The Top 10 Tips to Weight Loss, Health, and Fitness-Tip #8

Tip # 8: Don’t Kiss and Tell

One word of advice: no matter how tempted you are, and you will be tempted, don’t tell anyone else about your new way of eating.

It’s going to be hard not to share, but keep your teeth firmly planted on your tongue and just wait a few minutes—hold on, hold on, hold on, the urge will pass. I promise.

The only exceptions are the people who share your living quarters and maybe the one or two individuals who have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he or she supports you one hundred per cent (warning: that person will be very rare!).

Even the most well-intended family members and friends will consciously or unconsciously sabotage your efforts. Your change will make them feel uncomfortable, which makes them rationalize their own bad habits. They will question you until you start doubting your own common sense and commitment to replace your unhealthy food habits with healthy ones.

When someone notices that you are eating differently and asks you the inevitable question, “Why are you eating like this?” simply say: “Because it works for me.” Then drop the subject.

When you know that something is right for you, no matter how anyone else feels and reacts around you, you don’t need anyone’s approval or support.

Someone else’s opinion of you is none of your business!

The truth is the truth, and you are aligning your life with that truth.

Just as important, don’t preach to other people. It’s difficult enough to change yourself, much less try to change others; especially those closest to you.

The only chance you have of changing another person is by example; or if you are the sole cook in the family and your partner puts no more effort into the food than putting it into his (okay, or her) mouth and chewing.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit DrLeslieVanRomer.com DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Fibromyalgia - The Pain Of Living

As time passes, eventually all pains will have their own names. Just like the term fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition associated with pain in the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints. There are only theories as to the causes of fibromyalgia. Some people believe that a continual disturbance in sleep may promote the development of fibromyalgia. Depression may also be a factor in fibromyalgia. Some people get fibromyalgia after they’ve experienced a trauma or accident and this is called, reactive fibromyalgia. Lack of exercise and the brain not producing enough growth hormones are also potential causes of fibromyalgia.

The effects of fibromyalgia can encompass the whole body. Most people will feel the pain in their muscles, back, neck and soft tissue. The severity of the pain can bring on fatigue and the combination of both could be debilitating. Other symptoms related to fibromyalgia include headaches, problems concentrating, irritable bowel syndrome and stiffness in the mornings. Symptoms have a tendency to come and go. For some people, the symptoms maybe worse during cold and damp weather, but not all people will have all the symptoms.

There is no single test that the doctors can give to diagnose fibromyalgia, but there are two major factors that are considered, when trying to diagnose fibromyalgia. One is the presence of widespread pain, which is defined as pain on both sides of the body, above and below the waist. And the other is tender points. There are 18 designated tender points on the body so if someone feels pain in at least 11 of the tender points, then there’s an increased possibility that it could be fibromyalgia. However, before fibromyalgia can be concluded as the condition certain other ailments that produce symptoms similar to fibromyalgia, have to be ruled out. Ailments such as thyroid disease, lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. The best anyone can do is to try to treat and control the symptoms. Some of the things people can do for themselves are exercise regularly, eat healthily and reduce stress and find ways to improve sleeping habits. Some people can get temporary relief by applying heat to their painful areas. Of course, there are also drugs that can be used in treatment. Tricyclic antidepressants have shown to be effective in improving sleep problems. New drugs like gabapentin and meloxicam are appearing to be effective in dealing with the pain of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia appears to be a mystery disease. Nobody knows what causes it, even though it’s been around for some time. Unfortunately for females, the condition affects them more than males. Because so much is still unknown about fibromyalgia, there’s no way to prevent it. Trying to live with fibromyalgia appears to be the only thing people can do. The difficulty in trying to live a normal life is that the pain can be so bad that some people aren’t able to work and the condition can destroy a person’s social life as well. Fibromyalgia appears to be another one of life’s obstacles that people must overcome.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

Pinellas Trail - A Great Place to Exercise

The Pinellas Trail is an exciting addition to Pinellas County Florida. This trail extends over 34 miles throughout the county and gives residents a place to walk, bike, jog or stroll on a safe pathway. Over 90,000 people a month use this trail that was first opened in 1990. It has become a great place for families to stay active and encourage their children to exercise with them. You can often see families riding bikes, rollerblading or even taking a walk after dinner. What a great way to stay connected with your family and make that one on one time that often gets lost in the shuffle of daily life.

