Greetings to the BlogoSphere

Greetings to The Blogosphere!
Welcome to my first Joyful Life blog!
I am opening the wardrobe door and stepping foot into snowy Narnia. If you do not know the writings of CS Lewis, you are thinking right now that I am crazy. (let's not go there today, maybe tomorrow).
But really, the Chronicles of CS Lewis will aquaint you with the land of joy. I encourange you to read them.
That's what my writing is all about: living a joyful life. I think we all want that, don't we?
Well, the only reason I would qualify to be your humble guide is that I actually really live a joyful life.
In spite of all the obstacles to navigate which have been treacherous, rocky and mountainous, I do live and breathe a joyful life.
That's what I hope and wish for you, friend.
I would love to hear from you about your own journey. ???
More details tomorrow!
Love,
Susan

Tell Susan Your Diet Up’s & Downs by Posting your Options in the Comments???

Eating Habits Survey will Help Us ALL with U.S. Senate Beginning this Fall

EATING HABITS SURVEY

FIRST NAME:_________________MALE:___FEMALE___ STATE:___________ COUNTRY:________________ DATE:____________AGE:____

I HAVE FRIENDS WHO DO BINGE EATING: ( ) YES

NO ( )
IF YES, HOW MANY FRIENDS?____________
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO PURGE AFTER EATING: ( ) YES

NO ( )
IF YES, HOW MANY FRIENDS?____________
HOW OFTEN DO YOUR FRIENDS PURGE? ( ) TIMES A WEEK

I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE VERY AFRAID OF GAINING

WEIGHT: ( ) YES NO ( )
I AM DIETING RIGHT NOW: ( ) YES ( ) NO
I SOMETIMES PURGE MYSELF: ( ) YES ( ) NO IF YES, HOW OFTEN_____________
SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY IS ON A DIET RIGHT NOW: ( ) YES ( ) NO
IF YES, WHAT FAMILY MEMBER?_________________
what is your height and weight? height _______weight _____

I WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORY. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY BY ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS IN A BLOG COMMENT AND INCLUDE ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WANT TO SHARE ON MY BLOG:

http://www.yourjoyfullife.blogspot.com/
Author Susan Mitchell Collin "The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout"

Results of this survey will be forwarded to Senator Chris Dodd who is beginning hearings on eating disorders in the U.S. Senate beginning this fall. Thanks for taking the time! Always remember you are beautiful just the way you are!

Too Fat? Read Your E-Mail

Too Fat? Read Your E-Mail
By Sanjay Gupta, M.D. Monday, Jun. 15, 2009

A new study shows that simple e-mail reminders can prod recipients to eat better and exercise more

Just before you picked up this magazine, you probably made a decision that affected your health. Maybe you bought the pizza instead of the salad. Or are sipping soda instead of water. Perhaps you decided once again to delay the beginning of your long-planned exercise routine. Every day there are hundreds of seemingly trivial decisions that individually may not mean a whole lot but in combination can add or subtract a substantial amount of time to or from our lives. As a doctor, I am convinced that most people know the healthier choice; they just need frequent reminders to make it. And that is exactly what some new research has confirmed. (Watch TIME's video "How to Lose Hundreds of Pounds.")

According to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, simple e-mail reminders to eat more healthfully or increase physical activity had a significant effect on the recipients' behavior. Out of 787 office workers who participated in the study, 351 were randomly selected to receive weekly e-mails and midweek reminders generated by a cost-effective, easily scalable program called ALIVE! (A Lifestyle Intervention via Email). E-mail recipients got to choose one of three focus areas: boosting physical activity, increasing fruit and vegetable intake or decreasing sugars and saturated fats. The e-mails, devised by a company founded by a public-health professor at the University of California, Berkeley, were brief and contained one small goal a week, such as going for a walk during a coffee break, ordering a salad with grilled chicken for lunch or avoiding the cupcakes in the conference room. (Watch a video about a treadmill you can use while on the job.)

These little suggestions worked. By the end of the 16-week study, which was conducted by Kaiser Permanente and NutritionQuest and funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, participants who received the physical-activity e-mails increased their exercise regimen by an hour a week more than the control group had. And participants who focused on a healthy diet reduced the saturated and trans fats they consumed by more than 1 g a day. Turns out the people who wanted to increase their fruit-and-vegetable intake were among the healthiest to start with, but even they bumped up their consumption of those foods by about a third of a cup per day.

