20 Natural Remedies to Prevent & Heal Hangovers & Lessen the Desire to Drink

Commercials on television give you the impression that alcohol does nothing but make you happy, young, and attractive. The truth is much more sobering. Alcohol can act as a depressant or lead to aggressive behavior and have you waking up with a painful hangover, which can include sensitivity to noise and light, a throbbing headache, upset stomach, achy muscles, nausea, and a host of other uncomfortable conditions. For hangovers, you've probably heard of the remedy using a Bloody Mary drink. there is some truth to tomato juice being useful, mostly because it's a fluid that helps repair your dehydration. But here are 20 better suggestions that really work for cures and prevention, such as consuming homegrown Alfalfa, Red Clover, and Broccoli Sprouts (see below). Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You can find more natural remedies for whatever ails you in my three new books, Walking on Air, The Joy Factor, and my full color recipe book entitled Recipes for Health Bliss, as well as my series of natural remedy booklet/CD combos detailed here.

To read about all 20 hangover remedies, please click HERE. To listen to a recent radio interview with Susan and talk show host, Jamie Dickerman, talking about her favorite hangover remedies, please click HERE.

Shed Extra Weight, Look Younger & Ban the Blues with the ABC's

Three Superfoods That Will Change Your Life: It will be easy for you to remember these three superfoods because they begin with the letters A, B, and C. And they all have a common denominator; they are all health-enhancing SPROUTS — Alfalfa Sprouts, Broccoli Sprouts, and Clover (aka Red Clover) Sprouts. Most days I have at least five different kinds of sprouts growing in the corner of my kitchen. Of the many that I grow, Alfalfa, Broccoli, and Red Clover Sprouts are always growing in abundance. In my private practice, I even use these three kinds of alkaline sprouts to help prevent and heal hangovers. These three sprout varieties will also help you lose weight, alleviate depression, look and feel younger, prevent cancer, soothe achy joints, and even heal a hangover. I have been using them in my private practice for over 35 years with great success. But the key is to grow them at home for peak nutritional value, freshness, taste, and inexpensive. I am convinced that one of the main reasons that I've never taken any prescription medication, and haven't had a cold or the flu in over 25 years, is because I consume at least one half cup daily of the homegrown sprouts mentioned above. It also saves me lots of money on my grocery bills when I grow them instead of purchasing them at the grocery stores. 

Sprout Growing Kits: An investment in your health is the best investment you can make. A Sprout Growing Kit is top on my list of what to get in January 2012. It's inexpensive, easy-to-use, and will be delivered right to your door. For years, I've purchased all of my organic sprouting seeds and supplies at America's favorite store Handy Pantry. This family-run business can answer all of your sprouting questions and help you get started. For more information, please visit: HandyPantry.com. And to read my six-part series on Sprouting Your Way to Vitality, refer to my Blog. Here's a brief summary of the series below.

Nature’s Little Miracle

You start with a small, dry, hard seed, bean or grain. Add warm air and a little water and watch as new life emerges as if by magic from the dormant seed. Vibrant with life and bursting with energy, its tiny size belies the extraordinary activity that takes place while growing. In mere hours and at a cost to you of just pennies, its delicate shoots proceed to provide the most vital food imaginable.

Growing sprouts in your kitchen doesn't take up much space either. Some of my favorite seeds to sprout include red clover, alfalfa, lentils, garbanzo beans, almonds, fenugreek, French blue lentils, green peas, bean salad sprouts mix, protein powerhouse mix, red lentil, sunflower seed sprouts, wheatgrass, mung beans, and broccoli sprouts. For detailed information on the ABCs of growing sprouts and how to use them in recipes, please refer to my celebrated, full-color recipe and nutrition book Recipes for Health Bliss: Using NatureFoods & Lifestyle Choices to Rejuvenate Your Body & Life, which has over 150 color photographs. The chapter on sprouting includes a Sprouting Chart so, at-a-glance, you will have all the tools to grow your delicious, nutritious sprouts. Kids love to participate in the sprouting process, too. And it only takes a few minutes each week from start to finish — from the dormant seed to harvested vegetables year-round.

For any of you interested in losing weight, you must start growing your own sprouts. Depending on the protein content, one fully packed cup of sprouts contains only 16 to 70 calories. They are the perfect weight-loss and body-purification food for this decade and beyond. Red clover sprouts are a stellar detoxifying food; broccoli sprouts will help prevent cancer; and alfalfa sprouts will rejuvenate every cell in your body. This “garden in your hand” grows very fast in any weather with very little care. Most of them take less than a minute or two of your time per day for care. You can grow sprouts throughout the year, nearly anywhere indoors in any season, without any weather worries. No digging, planting, weeding, pests, or chemicals to worry about either. And there is no long wait as with outdoor vegetable gardens. In just two to seven days, you will have a nutrition-packed, bountiful harvest.

