit Wal-Mart are any different than anyone else, there are some disturbing images coming out of those stores!

This rant is more along the lines of: "How did it happen that we became a nation of fat/obese people? When did this occur, and where is the trend leading? How do we get off this train??" As I was pulling in some facts for this post, I read an article by Kim Benson, author of "Finally Thin", who mentioned that 2/3 of our nation would qualify as "fat". We've had to change the size of our movie theater seats, our airplane seats and even our coffins come in super-size. Wow.

Ms. Benson's article, titled "Is It Okay To Be Fat?", made the excellent point that we have been given free will with which to make our own decisions, and neither one is easy. On the one hand we are surrounded with more and better cuisine, or more and worse -- name your poison! We have food from exotic countries that are exquisitely delicious, or we can go for a junk food binge. It has never, from what I can tell, been easier to eat in the United States.

The thing is, and I speak from experience, being on the plus side weight-wise just isn't a lot of fun. Clothes don't fit, bodies don't stay healthy, people don't treat you the same and you just plain don't feel as well. Personally, I hate being over-weight. I grant everyone else their right to be over-weight, but I don't wear it well.

The reason I got into this business -- once I discovered, to my utter astonishment, that Herbalife did all it promised and then some -- was that I realized how obsessively desperate so many people are to find some way to get and keep the pounds off. Why do so many diets fail? Why do we have such a hard time with this issue?

Well, clearly this is a substantive issue, and no single blog post can fully answer it. There are so many factors. Some overeat for psychological issues, out of boredom or neurosis. Some don't like exercise and live a sedentary life. Some are compulsively attached to sweets, some don't want to be bothered with the whole consideration. Some have lousy metabolisms and hormonal problems. The list goes on and on and the point is -- losing weight and keeping it off is one of the challenges of modern life.

How are we doing so far, do you think? I'd say we aren't doing so well. As Ms. Bensen notes, about 2/3 of our nation has some sort of weight problem. I'm not one to throw stones at the over-weight -- it's just another one of life's annoying little glitches that we were put here to deal with, in my point of view. And I really dislike it when I hear people putting out negative energy towards the overweight. Chances are those same people will get their turn to feel the disapproving stares of strangers when they are older and less fit.

But even though we were given free will, and we can make our choices, I think most of us would say that the best choice is to stay fit. Yeah, right! You tell that to the mom who has been pregnant and can't take the extra off, or to the person with the sluggish metabolism who doesn't feel up to exercising, or to the chronically depressed! Or to the post-menopausal woman who NEVER had any problems before menopause. Or to the man who has eaten exactly as he liked his whole life until one day he realizes he's let himself go and he isn't quite sure how or when it happened. And he sure doesn't know how he's going to get his body back together again.

That is exactly why I am in this business. Because I have found a way that has worked, not only for me but for thousands of people around the world. Anyone who has read any of this blog knows my story and I won't bore you by repeating it. But after I lost weight so effortlessly on Herbalife after many other starts and stops, I was so impressed with the health-giving, life-saving properties of the Herbalife product line that I determined I was going to spend my time telling people about them -- talking about them, yes, and selling them. They are THAT good.

Because Herbalife works. And when I have a client that doesn't get results, I've been through enough with my own body over the years to know when they need to see a doctor about potential thyroid or other metabolic problems. I'm not going to say it will always be as effortless for others as it was for me. Every body is different, and that's the honest truth. Some take it seriously and really are patient and will follow instructions; others don't have the staying power and won't end up with their desired results.

But with support from a wellness coach (that's a great name for what we do) and perhaps a group of like-minded friends who want to take walks together, or get together and discuss nutrition -- you've got a really good chance of taking off weight and keeping it off with the right diet plan -- and Herbalife -- now in 72 countries because it works -- with the brilliant concept of "targeted cellular nutrition" in play -- works. Remind me to post my (ugh) before and (much better!) after pictures one of these days soon!

If you have any questions about Herbalife in action -- go to www.herbalife.com and do some reading. Feel free to contact me with anything more personal. I will have my own e-commerce site up soon, and I look forward to welcoming you through its doors!

That's it for this evening -- now if I only had been smart enough to lay in enough Herbalife Vanilla Almond protein bars for the weekend! They are the yummiest ever made. Period. End of story.

Herbalife -- 30 Years and Counting!

2010-02-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Well, hello out there once again! There are so very many things I want to write about Herbalife that I find myself literally overwhelmed; so I've decided to simply plunge in and speak about what's on my mind.

Herbalife is celebrating its THIRTIETH YEAR in business! Does anyone out there have ANY idea what that means for a Direct Marketing (ooooh, the dreaded MLM) Company? Herbalife has literally survived the premature death of its charismatic founder, Mark Hughes, and soldiered on. No other Direct Marketing Company that I am aware of is publicly traded on the NYSE. This MEANS something. It means that Herbalife has had to pass muster -- all those inspections and book-checkings and everything that goes with certifying that a business has what it takes to compete on those levels.

Any business like Herbalife has to have its proverbial nose clean. When I look at the international success story this company represents, I am floored. We are now in 72 -- 72 countries -- the latest being Vietnam and Paraguay. This means that our standards must be above reproach. We must meet the various and complex regulations of all those countries in order to import/make our goods there. Now that's really something.

Anyone have any idea how crazy that is?? Well, if you have any knowledge of the complexities of the import/export business, you'll know that every country has its own set of regulations and they are all mostly different. What a headache! You won't find every single product in every country, but you'll find the basics -- the Core Products for which we are rightfully famous!

What I am most impressed by (as the daughter of one of the first female chemistry students at the University of California at Berkeley back in the forties when they thought women were too stupid to be chemists!) is the science of Herbalife. For THIRTY YEARS in laboratories around the world men and women have labored to find the best combination of proteins, carbohydrates, probiotics, vitamins, minerals -- the list is endless -- for optimal nutrition down to the molecules, the very molecular structures of our bodies.

That struck me, and it struck me hard. Anyone who knows me from this blog or from life knows that my body "betrayed" me when I was 17 -- undiagnosed hypothyroidism & bipolar disorder. Even when I was properly diagnosed and on decent if imperfect medication, I still never felt well.

