Friday, November 18, 2011

THE QUEST FOR THIN


The Quest for Thin…

 The quest to be thin is nothing new.  One scientific paper (http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/foresight/docs/obesity/031-036.pdf) suggests that obesity dates back to our prehistoric ancestors and the necessity for survival. Humans fattened and slimmed according to the tides of plenty and famine. However, in modern times obesity is now considered a major health issue.

But I wonder in our quest to fight obesity, if we haven’t become hysterically driven toward the lean side of life.  Certainly weight loss products cram the market these days…all promising amazing results.

When I was growing up, the rage for weight control was a little caramel-like candy called AYDS.
Ayds, not to be confused with the disease, was an appetite-suppressant candy which enjoyed strong sales in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was available in chocolate, chocolate mint, butterscotch or caramel flavors, and later peanut butter. The active ingredient was originally benzocaine, a local anesthetic used as topical pain reliever, also found in cough drops. Bezocaine supposedly suppressed the taste buds thus reducing the urge to eat. Later, the company changed the active ingredient to phemylopropanolamine (PPA), a stimulant often found in decongestants as well as treatment for urinary incontinence in dogs. In the USA, PPA  is no longer sold without a prescription due to the increased risk of stroke in younger women.
I remember the old Slimfast commercials, some featuring aging athletes, and how easy it would be to lose weight with Slimfast products, like this commercial.  

When I was in grade school, I remember my family doctor giving my mother advice on weight management. It’s simple arithmetic. You have to burn more calories than you consume. End of story. Just eat sensibly and exercise more.”
Now why can’t I do that?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011






Today I'm hosting Elaine Cooper's Book Blog

Note: There is a contest:  Leave a comment and be entered to receive a prize as listed below

An Absolutely Charming Tale!
Once again, Elaine Marie Cooper pens an absolutely charming tale of eighteenth century Americana. War, no matter the era, takes its toll on both soldiers and families. The Promise of Deer Run is a precious next story following Mary and Daniel’s story in The Road to Deer Run, picking up with Mary’s sister, Sarah a few years down the line. Be sure to read the first book too! As a historian and author, I am grateful to Elaine for her dedication to authenticity.  —Lisa Lickel,  author of A Summer in Oakville

Watch the book trailer atwww.PromiseOfDeerRun.com
 The Story Behind the Story:
How The Deer Run Saga Was Birthed
By Elaine Marie Cooper
When I was young and first heard that one of my grandfathers had been a Redcoat during the Revolutionary War, I was somewhat embarrassed. Growing up in Massachusetts had made me proud of our country’s heritage. But instead of finding zealous patriots in my bloodline, my DNA was from an enemy soldier named Daniel Prince!
Calmer reasoning prevailed, however, as I thought about the reality of his story. Living conditions in Colonial times were difficult, to say the least. It was a frightening period of our history for both Americans and the British. And in the midst of our nation struggling to be birthed, two people on opposing sides in a bloody war met and fell in love.
This story from my family’s history was transformed in my thinking into an inspiring one of romance, unhindered by the politics of the day. It became, purely and simply, a love story.
And so was birthed the idea to create a fictional account of actual events. Since the story is from my imagination, I opted to change last names, the names of the communities, and many other details of the time. However, many of the historical events are documented facts.
The particular information on Daniel Prince’s military background was discovered thanks to the diligent work of Betty Thomson, independent researcher at The National Archives, Kew, in England. 
In book one, The Road to Deer Run and now in the sequel,The Promise of Deer Run, I made every effort to stay true to the colonial times. Descriptions of food, homes, clothing, farming, worship practices, medical care, etc. are the result of extensive research.
It has been a personally inspiring experience to write these novels. While the times have changed since the 18th century, the same struggles of their day are our own. Forgiveness, fear, pain, illness, despair, the pain of having a family member at war, the death of a loved one—these are all the battles we contend with in the 21st century. But we also share faith, laughter, love, the excitement of that first kiss, the wonder of looking at a newborn. These are the same joys that we share with our ancestors who are so much a part of who we are.
Their journeys are interwoven with our own.


About the Author:
Elaine Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest with her husband, her three dogs and one huge cat. She has two married sons and triplet grandchildren who are now one years old. The Promise of Deer Run is dedicated to the triplets and to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
 
Elaine has been a magazine freelance writer for many years, and is a regular contributor to a blog on the Midwest called The Barn Door and a blog on Christian living called Reflections In Hindsight. She is the author ofThe Road to Deer Run and the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run. Prior to becoming an author, Elaine worked as a registered nurse.
The Road to Deer Run won the following honors:
  • Finalist: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards 
  • Honorable Mention: 2011 Los Angeles Book Festival
  • Best Romantic Moment: ClashoftheTitles.com, February 2011
Author Photo
Author Elaine Marie 
About The Promise of Deer Run: 
America’s war for freedom from England has been over for seven years, but the wounds of that conflict still haunt the minds and hearts of the residents of Deer Run. Young American veteran Nathaniel Stearns has withdrawn to a life of isolation as he awaits his father who never returned from the war.
A near-tragedy in the woods brings Nathaniel face-to-face with nineteen-year-old Sarah Thomsen, someone he had long admired but he assumed had eyes for another. This chance encounter opens a crack into the door of his heart as mutual affection quickly blooms.
But slander and lies soon mar the budding romance, rendering both Sarah and Nathaniel wounded and untrusting as their faith in both their God and each other is shattered. Set in 1790, this book continues the story of the Thomsen and Lowe families as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of the war that birthed the United States.


Leave a comment and be entered to receive the following prize: 
Grand Prize (Retail Value: $297.38) Contains:
  • Basket
  • $25 Starbucks gift card  
  • Spode Christmas teapot  
  • Spode Christmas mugs   
  • Yankee candle
  • Hardbound copy The Road to Deer Run
  • Hardbound copy The Promise of Deer Run 
  • Bath and Body Paris Amour scent  

Book Cover Photo
The Promise of Deer Run
ISBN: 9781462037964           
Softcover: $16.95           
ISBN: 9781462037971           
Hardcover: $26.95           
ISBN: 1462037968
E-book: $9.99
Released: August 16, 2011