More Reasons to Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Vitamin D

In previous newsletters, and also in my special package Renew Your Life, I discuss the importance to keeping your vitamin D at healthy levels in your body. It's needed for strong bones, a healthy heart, a lean, fit body, greater immunity, and cancer prevention, to name a few. This is a good time of year to check your level of vitamin D with a blood test at your doctor's office.

Now there are more reasons to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Both multiple sclerosis and mononucleosis are difficult diseases for people afflicted with them. A recent study shed insight into a risk factor: low amount of vitamin D. This study is consistent with other research that vitamin D blood levels are lower in winter when there is less sunshine and there are more colds and flu. Vitamin D helps your immune system stay in proper balance. One way you can protect yourself is to take a separate vitamin D supplement; I take at least 5,000 IUs daily. Plus taking it in winter may help reduce the risk of you getting colds and flu.

Twenty minutes of sunshine on your body (as much of your skin exposed to the sun as possible) will provide your body with between 10,000 and 20,000 units of vitamin D depending on your proximity to the equator and the time of year. Another study disclosed that almost 80% of Americans are low on vitamin D. I live in the sunny Santa Monica/ Brentwood areas of Los Angeles and spend lots of time outdoors exercising at the beach or hiking in the mountains. Much to my surprise, the last vitamin D test I got showed that I was severely low. So I immediately increased my supplementation of vitamin D-3.

Learn more about the healing power of sunshine in my books Walking on Air,  Be Healthy~Stay Balanced and Healthy, Happy & Radiant...at Any Age.

Treasure Your Assets Every Day

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use. However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules. The first set of rules would be:

• Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
• You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
• You may only spend it.
• Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:

• The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, it's over, the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, use it all, right?

Actually, this game is reality! Each of us is in possession of such a magical  bank. We just can't seem to see it. The magical bank is TIME! Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us. What we haven't lived up that day is forever  
lost.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....without warning. So, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about that and always think of this: Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply, and enjoy life! Here's wishing you a beautiful day. Start spending!

For detailed information on how to make the most of each day and with more balance and gusto, refer to my two new books Walking on Air: Your 30-Day Inside and Out Rejuvenation Makeover and The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred Practices for Radiant Health. Individually they are both motivating and empowering. Together, they make a complete set and create a life-changing, dynamic duo.

A Nutritional Supplement for Overall Healing & Rejuvenation

E3Live is 100% AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) — an organic, edible blue-green algae that can only be harvested in the pristine waters of Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon pictured here in the photo. Nutritionally, E3Live provides 65 easily absorbed vitamins, minerals, and enzymes and has more biologically active chlorophyll than any known food. It is harvested organically and sustainably. E3Live is the only Klamath Lake AFA that is available in a fresh-frozen liquid form, which is its least processed form and provides the most benefits. When I travel I take the E3Live in capsule form.

When you take the liquid E3Live on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, you will notice a positive difference within 15 minutes. I wouldn't be without this salubrious nutritional supplement.

For more information on E3Live, to listen to interviews on it with Gabriel Cousens, MD and Dr. Brian Clement, or to get a free CD about the products, please click HERE for all of the details.

For the month of January, exclusive to my newsletter readers, you can get a substantial discount off of any purchase you make through the E3Live company. All of their products come with a 100% money-back guarantee within a full year of purchase. Click HERE to order online and use the code VITALITY.

If you'd prefer to talk with a real person "live" rather than to order online, you can call in your order and mention the VITALITY code. In fact, here's what I suggest: Call their team of experts with any queries you may have about the offer, the products, or to help with your personal health issues or wellness goals. The friendly and knowledgeable staff at E3Live is always available to answer any questions you may have about these amazing products and how you will benefit. They can help you ascertain which products would be best for you. I encourage you to try these products for three months and you'll see a profound difference in how you feel and look.

Reserve Your Spot for the January 31st Telegathering — The ABCs of Surefire & Lasting Weight Loss

BE PREPARED TO BE INSPIRED! BE PREPARED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER!

Great News:

It's that time of the year again when our thoughts turn to the New Year and we begin thinking about what we can do for better health in the next year. It's the time when we start thinking about and making those New Year's Resolutions, and usually at the top of the list is the resolution to shed the extra pounds we've put on over the holidays and to lose once and for all that extra weight. Good thinking!

Yet, even with a strong resolve and the shopping trips to the store to buy the right foods, and the commitment to a daily exercise regimen, and even the purchase of exercise equipment, many times we just can't seem to get there. Either life gets in the way and we get too busy; our self-perception gets in the way and derails us; we lose our enthusiasm to roll out of bed and exercise before our day begins; or maybe the winter cold moves in and all we want to do is to stay inside and stay warm so... forget the walks! Or we find ourselves getting discouraged because no matter how careful we are with the food we eat and how hungry we are, all of the time, those pounds just don't seem to go away. The reason for this is because being overweight has many different contributors that not only need to be considered, they need to be addressed.

