Smart Eating And Weight Loss

The pounds have piled up; the pants are getting too tight. It is high time to start losing off the extra weight. Planning right from the beginning makes it easier to succeed in your weight loss plans.

Keep track of what you eat and the type of exercise you do every single day. Write everything down in your journal. This gets things organized and you will be better motivated to continue on.

Cooking your own meals let you have total control over what to put into your body. No more extra oily, salty or sweet food from cafes and restaurants to tempt you and make you stray from your diet. Get some good cookbooks promoting healthy weight loss recipes, some basic cookware and you are well on your way to healthy cooking. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

When shopping for groceries, be sure to check the calories count and list of ingredients listed on the food packages. Do not be misled by advertisements such as natural, sugar-free and non-fried. Look at the fine prints. Every little bit counts towards your weight loss goals.

Eat smaller portions at each meal. Invest in smaller size plates to make sure you are not tempted to eat more. Less food on a bigger plate might give you the impression that you are not eating enough and end up taking more food. Just make sure you are having well-balanced meals, even though smaller portions.

The occasional deviation from your diet is no big deal. Being too strict might lead to stress and this is not good for your weight loss plans. You might get so frustrated and just give up. Stress can also lead to binge eating.

Sticking to the same old food day in and day out can be boring and uninspiring. Try healthy food from around the world right at home. Some of them can be easy to cook in your home kitchen.

Eating your main meals in front of the TV, work table or computer screen is a typical bad habit among some of us. It is difficult to be eating healthily this way and besides it is bad for your digestion. If you must be munching on some food while working, munch on carrot sticks instead.

Poor food choices, unhealthy snacks and too much fast and processed food not only lead to an expanding waistline but also clogged arteries. Taking control of the way you eat can lead to positive weight loss and a healthy body.

Do visit the site http://bestcookwareset.org and get these beautiful safe cookware as companions in your healthy weight loss diet plans.

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Benefits of Massage Shoes

Reasons Why You Should Use a Mini Massager and Massage Shoes at Home

Alternative medicine has become more and more popular due to its remarkable health benefits, traceable results and lack of dangerous side-effects. As a result, giant suppliers have started commercializing different categories of wellness products and accessories, designed to help people alleviate and control chronic pain, reduce stress and enjoy an overall delightful sensorial experience. Massage shoes, massage oils and mini massagers are now two of the most requested items, which have the potential to turn any home into a personal wellness center.

You and millions of other potential buyers might have a lot of questions regarding this exciting topic, like, for instance:

1) Why should I purchase massage shoes?

Massage shoes are considered a great investment by millions of buyers worldwide, because they are accessible, 100% wearable and provide real, traceable health benefits. Check out the impressive selection of high-quality massage shoes currently available on the market, pick a pair and soon you will notice that:

• You no longer have to waste any time trying to massage your aching, sore feet.

• Massage shoes make you feel much more relaxed, active and contribute a great deal to your wellbeing.

• They come in various sizes, styles and colors, so you could definitely find the right pair of massage shoes for all your outfits. You can wear them at home or at the office because they are extremely comfortable and fashionable at the same time.

• Massage shoes are a key element in reflexology (also known as zone therapy) stimulating small surfaces on our feet, which influence the functionality of some of your most important organs. Reflexology represents one of the most promising therapies brought to us by the alternative medicine, which provides long-lasting pain relief, reduces stress, improves our mood and even manages to decrease our appetite.

Reflexology is widely used to treat numerous diseases and conditions without pain and without exposing the patient to a long list of unwanted side-effects. Massage shoes ensure an adequate stimulation, applying just the right amount of pressure on our feet to correct organ imbalances.

2) Why would I invest in a mini massager?

Because mini massagers:

- Are tiny and lightweight and can be easily carried around
- Guarantee an optimal level of tissue stimulation
- Should be used on a daily basis
- Can be used to alleviate chronic pain located in different areas (back, neck, limbs)

If you are frequently bothered by body aches and pains, a mini massager should be considered a top priority on your shopping list. These tiny, lightweight gadgets guarantee deep tissue stimulation, annihilating minor pain and helping you de-stress and relax virtually anywhere. You could use it at home, in your office or during your regular trips. Battery-operated mini massagers always come in handy, and they could easily replace those luxurious spa treatments which cost you a fortune and make you waste a lot of time. In order to experience noticeable health improvements, it is recommended to use the mini massager at least to 2 or 3 times a day, for up to 60 minutes. These devices are FDA-approved and have passed all safety and medical tests; therefore they are considered excellent for personal use and should become your #1 ally in fighting some of your most upsetting pain episodes.

http://www.bodyblessing.net

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5 Simple But Powerful Fitness Steps You Can Take in the New Year

If you are tired of making New Years resolutions that you never fulfill here are some tips to help you keep them way past January 1st. For most people the hardest part of any fitness program is getting started. We want to achieve something grand or something we have never done before. What happens is we end up placing too much pressure on ourselves because the fallacy in our thinking is that in order for us to achieve our big goals we need to take big steps.

We aim for giant leaps like "This is the year I will run the city marathon!" or "I will lose the extra 30 pounds" and the list goes on. Now don't get me wrong, these are great things which I highly recommend, but you have to remember, if we never become experts at doing the simple things and wait to do the big ones we might end up doing nothing at all. The saying is true. The only way to eat and Elephant is one bite at a time!

So Happy New You! Let this year be the one where you enjoy health and fitness at a level you have never experienced and here are some steps to help you get started.

Set your goals but use pictures and not words. The human mind is not motivated by words, but is motivated by pictures. Start making an inspirational collage of images and photos that really speak to you. You can get these from advertisements for fitness products like running shoes, magazines or fitness magazines. Post these somewhere you will see each day. Post a picture or a photo of what you want your body to look like. You can even use your computer's background desktop or screen saver, the trick is for you to keep seeing it.

