SICK-O THE STATE OF HEALTHCARE

I just saw the movie SICKO …twice. It really moved me. I am not particularly a Michael Moore fan, and yet I found this movie outstanding in its honesty. It made me think - What are our values in America? I believe our health is of the utmost importance. We are supposedly a “first-world” country, and yet our most important right (the right to good health) is being taken away from us little by little.

I think this is why I am obsessed with THE NEW YOU. I want to change our way of thinking. We are walking around like the living dead. We work, work, work, and don’t take care of ourselves, and really aren’t enjoying life the way we should.

We have to put ourselves first! Traditionally women have acted as caretakers, putting everyone and everything else before them, but it is vital that we put our health and well-being first! We need to put our lifeforce and our essence first. Otherwise – “What’s it all about Alfie?” If we don’t take care of ourselves both inside & out, how can we truly care for those we love? Don’t we deserve that? We work harder than any country in the world where today women not only raise families, but the majority of us bring home the bacon, too. In a time when more women are starting businesses than getting married, it is paramount that our wellness comes first. Good health shouldn’t be an option for just the privileged few, but the right of all. It’s time to change! It’s time to find out how to become THE NEW YOU.

A New Beginning - A "New You"

At some point, we are all tested and must face a challenge, or series of challenges in our life. It could be prompted by a breakup, the death of a loved one, the onset of a disease, the loss of a job – any one of a host of situations where you spiral downward and hit rock bottom. Many of us become shut down and let our health, our looks, and our life force die little by little, until we become the walking dead.

I can attest to this, having experienced it first-hand. At age 35, I thought I had it all - I was a television network president with a famous and rich boyfriend. Then I became pregnant and realized that my perfect boyfriend and I had “irreconcilable differences,” and that we could never stay together. Single motherhood was not the life I had envisioned for myself, and I became overwhelmed with feelings of shame, sadness and depression.

Many of you have asked me how I was able to snap out of this victimized place. Well, I decided to put myself first and treated myself to a health spa. While I was there, away from the “noise” of everyday life, I felt for the first time in a long time that I was giving back to myself, and valuing myself in a way that I had never done before. I came back feeling a little bit better simply because I had taken some action.

While I was away, my son had been given a book, “The Complete Works of Hans Christian Anderson.” Upon my return, I read the fable “The Ugly Duckling” to him and had an epiphany. The story said: “The ugly duckling was always a swan -- and didn’t know it.” It hit me that many women must feel exactly like I did.

From this experience, I created the hit television show, “The Swan,” which put me in touch with thousands of women who, like me, had hit the wall. In “The Swan,” I propelled women into action through physical transformation. The show garnered some criticism as some were under the impression that the women felt like they weren’t good enough as they were. Unfortunately, in a prime-time show it was impossible to see all that transpired behind the scenes: the therapy, the life coaching and all of the other options that the women were given to transform their lives.

With the experience of “The Swan” behind me, I realized that there was still much work to be done. This is why I have created “The New You” - a forum that speaks to women’s issues targeting health, wellness and beauty. I believe women can be transformed and come out knowing their true worth. Although I wish I could have found my self worth sooner, later is better than never.

I hope that you will accompany me on this journey of self-realization and, like the phoenix arising from the ashes, be inspired to transform the “old you” into the “new you.”

If you’d like more information on “The New You,” check out our web site at www.thenewyoutv.com, look for more “New You” segments on “The Today Show,” and watch for our upcoming weekly TV show, along with a series of “New You” speaking engagements, seminars, and special events.

Next time, I will be discussing our exciting new alliance with Harrah’s Entertainment. I’ll take you behind the scenes of our trip to Las Vegas, as we take our first steps into the realm of creating “The New You.”