Stephanie Pedersen's Blog, page 11

Dear Gorgeous One,

Can I ask you a question?

Did you bound out of bed, excited for the chance at another glorious day?

Did you love what you saw in the mirror: Flawless, glowing, blemish-free complexion? Clear, bright, light-filled eyes? Well behaved hair and nails? A body free of dimples and blemishes and puffiness and pouchiness?

Did you have a great time choosing today’s outfit—knowing your clothes not only fit you, but flattered your assets and played up your good looks?

If this is just the kind of morning that you have every day, you can stop reading! This letter isn’t for you. (And I hope this is the kind of morning you have, because nothing—nothing—beats looking and feeling your best. It is an unbelievably powerful, intoxicating feeling. )

For the rest of you, keep reading.

If you’re like a lot of people, your morning has nothing to do with energy or attractiveness. Perhaps you drag yourself out of bed (after hitting the snooze button one too many times), craving a jolt of caffeine to wake you up in a way Mother Nature just can’t for you.

Looking in the mirror each day, you see undereye circles, puffiness around the eyes and throughout the face, dark splotches, clogged pores, dry patches, dandruff, dry unmanageable hair….and more.

Getting dressed is a nightmare—most things don’t fit and the few pieces that do, make you look heavy around the middle, or accentuate the thighs you despise.

I don’t need to go on because I know exactly how you are feeling—I’ve felt that way before, too. Sluggish, fatigued, puffy, blotchy, bumpy, misshapen, uncomfortable and plain unattractive.

Oh, I blamed the bumps and bulges on age. On having children. On not having time to exercise. On stress. But when it came down to it, they had nothing to do with any of these things.

When it came down to it, my lack of energy and looks came down to toxins. I was loaded with them!

Where did they come from? The same place where yours come from! The air, the water, the products you use on your body, the medication you take, the beer and wine and cocktails you enjoy to relax, caffeine you rely on to wake you up, the chemicalized food you scarf down because it’s easy, and the gluten and dairy and sugary foods you eat without thinking because hey, they’re what you grew up with. And it’s what everyone else eats.

I’ll let you in on a secret: Not only can you get rid of them, you should: Nothing else you do will jumpstart your health and make you feel (and look!) amazing like getting rid of the toxins that have built up in your body. And there is one great way to do that. It’s called a detox.

Specifically, The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, a quick nutritionist-supported program designed to jumpstart your weight loss, put you on the road to better eating, and get you clean, powerful and healthy in 7 days.

The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, is a full-support group program that allows you to party your way through physical transformation. I hope you’ll join us! Keep reading to find out more.

Much love,

xoxox

P.S. PLEASE READ:If you want a do-it-yourself, liquid only fast—and aren’t interested in learning the tips and tools you can use to keep yourself clean and healthy forever—The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse is not for you. Best buy a week’s supply of juice or get a book. This is a deeply transformational program that starts where you are and incorporates daily actions to get you clean and help you lose the bloat and excess holiday pounds.

P.P.S. Want to register for The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse at a special price? Please use the code SuperBook.

IS A CLEANSE IS FOR YOU?

Yes! The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse starts later this week. Are you curious if this is something you’d like to try? If you’ve ever wondered if a cleanse (aka “detox”) is for you, check out this fun quiz!

Take This Quiz: How To Know If A Detox Is For You

1. Have you gained weight recently? Weight that you have been unable to lose?

2. Are you puffy, bloated, soft anywhere in your body or face?

3. Do you need caffeine to start your day? Or, do you rely on caffeine mid-day to maintain your productivity?

4. Do you crave sweets? Crunchy, salty foods? Creamy foods? Alcohol? Tobacco? Caffeine? Do you consider yourself addicted to chips, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, pastries, bread, coffee, wine, and other health-sapping foods?

5. Do you drag through your days?

6. Has your mojo disappeared? (Or, worse, have you never had any mojo?)

7. Are you living without passion? Without spark? Without enthusiasm?

8. Do you have trouble winding down at night in order to get to bed?

9. Do you suffer from brain fog? Do you wish you were sharper? More creative? More intuitive?

10. Is it hard to get motivated to work? Or do you have trouble sustaining focus?

11. Have you had candida or a series of viruses, fungal or bacterial infections in the last year or more that you don’t feel fully recovered from?

