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Imagine Living Healthier - Bridgette Collins
Imagine Living Healthier
Bridgette Collins
ISBN: 0979093201
Origins Publishing Company
Reviewed By Nisha Powell
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Sarah wants to lose weight, but hates exercise and prefers happy hour with her girls to the Stairmaster any day. Suzanne, on the other hand, lives for 26-mile marathons, but the onset of a mysterious illness points to a deep affliction that may not necessarily be physical in nature. Todd, for all his years of striving and hard work, suddenly finds himself abandoned by his wife one day, left to care for three children on his own while trying to launch a lucrative new enterprise. Three different people from three vastly different backgrounds united solely by one issue: their health. And, if their past is any indication of how they'll fare, their collective outlook isn't very promising.
All is not lost, though, so long as they learn to identify the real roots of their current afflictions - and therein lies the lesson of our own lives that we can learn from theirs: much like Celebrity Fit Club, Imagine Living Healthier seeks to remind us that the cure for our ills lies not in the food that we eat, but in the lifestyle choices that we make. In keeping with that sentiment, though, we must first understand exactly how those choices come about.
A common misconception regarding obesity is that people make voluntary decisions to eat unhealthily, which would explain why many overweight people are readily isolated, ridiculed, and don't evoke sympathy from others who look down upon their conditions in a judgmental light. In Imagine Living Healthier, though, Collins does an impressive job of properly framing the problem of obesity, showing that its root causes are really psychological in nature, making it no different than alcoholism, drug abuse, or sexual promiscuity.
For example, as we follow Sarah's progress from gorging on greasy lunches & drinking her friends under the table to exercising regularly and abstaining from alcohol, we learn of her molestation as a child. As long-repressed memories of the heinous act come to light, she realizes that food became an escape for her, a safe place to which she could escape when the lingering pain became too much to bear. This epiphany is crucial to achieving the full restorative lifestyle that she longs to live, finally able to rid herself of the demons from her past that previously shadowed & influenced her every unhealthy move.
Likewise, in the wake of his wife's abandonment, Todd realizes the self-centered nature of many of the choices he's made in life, which have led to his present unhealthy lifestyle, as well as created distance between him and those he cares most about. The path for his healing is thus set, and he welcomes the chance to redeem himself for the years of damage his unchecked ambition have caused his family and his own health.
In addition to being an inspirational testimonial, Imagine Living Healthier is also a veritable self-help encyclopedia of tips for healthier living, including guides to caloric intake, even recommendations for hair care products that prevent premature balding and hair loss. There's even an appendix chock full of recipes for healthy meals designed by Sarah, Suzanne, and Todd themselves, including everything from chicken spaghetti to fish tacos.
Tired of getting winded while walking up stairs? Want to put that fried chicken down and start eating healthier, but not sure where to start? Imagine Living Healthier is your best bet.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Bridgette Collins (Imagine Living Healthier)
Apex Reviews: Bridgette, we greatly appreciate the opportunity to review Imagine Living Healthier. It truly was an eye-opening read.
What prompted you to adopt the incredibly healthy lifestyle that you currently live? Also, please share with our readers some of your remarkable accomplishments thus far.
Bridgette Collins: As I reflect back on my childhood and the life of my grandmother, I'm often reminded of the long-term suffering she endured as a diabetic. She was, as termed today, obese. Because of her obese state and various unhealthy lifestyle habits, she was stricken with diabetes at a young age. As with most diabetics, she encountered a plethora of complications that often go along with the condition (i.e., high blood pressure). I remembered vividly her having a leg amputated, going into diabetic comas, going blind, and towards the end of her life – the hallucinations, as a result of the mental toll the medications caused. Years later came the sudden death of my favorite uncle who died from a pancreas disease. The disease which was tied to diabetes, started me to thinking about my lifestyle and family traditions. I began researching the foods and beverages I traditional consumed – Popeye's chicken, Chinese buffets, Burger King's Whopper, the Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity breakfast at IHOP, colas and alcohol. The results of my research were astonishing. Inspired by a supervisor's dedication and commitment to exercise, namely running, I was motivated to pursue healthier life habits, which included making better eating choices and exercising.
As a result of my lifestyle transformation, my accomplishments through the years include becoming a personal trainer, running four (4) full marathon races, launching my own fitness organization (MAC Fitness – Making-A-Commitment to Fitness), helping others to embrace healthier lifestyle habits, and publishing my first book.