Until I met up with Herbalife, which changed my life in six short months. That's science at its best, folks. When you can speak with all your integrity intact about what a product has done for you and yours, you've got something.

There's a reason Herbalife has lasted so long and KEEPS GROWING! Because it works! It is pure, utter nourishment at the cellular level. Because it's not "dead food" like the costly pre-made meals advertised everywhere. In my opinion you might as well eat the cardboard those things come with as the food. But I'm biased.

Where's that bias coming from? Well, there's something about losing 30 pounds without effort in 6 months, and having 60% of the gray in my hair disappear. Only my hairdresser knows for sure, and guess what she bought from me that day? The Quick Start pack, that's what -- she's no fool, and once she saw how tiny I'd gotten and that my hair color had changed, she didn't need any more convincing.

I suggest any of my readers check out the link I posted above. It will take you right to the page on www.herbalife.com that speaks about their peerless scientific findings. Fascinating. Check it out!!

Happy New Year to One and to All!

2010-01-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

Well hello everyone -- I have been AWOL from this blog for quite some time. We could not get the Weight Loss Challenge going before the holidays, but we are about to start again. I've been spending these lovely rainy days wondering how best to communicate with people about joining up in one of our Challenges, especially when the rain is coming down so hard that it's absurd to think of posting anything! When my girls came home for the holidays we threw our hands up in the air and decided to start up again in the New Year.

A sunny day will come and we shall poster again, and meanwhile I know there are many, many people out there facing the "battle of the bulge" post-holidays! We'd like to help, and will be letting you know when we intend to begin the first Weight Loss Challenge in Marin in 2010. Come one, come many!

I hope you all had a great time over the holidays! If you've any questions about what it is that makes Herbalife so special, feel free! I'm going to be talking about that in any case very soon. I'll leave you with these special words:

1. "targeted cellular nutrition"

2. Julie (that would be me) lost 30 pounds in 6 months to her utter shock!

3. Julie now has at least 60% less gray hair than she did before last April.

4. Patrick has recovered from two life-threatening illnesses and he's got his   health back!

5. People who haven't seen us for some months are truly surprised at how
good we look! That's a great experience at any age, but especially now!

Naturally, it follows as night follows day that we have developed a great and undying loyalty to the products that have saved our lives as well as our love-life. I literally cannot imagine not being able to use these super-foods.

Well all right! I'll be back soon. I plan on including a lot more research in the months to come. We need to discuss what part protein plays in weight loss. We need to examine what molecular nutrition means. There's a lot to discuss. I look forward to 2010 -- I've found health, and it's a great place to live. I'd like to bring as many of you as I can to that neighborhood. Talk to you soon!

Cheers, dears!

Julie

Registration Open for Weight Loss Challenges!

2009-10-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

Well, I am thrilled to say that we've booked space for our first official Herbalife Weight Loss Challenges -- and we've registered, as of this morning, our first (very excited) participant. We've got about 10 days before "showtime" and I must admit to a teeny case of nerves (to put it mildly!). We're doing our flyers in the next few days, getting in supplies, studying our materials and generally getting ready to put our best selves into this.

It's taken a while to build to this point. Honestly, with the bad rap Direct Marketing has gotten over the years, we wanted to be utterly certain that these products were all that was advertised. If one wants to be certain, the only way you really can be is to use the products yourself -- and judge for yourself.

Some of you will have seen posts about our results before -- but I will re-cap briefly. Patrick and I have been drinking Herbalife Formula One shakes since April -- other than that we have been carrying on as usual. Nothing else has been different -- although I have been exercising less frequently than desirable, particularly for a person who wanted to lose weight.

My issues were the 35 extra pounds I'd packed on after spinal surgeries and quitting smoking. Yeow!! Also my continual lack of energy and sense of wellness -- I've never been healthy -- because of thyroid issues I lost my energy when I was about 17. After six months of this incredible product I am a good 30-35 pounds lighter and I feel better than I've felt since I was -- 17. I am several decades past that point, but barely feel like it! And in six months I have lost about 60% of the gray in my hair -- and my hairdresser Rita will attest to that. When she saw what had happened to me she wanted the products for herself -- NOW!

And all I did was to add a yummy, delicious shake to my diet every day. That is literally the only change I made ... besides the protein bars I am addicted to, that is!

Patrick's issues were quite different. He too added a shake to his daily diet -- but NOT for purposes of weight loss. He doesn't need that at all. What he did need was a way back from two near-death experiences in the last few years. He almost died twice -- of an overwhelming array of infections in his bloodstream due to gum disease, and a year later of pneumonia that did not respond to the first antibiotic. His health was shot. Six months later he is totally rejuvenated -- and our sex life, which was dead in the water for 5 years, miraculously returned after two months on this product!

Has any of this gotten your attention? It certainly has ours -- experiences of radical rejuvenation as we both have experienced are not common in our over-fed and under-nourished society. However, they are normal as can be over in Herbalife-Land.

I suppose if a company puts thirty years of research into the science of nutrition -- how to make the body, down to the very most basic cellular building blocks, receive optimal nutrition in the best way possible, eventually people will take notice. Targeted cellular nutrition -- works. In fact from the perspective of an always-ill woman who feels better than she has felt since her teens -- this has been nothing short of miraculous. And for Patrick, who has regained both health and virility -- again, miraculous. We are infinitely grateful, and want to spread the word.

For further info on the science of Herbalife, do visit www.herbalife.com.

For residents of Marin County CA that would like more information on our Weight Loss Challenges -- email us at julieandpatrick@live.com. We'll be happy to answer any questions!

Patrick just ran up the stairs, saying "baby, how's this one: 'HERBALIFE: FOOD FOR THOUGHT, FUEL FOR ACTION!'" I like it!

Goal Weight Achieved! Have I Mentioned This?

2009-10-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

Ho ho ho ha ha ha hee hee hee -- this is the cackling of a demented woman who had given up on achieving anything like -- oh, fitting into 7/8 of my clothes again, that sort of thing. The delighted sounds coming from a closet near you are the sounds of me slithering back into my jeans again. It has been a while. Ah, my clothes -- I missed you so!