12. Do you currently suffer from an eating disorder, emotional eating, an exercise disorder, or a distorted body image?

13. Are you pregnant or do you have HIV, diabetes or hypoglycemia? Or are you recovering from a serious illness?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions (and “no” to questions #12 and #13), detoxing could be just what you need to feel and look lighter, clearer, more glowing, with a massive increase in energy, intuition, creativity, and motivation. A short detox is a powerful way to jumpstart a committed weight loss program, improve the quality of your skin, improve digestive issues, discover food intolerances, improve mental acuity, feel lighter and more energetic, as well as eliminate addictions to sugary or carby food, caffeine, alcohol and other health-sapping foods.

Want to join in? Grab a bag of baby spinach or some salad greens, a few lemons and maybe a small bottle of apple cider vinegar and get ready to rock! The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse opens on Thursday, November 12 with a preparation day—jump into the online classroom, tool around, meet other detoxers, take a look at the shopping list. Or wait until Day 1, Friday, to dive in.

Hope to see you this Thursday in The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse!

Much love to you!

xoxox,

P.S. Use the code SuperBook when signing up for The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse and get yourself a healthy discount! xoxo

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DO A DETOX!

Hello friend!

What are you doing this upcoming Thursday? Yep, November 12, 2015.

Maybe you’re spending the day like you spend every Thursday: going to work, maybe dealing with kids. spending time with family and friends, eating. Maybe you plan to quickly run in to your local grocery store. (Or not, especially if you get all of your food from takeout shops and restaurants.) Maybe on Thursday you’d like to print out a couple one-page documents. Or check your email messages. Or maybe you’d rather wait until Friday to do that.

What I’m getting at is if you decide to jump in to The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, this is how you’ll be spending this Thursday. That’s because Thursday is the kick-off to my upcoming detox, The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, based upon my bestselling book, The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse. I always start my programs with a prep day, so people can ease into things. Then I slowly ramp things up. I am mellow that way.

Which is why people love detoxing with me: I’m easy-peasy. You’ll see. I’m all about finding cinchy, powerful ways to help people get control of their health. In this case, with a 7-Day cleanse that just happens to have two extra days—a low-key prep day at front end, and a celebratory integration day (read: party) at the end. And seven deeply-effective (yet easy) cleanse days in the middle.

But maybe you just don’t want to do a cleanse. And if that’s you, then here’s what I have to say to you: Fabulous! Honor that! I spend a lot of time with clients, teaching them how to read and honor their bodies’ cravings, symptoms and other signs. Because once you can do this, not only is it easier to manage your weight, it’s a cinch to remain at a high level of physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Others who should not detox: Anyone who suffers from emotional or disordered eating or those attracted to calorie deprivation. Should you be one of these people, we do love you and want the healthiest, happiest, biggest life for you possible. If you cannot find the support you need, you are so welcome to reach out to us and we will help you find a professional or program that can help you heal.

But if you think you may like to dive in and join us, now’s the time to do so. We start gently—just like I mentioned in the first paragraph—and keep moving until Friday, the 20th. Leaving off just in time for the weekend and American Thanksgiving.

(By the way, I know everyone always wants to do a cleanse after the holidays, but if you’ve ever done a cleanse before the holidays, you know how much easier it is to make health supportive choices just coming off a detox. Plus, you’ll look amazing, which is pretty fun, too.)

Today’s a great day to register. Plus, you can still use the code SuperBook to enroll in The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse for a gift price. If you have a friend who you’d like to bring along on the journey, he or she can use the same code.

See you this Thursday in the online The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse clubhouse! (Or not, if you know a detox is not for you.)

Much love to you!

xoxox,

P.S. We’ve got a fun quiz, Q&A and other goodies for you right here. This should help you figure out what this “cleanse thing” is all about. Still have questions? Reply to this email with your queries. I’m happy to answer them! xoxo

YAY!! THE 7-DAY SUPERFOOD CLEANSE STARTS NEXT WEEK! WILL YOU JOIN US?

