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Getting fit is on the minds of most people. However, many people are not consistent and fail in the first three months of an exercise program. But if it becomes a habit and they stick to it, something magical happens after four months. You are finally getting the results you expect and chances are you will continue with the exercise program.

Here a 10 simple tips to help you with your fitness success.

1. Get Moving. Resolve to be active in a variety of physical activities on a regular basis that will develop strength, cardiovascular capacity and flexibility.

2. Prime the Pump. Resolve to participate in physical activities that involve the large muscle groups of the body.

3. Let Your Muscles do the Work. Resolve to lift weight or use resistant exercises to place demands and challenge your muscles.

4. Loosen Up. Resolve to stretch regularly – before and after or during exercise. Remember to move your muscles through their full range of motion on a regular basis.

5. Win the Losing Game. Resolve to maintain your weight at an appropriate level. If you need to lose weight, a general rule to follow is to eat less and exercise more (both in moderation).

6. Watch What You Eat. Resolve to eat a healthy diet. Good nutrition equates to good health. Good nutrition involves providing your body with the required nutrients in appropriate amounts.

7. Chill Out. Resolve to keep matters of your life in proper perspective. Know what factors you can and cannot control in your life. Don’t “stress out” over those things beyond your control. See change as an opportunity, not a threat.

8. Get Plenty of Rest. Resolve to get enough sleep. The basic guideline concerning how much sleep you need is whatever enables you to feel refreshed, alert and in relative good spirits the next day. Sleep helps to rest and restore your body – both physically and mentally.

9. Keep Your Focus on the Task at Hand. Resolve to make time to exercise on a regular basis. Consistency gets results. Focus on the muscle you are exercising. Don’t just go through the motions.

10. Keep in Mind that “There is no Free Lunch.” Resolve to commit to sound lifestyle choices. For example, don’t smoke. Maintain an appropriate level of body fat. Avoid the latest fitness and diet fads, magic potions and exercise gadgets that seem too good to be true (they always are).

For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com

If you watch the tabloids, you know that even the stars have bad hair days. It just seems that when the professional stylists are out of the picture, it is inherently human to have a less than glamorous mane. But you can do your part to stay ahead of the battle by following these great tips for hair care.

1. Use a professional conditioner that is formulated for your specific hair type. While you can skimp a little on the shampoo, a good, professional conditioner is a must have. Look for products in salons that are customized for your hair type. For instance: If you have color or a perm, choose a conditioner that is for chemically processed hair. And stay away from those all-in-one shampoo and conditioner combos.

2. Choose a cut tailored to your face and body shape. The number one mistake that people make when choosing a new hairstyle is to pick a style based on popularity rather than how it will enhance their features. Always choose a new cut based on how it will enhance or detract from your facial features and build. If you have broad shoulders, choose a full-bodied cut over a close cropped head hugging doo.

3. Don’t forget your UV protectants. Just as your skin gets damaged by wind and sun, so does your hair. To combat this, look for finishing products such as mousses, gels and sprays that block UV rays.

4. Keep your appointments. Did you know that your hair will split faster than it will grow? You need to get a trim every 6 to 8 weeks, even if it’s just a micro trim. A good hairdresser makes them good because they know what to leave on the head, not take off.

5. Leave chemicals to the professionals. There is a reason why beauticians need to go to school to learn how to handle chemicals and hair processes. You can do irreparable damage with these products even if the package says that it’s way easy. And even if you don’t make your hair fall out, you could end up looking like a clown and paying a stylist big bucks to fix your mess. (Note: Most stylists charge double the rate for corrective color than they do for normal color processes)

6. Get color for interest and body. Every cut needs a little bit of color to make it truly breathtaking. No matter whether your taste is subtle or dramatic, you can add interest and volume to your tresses with a color process. Highlights, lowlights, all over color, gray coverage, you name it, it’s all good for your look.

7. Do weekly conditioning treatments. Even if your hair is extremely healthy, it is constantly on the attack from wind, sun, cold and heat. During the summer months, your hair is battered even more when it absorbs chlorine and other chemicals from your pool.

8. Get an ionic ceramic flat iron. Instead of frying your hair with a conventional metal plated flat iron. Straighten your tresses, add shine and infuse moisture with one of the a negative ionic flat irons. We personally use T3 irons for all our work.

9. Choose your styling products wisely. Avoid products that leave build-up on your hair. If you see white gunk, that means that your product is not water-soluble and may be coating your hair shaft. Build-up causes limpness, breakage and inability to curl not to mention the white flakes.

10. Did you know that if you use a towel after your shower to dry your hair you are causing split ends and adding static electricity to your hair. Don’t rub the towel back and forth over your hair, scrunch the towel around your hair like your would scrunch crackers in your soup.

While all of these tips won’t make you look like you’ve hired a personal hairdresser, they will help you look the very best that you can each and every day. When it comes to hair care, remember that you wear your hair everyday. Now isn’t it worth the time, effort and money that it takes to keep it looking spectacular?

You know you should be getting some sort of exercise, you know of all the health benefits that come with a more active lifestyle. You’ve tried the whole Gym thing, but it just wasn’t for you. The temptation to just sit in front of the TV, to curl up with a good book, or to spend a little extra time at your computer is just too big. Who wants to head to the gym right now anyway?

There are many other options to get more active that don’t include jogging, weight lifting or other “traditional” ways to work out. Here are a few ideas to get you moving

1) Chase your Kids around the Yard
You’d be surprised at how much of a work out you’ll get playing catch with your kids. Time will fly while you are having fun and your children will enjoy the extra time with you. Just get out there and play.

2) Turn up the Music and Dance around the Living Room
While you’re dusting, putting up dishes, straightening up the kids’ rooms, or after you’ve been sitting around for too long, just play some of your favorite upbeat music and dance around in the house. Not only will you get your heart rate up, but you’ll also have more fun doing some of those chores.

3) Plant some Flowers
When the weather is nice, just get out there and plant some flowers. Or you could start a little vegetable garden, trim some hedges, cut the grass, or plant a tree. You get the idea. Just get out there, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, and play in the dirt. Yes, this actually counts as exercise in our book.

4) Go for a Walk with a Friend
Take a walk and invite a friend to come along. I’ve had some of the best conversations while on a walk. Getting to chat with a friend makes the time fly by and before you know it you’ve been walking for 30 minutes.

5) Listen to some Music or an Audio Book while You Walk
Again, keeping your mind on something else will make the time fly by and you’ll get some extra fun out of your walk. You may even want to consider getting an MP3 Player. You can easily add what you want to listen to and go for your walk.

6) Sign up for a Yoga or Pilates Class
Consider starting a yoga or Pilates class. Both of these workouts are pretty low impact and won’t leave you sweaty and sore (mostly). You may also enjoy meeting some new people in the class.

7) Take some Dance Lessons with your Partner
Ok, here is the tough part: Convince your partner to take some dance lessons. Dancing will give you quite the workout and it’s just plain fun and of course romantic. Think about all your options here. You can pick from anything from Ball Room Dancing, to Line Dancing, to Latin etc. Pick something that sounds fun to you and go for it. You’ll enjoy the extra one on one time with your partner as well.

8) Go for a Swim at Your Local YMCA or Aquatic Center
Swimming makes for some great exercise. It is low impact and easy on your joints. Start by swimming a few laps, or play in the pool with your kids.

9) Go for a Bike Ride
Take the entire family on a bike ride. You can ride through your neighborhood in the evenings or plan a longer trip for the weekend. Pack a picnic for extra fun and start peddling.

10) Go for a Hike
Look for some hiking trails in your area and go for a hike. This could be a fun activity for you and a friend, or take the entire family along. Start with some easy trails and work yourself up to some longer or steeper trails.

Go ahead, pick one or two of the activities and get moving. I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of versions of your own. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy, so you’ll stick with it. Get out there and get moving today.

Creating a Healthy Home can be easier than you think.

Creating a nutritionally healthy home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your child. To start, make smart food choices, and help your child develop a positive relationship with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from your example.

Here are the top 10 tips for getting children to eat healthy food:

1. Do not restrict food. Restricting food increases the risk your child may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia later in life. It can also have a negative effect on growth and development. Also by restricting food you will actually increase the risk of overeating later in the day which will cause weight gain.

2. Keep healthy food at hand. Children will eat what’s readily available. Keep fruit in a bowl on the counter, not buried in the crisper section of your fridge. Remember, your child can only choose foods that you stock in the house, by limiting ‘junk food’ you will, by default, teach your child how to choose healthier foods.

3. Don’t label foods as “good” or “bad.” Instead, tie foods to the things your child cares about, such as sports, academics and hobbies. Let your child know that lean protein such as turkey and calcium in dairy products give strength to their sports and academic performance, the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables add luster to skin and hair and the carbs in whole grains will give them energy to play.

4. Praise healthy choices. Give your children a proud smile and tell them how smart they are when they choose healthy foods. Kids thrive on positive reinforcement!

5. Don’t nag about unhealthy choices. If your child chooses unhealthy foods infrequently, ignore it. However, if your child always wants fatty, fried food, redirect the choice. You might try roasting potato sticks in the oven (tossed in just a bit of oil) instead of buying french fries. Or, if your child wants candy, you might make fresh strawberries dipped in a little chocolate sauce. Too busy? Then keep naturally sweet dried fruit at home for quick snacks. With consistent effort taste buds change and soon your child will be craving healthy foods.

6. Never use food as a reward. This could create weight problems in later life. Instead, reward your children with something physical and fun — perhaps a trip to the park or a quick game of catch.

7. Sit down to family dinners at night. If this isn’t a tradition in your home, it should be. Research shows that children who eat dinners at the table with their parents have better nutrition and are less likely to get in serious trouble as teenagers. Start with one night a week, and then work up to three or four, to gradually build the habit.

8. Prepare plates in the kitchen. There you can put healthy portions of each item on everyone’s dinner plate. Your children will learn to recognize correct portion sizes. Too often people go for seconds and even thirds just because the food is right there. You might notice that you need less food to feel full!

9. Give the kids some control. Ask your children to take three bites of all the foods on their plate and give it a grade, such as A, B, C, D, or F. When healthy foods – especially certain vegetables — get high marks, serve them more often. Offer the items your children don’t like less frequently. This lets your children participate in decision making. After all, dining is a family affair!

1. Consult your pediatrician. Always talk with your child’s doctor before putting your child on a diet, trying to help your child gain weight, or making any significant changes in the type of foods your child eats. Never diagnose your child as too heavy, or too thin, by yourself. If weight change is recommended seek the help of a Dietitian.

Do you have high cholesterol and need to lower it? That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get started with today.

As with anything health related, diet and exercise are the two crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels, so that is what is included here.

One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as “healthy” and LDL as “lousy.” HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.

The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here is how to do just that:

1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.

2. Fish, like salmon, is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s.

3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it’s the good kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy Trans fats.)

5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt.

6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say “may help lower cholesterol.”)

7. Use the grill. If you’re going to have steak or burgers, grill them at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes great.

8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks.

9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.

Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi.

10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the burger joints if you can.

11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo.

That was easy, wasn’t it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!

Think you can’t stop that arthritis pain? Great news! You can act now. Get 10 super easy and effective arthritis pain relief tips from arthritis experts and make your life with arthritis a little easier now.

Protect your joints. Don’t keep your joints in the same position for a prolonged period of time. Balance your rest and work throughout the day. Use the strongest joints available for the job.