Find a Friend Find a friend who also wants to get healthy and fit. For example there is a 90% chance that your next door neighbor also wants to get fit in the New Year. Ask them or any of your close friends to walk or workout with you. If you go to the gym, make some friends at the gym and try interacting and reaching out to others. This will make the gym a more delightful place to visit and when you skip the gym your buddy might notice and give you a hard time about it . In life, we need all the encouragement we can get.

Invest in magazines and DVD's - Get inspirational fitness magazines and exercise videos that will give you something to strive for. I produce my own exercise videos and I really know first hand how beneficial they can be. I get tons of email from people who are making significant changes in their lives. You many not have access to a gym, so buying fitness magazines and exercise DVD's are a wonderful resource for exercise ideas and workouts.

Out with the Soda. Eliminating sodas from your diet is one of the simplest and most profound health improvements you can make. One can of regular soda has an equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of the artificial sugar-like product high fructose corn syrup and studies have linked sodas to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease.

Join a gym or take neighborhood fitness classes. Personally I love the gym and I'm not just saying this because I'm a trainer who teaches classes almost everyday, but because I know that being a member of a gym can be a life changing decision. It's not just about the equipment and the trainers at the gym it's about the spirit and the energy you will find there. Being a member of the gym will allow you to feed of the energy of others, you will be inspired to see other motivated people pursuing the same goal you are.

Kenn Kihiu is a fitness expert and the creator of DanceX Fun Dance Exercise Workout DVD's for both adults and kids. To learn more about Kenn or DanceX visit http://www.dancexfitness.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1803369

How to Be Powerful in Mind, Body and Soul

True power comes from the continuity and connection between mind, body and soul, which creates an inner power that allows you to feel, know and live your purpose and express and share your essence with certitude, clarity and love. Working in dance and healing through the emotions in the body, I explore how to connect mind, body and soul through creative visualization of the Ideal Body and how this can affect change in your real body.

The nature of the human body and soul is to work with concepts and beliefs about your body and your being. We live with a concept of our body (or a mental structure) and beliefs about our body (or an emotional structure). You can affect true change in your real body by visualizing and meditation with your Ideal Body. The Ideal Body is a construct I use in meditation and dance therapy. It's a combination of your mental images charged with emotional beliefs that empower you. Using an emotionally exciting image of your Ideal Body is how I access the power of your soul and your essence that charges, energizes and influences all your life choices and experiences.

The concept of an Ideal Body with the power of visualization, movement meditation and guided imagery and also fantasy, daydreaming and wishful thinking, works on moving you beyond your perceived limits and what you see in the mirror.

Playing with and visualizing your Ideal Body is a way to listen to your real body, to understand you body from a heart-felt place and allow your feelings, desires and dreams to be expressed. The real you is not just a physical body. Your body and being is created by your life experiences (parenting, environment, socialization, education, spiritual beliefs and relationships) and your soul experiences. The soul has both positive and negative memories. What you may feel as limitations in your life or body, may actually come from your soul. As we play with the concept of an Ideal Body we move beyond both the limitations of your body, mind and emotions and even beyond the limitations of your soul.

The Ideal Body is where your emotions, your physical body and mind are working together to access your true self, your inner power, your aliveness and messages from your soul about how you are truly meant to be. When you connect to your true self, who you are from the level of your soul, you are empowered with a clarity that allows your body, mind and emotions to work synergistically.

Your emotions are vital keys as to what has created your physical body the way it is. The clue is to not see the emotions as who you are, but simply an aspect of who you are, that is open to change and will change daily, even from moment to moment. Emotions need to be felt and moved through the body. That is why you feel different after a good cry.

The body you have is not good or bad - it simply is what you have - at this point in time. Your Ideal Body is one that allows your emotions to move as you move beyond limits of time and conditioning, allowing your expression of self to flow out of you in a way that does not harm yourself or others. You may still offend or confuse people, but that doesn't harm them!

Emotions that get bottled up get stored like toxins in your body. They collect around fat cells, get deposited in trigger points and meridians that create painful muscles, swollen lymph, poor digestion, extra weight, bloating or clouded obsessive thoughts and inability to focus, do things or simply be yourself. You can also lose your life vitality, libido, appetite and lose weight or suffer mental health issues from withdrawing from the life you are truly meant to live, simply because you cannot feel who you are on either the level of your body, your emotions or even your soul.

Movement helps the body to move stored energy and stored emotions. Dance is movement with emotional intent. You have to feel the movement to really be flowing with the dance. Dance is like exercising the muscle of emotion. When you dance you are practicing what it is like to feel and you can release feelings that are bottled up or simply not being expressed.

When you are dancing or in meditation or any body awareness practice, ask yourself what is that you feel good about or what you feel bad about. Simply asking your body to show you what it is that needs more attention or what needs to be felt, allows your emotions to surface and begin to be released and expressed. When you have danced or meditated with this question, write about your feelings and you will have another excellent way to understand, express and release your feelings.

Sometimes you may gain a sense of physical release without moving deeply held emotions. In order to get to deeper more chronic or problematic emotions, work with the INTENT in your dance of accessing your true self. This type of dance is a form of "authentic movement", where you encourage the body to simply move without thinking about how you dance. You can simply use the idea and intent to access your true self in any movement form and your body will automatically flow according to this desire. Release any expectations of what that should be, look like and feel like and simply allow your body to explore.

Releasing emotions in a healthy way is acknowledging that there is no right of wrong way to feel yourself or acknowledge your emotions. Your emotions will be different every day and change through out life. Dance can be fun and just for laughs and freeing and sometimes dance can access blocked or negative feelings that need to be understood. Simply because you are moving, you have the choice to allow your emotional body to move as well, which is the pleasure that empowers your mind, body and soul to be and feel synergistically at one.