There is a Pinellas Trail organization that oversees that the trail remains a safe, clean and enjoyable place for residents. They have also positioned beverage stations periodically along the trail to provide a place for people to stop and get refreshments if needed.

And don’t forget your four legged friends. Pets are allowed on the trail on a leash and it is a great way to help your animals stay active. Many people have found it difficult to get the exercise they need in traditional neighborhoods or along busy roadways. The Pinellas Trail offers that safe place to enjoy the Florida sun that we all moved to this area for. So get out and enjoy this part of your town!

Bob Lipply is a top Real Estate Broker Associate in the lipplyrealestate.com Tampa Florida Real Estate area. He and his team have been helping families relocate to Florida and on the selling end get top dollar for their homes with great success. Lipply Real Estate also specializes in lipplyrealestate.com Clearwater Real Estate visit his website where you can search the MLS for up to date available homes for sale.

Diabetes and Achieving Calm

I know that stress can negatively affect diabetes. It means that our blood sugar levels become more difficult to predict and to control. Not only are there physiological and physical aspects of stress that make diabetes control difficult, it can also lead to emotional and mental blocks to living a healthy lifestyle.

Calm - A Proven Four Step Process Designed Specifically for Women Who Worry by Denise Marek offers strategies on how to stop worrying and achieve a greater sense of calm.

The first thing to note is that this book is not simply designed for women, though it uses examples that women might more readily understand. This book has techniques to reduce stress through eliminating worry that will benefit both men and women.

This book has really helped me in my diabetes management. Sometimes it seems like there is so much to deal with at once: work, family, and a chronic disease on top of that? This book offers techniques to approach life that make things make sense, and that gives helpful ways of thinking about the world.

Marek uses the word CALM as an acronym for “Challenge your assumptions,” “Act to control the controllable,” “Let go of the uncontrollable,” and “Master your mind.” The way she elaborates on each point gives tangible strategies to put into use.

One of the strategies that I found most helpful was when Marek explained the negative impacts of “What if” thinking. If I spend all of my time worrying about what will happen if, I will never be able to live a fully productive and empowered life in the present.

Marek also emphasizes how success works. She points out that nobody would ever be able to get everything done even if they had more than 24 hours in day. Success is actually knowing what to leave undone, and learning to make decisions that support you.

Although I have never before recommended a book to my readers, I think that it is important for people with diabetes to read Marek’s book. It is an uplifting book that will change your outlook on life for the better.

For more information on how to manage your diabetes, visit theguideto-diabetes.com The Guide to Diabetes. This site has information on diabetes medication, on exercise, and on preventing diabetes.

Wheelchair Ramps

Wheelchairs are designed, keeping in mind the specific needs of disabled persons. They could be operated manually or maybe motorized or electric versions. They provide mobility to people who may be paralyzed or are dealing with compromised muscle movement. Wheelchairs allow the users to lead an independent and confident life, as they are able to continue performing their daily chores, without much help from others. Apart from mobility in and around the house, people can easily carry them to other locations in their vehicles. Wheelchair ramps make this movement possible. A wheelchair ramp is easy to assemble and provides a platform that is similar to a roadway or an inclined surface. Once connected, the users only need to roll the wheelchair along the length of the ramp, to reach the other level. This eliminates the need for physically loading and unloading the wheelchair, which may at times be impossible.

Wheelchairs ramps are available in varying width and length. It is important to find a ramp that can accommodate the wheelchair. They are easy to install and fold. Wheelchair ramps may even be fitted with inbuilt steps to offer optimum protection, when mounting or dismounting. They can be attached to the rear or side door of a vehicle. Many users consider them to be a reasonably priced alternative to wheelchair lifts.