Stretch it. Stretching should be part of every arthritis patient’s daily routine. A good stretch helps prevent injuries by warming up muscles and tendons which are more limber and less likely to tear. Spend at least 10 minutes each day stretching, and work each major muscle group.

Cool it down. Stop physical activity. Rest in a cool/shaded environment. Spray with a mist of cool water or wrap an ice pack or cold compress in a towel and apply it to reduce arthritis pain and swelling.

Get moving. Exercise can help reduce joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility and muscle strength. It can also help with weight control, stress management, and make you feel better overall. The Arthritis Foundation also offers water exercise and other classes.

Get a massage. Massage therapy can relieve your pain, soothe stiff sore muscles, reduce inflammation and swelling. Make sure you use oil or cream on your fingers to make it mroe gentle. Work the area for five to ten minutes a day if possible.

Keep your weight in balance. Being overweight, even just moderately, impacts weightbearing joints and can increase the pain of arthritis. Studies have indicated that losing extra weight lowers the risk for developing osteoarthritis of the knee. Losing weight can help slow the progression of arthritis too.

Get a diagnosis. If you are experiencing symptoms like pain, stiffness, swelling for more than 1 weeks, you should consider seeing your doctor and getting a diagnosis. Remember that there are more than 100 types of arthritis. It is important to get the specific diagnosis for the type of arthritis you have.

Take your medication the right way. Don’t stop taking your medication just because you feel it is not working. Check with your doctor first. You need to understand that it may take several days to several months for a medication to become effective.

Look out for new options. Recently FDA has approved some new drugs for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritis diseases. If feel that the current medication doesn’t work well, check with your doctor about possible new options.

Keep educating yourself. It is important to learn something new about arthritis. Find some good websites online and subscribe to their newsletter if they have it. Join one of two active online arthritis communities like forums or bulletin board. Never hesitate to see your doctors and ask questions.

At some stage in all our lives we want clearer, fresher, younger looking skin. Well it can be achieved without spending a lot of money and it can happen naturally! What you must do is persevere and over the course of three weeks your skin will begin to look fresher and clearer. Here’s how;

1. Keeping your skin clean is your first priority! You must cleanse your face morning and night with a gentle, natural cleanser that not only rids the skin of dirt and grime but then treats it with an antibacterial ingredient like tea tree oil.

2. After cleansing the skin pat dry and then spray a fine toning mist over the face to cool and help close the pores while they are clean. Let this mist dry on the face.

3. When the toner has dried apply a very small amount of moisturizer over the entire face and neck. Look for a moisturizer that is made for problem skin types and contains antibacterial ingredients like tea tree oil and lavender essential oil. These ingredients are gentle but very effective at clearing the skin from blemishes and pimples.

4. Getting the right amount of restful sleep your body needs nightly will reflect in the state of your skin. Seven hours is generally adequate. Not enough sleep over a period of time will result in problems that are hard to cure such as loose skin under the eyes and dark circles.

5. The food you eat is of the utmost importance for healthy, clear skin! Make sure you are getting a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and limit your red meat intake to three or four times a week. Foods that are easily digested will help your system keep your skin nourished and promote fresh, new cell growth. Drink lots and lots of water too!

6. Cleanse the skin on your body and face with a weekly scrub. When using a body scrub start at your feet and work towards the heart, this helps eliminate toxins. Doing it the opposite direction will push the toxins back into your system. Use a very gentle facial scrub on your face and neck as these areas can be easily damaged.

7. Try an Aspirin face mask! This mask is having fantastic results on those people with open pores, pimples and acne. Crush about 15 aspirin tablets to a powder mix to a paste with a little water, less than 1 teaspoon and then apply to a cleansed face. Leave for twenty minutes to work its way into the skin and then rinse off and apply a light moisturizer. Try this weekly, after a face scrub.

8. Once a month use a home steam treatment to thoroughly draw out impurities from the face. Add boiling water to a basin or bowl and add two drops of tea tree oil. Place your face over this with a towel covering and gently let the steam open and cleanse the pores. Be careful not to let the steam burn your face. Finish with a tepid face wash.

9. Get out into the fresh air and take a walk, swim in the sea, ride a bike and have fun! The exercise will boost your system and your skin will love it.

10. Take a fish oil supplement daily. Cultures that eat a lot of fish have clearer skin and the fish oil helps eliminate toxins from the body and by now you know that is fantastic for your skin!

These ten easy tips will help you get that clear skin you so desperately want, remember to make the lifestyle changes you need to and enjoy the benefits that will come with it! A fresher, clearer more youthful looking complexion.

Are you looking for acne solutions that really work? The good news is, whether you’re a teenager or an adult suffering from acne, you don’t have to live with it. Here you can find 10 super easy and effective ways to get rid of acne.

1. Do not pick, press or rub your pimples. These actions actually increase the sebum production and rupture the membranes below your skin. The infection and sebum will spread underneath your skin and cause more pimples. Also, you risk increasing the chances of leaving scars on your face.

2. Wash your face twice a day using a mild soup. It is even better if you can buy sulfur-based soap especially for acne. If your skin is too oily, use a soap with benzoyl peroxide. Do not use rough sponges, brushes, or anything similar on your face. You shouldn’t, however, over-wash your face because it will actually stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum which will increase your acne.

3. Check if it is because of the food. For many people, food allergy can cause very serious acne condition. You should avoid eating too much oily and spicy food. Recent studies have shown that acne can also be caused by milk which contains hormones as well as seafood with relatively high levels of iodine. If possible, cut down on those foods. Other foods you may consider avoiding are: sugar, dairy products, deep-fried food, meat, nut butters, etc. On the other hand, it is believed that green vegetables, vegetable fuices and foods rich in zinc can help alleviate acne condition.

4. Drink more water every day. “Eight glasses of water a day can keep acne away.” says Jennifer Thoden, a respected acne expert. The reason is that water can carry waste material out of our body and it really helps heal and prevent acne flare-ups.

5. Do not wear makeup if possible. Makeup products can clog your pores, cause more blackheads and pimples. If you have to wear makeup, make sure it is water-based. Be sure to clean your makeup brushes regularly and cleanse your skin before you sleep.

6. Do not use oily products. Avoid products such as hair pomades, intense oil-based facial moisturizers, and oily cleansers.

7. Keep your face clean. Do not rest your chin on your hands or constantly touch your face. Regular shampoo your hair and keep it off your face, especially when you sleep.

8. Exercise moderately as it helps in blood circulation and eliminataion of toxins.

9. Stay stress-free. Studies have shown that stress not only worsens acne flare-up, it also worsens the overall skin condition. Talk to your friends, listen to your favorite music, or take a walk in the park. There are many things you can do to be stree free.

10. Get Sunshine and fresh air. Sunshine stimulates vitamin D in the body, an essential vitamin for healthy skin. Fresh air and sunshine can also reduce stress (tip #9) and increase oxygen to the skin. Don’t get burnt in the sun though. Burnt and heavily tanned skin forms a layer on the skin that doesn’t exfoliate quickly enough and can lead to blocked pores.

There are actually diet rules out there that are meant to be broken? Yes, recently many dated diet guidelines and myths are up for speculation. You’ve probably heard all these silly rules before, but experts weigh-in on the worthiness of these supposed truisms – most of which won’t help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.

10 Food Rules You Can Ignore:

1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds. The total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat these calories doesn’t matter.

2. It’s best to eat at the same times every day. Eat when you’re hungry, not when the clock says it’s time to eat.

3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier. Common goals may pay off but weight loss is a personal journey.

4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you’ll eat less. Fat does take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods likely to fight off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.

5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.

6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude. Turning down food that you know will blow your diet is socially acceptable.

7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose. Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. This can also help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism.

8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening. Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won’t make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.

9. All calories are equal. This is somewhat true, however; you’ll get more nutrients from a 100-calorie apple than from a 100-calorie portion of white bread. Choose healthier items if you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger.

10. If you don’t clean your plate, you’re wasting food. If you just don’t feel right leaving the table until you’ve cleaned your plate, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with, or you may overeat.

Don’t believe everything you hear! Much of it is just superstition. Now you can tell your friends the real truth. In the end, nutrition experts say, many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken – without guilt!

If the amount of money consumers spend on hair care products annually is any indication, most people are concerned about the appearance of their hair and strive to attain beautiful, healthy and stylish locks. In fact, most will go to any lengths to achieve their desired look. From professional salon treatments to over-the-counter serums, hair care is a big business.

The only problem is that while many people are buying the right hair care products for their hair, they forget to follow basic hair care regimens that will guarantee the health and beauty of their tresses. Additionally, many are also causing needless damage to their hair by participating in unhealthy hair care behavior.

So, what should you do to make sure that your hair stays healthy, shiny and strong?
To avoid all hair care disasters, follow these 10 absolute don’ts of great hair care.

Hair care don’ts

1. Avoid unprofessional and over-the-counter hair care products whenever you can. Many of these only offer false hopes and promises.

2. Do not cut your own bangs. Leave all of your cutting needs, even bangs, to your hair care professional.

3. Avoid excessive sun, chlorine and salt water during the summer months. Excessive exposure can cause severe damage that is irreversible even if you use the best hair care products.

4. Do not use clarifying hair care products on your tresses more than one time per week. They can strip hair of moisture and essential oils.

5. Do not visit a hair care salon without first getting a referral from someone you can trust. Choosing a salon based on an advertisement or sale alone is very risky.

6. Do not purchase hair color that comes in a box.

7. Never stick with an outdated look because you are afraid of looking different. Styles change for a reason. Ask your hair care professional to bring you into this decade with a new style.

8. Do not straighten your hair with a clothes iron. C’mon, this was so over in the 70s. We have straightening irons that won’t damage your hair for this now. Look in the hair care isle.

9. Don’t brush your hair or put too much tension on it while it is still wet. This will cause breakage. Also, do not wear tight styles such as corn rows for extended periods of time unless you have ethnic hair.

10. Never use sun-lightening products such as lemon juice or over-the-counter hair care products designed to lighten hair with the sun unless you want a very short hair cut in the future.

In the end, hair care is a very individualized and personal thing. Feel free to add your own flair and style to your hair care routine, but remember to include hair care principles that will benefit your hair and avoid those that damage it.

For almost 60 years there’s been a kind of weird system for transforming the way you look and feel in just 10 days.

I say it’s “weird” because the results people get when they do this for just 10 days are astounding, but the whole process is really simple to do. And everything you need can be picked up at the grocery store for a couple dollars.

Normally I would say the whole thing sounds too good to be true, but this system has been around for close to 60 years, and today it’s more popular then ever!

It’s even being used by Hollywood stars who have to look good all the time because the cameras always on them. The last thing they want is an unflattering photo of them looking sickly and out of shape on the front page of the tabloids.

Using this 10 day system keeps them looking great, and it can do the same for you.

If you’re even a little bit curious about this 10 day system you should go to http://jpboxer27.xhmtl.hop.clickbank.net . That website will tell you all about the 10 day system.

PS. You might be wondering what exactly this system does. Going to the website will tell you all about it, and list all the things this system can do for you. I think you’ll be surprised at the results you can get in 10 days.

Every year approximately 9.5 per cent of the American population suffers from depression. Depression is a grave illness that affects day to day life and destroys families. It is a disorder that controls the mind and its functions causing loss of appetite, sleeplessness, mood swings, and a deep sense of despair.

The symptoms of depression are varied and the severity changes with time. And, according to experts depression can be an inherited disorder, or caused by life threatening illnesses, or stress. Other causes are certain diseases, medicines, drugs, alcohol, or mental illnesses. Women are seen to experience depression more than men and this is attributed to hormonal swings, menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, pre-menopause, and post-menopause.

