You know that lack of sleep can make you feel grumpy and foggy but you may not realize what it can do to your sex life, memory, health, looks, and even ability to lose weight.

Lack of sleep disrupts every physiologic function in the body and affects our immune system and even makes us more prone to catching colds and the flu. Getting adequate sleep can help keep our immune systems primed for attack.

Increased risk for disease starts to kick in when people get less than six or seven hours of sleep per night. According to some estimates, 90% of people that have trouble falling and staying asleep also have a health condition. A 2007 study showed that those who had cut their sleep to five hours (or fewer) a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes, in particular cardiovascular disease. Another study stated that people who sleep less than four hours per night are three times more likely to die within the next six years.

Not getting enough sleep has been linked to a laundry list of mental and physical health problems, including those that stem from an impaired immune system. Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:
• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

Lack of sleep also impairs attention, ability to make sound judgments, alertness, concentration, learning, creative thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. A person who has not gotten adequate sleep may show signs of slurred speech, stuttering, speaking in a monotone voice, or speaking at a slower pace than usual, much like someone who is intoxicated.

REM sleep stimulates areas of the brain used for learning and memory. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.

Also, people who don’t get enough sleep can feel stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted. Over time, lack of sleep can contribute to the symptoms of depression. Insomnia and depression feed on each other: Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

More bad news: Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Now, that’s a bummer! Ready to sleep better? Click here.

Our appearance suffers as well and some will experience sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. Chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone Cortisol. In excess amounts, Cortisol can break down skin collagen, (the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic) as well as giving you a big belly!

Lack of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity. One reason is that when you don’t sleep enough, the body’s ability to metabolize sugar declines, resulting in sugars being turned into fat. According to a 2004 study, people who sleep less than six hours a day were almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours. In addition, studies show sleep-deprived people tend to develop problems regulating their blood sugar, which may put them at increased risk for diabetes.

The Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is the main cause of 100,000 auto crashes and 1,500 crash-related deaths a year, in the United States alone, because lack of sleep severely affects your reaction time . Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. You may be surprised to hear that the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, as well as the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl (and many other newsworthy accidents) blame lack of sleep for the causes.

As the body gets older we need to get more and more rest. Sleep is extremely important to maintain both physical and mental health as well as our appearance. It’s time to quiet your mind, calm your nerves and change your sleep habits!

It is possible to get a great night’s rest no matter what is going on in your life or what medications you are taking. To read up on my ‘Allow Sleep’ Self-Hypnosis Program, click here.

Cheers to a great night’s sleep!

Warmly,
Bettina
www.allowsleep.com

www.marinhypnotherapy.com
www.allowweightloss.com

Dear Bettina

February is the month of love. It can flair up so many emotions within us all.

Some are looking for love, others are trying to rekindle a love, and then others have lost a love and are trying to over come the sadness that it creates. Then there are others who have the love within their life.

However, when we think of love many people think that we are talking about the love for someone else. What sometimes we forget is that we have to love ourself.

Loving ourself is actually THE most important thing that we can do, and it’s something that we often forget.

We have to take the time out of our busy lives to look at who we are, and what we have become. We are the only ones who can change any of this.

Really loving and accepting who we are, can change our life in such a positive way. It will make you look at what you want in life, and who you want in life. You may find that people will not want you to do this as it changes you as a person. But is this a bad thing. No it’s a great thing as you are really being present and being true to who you are.

So never worry about making a change as you are doing it because its right for you and you are loving you, for you!

This month, I am heading back on tour to New Zealand and Australia… whoohoo. I can’t wait. AND I also wrote and article for the ‘Insight’ Magazine too in Australia. Sadly, Queensland has been hit with major floods and if anyone would like to donate to help raise money for the rebuilding of homes and lives, then click here and see how I am involved in helping out!

Have a great month and don’t forget to love yourself!

www.lisawilliams.com

One of the easiest ways to relax the mind and body it to imagine a place where you feel the most relaxed. It could be anywhere in the world…even somewhere that you have never been before, just imagine where you would feel the most peaceful and serene. It only takes moments: picture this place in your mind, find a comfortable spot, look around you and see all there is to see, smell the smells there, hear the sounds there, feel the temperature and the surface you are on…and most of all feel how relaxed you feel to be here and how wonderful it feels to be so very relaxed. Use all of your senses and let the peace and relaxation enter every cell in your body. Every time you come to this place, in your mind, this relaxation will come over you immediately. You can go to your peaceful spot day or night and it only takes a second to evoke that clam in you.

Deep Breathe. Get some clean clear air into your lungs and along with it will bring relief. It is much harder (some say impossible…although I will argue that) to feel anxiety when you are breathing deeply. If you are feeling stressed, consciously take a few moments to take several deep consecutive breaths in and out and feel your stress level dissipate. Try to breathe deeper in general, because when we are stressed we tend to tense up and take tiny shallow breaths. Our bodies need that oxygen to feel our best and to combat those feelings of anxiety.

