Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How To Start Your Own Weight Loss Program

How To Start Your Own Weight Loss Program

Remember there's more to you than meets the eye. You've got personality, brains, feelings... in short, all those things that make you, YOU. So why diet? After all, you're more than just a body, and things that really matter can't be measured on a scale. That said, there are some very good sound reasons for dieting.

After all, dieting is not just for weight loss or weight gain. No, the true meaning of 'diet' is in choosing foods and setting eating habits that will keep you healthy, strong, and feeling your best. It takes planning and dedication. It means setting goals and following through. But it doesn't have to be a chore. No, with the right tools it can even be fun ... especially when you start to see the results that you're looking for!

Before, choosing a diet, there are five extremely simple Steps, which if you really apply you will probably end up losing weight without even trying! Doesn't that sound interesting. Really No kidding ... try the following:

Step 1) Always sit down when you eat, preferable at a table. Don't eat while standing, walking, driving or talking on the phone.

Step 2) Don't read or watch television while you eat.

Step 3) Eat only when your stomach is empty. At least 3 to 4 hours from your last meal.

Step 4) Don't take a bite until you've already swallowed the previous bite. Obvious? Try observing people and you'll see them stuffing their mouths, which are still full. They probably talk at the same time! So, bite, chew, swallow, bite, chew, swallow.

Step 5) Don't eat when you're not hungry. No, I'm being serious and I know that this sounds stupid. For example when at home wait 5 minutes before taking second helpings. If you wait, you'll probably find that you're no longer hungry, whereas if you don't wait you could probably eat thirds! Remember ... Wait five minutes before taking more.

A good diet doesn't end when you finally reach your target goal. Maintaining good nutrition, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle is a continuing process. Only this will give you the energy to face the challenges of your busy day, boost your self-image, and make you look and feel better.

And there's no feeling like the satisfaction when you achieve your goals by sticking to a sensible, healthy, diet plan. Besides, where would we be without food? Changing your diet to prevent or reverse heart disease, reduce your blood pressure, or to get the better of your diabetes and, naturally to reach your desired weight, is not just a matter of cutting out butter and eggs and counting the amount of fat grams you eat each day. For instance, most Americans get close to 40% of their calories from fat! This is twice the recommended amount if you already suffer from heart disease.

There are many misconceptions and confusion concerning fat these days, some seem to make sense, others are just plain dumb! Remember, concerning fat, several things are now known for sure. It is known that most of us eat too much fat and that obesity is a major health concern, increasing the risk for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, back pain and cancer. It is also known that saturated fat, more than anything else, is responsible for increasing our cholesterol levels.

I know it's weird, but it's been found, ironically, that when people focus exclusively on eliminating cholesterol from their daily diet they may unknowingly move on to a diet high in saturated fats! Some people decide to become vegetarian, leaving out meat and eggs, but the salad dressings, nuts and peanut butter, for instance, do more damage than a lean steak! Message: be careful what you eat, you may be surprised.

By: Jules Sims

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A Good Natural Acne Treatment - Aloe Vera

A Good Natural Acne Treatment - Aloe Vera

The aloe vera plant has been used for centuries for its healing abilities and it's definitely good to use for acne problems.

Aloe vera has been proven to be a mysterious healing plant - scientists still don't know exactly how aloe vera works, but it is known that it is a very effective healing agent and has been used successfully to treat skin infections, skin damage,skin lesions, rashes, wounds, burns, scarring and digestive disorders.

Aloe vera is very soothing when used as a clean moisturizer for the skin - aloe is also an anti-inflammatory, which works well for acne, as acne is an inflammatory skin condition. Aloe is said to help strengthen the immune system, which further helps to fight the acne infection. Another benefit of using aloe vera for acne is that it reduces the pain and swelling of acne skin, and is also used to treat scarring of the skin, which is good news for acne sufferers.

I have personally used aloe vera pure gel to treat my own skin conditions - including acne and severe sunburn, and I can tell you from experience that aloe vera really does work, in fact, for me the results were truly amazing...the gel is very cooling and soothing and my skin started healing almost immediately. I can now see why some people swear by aloe vera as an actual cure for acne.

Aloe is generally very inexpensive and you can get aloe vera in a variety of forms - aloe gel, (pure gel is the best - no dyes or any other ingredients - just pure aloe), aloe soaps, aloe creams, aloe liquids and sprays.

Aloe is available in most stores in the skin lotions section, pharmacy, or sun tanning section. Aloe products are also available in natural food stores, or you can order a variety of aloe products online.

Another option is to have your own aloe vera plant and use the leaves for healing. You can either cut or break an aloe leaf open and use the pure gel inside the leaf on your skin.

Many people have had great results using aloe vera for acne, scarring, and other skin problems, so if you like the idea of natural remedies for your skin, aloe vera is worth looking into as an acne treatment.