Common symptoms are:

1. An unshakeable sadness, anxiety, or emptiness.

2. Overwhelming hopelessness accompanied by pessimistic feelings.

3. Extreme guilt, feelings of helplessness, and no sense of self worth.

4. Loss of energy, a slowing down of metabolism, and activity levels. Being plagued by constant fatigue.

5. A sense of helplessness along with an increasing inability to focus and indecisiveness.

6. Loss of sound sleep and development of extreme insomnia.

7. Inexplicable weight loss or weight gain. Triggered by loss of appetite or eating binges.

8. Brooding and suicidal inclinations.

9. Irritability, short temper, as well as restlessness.

10. Physical afflictions like headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain for no particular reason.

If you experience any of the above along with a marked change in behavior do consult your doctor. He will give you a thorough examination to rule out physical causes for depression as well as any underlying medical problems. Then if required he will recommend that you consult a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Take matters in hand and try and erase negativity from your mind. Cut out from you life terms like exhaustion, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Change your life by setting yourself a few goals. Try and relax, meditate, and enjoy music. Start new activities that absorb your time as well as interests. Go out and meet people and participate in group activities. Avoid the company of negative people. Make up your mind to enjoy a movie, ballgame, family outing, picnic, or trek. Be positive, self confident, and have faith in yourself. Faith is itself a great healer. Decide to change your world for the better. However do follow the doctor’s advice. Treatment can include: anti-depressant medicines, psychotherapy, as well as lifestyle changes. In extreme cases electroconvulsive therapy or light therapy are prescribed.

If your depression escalates or you are suicidal seek help from your family physician or health care provider. Do call a local health department, a community mental health center, or hospital or clinic. Someone will extend a helping hand and talk you through the crisis.

High Blood pressure is the measure of force against arteries. Do you have high blood pressure? Do you know what are common symptoms and signs of high blood pressure? This article will give you comprehensive information about common signs and symptoms of high blood pressure.

Usually people ignore high blood pressure. Even those who take medicine, only take anti hypertensive medication for short time. Studies have proved that 90% of high blood pressure patients show non compliance with their medication. If you will not control your blood pressure it may lead to serious problems with your Heart, Kidneys, Brain and Eyes. If you want to save these vital organs , then you will have to control your blood pressure with in limits.

Normal blood pressure is 120/80. If this reading goes above 140/90, then you consider yourself as a hypertensive patient. Between 120 and 140 is a pre hypertensive stage. which can be controlled even by natural measures like exercise, low salt intake, stop smoking, lower cholesterol, eat vegetables etc.

How will you come to know that you have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure typically has no symptoms at all, that is why we can call it as Silent killer. Although there are many coincidental symptoms that are widely believed to be associated with high blood pressure. These include headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, a flushed face and fatigue. Although people with high blood pressure may have many of these symptoms, they occur just as frequently in those with normal blood pressure. Why these symptoms occur, If a person has high blood pressure that is severe or longstanding and left untreated, symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, restlessness, and blurred vision can occur as a result of damage to the brain, eyes, heart and kidneys. In rare cases, high blood pressure may cause brain swelling, which can lead to drowsiness and coma.

Briefly Hypertension has following 10 common symptoms.
headache
Nosebleed (Epistaxis)
Breathlessness
tinnitus(Ringing in Ears)
sleepiness, Ansomnia
confusion
Fatigue
profuse sweating
vomiting
low libido or lack of sexual desire
Blurred vision

If you have not above symptoms, it does not mean that you have no high blood pressure. Remember most common symptom of high Blood pressure is that ” It Has No Symptom”. Best way to keep you healthy is to have your blood pressure checked at regular intervals.
Wish you all the good health.

We live in a culture that honors Type A, driven behaviors. That includes exercise and for many people, it’s taken away the joy out of simply walking. Instead of seeing walking as something you must do to get in shape, see it as a gift of being alive and let yourself fully enjoy the experience.

1) Walk with deep awareness of how it feels to move your body.
2) Experience the act of walking as if you’ve never, ever done it before.
3) Be aware. Be present in the moment. Really feel your body as you’re moving.
4) Pay attention to how your feet feel with each rolling step on the earth.
5) Notice the strength and power in your muscles.
6) Feel yourself moving in space.
7) Observe the wind on your skin and the temperature of the air.
8) Have a beauty feast while you’re out. Notice the light coming through the leaves. See the flowers with fresh eyes.
9) Take a fresh look at the world as you move through it. Assume nothing. Experience the wonder of life as if you’ve never seen anything before. Watch the people as if you’d never seen a human before.

Let walking become a cherished and enriching part of your life. Turn it into something wonderful that you look forward to with both body and soul.

There are a couple of reasons why most people fail in their attempt to gain more muscle mass:

A. Improper diet.

Most people are not eating enough protein and eating too many simple carbs.

They are not stressing their muscles during each workout. You don’t have to kill yourself, but you must subject your body to out of the ordinary stress each workout to grow muscle.

B. They lack consistency.

They do not stay focused throughout the entire 12-week period. If they don’t see results immediately, they get discouraged and quit. You have got to stick with your plan. No program will work for you if you are not consistent.

To get results, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes, and work as hard as necessary and you have to be consistent. Your body responds to consistency. Sometimes it may get to the point of obsession, but it has to be that way for you to reach your goal.

Here’s some basic information and things you should be doing to help you bulk up:

1. To gain weight you must eat more calories than your body burns off, so EAT MORE!!!!!! The most important thing that I cannot over stress is that you need to eat to gain weight. You need to eat like you’ve never eaten before. (but not junk food like donuts and chips or candy).

Start eating six meals per day (space them out to about once every 3 hours).

2. Increase your protein intake and reduce your simple carbohydrate intake. Without protein your body cannot build new muscle

3. Keep your workouts under one hour. Short and intense!

4. Concentrate on free weight exercises that work the large muscle groups. The best weight training exercises for building mass are the simple ones. For mass, stick with compound free weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, pull ups and bar dips.

5. Use heavy weights and low reps, rest 3 minutes between each set.

6. Do only 2-3 exercises per body part.

7. Split your workout. Since you have a very high metabolism like me, you need to train with more intensity, but less frequently.

Day 1: Chest, shoulders and triceps
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Back, and Bicep
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Legs and abs
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

8. Increase you water intake. A good formula for this is to multiply your bodyweight by .66 to get the required number of ounces per day.

9. Use nutritional supplements. If you can’t afford too many products, just stick with the basics; like whey protein. If you can’t afford whey protein the next best thing is egg whites.

Everyone has been hearing the news and buzz on the semi miraculous
plant called Hoodia Gordonii which helps to reduce your appetite.
The weight loss gurus are betting their shirts that people who are
very challenged in losing weight will benefit in a big way by regularly digesting hoodia. I will now spell out straight and harsh facts about Hoodia Gordonii that I found online while conducting research about this exotic plant.

Fact #1
There are several species of Hoodia. Hoodia Gordonii in particular, is a rare plant that grows in South Africa.

Fact #2
Hoodia Gordonii is difficult to grow and only grows under certain climatic conditions that the South African region offers.

Fact #3
Hoodia Gordonii is on the Red List of endangered species—meaning—it
may become extinct in the near future.

Fact #4
Only Hoodia Gordonii has the molecule that effectively suppresses one’s appetite.

Fact #5
Because of its scarcity, authentic Hoodia is expensive; so if you see Hoodia in ads advertised for $20-30.00 per bottle, close your wallet and run!

Fact #6
The current supply of pure Hoodia is quickly diminishing; thus, it’s growing tougher to find 100% pure Hoodia any where.

Fact #7
Because of the rising demand for Hoodia and the fast depleting supply of the real stuff, many dishonest vendors are brazenly lying in their promotional ads and selling either fake or inferior Hoodia Gordonii under popular brand names. Be extremely careful which Hoodia product you consider ordering.

Fact #8
The FDA does not regulate the supply of real Hoodia which means that you can easily end up buying fake Hoodia at your local health store or online.

Fact #9
There exists an overabundance of counterfeit Hoodia in comparison to
the 100% pure stuff available through a few honest vendors.

Your absolute best bet to avoid buying fake or inferior Hoodia is simply to properly educate yourself about this amazing plant before you place your first or next order.

According to Bestskinpeel, for cleaner, healthier and easier to manage skin just follow this list of nine items:

1) Lower your stress level through prayer and meditation. Stress creates hormones that actually age us as they destroy cells and create toxic biproducts and free radicals. Studies have shown that prayer and meditation can reduce our stress levels. Prayer and meditation have been proven to even alleviate some of the symptoms of cancer and other life threatening diseases.

2) Drink plenty of water. It is a fact that 90% of us do not drink enough water. For your skin cells to function properly and heal properly from cuts, etc… we need to drink 8-12 glasses of water every day. Our skin is one of our most important organs as it protects us from disease, cushions our falls, etc… It needs plenty of water.

3) Get proper sleep. Not getting the proper 8-10 hours of sleep per day will first show in your skin. Broken capillaries, puffiness, circles under the eyes.

4) Eat well. Get proper nutrition. Too many junk foods can cause or worsen skin problems like pimples and acne. A well balanced meal 3 times per day has been proven to help alleviate spikes in skin problems and help to average out the outbreaks in acne vulgaris.

5) Take vitamins to supplement your skin and body. We can’t always make sure we get 100% of each vitamin and mineral with the foods we eat, but we can take a multivitamin once a day. They are cheap at Walmart and there is no excuse. People that take multivitamins once a day live longer. Its a proven fact just like persons that smoke take years off their lives.

6) Properly clean your skin. Harsh soaps can dry out your skin and even stimulate further sebum (oil) production which can worsen acne. Use a mild cleanser with 2% salicylic acid. This has been proven very effective in ridding excess oils while maintaining proper hydration and pH. The slight acidity will keep bacteria at bay.

7) Don’t smoke. Smoking puts years on you. Literally, smoking can add 10 years to the aged look of your skin. Why would you want to do that? If you must have nicotine then get nicotine gum or the patch – they will cure your cravings and there is no evidence or statistics of anyone developing cancer, lung disease, etc… from these.

8) Wear sunscreen. The skin does have keratonin to protect against the suns rays, but it is no match for UV rays, etc… that we expose ourselves to. Melanoma has several forms and all are deadly. If you don’t think you will get skin cancer or think you are invulnerable, just go to your local dermatologist and ask to see pictures of clients with skin cancer, better yet go to the oncology center at your local hospital. You won’t think that way ever again. Wear sunscreen.

9) Treat yourself to a spa treatment atleast once a year. Skin peels, TCA peels, deep tissue massage, complete relaxation, aromatherapy, etc… will all energize and heal your skin. TCA peels will actual improve your skins ability to regenerate itself and improve collagen levels.

Remember, follow these nine steps to enjoy healthier skin.

1) Accept the problem
You have to be at peace with a problem, WHILST it is in existence, for the solution to come to you. i.e. you have to accept yourself where you are, no matter what – you cannot solve any problem without first accepting it, and yourself. We spend so much of our time trying to deny what has happened or deny a part of ourselves, pushing it away, which only leads to more of the problem appearing in your life. Very often simply fully accepting the part of you that is creating the problem will be enough to have it disappear, as it is so used to being pushed away/rejected. Part of you is trying to send you a message; maybe it’s time you listened.