Go inside. Do a little meditation and quite your mind. Connect to the Universe, to your ‘true self’. Your true self is confident, strong and free from fears (stress) and anxiety. It is good to remind yourself once in awhile that the real you’s purpose it to be free from negativity and full of love. Feel the love flow into your body and bring you into bliss. As you clear your mind, be open to any messages and ideas that the Universe may bring to you…they may be simple or oh so significant!
Move your body. Go for a nice walk or partake in your favorite exercise. Getting your blood pumping allows for more oxygen to feed your body. Endorphins produced while working out will make you feel better and will last well after your activity is over. There are so many wonderful benefits to just getting up and moving your body and a regular routine will ensure that you stay clear headed and at a low stress level.

Be creative. Pull out your favorite craft, write, paint, sew, act…take some time for yourself and do something you truly enjoy doing. Let your creativity flow and feel the tension disappear.

If you follow these few simple tips to help you reduce your stress and feel more at peace, you will help your mind and body stay free from illness. It can be as simple as a few deep breaths.

What are your favorite ways to relax?

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Well, because many people have been asking me, I’m reporting on the outcome from the two weeks of using the Ultimate Healing Cream. My other guinea pigs didn’t come through as far as giving this cream a chance but I have been using it religiously on all my aches and pains (which means that I practically bathe in it). At least twice a day (sometimes more) I have been lavishing in this cream and I have to say that I am pretty pleased with the results that I am getting so far:

I have been plagued with neck problems, along with Carpal Tunnel symptoms, thus my hands are usually numb all the time. I have no strength, constantly drop things and, much to my dismay, it has even kept me from riding my motorcycle for over a year and a half. After these last two weeks of using the ‘Miracle Cream’ (what I am dubbing it now) my hands have had numbness much less frequently than normal and when they do go numb, it isn’t as dramatic (Instead of feeling completely dead, I actually still have some feeling in my hands). Pretty impressive! I’m going to keep up with this cream and hope that it continues with the cellular repair in my neck, thoracics and wrists.

A week ago one of my ankles froze up which was incredibly painful and I could barely put weight on it. (The opposite ankle than the one I broke a few years back, go figure.) I slathered on this concoction followed by the Ultimate Foot cream (which goes much deeper and is powerful when used in conjunction with the Ultimate Healing Cream) before I went to bed and when I woke I still felt slight discomfort but after one more application, I haven’t noticed any pain since and even walked my doggie downtown that day. Wow!

I have had a lump in my abdomen that I call a fatty tumor (Who knows, I never had it checked-out, I only
know it has been there for several years). I have been treating it with this coconut oil based cream, along with the rest of me, and as I write this I can’t even feel the darn thing. It has either disappeared or has gotten so small that I can’t find it. Gee!

My back has some pretty uncomfortable on and off pain and tightness from hobbling around on bad hips for years and although I haven’t recognized drastic changes in my low back (yet) I do notice that the cream does offer relief when I’m in pain. Talking about back pain: I was over at my sister’s house the other day and her husband had hurt his back at work. I offered some ‘Miracle Cream’ which Doretta slathered on his back and later that night they called reporting that it brought him surprising relief and I’m pretty sure his back pain is gone. I’m trying to get him to try it on his post surgery shoulder because supposedly this stuff works wonders with range of motion. If Jim starts using it for his shoulder, I will report on the results.

My hands are pretty arthritic (a gift from my mom) and the very first thing I put the cream on was both of my thumb joints. They have been pretty painful lately…up until last week, that is. My thumb joints are now practically pain free. In fact, my hands feel better than I can remember. I did have some severe aching in my fingers yesterday when I went out in the 37 degree weather but I put the cream on and soon forgot they were even bothering me. OMG!

For years, I have had quirky knees. For some reason my kneecaps seem to be frozen in place and don’t float freely like normal kneecaps which in turn causes occasional discomfort. I have noticed my knee pain disappears when I use the cream before I go to bed.

I heard from the testimonials of this ‘Ultimate Healing Cream’ that it works great on spider veins so yesterday I started rubbing it into my unsightly veins that I have had for over twenty years. I’m excited to see if they disappear! I have even used it on odd skin rashes and blemishes and they disappear after just one or two applications.

So far, I’m pretty blown away by this stuff and intend on brining it in at some point to supply my family and friends. In the meantime, if you would like to try it out, my friend Kimberly can send you some down, just shoot her an email: dusty1798@earthlink.net

I’m excited to see what other result I get from the Ultimate Healing Cream and I’m looking forward to hearing new stories of success from others, as well.

Now you know that my body is pretty much falling apart…but it is such a relief to actually find something that works! Enjoy!!