By: stefexec
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6 Qualities Of A Good Domain Name

6 Qualities Of A Good Domain Name

Choosing a good domain name is crucial to the success or failure of your business. You may wonder how something so small and slight could have an impact on your business, but the best way to compare this is to think about how important location is to an offline business? If you do not have a good location, you are likely not going to get many visitors. The same holds true for a good domain name as well.

Here, you will discover the six qualities that a good domain name must have to ensure maximum success.

1.) Memorable

A good domain name must be memorable. Yes, we have the option of bookmarking a site that we enjoy; however, the hard truth is that many people do not take advantage of bookmarking. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that your domain name is one that is easy to remember and makes an impact.

It should be easy, memorable, and straight forward. Avoid complexity and it is usually a good idea to avoid initials in most cases. The only exception to this rule would be if the letters represented the website name or business and was still easy to remember.

2.) Short and Sweet

Twenty characters is the maximum that you should use for a good domain name, ten is even better. A long and complicated domain name is not going to help you. Your best bet is to keep it short and sweet. A great domain name is less than ten characters; a good domain name is less than twenty characters. A bad domain name goes over twenty characters.

3.) Be Choosy On Your Extension

There are several domain extensions available to you such as .com, .net, .org, .tv, .info, .gov and so on. However, some of these work better than others and are more memorable at the same time. It is important to understand that some extensions also have restrictions such as .gov is reserved specifically for government websites. The .com domain name extension is the best by far, because it is the most widely used.

The .net extension is the second best, but be prepared most people will type .com before they will .net if they cannot remember which extension you use. The type of extension you use might also have a bearing on the type of website. Some people have come to expect certain things when a particular extension. For example, .org is typically used by not-for-profit organization and educational websites. The .info extensions are generally used for informational websites.

4.) Spelling Means Everything

Having a difficult to spell domain name could cause you some trouble. Again, many do not even make use of bookmarks; therefore, if your domain name is hard to spell, they may end up at a competitor's website. A good domain name contains only words that are easy to pronounce, have a good combination of words or letters that are used in every day language, and does not contain foreign words that may be difficult to non-native speakers.

5.) Tells a Story

A good domain name should be descriptive and tell a story. In other words, when your visitors, customers, or potential customers see your domain name they should instantly be able to tell what they are going to find. For instance, if it is your business, a business name is good.

6.) Avoid Fancy Symbols

It is never a good idea to use numbers or hyphens within your domain name. Even if your domain name is memorable, many people will not pay attention to the symbols, which could lead them to someone else's website.

By: Joseph Nyamache

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Setting Up A Home Gym

Setting Up A Home Gym

If you've made a New Years resolution to get fit one too many times without success, then perhaps it's time to consider a home gym.

Home: where the healthy heart is
There are many reasons why a home gym might be right for you. Memberships to commercial gyms can be expensive, not to mention the time it takes to get to and from their location each time you go for a workout. Having the gym right there at home can redirect hours of personal time back into your schedule each week.

Of course, there are pros and cons to having your own gym at home. Firstly, you have to be self-motivated to actually get up and use it; otherwise the initial set up fees will be wasted. And speaking of set up fees, the initial investment in a home gym can be a little daunting for some, but remember that good quality equipment will end up saving you loads in the long run. This is especially true if you share the equipment with a partner or flatmates.

It goes without saying, of course, that to have a home gym you have to have the space for it. Keep in mind that some weights equipment in particular can be heavy on flooring, so you will have to consider whether or not your space can take the load.

If you do have the space and are keen to get going, then the greatest advantage to a home gym is that you can be the boss of it. You can work out when you feel like it, listen to your own music, or even wear your most beaten up clothes if you like. And you will never have to wait in line for equipment again.

What will you need?
What equipment you choose will depend largely on what you like to do when you workout. There's no point investing in a treadmill if you hate running or the latest in weight lifting gear if that's not your thing. You might want to consider some lightweights, an elliptical trainer and leave enough floor space for a yoga mat.

Perhaps you want to set up your own home gym to do more serious weight training. If this is the case, then consider flooring very carefully. A good hard surface, like the concrete flooring of a garage, can be great, but you will probably need to add some rubber matting as well to reduce noise and potential damage (to both floor and equipment).

When choosing equipment, avoid the infomercial and head straight to a shop that specialises in fitness equipment. They often not only stock reliable products, but also have the staff with the know-how to back them up.

For those on a budget, you need not relegate the idea of a home gym to your wish list only, but instead can deck a room out with minimal equipment that will get you good results. Choose to put your money into a good cardio machine like an elliptical trainer (which is lower impact and works both legs and arms) or a treadmill. Be careful when purchasing cheap equipment that may break easily, be of poor quality or may not be enjoyable to use.

Treadmills are a good example of this. Cheaper versions tend to be unstable and harder to run on. Choosing a model that is wide and long enough for you, that also has good shock support for feet, ankles and knees, is essential to ensuring you train safely.

Home gyms can be one of the most rewarding and convenient ways to achieve your fitness goals, and with the right planning, you can have an economical gym right there at home in no time.

By: Greg Mate

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