Article - Premier Issue Encompass Magazine!!!! 1st Issue due out soon!!

Congratulations, Karen on your Premier Issue of Encompass Magazine! You’ve assembled an incredible pool of talent and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a part of this team. I know together we will make a difference in many women’s lives.
I have been incredibly blessed by my own transformation not only physically, but more importantly emotionally, and I am looking forward to being able to share my passion, knowledge, experience and inspire every one that I touch with the written word in some way be it big or small. This isn’t about what I have done to help others. This is all about what these women have done to help themselves. It’s also not about sculpting bodies and losing weight, it’s about embracing fitness and a healthy eating life style and using it as a springboard to help you find new avenues to explore, taking small realistic steps to find a new you. It doesn’t matter if your goal is health related, trying a new sport or activity that you never dreamed possible, or even better yet, going back to something from your youth that you loved. It’s about setting that first goal, and about living your life now and not postponing it until you lose weight or until you feel better.
I will be sharing stories of some incredible women that have awakened their inner spirit, their desire to better themselves and change their lives in such a way that will carry them through a lifetime. Their life changes have positively affected their personal relationships with friends and family, their self confidence and emotional well being has soared. They are either taking lower doses of medications or some cases, none at all. They have reached goals they never dreamed of reaching and have set new goals further in the future. These women are not rich or famous, they are real, everyday people who have set realistic goals, overcome obstacles, made realistic lifestyle changes in order to reinvent themselves to a healthier, happier version of the amazing woman they already were, just better!!!
I also want to hear from YOU, the readers of Encompass! What topics interest you, what things would you like to learn more about? What motivates or inspires you? Your feedback is important so that I may provide you with information on topics are relevant to you, offer you suggestions to overcome obstacles, clarify your questions on alternative therapies and natural treatments to help you achieve your goals. I’m not saying that my word is gospel, there are many different opinions and some things work for some people and not others, let me help clarify and answer your questions. The following words are the keys to your success, remember them, write them down and post them where you can see them every day; Healthy, Realistic, Long Term and Sustainable.
We are a very “instant gratification” society and everyone wants a quick fix. We are bombarded by information from the tabloids at the grocery store, television, radio and the internet and images of the “ideal body”, the “eat all you want and lose weight diet”, “nature’s best medicine” for the latest new herb, the claims are endless; and all aimed at taking money out of your pockets and your failure. Yes, your failure! If all of these “miracles” worked, why is Type II Diabetes an epidemic? Why are heart attacks and stroke a leading cause of death in adults over 50 years of age? Why doesn’t everyone have a 6 pack if it’s so easy?

Making changes to adopting a healthy and active lifestyle takes work and planning. Once you have the concept and start working with it, results will follow. When something seems too good to be true, it probably is....and it’s also expensive! Remember those four words I mentioned earlier? Healthy, Realistic, Long Term and Sustainable, let these words be your guide to a healthy new you.