AR: The book goes into extensive detail about the calorie count, fat content, and carbohydrates contained in all of the foods that we eat everyday. In fact, after Sarah informs some of her friends of some of the more unhealthy aspects of their favorite foods, one of her friends remarks - half-jokingly - that she's "afraid to eat anything anymore." How do you personally keep from alarming people with such "sticker shock" when discussing similar matters with them?
BC: My main goal is to educate people on how to discover for themselves the hazards that lie inside the foods they tend to gravitate to and the impact on their overall health. The intent is not to alarm people, but to expose them to ways to transform their unhealthy habits. That is, how to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines and how to be innovative with making their favorite foods healthier. Because eating healthier is probably the hardest hurdle for people to overcome, it was important for me to have an appendix of recipes at the end of the book.
AR: There is much mention in the book about the adverse effects of alcohol, yet we've all heard of how beneficial a daily intake of wine can be to heart health. How do you reconcile the two?
BC: There is much information available regarding the benefits of alcohol consumption, as well as the risks, causing such conflict that the information can be confusing and frustrating. Many studies have investigated the benefits of red wine and have suggested that a moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for middle age people (30 to 50 percent). The key is moderation. Studies revealing the benefits also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. As far as moderate alcohol consumption, it is also suggested that alcohol, other than wine, reduces your risk of developing heart disease, where as excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer, sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. In the storyline surrounding Sarah and her friends, they were accustomed to going to happy hour two to three nights during a given week, and drank a lot more than a moderate amount.
AR: Sarah and Todd endure repeated heartbreak from former lovers as they strive to overcome the unhealthy lifestyles of their past. Why do you think it's so easy for them to fall prey to the same mind games over and over again?
BC: In the beginning, they both suffered from insecurity and other self-worth issues that can cause one to fall prey to unhealthy relationships. Towards the end, they inherited the gift of discernment, and shifted their focus to a relationship with God.
AR: Are mysterious, idiopathic illnesses like Suzanne's more common than we think?
BC: I do believe so. There are so many diseases and illnesses, some of which their origin is uncertain or unknown. In the case with Suzanne, her situation was a cross between Lupus and chronic idiopathic urticaria, both of which are related to an autoimmune disorder. Diseases and illnesses related to these areas have baffled medical professionals for years. It is my belief that some potential health issue lies dormant in all of us – meaning we're all genetically predisposed for something (i.e., heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.). The better we are at implementing healthy lifestyle habits – exercising, making healthy food choices, managing the stress in our lives – the better we can reduce our chances of a disease or illnesses surfacing. And if by chance we are faced with some health concern, our chances for reducing the impact is much better if we have practice healthy lifestyle habits.
AR: Imagine Living Healthier does a remarkable job of incorporating the key factor of spirituality into overall health matters. Why do you think so many people don't grasp the significance of that component of a healthy lifestyle?
BC: It important that people understand that health involves more than just the physical. Some people position their lives around their careers, finances, retirement, relationship, and possessions, and in the process neglect God and their health. Some people have great physical health, but neglect their spirit – their relationship with God. Others are overweight or battling illness, but have a strong connection with God through the Word and prayer. I wanted my readers to have a better understanding of what it means to live healthier: mind, body and soul. That is, a healthy lifestyle is not just about exercising and eating better, it's about having a relationship with our Lord, fulfilling our purpose, and being a blessing to others.
AR: Would you say that the underlying theme of Imagine Living Healthier is that of redemption via triumph over adversity?
BC: The underlying theme is that in the midst of everything going on in one's life – God and their overall well-being must be a priority. They must re-arrange the order of those things they've placed extreme value on and shift the focus to God and incorporating healthier lifestyle habits.
AR: What do you want readers to take away from Imagine Living Healthier?
BC: To understand that there's no magic formula for living healthier. Re-evaluate those things that have taken center stage in their lives and find the right balance.
AR: What's next on your very busy agenda?
BC: There's a second book in the works. I will be devoting a lot of time to its completion. Also, there's the possibility of training for another marathon for February 2008. There's always the sideline activities like providing daily health and fitness tips on TITTP Talk Radio and continuously spreading my message of healthier lifestyle habits.