It is important to find a variety that has a skid resistance surface. They are available in various metals and aluminum blends that are easy to maintain and clean. People may select from permanent and semi-permanent wheelchair ramps. They are installed with the help of bolts and rivets that can be easily taken apart. Some people opt for portable ramps that are available in folded or rolled varieties. These compact ramps can be carried in special cases and used anywhere.

i-wheelchairs.com Wheelchairs provides detailed information on Electric Wheelchairs, Motorized Wheelchairs, Power Wheelchairs, Wheelchair Lifts and more. Wheelchairs is affiliated with e-electricwheelchairs.com Used Electric Wheelchairs.

What Really Causes Heart Disease? Can Stress Alone Cause Heart Illness?

Why do people get heart disease? Although this might seem like
a very simple question, it isn’t really.

The traditional medical answer for why people get heart disease
is that people get heart disease (and by this we are talking about
cholesterol deposits inside the heart arteries: coronary heart
disease) because of risk factors.

They have various risk factors- smoking, high blood pressure,
high serum cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, family history of heart
disease, low HDl cholesterol, inactivity, or other risk factors
and this is the reason that a person is stricken with heart problems.

Although this seems like a good answer, it isn’t really the answer.
While it is true that people who have risk factors are more likely to
get a heart blockage, risk factors aren’t the real cause of heart
attacks and cholesterol build up inside the arteries.

Medical science doesn’t know completely, but our main working
theory is that injury to the inner lining of the arteries what is
called the Intima (a single row of cells that line the artery) is the
real culprit.

When the Intima becomes injured then the natural balance between
cholesterol moving into the artery and out of the artery is disturbed.
You see cholesterol and many other substances are always moving
in and out of cells.

But when the Intima becomes injured it stops working like it should
and cholesterol begins to build up in the arteries. Dysfunction of
the normal working of the Intima is critical in the formation of
heart blockages.

We can consider this injury to be much like the injury to any
part of the body.

Think what happens when an irritant is poured on our skin. Say we
pour a chemical that causes a burn of the skin. The cells on the
outermost part of the skin become red and inflamed. If the injury
is bad enough, the outer skin may be penetrated and an actual burn
may occur.

Injury to the Intima happens in the same way. Certain substances
that may be toxic to the Intima circulate in the blood and injure the
one cell thick lining, leading to inflammation.

So the logical question is: What causes injury to the Intima?

Scientists still don’t know conclusively but repetitive injury to the
Intima is thought to occur from high blood pressure (for most
cases of high blood pressure the cause is unknown), an infection
in the artery wall, or high levels of LDL cholesterol.

It has also been shown that certain growth factors- chemical
messengers, somehow turn on the process of cholesterol
buildup. This suggests that the body’s immune system may
play a role. So the answer to what causes heart blockages is still unclear.

What is known is that what we do to our bodies: what we eat,
our lack of exercise, our excessive weight, what we smoke,
and having uncontrolled blood pressure predisposes a person
to heart disease. But did you know that Stress and even our negative
emotions: anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, depression, and
loneliness have been shown to actually cause heart disease?

In one study, it was found that people who suffered from
Anxiety had twice the likelihood of having a heart attack
as people who don’t have anxiety.

Luckily, even if we may not know the cause of heart blockages
they can be prevented and even reversed. We can begin the process of
lowering our chances of etting heart disease by altering our lifestyle choices.

We can choose to eat better, exercise more, stop smoking, and control our blood
pressure. We can also choose to heal our sadness, release our anxiety,
and overcome the anger that plagues us. Many resources are available for healing.
You can check out a Yoga class, begin to meditate, or consider starting therapy.

A technique called practicing remembrance can also be very useful. I teach this
technique in my book, “How to Heal Your Broken Heart” www.drlaman.com

Choose what’s right for you, but make a choice. It could be the
thing that leads you down the road to greater heart health.

Kirk Laman, D.O., F.A.C.C. Heart Specialist * Author * Educator * Healer/Pastor

Dr. Kirk Laman is a board certified cardiologist who helps people struggling with
physical, emotional or spiritual heart problems. Dr. Laman practices cardiology with
The Thoracic Cardiovascular Institute, Mid-Michigan’s premier cardiovascular
specialists. He takes care of patients in both Owosso, and Lansing, Michigan.

