I was lucky enough to visit the US again last month, I really love the States and I am always inspired by this amazing country. One thing I’m not so inspired about, are some bad American habits! Take for example the drive through craze. I visited the beautiful city of Oklahoma, but was stunned to see so many drive-through facilities like drive through pharmacies/drug-stores and drive through banks. Seriously – a drive through pharmacy! You don’t even have to get out of your car to pick up your medicine, that’s insane. Are we really incapable of walking a few metres or are we just lazy? What’s your opinion? I’m sure you would agree that being stuck in a house and going nowhere, is such a bore. So why leave the house, only to stay in a car??? Whatever happened to getting out and walking to the pharmacy, or at the very least, getting out of your car to walk in to a pharmacy, or a bank or any shop for that matter? The term, getting out, means exactly that – “getting out”.

I wonder if Americans are simply victims of their own technology. We’ve developed so many ways to make our life easier, to which we are in fact making our lives worse off. Obesity is a serious health issue in the US and Australia is following very closely in our neighbours footsteps. I truly hope these are habits we don’t take up down under. I want to see my children grow up with a good future, not a lazy one. Australia and America are very close culturally so I want the dieters of down under to lend a hand to our American pals – if we can change some of America’s bad habits we can make Australia a healthier place too. Please join me in supporting a healthy future. Let’s draw the line between convenience and being healthy. Do you agree with me, do you agree that drive through everything is going too far? I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

The Clothesline Diet Boot Camp Weekend

Date: To be deterined.

This camp is available for you to spend a weekend with me to learn how to take your life change from one day to the next. It gives you a chance to see just how I did this by experiencing it for yourself. It also can be a wonderful weekend away giving you the chance to socialize with others.

The camp consists with sessions of:

* Group discussions, covering various topics.

* Lesson on food preparation and discipline.

*Support Group sessions.

* Meals prepared by a professional on site chef.

*1hr walking sessions.

* Full explanation of food preparation by an on site chef.

*Aerobics lead by Karen.

* Question time at any part of the day & night.

* Various outdoor games, for eg:  circuits, relays.

* Minimum free time.

* Indoor games, for eg: musical chairs.

* Music and karaoke.

* High and low impact social sports games.

* Story telling session around an open campfire, weather permitting.

It is guaranteed to provide an enjoyable and more importantly an educational weekend. It will guide you towards striving for your ultimate goal and will teach you how to make time for yourself. Finding time for yourself will improve your interaction with everyday life towards making you a better person within yourself and for those around you. Please be warned that the weekend consists of lots of activities and is designed for weight-loss. You must be prepared to participate in each activity, however at your pace but willing to come out of your comfort zone.

Inclusions

The package consists of the following:

-       Excludes travel. All participants are to meet at the camp-site at 7pm SHARP on the 22nd.

-       Accommodation for 2 night at St Johns Recreation Camp, 25 Madely Drive, Wesburn Vic, just outside Yarra Junction.

-       Facilities, heated cabins, toilet and shower facilities, recreational rooms, lounge kitchen and facilities.

-       Food for all meals, Friday night supper, breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper for the Saturday however dinner and supper will not be supplied on the Sunday night. Menu to be selected by Karen Gatt in consultation with the on-site chef.  The information will be supplied in a package upon final payment.

-       Karen's time and services, for the whole weekend within the group.  As permitted, personal interaction within the timetable.

-       The camp will conclude at approximately 5pm on the the Sunday.

Total price is $290.00 per person and includes G.S.T.

For any inquiries regarding the camp, please send an email to: info@theclotheslinedietclub.com and Karen will forward the relevant information etc.

A quick question; have you seen Jamie Oliver’s television show about trying to change America’s eating habits, starting in Huntington West Virginia?

On Friday the 16th of July 2010, Jamie’s show (Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution) premiered in Australia and I must say, it really touched my heart in many ways. His cause is absolutely amazing. Huntington is classed as the biggest town in the highest obese nation in the world, The United States of America. Jamie visited one of the local schools to see what meals are served to the children. One of the most unbelievable things seen, was that all of the food that the children eat, is processed food such as pizza, chicken nuggets and preserved condiments just to name a few. Some natural foods such as apples were served, but the children don’t eat them and they are thrown in the bin. Sorry, I forgot to mention, the pizza that the children eat, is for breakfast. Can you believe that???

Jamie’s point is that we shouldn’t be feeding our children, processed foods. We should be feeding our children lots of natural nutrients such as vegetables and fruits and healthy cooked meals. When he asked some of the children what the name of the red item was that he held in his hand, one child said that it was a potato. The child didn’t even know that Jamie was holding up a tomato. I truly believe in Jamie Oliver’s cause. It is exactly what I am about and what my mission is. To teach people the right foods to eat, to get in some form of exercise and have fun doing it. If parents are willing to make the required changes and start to make a difference, it will rub off on our children too. I want to be the voice of an obese child, an obese teenager and an obese adult because I was once in their shoes. I know exactly what it is like to be obese and it is definitely not a good thing. Let’s make a change in our lives, not only for ourselves, but for the future of our countries and the future of our countries, are our children.

I commend Jamie and I would give anything to have at least one opportunity one day, to stand beside him united in the same cause. Jamie could be the voice and I could be the example!!!