Let’s say you are trapped underneath debris, do you have the strength to get yourself out of that situation? What if you had to get a loved one to safety? Would you have the stamina to drag them, push them or maybe carry them out of harm’s way? No one really likes to think about what could happen in an emergency, but the only way to be prepared is to address the situation before it happens.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Our military, first responders and rescue units do it all the time. They run through drills, hypothetical situations and exercises that are created to prep them for the real “just in case” scenarios that happen in life. Granted some things may never happen, however, some of the situations really do come true, in one way or another.

A couple of years ago, I attended a self-defense class and the instructor said that in an emergency, you might not be able to dial 911. Why is that? Because you haven’t practiced doing it. With all the adrenaline surging through your body, you might not be able to think what to do or even control your hands enough to stop shaking and do it. Now that’s pretty scary.

Don’t get Caught, Get Prepared

So what do you do? Get prepared. You can’t anticipate some emergency scenarios, but others you most certainly can. Here is a list of things you can do to get yourself fit and ready to tackle the unknown situations so you’ll have a better chance of being a survivor rather than a victim.

1. Start Running: I suggest you start using that treadmill that’s propped in the corner with all the clothes on it. It’s really not a clothes horse; it’s actually a great tool to use to increase your cardiovascular capacity or stamina. Start with a walk three times a week for 20 minutes each session. Over the next 6 weeks increase your time to 30 minutes per session and end with running the full 30 minutes. This will expand your heart’s ability to pump blood to your body and keep you from getting winded so quickly.

2. Lift and Pump: OK, so you’ve got your heart on track, now you need to get your muscles in shape. I’m not trying to get you to look like a body builder, but in order for you to be any good to anyone—even yourself—in an emergency, you have to be strong. Strength comes from putting stress on your muscles and making them stronger. Start lifting weights, sign up for a bootcamp, kickboxing or strength conditioning class 2-3 times per week. Don’t worry if the first session is lackluster, keep at it, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body starts to adapt and change.

3. Eat to Fuel Your Body: It’s not enough to start running and lifting, you have to fuel your body with the right foods or everything else you’re doing is for naught. Feed your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and fit. This includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Eat often, 4-5 times per day and keep your sugar intake low. You don’t have to be a Spartan, just use your common sense and don’t overdo it.

4. Control Stress: In an emergency situation, cooler heads prevail. That means that when something does happen, you can’t be running around like a chicken with their head cut off. If you and your loved ones are to survive, someone has to control the chaos. Since you’ve been training to do it, it’s your time to shine. Learn to control both your stress levels and your reaction to them by engaging in Yoga and meditation. Also find or create a quiet space in your home to use as your “calm center.” Once you know what controlling stress feels like, you’ll be better able to summon that feeling in an emergency.

5. Create an Escape Plan: Physically you’re good, mentally you are on target, now you have to commit to memory the correct path or plan to take to survive the emergency. If your house is burning down, how will you know if family members are safe or trapped? This is only one scenario, but it could be a crucial factor when you decide whether or not to run back into a burning building. Even if you are strong and your stamina is in tip-top shape, why risk dying when you don’t have to? So make a plan, discuss it with everyone involved and practice it over and over again. Knowing that you have a plan and the people involved know their role makes it less stressful when you’re trying to take control. Less stress is a good thing.

6. Exercise Your Brain: The final step in being fit enough to survive an emergency is to make sure you know what you need to know.

• What supplies will you need if a tornado hits your home?
• What are the emergency routes to get out of your town, city, village or province?
• What are the emergency numbers? Sometimes “911” is not enough.
• Where is the nearest hospital? How long will it take you to drive there? Walk there?
• What is the chain of communication if you or your loved ones get separated?

I hope these tips and strategies will help you to survive an emergency situation. Get started today on making sure you are fit enough to survive.

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I am praying that the report comes back clean, but more and more I am seeing that may not be the case. Like a lot of other Whitney Houston fans, I’ve been watching the news reports and entertainment news stories and they are all leaning towards some type of drug involvement.

The most compelling show that I’ve watched concerning Whitney’s demise was Dr. Drew on HLN. I’ve been a fan of his for a number of years, following him since his early days covering sex therapy issues to where he is now; an expert on addiction. On the show he was saying that the rest of the media is presenting this story all wrong. Whitney was a vibrant, talented individual who suffered from the disease of addiction. He went on to say that with her history, she should never have been in possession of some of the meds that were found in her room, in her name.

