To my Ready Force Faithful the following material will no doubt be preaching to the choir, but I must admit to being just a little tweaked by some recent events. Some were serious and some were funny, but it all surrounds denial and the inability to face that which we fear. This insidious cancer is present in most of us, myself included from time to time, and it emerges to crush our spirits, to hold us back, to keep us from our birthright of moving forward to higher and grander levels of who and what we wish to become.

I see examples of this constantly in many areas of life. Take for example the person who blissfully goes through life never worrying about taking responsibility for their personal safety...until something serious happens. Then the most amazing transformation takes place. The stereotypical liberal metamorphoses into a conservative after becoming the victim of a violent crime. They go completely overboard with security systems, martial arts classes, concealed weapons permits, joining the NRA and putting crazy bumper stickers on their cars like; "Kill them all and let God sort them out!" Another example is seen in the person, clearly in poor physical condition, who suffers and survives a heart attack. Check in a year later and they look like they could enter a Olympic sporting event and you can be damn sure if you ask about it you will hear chapter and verse about how you can do it too!

Here's my question to you; why do we wait for something serious to happen before we react? Why don't we, as a culture, take responsibility and do something before it manifests into a problem? We know, as Gordon Graham says; "if it's predictable it's preventable!" It seems that we have become so dependant on everything being done for us that we have lost our drive to challenge ourselves in areas where we know without a doubt we need to improve. We never seem to be satisfied with what we have, yet we also seem to be unwilling to take the lead and change those things we don't like. Instead, we just bitch about it.

I saw a great example of this last week in the grocery story. It all took place on the coffee isle at my local supermarket. This gentleman was looking for a particular brand and type of coffee that was not on the shelf. He cornered a clerk who told him the coffee delivery had not yet arrived and that he should check back tomorrow in the afternoon. Nope, not good enough. This guy laid into the clerk, who had no control whatsoever over the situation, because his brand of decaffeinated, chai, vanilla bean, mocha, latte with a lemon twist was not on the shelf. Dear God, someone launch a missile! Never mind that there must have been 100 other brands of coffee on the shelves; his was missing and his world was in pure turmoil.

Folks, I know most of you don't have these issues because you have taken responsibility for your life. That's what this world really needs, more people like you to stand up and acknowledge that they are willing to make the changes they need to make. More people to work toward improving their conditions, to push past challenges and setbacks. This is the heroic courage all warriors must develop and cultivate, and by their example raise others up so they too will seek higher and grander visions of whom and what they wish to become. Always keep yourselves challenged and remember; good keeps you from becoming great!

By Lynn Ravazzini, Owner: Nutrition Within, Lynn4nutrition@sbcglobal.net.

Environmental toxins find their way into our bodies every day. This isn't surprising when you consider the amounts of toxic industrial chemicals released into the environment every year (more than 4 billion pounds), and pesticides used in United States alone (more than 1.2 billion pounds).

Unfortunately, when the human body is exposed to these toxins-which happens all too frequently in our industrialized society-it can often lead to a number of toxicity-related symptoms and conditions, including: migraine headaches, generalized arthralgias, chemical or environmental sensitivity, food allergy/intolerance, eczema, mild gastrointestinal disturbances.

The good news is that a little spring cleaning using a 10-day detoxification program, you can help your body clear these toxins and improve your overall sense of well-being! Although it's impossible to avoid toxicity completely, it's important to support your body's efforts to eliminate accumulated toxins. So to fuel the natural detoxification mechanism, consider a 10-day detoxification program to help nourish the body and achieve enhanced detoxification activity. (In contrast to water or juice fasts, many health care practitioners recognize that the detoxification process is heavily nutrient-dependent, whereby key steps are fueled by vitamins, minerals, and other major food components).

Based on scientific research and clinical observations, a 10-day express detox program can help you achieve effective toxin elimination and lead to improved health and vitality. Of course, not all detoxification programs are created equal. For the best possible results, consider a program featuring a strategic elimination diet and nutritional supplementation that delivers the nutrients to help maintain and improve detoxification, such as:

• Zinc, pantothenic acid, and beneficial probiotics
• Vitamins A, B3, B6, B12, C, E, beta-carotene, and folate
• Amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine, and taurine
• Magnesium, sulfate, and glutamine
• Green tea catechins
• Low-allergy-potential macronutrients

In the past, qualifying patients' needs for detoxification may have been demanding. Fortunately, the advent of comprehensive detoxification questionnaires can assist in the clinical assessment to help you receive the most appropriate support for toxicity-related health issues. Find out for yourself how easy it is to incorporate individualized nutritional strategies that target the major stages of detoxification.