Warmly,
Bettina

To receive the Marin Hypnotherapy Newsletter or to enter the drawing for the ‘Allow Weight Loss’ Self-Hypnosis Program, click here.

If you would like to watch the video on healthy eating, click here.

Warmly,
Bettina

50% of Americans make one or more New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each year…25% of these people fail within the very first week. Smoking and Weight Loss, being at the top of the ‘most popular’ resolutions made throw sales of nicotine patches and gym memberships through the roof each January. One in ten people who vow to quit smoking actually succeed.

When a person fails at a task to help themselves, even though it may not have been realistic in the first place, they give themselves reason to mentally flog themselves, feel guilt, have an overall sense of let down and possibly even depression. The individual may not necessarily be aware of the negative feelings connected with such failure but they are definitely affected by it at some point.

To be able to make a permanent change in your life, the conscious mind and the subconscious mind must be on the same page and hold the same beliefs. The subconscious mind has been fed ‘false truths’ since childhood and one or many of these beliefs may be keeping you from making that desired transformation. You can consciously want to make a change, even desperate to make a change, but it can’t happen until the subconscious mind is fed the same desires. An obese person desiring to lose weight may have tried for years to shed the unwanted fat and is bewildered why there is always self sabotage in the end. Somewhere along the way this individual was fed negative suggestions, causing them to hold false beliefs about themselves, leaving them feeling unworthy. There can be so many emotional factors that tie into gaining and holding onto weight making losing it a difficult task, even with a health practitioner’s aid.

Children are in a state of Hypnosis most of the time, which leaves them vulnerable to taking on suggestions, both positive and negative, which stays with them and affects them as adults by presenting as habits and/or behaviors. Using different types of therapy to get to the bottom of hidden emotions can be incredibly beneficial to finding the cause of unwanted habits and behaviors. Hypnotherapy can work wonders for this and with bringing on permanent change as the Hypnotherapist communicates directly with the subconscious mind. It is when you are in a Hypnotic state that one can directly tap into the subconscious and “re-program” the beliefs that it holds. This is what makes Hypnotherapy such a fast and affective modality. “We go to where the client needs to go to make a change by literally asking the subconscious where to go. It is when we pinpoint the real reason for having the stated habit or behavior when we can go in and give the positive suggestions to help the client make the change and make it permanent. Being a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist myself, I never cease to be amazed at how powerful the process of Hypnosis can be”, says the author, Bettina Clifton, ccht. Self-Hypnosis is another valuable tool that can help you succeed with wanted life alterations and can be learned and practiced in the comfort of your own home.

Here are a couple techniques to help you succeed at your New Year’s resolution: Make just one resolution at a time, allowing you to devote the necessary time and attention to it. Break the task at hand into smaller, realistic goals. Each time you reach a goal you get a great sense of reward which will carry you onto the next small goal. Keep a daily journal of all the POSITIVE outcomes and aspirations…and by all means seek out the help of a professional to guide you through the modifications you so desire.

Cheers to a fabulous 2011 and to a more healthy, well balanced and wealthy you!

Bettina Clifton, with Marin Hypnotherapy, is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who lives and practices in Sausalito, CA.

Marin Hypnotherapy
Bettina Clifton, ccht
1915 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-332-8097
www.marinhypnotherapy.com
Enter to win our Weight Loss Solutions Self-Hpnosis Program ($299.00 Value)…click here and fill out the form

Kimberly, a true healer to the core, is extremely skeptical when it comes to lotions, potions, gimmicks and new healing modalities…for she is the real deal and can spot imposters a mile away. You see, Kim wasn’t supposed to see her 40th birthday because she was diagnosed with the ‘terminal’ disease, Scleroderma. Through her ‘think outside the box’ approach, she is free from Scleroderma and she just celebrated her 50th birthday. Kimberly (aka: Dusty) has also helped many others move past this debilitating disease through her non-profit organization, Dusty’s Place, as well as private life coaching.

Being around health and healing for so long, Kim is always approached with the ‘great new health product’ to tryout but it isn’t very often when something really catches her eye. Being given a bottle of this new Ultimate Healing Cream, she sent it down to one of her clients who suffers from Reynaud’s Syndrome (bitter cold extremities) for them to give it a test ride…and the results were no less than dramatic. The pain was reduced measurably in just a matter of days. This kind of turned her head and as she got feedback of relief and healing from others that were testing out the product for her,…and her attention grew. For Kim, it was time to invest and get this stuff out there which leads us back to the table in our signature spot, Kimberly and Bettina excitedly chatting over our happy hour fare….jars of this miracle cream lined up before us.

During our meeting, Kim could barely sit for she had thrown her back outwhile hefting heavy sand bags that morning (She’s not scared to do heavy work around her property when it’s called for). Before we parted ways, I slathered this miracle cream on her low back as well as, pretty much, covering myself from head to toe…I was excited to reap the benefits of this miraculous stuff myself. When it was time, I watched Kimberly painfully crawl up into her tall truck to make the over two hour drive home.