2) You cannot attract to you, that to which you are not already connected
So be an appreciator. One of the fastest ways to attract what you want towards you is learning to appreciate the good in whatever situation it is life is presenting you with. Being an appreciator is so important because it is the closest energetic vibrational match to source and therefore the creation of what it is that you want. Therefore the more you operate at that frequency, the closer to source you are, and the faster things will manifest for you in the physical world. It is not important to verbalize your appreciation but simply to offer it. Appreciation is the antidote to some of the lowest forms of energy and emotions we are capable of e.g. shame, resentment, etc. By offering thanks and assuming that you already have what you seek, you immediately begin to attract more of it towards you, whether you have any of it or not.

3) Happiness is not pleasure
The experience of pleasure is a right now, in-the-moment, sensory-rich, and sights, sounds, and feelings experience in your person. Happiness is your meta-experience when thinking about something that brings you such pleasure. Happiness cannot be experienced by the senses directly, only pleasure can. Focus your life on having more now-moment pleasure experiences, rather than accumulating reasons or things to be happy about.

4) Stay connected to source
Find your own personal way to stay connected to your higher consciousness (the feeling you). For many this is meditation, music, song, etc. Why are we so attracted to parks? water? nature? wildlife and animals? We have awareness on some level that we are part of a much greater collected consciousness, something else, something higher than us. Some people may be partially disconnected from it, but you can never fully disconnect from it. Notice that the word emotion is e + motion. Notice that the concepts are so connected even on a linguistic level. Did you know that elephants are one of the very few creatures other than humans who cry tears of emotion? And when was the last time you saw an elephant running? They have adapted or have been given an ability to release emotions from tears in the same way humans do. People are attracted to source because we recognize that’s where we want to be, we want to have those feelings, we want to experience that energy, because the energy, just by being in its presence, makes us feel better about ourselves.

5) Live in the moment
We only have access to our full personal power in the present moment. This is practicing the art; it’s a habit to be developed, a life-skill. The extent, to which you are connecting, on some unconscious level, either into the past or into the future, is the extent to which you rob yourself of your present power. You are not going to be experiencing what it is that you want; therefore you are moving your emotional point of attraction, into negative territory. Being in the present moment is the only way you can make an emotional connection to what it is that you want, and therefore begin the process of it becoming attracted to you in future present moments. This type of emotional alignment cannot be achieved when your thoughts are in the future or past. “But how much do I need to be in the present moment? I have all this stuff to do…..” You must be in the present moment enough to have enough fully-loaded, pleasurable, positive full body feelings, about what you want to attract in your life, in order to begin the process of its automatic attraction to you. Living with your thoughts at a future or past moment in time, is entirely redundant in the process of being free of stress, and attracting what you want into your life.

6) You can never be enough to
You can never be sorry enough to change this problem situation. It is only when you love yourself that you have that love to radiate to others. It is only when you are allowing the abundance to flow to you, that you then have the ability to gift it to others. Giving your energy – in any form – to others, whether it is love, forgiveness, agreement, or any energy, when your cup is not already brimming over, is the fastest route to the emotional poorhouse. If you want to help others, you must first help yourself. Others easily see through empty gestures, compliments, or favors; and, such gestures only hide you from your own emotional impoverishment/malnutrition. They are not useful, and serve no purpose in enhancing your life or others’.

7) Be selfish enough to line up with your intentions
This is important because it is only in your thriving that you have anything to offer others. If your own energy tank is not full, you have no business looking after the tanks of others. It is important to limit your own responsibilities to prevent emotions like lack of self-worth etc. Remain present and in attendance to your own needs first and you will always give others your best, automatically.

8) You are not your accomplishments
Understand that you are not your accomplishments, what you do, what you don’t do, your beliefs, your ideas, your stuff or possessions, those are nothing to do with who you really are, they are the baggage you have picked up along the way, they are nothing to do with the spiritual you who wants to feel good; and stay connected to Peace. Lose your ego, and take this attitude of freedom with you in your everyday life.

9) The journey is the destination
Many times our internal dialogue says “If only I had x, then I would be happy, or, “I’ll be happy when I’ve got…” As you go into the world and experience the contrast of your likes .vs. your dislikes, through your everyday experiences, so a new want is born. Then comes the striving (and usually struggle) in the journey towards its manifestation, which contains all the stresses and strains you wish to rid yourself of. Understand this: you’ll never get it done. Because the journey itself towards your wants shows you new elements of contrast, new possibilities, new likes and dislikes, etc that change and alter your path. Thus your job here is not to get caught up in the end result but to ensure you enjoy the journey along the way, regardless of your goal, and ensure that your everyday journey contains all the same underlying experiences, emotions, and full-body feelings that you seek from your end goal, anyway. The journey is the destination. So enjoy it.

Bringing it all together
So how do we overcome the various stress blocks to pull greater peace and abundance towards us? EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is one way to release the emotional blocks of shoulds, musts, ought-tos, anger, fear, resentment, and so on. Once the biggest unconscious blocks have been resolved, your intentions, ambitions, passion will feel that much free-er to move towards you, automatically and effortlessly. Circumstances and people appear in your life from nowhere and events begin aligning themselves, as the universe conspires with you, to realize your passion.

Given that acne is by far the most common disease in the world, I’m constantly surprised at the amount of misinformation there is about acne treatments. There are so many commonly held believes regarding treatments, which have no scientific or medical validity, but continue to be passed on from individual to individual. More worrying is the possible consequences of trying some of these options. Here are list of common acne treatments that categorically do not work:

1.Household cleaning products, even when diluted, should not be used to treat acne. There can be severe adverse reactions including chemical burns from pursuing this route

2.Similarly cleaning powders are ineffective for acne

3.Washing up liquid does not work for acne

4.Home facial saunas will do nothing for your acne, but will certainly aggravate, already sensitive skin

5.Sticky tape left on the skin overnight and removed in the morning will certainly remove dead skin cells and excess oil, but is likely to damage the sensitive skin, and may cause an allergy to the glue

6.Prolonged exposure to the sun or using a sun bed will not help your acne, and can be dangerous if you are also taking oral medication of certain types. For example taking certain antibiotics in tablet form, will make your skin highly sensitive to sun light

7.Sudocrem is an excellent treatment for nappy rash, but highly ineffective for acne, primarily because it contains a mixture of greases and oils which are bad for acne

8.Taking high doses of vitamin A or B will not directly help your acne, and may cause other side-effects

9.Squeezing your spots is universally not recommended in combating acne. Doing so will prolong and spread the acne to other parts of the affected area

There are many other ‘not recommended’ acne treatment regimes, many of which will worsen an already difficult condition. Avoid these shortcuts and stick with a programme overseen by your medical professional, or one which is based on solid scientific and medical evidence. If you do this, you’ll succeed in overcoming your acne condition.

Peter Vine is a successful online publisher of Acne-Treatment-Expert.com
He provides practical advice and the latest information on all aspects of adult acne treatments, which you can readily research on his website.

1- Drink Pure Spring Water. As an absolute minimum, take your body weight in lbs, divide by 2 & drink that many ounces of Pure Spring Water everyday so that your cells get ‘bathed’ in a bath of Glyconutrients. For example a 120lb woman would drink a minimum of 60 oz of pure spring water per day.

2- Consume Fiber. Using a high-quality fiber supplement or eating a diet very high in fiber & in raw vegetables will enhance the results you get from your glyconutrients.

3- Don’t take glyconutrients of any kind on an empty stomach. Why? No, it won’t hurt you, but your body will burn it for energy. That is expensive energy. Glyconutrients are best absorbed when mixed with food or stirred into a drink.

4- Do not take fiber supplements within 1 hour of any other supplement.

5- Give Your Body Time to Start Healing. Most conditions develop gradually over many years(or even decades). Just like getting sick, getting well takes time. I have seen many people see no results until the 4th or even 6th month on the discount glyconutrients. Why? It takes months(or even years) for your body to replace sick cells with healthy ones. To learn more about this go to: How soon should I expect to experience the effects of dietary supplements? By Jane Ramberg, MS @ Glycoscience.org .

6- Enhance Your absorption of Glyconutrients. According to Dr. Milner you can enhance your absorption of your discount glyconutrients by simply NOT swallowing your them–instead, you do two easy things:

a. let them dissolve in your mouth, so that it is absorbed in the mouth, not in the stomach (this takes about 1 minute). You do not need water to do this–your saliva is more than sufficient.

b. take smaller amounts more often, like 1/8 or 1/4 of a teaspoon at a time, through out the day, like every hour or two. I have started doing this myself, and I recommend it to you.

(Dr. Martin Milner is the President and Medical Director of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, a Professor of Cardiology, and a research scientist at the Center for Natural Medicine, Inc. Dr. Milner is also a man of great humility and courage to have made a public “confession” and apology in front of 6400 men and women at an international conference at the Dallas Stadium in Texas in March of 2004. Dr. Milner publicly admitted, that for SEVEN YEARS, he had ignored the Glyconutrient technology, and had assumed that the passion many people had about it was based on hype and misguided enthusiasm over nothing of real significance. After all, if it was that significant, surely he would have known about it. He thanked God that someone finally got through to him–that when he actually took time to investigate this new science and technology, he confessed that he had MISSED one of the most significant discoveries of the century. Now Dr. Milner is doing his best to make up for lost time by educating other doctors on this amazing new technology, and of course has ALL his patients on this “edible health insurance.”)

7- Use ALL THREE of the basic products: Glyco-Antioxidant, Phytosterol, food-based vitamin. These three products represent four sciences that work together synergistically, like the four wheels on a car work together:

– Cellular communication provided by the glyconutrients
– Anti-Oxidant protection from free radicals and “internal terrorists”
– Natural plant hormones provided by the phytosterol
– Essential vitamins and minerals in a food form state for maximum assimilation provided by the food-based vitamin.

You wouldn’t settle for just one or two tires would you? Don’t settle for less than what you need either!

8- Take Enough Glyconutrients to satisfy your body’s need. Keep in mind that the suggested serving size you see on the label of your glyconutrients supplement bottle is a suggested minimum for young adults in “good” health. If you are unsure what amount is right for you please contact your representative. When buying glyconutrients, remember that a container may not last you a even month if you have a health challenge.

Note: Legal Disclaimer: Glyconutrients are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, but scientific studies have been documented linking the ingestion of certain food nutrients, and the prevention of chronic disease. The information given is not intended to be a substitute for a physician’s proven care & advice.

1. Stay away from orthopedic belts. We don’t recommend them because 1) a good pair of running shoes provide more cushioning 2) they hold in heat which shortens belt life, motor life, and electronics life 3) the increased weight of the belt shortens bearing life in the rollers.

2. Do your research and get several price quotes from several different stores. Typically, the more you deal with the various companies, the better deals they will come up with such as discounts, free product, financing specials, etc.

3. Tread carefully when buying over the Internet. Some companies, like Landice and True, will void your warranty if bought over the Internet and some have restrictions on delivery distances from an authorized dealer. If in doubt, call or email the factory. Another issue related to Internet buying is delivery. Many of us in the business know how difficult it is to ship a single treadmill or elliptical without having it damaged so deal with a company that has been doing it a long time and has already learned how to do it. Another issue to keep in mind is what you are going to do if you don’t like the machine. Most companies accept returns but the cost to ship the treadmill back to the factory can easily cost hundreds of dollars so it is quite an expensive trial test if the machine is returned. Also curbside delivery literally means what it says…the trucking company will sit it on the curb and it’s your problem to get it into the house, so either pay for inside delivery or have help ready. Another issue is service…some internet companies have good service networks and others don’t but remember that you probably won’t get the type of personalized service you should expect from a local dealer.

