It's all about SEX!

[cal val]

Hi there...

I've accomplished much with the help of the Yi. I've saved a cat's life twice, and I've ended that cat's life humanely when saving was no longer an option. I've moved from a clear and present danger to safety and security. I've moved from unemployment to a dream job. I've moved from near financial ruin to increasing prosperity. I enjoy increasingly better relationships within my family and in the workplace. I've been taken gently to the very core of my being where I've faced the fear of fears... the fear that prevented me from enjoying healthy romance and marital bliss for so many years. And now, with the help of the Yi, I'm getting myself ready for... sex, Sex, SEX and MORE SEX! Oh yeah!

I was almost late for work this morning. I stood naked in front of the mirror for a very long time marvelling at the miraculous change in my body in just four days. I kept looking at my silhouette which had gradually changed with age...thanks to the inevitable, unavoidable, mean and nasty menopausal belly fat... UGGGHHHHH... and which was changing yet again... like I said... dramatically. With the help of the Yi, I've discovered the miracle drug for menopausal women... at least for THIS menopausal woman.

It's not about vanity. It's about self-image. I've had the good fortune to be blessed with a nice figure... hips and chest proportionately curving into a nice waistline... flat stomach above AND below the waist. Good muscle mass (I come from good peasant stock). That is the self-image I've had my entire adult life.

But then... menopause began to peek around the corner, and things changed. That insidious belly fat creeped slowly into my curves and sent them careening in the other direction. Diet, exercise... nothing could stop the fat monster from growing.

I look fine in clothes... sexy even. I have fashion sense and know how to flatter any figure. I often hear that I look great for my age... from people who see me in clothes. But when I take my clothes off... I haven't looked so great... a little too Rubenisque for my taste. I find belly fat unsightly and unsexy. I love sex, and I still have those urges. Menopause has NOT changed that. It doesn't change THAT for most women. I just haven't felt sexy in that naked state required for sex. And I haven't had sex for a very long time.

When I was in Virginia, I had asked the Yi about the safety of doing crunchies and other ab strengthening exercises (at my age) to try again to lose the menopausal belly... I was otherwise getting a great deal of exercise on my very physical job, and the rest of my body was firm and tight... even for a woman 20 years my junior. They advised strongly against it. When I asked why, they answered with 62.3. Ahhh... I might hurt my back! Well I tried anyway... starting out slowly... and immediately felt more than the normal (exercise) pain in my back. I stopped and everything eventually righted itself.

Then... when I first saw the scaffolding near my new home, I knew... I KNEW... that it won't be long now before I'll be having that SEX that I love so much. YAHA! I didn't need the Yi to tell me... but the Yi DID tell me, nonetheless... to get sexy. And they're in a frightful hurry. Got 2.1 twice in connection with 22 and 27. For those of you new to the Yi, 2.1 is the "Act Now" line. If you ACT NOW, we'll send you this beautiful set of six steak knives absolutely free! If you DON'T act now, you're in deep doodoo. So...

I asked about ab exercises again. Again they said 62.3. In addition, they said it would be a waste of effort. So I thought. Then I asked "What about those belly fat burning pills formulated especially for menopausal women I've been hearing about." They answered 4.5. Again, for those new to the Yi, that line says, "Go ask the experts." Cool, so I did just that. I went to a nutritionist and was recommended a pill. I asked the Yi what THEY thought of the pill, and they answered 34. Cool, so...

I've been taking them for four days now. The morning of the third day, I took my night shirt off to get into the bathtub, looked down... and gasped. My belly had shrunk quite noticably. This morning I looked again and there was even more shrinkage, and, as I said before, I stood in front of the mirror for quite a long time marvelling at the change... blinking twice to make sure it wasn't a dream. Another change that's been quite noticable and quite the unexpected and pleasant surprise... since I've started taking the pills, I haven't had hot flashes, night sweats or any of those other uncomfortable symptoms that I won't talk about here (I'm saving them for the Oprah show... *grin*). It's like the clock turned back to the days before perimenopause started.