Dance is an external expression of an internal beat. The two elements of inner feeling and outer movement are always in dialogue. The dialogue of inside and out is the way the dance acts as a mirror for what is truly going on in your body, your feelings and your life. Empowerment for you will come when you connect this dialogue between your Ideal Body and your emotions and gain access to what it is you truly wish to be and how that feels like, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Angela Ambrosia is dance teacher, performer, movement therapist and workshop facilitator based in New York, Canada and Australia. As a performer she discovered dance and belly dance as a vital way to connect to the joy of life and the power of pleasure. Her movement practice connects women AND men to the healing pleasure of sensuality as well as enhance communication of love with yourself and in your relationships. She offers private sessions, workshops and seminars for men and women to enjoy the freedom of their body, connect to your authentic self and LOVE your body! Go to http://www.DancewithAngela.com to receive monthly newsletter and offerings.

Dance with Angela is part of an international healing network of therapists and advisors who work with body, mind and spirit, in the USA, Australia and Canada.

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Five Cheap and Effective Hair Loss Prevention Methods

1.) Get a blood test! A simple annual general blood screen can point out any problems you might be having. Fixing those problems can help you prevent hair loss. In my case, it was a mild case of anemia. I took iron pills, which helped my body get to where it needed to be. While anemia and hair loss is mostly a problem with women, other issues, such as thyroid problems happen in men and women and cause hair loss for both. Addressing the root cause of your hair loss, as you might discover through a blood test, can prevent hair loss and hopefully return you back to your normal (full) head of hair. A $5 bottle of iron pills really helped me, so before you go spending money on harsh chemicals, be sure to find the root, (haha) of your hair loss problem.

The Cost? Iron pills: $5 - blood tests: depends on your healthcare provider. Of course, see a doctor, see a doctor, see a doctor, but realistically I know not everyone has health insurance or can afford to do blood tests. Trial and error isn't the best method for curing hair loss, but if you know already that you have problems with anemia, it's not going to hurt you (or your bank account!) to try some iron pills.

2.) Treat your hair right! I was constantly pulling my hair back and every time I took it out of its ponytail more hair fell out. You're probably thinking, "yeah right, ponytails cause hair loss," but it's true - I could see the dozens (and dozens) of hairs being ripped right out every time I took my ponytail out. And yes, I did use the "ouchless" bands with no metallic parts. Many people who wear cornrows, weaves or hair extensions lose hair. And sometimes these styling choices permanently kill the hair root. I stopped wearing the tight ponytails and noticed less hairs falling out or breaking off when I did my normal hair brushing. Scientific or not, I was convinced by my own "scientific" experiment that wearing ponytails was causing hair loss. Same goes for guys who wear ponytails, hats or bandannas. Any kind of pulling, pressing or pushing can cause hair loss and breakage.

The Cost? FREE!

3.) Get a thinning hair cut! Sounds weird, right? You're hair is thinning, so get a thinning haircut - what kind of advice is that? Well, for me it really helped me in two ways. First, it prevented me from pulling my hair back. Before I got my haircut, my hair was thinning in the front and thick in the back and ran down to my mid-back. It was literally heavy, always making me hot or getting in my way and I only wanted to put it in a ponytail. Which (see # 2) made my hair loss even worse. Second, the heavy length of hair was pulling down my already fragile hair (due to anemia, see # 1). So when I finally started taking iron, I vowed to stop the ponytails! But my hair was too heavy and unmanageable. In spite of the thinning front, the back and sides of my hair were still thick! The hair stylist used a razor blade to thin my hair from the crown down on the "inside" of my hair. Go to the salon and ask the stylist to cut your hair with a razor blade instead of scissors, leave the length, but thin it out. When the haircut was finished, I had about a shoebox or more full of hair, but my hair retained its length and style. I felt like 10 pounds had been lifted off my head! It also made the thin parts in the front less noticeable.

The cost? The price of a regular hair cut. However, you must find someone skilled in razor-only haircuts. Do not allow someone to do this with teeth-scissors - it will kill your hair! (For some of the haircut this is OK, but 90% should be done razor-only.) If your normal hair stylist doesn't do this kind of hair cut (many do not) try looking for a salon that caters to Asian hair. Asian hair stylists (or those who cut Asian hair) are experienced with having to thin down hair and are trained in razor cuts.

4.) Anti-dandruff shampoo rocks! In 1998, a scientific study showed that for men suffering from hair loss (androgenic alopecia), the anti-dandruff shampoo Nizoral was just as effective as Rogaine in preventing hair loss. Though not exactly sure how or why, the study results say that this product reduces inflammation, thus preventing hair loss. To be perfectly honest, when I went in for my thinning hair cut (see #3), the hair stylist told me that I had dandruff, so I started using an anti-dandruff shampoo. I'm not endorsing it or whatever, but I do use Head and Shoulders, in a nice-smelling version. While I'd never had dandruff in my life, I did seem to be itching my head a lot while this hair thinning thing was happening, but maybe it was because of the constant ponytails or my anxiety about the thinning hair. Either way, my hair is slowly getting back to normal and I'll probably keep using the Head and Shoulders. Maybe Nizoral is more effective, for severe cases, but for me the Head and Shoulders seems to be making my head happy! Because dandruff shampoo doesn't have any vitamins, minerals or hair strengthing agents (aside from Zinc as far as I know), I'm not using a 2-in-one or both shampoo and conditioner for dandruff (see # 5).

The cost? A bottle of Nizoral is under $20 and Head and Shoulders is the price of "normal" shampoos.

5.) Condition your hair right! Many conditioners offer promises of preventing hair loss - at $50 a bottle. You don't need some expensive conditioner to get the nutrients that your hair needs. My recommendation is to choose a conditioner with vitamins B, vitamin E, vitamin F, biotin and/or PP. A "normal" priced conditioner can have these elements - just check and see what it has to offer. Since you might not find everything you want in one conditioner, it's perfectly fine (and even preferable) to have a few different ones. I have one that's vitamin-based, one that boasts of biotin, one whose big sell is keratin and another one that has oils in it. Variety is the spice of life! I also use conditioning oil and not moisture cream (I find it too sticky), but it's really just what you prefer. There's even conditioning sprays, which I also have one and use it interchangeably with the hair oil. My hair conditioning oil has borage oil in it, which is an Omega-6 fatty acid. Borage oil is also good for treating skin conditions like psoriasis, which many times can happen on the scalp.