Dr. Drew is on a mission to reign in this “doctors gone wild” thing that is happening in Hollywood right now. It turns out that the pharmacy that Whitney got her prescriptions from is the same place Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith both got their prescriptions also. How sad and outrageous is that?

It’s not the illicit, illegal drugs that are taking people out; it’s the legal, prescription drugs. How many celebrities have we lost because of prescription overdoses? And how many people who aren’t famous have left this earth also, because of prescription drugs?

Does it come down to personal responsibility or should we be taking the responsibility of others into our own hands?

I know these people who passed were grown adults, but were they in their right mind to make those decisions? Should their family and friends have stopped them? Could their family and loved ones have stopped the inevitable?

I know it’s easy for me to ask the questions and even make assumptions, but Dr. Drew also said something else that makes you think really hard about how you answer the above questions. He said that addiction causes a person to value or love their addiction more than anything else. More than loved ones, more than food, even more than self preservation. More than anything!

People who aren’t or have never been addicted or have never been touched by addiction in any way can’t phantom this. “Why can’t you just stop?” is the resounding cry from family members and friends. But to the addicted person, this falls on deaf ears. It’s not that they can’t comprehend what they are doing, and who they are hurting, they just can’t stop—no matter what. I’ve experienced addiction in my family and in my clients’ families.

Addiction takes such a toll on all parties involved. From my research and experience, I’ve found that the only path to ongoing success is through therapy, medication and the will of the addicted person to keep moving forward—every single day.

There is no cure and everyday brings new challenges to staying sober. But it can be done.

I pray for strength for the families of those affected by addiction and for the addicted.

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I’ve also taken Nichols’ 10-step formula to another level and turned it into a helpful series of articles for you to use right now.

So let’s get started.

1. Reset Your Default Mode

Nichols begins by saying that many of you like to reside in “familiar discomfort.” That’s when you are so used to being stressed out about your lack of motivation to both get started and follow through on your weight loss plan that it feels normal. This is the part that you have to reset.

You must get out of this “normal” feeling and make a pact with yourself to do something about it. And not only do something by make a specific “something” plan, which includes when you will start, how much time you will devote to this plan and who will be on your support team to help you when the going gets tough.

Sometimes it’s more than just dealing with your situation, Nichols says that the first step is to admit that you are overwhelmed and acknowledge exactly where you are in this process. You have to start somewhere and this is a good a place as any. Your starting point is where you throw down the gauntlet and make a promise to yourself that this is where it all starts. You’ve admitted that you are lost in this process and you need help. Now you need to take the next step and put one foot in front of the other and get going.

Give yourself some time to really go through all the moving parts along with the people who have held you back and stopped you from achieving your weight loss goals.

Your assignment:

For this week, reflect on what has held you back and create some alternative strategies that will help you to avoid going through those situations all over again.

For example: If you couldn’t afford the gym before, can you this time? If not, what else will you do? You can clear out a place in your home to workout and get started there.

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It really isn’t important what percentage of energy during exercise comes from fat or carbohydrate. What matters at the end of the day is how many total calories were expended.

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On the last show, I talked about my diagnosis of breast cancer and how it has changed alot of things in my life. Today, I am talking about my experience with chemo. I promise its not gloom and doom, it’s just my story.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so Feel Your Boobies and SAVE your life!

On the last show, I talked about my diagnosis of breast cancer and how it has changed alot of things in my life. Today, I am talking about my experience with chemo. I promise its not gloom and doom, it’s just my story.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so Feel Your Boobies and SAVE your life!

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by Carol Dunlop

It was a day like any other day in January of this year (2011). My husband and I went our separate ways to work, completed the work day and drove towards home. We had to make a stop by the tire shop, so I decided to accompany him. We were there roughly thirty minutes when Alvin, my husband, decided that I should go on home because he would be a while longer. So I headed home. I had been home about ten minutes when the phone rang. It was Alvin. He sounded panicked and unsure, and oddly, he was slurring his words. He told me that his whole right side was numb and he didn’t know what was happening. I froze in my steps and could feel a cold chill creeping up my spine. I knew immediately, that he was most likely having a stroke.

Read the rest of Alvin’s Stroke Story>>

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