So... last night, content knowing TMWTGW is just over the horizon now, I asked the Yi if there is anything else I need to do to prepare, and they answered 22 to 42... increase the adornment. I had already been thinking earlier that day about increasing my dosage of the miracle pills... I had started out slowly to adjust and felt sufficiently adjusted... so I suggested to them I do just that. They answered 14.6 to 34. I smiled... errr grinned and said, "You sure are in a hurry," and they answered.... what else... 2.1.

The funny thing is I had been saying to myself the point of all this was to look good in the wedding dress I'd be donning soon, but this morning I could feel... had a "knowing"... a very HAPPY knowing... that there is some very passionate sex coming my way soon. And I told the Yi this is really all about sex you know.

They answered...

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Love, love, love... and more love,

Val

 

[Sparhawk]

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. a very HAPPY knowing... that there is some very passionate sex coming my way soon. <!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

My plane arrives in LA at 0600hrs tomorrow. Be there holding a red rose bud..

L

Sorry, I could not let that pass by... LOL

 

[cal val]

Luis...

Oh what a temptation! But...

one minor glitch... I have to be in love to have sex. Sowwy.

Love ya though,

Val

 

[Sparhawk]

Bummer!!

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

I have to be in love to have sex. Sowwy.

Love ya though,<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, wait a moment!! Isn't there a contradiction above? Or the silly semantics of plain "love" and "in love" apply here?

Sounds to me like deceptive advertisement...

L

 

[cal val]

LMAO Luis...

Yes, there's a distinct different between being in love and all the different kinds of love existing in the universe, one of which is the love I feel for nearly complete strangers who allow me a window on their hearts, minds and souls through their words on this forum and other places on the internet.

Love ya (in one of those many ways different from being in love),

Val

 

[Sparhawk]

Oh well...

OTOH, if one doesn't try, one would never know...

Don't be saying now there were no takers.

LOL

 

[cal val]

Luis...

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If it's any consolation, being in love is different than the way I love this little guy as well. Were you on the forum when I was waiting for him to be born? 17 months ago tomorrow.

Love,

Val

 

[Sparhawk]

Yes, I believe I was.

BTW, I love your daughter's photography. She's very good.

L

 

[cal val]

Luis...

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I love your daughter's photography<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>
ding ding ding... GOOD ANSWER! Yet another kind of love... or maybe two. Love of art AND also love of the work of a kindred spirit.

Well okay since we're spreadin' the love around... I love your photography too. There's so many of your pictures I like, but that one of that old house standing all alone spoke to me. It kept talking and talking and talking and just would not stop. The stories it told too!

Thanks!

Love,

Val

 

[Sparhawk]

Gee... now is my time to

Thanks!

L

 

[micheline]

What a beautiful child, Val.

Hey, I 'd like to know the name of those pills....are they the anna nicole smith diet pills I see on TV....or something Rx?? NOt that I need them of course --cough, cough ---but hey, its good to be prepared.

 

[anita]

Hey Val,

You go girl! I'm gonna get to 48 next month and my abs are tighter than they have ever been. That's just coz I've been yogaing for years and years and now the crunchies have really made a diff.. never tended to fat but muscle is always good. But be careful of pills. Herad too many horror stories about side effects. At times though I really get scared about menopause which is bound to hit some time, but as my 81 year old blue eyed admirer always tells me with a twinkle in his eye - 'Age cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety...'It's all in the mind Val, it really is. And I still feel like the child I used to be.

Best for your Quest

Anita

 

[cal val]

Anita...

Hey girl! How are you??? Good to see you here.

I'm a fitness die-hard... used to have a license plate holder... a gift... that read "Firm, Fit and Forty," and used to socialize with my trainer. Unfortunately, can't do crunchies right now, but... I'm taking calcium complete tablets AND glucosamine for my joints too. Hope to be able to do them in moderation soon. The adipose fat is indeed melting away... the difference is visible... but I still want that firmness. Not giving up the fight with time yet where my lil ol' vehicle of flesh is considered.

I get a lot of cardio-vascular exercise right now. And we have a great gym here at the studio, the price is right... they have yoga and pilates classes, so will be joining soon. Used to do yoga with my other exercises and loved it... I'm more limber than the average bear... and am looking forward to doing it again in a "classroom" setting. I think it's a great form of exercise for anyone and particularly for people my age.