The cost? Vitamin-enriched or biotin shampoos are not expensive! Don't get tricked into buying a $50 bottle of conditioner under the auspices that it prevents hair loss. All vitamin-enriched conditioners will prevent hair loss! Hair conditioning oils are also reasonably priced and you can easily find a good one for under $20. Hair conditioning sprays are also reasonably priced, just choose one that isn't sticky - you can try most of them in the store.

Author is Lindsey Parker, author of a HairLiving - a Hair Loss Treatments magazine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5089870

How To Improve Your Emotional Self-Awareness

"No creature can fly with just one wing. Gifted leadership occurs where heart and head - feeling and thought - meet. These are the two wings that allow a leader to soar." ~Daniel Goleman, Author

Many years ago I worked as a Management Development Manager for the chartered airline of a large holiday company in the UK. One day I was asked to coach a manager (John) who'd been accused of bullying his staff. He seemed confused by the whole thing.

On further investigation I realized what had happened.

John was asked to be a leader and given a team of engineers to manage. He was 'promoted' to management because of his amazing technical expertise as an engineer. He knew everything about the aircraft he worked on and was a point of reference for others. John had great value as a technical expert. He loved his job.

Then he was promoted to leader. No one had taught him how to manage people. He was used to managing aircraft, a totally different skill-set! During his entire career John had been taught how to develop his technical expertise - now he had to deal with humans! He had no frame of reference and didn't know how to do it.

Knowledge, skills, technical ability, conceptual thinking, clarity and intelligence are often seen as the key characteristics for leadership.

However, this is only half of the picture.

You may have great knowledge, skills and technical experience but this alone won't make you a leader. You might have the best ideas in the world, but if you can't execute your vision by guiding, inspiring, motivating, listening, influencing, and engaging others your ideas will stay just as ideas, no one will listen.

Self-awareness is often ignored in the business world. It's not seen as important because we are often too busy doing the work and being busy to stop, recognize and understand our own emotions or the impact that they have on our actions and results. Intellect rules in the business world!

Unfortunately sometimes these actions and results have a negative effect on your relationships or job performance. You are oblivious to your own feelings and unaware of how other people might feel. Unknowingly you let anger build up until it reaches boiling point, then you lash out at someone. This is what happened to John, he was doing the best he could with the resources he had. He had learned all about leading with the head and thought because his technical career guided him down that route alone.

If you are unaware of your own emotions you cannot manage them and this distorts how you view and respond to situations. If you lack self-awareness then you are oblivious to your own feelings or those of others around you. You are unaware of how your emotions affect your job performance.

Self-awareness has a critical role to play in leading a successful life. It influences our behaviour (what we do, what we say and how we act).

Becoming self-aware means that you are in tune with your inner signals: you connect with yourself from the inside out.

Here's what having self-awareness means.

1. You have a deeper understanding of YOU - You can recognize your own emotions, values and motives. You know how your emotions can trigger and impact your behaviour. You know what motivates you and you move towards it at work or at home. You have a passion for your work and enjoy it.

2. You are more realistic - Perception is reality. We judge other people by their actions; we judge ourselves by our intention. People who have high levels of self-awareness are more realistic because they are honest with themselves and others. Their actions match their intentions. You know your limitations and play to your strengths.

3. You are less critical of YOU - Awareness brings honesty. People who are self-aware don't take things personally and get defensive. They are able to laugh at themselves and be more forgiving. You embrace being imperfectly perfect! You speak openly about your emotions. You demonstrate a grace when learning about areas that you need to improve on and encourage feedback. You ask for help.

4. You have vision and focus - You can articulate your goals, values and dreams. You know where you're headed. You know your WHY. You know what matters the most and have a clear map to build your future.

5. You are connected to your intuition -You are tuned in to what feels right and this helps you in your decision-making because you are aligned to your values. When you attune your feelings, it helps you find meaning and make better decisions. You make time for self-reflection and to think things over. You respond, rather than react, to your surroundings.

Having self-awareness enables you to consciously act from a place of authenticity and conviction.

Understanding your emotions and having clarity of purpose help you to focus and achieve your goals.

Elaine is founder of Elaine Bailey International Ltd a company devoted to coaching busy and successful women and men into their best lives. Elaine spans the Atlantic from the UK to the USA in her life and business coaching. She is a sought after motivational speaker, whose topics include "Business or Busy-ness? Four Ways to Get Your Life Back on Purpose. Please visit http://ElaineBaileyInternational.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7175942

How to Get Over Breakup Depression - 3 Ways to Relieve Your Depression

A break up is always devastating and if you are wondering how to get over breakup depression, here are 3 effective methods that you can use.

1) Allow Yourself to Cry Out Loud

Crying is a very effective method of letting out any emotional tension. When people are crying, they will usually breath deeply as well. The act of breathing deeply can have a calming effect which will makes you feel better.

For women, they usually do not have any problems with crying. However, men are usually more inhibited because of social conditioning. Men do not want to be seen as being weak.

If you are a man, allow yourself to cry out loud. The good thing is, there is no need to cry in public. You can always cry inside your own bedroom and no one will know about it. Don't be too hard on yourself.

2) Try to Get Some Physical Exercise

Try to exercise for around 30 minutes. Any exercise will do. You can go jogging or ask friends to join you for a tennis session. Exercising causes your body to release endorphins, which can make you feel a lot better.

It is said that people who are more physically active are usually less depressed. It is understandable that you may not even feel like moving around now and just want to lie on your bed.