So keeping all of this in mind, Carol Ritberger (bestselling author, motivational speaker, transformational expert, and radio talk show host) and I would like to invite you to join our special 90-minute Telegathering, We will be sharing surefire tips on how to lose those pounds and keep them off by removing the physical, mental, emotional, and energetic contributors that cause us to gain weight in the first place and then cause the weight to take up permanent residency.

How do you know if this Telegathering is right for you? Ask yourself if you wish to:

• Lose 20 to 30 pounds in 3 months by eating more, not less
• Jump start your metabolism
• Increase your stamina and energy
• Release the underlying emotional contributors that are sabotaging your weight loss goals
• Reignite self-esteem and confidence, and feel enthusiastic about your life again
• Feel good about your body no matter your current size or weight

If you answered YES to any one of these statements — or to all of these statements — then you'll want to join The ABC's of Surefire & Lasting Weight Loss Telegathering.

As a bonus gift for participating, I will be offering a FREE PDF copy of my popular, full color e-book, Living on the Lighter Side: Dr. Susan's Premiere Secrets to Accelerate Fat Loss, Supercharge Your Energy & Rejuvenate Body and Mind ($20.00 value). Carol will be offering a FREE PDF booklet on Overweight & Health: Understanding the Effects of Beliefs, Emotions, and Self-Esteem.

We hope you will join us and fall in love with yourself, your body, and your life. During this Telegathering on January 31st, Carol and I will be announcing the date of our upcoming up-close-and-personal Retreat on "Weight Loss Made Easy & Vitality Galore" to be held in sunny, super-spectacular Santa Monica, CA. Space will be very  limited so we can go the extra mile with each participant. So if you want to attend this retreat, you'll get the details during the Telegathering.

All best wishes for a healthy, happy & trim-fit 2012,
Susan

New Year Smoothie to Detox & Rejuvenate Your Miraculous Body

Dried Plum & Apple Green Smoothie

The more common name for dried plum is prune, but I don't call them that because there are so many popular misconceptions associated with the word. This is a healthy and refreshing mid-morning or afternoon pick-me-up guaranteed to keep you in the flow this month and throughout the year and to help you detoxify and rejuvenate your miraculous body. Serves 1-2.

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt (dairy or nondairy if you are a vegan)
• 8 dried plums, pitted
• 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 1 kiwi, peeled
• 1/2 banana (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup frozen apple-juice concentrate (you can also find it bottled and unfrozen)
• 1/2 tsp. (1,000 mg) L-Arginine *
• 1/4 lemon, peeled (leave pithy part on)
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 leaves fresh mint
• 5-6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and serve.

Dried Plums (Prunes) -- A natural laxative, dried plums are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, beta-carotene, and iron. They help lower cholesterol and are beneficial for the blood, brain, and nerves.

This smoothie will help keep your digestive system in the pink this month and throughout the year. With a burst of flavors melding together, each glassful is detoxifying, rejuvenating, alkalizing, and energizing. You can also vary the taste each time you make it by adding in other fruits (fresh or frozen) and leafy greens (like baby leaf spinach or kale) that you have on hand. Whenever possible, choose organic produce, too.

This recipe is an excerpt from my full-color recipe and healthy living book titled Recipes for Health Bliss: Using NatureFoods & Lifestyle Choices to Rejuvenate Your Body & Life.

If you don't have a blender, or you need a new one, this is a great time of year to purchase one -- so you have this marvelous kitchen tool to help you create vibrant health. The one I use and recommend is the Total Blender by Blendtec. Click HERE for more information or to purchase. While on this page of the website, also check out the Kitchen Mill. I would not be without these two kitchen angels, as well as the water filtration system Ionizer Plus.

*L-Arginine: As the building blocks of protein, amino acids are vital to our health and well-being. L-Arginine is no exception. This amino acid is crucial for a healthy, active lifestyle. It promotes muscle & fat metabolism, and supports the effect of exercise. If you watched the Dr. Oz Show on December 29th, he recommended taking 2,000 mg of this supplement three times a day to help boost your body's level of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and reap the beneifts of youthful vitality for your entire body.