4. Do take care of your treadmills. Whether they require quite a bit or little maintenance, keeping the treadmill or elliptical clean and the walking belt lubricated on the treadmill can be the difference between having a great treadmill or a money pit. Refer to our Treadmill or Elliptical Care Pamphlet for maintenance instructions.

5. If you are considering used machines, really do you homework, and then do it again. We do rebuilding jobs for local health clubs all the time and do this work occasionally for people who are buying health club models for the home but to do it right costs quite a bit and if someone is telling you they have a used or rebuilt at an amazing price, you typically aren’t getting the entire story.

6. Since buying a treadmill is a huge investment for most people, choose your dealer and factory carefully. As with any product, a brand new company may not be around in a few years, parts can be very specific to machines and spares may not be available if the factory isn’t around. A dealer for a reputation for high quality and personalized service is necessary for some people. Other people feel confident in servicing their own equipment, so figure out which one you are and buy accordingly. If you know one end of a wrench from the other, you might want to save a few dollars with an Internet purchase. Others may need to pay for the full-service price you should get from a local dealer but if you pay the higher price, demand the higher service level.

7. Treadmills and ellipticals are different than many other home appliances. Remember, we rate a treadmill average if it has a breakdown only once every 5 years…that’s average! Extended warranties can make sense if the manufacturer has a short warranty and if you get it from a reputable extended warranty company. Remember the dealer is typically not the warranty provider and many have gone out of business over the years and others are hard to deal with. For instance, UTS (Icon’s warranty company) is the best we have ever dealt with. If you get an Icon machine, buy the UTS warranty…it will be well worth it. UTS’s number is 800-677-3838. Also, Sears has a good extended warranty program and it typically pays for itself if you use the machine. On the other hand, we have had problems with the company called N.E.W. and many others have gone out of business so do your research on your warranty company if you have never heard of them.

8. A great final tip is if you want to save a bit of money. Due to the influence of Asian parts, the lower end treadmills and ellipticals are getting better and better while the price is holding the line and the ones being made today in the $800 range are much better than the $800 machines made 10 years ago. If you need to save a few bucks and your doctor says it is OK, use a few degrees of incline always when you use your machine. If the machine is well maintained and if you use a bit of incline (on the treadmill), you can get by with a bit less of a machine than you might otherwise need. The incline allows gravity to take over quite a bit of the workload from the drive system. A treadmill used with just a slight incline will last much longer than a comparably cared for treadmill that is used at a flat level.

It may surprise you but the main reason why we get stressed isn’t that we have “too much to do”. For most of us, having too much to do is perfectly fine as long as we know what our priorities are and if we can have a good oerview of our work. Instead, the plague of modern office life is that we have to MANY things to do and that we loose track of it all.

Discover an easy and effective way of managing your work. These simple techniques have been proven time and time again. In essence, the simple secret lies in taking charge of your time.

1. Write it down! I never cease to be amazed by how often stressed out people try to keep all the things they have to do in their heads. Stress is often more about knowing that we have a lot to do but not being able to remember exactly what.

2. Write it ALL down! In order for you to have a to-do list that you can rely on, you must trust that it contains ALL the things you have to do. Otherwise, you will still have a nagging feeling that you may not be focussing on the
right things.

3. Channel interruptions to your to-do list. Interruptions are a part of life so don’t let them stress you. 95% of all interruptions are either very quick so that you can deal with them straight away or something that you can defer to a time when YOU decide.

4. Don’t let your email inbox become your to-do list. Receiving emails can be great fun. Unfortunately, it is also very easy to confuse your inbox with your to-do list. Try to only scan your email inbox once every hour or two
(If you lack the discipline, you can set your email client to do this).

5. You don’t have to do everything! If I had to choose one single reason why people fail with their to-do lists it would have to be that they lack the ability to strike things off it. Things change and so should your to-do list. If you are uncomfortable with deleting tasks, create a “storage” list and move it to that.

6. The Nibble. Let’s face it, some tasks are big, vague and truly and utterly boring. We end up postponing these tasks forever and as a result they never leave our to-do list. Eventually, our list is filled with these types of tasks
and finally we decide not to look at the depressing thing. The trick is “The ibble”. Break the task down into smaller components. Make sure that the first step is takes less than 5 minutes to do. Then take that first step.

7. Not my time of day – Listen to your own rhythm. Let’s face it. Were human, not machines. At times we are productive and at times we are not. I see it as a surfer who times the waves and then rides them to their fullest. Try to find a task management system that let’s you monitor your own “waves”. You will probably find that you know less about yourself than you think you do.

8. Play! Why oh why do all planners and task managers have to look so professional and at the end of the day, so very very boring? Make your work into a game. Set small targets and reward yourself.

The right cosmetics for any skin type is important to create a fresh natural appearance as well as to prevent reactions to the cosmetics such as allergies with resulting rashes, itching and weeping or breakouts with whiteheads or blackheads and painful skin eruptions. Every person’s skin is unique and different areas on a person’s face may have different characteristics which must be taken into consideration when choosing appropriate cosmetics.

If you’ve been disappointed when your powder eye shadow creases and slides before lunch or your foundation looks lined and caked, understanding the characteristics of your skin and purchasing appropriate cosmetics for your skin type is a worthwhile exercise. Here are some tips to help you look your best.

Avoid cosmetics that dry or irritate your skin

Each different skin type will react differently to the various types of cosmetics. Even if a particular brand works for your eye shadow, the same brand may not work for lipstick. This is because the skin type on your eyelids may be very different from the skin type on your lips. When you are choosing cosmetics such as foundation, for example, avoid drying cosmetics or cosmetics that cause your skin to break out. Unfortunately, you may have to try several products in order to determine those that work on your skin consistently. Another issue which must be considered is that your skin may build up a reaction to a particular cosmetic which did not previously cause a skin irritation, so you may be forced to find an alternative to a tried and true brand which worked well in the past. Skin characteristics may change significantly over a lifetime as well, forcing a change in the type of cosmetics which you select.

Consider your skin tone when selecting cosmetics

Even if the particular type of cosmetic is just right for your skin type, choosing the wrong color–one which is either too light or too dark will make the cosmetics less than attractive. Select cosmetics that complement and match your skin tone and minor imperfections in skin tone and texture will disappear. Darker foundations, deeper colors for eye shadow and eyeliner will be best suited for those with chocolate or olive skin tones. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have pale skin, you should choose lighter shades of foundation and eye makeup. Cosmetics should enhance, never overpower the skin tones.

Invest in quality makeup

Quality makeup often tends to get painful to the pocketbook, but it shows on your skin. Cheap makeup can cake or slide on your skin and isn’t as likely to blend. It is more likely to sit on the surface, giving a plastic look. Look for good quality cosmetics that aren’t necessarily expensive. It’s better to invest in yourself by purchasing quality makeup that you know looks great with your skin type.

Dry Skin

If you are the victim of skin that is dry, don’t despair. You should find a mousse or crème type foundation. If you use a concealer, make sure it is cream based and your compact powder should be pressed compact powder. You should avoid loose power or oil free formulas as they will tend to settle in the fine lines on your face. Eye makeup is best done with silk-textured powder or crème eye shadows and eyeliner should be either a shimmer pencil or a matte type. Moisture is the key word with lipsticks and lip glosses. Find a moisturizing lipstick and use lip gloss that has ingredients such as aloe or vitamin E, both of which provide additional lip moisture.

Sensitive Skin

Look for products that are labeled specifically for use with sensitive skin and avoid fragrances in your cosmetic products. Non-allergenic is another phrase to look for on the labels. The key is to avoid anything with high dye levels or preservatives.

Combination Skin

You can either choose different products for different skin conditions on your face or you can select products which are specifically created for combination skin. Even so-called normal skin often has areas which are more or less oily than other areas. Normal skin may have times during the monthly cycle when it is oilier than usual.

Oily Skin

For oily skin, try using an oil free primer before applying a matte type foundation that won’t clog your pores.Loose powder has fewer oils than pressed powder. Blot the skin periodically throughout the days to remove any shine. Avoid cremes for eye shadow or mascara and creamy style lip pencils.

Cleanser options

Avoid harsh or drying cleansers as well as greasy cleansers since either extreme will react unfavorably with your skin type. The best skin cleanser, regardless of the skin type is a water-soluble cleanser that is gentle on the skin.

Tip 1: Drink Water

Water has long been considered as the most efficient natural treatment or an almost free treatment for any skin condition because of its being alkaline, with pH 7.3. It prevents dehydration which is capable of producing sebum or oil from the sebaceous glands. Your skin needs water in order for it to function best, thus doctors and nutritionists suggest that a daily intake of between 6 to 8 glasses of water per day is highly needed.

Tip 2: Watch Your Diet

Nutrition plays a vital role in skin health too. Specific foods such as those acidic foods and dairy products are said to be effective in causing an allergic reaction in some people. Also, one of the widely debated topics in the area of nutrition today is chocolates. Some say that chocolate does affect the condition of the skin, while others say it doesn’t. Whatever the result may be, the best advice is just to follow a nutritious diet that has a number of fresh fruits and green-leafy veggies, as well as fiber.

Tip 3: Consider Exfoliants

Many experts say that exfoliating your skin is another great way to attain a beautiful skin. So, try to invest in a good body exfoliant or “loofah”, as it is commonly called, as it is capable of eliminating the dead skin cells from your body. Accordingly, this should be done once or twice a week so to free the skin to breathe. What’s more, exfoliants help to put off ingrown hair from developing.

However, it is essential to avoid using any body exfoliant on the skin on the face. The main reason for this precaution is that the facial tissue is more sensitive and finer than those tissues of the body.

Tip 4: Consider a Healthy Routine for Facial Care

When it comes to facial skin care, getting into a healthy beauty routine is not bad. Most of the doctors today greatly suggest that you cleanse, moisturize and tone your skin twice every day. When cleaning, never fail to remember cleaning the area on the neck, including your face. Apply a moisturizer or neck cream after.

Before going to bed at night, always bear in mind to remove all make up. Clean your skin before you sleep, no matter how tired you may feel. It was found out that during the night, the skin goes through a process of elimination and cannot breathe properly if it is clogged with make up. And, you may also find out that sleeping with your make up on will cause your skin to “break out” with spots on it.

When it comes to shaving for men, some men may experience shaving rashes. For many, these rashes lower their self-esteem, but this is actually not a big problem to think about. There are a lot ways to avoid rashes. Perhaps one of the best is to make sure that when shaving, the razor strokes are following the direction of hair growth. That’s simply it!

Tip 5: Heal Your Feet

When it comes to skin care, the feet are often neglected. So, if care you found no time for a professional pedicure, try to fill a football or basin with warm water and add your favorite essential oil. Soak your feet for about fifteen minutes. Then, dry them and apply a rough skin remover onto them. Rinse this off and dry you feet well. And, if you consider pedicure, simply add some body cream to your feet for an easy and quick fix pedicure.

Tip 6: Avoid Too Much Exposure to the Sun

One of the most common precautions when it comes to skin care is avoiding too much exposure to the sun. As you may know, over exposure to sunlight causes sunburn. So, while current sun blocks only block out the UVB rays and still let in harmful UVA rays, it is still wise to cover up before venturing into the hands of Apollo. If possible, use a wide brimmed hat while tending your garden to keep the sun from your face.

Tip 7: Exercise

Aside from considering a healthy diet, exercising your body also helps keep your skin healthy. Note that a proper exercise does not only keep the body fit by regulating the oxygen; it also improves the glow of the skin as well.