However, lying on your bed is only going to make you feel worse. Try to get some exercise right now. You will definitely feel better. Just make sure that you do not over exert yourself or injure yourself in the process. In fact, it is a good idea to ask friends to join you.

3) Talking to Someone About It

The act of talking to someone about your woes can be a great way to overcome breakup depression. Find a trusted friend who is a good listener. Let the emotional tension out of your heart. You will feel so much better when there is someone who understand you and who can emphatize with you.

Women usually don't have problems talking to others about it. However, men usually have the tendency to keep everything to themselves. If you are a man reading this, try not to be too hard on yourself.

You don't have to feel too inhibited. You may be surprised that there are many people who are more than willing to listen to you.

How to Get Over Breakup Depression?

Watch a video that shows you exactly what you must NEVER do, what you should do to get your ex back and why at Ex Back Video

You will also learn how to reverse the situation if you have already done those things that should NEVER be done.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4371841

Why Choose Health Food Quick Weight Loss Diets

With health food quick weight loss diets, you can lose those pounds you have wanted off quickly and healthily. Many of us have decided that we should lose a couple of pounds, either to be more healthy or to simply feel better about ourselves and how we look. We might have searched to try and find one of the many different ways to lose weight that are our there but have had no luck. If that is the case, then perhaps health food quick weight loss diets are for you.

While there are many different types of diets out there, some of them can be unhealthy for you, causing you to become weak and unable to perform your normal duties during the course of the diet. This can be quite an inconvenience to some who are struggling to lose weight. If you have been there, you might have found yourself trying to make time for friends and family, but simply feeling tired and exhausted all of the day. Eventually, it can get to you.

When your body tries to make do with less than it is able to, it can become weak and may make you more likely to become sick or get hurt. This can be very dangerous, especially if you continue to try to do the things you normally do. You might end up fainting or hurting yourself, which can be very dangerous if you are in a situation where you are alone. This makes these unhealthy diets very bad for you. With health food quick weight loss diets, you are able to lose the weight you want without having to risk these dangerous situation.

Health food quick weight loss diets work by providing you with healthy food, in healthy quantities, helping to ensure that your body gets all that it needs without providing you with excessive amounts of fats and calories that can make you gain weight. These diets help to ensure you maintain a healthy balance between the good and the bad while you are trying to lose weight to reach your ideal size. There are many advantages to these diets as opposed to other, possibly risky, diets.

If you are looking for a dieting plan that can help you lose weight and have been unable to find one that lets you keep your energy and strength up all while you are losing those pounds you wanted off, then these diets are right for you. In order to find the right one for you specifically, try searching online for health food quick weight loss diets. You will be able to find quite a few different ones and will be able to search through them to find the diet for you. Remember, nobody knows what you want and need better than you know yourself, so when searching for the diet, try to find the health food quick weight loss diets that fit your needs, not someone else's.

For more great information about an online college degree, and online bachelor degrees visit our site today
http://thedietsolutionexpert.blogspot.com/

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5 Ideas To Lose Weight

The concept of losing weight is simple: burn more calories and consume fewer calories. The downside is that most quick weight loss plans and diets are complex to follow, thus confusing the user. Here are 5 simple ways for you to lose weight.

If your aim is to shed a few pounds, do not change your eating and exercise habits completely. It is better to address simple things that you can perform daily, while alongside following the general rules of weight loss (eat more veggies and less fat; workout more). If done right, this will have the scale numbers point right.

Eat Fat Releasing Foods

Fat releasing foods will help you feel fuller, thereby curbing your appetite. This way you will not indulge in calorie-rich foods. Some of the fat releasing foods include honey, eggs, shrimp, and even dark chocolate. One hard-boiled egg contains just 64 calories that release fat. Likewise, one-ounce square dark chocolate has 167 calories. Eating these fat releasing foods will eventually help you lose weight.

Use High-Calorie Foods As Toppings

Do not completely dismiss high calorie foods. One good idea to include even high calorie foods in your weight loss diet is to add a spoonful of ice cream in a bowl of fresh fruits such as apple and oranges. Another example is adding chips over fresh salsa. If you like cheese, you can add a little cheese to a bowl of salad.

Drink Your Way To Weight Loss

Whenever you feel thirsty, drink a glass of water instead of soda or aerated drinks. Sugary drinks do not fill the stomach. Instead, they make you crave more. Water, on the other hand, is the only zero calorie drink. Aim at drinking 8-10 glasses of water. Water will flush toxins and keep you hydrated.

Keep A Log Of Everything You Eat

It may sound silly, but writing down every single morsel you eat will help you lose weight effectively. How? When you maintain a food diary, you will eventually be eating 15% less food.

Invest In A Pedometer

A pedometer allows you to measure the steps you take. You can clip a pedometer to your belt, and gradually add more steps day after day. This is called progressive overload. It will help you break plateaus. Never leave the pedometer at home when you are walking, jogging or running.

These ideas will help you lose weight fast without starving yourself. Break your long-term goals into short-term goals. This will give you a sense of accomplishment.

The author is a certified fitness expert. Through his articles, he aims at generating awareness to lose weight and build muscle. The author follows a comprehensive, no-drugs approach for helping women and men lose weight and create that perfect body. The author has over 5000 articles to his credit. website: http://www.techglam.com

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What Is Hot Stone Massage And What Does It Do?

Hot stone massage is a type of massage developed using techniques found from Native American history. The Native Americans would use stones heated by fire to treat aching muscles and help them heal, as was often the case with these highly active people. Mary Nelson developed the first massage treatment to use hot stones which is called LaStone Therapy. Since this was created many other masseurs and spas have created their own versions of the treatment such as stone therapy, wild water stone therapy and other such names.