I did it! Or -- it did me! It doesn't seem fair to say I did anything, because all I did was add Herbalife Formula One Shakes to my diet. As mentioned before in this space, I was at the time too depressed to exercise, and I watched in astonishment while the pounds melted away despite myself. While it's true that I don't eat a lot, I never really have. My body was holding onto weight while I tried to starve it into submission. That behavior no longer was successful after menopause. Only Herbalife had what it took to change my physical patterns; to smash into smithereens a lifelong imaginary rulebook of "do's and don'ts" that I'd evolved into some sort of dietary strategy which had failed me utterly.

Something else thrilling has been happening lately -- 14 visitors from the Ukraine to this website in the last week! What a wonderful world this can be! This thrills me almost as much as the 25 -30 lost pounds, because this big old world will be a lot happier when we all hold hands together across it.

The only reason that I do not say that the interest of international visitors thrills me more than my own weight loss is that few women in the world would believe me. I'd rather we kept things on an honest basis between us right from the start!

But WELCOME, to all of you -- from the Ukraine, the UK, India, China, Iran, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Brazil and Vietnam. I don't think many things could make me much happier than the way people have found this little site. The fact that we have such extraordinary types of technology to help us find one another across the world of words is nothing short of magical and miraculous, in my opinion.

I would also think that the appearance of visitors from around the world is another indicator that people are literally searching EVERYWHERE they can think of for answers to their questions regarding fitness, appropriate eating patterns and WEIGHT LOSS, which is a gigantic industry both on and off the Internet. Obesity and the problems that accompany it -- diabetes, heart disease, sexual dysfunction, high cholesterol -- and on and on -- are growing as rapidly as -- we are. We all know this has got to stop, but usually we prefer to wait until after dessert.

Next week's dessert.

Sound familiar? Well, it certainly does to me, as I have struggled with my body and its size and my image of its size throughout my life. If you've got something to say about your own life in the body, please know your comments will be welcome.

I've decided to moderate the posts so that people can feel safe to say whatever they might need to say without the fear of someone being inappropriate or rude or insensitive. It's something that is generally advised in order to prevent spam-bots from attacking sites -- the monitoring of posting, I mean! So if you feel you've anything you might want to chat about, start up a conversation! Surprisingly, people around the world ARE listening!

Tying Up A Few Loose Ends

2009-09-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hello out there!

Well, hmm. Before I go any further, I should catch you up on what happened with our adventure -- and it really was one -- with the Burning Man tribe. I have always known that good ideas are best launched when you have enough time to put them into play -- and so it was with us.

We made some -- mistakes. Only one, but it caused us some problems. My dear friend Troy posted something that looked suspiciously like an ad in his Lake Tahoe Hoopsters/Burners theme camp email list (tell you truly I have NO idea what happened, but they did not like it!) Suddenly we were "spammers" which is just NOT what you want to have a reputation for at a place like Burning Man -- it's just anathema to the basic principles of the Event, and nothing we would have EVER wanted. Accidents will happen -- and our ability to get a local permit was quashed.

In order to get some help with the local permit process, Patrick wrote his old friend "Danger Ranger", one of the two founding fathers of Burning Man, whom he's known for a few decades. Danger wrote him a scathing letter accusing him of being a heathen spammer. Patrick was crushed. After a few days I wrote Patrick's friend myself, explaining the situation properly and all was well. We'll be well prepared for next year -- our two boys got free tickets to the Burn this year and had a wonderful time, and all worked out harmoniously. We'll most likely be in Gerlach next year with a big truck and our survival paks, permit included.

Our momentum, though, was seriously messed up. We're just now getting it back.

I had great fun launching the B-Man Nutrition Pak website. We're going to have to come up with a better name for this new concept of ours: Herbalife energy foods for hikers, campers, athletes, festival goers, etc. -- the concept of "branding" is EVERYWHERE these days, and it is important.

We are very much open to suggestions relative to naming our nutrition survival paks, and in fact have decided to have a product-naming contest! OR -- if you think "Nutrition Survival Paks" is okay -- Patrick and I would like to hear about it. Details will come later!

Now you may wonder how we know anybody's reading this blog at all! Well, I have this wonderful little gadget called "Statcounter" at www.statcounter.com which allows me to see how many people see my site each day, how long they spend here, and where they're from -- I love that! I was so incredibly excited last week as 7 people from Ukraine visited this place! That thrills me -- the fact that people from as far away as India, China, Iran, Brazil, Moldova, the UK -- etc. come here makes me happy, and I would welcome dialogue with anyone who comes from a sincere and gentle space -- very much so!

This post is admittedly a little "rambly" as there were a few loose ends I wanted to tie up for anyone who might be paying attention. Now we are turning our attention to Local Weight Loss Challenges in our Marin Neighborhood -- after what has happened with my body and health -- and Patrick's in a different way -- I want so much to help people attain a greater state of wellness.

I've been sickly all my life and I've never felt better. I KNOW greater physical well-being is possible with PATIENCE AND THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND HERBALIFE PRODUCTS!! I have been both frustrated and amused by the number of my friends that have tried the products for a few weeks or a month -- "it's not working!" "It's taking too long!" "I like food too much!" -- it's a little hard to be detached and patient when you know what can be achieved with -- like I said earlier, patience, the right attitude (which is "I WILL SUCCEED at improving my health and losing weight!") and these magical Herbalife products.

Thirty years in the most sophisticated laboratories to produce the most absorbable, complete nutrition imaginable. Targeted -- vitamins, minerals, herbs and proteins all easily taken into the body in exactly the places necessary. Sounds good to me.

For those of you who are interested -- I won't push you, but I'd love to discuss diet and health with you. Herbalife literally saved my Patrick's life, and I am proud to distribute it.

Thoughts About Letting Go, Weight Included!