The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, begins NEXT Thursday, November 12, with a prep day.

Based on my bestselling book, The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse (Sterling Publishing), this 7-day, food-and-drink detox is easy, short, features regular food, and is a great way to quickly clean up your diet before the holiday season. You’ll jump start weight loss, lose the bloat, reset your eating habits, ditch cravings and have a fantastic time! You can live anywhere in the world to join us. Have questions? Keep reading, or email me here.

THE 7-DAY SUPERFOOD CLEANSE: Did you know…..

I am so excited to spend this pre-holiday time with you! The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, runs from next Thursday, November 12 through Friday, November 20, 2015. And in getting my online classroom ready for, it occurred to me that the detox could be even more fun if you joined us! Yes, you! But perhaps you need to know a bit more before diving in. So I thought I’d share a few fun facts about the The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse:

* You will be eating food and drinking beverages. Yes, you’ll be eating! Moreover, you’ll be eating easy-to-find foods that are easily found I supermarkets, delis, restaurants, takeout shops, cafeterias and other places where you eat every day. Yep, you read that correctly: You can continue to shop and eat where you are now.

* No, you don’t need a juicer. You could even get by without a blender if you have a place nearby to purchase a daily green drink.

* Yes, you can travel and attend events while on The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse plan. You’ll see how easy it is. We typically have one to three people traveling during any given detox and they do beautifully. Partly because you’ll be eating real food!

* If you use the code SuperBook, you’ll get to go through the program for $79.97.

* Everything is done virtually: We have an online classroom which you’ll stop by each morning to pick up your daily lesson and all the goodies I’ll have waiting for you! Hangout for as long as you like and chat. I’m always around to answer your health questions—even if they have nothing to do with detoxing. We also have an optional daily phone call for those of you who like to connect that way. I’ll give you a lesson around the day’s assignment, then open up the call for questions. If you can’t make a live call (or any of the live calls), no worries: They are all recorded and posted in the classroom for you to listen to at your leisure.

* If you love gourmet-style healthy eating, you’ll be happy to learn that one of your gifts for signing up for The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse is the audio recordings and bonuses from my Superfood Superheroes Summit. This online interview series featured the hottest superfood cookbook and health book authors around, each giving their best advice on using and enjoying superfoods to uplevel your health and heal health conditions. You can own these interview audios and other bonuses—you’ll be a superfood expert! This audio library retails for $67, but I give it to my detoxers as a free gift to help them uplevel their health in easy, fun ways.

* The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, is a weeklong detox, designed to get you in quickly, help you easily detox, then have you done by the weekend. It’s a great way to jumpstart a larger health regiment, kickstart a weightloss plan, budge you off a plateau, clean you up after a period of excess, or help you look and feel great before a big event. It’s also an affordable way to work with me or, for those of you who would like to go deeper with your health, it’s a no-brainer way to experience my working style.

* I detox with you. Yep. I do. Happily! We’re all in this together—not that it’s very difficult. It’s more like a seven-day health party.

* If you have food intolerances or allergies or specific health concerns, you will be taken care of. You’ll have an opportunity to let me know all of this! For information on who should not detox, please go here,

* This is for women and men. Really. Real men do detox! They’re great at it! I’ll admit that typically a man joins the detox with his girlfriend or wife or sister, but we do get some brave guys who come alone.

* Yes, you will make friends with the other detoxers! Detoxers from years ago still keep in touch and it isn’t uncommon for me to see facebook posts by a past-detoxer who lives in one area of the world who has traveled overseas to finally meet a friend made during one of my detoxes. We are a supportive, friendly bunch.

Come on in! I cannot wait to have you join us!

Much love,

Stephanie

P.S. Don’t forget to use the code Super Book for your discount.

Happy Halloween!