Am very cautious about pills. Did a lot of research first... still doing research... looking for the caution signs. Hate pills. Love feeling natural. This is the first time in ages I've resorted to them, and only because the Yi gave the nod. In fact I'm so cautious, I wouldn't answer Micheline on the forum... answered her in email instead. I don't want to anyone to take the idea of pills lightly... even though the ingredients are all natural products. Even natural products can be dangerous to some.

Please keep us posted on your comings and goings. I'm sure you're very busy, but I do love hearing your updates.

Love,

Val

 

[demitramn]

Hi Val

Can't say for sure which product you've found and are seeing results from (so many available really), but if it's an herbal metabolism booster then I'm fairly certain that it must contain some combination of yerba mate extract, coleus forskholii, green tea, kelp, cayenne, and pepper extracts.

But far more importantly, it must contain gymnema sylvestre as this extract is known for its ability to control sugar levels in the body (in use by Ayurvedic practictioners for quite some time already.)
A couple of articles that might be of interest regarding this extract: http://www.coenzyme-a.com/gymnema_sylvestre_article.html http://www.supplementwatch.com/supatoz/supplement.asp?supplementId=163

Anyway, I've been using one particular herbal-based metabolism booster on and off for the past couple of years and can say with 100% certainty that it works and it's safe as long as one eats relatively well to begin with and one exercises regularly too.

The truth is that the body's metabolism slows down considerably as we get older (even if you workout like crazy) and it's nearly impossible for the body-sculptor to shed the minor amounts of fat required for muscle definition without deliberately making the effort to wake up one's metabolism by providing the body with the natural ingredients that are consistently missing from our nutrient-deficient food supply.

Glad you found something that works for you. To fine and fabulous six-packs!!

Demitra

P.S. so... are you officially a non-smoker now?? how's that going for you these days? Anyway, not much divination discussion going on here so I'll clam up now...

 

[candid]

"as we get older (even if you workout like crazy) and it's nearly impossible for the body-sculptor to shed the minor amounts of fat required for muscle definition"

oh, pish posh.

 

[Sparhawk]

Well, I guess is not about SEX anymore...

Speaking of Yerba Mate, I come from Uruguay, the country that has the highest per capita consumption of the drink. Down there, we drink the stuff throughout the day, liters of it a day, literally, but, it is a social affair to be shared among family and friends and pass around during conversation. We drink it traditionally, in a gourd filled with the herb where you pour hot water into it and drink from a metal pipe called "bombilla". Here is a link about it if you want to learn more about it. I'm afraid that here in America ours is a custom that will never catch up. Americans, and this is an educated assessment based on 20 years of living here, for the most part have a phobia to proximity and intimacy, even among family members. The notion of sharing a drink among a circle of friends using the same metal pipe and gourd will draw a "eeewwww!!!" from all but the most travelled among them, and those are a grain of sand in a beach...

.

No matter how they want to market Yerba Mate as a suplement it will never give you the full benefits of consuming it the traditional way. Funny thing, there are very few overweight people in my native country. I actually gained weight after I moved here and had to, for the most part, abandon our healthy custom due to a lack of sharing partners. Of course, you can drink it by yourself in the traditional way but it would never be the same. It gets lonely to down a whole liter of Mate all by yourself... That's one of the things I miss the most.

Luis

PS: Candid, you paid so much attention to your muscles that you forgot to grow your head... LOL

 

[demitramn]

Hey Candid, I like muscle definition on a guy but that there's just a little too much even for my taste

I think you can safely ease up on the workouts a bit

Luis my poor lonely yerba-mate drinking friend - a gift for you <CENTER>

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thanks for the eye-opening education, now put down the twinkie and pass the bombilla, will you

and we'll whip you into shape in no time...

Val! can you pass me that whip again?

 

[Sparhawk]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

now put down the twinkie and pass the bombilla, will you and we'll whip you into shape in no time...<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, I'm trying! I'm spending and hour and a half five days a week in the gym. Twinkies? Nah, dark chocolate, maybe. Just years of sitting on my ass, most likely. I'm changing that though...