Tip 8: Take Enough Rest

One common problem that face people is stress; the one which is not normal. It was found out that when a person is stressed, the adrenal cortex converts adrenal androgens to the hormone testosterone in male and female, which in turn results in overactive sebaceous glands. These adrenal androgens are released causing a double amount of testosterone, causing the face to be oily, while other areas of the body are still dry from dehydration. So, taking proper rest that includes 6 to 8 hours of undisturbed sleep daily is the best way to rejuvenate the skin.

1. Submit. Give up. Make room for the miracle.

2. Inform yourself. Listen to your intuition. Examine all the options, but only use what feels right to you.

3. Accept support. Surround yourself with loving friends, healing music, special colors, prayer and affirmation. Create a ceremony of healing/wholing and invite your supporters.

4. Anoint your breast(s) with healing herbal oils such as calendula, dandelion, or poke. Visualize healing energies suffusing your tissues.

5. Maximize the healthy qualities of your diet:

• Use organic olive oil and butter to the exclusion of other fats.
• Increase your use of beans, especially lentils, and fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, tamari, homemade wines and beers.
• Include immune building and anticancer herbs in your diet:

• Daily use of a nourishing infusion, especially red clover flower or burdock root or violet leaf infusions.
• Daily use of fresh herb vinegars, especially yellow dock, burdock, and dandelion root vinegars.
• Frequent use of a long-cooked soup containing seaweed (such as kombu or wakame), astragalus root, and medicinal mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, puffballs, etc).

6. Increase you exercise level. Take a yoga or tai chi class weekly. Walk daily. Get a weekly massage. Pamper yourself with activity.

7. Use drugs (chemotherapy, tamoxifen, anesthesia, pain killers) as required but:

• consider a short trial of a powerful herb such as poke root before resorting to drugs; and
• always combine drug use with complementary herbs. For instance, protect the liver with milk thistle seed tincture.

8. Use radiation and surgery as needed but:

• always combine with complementary herbs; and
• be willing to set limits that you feel comfortable with – they can’t take your lymph glands if you say “No.”

For more information, see Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun Weed. www.ashtreepublishing.com

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

If you have two or more of these pre-diabetes symptoms you should seriously consider getting yourself checked out:

1) If you find you are excessively thirsty, not just after extreme exercise or hot weather.

2) You seem to constantly have a dry mouth – even if you’ve just had a drink.

3) You find you are having to urinate frequently.

4) You have unexpected weight loss or gain (even though you may be constantly hungry and eating well. Of course you may be eating the wrong things which would probably make your pre-diabetes symptom worse).

5) You feel lethargic. You always feel as if you’ve got no energy; you are weak and tired all the time.

6) Sometimes your vision is blurry – be careful, untreated eye problems caused through diabetes can lead to blindness. You should have regular eye checks, especially as you get older because your eyes can be the early warning signal for many diseases – not just diabetes.

7) You have cuts or sores or bruises (especially on your feet) that are slow to heal.

8) If you experience excessive itching or soreness in the genital area or yeast infections (which can be misdiagnosed as thrush) it may be a sign of too much sugar in your urine.

AT RISK FACTORS:

There are different types of diabetes; pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, gestational and maturity onset. And, dependent upon your age, lifestyle and family history you may be more susceptible to developing diabetes.

Foe example you may be more prone to developing diabetes if any of these factors apply to you:

• Your family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.
• You have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
• You are aged over 45 and are overweight you might be at risk of diabetes type 2
• You have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby over 9 pounds in weight.
• You have high blood pressure.
• Your cholesterol levels are not good.

There are several ways on removing acne scars. The appearance of acne starts during puberty when the body actively produces hormones that causes too much sebum in the skin. This skin stage may pass but it would definitely leave marks to haunt your appearance forever. Treating acne scars can be done through natural inexpensive ways and dermatological procedures that would probably cost a lot. However, acne scar treatment still depends on the mildness and severity of the scar.

Below are some of the techniques on removing acne scars naturally:

1. Hydration is the key. It has been proven that water is one of the best natural methods on how to remove acne scars and prevent acne breakouts. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water or more helps your skin to shed those unwanted dead skin cells.

2. A lot of people are recommending the use Vitamin E capsule for those scars. You might apply it topically to the affected area by pricking a spot in the capsule and apply the oil to the scar. Another option is to take it orally to have that cell renewal from the inside.

3. Rosehip seed oil is also an effective remedy on how to remove acne scars. This is an anti-ageing and anti-wrinkling agent that helps the skin to regenerate. Massage it on the scar twice a day.

4. Eating a balance diet may help in removing acne scars. The more nutritious foods you include in your meal, the faster the scar will heal. It helps in building the skin cells and gives a healthy skin glow as well.

5. Combine rose water and paste of sandal wood and apply it on the spot where the scars are. Leave it overnight then rinse with cold water the next day.

Aside from the natural ways of removing acne scars, there are also dermatological procedures that would definitely give you a much faster result. However, pregnancy and other health conditions may hinder your want to undergo these procedures. Here are some of the hi-tech methods on how to remove acne scars effectively.

6. Nowadays, not only certified dermatologists do a dermabrasion but facial salons as well. Dermabrasion is the removal of the top skin layer using a machine that chafes off the skin. Once the skin heals, the top layer will then have a smoother and clearer appearance.

7. Laser resurfacing is one of the most affordable anti-scar treatments available. It simply uses a high-energy light that would remove the fine scars and even prevent wrinkles.

8. You may also have a chemical peel procedure. This is just like dermabrasion. The only difference is that the top layer of the skin is peeled off using chemicals not machines. This is not a very advisable procedure for all since some people may have allergic reactions to the chemicals.

With all the available choices for treatment, you surely would not have an excuse as to why your acne scar is still obvious. It’s your choice whether you would opt for the natural way or the dermatological procedure on how to remove acne scars.

Obesity is the second leading cause of death after smoking. It is associated with an increased mortality rate of all ages including children. Losing weight though commercialized is still to your benefit if you carry more weight than you should.

Obesity and overweight are term often used interchangeably. However, technically they refer to two different states.

Being overweight technically means excess body mass. This includes all the body tissues. Obesity on the other hand refers explicitly to excess body fat e.g. a professional heavy weight body builder is overweight because of excess muscles but is not obese.

Obesity is what should concern you. Losing weight is no longer an issue you can afford to procrastinate, and probably a good health scare is in order.

Reason #1 to lose weight

Diabetes:- It is well known that 80 -90% of type-two-diabetes patients are overweight. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as the leading cause of adult blindness in the world. One of the direct causes of obesity is eating wrong foods. Some of these wrong foods include high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are energy dense foods that quickly increase the level of blood glucose in your body after been eaten. This results to the body reserving the unnecessarily high glucose/energy into fat. This makes losing weight very difficult.

Releasing a hormone called insulin does this. Type-Two-diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess blood glucose and store it as body fat. This will occur after straining insulin production for some time. And that’s how you end up being fat and diabetic.

Reason #2 to lose weight

Stroke:- Obesity is associated with arteriosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries through out your body. This makes them narrow slowing blood flow and among other things increases risk of the blood clotting. Arteries at risk include those supplying blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain resulting to stroke. Losing weight reduces this risk.

Reason #3 to lose weight

Cancer:- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates between 25% – 33% of cancer world wide are overweight and physical inactivity related. Body fat evidently promotes higher levels of insulin production and excess estoregens, a hormone. Both insulin and estorogens accelerate cell division.

[Probably to create adipose tissue; new fat cells to store fat, in addition to the regular cell division]

As research has indicated, the faster cells duplicate the more they increase chances of a cancerous cell developing. The situation is further complicated as the rapid cell division caused by the excess hormones lead also to rapid cell reproduction of the one cancerous cell, hence cancer starts to develop actively. In addition fat cells tend to keep carcinogenic i.e. cancer-causing agents, trapped in the body which increases chances of developing cancer.
Types of cancers you will be at high risk to get include:-

Breast cancer- affecting the breast possibly in both men and women.

Colorectal cancer- affecting colon and rectum.

Prostrate cancer- affecting the prostrate gland in men.

Endometrial cancer- affecting the uterus.

Esophageal cancer- affecting the esophagus.

Renal cell cancer, the cancer of the kidney, etc.Reason #4 to lose weight

Respiratory problems:- Obesity causes lungs to “become smaller” in size and chest wall become heavier to lift in the process of breathing in. The most common respiratory problem is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where by an individual stops breathing for some time while asleep. A soft tissue in the throat collapses around the air way probably due to weight, blocking it. For the severely obese sleep apnea may get more complicated with hypoventilation. Hypoventilation is accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide (the gas we breathe out) in the blood, due to inadequate breathing. Losing weight would be the only permanent safe and healthy solution to sleep apnea.

Reason #5 to lose weight

Urinary Incontinence:- This is involuntary release of urine. Being overweight can contribute to urinary incontinence. A heavy abdomen due to body fat deposit may cause valve of urinary bladder to be weakened. The weight also exerts pressure on the urinary bladder, trying to push urine out. This results to leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is because of a slight relaxation of the bladder valve that normally will not result to leakage. It can even result to bed wetting at night. This particular problem can be a very effective motivator to lose weight.

Reason #6 to lose weight

Varicose veins:- Also known as Venous Stratis Disease. The leg and thigh muscles assist the heart in blood circulation just like most large muscles in the body. They are involved in pumping blood against gravity back to the heart with the help of valves that close to avoid a backward flow. Pressure as a result of a large abdomen may increase the work load on the valves eventually causing damage. Damaged valves then allow for blood to back up, due to gravity, causing high pressure in these veins leading to swelling, thickening of skin and skin ulcers.

Reason #7 to lose weight

High Blood Pressure:- The BMI (Body Mass Index) and age together are the strongest indicator of risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. At least a third of hypertension is related to obesity.

Reason #8 to lose weight

Other Diseases:- Other diseases which MAY occur as a result of being overweight include;

• Gout
• Coronary heart disease
• Lower back pains
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Gall stones
• Pregnancy disorders such as
• Neural tube defect,
• Prenatal mortality,
• Maternal hypertension,
• Gestational diabetes etc.
• Impaired immune response
• Liver disease
• Pancreatitis
• Bad body smell
• Depression

Research shows that even modest weight loss of even 10 pound for the overweight significantly reduces the risk of developing these diseases. Weight loss is in fact a challenge taken by many every year.

Unfortunately many fail in this healthy endeavor. And all because of one thing; they lack proper information on effective weight loss. Effective weight loss is permanent, and a permanent weight loss depends fundamentally on four factors. These four are what we at Health-eMark call the ‘Top 4 Reasons for Weight Loss Failure’.

There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to the topic of building muscle, and sometimes it can be very difficult to know where to start. If you’re an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will start you off on the right track.

1) Train With Weights and Focus On Compound, Free Weight Movements.

If you want to make solid, noteworthy gains in muscle size and strength, you absolutely must train with free weights and focus on basic, compound exercises. A compound exercise is any lift that stimulates more than one muscle group at a time. Examples of these lifts are the squat, deadlift, bench press, chin up, barbell row, overhead press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the most weight and will stimulate the greatest amount of total muscle fibers.

2) Be Prepared To Train Hard.

One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make serious gains is their level of training intensity. In order to stimulate your muscle fibers to their utmost potential, you must be willing to take every set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular failure.

Muscular Failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be completed using proper form.

Sub-maximal training intensity will leave you with sub-maximal results, plain and simple.