AR: Thanks again, Bridgette, and best of continued success to you!
Bridgette Collins
ISBN: 0979093201
Origins Publishing Company
Reviewed By Nisha Powell
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Sarah wants to lose weight, but hates exercise and prefers happy hour with her girls to the Stairmaster any day. Suzanne, on the other hand, lives for 26-mile marathons, but the onset of a mysterious illness points to a deep affliction that may not necessarily be physical in nature. Todd, for all his years of striving and hard work, suddenly finds himself abandoned by his wife one day, left to care for three children on his own while trying to launch a lucrative new enterprise. Three different people from three vastly different backgrounds united solely by one issue: their health. And, if their past is any indication of how they'll fare, their collective outlook isn't very promising.
All is not lost, though, so long as they learn to identify the real roots of their current afflictions - and therein lies the lesson of our own lives that we can learn from theirs: much like Celebrity Fit Club, Imagine Living Healthier seeks to remind us that the cure for our ills lies not in the food that we eat, but in the lifestyle choices that we make. In keeping with that sentiment, though, we must first understand exactly how those choices come about.
A common misconception regarding obesity is that people make voluntary decisions to eat unhealthily, which would explain why many overweight people are readily isolated, ridiculed, and don't evoke sympathy from others who look down upon their conditions in a judgmental light. In Imagine Living Healthier, though, Collins does an impressive job of properly framing the problem of obesity, showing that its root causes are really psychological in nature, making it no different than alcoholism, drug abuse, or sexual promiscuity.
For example, as we follow Sarah's progress from gorging on greasy lunches & drinking her friends under the table to exercising regularly and abstaining from alcohol, we learn of her molestation as a child. As long-repressed memories of the heinous act come to light, she realizes that food became an escape for her, a safe place to which she could escape when the lingering pain became too much to bear. This epiphany is crucial to achieving the full restorative lifestyle that she longs to live, finally able to rid herself of the demons from her past that previously shadowed & influenced her every unhealthy move.
Likewise, in the wake of his wife's abandonment, Todd realizes the self-centered nature of many of the choices he's made in life, which have led to his present unhealthy lifestyle, as well as created distance between him and those he cares most about. The path for his healing is thus set, and he welcomes the chance to redeem himself for the years of damage his unchecked ambition have caused his family and his own health.
In addition to being an inspirational testimonial, Imagine Living Healthier is also a veritable self-help encyclopedia of tips for healthier living, including guides to caloric intake, even recommendations for hair care products that prevent premature balding and hair loss. There's even an appendix chock full of recipes for healthy meals designed by Sarah, Suzanne, and Todd themselves, including everything from chicken spaghetti to fish tacos.
Tired of getting winded while walking up stairs? Want to put that fried chicken down and start eating healthier, but not sure where to start? Imagine Living Healthier is your best bet.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Bridgette Collins (Imagine Living Healthier)
Apex Reviews: Bridgette, we greatly appreciate the opportunity to review Imagine Living Healthier. It truly was an eye-opening read.
What prompted you to adopt the incredibly healthy lifestyle that you currently live? Also, please share with our readers some of your remarkable accomplishments thus far.
Bridgette Collins: As I reflect back on my childhood and the life of my grandmother, I'm often reminded of the long-term suffering she endured as a diabetic. She was, as termed today, obese. Because of her obese state and various unhealthy lifestyle habits, she was stricken with diabetes at a young age. As with most diabetics, she encountered a plethora of complications that often go along with the condition (i.e., high blood pressure). I remembered vividly her having a leg amputated, going into diabetic comas, going blind, and towards the end of her life – the hallucinations, as a result of the mental toll the medications caused. Years later came the sudden death of my favorite uncle who died from a pancreas disease. The disease which was tied to diabetes, started me to thinking about my lifestyle and family traditions. I began researching the foods and beverages I traditional consumed – Popeye's chicken, Chinese buffets, Burger King's Whopper, the Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity breakfast at IHOP, colas and alcohol. The results of my research were astonishing. Inspired by a supervisor's dedication and commitment to exercise, namely running, I was motivated to pursue healthier life habits, which included making better eating choices and exercising.
As a result of my lifestyle transformation, my accomplishments through the years include becoming a personal trainer, running four (4) full marathon races, launching my own fitness organization (MAC Fitness – Making-A-Commitment to Fitness), helping others to embrace healthier lifestyle habits, and publishing my first book.