L-Arginine's benefits don't stop there. It's involved in the production of nitric oxide, a natural compound, which promotes circulation to the body's vital organs by relaxing blood vessels. This effect can significantly improve sexual health and reproductive function. For the athlete, L-Arginine promotes muscle growth and when taken with a carbohydrate drink, boosts performance and endurance by providing glucose (sugar) for extra muscle energy. Nature's Wonderland L-Arginine is pure pharmaceutical grade, and is in the preferred, readily absorbed free form. This is the one I take and recommend for everyone; it's guaranteed for purity, freshness. and labeled potency. You'll see a positive difference soon after adding this nutritional protein supplement to your diet.  To order, call: 800-523-9971 (US & Canada) or 215-632-6100 (Intl), both ET, M-F • 9-5.

Natural Remedies of the Month

Fortify Your Body with Turmeric & Ginger

Ginger: Ginger is one of the most widely used herbal remedies on the planet, used worldwide by millions. And no wonder! This aromatic spice invigorates healthy digestion, boosts circulation and is an effective, warming digestive and circulatory tonic. It’s my favorite “go-to” natural remedy for the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. When I fly, I take capsules hourly to prevent motion sickness. The results of one study involving 80 Naval cadets revealed that 1,000 mgs of ginger powder capsules controlled symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and cold sweats.

A compound in ginger called gingerol has a chemical structure somewhat similar to aspirin, which is a proven clot-busting drug. There’s growing evidence that ginger, too, could help quell the inflammation associated with some forms of arthritis. The gingerol in ginger relaxes blood vessels and helps calm the body. This spice has a long history of boosting immunity, too. You can get ginger in capsules, a powder, or fresh in the supermarket. I often include fresh ginger in my smoothies, juices, and a variety of other dishes including cookies, muffins, sautés, and dressings. You will find many recipes using ginger in my books.

Dried ginger is also beneficial. I recommend half to one full teaspoon a day for 4 – 12 weeks for tackling arthritis and back pain caused by the degeneration of disks and vertebrae.

The latest research on ginger showed its pain-killing properties for osteoarthritis are on par with over-the-counter painkillers. Start the day with fresh ginger tea.

Fresh Ginger Tea:

Each morning, when I’m not traveling, I simmer a big kettle of purified water to which I have added 3-4 coins, (about ¼ inch thick), of fresh ginger root for about 10 minutes. I drink a large glass of hot ginger tea first thing in the morning and enjoy the several more glasses throughout the day. Sometimes, I put the ginger tea in a mug and add a tea bag of other health-boosting tea such as green tea, hibiscus, or rose hips.

Turmeric Root:

This salubrious root is best known as the aromatic ingredient that gives curry its vibrant, golden color. Medicinally, it’s recognized as a powerful antioxidant and is showing great promise in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. It’s one of the highest known sources of beta-carotene. In my private practice, I highly recommend turmeric to help reduce inflammation and to support healthy joint function. You will get effective relief from aching joints when you add turmeric to your diet. You can add this spicy powerhouse to your life either in convenient capsules, as a liquid extract, or as a powdered spice. I use all three in my health regimen. If you are a fan of the internationally popular radio talk show Coast to Coast AM with host George Noory, (I have been a guest on this program many times), you've probably heard George talk about his enthusiasm for turmeric, too.

An antioxidant-rich spice, turmeric includes a compound called curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to protect the eyes from free radicals, which are one of the leading causes of cataracts. Other studies have found a curcumin supplement could ease the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. In animal studies, turmeric has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 58%.

In a couple chapters in my new book Walking on Air: Your 30-Day Inside and Out Rejuvenation Makeover, I feature many of my favorite healing spices, herbs, and foods that I recommend to anyone eager to create vibrant health. I also suggested some special products that I would not be without, such as the entire line of Olbas products (OlbasMovie.com), astragalus, cinnamon, and some very exceptional oils -- part of my treasure trove of nature's gifts to get me through the winter season without getting a cold or the flu and helping to keep me in the pink.

For more information on ginger and turmeric and how to use them in a variety of recipes or as natural remedies, please refer to my booklet/CD combo Culinary Herbs: Discover the Healing Secrets in Your Spice Rack, available FREE in the special offer of the month below and my three-book healthy eating and living set published by Hay House. You can purchase the set at a 35% discount by clicking here.

To order some turmeric or ginger as well as other natural remedies, or for more information on the best natural remedies for you, please call: 800-523-9971 (US & Canada) or 215-632-6100 (Intl), both ET, M - F • 9 - 5 or visit: PennHerb.com.

Special NEW YEAR Offer! Order through January 31st, and you'll get a 62% Discount!

Since it’s the first month of the NEW YEAR, it's the perfect time to reinvent your life and live at your very highest potential. To help you thrive in 2012, here’s a special package to gift yourself and your closest friends. Entitled Renew Your Life Package, it includes Susan's e-books and audio programs – 14 different titles. For more information, please click HERE. You'll have all the tools you will need to begin the NEW YEAR on a positive note. It's 62% off through January 31st. 