3) Track Your Progress In The Gym From Week To Week.

Our bodies build muscle because of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and will react accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger in order to protect against any possible future threat. Therefore, in order to make continual gains in muscle size and strength, you must always focus on progressing in the gym from week to week. This could mean performing 1 or 2 more reps for each exercise or adding more weight to the bar. Keep a detailed training log to track your progress as your strength increases over time.

4) Avoid Overtraining.

Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they are stuck with the misguided notion that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be farther from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will actually take yourself farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow out of the gym, while you are resting and eating. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don’t provide your body with the proper recovery time in between workouts, your muscles will never have a chance to grow.

5) Eat More Frequently.

The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all-too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don’t provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You should be eating anywhere from 5-7 meals per day, spaced every 2-3 hours in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

6) Increase Your Protein Intake.

Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up of and its main role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

7) Increase Your Water Intake.

If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is it. Water plays so many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles alone are made up of 70% water! Not only will drinking more water cause your muscles to appear fuller and more vascular, but it will also increase your strength as well. Research has shown that merely a 3-4% drop in your body’s water levels can impact muscle contractions by 10-20%! Aim to consume 0.6 ounces for every pound of bodyweight each day for optimal gains.

8) Be Consistent!

Consistency is everything. Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. Simply knowing is not enough, you must apply!

Building muscle is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength.

If you like to smell good, and who doesn’t, then finding the right perfume is at the top of your list. The shopping process may include sampling tester bottles at the store or simply by the old trial-and-error method. In an attempt to make your perfume shopping a little easier, this article takes a look at eight of the top perfume choices for women.

Cotton Candy by Body Fantasies. Do you remember the days of visiting the local fair and the smell of the delicious cotton candy? There is a fragrance that can help to revisit those special memories because, you guessed it, Cotton Candy by Body Fantasies is a perfume that smells exactly like cotton candy. In one word, it’s just plain yummy

Cashmere Mist by Donna Karen. This perfume, commonly found at Macy’s, is one that offers a sweet scent that is the ultimate in femininity. It almost lends to a soft floral smell and will captivate everyone in the room.

Eternity by Calvin Klein. This is a bold fragrance that leaves people thinking of you for, just as the name implies, an eternity.

CK One by Calvin Klein. This perfume has been available for quite some time and leaves the wearer with a clean scent that is unmistakable to those who recognize it. It’s smell is so memorable that those who experience it will notice it instantly on someone else.

Red Door by Elizabeth Arden. This perfume offers a very pleasing scent and a very sweet one at the same time. Like other designer perfumes, it is bold and will definitely get you noticed.

Navy by Cover Girl. A perfume that has been available for many years, Navy is visually recognizable by the round blue bottle and gold lettering. It’s smell is soft, but so very memorable at the same time.

Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren. This perfume, created by a popular clothing designer, is fruity in it’s smell and stays with the wearer for hours. It is a quality fragrance for the athletic type or for the home body as it’s universal scent is for every woman.

Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden. This perfume is fairly new on the market and has been made available in recent years. Still yet, it has steadily gained in popularity and offers the wearer a very sweet scent that softens just enough to be enjoyed.

When selecting perfume, it’s a good idea to purchase a small bottle so that you can take it with you wherever you go. Some of the smallest perfume bottles will fit in the tiniest of purses, which makes them ideal for a quick sprits on the go.

I went on my first diet around five years ago. Over the past four and a half years my weight went up and down as I tried every diet and exercise program under the sun. Nothing seemed to work for me. Until six months ago I enrolled in a weight workshop which taught me that I need to change the way I look at food. It was then that I realized that I had made many mistakes in my quest to lose weight.

In this article I’m going to share with you eight mistakes I made on my quest to lose weight. I hope by sharing my experiences with others throughout the world via the internet I might be able to help people avoid the mistakes I made. So, here are the eight mistakes I made while trying to lose weight.

1. I started to skip breakfast
Most people trying to lose weight believe simply eating less and skipping meals helps shed that fat. And breakfast is a real easy meal to skip. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when on a weight loss diet. If you leave the house in the morning on an empty stomach you’re much more tempted to eat more at morning tea and lunch times. And, calories you eat at breakfast time are easily burnt throughout the day.

2. I would eat one day and not the next
I would literally eat about 2000+ calories one day, feel guilty, and end up eating about 700 calories the following day. If you “starve” yourself throughout the day you’re much more likely to eat more in the evenings, which is not going to help you lose weight. You should consume most of your calories in the morning.

3. I bought diet food
When I went shopping I always looked for the foods marked diet, low-fat, healthy etc. This is a good practice to get into, but I was buying these foods for the wrong reason. I bought these foods because in my mind it meant I could more. I would totally disregard portion size. If you eat diet foods in large portions you’re not doing yourself any favors.

4. I thought I’d always be fat
This is mindset that you must break if you want to lose some serious weight. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing the right things and not making any progress, this is totally natural. You need to focus on being happy and healthy and achieving your goals. Try not to get caught up in “the big picture”.

5. I started eating salads as main meals
Eating salad is a good way of keeping your calorie intake down right? Yes, meal of salad has much less calories that a pizza but does it have the satisfaction? When you eat you mind needs to get some satisfaction from what you have just eaten. I found that when I ate salads for meals a few hours later I was back I the cupboard looking for more food. I learnt that I was better off eating a balanced meal with slightly more calories than simply eating a salad and snacking afterwards.

6. I started my new diets on Mondays
When I found a new diet that I decided I was going to try I always started it on a Monday. This meant I would eat all weekend like I was never going to eat again. Doing this I was just setting myself up for failure.

7. I was to embarrassed to go to the gym
Taking the plunge and joining a gym was one of the hardest things I ever did. I was always worried that people in the gym would be staring at me and talking about me. I really thought I was too fat to join. My advice is to join a gym! You’ll be glad you did. I look forward to going to the gym now.

8. I set my goals to high
Setting long term goals is great, but these goals always seem to far off. You need to set smaller, more reachable goals that you can regularly meet to keep your motivation high. Set yourself weekly, monthly and three monthly goals. Once you meet one short term goal set a new one for next week.

So there you have it, those are the mistakes I made. I now look at weight loss from a totally different perspective and it has paid off. I now help others with weight loss and keeping healthy.

You can put together a cheap home gym that gets the job done if you buy the essentials. As long as you stick with the proven equipment list -and stay away from the latest ab-flexor- you can’t go wrong.

The following are my 8 home gym must-haves:

1) Dumbbells
Dumbbells are essential for the home fitness gym, necessary for presses, arm exercises and even a few core exercises. There are many kinds of dumbbells out there, from the cheap to the boutique. All of which fall into one of two types: fixed weight or handles only.
Handles are plate loaded. This requires you to slide the weight plate on yourself and then fasten the weight with collars. Most handles are either standard or Olympic. Standard are smaller in diameter than the Olympic version. You’ll want to coordinate any plate loaded barbells you purchase with your dumbbells. That way the plates are compatible. Standard handles start at around $8. Olympic handles are pricier and longer. This added length actually takes getting used to on a few exercises.

2) Barbells
You need a good barbell, and, like dumbbells, they come in standard and Olympic. Again, definitely be sure that they’re compatible with your dumbbells. Although, an Olympic bar won’t fit on a standard bench, a 7-foot standard bar will work on an Olympic bench.
A standard barbell set includes a 20 pound bar, 2 dumbbell handles (with collars) and 85 pounds of plates. A unit like this will run about $100. This isn’t a lot of weight, so you’ll probably want to buy more before too long.

3) Bench
In a truly cheap home gym, you can use any old bench for presses and one-arm rows. Make sure that it’s 2 to 3 feet wide and solid. A piano bench could work if it’s heavy enough. Otherwise, a picnic bench also works well. Get creative: you can put something under the front or rear to have an incline or a decline bench.

4) Chin Up Bar
A chin up bar can be constructed out of any material that will support your weight. You can find a chin up bar for $10 to $40.

5) Swiss Ball
Although I think that these are somewhat overused, they can add a little variety to your home fitness gym workouts. In addition to making you look more sophisticated by simply having it around the house, they also increase balance and tend to strengthen the core muscles. You can find one for $20.

6) Jump Rope
Jump rope for cardio: $5. Simple.

7) Stairs
If you have a few stairs in your house, you can add a couple outstanding exercises. These include the lunge and the step-up. Since they elevate heart rate, both are good if you’re performing circuit training. And, if you live in an apartment building with several flights of stairs, your cheap home gym includes a free stairclimber.

8) Yard
If you have a backyard, you can always do basketball style conditioning drills, such as sprints and short intervals. Make sure to build up your joints and tendons first with slower, more deliberate strength training to avoid injury. And if you have solid walls, you could bounce a medicine ball. This move is good for ab development and keeping a high heart rate.

Now that you’ve built it, don’t forget to use it.

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don’ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure. If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed? Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily — not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, ‘Let’s be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, ‘Let’s go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,’ not ‘Don’t eat this or that.’ Instead of saying, ‘We have to exercise,’ say, ‘Lets go to the park.’ Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair. Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food. Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don’t.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating. Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping. Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again. Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy. There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle. It is important to keep trying. Failure is certain if you are not trying.

The premise of an alkaline diet is that the nutrients found in supplements, alkalizing foods, and water can bring the body back to balance. These vitamins, minerals, and herbs infuse the body with new energy, vitality, and better health.

Alkaline foods and water must be consumed in order to provide nutrients the body needs to neutralize acids and toxins in the blood, lymph, tissues, and cells.

When pH balance inside the body is ‘out of balance’ the body tries to correct that sensitive pH balance. That process shows up as uncomfortable symptoms, including colds, flues, allergies, diseases, viruses, and bacteria.

When the pH level in our body is unbalanced, almost any area of the body can be affected. For example when the nervous system is effected as the result of unbalanced pH balance it shows up in the form of the depression. When cardiovascular system is effected we could have heart disease or experience other heart-related problems, including thickening and hardening of the arteries, coronary heard disease, pain or discomfort in the chest, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure. When muscles are effected we often feel fatigue and lack of energy. When skin is effected by improper pH balance we age quicker than normal.

When the body’s pH level is in balance, the body reaches ideal weight and corrects negative health challenges naturally.

Transition to a more alkaline healthy diet requires a shift in attitude towards food. The important point to remember is that small changes go a long way. Add more alkaline foods to your diet gradually.

7 Sure-fire ways to make alkaline diet benefit you:

1) Reduce the consumption of sugar and products made from sugar, including soda pop, pies, ice cream, jello, jams & jellies, artificial juices, puddings, doughnuts, corn syrups, chewing gum, sweetened drinks, cookies, breakfast cereals, liqueurs, mixed drinks.

2) Avoid processed foods and condiments including ketchup, salad dressings, pickles, luncheon meats, canned fruits, breads, relish, cheese dips, peanut butter, prepared seafood, frozen vegetables, crackers, canned soups, hot dogs, sausages, sweetened yogurt.

3) Avoid cooking and heating foods and drinks in microwave.

4) Avoid dairy, meats, fried foods and fast foods.

5) Increase your consumption of raw vegetables and raw fresh fruits (without sugar). You should include raw vegetables in every meal. If your breakfast is so small that you only eat toast or cereal, stop eating toast and take fresh fruits or vegetable juices instead. If your lunches are usually consist of sandwiches try to substitute it with a raw salad or a vegetable juice. Have a large salad before you eat a heavy entree at dinner. This way, you will be sure to eat all of the salad instead of finding yourself too full to finish it.