Many individuals have substituted healthy meals with a poor diet that significantly lacks nutritional value to fuel the body's detoxifying capacity. And you may not even be aware of how your current health may be affected by your decreased ability to eliminate accumulated toxins out of your system. So if you think you may benefit from a 10-day express detox and would like to complete a questionnaire, please schedule an appointment at my office today and we can discuss a program that targets the major stages of detoxification.

By Starr Brown, Owner FEEL Fitness, www.feel-fitness.com

As my work day wound to a close, I knew the only way to get rid of my headache and to refresh myself was to move my body. The word headache can translate to; too much mental activity literally causing an ache in the head. Pumping blood through our bodies with daily exercise helps to clear our heads of all the mental strain and concentration that has accumulated throughout the day. A leisurely mountain bike ride through Annadale State Park was my chosen brain flusher and body rejuvenator.

I could feel the familiar grace of my body moving the bike around the corners, over the rocks and my head was starting to relax. Enjoying my endurance pace up a rolling climb, I could hear the voices of two men behind me. Being a former professional road bike racer and expert mountain bike racer I know most signs of competition. The two male voices stopped talking. Often times when the voices behind you stop talking, the riders have picked up their pace and the human nature of competition has taken over - the guys were intending to pass the woman up ahead. I was faced with a dilemma, slow down a bit and let them pass me only to get tangled up with them the entire ride up the hill or crank up the throttle and dust their asses so I could return to my quiet personal exercise session.

A few moments later, one of them passed me on a roller. He slowed to look back for his friend and I continued my steady pass over the top of the hill, passing him back and almost shouldering him as I chose to slip in between him and the mud puddle covering most of the trail. He let out a little yell in fright and I kept riding at my steady pace. Moments later he passed me back - so I apologized for scaring him and he assured me it was okay. Passing him back and rounding a hairpin I looked back to see how much more I would have to up the pace to ditch these guys. The friend in the back was barely peddling draped over his bike grasping for air. The faster one was coming back after me. I had enough of this impoliteness so I picked up the pace to high tempo for a few minutes with a final effort to return to my peaceful ride. After about three minutes I heard the pursuer yell "YOU'RE AWESOME!!" as he finally cracked. I smiled as I heard the sweet accolade. I felt gratitude for the accelerated brain flush as I now rode in a blissful state with an energized body and head free of aches.

Exercise is full of adventures and tales! But the important lesson in this story is that exercise will help you to feel better in every circumstance. Our bodies were made to move. I could have chosen to skip my exercise because I was feeling poorly, but I know from experience that exercise was exactly what I needed to feel better! And from my perspective, a little exercise is far better than taking another pill or feeling sorry for myself. Remember, when you feeling down there is no better cure than a bit of exercise to reinvigorate the body, mind and spirit!

There are two ways to go through life. One is to live life by default, hoping everything will just somehow workout. This is the fatalist's view of life and it is exactly how victims think. Victims do not recognize that by taking action and moving toward their own personal growth they are automatically moving toward thinking like a survivor. Take responsibility and seeking personal growth on every aspect and level of your life is a life worth living!

Now, sit or lie back comfortably. Take three deep breaths, pausing after you inhale and then exhale fully and completely. After you have taken your first three breaths, just breathe normally. Close your eyes and let any tension you may be holding in your muscles just begin to melt away. After you center yourself and you feel your breath quite down, repeat the mantra; "I will take responsibility for all actions in my life" to yourself for the next five minutes. See yourself accomplishing the changes you have set for yourself and believe with all your soul.

As many times as you can throughout your day, stop what you are doing, take one deep breath and repeat this mantra. You can do this when the phone rings, or when you look at your watch, or anytime you feel the need to just slow down for a brief moment and focus. The power of setting a positive intention throughout your day should not be underestimated. It can literally change your life. Make this short time commitment everyday and begin on the path of empowering yourself to survive.

For those of you who live locally in the Sonoma County area I thought I would feature one new business each newsletter where I know the person involved and have done business with them in the past. The people featured in this section are so exceptional, they come with my highest recommendation. A different service will be featured each month for your review.

I will start by introducing Real Estate Agent Mark Gold, Century 21 Alliance. Mark Gold is one of those amazing people who is so giving of his time and self that it constantly blows me away. If you need to buy or sell a home, this is the guy without a doubt. What is most amazing about Mark is that he will spend whatever time is necessary to accomplish your goals and he is one of those people who will really listen to your needs. So many agents these days work real estate as a second job or hobby, leaving you to wonder if they really have your best interests at heart. Mark is a dedicated, full time real estate agent and he comes with my highest endorsement. If you or anyone you know is looking to get into the market, please consider Mr. Mark Gold. And, as Mark likes to say; "When you find Gold, the rewards are yours!"

Feel free to drop my name and Mark will take good care of you!