I’m convinced that virtual assistants are the future. I met Emily,randomly about a year ago and decided to get her help on sales and marketing  Honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. Many successful entrepreneurs I know are following suit.

You might need to consider hiring a virtual assistant if:

1. You feel overwhelmed with your workload.
2. You need help digging out from the administrative pile.
3. You know you could really “move the needle” if you could focus more on what you and only you can do.
4. You want to be more productive and less stressed.
5. You know you need help but can’t afford someone full-time.
6. You don’t want the hassle of recruiting, hiring, and training a physical assistant.
7. You want—and need— a life

What can an virtual assistant do for you?

Anything that does not require her physical presence.

Practically speaking, this means she can:

• Screen your e-mail and respond on your behalf
• Schedule and confirm your appointments
• Book your travel arrangements
• Make calls on your behalf
• Perform miscellaneous research
• Fill out expense reports and track reimbursements
• Create invoices and post payments
• Manage any projects you don’t want to handle
• Social Media
• Sales and Marketing

The truth is that most of my professional relationships today are virtual. I’ll bet many of yours are as well.

Emily now helps me with new projects and internet marketing,whilst I do the things I love,like training more clients and helping more ladies overcome their weightloss issues and mindset.

Check out Emily’s website http://www.practicalpanda.co.uk/

Claire

www.newcastlefitnesssolutions.co.uk

Lets take a little look at the functions of the adrenal glands…….

The adrenal glands sit over the kidneys, where they play a significant role in the body, secreting more than 50 hormones necessary for life, including epinephrine (adrenaline), cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone and testosterone. Since they produce so many essential hormones, the adrenal glands are responsible for many of the functions we need to stay alive and healthy, including:

• Energy production — carbohydrate, protein and fat conversion to blood glucose for energy
• Fluid and electrolyte balance
• Fat storage

One hormone in particular, cortisol, is extremely important for keeping our body systems in balance, as well as protecting our cells. For example:

• It controls the strength of the immune system: Too much cortisol weakens the immune system, setting the motions for increased susceptibility to infections and cancer, while too little leads to an overactive immune system and autoimmune disease.
• It normalizes blood sugar.
• It regulates blood pressure.

Unfortunately, the adrenal glands’ health is paradoxical. As the manufacturer of adrenaline, they are the “glands of stress,” but are also the first glands to fail during prolonged or intense periods of stress. The problem with stressors is that they are “cumulative,” in the sense that their impact tends to add up in the body over time until your adrenal glands (and probably your mental state) just can’t take anymore. “One more stress is the stress that breaks the camel’s back,”

Some people call the time when the “camel’s back” finally breaks a “nervous breakdown.” However, nerves really don’t break down; adrenal glands do. A “nervous breakdown” is actually adrenal fatigue, or when the adrenal glands can’t deal with the amount of stress they’re given. Adrenal fatigue used to be rare, but is now all too common because of our lack of relaxation and other lifestyle factors, such as smoking, sleep deprivation, poor eating habits and excessive caffeine intake, as well as allergies.

Diagnosing (and misdiagnosing) adrenal fatigue

To make matters worse, doctors often don’t diagnose this problem. So, why don’t doctors recognize adrenal fatigue? In medical school, they are only taught to look for extreme adrenal malfunction — Addison’s Disease, which occurs when the glands produce far too little cortisol, and Cushing’s Syndrome, which stems from excessive cortisol production. They check adrenal function by testing ACTH levels, using a bell curve to recognize abnormal levels. This is where the problem occurs. ACTH tests only consider the top and bottom 2 percent of the curve abnormal, yet symptoms of adrenal malfunction occur after 15 percent of the mean on both sides of the curve. In other words, your adrenal glands can be functioning 20 percent below the mean and the rest of your body experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, yet most mainstream physicians won’t recognize that you have a problem.

Fortunately, there are ways you can test yourself for adrenal fatigue. To start off, go ahead and “check off” the symptoms you have been experiencing.

The Signs……..

• Morning fatigue — You don’t really seem to “wake up” until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Burst of energy at 6 p.m. — You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
• Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. — However, you resist going to sleep.
• “Second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fat
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Lack of energy
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Muscular weakness
• Increased allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein

The cures……..

If you have adrenal fatigue, you can fully live life again by making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to treat your disorder.