6) Grains form the base of a balanced diet and are important in maintaining the alkaline balance in the body. Grains are great source of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, including folic acid, fiber, carbohydrates antioxidants and phytoestrogens. The Department of Food and Science and Nutrition at University of MInnesota determined that consumption of whole grains reduces the risk of chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. By eating grains you can eat less but feel full. Grains should comprise about 20% of your diet.

7) Don’t forget to hydrate. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of good quality of water each day. Add liquid minerals to increase the quality of water.

If you follow these easy 7 steps it will allow you to create the proper alkaline balance within your body.

Creating the proper alkaline balance within your body will bring you increased quality of life. You’ll start seeing immediate improvements in your health. Your energy will increase, your concentration will be stronger. You’ll build strength, stamina, and resistance to diseases. Your entire body will function more efficiently just like it was meant to do.

Flowering landscape trees are the crown jewels of the yard.
Perhaps no other plants, individually, can have as great an
impact on how a yard looks in spring. Browse the articles to
which I’ve linked below for information on particular varieties
of flowering landscape trees. Pictures are included.

Crape Myrtles: Landscape Trees of the South

A popular choice in flowering landscape trees for Southerners,
crape myrtles have a long blooming period (mid-summer to
fall). The blooming clusters of these flowering landscape trees
come in pink, white, red and lavender. The clusters appear on
the tips of new wood. Northerners can sometimes get away
with treating these flowering landscape trees as perennials
that die back in winter but come back in spring.

Trees

Not all specimens with a weeping habit are flowering
landscape trees, but this article looks at several weeping
varieties that do bloom, headed by four types of cherry.
Saucer Magnolias

The size and shape of the blooms are what suggested the
common name for these flowering landscape trees. Want a
specimen with a brilliant bloom as big as a saucer? Access
information on these beauties here.

Rose of Sharon

Although some people think of it as a landscape “tree”
(because it gets tall and can be pruned so as to have a single
trunk), rose of sharon is, in fact, a flowering shrub. The fact
that it blooms relatively late — and for a long time — makes it
a valuable plant for those looking to distribute their yard’s
color display throughout the growing season.
Top 10 List of Flowering Landscape Trees and Shrubs for
Spring |

This article features information on ten flowering landscape
trees and shrubs that brighten our spring seasons. Included
are redbud, callery pear and crabapple.
Hawthorn: Late-Blooming Landscape Trees

This article offers information on Washington hawthorn trees,
which are perhaps most valued for the time at which they
bloom (late spring to early summer). Many of the popular
flowering specimens bloom earlier in the spring, and while
their blossoms are pleasant sights for eyes sore from winter’s
barrenness, they desert us too quickly!

The most effective methods to combat acne include a combination of prevention and better skincare.

Here are some of the ways you can use to prevent and treat acne:
1. Exercise

Regular exercise can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. But avoid wearing tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits. These synthetic fabrics that tend to trap body moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Stick to loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends, and keep your sports gear and equipment clean.
2. Safe Cosmetics

To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that can contribute to acne, use products labeled “noncomedogenic” or “oil-free.” Opt for “hypo-allergenic” perfumes and cosmetics to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. Coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes can cause reactions.

Shimmering facial colors can contain a flaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clog pores. Use a lip gloss with a matte finish for less pore-clogging. The more the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more your pores can clog.
3. Healthy Diet

Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is best for your body is best for your skin. So make sure you get enough vitamins, minerals and supplements that have been known and recommended to prevent and help conquer acne breakouts. These include

* Vitamin A or Retinol (High doses are toxic)
* Vitamin B Complex
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin E
* L-Carnitine
* Zinc

A good quality brand name multivitamin will probably have the recommended vitamins and minerals that you need to help with acne prevention. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and making good, healthy dietary food choices.
3. Hormonal Treatment

Hormones (or a lack of them) during later years – especially for women – can play a role in acne flare-ups and prevention. One recent study showed that about 50 percent of women have acne, referred to as hormonal acne, problems during the week before their menstruation.

Treatment options include topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide for teen years. For adults oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) may be helpful for women, combined with systemic or topical treatments, prescription or over-the-counter products and medications.
4. Healthy Skin Regimen

Avoid harsh scrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what’s washed off, clogging pores in the process. Use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and skip products that contain alcohol.
5. Acne Products

Some of the more popular products on the market that can prevent acne include:

* Benzoyl Peroxide
* Proactiv® Solution
* Salicylic Acid
* Retinoids
* Antibiotics
* Oral Contraceptives
* Anti-Androgens
* Isotretinoin (Accutane)

6. Shaving

Shaving is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention and spreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. And for some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help rid whiteheads and blackheads from the face. Do not shave areas taht are sore or infected. Use a shaving cream for sensitive skin.

Shave with a sharp blade. Use gentle swipes instead of heavy pressure and go with the flow or “grain.” A single-edged blade is better than a twin-blade razor. Electric razors may not shave as close to the skin, but they help with the prevention of acne and other skin breakouts and flare-ups better.
7. Stress

Stress includes external and internal stressors. External Stressors are those that compromise your skin’s ability to heal, like oily make-up and too much sun. Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations.

To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, get plenty of rest and sleep. Try to maintain regular hours. Keep a check list of “Things that Calm You” handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.

Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day. You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation. The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!

1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule. You can’t stay up late during the week-end and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed. If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.

2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster. Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning. The brain needs protein and the body does not store it. You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel.

3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch. Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon. This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over. Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments.

4) Drink more water and liquids. I know, everyone says to drink more fluids. But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine. This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder. Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times. Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.

5) Exercise regularly. This is easier said than done with a busy schedule. A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores. Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!

6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away. Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body. The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty laughs. Live alone? Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on tv. Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.

7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people. You know who they are. They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down. The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.

8) Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality. Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health. There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.

Most of us like to look good and why not this is how we can attract the opposite sex. Very few are born with a natural look but that does not mean that others can’t look good. There are certain things that need to be taken into consideration to improve your image.

7 Useful tips that can help you improve your image

1. You need to take good skin care: Good skin care is easy. Soap or lotion and moisturizing are the two main ways of improving the look of your skin. Our skin runs pat dry due to lack of water especially during the winter season. You need to have at least eight to ten glasses of water everyday to moisturize your skin. It’s very important to protect your skin from the harmful ultra violet ray of the sun. Pick a moisturizer with sun protection because sun damage is the main factor that ages skin.
2. Acne: One of the best ways to treat spots and acne treatments would be to use appropriate creams, soaps, cleansers and medications. It would be advisable to change products if you feel they are not working for your skin. If nothing works you can try antibiotics and specialized creams to get rid of them.
3. Body Odor: No one likes bad odor and we are surely you too. One of the best ways to get rid of body odors is by having regular showers and wash. You could also try out Anti precipitants and deodorants spray to regulate your odor and sweat.
4. Hair Cut: Workout on the look of your hair. Discuss with your beautician a haircut which can go with your image. Use a shampoo that is appropriate for your hair type and makes your hair look good.
5. Balanced diet: It’s very important to have a balanced diet to stay healthy. Your balanced diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. A proper balance diet keeps you healthy and improved your skin and hair. Avoid excessive fast food intakes.
6. Exercise: Workout is important. You need to exercise regularly to remain fit throughout the day. Join a gym or sports club can encourage you to exercise.
7. Clothing” You need to wear neat and clean clothes to look smart and trendy. Take care of your teeth’s and have a regular mouth wash. Keep you nails clean and avoid biting them. Also change your socks and underwear’s regularly.

Here is a list of the top 7 healthiest foods to feed your kid and why it’s so healthy:

1. Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food, full of B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers plenty of carbohydrate for quick energy and high fiber. Add berries and honey to make it a delicious perfect food for those fast-paced school day mornings!

2. Yogurt: Kick your child’s dairy consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium, yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk, and the cultures (check the label to make sure they’re in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health. Watch it on the sugar content though. A great idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit!

3. Broccoli: it is one of the best vegetables for anyone, especially growing kids. It has loads of calcium, potassium, beta-carotene and a wide variety of the B vitamins. If your child is not a fan of plain vegetables include broccoli in a casserole or put a little shredded cheese on top to add flavor.

4. Protein: One size does not fit all when it comes to protein. The fact is that growing kids need protein to keep growing. How you’re going to give it to them can vary widely, according to your preferences. Good choices include legumes, beans (combined with a grain to make a complete protein), soy products like tofu, eggs or lean meat, fish or poultry.

5. Whole Grains: The best nutrition is found in whole grains. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are a quantum leap over their white counterparts and offer necessary fiber, minerals and vitamins. Choose grain products with the words “whole”, “unbleached” and “intact” or “ground”.

6. Nut Butters: Peanut butter and other nut butters are great fast and easy foods for kids. Kids need fat (it’s a good fat if it doesn’t have hydrogenated oils mixed in it) and they need the protein. Try spreading almond or sunflower seed butter on crackers, toast or celery sticks for a quick and nutritious snack.

7. Fresh Fruit: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Any in season fresh fruit is sure to be packed with healthy goodness!

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a life-long illness affecting the chemistry of the brain. In classic cases, it causes severe mood swings from manic episodes of extreme highs to depressive episodes of debilitating lows, with relatively normal periods in-between. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 2 million people age 18 and older have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for bipolar disorder at this time. But as with any chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease or epilepsy, proper treatment, management and understanding of the illness is crucial. Most people with bipolar disorder can lead full, productive and satisfying lives by taking crucial steps to control and manage their illness.

Some key steps to consider if you or a loved one have bipolar disorder include:

1. Find a mental health professional you trust. A person diagnosed with bipolar disorder needs to establish a relationship with a trusted mental health professional where an open and honest exchange can take place.

2. Take medication as prescribed. This is first and foremost the most important step in taking control of bipolar disorder. It is the one element that needs to be strictly adhered to. In order for medication to work effectively it must be taken consistently and for the long term. It may be tempting to stop taking medication as symptoms lessen and one starts feeling better. However, this could have devastating consequences.

3. Reduce Stress. Mental health professionals typically believe that increased stress can trigger an episode of manic depression. Finding time to relax, sharing extra responsibilities, or simply talking to someone during a stressful event may help to bring on an increased feeling of calmness.

4. Do not become isolated. Do not try to “handle” bipolar disorder alone. Seeking out the comfort and understanding of family and friends is central to a person’s treatment. It can be very helpful to join a bipolar disorder support group because the people there understand the feelings and difficulties of living with the illness. They can lend insight and encouragement to a person confronting a diagnosis.

5. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is important to establish regular healthy routines such as exercising the same time everyday, going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning. Maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep, because erratic sleep patterns can increase the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Do not use caffeine or recreational drugs.

6. Become an expert on bipolar disorder. Become involved in understanding the symptoms and treatment of bipolar disorder and the effects it can have on family and friends. Consult a qualified mental health professional with questions and concerns. Read books about the illness or listen to lectures by experts. Learn as much about bipolar disorder as possible because knowledge is a powerful tool in taking out the mystery of the illness.

7. Enhance life with enjoyable things. Make it a priority to engage in things that bring about feelings of joy, happiness, and accomplishment. Hobbies or activities that enhance a sense of peace or relaxation serve one well in dealing with the confusion of bipolar disorder.

A diagnosis of bipolar disorder does not have to mean the end of one’s world; rather it can be considered a new beginning. One that, at last, provides an explanation and ultimate relief from some of the unexplained and destructive behaviors a person might exhibit, freeing them to live rich and fulfilling lives.