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Val! can you pass me that whip again? <!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

I see we are back on topic...

L

 

[Sparhawk]

BTW, that's a cool kit Demitra. Where did you see it? Must be from an Argentinian site. More people use sugar in Mate in Argentina than in Uruguay (why you see two wooden jars in the kit, one for Yerga Mate and the other for sugar)

I use something like this:
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</CENTER>

Luis

 

[cal val]

Demitra...

Hi! I don't remember the names of the ingredients right now. Will look when I get home tonight. I just remember they are all plant extracts and there is this thing about some acronym that is the official measure of the extract... *twisting lock of blonde hair*

And I went looking for information... pros and cons... on the product... didn't find any cons yet, but found some explanation of how it works. Besides boosting metabolism, it's supposed to manufacture a couple of hormones that add receptors to the adipose tissue that go away when estrogen goes away and the receptors burn the fat... or I don't know... something like that... I don't remember.

I can tell you, though, that since I've been taking the pills, not only do I not have any cravings for sugar... I can't really handle the thought of sugar... very turned off to it. And that sylvestra rings a bell. But I also got very religious about taking all my vitamins too... especially the Bs... want all the vigor I can get when that yummy yummy SEX comes my way! You can borrow my whip, but I'll need it back in time for that... (I never left topic Luis... *grin*).

Love,

Val

 

[demitramn]

Luis, this is the site where the kit came from: yerba mate kits

and for those interested: 'mate' is pronounced Mah-tay, and 'bombilla' is pronounced Bom-Bee-Zha, (as in uSUal).

 

[Sparhawk]

Nice site. Tks.

L

 

[demitramn]

Val,
<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

I can tell you, though, that since I've been taking the pills, not only do I not have any cravings for sugar... I can't really handle the thought of sugar... very turned off to it.<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE> Same experience for me. Even my teeth recoil at the idea.

Never thought that I'd ever turn away any chocolate (in any shape or form) but in the past year or so, I've not really thought much about it, and that's saying something, considering chocolate was, for a verrrry long time, a dark secret lover

... it was pretty serious, you know... we did it everywhere

 

[anita]

Dear Demitra,
But chocolate is good - it's what new research has thrown up - for the heart and for SEX!
Friend of mine whose old dog with a heart problem was about to pop it, gave him lots of chocolate to eat and he survived! Had I known this, I could have saved my favourite pooch, the amazing Rasputin of the long white whiskers and long ears.He died in my arms in August and I was so heart-broken. To think his ma is still tottering around! He used to drool the moment he smelled chocolate. Maybe he knew what was good for him.

Val,

I'm now free-lancing, having lost my consultancy this year, but because of my spiritual cultivation I am surviving. Well, better than that! I now teach email writing skills to corporates and have tons more free time for my temple, and my writing. Still waiting for my German student lover to complete his diploma thesis, which he is bound to this year. He calls me almost every week. I'm amazed that I've been loyal and sexless all these two years! It just feels so right. And some of my friends keep telling me I'm crazy not to be doing it everywhere, and what I need is a rich old man to marry. Disgusting thought. I know I'll end up with my student because that's what both of us want.

Hugs

Anita

 

[heylise]

Careful with dogs and chocolate! It has a substance which is dangerous for many dogs.
But for humans: chocolate is great!

Wishing you all the best for your life and love.

LiSe

 

[demitramn]

Hi Anita

Scientific research throws up a lot of things, ALL the time -often even contradicting itself- so I don't much go with what the media doles out as 'truth' for what is good and what is bad for my body, even if it is the popular point of view.

After all, all industries have a vested monetary interest in convincing me that I need to consume their product, and what better way than to emphasize the possible health benefits. Yet, IMO, an addiction to something can never be a good thing much less a healthy thing, but... that's just the way I see it.

In any case, I hold nothing against chocolate per se (nor you, for that matter

)- it's the sugar content of any product that I am repelled by, in this case chocolate, even in the darkest forms of it, which I adored the most BTW)

Frankly without sugar, chocolate is simply too bitter for enjoyment. Seen in this way, you have to admit that an attachment to chocolate has more to do with the sugar content and less to do with the chocolate itself. ...again, just the way I see it.