I call Halloween a “gateway holiday.” It’s the holiday that starts the festive eat-a-thon that rolls through New Year’s (or, in some cases, all the way to Valentine’s Day). As a nutritionist, Halloween is the holiday that that begins one of the busiest seasons of my professional year: About November 3 or 4 the phone calls begin. There’s the dad who started by eating the Milk Duds and Sugar Babies from his kids’ trick-or-treat bags, then graduated to finishing off the pumpkin ice cream his wife had stashed in the freezer and now can’t figure out how to turn off his intense sugar cravings. There’s the woman who drank too much at her friends costume party, then polished off a half-dozen pumpkin spice muffins from the buffet table and is still carb-loading three days later. Or there’s any number of variations on the theme: Folks just like us enjoying the seasonal yumminess, then finding ourselves unable to stop until they are positively bloated, achy, fatigued, irritable, and positively miserable. It’s no wonder that statistics say that people gain anywhere from a pound to 7 pounds (depending upon who you believe) each holiday season!

Because I teach and write about nutrition, people always ask me how I personally bypass the Halloween bingeathon. Want to know my secret? A cleanse. A short, 7-day whole food-and-drink cleanse to kill the cravings right here and now while simultaneously helping me release excess weight—all while doing what detoxes do best: Pushing out the trapped water that comes when we consume too much food and encouraging our body to let go of trapped toxins (including preservatives, artificial colorants, alcohol and whatever else we’ve ingested). The result is you, only better and more comfortable. You’ll look and feel svelte, your sleep will improve, your focus and energy will increase, your desire for junky food (and beverages) dwindles, your skin clears up, the puffiness in your face and body goes away, and you become intuitive and even-tempered. A good, healthy, safe (nutritionist-supervised!) detox can do this for you.

That’s why I always offer a group online cleanse each year between Halloween and Thanksgiving: Sliding into the holidays feeling and looking energetic, healthy and glowy, changes your entire holiday experience. Have you ever had a Thanksgiving where you easily stopped eating before feeling bloated? Or a Hanukkah or Christmas or Solstice where you ate what you wanted, but no more? Naturally gravitating toward “the good stuff” and avoiding the junky things that each year leave you feeling sluggish and bloated? If it sounds too good to be true, I promise that you can have this kind of ease around eating, too. I’ve taught thousands of people how and I’ll teach you, too, in The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse, an online cleanse and eating education program based on my best selling book, The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse (Sterling Publishing)

We start Thursday, November 12 with a prep day, and go through Friday, November 20. To learn more, go here. You can read more about the program, read testimonials from others, take a “Detox Q & A” and more! I hope to see you with us on November 12!

Much love to you!

xoxoxo,

The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse (Sterling Publishing)

HOTEL ROOM GREEN SMOOTHIE

Makes 1 serving

Okay, so my preference is a green drink made with fresh, living, raw ingredients, such as spinach leaves and cucumber and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. But, when I am on the road, I cover myself by bringing along shelf-stable smoothie staples to keep me strong, healthy and clean. The following recipe uses healthy ingredients that are easily packed in a suitcase, carry-on or even your handbag. I can’t say it’s the most delicious thing you’ll ever taste, but if you drink one of these powerful beverages every morning with your regular breakfast—or instead of your regular breakfast—you are going to look great and feel great. Guaranteed.

2 cups water

1 tablespoon chia seed

1 to 2 TrueLemon packets or 1 to 2 tablespoons pre-squeezed organic lemon juice

½ to 1 scoop greens powder (unsweetened brands to look at include Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Original, Green Food By Naturo Sciences, Greens First Nutrient Rich-Antioxidant SuperFood, and Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Alkalize & Detox)

Mix all ingredients in a shaker cup and drink as early in the day as possible. Go ahead and make another later in the day if you’re feeling tired or are battling cravings for carbs or sweets or coffee.

To learn how to detoxify yourself deeply, safely, and enjoyably—so you can lose weight, reboot your eating habits, and feel great—join us for The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse! Use code: SuperBook for big savings!