2009-09-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2009

Just came home from seeing one of my two beautiful daughters off on a great journey. She is on an airplane to London for a year of extremely intense training as a classical Shakespearean actor. She will be studying in a highly regarded Master's program at Drama Centre, part of. She is well-prepared for this moment; I wouldn't deprive her of it for the world. My other beauty is a brilliant free-lance journalist living with her love in Paris -- working on her third (fourth if you count Hindi) language. They are amazing creatures, and I am so proud of them.

A rather large part of me I will confess wishes I had my darling girls back with me in their younger days when nothing was more important than -- me. Sigh -- that's what it all comes down to, doesn't it? But your children are not your pets; that wonderful unconditional love matures into something different and equally precious, if you're lucky. Letting go is an essential part of life.

Letting go of weight comes along with that. Sometimes the weight represents an area of life we do not want to deal with. I have read -- and seen in my life -- that victims of sexual molestation can pack on the pounds as a subconscious way of signaling "don't touch me!" I've also noticed that young women who feel uncomfortable with their sexuality and the way it is reacted to in our society can tie themselves into all sorts of unhealthy knots around food and weight gain.

And then there are the eating disorders. Whew -- we're a society that's both obsessed with food and obsessed with body image -- I don't think our habits and attitudes necessarily serve us. I spent a lot of useless time feeling like food was my enemy earlier in life. I didn't know I had a thyroid disorder (we're going to go into THAT in one of these posts -- a huge, under-reported problem in our country), and I felt like a bad person for eating ANYTHING at all.

If I had known about bulimia in those days you can bet I would have tried it. Yes, I know exactly how crazy that sounds. My body was out of control and I didn't know what to do. That's one of the reasons I decided to go into this business -- there are so many people struggling with this one issue. I've been through it myself, more than once, and I am very much interested in being of support to others who need some assistance in the consideration of what it takes for each individual -- and we are all so different -- to attain the level of weight and fitness they desire.

That's what Herbalife is all about -- conquering obesity one person at a time. I'm one! They can count me! 25 pounds in 5 months, whoo hoo!! All right, that's enough gloating from me (laughing at self) -- I'll be back soon!

Nephew Working for "The Biggest Loser" !!

2009-09-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

I received some very interesting news from my nephew today. Seems that he has scored a job (he's very good at what he does, whatever it is) on the hit show 'The Biggest Loser." I couldn't be more thrilled, as the show operates on the same principles as the Weight Loss Challenges held by Herbalife Distributors all over the world. It is enormously popular and heading into its eighth season -- I am quite proud of my nephew, who is a very special person. I'm not sure he would want me to mention his name, so until I have that permission, I will not.

I'd only heard mentions of "The Biggest Loser" when I joined Herbalife. I had NO idea what a phenomenon it is -- a guilty pleasure for many! Full disclosure: I haven't seen it yet but I intend to -- Patrick and I both want to watch it for a while, to get a sense of their process. I will most likely become hopelessly addicted to it, but that's an occupational hazard I rather enjoy.

Simply put, this show is a weight loss competition that challenges a group of people to lose the most weight (proportionate to their height, etc.), and there are rewards involved! Prizes! Money! Sparkly Shiny Things to Win! Being involved in a difficult journey on television in front of tens of thousands of people!

And finally, and of most importance to those of us who are dealing with weight issues -- we are allowed to watch the transformation of people's lives in what I imagine to be a positive fashion -- I can't really comment at length until I've seen the show. But I appreciate any program that encourages people dealing with obesity to accomplish what seems so often to be the impossible -- weight loss. It is a huge problem, and there's a ton of misinformation out there.

As I began to learn about Herbalife I realized we even have an online Weight Loss Challenge (WLC) for those who do not have the time or inclination to leave their home, but still want to participate in a 8 week online weight loss contest. We also have regular Weight Loss Challenges all over the country in every sort of meeting place imaginable. Patrick and I are gearing up to do our first Marinwood/Terra Linda Weight Loss Challenge very soon. We'll keep you posted!

This idea of the online WLC is a concept unique to Herbalife.

Every week, we meet online for a webinar hosted by Herbalife. Weights and measurements are reported on a frequent basis -- logged in online along with our (shudder) "before" pictures -- and every week there is some sort of educational presentation relative to diet and health. The meetings are brief -- from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Everyone who participates has his or her own coach to report to and consult with.

It's about the mutual support. Prizes just make it more fun!

Lots of bonding has been done among participants, and large pots of money have been won! Most importantly, the online Weight Loss Challenges provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the healthy transformation of our puffy, chubby, badly-nourished selves into much healthier, sleeker versions of the same people!

Herbalife is most of all a "wellness" company -- there are scientists working in our labs globally, studying micro-nutrition so that we can continue to advance the health and well-being of all who come to us. They are cognizant of the enormity of the obesity epidemic and are dedicated to helping people conquer their problems with diet and health -- one person at a time.

I have not yet participated in the online challenges, but I'm going to be on board this time. I've lost the weight I wanted to lose -- to my astonishment and overwhelming gratitude, I AM 25 - 30 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN I WAS 5 MONTHS AGO -- 5+ POUNDS A MONTH THANKS TO HERBALIFE.

I AM IN LOVE!!!!

Yes I am -- I have that devoted feeling towards a product I never imagined I could love like this -- how odd! And odder still -- I have to defend my feelings toward this company, this business model, and these products. How odd and bizarre! These are the best things, nourishment-wise, that have ever happened to me, and I appreciate it when those who know me understand I don't put my name on just anything. This stuff is for real and will have my eternal gratitude, plus I'll be using it for the rest of my life.

Back soon!

Getting Ready for Burning Man

2009-08-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well -- wow. Two of my "lost boys" (I suffer from prolonged "empty nest syndrome" and like a houseful of kids around) are taking advantage of the tickets to Burning Man that were given to us by Patrick's old friend Danger Ranger. We hated to pass the opportunity by, but we thought the tickets would be best used by boys in their twenties.

The tradition of Burning Man (you're wondering what this has to do with Herbalife, right?) has to do with -- well, first of all, there's no money exchange there -- just coffee and ice can be bought there. Everything else you bring or trade for.