Demitra

P.S. oh! and of course, God-speed to you and your boyfriend

 

[Sparhawk]

Well, talk about good timing! Here is a note on CNN today (Oct/20/04) about Mate. Of course, as usual with many regional things, like Tango, the Argentinians are making it look like they invented the thing. Nothing farther from the truth. However, the article is very interesting and a good picture of what Mate culture is really like.

Argentina's 'yerba mate' gets its due

Luis

 

[demitramn]

Thanks Luis, yet CNN's article lacked mention of Yerba Mate's multiple healthful benefits, such as:

...a remedy for hangovers and sick headaches, and as a morning wake-up drink. It is used as a stimulant to the central nervous system, a diuretic, and an anti rheumatic. It can be drunk green, or lightly roasted in a frying pan for a more robust flavor. It is preferable to coffee for those with gastritis or colitis and easier on the kidneys than Chinese tea. Not for use by those avoiding caffeine sources in managing fibrocystic breast disease or for other reasons.

(yet researchers at the Free Hygienic Institute in Germany, have concluded that even if there were caffeine in Mate, the amount would be so tiny that it would take 100 tea bags of Mate in a 6-ounce cup of water to equal the caffeine in a 6-ounce serving of regular coffee.) link here for more details: http://www.noborders.net/mate/health.html

A German Monograph lists its uses for mental and physical fatigue, and having "analeptic, diuretic, positively inotropic, positively chronotropic, glycogenolytic and lipolytic effects." Yerba maté has been used medicinally as a diuretic, tonic, and a central nervous system stimulant. Another traditional use has been as a depurative (to promote cleansing and excretion of waste).Yerba mate is a whole body tonic, even in large amounts and promotes balances in many body systems without overstimulating any system. Yerba mate's tonic effect on the body helps to regulate sleep cycles and reduce fatigue. Mate is used to reduce appetite, invigorate the body, and affects the muscles by reducing fatigue. Used for weight loss. Dr. James Balch, MD recommends Yerba Maté for arthritis, headache, hemorrhoids, fluid retention, obesity, fatigue, stress, constipation, allergies and hay fevers. It cleanses the blood, tones the nervous system, retards aging, stimulates the mind, controls the appetite, stimulates the production of cortisone, and is believed to enhance the healing powers of other herbs. The primary active chemical constituency of yerba maté is made up of caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, saponins, and chlorogenic acid. Sterols resembling ergosterol and cholesterol are also present in yerba maté. In addition, Yerba Mate is a rich source of minerals and 15 amino acids are present in the leaves. In a study the maté extract "retarded the development of hyperglycaemia" in streptozotocin diabetic mice and "reduced the hyperphagia, polydipsia, body weight loss, and glycated haemoglobin." This study suggests the presence of potentially useful antidiabetic agents. The antioxidant properties demonstrated clinically by Yerba Maté were reported in two clinical studies demonstrating its high antioxidant values linked to rapid absorption of known antioxidant phytochemicals found in Mate leaves. The latest research shows that it stimulates the immune system.

Well, then... it's official Luis! we have discovered the fountain of youth here. Now when people ask me how I stay so young-looking, I'll tell them, without a doubt, that it must be the power of Yerba Mate

 

[Sparhawk]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

Well, then... it's official Luis! we have discovered the fountain of youth here. Now when people ask me how I stay so young-looking, I'll tell them, without a doubt, that it must be the power of Yerba Mate<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yup! I was born a "convert". The real thing is an acquired taste though (North America has a sweet tooth and Mate, sorry to advise, is bitter unless you add sugar and then it goes a big part of its benefits...). Once over the 'acquiring' process the rest is enjoying the benefits. And, hey!!, it may even help many people's social life...

L

 

[anita]

Dear LiSe,

I'd heard that about the effect of chocolate on dogs and was pretty amazed when my friend said it saved his dog's life! In Bangalore we get these wonderul chocolates from a Ooty - a hill station not so far away, and my British friend has taught me to eat them with coffee. Terrific combo.

I thank both you and Demitra for the good wishes.

Anita