When receiving a hot stone massage, the masseur will use heated smooth stones to heat up certain muscles in the body. Whilst these stones heat up the body, the masseur will use others as extensions of their hands, rubbing them all over a person's body in different massage strokes to achieve complete relaxation. 

The advantage of using hot stones is that muscles are warmer and therefore more relaxed, meaning they can be worked to a higher degree without the need to press so hard during massage. Through hot stone massage a masseur can achieve the same effects as deep therapy massage if they do the massage strokes correctly.

Hot stone massage is very difficult to master, and many people find that when they go for one, they actually come out no better than they were before. To reach the right level of skill to perform a good hot stone massage a masseur needs to have been working for many years. Over these years a masseur will develop a sense for what their customers can tolerate in terms of temperature, and also learn how to effectively massage after using stones to gently heat muscles.

Some people have complained about going for a hot stone massage and being treated like an ironing board. This is not the effect that you should be feeling, and if a masseur begins to make you feel this way they need to be told, otherwise a massage could be wasted and you could in fact end up coming out feeling worse than when you went in.

In conclusion, stone massage is a type of massage developed from techniques used by the Native Americans. The fact that it has been used for so long shows that it's an effective type of massage that clearly achieves a greater level of healing and relaxation in the muscles, otherwise people would have moved onto a different form of massage that achieves better results.

Hot stone massage is one of Charlotte Palmer's favourites. She uses her special massage bed from Beauty4Less to make sure she can get it right, and she always has great results from her clients who keep on coming back for more.

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7 Effective Exercises For Every Teen's Fitness Transformation!

I am glad I have an opportunity to share with you an outline of effective exercises any and all teens should begin to utilize in their own lives.

I recognize not every person has access to a commercial fitness gym or access to high dollar equipment so I have created a list of exercises that anyone can begin doing without having to spend a ton of money.

Here you go... a list of effective exercises that I know can and will help transform your body into a well- conditioned machine!

1. Push-ups They are not fancy but they are an excellent exercise to build functional strength for the entire upper body. I would suggest you begin doing as many push-ups as possible each day. As you become more proficient, begin doing multiple sets of push-ups throughout the day. You will begin to see more definition in your upper body and feel more physically fit with each set.

Remember this is a basic movement you can perform pretty much anywhere you want. So start pushing the floor and you will most definitely see the results!

2. Bodyweight Squats Place your feet shoulder width apart and SQUAT!

At the bottom of the movement your legs should be parallel to the floor and remember to keep your back as straight as possible. The squat is one of the greatest exercises you can do to develop strong leg muscles as well as core strength.

As you work your way up to hundreds of reps... you can change it up by jumping at the top of the movement. As you jump... pull your legs up in to your stomach. This exercise alone will increase your jumping ability and overall quickness for any sport or just for overall fitness.

3. Pull-ups Find a pull up bar or some monkey bars at a park. Pretty simple movement...pull yourself up as far as you can. Do as many repetitions as you can knock out. This exercise is great for building strength in your arms, back and shoulders. The pull-up is a major compound movement that will give your upper body the strength and thickness you desire.

4.Leg Lifts I was first introduced to this exercise when I was playing little league football. I can still hear my coach yelling... 6 inches... not 12... 6 inches. You see this movement is brutal!

Lay on your back and lift your legs about 6 inches off the ground. You will definitely need to tap in to your mind to push yourself past the pain. Keep your legs straight and your feet together. This exercise will strengthen the entire core region.

5. Rope Jumping Get yourself a decent jump rope and start jumping. I usually shoot for 1000 jumps each session. Now as you progress... add an additional 100 reps each week or so.

This exercise builds leg strength... improves quickness for a variety of sports... and burns off the goo from all those burgers and fries! As you progress... you will feel empowered to tackle any obstacle that comes your way!

6. Ab Wheel The first time I saw an ab wheel I was working as a fitness trainer. One day as I approached the main workout area, this guy was on the floor rolling a wheel around. I asked him if it really worked and he said it was the best exercise he had done for his core region. I purchased one myself and I would have to agree...it's a great workout. The movement not only kills your abs but it is great for your arms, shoulders and chest.

7. Power Sprints Another great exercise you can do pretty much anywhere.
I utilize a large field by my home and knock out 15 to 20 sprints each session. I would suggest warming up by doing some walking or light jogging. I usually start with build- ups. I start fairly slow for about 20 yards and then gradually accelerate for another 30 or 40 yards. After your muscles are warm, you can increase your speed for each sprint. Again... this exercise will strengthen the entire body and make you feel like a million bucks!

There you go... 7 great exercises that will help assist you on your physical fitness transformation. Now remember... I can give you great exercises all day long but if you don't take the initiative and actually implement these in to your daily routine... you will not reach your fitness goals and dreams. Embrace the daily disciplines it will take to begin these exercise and you will most definitely transform your entire life!

Mr. Flinton has worked in public schools as a teacher, coach, school principal and consultant. He is also the author of "Xtreme Teen Success... Empowering Principles To Ensure Every Child's Success" and "Xtreme Power... Discover Your Destined Power and Strength!"

To discover more informative articles on teen fitness and success visit... [http://www.xtremeteenfitness.com]

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Effective Techniques for Stopping Hair Loss

Hair loss is a disappointing experience for many because of its effect on ones esteem. There are a myriad of factors that can cause this problem that include: environmental, hereditary, diet, pregnancy, hormonal changes due to age and effects of cancer treatment.

There are several methods to reduce hair loss depending on the cause which should first be identified so that the correct remedy can be sought. These remedies can be divided into the following:

Surgery

There are two types of techniques that this approach covers. These are:

Scalp reduction this involves the removal of the bald parts of skin which is replaced with scalp that is covered with hair. It can also involve the use of skin bearing skin can also be folded on the bald skin area which reduces scalp. This is called flapping.

Hair transplants this technique involves the removal of small sections at the back of the scalp which have several hair strands. These are than implanted on the sections of bald skin. This method is ideal for hair loss which results from hereditary hair loss because it can be repeated several times as the hair loss progresses.

