Picture Credits:
1. Honorary consul to Rumania and philanthropist Dolores getting me into the swing of the society luncheons in Key Biscayne.
2. An incredible statue outside a tiny church in a little known part of Cap Ferrat, South of France.
3. This building was only around 5 years old when they decided to replace the balconies.
4. Intimate swimming in Monte Carlo.
I'm now in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the winter and lapping up the sun and the warm nights. We're only 45 minutes south of Miami and one hour north of Palm Beach; it is very safe here with plenty of social activities and is an ideal place to stay for the winter. However if you are thinking of buying an apartment in Florida because of the £ being so strong, beware until they change the laws. I must explain that a 'condo' is what we, as owners (or potential buyers) in England, would call an apartment whereas an 'apartment' here means rented accommodation. Now read on.
Buying in the USA is so cheap now.
Scams and Naivety.
I would still wait anyway as the dollar may be going down further. But if you are thinking of buying an apartment ('condo'), beware. There is a loophole in the law that is causing havoc for condo owners which means that you can buy a condo and suddenly find you have a special assessments bill for $30,000 with only a short time to pay. If you don't pay up a 'lien' can be put on your property and it can be repossessed within 90 days. Each condo building must have a board comprised of selected owners, and since they are unpaid they are often self-important busybodies only too willing to spend other peoples' money. Unfortunately there is now a new problem here in South Florida where engineers and construction workers need work. So they have jumped on the bandwagon of advising condo owners that all the concrete balconies need changing and recommending that millions of dollars need to be spent on unnecessary work. Numerous board members have been arrested for taking kick-backs from contractors and engineers but simple naivety can have the same result. So until there are new laws to prevent this happening, think twice before you get into the same situation that my husband and I are currently in. Watch this space as we are in the middle of a battle over our own condo. It can be complicated in paradise and cause unexpected stress leading to illnesses. My advice would be to buy a house rather than a condo (apartment) until new laws are in place.
How Much is it Costing You To Have Increased Shelf Life?
There are new epidemics of strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity being caused by new chemicals in food. Strokes and heart attacks are also affecting women as young as 40. But what is really frightening is that on both sides of the Atlantic there are victims of the chemicals in our foods. You are likely to see many more of your friends and associates becoming ill in the near future. When I arrived in Florida, my attorney (who is only in her 40's) told me that she had been in a coma only a few weeks ago. The doctors didn't know what caused it but they suggested healthy food and exercise to improve her health.
Since she was normally so busy with work she was eating processed and junk food. However, she was so worried after this health scare that she hired a nutritionist to improve her diet and, because I had been warning her about chemicals in food last year, she hired an 'organic' specialist. An associate recommended a service that delivered her food daily. It is delivered each morning in a trendy cooling box and the meals for the day are in separate containers. She took the advice seriously because her associate had lost 10 inches off his waist since he started eating 100% organic using this service. She has followed suit and in the past three weeks has lost 13lbs, feels great, and is now full of energy. It is not cheap at £100 a week but much cheaper in the long run. The loss of time and earnings while she was in hospital was very expensive and that could have been just the beginning if she hadn't been wise enough to change her lifestyle.
It reminded me of the service offered by Jennifer Irving in London which I wrote about last year when I visited one of the health food exhibitions (see below for more details).
Just this month back in the UK one of my students, who is in his early 40's, was taken to the hospital with a suspected heart attack. The story is similar to the attorney's: the doctors said he needed to eat more healthily. He was frightened but doesn't know how to cook or prepare 'real' food, being more used to microwaveable and processed foods. I suggested he come over to the US where I will use hypnosis to give him discipline and he can use the same service for the organic food. His doctors told him that his arteries were clogged and it was affecting his heart. I will be monitoring this man's progress and that of my attorney and will let you know the results. I think you will be amazed at how easily you can save your life and keep healthy.
In view of the urgent need for an organic service to be home-delivered, I thought I would explain how Jennifer Irving started her very stylish fresh food gourmet delivery service. She said the idea came to her one morning as she was preparing her husband's packed lunches. He wanted to eat healthy food so she would pack his daily meals for the office. It occurred to her that there must be a market for a special service for people that didn't like to cook or didn't have someone at home to prepare their food. "Each day, we will deliver to your door three meals and two delicious and healthy snacks that can be tailored to your specific goals. The food is delivered at 6.a.m so you can wake up and find all your healthy meals sitting on your doorstep, freshly prepared by our four chefs. It comes in a smart shoulder cooling bag so you can carry it to work." Jennifer explained that she buys in fresh food from Covent Garden the day before and tailor-makes it to your dietary requirements, assuring me that fully organic would not be a problem. The service is called 'The Pure Package'. Her team get together and work out what The Pure Package can do for you, whether you want to stabilise your weight, eat more healthily or if you simply don't have time to cook for yourself. The service works out at about £30 per meal with a minimum order of 10 meals. However you don't have to have the meals every day; just when you would like them. What a very stylish way to stay slim! "The food is unbelievable! Please can I continue?" Patsy Kensit is quoted as saying. You can find more details at www.purepackage.com
Half the Population will be Obese within 25 years
Even the government is now taking notice - but just telling us to 'eat healthily'. People then eat salads and fruit full of fertilizers and wonder why they get sick. Ministers acknowledge there is a looming public health crisis to rival even climate change.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said efforts to promote exercise and healthy eating had to go "further and faster" in response to the stark findings of a new Government study.
The Foresight research, commissioned in 2005 to help ministers understand the scale of the problem, warned that half the population will be obese within 25 years if current trends continue.
Some 86% of men are expected to be overweight within 15 years and 70% of women within 20 years, Professor Klim McPherson of Oxford University and Tim Marsh of the National Heart Foundation predict.
Jogging can make you waddle?
Whatever you do, don't jog on concrete as it can eventually cause serious injuries to your knees. It may be fine for many years but you will eventually have 'bone on bone' with no cartilage to cushion it. The pain can be so bad that you're inviting, with open arms, knee replacement surgery. I know several people who were healthy joggers who have now had to have new knees. The problem doesn't stop there as they now sort of waddle instead of walking. Despite it being three years since the operation, one of them is walking like an old fashioned toy! If you are a jogger it is best to jog on soft ground or special jogging tracks.
Tips:
Flu Remedy
Sambuco is an elderberry extract that has been clinically proved to help the immune system and is ideal for colds and flu. I gave it to my friend who was in the middle of a real full-blown cold and she said it was a life saver. The explanation is that viruses can only replicate by invading living cells and they do this via tiny spikes which cover their surface. Sambuco is claimed to actually disarm these spikes by binding to them and preventing them from puncturing the cell membranes. You can buy it at Boots.
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