Essential Eating Tips to Help You Shed Extra Pounds in 2012 

If you follow my advice below, you will have a much easier time shedding any extra pounds and also maintaining your weight. This suggestion is two-fold: First, you want to eat your snacks and meals slowly. Hormones signal the brain when you’re full, but it takes about 20 minutes from when you start eating before you feel their signal. Slow eating not only aids in digestion, but also gives your brain a chance to know what the stomach is doing. If you make your meal last by talking, putting down your fork between bites, or just plain waiting, you’re less likely to eat on “automatic pilot” and more likely to realize you’re full. Besides eating slowly, chew your food thoroughly. You’ll be amazed how much willpower you can preserve when you take your time and give your “satiety center” an opportunity to tell you that you aren’t that hungry anymore.

On the flip side, you also want to finish your big meals within an hour of starting. The body produces a second hit of insulin if it senses a lot of food coming in continuously. You can avoid that second hit (and the subsequent fat storage that it triggers) by finishing a meal within an hour of starting. If you see something you like that you forgot to eat within the hour, that’s fine; just save it for tomorrow. It will still be there, and you won’t be wearing it on your hips.

• In my full color booklet/CD combo, Weight Loss: Make It Easy With Herbs, I teach you about how permanent weight loss can be your success story this month, this season, and you can be an inspiration to your friends, family and co-workers with your success. In this popular weight loss guide, I give you:
• 
  
• • Top 10 power strategies to achieve permanent weight loss
• • What happens to your body when you carry extra weight and why losing even a few pounds may save your life
  
• • The best exercises to boost metabolism and melt fat away
  
• • 300-calorie mini meals to help prevent overeating due to excessive hunger
• • 12 super herbs for weight loss that have been used for centuries and validated by modern science

• How to graduate from the destructive cycles of food binging, crash diets, and harmful diet drugs

You can get a free copy, a bonus gift, of this booklet/CD combo, Weight Loss, with any purchase of my books Walking on Air, Recipes for Health Bliss, or The Joy Factor. Please refer to the book specials in the box below for more details on this and how to get the entire set of all seven of my natural remedy booklet/CD combos FREE, and the telephone number to call to take advantage of these January offers.

And for even more surefire, life-enhancing information on how to shed those extra holiday pounds, get into the best shape of your life, and upgrade your diet and success ratio, check out my three popular, full color e-books Living on the Lighter Side, Healthy, Happy & Radiant...at Any Age (comes bonus GIFTS), and The Curative Kitchen. Purchase the three titles as a set and receive this substantial discount by clicking HERE.

Two Book Specials

Purchase 3 & Get 10

Purchase my three latest books featured on the HOMEPAGE as a set — Walking on Air (foreword by Alexandra Stoddard), The Joy Factor (foreword by Wayne Dyer) and the full color recipe book Recipes for Health Bliss (foreword by Neal Barnard, MD) — during January and February, and you will receive all seven of my very popular Natural Remedy booklet/CD combos FREE. That's right! This offer won't be available again until January 2013.  Start out the year on a positive note. Purchase three books and get all 10.

To take advantage of this 10-title offer, call: 800-523-9971 (US & Canada) or 215-632-6100 (Intl), both ET, M - F • 9 - 5. This offer expires on February 28th, 2012. When ordering, use this code: NEW YOU

Kids Will Flip for Fruits & Vegetables – Buy Three & Get Three Bonus Gifts

So that the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in our lives won’t feel left out as we all forge ahead to living healthier lives than ever before, here is another special for the month of January. If you purchase three copies of Vegetable Soup/The Fruit Bowl, you can get my Natural Remedy booklet/CD combo entitled Conquer Cold & Allergies FREE. While this book is ideal for children ages 1 – 9, many adults have secretly confessed to me that they purchased it to help them learn which fruits and veggies are the most important ones to include in their diets if vibrant health is their goal.

The winner of Disney’s iParenting Media Award, this entrancing children’s book is cleverly designed to be reversible. It features vegetables from the front to the middle, and then fruit when you turn it over. Beautiful four-color illustrations and rhyming verses introduce children to the connections between what they eat and how they look, feel, and perform. You will discover exciting new ways to help your children or the kids in your life to eat right—beginning today. Each illustration in the book has been carefully chosen to prompt interaction between the child and the reader, or between the child and the picture itself, if he or she is already reading. This entertaining text not only teaches about fresh, delicious whole foods, but also helps develop math and reading skills as the children take an active part in reading. This “we are what we eat” book is the ideal way to lay the groundwork for lifelong healthy eating habits.