Herbal remedies

Lettuce a mixture of lettuce and spinach juice taken daily is helpful in the prevention of hair loss.

Coconut milk this is applied on the scalp and massaged over it to facilitate hair growth and nourishment.

Onion patches of baldness can be reduced by rubbing onions on them twice daily and rubbed with honey later on.

Alma oil this is mixed with coconut oil. It is known to be a good hair growth tonic.

Potatoes and rosemary these two are boiled and then the liquid strained and used as a hair rinse.

Green tea contains antioxidants which prevent the loss of hair and facilitate the re-growth of previously lost hair.

Supplements

vitamin B aid in the production of melanin which provide the hair with its natural color.

Vitamin A- An anti oxidant which helps in the production of sebum in the scalp.

Vitamin E- it assists in improving blood circulation in the scalp which keeps the hair follicles active.

Iron is helpful if the hair loss is caused by anemia.

Zinc and biotin people with metabolism disorders that lack these two minerals are known to have bristle hair.

Stress Management

Talking to a professional is helpful in combating stress which leads to hair loss. One can also seek the counsel of friends or close family members.

Practicing the art of meditation is one of the successful ways of reducing stressful situations in one's life.

Substituting the stressful situation with an activity keeps the mind occupied and makes the experience easily forgotten.

Home based techniques

Identification of when the problem started is helpful so that the trigger of hair loss can be identified after which it can be avoided.

The use of one shower gel or shampoo is encouraged so as to limit the amount of chemical products that come into contact with hair.

Hair that is kept clean at all times reduces the amount of harmful substances that could cause damage to it. The washing should be done using warm water or water with normal temperature because too much heat in the water can damage it.

Massages to the scalp are helpful as they improve circulation which stimulates the growth of hair follicles.

If you suffer from hair loss, you can read more on how to stop it here and in this article.

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5 Diseases Related to Obesity

Everyone knows about several things that come along with being obese such as clothes not fitting right, not being able to ride most of the rides at an amusement park and not being able to be very active. But have you ever stopped to wonder why diseases are related to being obese? Let's take a look at some of them.

High Blood Pressure

It is believed that well over 65 million adults and around 10 million children are affected by obesity in the United States alone. Most suffer from high blood pressure that increases with weight gain and age. Unfortunately, the exact relation between high blood and obesity isn't yet known. What is known is that a weight loss of just eight pounds can reduce the risk of high blood pressure developing.

Diabetes

Obesity results in insulin resistance, which in turn causes type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that ninety percent of all obesity sufferers also contract diabetes. This is because the cells become resistant to insulin. Insulin turns the blood glucose into energy. When diabetes sets the body produces more insulin, but it can never make enough. Diabetes can lead to strokes, kidney disease, coronary heart disease and blindness. A fifteen to twenty pound weight reduction can significantly lower this risk.

Heart Disease

Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. Material called plague builds up and clogs the coronary arteries. Sometimes the heart can't pump sufficient blood and this ends with congenative heart failure. Those that have heart disease are much more likely to have a heart attack or stroke before they are have reached forty-five. Obese teenagers run the risk of an attack or stroke before they reach thirty-five. Apple-shaped figures, that is people who carry their extra weight around their stomachs as opposed to pear-shaped people, whose weight is around their hips and bottoms have an increased risk of heart disease.

High Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol leads to risk of heart attacks. The cholesterol in one's body produces hormones and vitamin D. The body actually makes all the cholesterol that it needs, but some foods are saturated with it, which increases the level and harms the body. High cholesterol results from low-density lipprotein LDL, which is bad for a person's health. On the other hand, HDL, high-density lipprotein is good. HDL cholesterol takes the blood from the heart to the liver, where it is removed. Balanced levels of both are important for a healthy body. Gallstones are also made from cholesterol in an overweight person.

Cancer

Obesity raises the risk of cancer. In women it is especially dangerous as it increases the risk factor by fifty percent. Obesity in women account for colon, breast and endometrial cancers. Here are also links to gallbladder, ovary and pancreas cancers too. Again, this can be reduced with a weight loss of a mere twelve pounds. Unfortunately, too rapid weight loss can increase the risk of cancer as well!

Would you like more information? Visit the professionals over at crossfitsupercharged.com today!

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Powerful Thinking - How to Think Yourself Happy and Out of Worry, Anxiety and Stress

The thoughts we focus on affect our energy levels either empowering or draining us. Over time the impact of negative and fear-based thoughts leads to stress, anxiety, depression and general poor well-being.

Does this sound like you?

When we allow our negative thoughts through focusing on them to hook us into worrying and fearful ways of looking at our life, we lose the will, ability, energy to do the things that inspire us.

Does this sound like you?

Most people are focusing negatively on themselves and find it easy to argue for their limitations, talking about, what they can't do or can't have or can't be. It's a habit of thinking that most people have learnt. Like any bad habit it can be changed.

Does this sound like you?

Most people aren't aware of what quantum physics says about "thinking". It's a fact that there is evidence to suggest that just our focus on an atom changes it.

Imagine the difference between that focus being positive or negative and you have the essence of how you can change your life through thinking positively, and arguing for your unlimited potential.

We all know this as a truth because we know that positive people are happier. Some people find it more difficult to believe things that they haven't seen with their own eyes or something that undermines an old belief. Most people don't know that a belief is a thought that has grown with negative or positive focus into an absolute. Your belief may seem true to you but it doesn't mean it is.

The truth is we're using invisible forces all the time and not questioning it. I don't know anyone who questions the Law of Gravity anymore, do you? I don't know anyone who doesn't use electricity because they don't understand how it works, do you? We use lots of things that we don't understand.

So, try on this concept and free yourself of worry, anxiety and stress.