As an Herbalife Supervisor, I am extremely fortunate to have a fantastic young man named Troy as one of my distributors. He's taking my ticket along with a few Herbalife products especially selected for the desert. As we really didn't have much to donate, we decided to concentrate on just a few items. He's going to set up a "Hydration Station" near the Medical area, where people that have had too much sun can refresh themselves with Herbalife's H30, our specially formulated hydration drink.

He'll also have protein bars (in an ice cooler!) for the hypoglycemic. This gives us a way to take the best advantage of just a small amount of products -- put them where they are most needed. Troy can get a list of people who appreciate them, and work from there! Perhaps the main office would be interested in sponsoring an event at that party of fifty thousand people. If I were the company, I certainly would be!

Weight Loss, Herbalife and Me

2009-08-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was looking over the first few posts here, and realized that I hadn't talked about my weight much since I began this blog. Four months or so ago, when the adventures with Herbalife began in earnest for me, it never occurred to me that it would really work.

Fact. I was NOT a believer.

I was 40 pounds overweight and I'd been starving myself for months with absolutely no results. I've never had an easy time losing weight. For that reason I prefer to keep it off in the first place, but a combination of physical pain, immobility and a wish to drown my sorrows in ice cream demolished my willpower a few years back. After that I simply could not take the pounds off.

As said in an earlier post, something special drew me to this business; I found Herbalife during a specific meditation (Geek Secret: internet surfing late into the hours can produce a sense of timelessness as connections are made in an almost mystical way with bits of information relevant to oneself).

I'd had no prior exposure to Herbalife other than having heard the name once or twice. I liked the compensation plan*; I liked the people; I LOVE my coach. But the product? I thought it would be like any other, just some ordinary protein powder that could be had anywhere, nothing special.

Nothing special? I could not have been more wrong; and when I am wrong I love to admit it. My biases and prejudices are those of the Californian organic/natural foods devotee -- no "lab foods" for this woman! That's what I thought, that's what I believed. Of course I've always taken vitamins and I love "green" drinks -- natural "superfoods". But this Herbalife stuff -- I did not for one second imagine that it could and would profoundly transform my body.

Four months later I am effortlessly 25 pounds lighter**. I didn't think it would work. It did. My husband has also been drinking the Formula One shakes; fortunately he hasn't lost weight but he HAS recovered from several years worth of serious, life-threatening illnesses that had devastated his immune system. Where before Patrick's coloring was grey and lifeless, he's back in the pink! He's quite literally gotten a healthy pink glow back to his skin .

Nobody could have prepared me for results like this. All around the internet there's nothing but ads for this and hype for that. But I found something that works like my own personal Fountain of Youth -- naturally I want to make this known in a way that cuts through that hype.

I mean, I think I've just been handed ten extra years I wasn't sure that I wanted! And as for Patrick, I know we're going to be able to be in one another's lives much longer because of Herbalife. Straight up. I can't believe it myself.

As for the kids we know on Herbalife (by "kids" I'm referring to people I know that are 21+ -- we have a lot of friends from all age groups), without exception they have said to me that they don't feel as well when they don't have it, and that they find themselves eating lots of things to try to achieve the same sense of grounded wellness that they feel on when they get their Herbalife shakes each day.

I hear about responses to the Herbalife products all the time now, and for once in my life I don't think it's hype. This stuff is really, really good.

* compensation plan -- the company has 7 different ways to pay its sales force (most internet marketers use 1-2 tiered plans)

** As said, I've effortlessly lost weight; for other people a tad more patience is required. But you will get excellent results if you don't give up, if you persevere. I'd be more than happy to coach you to your desired weight!

NEW!! BURNING MAN NUTRITION SURVIVAL PAKS!!

2009-08-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

Look to the right, y'all, for information on our new Festival Nutrition Paks -- also known as B-Man Nutrition Paks. We're very proud of this new method of marketing as well as our particular product line. Contact us if you would like to discuss either.

Leadership Development Weekend Day 2

2009-08-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Let's see -- last time I checked in (I'm writing to you from Alaska now) I was at the Herbalife "Leadership Development Weekend" in Sacramento. As I said earlier, the Herbalife people know how to treat their distributors. Everything about the entire weekend exuded generosity of spirit, intelligence, positivity -- none of the sleaze factor that can be associated with Sales.

The presenters were terrific. People from all walks of life; each had an extraordinary success story to tell. In this terrifying economic time (for me anyway!) I appreciated hearing the different ways people had of building and managing their businesses.

Everyone who has been in the Herbalife business for a while says that it is important to get yourself to a training event like the Leadership Development Weekend. I've been turned off by other such events with a different group I'd worked with, and I wasn't sure, but I qualified for the Leadership Development Weekend, and I thought I'd be a fool if I didn't take advantage of it. They have these things for a reason -- to educate leaders, and that's what I am interested in being.

Some of the presenters were very young and loved to approach people in malls asking them if they were interested in health and nutrition -- these girls were so lively and cute! I could completely see that they might enjoy that way of doing business. I cannot think of anything I would like to do less. Fortunately, there are many different methods of doing business as an Herbalife distributor -- there's even a place for people with mild social anxiety disorder. Like me.

You have to earn the right to be present at these events -- they don't just let everyone in at the higher levels of training. You have to have demonstrated, in one way or another, adequate interest in really doing some business. In my case I didn't do anything spectacular but recognize that Herbalife was, for a passionate and disciplined person (well, I'm working on the discipline!), a way to attain financial freedom. Their compensation plan is tremendous, and the product is second to none, in my opinion.

I've known this was the company for us ever since a moment of "first contact" I'd had in my meditation over my computer. But for some reason I couldn't transmit what I felt to my partner. It had been a little depressing with Patrick and the business lately. I felt consumed by it and I wanted him to understand in the way that I did.

But I'm a person who learns by reading. Everybody learns differently. I was the one with the system on my computer and Patrick wasn't, and he wasn't connecting with the business like I was. I felt like he didn't get it, and honestly I felt he was being a drag on me. He made commitments and didn't follow through, and I began to feel that I would have to do the business alone.

But things do change, and change they did for Patrick as he listened to the stories of the Herbalife people at that weekend in Sacramento. There's something about hearing the stories of the business people who have profited so greatly from a brilliant group of products* and a generous compensation system that is set up to reward those who step out of their comfort zone and get those products into the kitchens of other people.