To learn more about Vegetable Soup/The Fruit Bowl, please click HERE. Many people with children in their lives purchase these books by the case because they make ideal gifts to give at children’s birthday parties and also fantastic party favors for the birthday celebrations in your own home. Wayne W. Dyer, PhD, author and motivational speaker endorsed this unique book with the following words: “Our bodies are made up of the food we eat. Fruits and vegetables are God’s loving gifts to us. When we eat these foods, we create healthy, loving bodies. Vegetable Soup/The Fruit Bowl helps us, as parents and teachers, to build this awareness in our children. The choice is ours. We can improve our health by choosing to eat these precious gifts.”

If you would like to take advantage of this special offer of purchasing three copies and getting my booklet/CD combo FREE (Conquer Colds & Allergies) please call either of the numbers above. This offer ends February 28th. The kids in your life and the young at heart (ages 1-92) will definitely flip for fruits and vegetables after perusing this book. Use this code: SOUP BOWL

Friendships Among Women Reduce Stress

As I wrote in my book The Joy Factor, friendships are very special in our lives. Never take your friendships for granted. A landmark UCLA study suggests that the friendships cultivated between women are indeed the most special because in addition to filling in the emotional gaps experienced in marriage, as well as helping us remember who we really are, and soothing our tumultuous inner worlds, they have now been found to also be powerful stress-busters.

This study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause them to seek and maintain friendships with other women. Up until now, the past five decades of stress research has mostly been done on men so this is a stunning finding that has turned the scientific stress-studying world upside down. Explains Laura Cousino Klein, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Bio-Behavioral Health at Penn State University and one of the study’s authors, “Until this study was published, scientists generally believed that when people experience stress, they trigger a hormonal cascade that revs the body to either stand and fight or flee as fast as possible. It’s an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we were chased across the planet by saber-toothed tigers."

What was disclosed in this study is that women have a larger behavioral repertoire than just the “flight or flight” response. “In fact," says Dr. Klein, “it seems that when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the 'flight or flight' response and encourages her to tend to children and gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect." "This calming response does not occur in men,” continues Dr. Klein, “because testosterone—which men produce in high levels when they’re under stress—seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin." "Estrogen,” she adds, “seems to enhance it.”

Two women scientists involved in this study (about how women respond to stress differently than men) had a classic “aha!” moment. “There was this joke that when the women who worked in the lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab, had coffee, and bonded,” reveals Dr. Klein. “When the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own. I commented one day to fellow researcher Shelley Taylor that nearly 90% of the stress research is on males. I showed her the data from my lab, and the two of us knew instantly that we were onto something."

I look forward with alacrity to the studies to be done in the near future on the ways that oxytocin encourages us to care for children and hang out with other women, but this enlightening “tend and befriend” notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may explain why women consistently outlive men. Study after study has indicated that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. “There’s no doubt,” says Dr. Klein, “that friends are helping us live." In one of the studies referenced by the doctors, researchers found that people who had no friends increased their risk of death over a six-month period. And in another study, those who had the most friends over a nine-year period cut their risk of death by more than 60%.

The famed Nurses’ Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop physical impairments as they aged, and the more likely they were to be leading joyful lives. What fascinated me immensely is that the researchers concluded the results were so significant that not having close friends or confidantes was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carry extra weight.

In an article about friendships among women which also touches on the results of the Nurses’ Health Study, Gale Berkowitz mentions the following: “When the researchers looked at how well the women functioned after the death of their spouse, they found that even in the face of this biggest stressor of all, those women who had a close friend or confidante were more likely to survive the experience without any new physical impairments or permanent loss of vitality. Those without friends were not always so fortunate."

Most of us women didn’t need this landmark UCLA study to tell us what we already know – our female friendships enrich our lives. It’s unfortunate that so many of us are simply so busy we forget to cultivate our female friendships. Perhaps in this new year, and new month of 2012, we will make a commitment to not relegating our friendship time to the bottom of our to-do lists and realize that we need our friends just as much as they need us. We must carve out the time to have unpressured space to nurture one another and to engage in the kinds of conversations that women excel at. Never forget that women are a source of strength to each other. Being with our female friends, even if it’s just a conversation shared over the telephone, is a very healing experience.

For more information on how friendships; animals such as cats, dogs, and horses; plants; and flowers/gardening can enrich your life, refer to my titles Walking on Air, The Joy Factor, Be Healthy~Stay Balanced and Renew Your Life (available this month at a discount).

Only Three Months — One Season — to a New YOU!

A groundbreaking, three-month study lead by Dean Ornish, MD, which explored health and gene activity, and was featured in Reuters News (June 16, 2008), demonstrated that genes can be turned on and turned off. Subjects showed changes in activity in about 500 genes, including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off as a result of eating more healthful foods, keeping stress levels down, practicing relational techniques such as meditation, and exercising regularly — everything that I write about in my books The Joy Factor and Recipes for Health Bliss and within my 14-title discount package Renew Your Life: Choose to Live Fully — Complete Package. Regarding the study, Dr. Ornish states: “It’s an exciting finding because so often people say, ‘Oh, it’s all in my genes, what can I do?’ Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot. In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live. That’s pretty exciting.” I agree. Just think. When spring rears it's beautiful head, your entire body can be sizzling with vitality.