EASY DIY DETOX TIPS TO FEEL GREAT, FROM THE 7-DAY SUPERFOOD CLEANSE

The wonderful thing about your body is that it is always trying to naturally rid itself of toxins. Sometimes, however, it can use some help. Luckily, this help can come in the guise of easy, quick actions. To help your body detoxify itself more deeply and quickly, incorporate these easy-peasy actions into every day:

1. Include green, leafy veggies in your morning meal.

Green, leafy vegetables are powerfully detoxifying. They are also alkalizing, and help ward off craving for sugar and other carbohydrates. By setting yourself up for a craving-free day at the beginning of the day, you’ll avoid falling prey to foods that can leave you bloated, spacey, headachy or irritable. Including greens in your morning meal is as easy as having a green drink, eating a salad with (or instead of) your favorite breakfast foods or adding spinach or another cooking green to your eggs.

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2. Drink 2 liters water a day.

Water hydrates us (which plumps up our cells—including our skin cells, which makes our complexions firm and soft), helps create blood and lymph and other body fluids and helps carry trapped toxins out of our body via urine, feces, sweat and respiration. Don’t drink enough and you’ll feel headachy, irritable, unfocused and your skin and hair and nails will look dry. You’ll be constipated, slow, and notice a dip in your mental and physical energy. Drinking enough water is one of the most powerful, detoxifying things you can do for your body.

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3. Eat at least one large green salad every day.

Any kind of salad—spinach, romaine, arugula, or even one centered around a humble wedge of iceberg. (Choose a vinaigrette dressing and go ahead and add plenty of other veggies, beans, nuts and seeds if you’d like, but skip the cheese and croutons.) The more leafy, green veggies you eat the better you will feel. Including a large salad in your daily eating plan ensures you get plenty of enzyme-rich (and chlorophyll-rich) raw greens, which will help alkalize you, energize you and support your body’s ability to purge any toxins (from food, medicine, air, water, cosmetics or cleaning products) that may be accumulating in your body.

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HAPPY KALE DAY 2015!

Hello Gorgeous!

For those of you in The States, today is National Kale Day! As you know, kale is one of my favorite veggies. Not only does it play prominently in my life (I enjoy it several times a week), it has been an important part of my professional life. I’ve written two books that feature Kale predominently: Kale: The Complete Guide to the World’s Most Powerful Superfood and The 7-Day Superfood Cleanse.

To celebrate this special day, I am sharing with you a favorite kale recipe.

Nutty Kale Salad

Makes 6 Servings

I first tasted a version of this at my sister-in-law’s home and couldn’t stop eating it! It was my first experience with raw kale, and I was hooked. Just one serving delivers about 8 grams of protein, tons of belly-filling fiber, 420 percent of your daily vitamin A, 275 percent of your daily vitamin C, and a hit of powerful antioxidants. Plus, this salad is super versatile—add a handful of raisins or pumpkin seeds, change up the nut butter, or add some jalapeno for a spicy kick.

2 or 3 bunches kale, de-veined (the smoother kale varieties such as dinosaur or red Russian are easiest to work with, but ruffled kale can also be used with delicious results)

1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or other nut butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon maple syrup, agave, or honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon dried ginger or cumin (or both)

Optional: 2-4 tablespoons chopped nuts, raisins, seeds, avocado, or grated carrot for garnish

Stack the kale leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube. Make 1/4-inch cuts along the length of the tube, creating thin kale ribbons. Place kale in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth (or blend together in a blender). Pour dressing over kale and toss thoroughly to coat all leaves.
Allow to sit 2 hours before serving to soften the kale. Garnish if desired.

Thank you so, so much! I am so grateful for you!

xoxo,

Stephanie Pedersen, MS, CHHC

www.StephaniePedersen.com

You Drink What????

My clients know that I have a soft spot for apple cider vinegar. I have them add it to their morning water to alkalize their bodies and control cravings, I use it as a final rinse on my hair to create shine, I dilute it for use as a facial toner, I mix it with water and soap as a general purpose house cleaner and on and on. So it should come as no surprise that I also experiment with it in recipes—like this gingery, berry-infused, vinegar-based old-fashioned thirst quencher called a switchel. This recipe comes from my upcoming berry book. Enjoy!