Patrick came home a changed man, ready to begin this business and definitely excited about it. He recruited a fantastic young man almost immediately and I simply am almost in shock at the difference a weekend like that can make. And we didn't go to any of the famous Herbalife parties; we didn't even manage to attend all of the conference as I can't sit in certain sorts of chairs for more than several hours due to old back injuries.

Still -- that weekend worked its magic, and Patrick Gavin Duffy became a proud and enthusiastic voice for Herbalife from that weekend forward! We plan to start our first cycle of "Weight Loss Challenges" in our neighborhood -- but before we do that, we're going to get some Herbalife Survival Kits put together for people going to Burning Man over Labor Day Weekend.

*I inadvertantly wrote "prouducts" -- certainly a freudian slip!

Leadership Development Weekend -- Sacramento

2009-07-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

July 18, 2009

This weekend marks a first for Patrick and me in our careers with Herbalife -- our first time at what is called a "Leadership Development Weekend" which are occasions held periodically for the purposes of training and motivating qualified Herbalife Supervisors.* Anyone who has qualified and wants to brush up on some fundamentals, get energized by spending time with the Herbalife gang (as good a group of people as it gets, from what we can tell), should take the opportunity to attend one of these meetings. When we were registering, it felt like Christmas as we were loaded up with heaps of little gifties. Great are the rewards that come to those who understand how to succeed at this Direct Marketing business model. I could not be more serious.

I find the possibilities marketing a product like Herbalife -- no, specifically Herbalife -- quite exciting, to put it mildly. The other day I was discussing the possibilities of social networking with the representative of a new company that's sprung into existence to train people to work better with the products they are already emotionally committed to. The gentleman I was speaking with wanted to know what products I represented, and when I mentioned Herbalife, he said he'd worked with a lot of Herbalife people who were crazy about their product. He also said: Herbalife must have some compensation program! All I could say was "YES"!

Direct Marketing, or Network Marketing is a tremendously effective way of making money if you study your situation, really do your homework and apply yourself. I know this; I have seen many people make extraordinary incomes from this sort of profit sharing model. That's the chief reason we chose Herbalife -- until we truly understood and literally fell in love with the products. Now I admit -- we're new, and that's why I called this blog "Adventures with Herbalife" -- because I don't know what's going to happen. However, I will be honest about the ride!

After three months I can tell you this: I look about ten years younger, and so does Patrick. People are noticeably shocked when they see us -- I do not exaggerate. Literally, noticeably shocked. I guess I'd gone into denial about how bad it had gotten for me since I quit smoking. I wasn't smoking much -- just a few a day -- but suddenly I realized it had been for twenty years and that seemed like enough. Oh my god oh my god nothing has ever had me by the throat like that. Smoking is hard hard hard to kick.

My weight shot up and my cravings for sweets skyrocketed. My weight went from -- well, from tolerable to bovine in just a few months. For a change I didn't loathe myself too much; I did ask the Universe, God, my Higher Self -- whatever you want to call it -- I asked, I prayed for help. My body had changed; it ballooned out of proportion to take revenge on me for not smoking! I gained at least twenty pounds, and I was ten pounds overweight anyway.

But then along came Herbalife, and three months later I find myself in a room with other people who comprehend the benefits of these extraordinary products PLUS the compensation plan -- and I like them. I feel good here, comfortable. This is an excellent sign; when something is wrong for me I have an internal mechanism that will catapult me out of the situation. Not here -- I feel right at home.

And these folks are making money, tons of it. They are making it hand over fist while they help positively transform the health of their fellow humans. Furthermore, they/we have a life changing business opportunity for anyone who wants to shake things up. Whether a person needs an extra few hundred, an extra few thousand or much more -- we have business plans for every budget.

I love this company. I do. I love the products -- they have changed my life. I love the opportunity I see here, and the principle of mutual service in action all around me. The people I have met have been generous in spirit and action. One of the things about Herbalife people is that they are trained from the beginning to really listen in order to be of best service.

The basic product -- the Formula One shakes -- remind me of the magical water of the Ents in "Lord of the Rings"! Targeted cellular nutrition is the closest thing to "food magic" I can think of. We look ten years younger in 3 months -- I don't understand it but it is absolutely true. So hello out there from Julie and Patrick in Sacramento, about to go to bed after exploring old town Sacramento -- what a great day! Herbalife rocks!

* The definition of "qualification" is different for different events -- but it always has to do with RPV or Retail Point Volume, the Herbalife "gold standard". As our products are sold in over 70 countries, we speak in RPV and not in dollars; those that sell the highest RPV are rewarded amply by a company that values its sales-people very highly indeed.

Summertime, and the Livin' is -- BUSY!

2009-07-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hello again -- it has been far too long since I've posted in this new blog, and while I'm full of reasons and excuses, they're all boring and I won't bother you with them. There is ONE thing, though -- I've been asked to write regularly for Politicususa.com, a liberal newsblog -- and I am thrilled. Somehow it's much easier to write for two places than for one, and I don't have a clue as to why. So here I am, and let's go! I shall attempt to be more disciplined in the future -- always a bit of a problem for me!

Since last checking in with you I've continued doing the Herbalife Formula One shakes, as I will be doing for the rest of my life. To my utter shock, my body has changed more in three months than I ever ever believed possible. And Patrick's has as well. I'm talking about visual changes, things an observant person can see. Those visual changes reflect internal changes I can only imagine, but haven't completely measured. I do know I've shed over 20 pounds, my coloring is back, and I'm beginning to get tired of people I haven't seen for a while look shocked as they reflexively look at me -- up and down, down and up -- then they get embarassed, and I save the situation by saying "yes, I have lost weight!" and of course I mention Herbalife. I've never been the type to "sell", but when a product or batch of products has saved your health and quality of life, you want to shout it to the rooftops.