Concerned for my good friend, I texted her after a couple of hours (ya, I guess I could have picked up the phone) and asked how she was doing. It was about a half hour later when I got a return text saying that she had just gotten home…and her back was pain free. Even her sciatica which had been bolting down her leg was gone! Wow. That really gets my attention! Of course, I put on another layer of this coconut oil based loveliness before I went to bed and when I got up this morning, I swear my back felt looser and I could move easier. I’m excited to see what this stuff can do over time and if it passes the tests on my own guinea pigs, I just may have to sign up to sell it myself. Anybody who knows me knows that I avoid all multi-level marketing stuff like the plague…but this has really gotten my attention.

If you would like to try out this heavenly cream, shoot Kimberly a message. I was amazed as to how affordable it is at around twenty-five bucks a jar…and I’ll keep you posted if I end up adding it to my own arsenal. The website touts testimonials of healing from a plethora of ailments which are pretty impressive. If you go there, keep in mind this is a relatively new company and everything runs pretty simply still: www.tropiceel.com

I just had to share because this Ultimate Healing Cream looks so promising…and I love it when something comes along that actually works!

If you would like to contact Kimberly for your own jar of Ultimate Healing Cream: dusty1798@earthlink.netOr if you want to read Kimberly’s story, go to: www.dustysplace.org
Cheers to you and yours during the holidays!

Warmly,
Bettina

www.marinhypnotherapy.comWant to WIN a free Weight Loss Solution Self-Hypnosis Program ($299.00 value)? Don’t forget to sign up for my drawing: Click here.

My Weight Solution Program is due out in January 2011 and I’m so excited to be able to share such a powerful tool to help people lose their excess weight forever, through hypnosis! To gear up for its release, I am holding a drawing for the entire program, free. This is a $299.00 value, so click here, fill out the form and enter the drawing.

Happy Holidays!

Bettina

To Enter the drawing for my Weight Loss Solution Self-Hypnosis Program, click here.

Visit our website at: www.marinhypnotherapy.com
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A couple of days ago, my Sweetheart lost a close friend to a heart attack, the fourth one this year and he was only 48 years old. This gave me immense concern, not only for my Sweetie’s loss but for our health since we are both on the flip side of thin…and most of the friends that have passed have also been on the heavy side.

Although ‘curvy’ all of my life, I did hit an all time low in the not too distant past, when my weight was dangerously close to 200 pounds (I’m only 5’ 1”). I was sedentary on the couch, depressed (little did I know, there were some deep issues that I needed to address), scared that my husband would leave me because I had become a big blob. I longed for intimate contact with my husband but in my heart I knew he was completely revolted by me. When I broke my ankle and truly became immobile, I packed on the rest of the fat. My joints and body hurt, I became short of breath easily, my clothes didn’t fit, I had heart palpitations, I was always sweating and I never thought the day would come when I could barely reach around to wipe myself on the toilet…a pretty embarrassing confession to make.

Finally, I was fed up and started a drastic lifestyle change: I became a vegan (which lasted for two years). During this transition, I lost 40 pounds and felt like a new person. Even after that, my worst fear was realized and my husband did indeed leave me…but for reasons other than the weight. Forging through the divorce and some pretty stressful times, I found that the weight started to creep back on, so I put myself through a pretty strict diet to get me back down to where I was…and by hypnotizing myself, I found it very easy to do. The problem was that the hypnosis I was doing was very generic for weight loss and I was not addressing the real reasons that I was eating too much in the first place. I always say, it is much easier to help others than to help myself. Because of this, I find myself going right back to my old eating habits and the weight creeps right back on.

After writing the last blog post about Weight Loss Help, I realized that I have to walk my talk and am now vowing to really get down to the reasons why I over-eat and to start hypnotizing myself in order to become as healthy as I can be.

What I have noticed with many of my clients is that they are a little lost as to how to eat properly in order to get the weight off and to keep it off. They have been dieting for so long and there are so many conflicting ‘stories’ out there that they don’t even know what is right anymore. For this reason, I have been researching different programs in order to help my clients and have come across one that I think is fabulous.

The ‘Diet Solution Program’ teaches you what foods pack on the fat and what foods are healthy to eat. It is a lifestyle, rather than a diet. The free video that they offer gives wonderful information and I strongly recommend that you watch it, even if you aren’t overweight. There are some great tips to healthy eating even without purchasing the program. To view the free video, click here. A program like this, along with Hypnotherapy, would make losing weight a piece of cake.

So, check it out…and join me on the mission to get healthy!

Warmly,
Bettina

If you think this info would be beneficial to a friend or family, please share this with them!

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