This means that by this coming April, if you make a real commitment to being healthy and follow all of the tips in my newsletters, website, and books, you will be feeling better than you have in years. I know you can do it. I believe in YOU!

One of the best ways to start is by incorporating a fitness program into your weekly schedule. Develop a well-rounded fitness program that includes strength training, aerobics, and stretching. Make this program a top priority in your life, and stay committed to it. There is nothing that will do more good for you in terms of being vibrantly healthy, energetic, and youthful than a regular fitness program. Don't put it off any longer. Remember, you are the president and CEO of your body and life. Take charge of your body and health this month. Use my new book's 30-day step-by-step plan to follow to keep you on course. In fact, use it for three months to stay motivated; most readers tell me that they use it monthly for inspiration. When you purchase this book, Walking on Air: Your 30-Day Inside and Out Rejuvenation Makeover, you will receive a FREE copy of my full color booklet/CD combo entitled Living Active & Pain Free. To order the book and receive the gift, call: 800-523-9971 (US & Canada) or 215-632-6100 (Intl), both ET, M-F • 9-5.

In Every Issue...

JOKE OF THE MONTH: “A friend of mine had resisted efforts to get him to run with our jogging group until his doctor told him he had to exercise. Soon thereafter, he reluctantly joined us for our 5:30am jogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. After a month of running, we decided that my friend might be hooked, especially when he said he had discovered what "runner's euphoria" was. "Runner's euphoria," he explained, "is what I feel at 5:30am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."

Prayer for January

"Dear Lord, so far this year I've done well. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help. Amen."

THREE WORDS OF THE MONTH: Find ways to use these words in all of their different grammatical forms in your writing and speaking during the month. Check them out in your own dictionary, too. January 2012 is a good time of the year to purchase a new dictionary.

• Buoyancy -- a: the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid; b: the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it; also: the upward force exerted. 2) the ability to recover quickly from depression or discouragement: resilience
• Luminescence -- n: illuminate archaic: brightened with light; 2) archaic: intellectually or spiritually enlightened
• Pellucid -- a: admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion; a pellucid stream. 2) reflecting light evenly from all surfaces; 3) easy to understand

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: The whole course of things goes to teach us faith. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

SUSAN'S FAVORITE MOVIES CURRENTLY IN THEATERS: The Iron Lady, The Descendants, War Horse, Hugo, My Week with Marilyn, The Separation

AFFIRMATION OF THE MONTH: Each day I choose to take loving care of myself. All of my actions this month champion high self-esteem. My word is gold and I follow through on what I say I'm going to do with myself and with others. I now step up to the plate and become the president and CEO of my body and take charge of my life. I choose wisely and am navigating the surefire path to rejuvenating my mind, body, and spirit.

Give Yourself Gifts of Health for the New Year

You deserve the best of health and vitality this New Year, the first month of 2012. A gift of health to yourself and others is one of the best gifts you can give. Put yourself on top of the gift list. You deserve the best gifts you can afford. Make this the best start of the New Year. A friend of mine is single and she's not dating anyone right now. Her family all lives out of the country and she lives alone and celebrates life every day. In a recent visit with her, she shared with me that she is going to treat herself to a few healthy gifts after viewing my list below passed out during a workshop I gave. Her goal is to get in the best shape and health possible in 2012 so she is buying herself for New Year's month a blender, a two-person infrared sauna for her home, sprouting starter kit, a water purification system, a case of E3Live, and my digital collection Renew Your Life, which is available for a discount. Here are some suggestions for healthy living gifts and the prices range from $6.00 up to almost $2,000. Invest in your health and vitality. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Health is our greatest wealth."