Treating adrenal fatigue is as easy as:

• Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.
• Laughing
• Exercising
• Minimizing stress
• Taking negative people out of your life
• Eating regular meals
• Doing something fun each day
• Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils
• Avoiding junk food
• Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day
• Taking calcium and magnesium supplements
• Adding sea salt to your diet
• Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day
• Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
• Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid
• Adding licorice root extract to your dietary supplement regimen

Taking back your life

If you take your treatment plan seriously, you can expect your adrenal fatigue to heal in:

• 6 to 9 months for minor adrenal fatigue
• 12 to 18 months for moderate fatigue
• Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue

Check out this article on tips for changes you can make to your diet to help improve the symptoms.

http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/adrenal-fatigue-diet#what-to-eat-and-drink

Claire Aberdeen

www.newcastlefitnesssolutions.co.uk

www.facebook.com/newcastlefitnesssolutions

www.twitter.com/nfitsolution

Read this great article from Health.com Magazine on the health benefits of napping.

Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.
Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.

Read the full article here (whilst I take a nap!!)

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html

Chicken Satay with peanut sauce

Ingredients
Marinade:
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
• coconut oil, for grilling
•  lettuce leaves
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Peanut sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to
combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated.
Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours. Thread the chicken
pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle
of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5
minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter
lined with lettuce leaves and coriander; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the
side.
Peanut Sauce:
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons red chili paste,
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a
food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot
water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving
bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay.

Hi Guys,

Claire here from Newcastle Fitness Solutions……Thought id pop by with a few FUN fitness tricks to get YOU and THE KIDS exercising together and having a laugh in the process…….

We hear the statistics about the obesity rates of children everywhere we turn. But with the plethora of television, video games, and mobile devices complete with time sucking apps, it can be incredibly difficult to get kids off the couch and moving.

The trick is to get them doing something they want to do. Keeping exercise fun and versatile will have your kids working out because they want to, not because you’re making them. Here are a few exercises that will get your kid moving.

• Catching A Bubble This little variation on the old jumping jack is a lot of fun for kids. Grab some bubbles and have the kids line up. Show the kids how to “catch” a bubble by doing a jumping jack with an exaggerated handclap. When they’re ready, take the bubbles and blow them over their heads. They will have to do a jumping jack in order to catch the bubbles. Each child can take turns being the blower.

• Rowboat This is a partner exercising. Have the kids sit down across from each other with their legs spread and feet touching. Have them lean forward and clasp hands. Have one child pull gently while the other pushes. Then reverse who pushes and who pulls. Keep it fun by singing “Row Row Row Your Boat”.

• Animal Parade Kids love playing pretend, this is a great way to slip a little exercise into their play. Call out different animals and have your children act out each animal. Crab walking, cat crawling, and bird flying are just a few ways to get them active

• Tag Lift the ban on running in the house and let the kids run wild for a little while. A game of tag can be the best exercise for you and your kids.

• Freeze Dance Any dancing can be great exercise, but there’s something about Freeze Dance that takes it to the next level. Play your kids’ favorite song, after a few moments of furious dancing, hit pause and yell “freeze!”. Hold for a few moments then hit play again.

• Yoga This is one of the best exercises kids at any age can do. There are poses that are perfect for toddlers and intense asanas that can get older kids fit in no time.

• Video Games We’ve (finally) reached a bit of a revolution in gaming and fitness as the two seemingly mortal enemies have come together to produce a fun alternative to the gym or the same old workout videos. Each game system now comes with an increasingly long list of fitness inspired games. Nickelodeon Fit is great game for toddlers and Zumba Dance will get your teen exercising without even knowing it.

There is nothing better than getting healthy while having fun, but don’t let the kids have all the fun. If you really want to get your kids on the exercise train then hop on board yourself. Everyone can do these exercises together.

Pop along to my facebook wall and let me know how you got on!!!

Until the next time,

Claire

www.facebook.com/newcastlefitnesssolutions

You attend this of course!!!

Rightie O you lovely ladies, Claire Aberdeen the Fitness Queen is coming out of Burlesque retirement and running a 2 hour workshop for beginners , on Saturday 4th May at Byker Community Centre, Newcastle. Bookings are now open….limited availability first come first served.She is very excited to run this as we are to welcome her to our lovely Community Centre. Corsets and feather boas encouraged but are optional, we expect she will be dressing to the high heavens in her finest feathers…………BOOK BOOK BOOK…..Fun and laughter guaranteed!! £15 for the two hours (including refreshments) and to book contact her on newcastlefitnesssolutions@hotmail.co.uk     Yeah get those tassles twirling. This class is for over 18′s only.