Ginger Berry Switchel

Makes 4 servings

A switchel is an old-fashioned vinegar-based drink used to quench the thirst. It reminds me a bit of the commercially made kombucha drinks so popular today.

1 5″-piece fresh ginger (about 6 ounces)

½ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup berries of your choice (I particularly like fresh currants, raspberries or blackberries best; blueberries don’t work as well as others)

4 cups sparkling or flat water

1. Pass ginger through a juicer (you should have between ¼ and ⅓ cup). Or, you can grate ginger on a box grater, gather up in a square of cheesecloth and squeeze shavings over a bowl to catch ginger juice (you’ll probably have less than a 1/3 cup, but that’s just fine).

2. Combine ginger juice, vinegar, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a large pitcher and stir until maple syrup is dissolved.

3. Add berries and muddle or leave whole.

4. Put in fridge until chilled

5. To serve, dilute with water and ladle switchel into ice-filled glasses.

Have You Ever Wanted To Lose Weight Quickly?

Or wished you could “wipe out” the effects of a junky food day? Or be prepared next time you’re faced with a food-based event? Maybe you simply want to get into your skinny pants or lower your blood cholesterol levels this month—or even this week.

Or perhaps you’re in what I like to call “a research phase,” meaning you’re not quite ready to tackle weight loss but you would like to get your hands on some weight loss education that you can refer back to—forever—on your own time.

Whatever is going on with you, I have something that may be able to help. As you know, I am a holistic nutritionist who specializes in using whole foods (including superfoods ) to help you reach your healthiest weight and achieve your wellness goals. Too often, I see people resort to pills or starvation or exercise addiction to lose weight. Not only do extreme behaviors take their toll emotionally, they physically age us, affect our looks and make us feel terrible. They can also make us pretty grouchy! (Ask me how I know this!)

Just to clarify: I am not anti-weight loss. I am not even anti-do-it-yourself-weight loss. I completely understand that people like to have control over their own weight loss. And I get that not everyone can afford to hire me to work with them privately, or has the desire to jump into one of my affordable group weight loss programs. Not only is this all good, it’s why I created the Triple Threat Weight Loss.

Triple Threat Weight Loss is a DIY program based on my 3-Day Weight Blast, a group “quick weight loss education” program that I run. If you want a healthy model for sensible weight loss and you’re a true DIYer at heart, I would love to share Triple Threat Weight Loss with you. This is for the DIYers among you who want to learn three different nutritionist-tested eating plans that you can use to face any weight-loss challenge, from daily healthy eating for weight loss, to those times when you want to kick things up a notch (or quickly fit into that little black dress), to those times you want to get back on track after a night, a day, a week or more of excess (yes, it specifically tackles what you may be experiencing, from increased cravings to bloat!). Plus, the education you need to use each correctly, so you lose weight instead of ruining your health. This is important!

Triple Threat Weight Loss features menus/eating plans, shopping lists, recipes, lessons, audios, videos and lots of fun goodies for those of you who like extras. It is available now. It will only be on sale for one week. Buy it now and continue to use it for the rest of your life.

If you are frustrated by your current weight loss efforts, I want to say one thing to you: Everyone can experience a healthy-for-them weight. It takes just one thing: Good care.

Let me give you 3 plans to help you lose and maintain weight. Three plans (plus a ton of education) that will help you do some deep learning around how to treat yourself in order to lose weight, how to eat to stay healthy, with plenty of education around challenges such as cravings, getting back on the wagon after straying, what to do the day before a big food day, how to “wipe out” the negative after-effects of a “bad” food day, and so much more.

In short, you’ll receive healthy habits you can use your entire life to help yourself lose and maintain weight in a healthy, sane way.

Learn all this and you’ll be on your way to making this the year that you stop hiding behind knits, multiple layers and self-loathing and start having the time of your life.

To read more about Triple Threat Weight Loss and decide if the program is for you, go here. You’ll find FAQs, a quiz, program facts and more!

I can’t wait to share my healthy Triple Threat Weight Loss secrets with you!