And Patrick -- I have no idea how to express this. As said earlier, we'd gone through a phase in our relationship -- a sexual downturn lasting 5 1/2 years. I saw a program on telelvision the other day (sorry, I can't source this properly as I cannot remember what I was watching) where a relationship counselor said that after such a long period of sexual inactivity it was close to impossible to get those sexual fires lit again. I'm glad I didn't hear that pre-Herbalife, because my despair would have harmed my efforts to keep my relationship alive despite Patrick's physical difficulties. With Herbalife, after two mere months of Formula One shakes daily, that man is back! After three months -- all I can tell you is that we're like dizzy newlyweds -- so grateful and happy. I'm glad we were so kind to one another, as the rewards we're reaping thanks to Herbalife have made the memories of all those hard, sad years slip away.

You should see my sweetheart! Where there was a gray, lifeless pallor to his complexion, there is a healthy pink! He looks like the guy I met almost 8 years ago, and he acts like the guy I met almost 8 years ago. That he has gone from sexual dysfunction to the delicious opposite in two months is almost more than my fragile mind can handle. How can this be? Really -- how?

I can only offer my thoughts on the matter until I manage to corner some Herbalife scientists. I think that we as a culture are extraordinarily badly nourished. We're fat and we don't move around enough and we eat a ton of garbage masquerading as food. The supposedly healthy alternatives are doused in poisons and waxes and toxins of all sorts. The "organic" foods are expensive and hard to get depending on where you live. The animals we eat are raised in conditions worse than our prisons, often weak and diseased, and they die in a state of fear. How can any of this this be good for us?

Although our consciousness relative to nutrition has definitely been elevated in the last few decades, still as a country our habits are abysmal. There is an obesity epidemic raging, bringing with it attendant diseases such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart conditions and a host of other problems our society cannot afford to pay for. We have GOT to get a grip on this problem of national malnutrition. Although it is odd to consider that a nation of such large people can be malnourished at the same time, it is absolutely true. One of the reasons we eat so much is that our bodies are starving. As our food, grown on exhausted soil drenched with deadly chemicals, becomes more and more depleted we want more and more of it. This is not working out very well for us, as our national levels of obesity and attendant diseases skyrocket, along with their physical, emotional and finalcial tolls. We must continue to consider the effects of every bite we take upon our personal bodies and ultimately upon our national health care system, which is breaking under the very weight of us.

Herbalife - The Mark Hughes and Herbalife Story By Christopher Reid

2009-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Herbalife - The Mark Hughes and Herbalife Story
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Reid]Christopher Reid

Herbalife started as one young man's dream more than 29 years ago. Mark Hughes was just 18 years old when his mother Joan passed away from an accidental drug overdose of prescription weight loss pills.

Being a part time model and actress in L.A, Joan struggled with her weight for many years and finding a convenient and effective weight loss method as a single working mom in the late 1970's held little alternatives other than diet pills. Diet drugs are highly addictive, have terrible side effects and make it difficult to sleep so Joan also took sleeping pills and unfortunately she had an overdose and died.

This event and the situation of Mark Hughes life impacted him so profoundly that Mark decided that he would make a difference in the world by finding a safe and effective alternative to the diet drugs and pills that had killed his mom.

Mark had an interest in nutrition and particularly in Chinese Herbs. He studied these herbs and travelled to all parts of China speaking with the Chinese Herbal Doctors and discovered firsthand the incredible health benefits these herbs held on the human body. The Chinese Mark discovered had been using these herbs for thousands of years as their medicine.

Despite having no medical background, never finishing high school, no business background and no money Mark managed to find some who would listen to his idea and with their help and support and 1 year of testing and refining together they formulated "Formula 1." A meal replacement made with soy protein, vitamins and herbs. Mark wanted to help people lose weight by replacing 2 meals a day with this formula and thereby reduce calories while still getting 100% of all the nutrition the cells needed for optimum health. And "Cellular Nutrition" was born.

In February 1980 at 23 years of age Mark got his first customer on the product, his granny Mimi, who lost 20 pounds and introduced 20 of her friends.

The word quickly spread that not only were people losing weight on this product but because their systems were being cleansed from the herbs, they started looking younger, getting more energy, blood pressure normalised and many other health benefits ensued and at the end of its first year Herbalife had sold more than US$2 million dollars.

Now armed with a whole heap of incredible health AND income testimonials the company quickly grew.
In 1981 US$10 Million
In 1982 US$52 Million
In 1983 US$148 Million
In 1984 Herbalife did US$402 Million making it the fastest growing company in US business history breaking all sorts of records and achieving remarkable things because of three very important factors.

1) The product. Mark decided right from the start that the Herbalife products would be made with the latest in science, technology and medical discoveries and no amount of time, effort or cost would diminish from that #1 purpose. The products would be the best form of food for the human body that money could buy. Combining Chinese Herbal wisdom of more than 6000 years with Western Nutritional technology and making it consumable, easy to prepare and tasty was certainly a task, but Mark Hughes and the team of doctors and scientists accomplished that.

Today the Herbalife product range includes weight management, targeted nutrition, outer nutrition, and personal care. All made with natural herbal ingredients and all designed to cleanse and nourish the cells of the body for maximum health results.

2) Personal Coaching. Mark realised the need for a "personalised" approach to weight loss. He knew that selling the products off a super market shelf would diminish its effectiveness so Mark decided that the best way to 'change the world' was with Multi Level Marketing. Through MLM not only would the consumer get the best products but they would also get the best service by having a Herbalife Distributor as their personal coach to assist them.

3) The Compensation Plan. Mark realised that for his dream of "making the world healthier", to become real he would need a highly motivated team of distributors and so Mark created the compensation plan to beat all others.

1st The Compensation Plan pays a maximum of 50% on all sales. From high school students to moms, to taxi driver and even your family doctor making sales means helping someone improve health, and thereby adding a couple hundred or thousands of extra dollars to your monthly income.

2nd Reward distributors who grew an organization to help with the 'Dream'. From 1 distributor to 100,000 you would be paid fairly on all of your team including wholesale commissions of up to 25%, royalties 15% and infinite bonuses up to 7%, vacations and World Wide Sales Bonuses amounting to 1% of annual turnover. In all Herbalife pays 73% of all product sales back to its distributor base making it the highest paying and fairest compensation plan in the entire industry.