New Year's Gift Ideas to Promote Vibrant Health

• 3-Book Set - During January, when you purchase my three books The Joy Factor, Walking on Air, and Recipes for Health Bliss, you will receive as a bonus gift ALL SEVEN of my natural remedy booklet/CD combos. Refer to the box above on this 3-book special for details on this offer. To order now, call: 1-800-523-9971 or 215-632-6100, both ET. 
• Sprouting Kits - This is one of my most favorite gifts to give family and friends. This is a healthy hobby to grow spouts at home; it will reduce your grocery bills; and it will help you lose weight, detox your body, and look your best when you eat homegrown sprouts. For any of you concerned about getting healthy foods for your family and also saving money at the same time, you can't go wrong with homegrown sprouts. Kids love to participate in the growing process. I get all my sprouting supplies from the Handy Pantry Company. To learn more about how to grow sprouts, or to order a sprout kit or organic seeds, click HERE.
• Natural Remedy Booklet/CD Combos - I have a series of seven popular natural remedy booklets and each one comes with a different CD interview with me. Their value is $15.95, but you can get them for $5.95 each. They are very reader-friendly, informative, and easy to slip into your purse, tote, or carry-on flight bag for when you have a few extra minutes to read. I have many friends who keep a second set in their cars. These make excellent gifts for the New Year or any time of year.  (See how to get them all free in the 3-book set description above.) To order one of them or the entire set, call: 1-800-523-9971 or 215-632-6100, both ET.
• Total Blender™ - If you don't have a blender or if you want to invest in the best one on the market, the one I use and recommend is the Total Blender DesignerSeries. I've used the Total Blender for years and recently got the new DesignerSeries model. It's spectacular! Here's information on this new, cutting-edge design that looks great in any kitchen. You'll become a gourmet cook with this amazing blender. In seconds, you can make meals, snacks, beverages, soups, nut butters, crushed ice, smoothies, and oodles of recipes. Even if you are not handy in the kitchen, you'll be able to use this blender after setting it up. It's like the iPad of blenders and the best one available in the industry. Consider it an investment in your health. I would not be without the Total Blender in my kitchen. It's proudly made in America. I also use their Kitchen Mill to grind whole grains and seeds into fresh flour in seconds. Both make eating and preparing healthy foods easy and fun. To order or see a video on this award-winning blender, click HERE.
• RENEW YOUR LIFE - This popular 14-title digital program is available at a discount during this month of January. To get detailed information or to order this life-changing collection, click HERE.
• Vegetable Soup/The Fruit Bowl - An award-winning book loved by children around the world, this full color 2-in-1 nutrition book for kids of all ages is  a sure thing. To order or get detailed information, click HERE.
• E3Live Nutritional Supplement - This is an award-winning, whole foods supplement for the entire family. I wouldn't be without it. It's available during January at a discount for visitors to my newsletters. To order or find more information, please check out the box below or call: 1-888-800-7070 PT.
• Home & Office Water Purification System - I have used this water purifying, ionizing, and alkalizing system for almost 20 years and it's front and center in my health kitchen. Are you worried about arsenic in your water supply? This stellar water purification device removes all traces of arnesic as well as all other impurities in your water. For more information or to order, click HERE.or call: 1-800-792-5355 MT.
• Home & Office Infrared Sauna - The Thermal Life™ Far Infrared Sauna is the best one in the industry. I have taken infrared saunas on a regular basis for 20 years. It's a very important part of my healthy living program. It's an investment in your health and one of the best ways to detoxify and rejuvenate your body. For more information or to order one for your home or office, click HERE or call: 1-800-792-5355 MT.
• Choose to Live Peacefully & Wired to Meditate - These are two very popular audio programs that are available from the STORE on my website. They were both books in printed form first (and Choose to Live Peacefully was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize) and are now audio books recorded by me in a professional studio. If you desire to live a more peaceful, balanced life, then the 40-day program in Choose to Live Peacefully will motivate and uplift you. You can listen to it all at once or, as I recommend, enjoy one chapter each day. If you would like to learn how to meditate, upgrade your existing meditation program, or master the art of using meditation and visualization to enrich every aspect of your life, and even increase your  prosperity and help you lose weight, then you'll want to get Wired to Meditate as soon as possible.
• Three E-Books + Two Bonus Gifts - This collection of three full color e-books is popular worldwide and has a very enthusiastic audience. Titled Complete Living Your Best Life Package, it is comprised of these three digital books The Curative Kitchen, Living on the Lighter Side, and Healthy, Happy & Radiant...at Any Age. The last title even comes with two bonus gifts (a special trio offer). So you can get all three titles and the two bonus gifts for a package discount by clicking on the link above. These are perfect to read on a Kindle, Nook, or other reading device.
• How to Achieve Any Goal: The Magic of Creative Visualization - I recorded this popular seminar in a professional studio and it's perfect to listen to before you drift off to sleep. You will receive all of the tools you need to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary — from a state of surviving to thriving — in every area of your life. An easy-to-understand audio seminar, How to Achieve Any Goal has already been embraced by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide whose lives have been enriched by my down-to-earth approach to using our minds more fully to create the dreams of our hearts. To order this life-changing audio program that's perfect for the entire family, please click HERE.
• 90-Minute Consultation with Susan - Would you like me to contact you for a 90-minute consultation? You can ask me anything you want and we can discuss the best ways to heal your body and achieve robust health. If you are in great health and have no holistic health-related questions, we can simply visit for 90 minutes as I'd love to learn about you and your life. For information on how to make this happen, please click HERE.