Your thoughts are energy and become things and circumstances. Just pretend that it's true and give yourself the chance to experience the benefits of believing in it temporarily. You'll feel just like a skeptic who discovers the amazing ability to illuminate his living room by finding that a light switch has miraculously appeared on his wall, banishing the need for candles!

Give yourself a day and decide only to focus on the positive elements of every situation...so, for example, if you're driving in your car and someone pulls out in front of you, choose the positive view and see the best in the other driver. Find a positive reason that they had to pull in front of you, something like they were stressed because they had an argument with their son or daughter. Search for the positive aspect and decide to believe it instead of the negative.

Write down the results. What did you notice? How did you feel? What differences were there? What did other people notice about you? How did other people respond to you? What did you learn? What were the benefits of thinking positively?

To supercharge your life and learn how to achieve your goals quicker, visit http://www.fayhartwell.com. Fay can help you get clear on what you want and teach you the strategies you need to overcome your obstacles. Don't get in your own way, you deserve to achieve your goals and be happy!

Sign up for a FREE e-book called "7 Steps to Being Happy" and email Fay for a FREE 30 minute coaching session to work on your goals.

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Acupuncture for Good Health

History

Acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine originating in China. The earliest records of its use date back five thousand years. Doctors visiting China brought acupuncture to the west in the twentieth century. They were amazed to see operations performed on fully conscious patients using acupuncture as an aesthetic.

How many people benefit from acupuncture?

Over two million treatments are currently given each year in Britain alone. It is a therapy which is growing in popularity.

How does it differ from Western medicine?

Chinese medicine describes the processes inside and outside the body in energetic terms. Western medicine describes physiological processes of the body in terms of biochemical changes that occur and how they influence the actions of organs.

Chinese energetic terms refer to vital energy (qi), which travels through your body along pathways called meridians. When you are in good health the flow of qi is smooth and uninterrupted, but when illness strikes this flow is disturbed.

Acupuncture is particularly effective for those conditions which Western medicine finds difficult to treat.

How does acupuncture work?

An acupuncturist stimulates precise points along the meridians to restore your flow of energy and return you to full health. Many people actually describe a tingling sensation along the exact pathway of a meridian, without even knowing it exists.

Acupuncture also works on the physical level. A patient arriving with a headache, or stomach ache may well witness the pain fade away throughout the course of a treatment.

Acupuncture works on the emotional level. It is deeply relaxing. Have you ever wanted to change places with someone who always seems really chilled and happy? Acupuncture can change your own paradigm, from before treatment, to after treatment. Things that bothered you before treatment, suddenly seem no longer such a big deal. Equally, motivation which seemed difficult to muster, post treatment seems to flow easily, and direction and focus become re-aligned.

Improvement to symptoms may hold for the longer term, or they may come back within a week. However with on-going treatment it is likely that symptoms will improve, if not disappear in the long-term.

I have always found it bizarre, and had distrust for the Chinese acupuncture shops in the high street. How could acupuncture, cure a whole list of ailments. However, now I have studied and witnessed its effectiveness, I understand, it can do all it purports to do.

Acupuncture is particularly effective for physical complaints: migraine and headaches, gynecological problems, pain in any part of the body, skin complaints, and emotional imbalances: depression, grief, fear, anger.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) now recommends anyone with back pain should be referred to an acupuncturist (or physio) for a series of ten treatments before medical tests are carried out.

I also believe anyone with depression should also be referred to ten treatments of acupuncture before anti-depressants are prescribed. That's not to say pharmaceuticals don't have a place, but it would be nice to find a solutions, rather than a plaster over the wound.

http://www.tamzinfreeman.co.uk

Tamzin Freeman is a registered acupuncturist and a member of the British Acupuncture Council. She practices from her acupuncture clinic in Chelsea, West London. Acupuncture West London

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Effects of Junk Food on Health

The phrase "junk food" itself speaks of endangerment to health. Junk foods are deemed to be trash foods as they are high in fat and sugar components regardless of how they are labeled by manufacturers. The apparent effect of junk food on health administers when there is excess in intake. Teenagers comprise the higher bulk of junk food fanatics and they seem to be unhealthy with such a lifestyle of munching in chips, fries, crackers and other snack foods in front of the television. Majority of junk food choices do not deliver beneficial nutritional values, but you could actually integrate a few junk foods in your diet with an assurance that it is of moderate amount.

Regardless of age, the effect of junk food on health settles as bad as it could be especially when you eat too much of some. You will end up easily getting exhausted by being a junk food fanatic. Because it doesn't balance the appropriate levels of energy you ought to consume, you have tendencies of craving for more food when you eat junk foods. Also, you can be less focused with anything you undertake at work and home because what you are acquiring from junk foods are mere fats, not healthy ingredients. Also, you will experience lack of important oxygen that eventually result to poor brain functioning.

In the long run, your heart cannot function as it should because of too much cholesterol absorbed in the body as an effect of junk food on health. If there's too much plaque in the arteries, your heart has to assert more effort in pumping blood which may cause you to be in fatigue. The excess amount of cholesterol in your body can destroy the liver as well, leaving you overweight at the same time. Most of obese kids have acquired their overweight dilemma because of too much junk food intake. Most of those who are junk food eaters are likely to get diabetic at any point in their life because of high presence of sugar in the body. High blood pressure due to great amount of sodium from junk foods can also occur.

As they always say it, whatever is avoided comes so tasty. Ice cream, chocolate, junk foods, fries, burgers, potato chips and shakes are all tempting. You can perhaps be disciplined in indulging in these types of food because they are initially unhealthy to have. Too much of anything sweet or salty is health threatening. Not only will you have a bad effect of junk food on health, you will also largely embrace mood swings, decreased enthusiasm to handle workouts, weight gain and constipation problems if you eat junk foods unstoppably. In lieu of them, you can pick fruits and high-fiber food for good snacks and meals.

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about junk food effects visit Healthy Foods Today for current articles and discussions.

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