Today the records speak for themselves. 29 years in business, 70 countries, US$3.8 Billion in 2008, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Nobel Prize winning scientists, UCLA medical advisory board, over 100 Million RECORDED testimonials, the Herbalife Family Foundation supporting at risk children all over the world and landmark sports sponsorship deals including the L.A Galaxy and David Beckham are just some of the achievements. But most incredibly Herbalife is officially the "Number 1 Weight Loss Company in the Entire World!"

It is true that 'One man can make a difference!' Mark Hughes has proven that anyone with a dream and the determination to make that dream a reality can change the world for the better.

If you like the sound of this company and are interested to learn more then click here... [http://www.Wellness-To-Wealth.com]Herbalife

Click Here For A More In Depth Review Of [http://www.squidoo.com/a-full-review-of-herbalife-international]Herbalife

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Reid http://EzineArticles.com/?Herbalife---The-Mark-Hughes-and-Herbalife-Story&id=2474113

Introduction -- the Why of the Why

2009-05-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

This post by Julie: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary what in the world I was going to do with my life, I decided to ask my computer. Do a little magical gazing, as it were.

What? You did -- what?

I decided to ask my computer. I love my computer more than anything outside of the people/animal kingdom, but I'd always thought of it as a distraction. It never occurred to me to use this thing I love so much to make money. I'd come to a dangerous dead-end in my life. I'd raised my children so well that they actually felt independent enough to -- leave me. I didn't foresee the emotional devastation of the "empty nest syndrome".

My money, which I'd thought would last for the rest of my life, was about to run out. Our heater exploded for the last time that fall, and early in January 2009, on his birthday, my partner fell in a ditch, breaking a bone in his right hand and two ribs. We were cold, hungry, miserable, in pain and scared to death.

One night I was at the computer, thinking about my particular gifts and opening myself up to the possibility of finding something I would want to do with passion. That was the night I found Herbalife and Global Home Business Systems (GHBS).

I knew nothing about Herbalife when I first came across the website. But the moment I made the connection, that I saw the word "Herbalife" something in me shouted "THIS IS IT!!" and I literally began jumping for joy on the spot. I do not exaggerate -- I felt like I had found something amazing! That was around March, and the things I have experienced and seen have been astonishing. Yes, you heard me -- I said ASTONISHING.

Yes, it is true, and I freely admit it. Ladies and Gentlemen: I am an intelligent woman of sound mind ready to tell you I have never believed in the conception of cellular regeneration until I'd had three months on the Herbalife products. But I absolutely do now. Why? Because they work, they really actually work. and they work in ways more wonderful than I had ever imagined possible. This is my own personal story, and my husband's. Our experiences, and those of the people who find us here.

What could have happened that would inspire this kind of devotion in two people who have been involved in the natural food/slow food movements for years? Changes -- undeniable, unbelievable changes. I lost over 15 pounds in 8 weeks, and I haven't been able to lose weight for years. I have a great deal of self control, but my metabolism had slowed down for several reasons, and my strategy for coping was poor -- I ate less and less and felt more and more weak. I couldn't stand eating and I couldn't move. Within a week of adding 2 Herbalife shakes a day to my diet (I wasn't replacing anything because I wasn't eating anything) I started to lose weight. It has been unbelievable. I have gone from the heaviest I've ever been to about half of the way to my goal weight, AND I'm still on the way down. That is INCREDIBLE, and I want to help people have the kind of success I've had. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in our country, and there's a way out! Come with us on our Herbalife Adventure!

I've talked a bit about my experiences. My husband Patrick has also had a deep and positive response to adding Herbalife shakes and vitamins to his daily regimen. For the entire 7 1/2 years we've been together, Patrick's health had been declining, and an unseen killer was teeming in his bloodstream. He had an advanced case of gum disease, and bacteria were on the verge of overwhelming his fragile body. He went to sleep at 7 pm and would arise at noon the next day, never feeling refreshed. As I was the sole support of the family at this point, he didn't want to tell me about the problem because his dentist quoted him a figure of $8000. A year later the figure had ballooned to $20,000, and this doctor wasn't about to treat people who needed to pay over time. Interestingly, he only ever spoke in terms of dollars -- he NEVER TOLD ME that Patrick could be in danger from this condition, and only by grace and the miraculous did I put information together in time to get Patrick on antibiotics before his heart was overwhelmed -- I know in my being that I could have lost him -- that I almost in fact did..

He recovered, but not completely. A year later he got a job as a food demonstrator (not very satisfying for an artist/geographer) and within a few weeks had a nagging cough. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and went on antibiotics. He seemed to get better but several weeks later we were up in the mountains and I realized that Patrick still had pneumonia, and we were nowhere near medical help. He survived, but again did not thrive. There had been such continual attacks on his system that, according to one doctor, his entire hormonal balance was thrown off. I could have told them that his testosterone count was low.

Despite an intensely passionate relationship, after only two years and seemingly overnight, our sexual connection virtually ended. He was barely over fifty, and had never ever had a sexual problem. In fact, the opposite had always been true -- he's said "if I could be stricken down, ANYBODY could". So for over five years we lived together pretty much platonically. We kissed a lot and stayed close, but nothing worked. There was barely a sign of life, no matter what we did. And I lost hope. And while I lost hope I gained weight, because -- what difference did it make?

Fortunately, our devotion to one another was great, and we had enough discipline to avoid ripping one another to shreds over -- everything. So why in the world bring the details of our personal suffering up in this sort of forum? The best sort of reason -- we found a family of food supplements that completely changed our lives -- from my hitherto IMPOSSIBLE weight loss to the beautiful healthy color of Patrick's skin. After only two months of using the Herbalife products on a daily basis, my sweetheart is back and our lovelife is back on track again -- after 5 and one half years, people!! I had completely given up hope.

If you'd like to research our products, go to "http://cellularhealthmart.com. For info on the online weight loss challenges, go to "http://weightlosschlg.com". If you are interested in working from home, online, either part or full time, go to "http://wrkathomeonline.com" -- because of our particular economy, the time is right for this sort of work. More on that later!