AR: The book goes into extensive detail about the calorie count, fat content, and carbohydrates contained in all of the foods that we eat everyday. In fact, after Sarah informs some of her friends of some of the more unhealthy aspects of their favorite foods, one of her friends remarks - half-jokingly - that she's "afraid to eat anything anymore." How do you personally keep from alarming people with such "sticker shock" when discussing similar matters with them?
BC: My main goal is to educate people on how to discover for themselves the hazards that lie inside the foods they tend to gravitate to and the impact on their overall health. The intent is not to alarm people, but to expose them to ways to transform their unhealthy habits. That is, how to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines and how to be innovative with making their favorite foods healthier. Because eating healthier is probably the hardest hurdle for people to overcome, it was important for me to have an appendix of recipes at the end of the book.
AR: There is much mention in the book about the adverse effects of alcohol, yet we've all heard of how beneficial a daily intake of wine can be to heart health. How do you reconcile the two?
BC: There is much information available regarding the benefits of alcohol consumption, as well as the risks, causing such conflict that the information can be confusing and frustrating. Many studies have investigated the benefits of red wine and have suggested that a moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for middle age people (30 to 50 percent). The key is moderation. Studies revealing the benefits also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. As far as moderate alcohol consumption, it is also suggested that alcohol, other than wine, reduces your risk of developing heart disease, where as excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer, sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. In the storyline surrounding Sarah and her friends, they were accustomed to going to happy hour two to three nights during a given week, and drank a lot more than a moderate amount.
AR: Sarah and Todd endure repeated heartbreak from former lovers as they strive to overcome the unhealthy lifestyles of their past. Why do you think it's so easy for them to fall prey to the same mind games over and over again?
BC: In the beginning, they both suffered from insecurity and other self-worth issues that can cause one to fall prey to unhealthy relationships. Towards the end, they inherited the gift of discernment, and shifted their focus to a relationship with God.
AR: Are mysterious, idiopathic illnesses like Suzanne's more common than we think?
BC: I do believe so. There are so many diseases and illnesses, some of which their origin is uncertain or unknown. In the case with Suzanne, her situation was a cross between Lupus and chronic idiopathic urticaria, both of which are related to an autoimmune disorder. Diseases and illnesses related to these areas have baffled medical professionals for years. It is my belief that some potential health issue lies dormant in all of us – meaning we're all genetically predisposed for something (i.e., heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.). The better we are at implementing healthy lifestyle habits – exercising, making healthy food choices, managing the stress in our lives – the better we can reduce our chances of a disease or illnesses surfacing. And if by chance we are faced with some health concern, our chances for reducing the impact is much better if we have practice healthy lifestyle habits.
AR: Imagine Living Healthier does a remarkable job of incorporating the key factor of spirituality into overall health matters. Why do you think so many people don't grasp the significance of that component of a healthy lifestyle?
BC: It important that people understand that health involves more than just the physical. Some people position their lives around their careers, finances, retirement, relationship, and possessions, and in the process neglect God and their health. Some people have great physical health, but neglect their spirit – their relationship with God. Others are overweight or battling illness, but have a strong connection with God through the Word and prayer. I wanted my readers to have a better understanding of what it means to live healthier: mind, body and soul. That is, a healthy lifestyle is not just about exercising and eating better, it's about having a relationship with our Lord, fulfilling our purpose, and being a blessing to others.
AR: Would you say that the underlying theme of Imagine Living Healthier is that of redemption via triumph over adversity?
BC: The underlying theme is that in the midst of everything going on in one's life – God and their overall well-being must be a priority. They must re-arrange the order of those things they've placed extreme value on and shift the focus to God and incorporating healthier lifestyle habits.
AR: What do you want readers to take away from Imagine Living Healthier?
BC: To understand that there's no magic formula for living healthier. Re-evaluate those things that have taken center stage in their lives and find the right balance.
AR: What's next on your very busy agenda?
BC: There's a second book in the works. I will be devoting a lot of time to its completion. Also, there's the possibility of training for another marathon for February 2008. There's always the sideline activities like providing daily health and fitness tips on TITTP Talk Radio and continuously spreading my message of healthier lifestyle habits.
AR: Thanks again, Bridgette, and best of continued success to you!