"These quick alerts remind your brain of the goals you've set for yourself," says Barbara Sternfeld, senior research scientist at Kaiser Permanente and the study's lead investigator. "So instead of standing around talking to a co-worker for 10 minutes, you may decide to take a lap around the parking lot and back."
Might not seem like much, but the truth is, small changes can make a big difference in your health. Studies show that switching from butter to soft margarine reduces your bad cholesterol — and by extension your risk of getting heart disease — 10%. So come up with a simple step, like "Eat seven colors of fruits and vegetables tomorrow," and program it into your electronic calendar as a recurring reminder. This new goal just became part of your job description. Your bonus at the end of the year? A longer, healthier life. —With reporting by Danielle Dellorto

For more see; http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902832,00.html

Tell Susan What YOU Think???

An Open Letter to Oprah's Viewers About Thyroid Disease

Dear Oprah Viewer:
I have important information for you if you watched Oprah and her guest Dr. Christiane Northrup, talk about health problems, including a condition that both Dr. Northrup and Oprah suffer from: thyroid disease. (A recap of the show, "The Big Wake-Up Call," is online.)
If you have not yet been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, but heard Oprah and Dr. Northrup mention various symptoms -- including weight gain, insomnia, inability to lose weight, fatigue and exhaustion, anxiety, hot flashes, heart palpitations, depression, hair loss, and changes in sex drive -- you may be thinking, "That's me!" And while I don't wish thyroid problems on anyone -- I'm hypothyroid myself, so I know -- if you recognized yourself in these symptoms, and that inspires you to go see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment, then that is a truly positive outcome from today's show. You deserve to feel and live well. And to that end, I welcome you here to my site for information, and am happy to be of help to you in your journey toward wellness.
But if you do end up getting diagnosed -- or, if you already have a diagnosed thyroid condition -- and you also heard Dr. Northrup say that "your symptoms are actually your soul's way of bringing deeper issues to your attention," then I'm here, as a thyroid patient advocate, to tell you that your thyroid disease is NOT your fault, despite what Dr. Northrup says. And while good nutrition, exercise, and self-care are certainly part of overall good health, they are not likely to cure your thyroid condition. (It may have worked for Oprah, but then, she was able to take a month-long vacation at her tropical Hawaiian estate, stop working entirely during that time so she could, as she put it, "actively do nothing," while eating only fresh foods. I doubt most of us could ever aspire to such a luxurious recuperation.)
Ultimately, in claiming to advocate for women's health, Dr. Northrup and Oprah both have inexplicably embraced an extreme -- and, frankly, quite unsympathetic -- view that blames women's lifestyle and emotional life for our health problems, hormonal imbalances, and symptoms.
Tell Susan Your Story;

What Do Others Think of Your Diet?

Do you assign your food points? Are you eating a diet restricted by calories and fat? If you are a few sizes over what you would like to be and cant seem to shake the diet devil, then The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout is for you. It is time to climb off the Fat Cell Hamster Wheel and begin enjoying life, including food! Author Susan Collin has written a humorous tongue-in-cheek look at the principles of dieting. When eighty percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance, God help us. Stop worrying about what others think of how you look, have a hot fudge sundaeguilt free, of courseand delve into The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout.

Tell Susan Your Story

The Talk of Connecticut

Listen to Susan on The Mary Jones show

Listen in Saturday from Noon 'til 2 and again on Sunday from 2 'til 4, to hear what women are thinking....and, talking about! Spending time with Mary Jones is like sharing a cup of coffee with a good friend. Whatever you and your friends are talking about....so is Mary! The Mary Jones Show - where friends celebrate life, living and laughter... Phone in (888) 574-2723!

The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout by Susan Mitchell Collin

Do you assign food points?
Are you eating a diet restricted by calories and fat?

The middle section reads;

If you are a few sizes over what you would like to be and can’t seem to shake the diet devil, then The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout is for you. It is time to climb off the Fat Cell Hamster Wheel and begin enjoying life, including food! Author Susan Collin has written a humorous tongue-in-cheek look at the “principles” of dieting.

When eighty percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance, God help us.

Stop worrying about what others think of how you look, have a hot fudge sundae—guilt free, of course—and delve into The Joyful Life of a Diet Dropout.