Besides practicing cardiology, Dr. Kirk Laman also lectures, writes, and holds
workshops for people interested in their total heart health. Dr. Laman has written
for the Detroit News, The Phenomenews, as well as Lansing’s, Healthy and Fit
Magazine. For over 18 years Dr. Laman has recognized the important role that our
thoughts, emotions, and our psychological make up have upon our heath.

Dr. Laman is the author of How to Heal Your Broken Heart-A Cardiologist’s Secrets
for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health drlaman.com drlaman.com. In the book
Dr. Kirk Laman offers readers a simple and easy way to begin the process of healing
their hearts.

Best Pets For Depression

While pocket pets can provide comfort, if you have the space and time for it, a dog or cat is most likely a better pet. These are pets who can actually learn and will grow more accustomed to you. Since they live longer, they will probably make better pets as well; you will not find them needing replacement as often.

Dogs and cats can often become members of the family and that is a very good thing in this case. Having an animal that looks forward to you coming home, as a dog will can be very rewarding. Cats, unless they are particularly moody, will also be happy to see you when you come home (unless they are asleep). Kittens, along with most dogs, are particularly playful. They will be very happy to respond if you offer a game to play together, and will sometimes even approach you offering to play a game.

It is, however, important that you remember that while you can talk to your pets, they cannot replace human companionship. They don’t talk back. You can tell your dog or cat about your day or tell it how you are feeling but it won’t be able to offer any words of advice. It won’t be able to tell you that everything will be better, but it might lick your face. Sometimes, that is all that you need.

Learn to alleviate your depression at curemydepression.com curemydepression.com

Would YOU Let Your CHILD Put This in Their Mouth?

What is it that your parents encouraged you to do from an early age to ensure that you had clean healthy teeth? Brush your teeth! OF COURSE they did! Naturally you may be doing the same today with your own children. Any responsible parent would do, because we all want our children to develop good habits that will keep them fit and healthy.

But what if you discovered that you might unwittingly be encouraging your children to do something that COULD be positively harmful for them? How would that make you feel? “Terrible – absolutely terrible!” - would probably be your answer. And if you knew how to stop doing this easily and quickly…why, well you would stop as soon as possible, wouldn’t you? If you instinctively answered: “Yes, yes…Of course I would!” - then read on…

Well for some children – they may well be being encouraged to develop bad habits’ when they are brushing their teeth. Not in the fact that they are being taught to employ proper regular dental hygiene, which is a good thing. But when children are young they become ‘indoctrinated’ to using certain products often inheriting their parents habitually favoured brands.

What if YOUR favoured brand of toothpaste, unbeknown to you, contained synthetic chemicals that could prove toxic and even harmful to your children’s long-term health? Maybe it is not even an issue you have ever considered because you might naturally think – “How could any major brands like I use contain any toxic chemicals?”

Well, many well-known brands have, and do, incorporate a host of chemicals in the formulation of their toothpastes. For instance almost all brands offer their toothpaste with ‘fluoride’ added. Now the efficacy of some fluoride chemicals has been bought into question, and it is clear that fluoride can actually damage teeth if regularly absorbed in too high a dose. But this is not the key issue for this article.

The main toothpaste ‘mix’ itself often includes chemical foamers for instance – or ‘detergents’. It is a popular misconception that detergents are for cleaning. They are useful for removing grease, it is true, and in the process they often produce a rich lather as they are worked about. This is why toothpaste ‘foams’ in your mouth. Typically the detergents added to toothpaste might be ‘sodium lauryl suphate’, or its ‘cousin’, ‘sodium laureth sulphate’; exactly the same, largely synthetically produced chemical, used in the huge majority of liquid soaps, shampoos and bubble baths. This well-known potential irritant has also been associated with other health issues. Certainly NOT something you want to regularly put in your mouth…let alone the more ‘delicate’ mouths of children.

This is just one of a host of questionable chemicals, routinely used by manufacturers. For instance many formulations use the chemical preservatives - Parabens. This ‘chemical family’ has been associated with cancer risks…and we may be encouraging our children to use it regularly in their mouths! It’s a strange world isn’t it?

Today, medical authorities are already to beginning to promote the fact that there are increasing numbers of mouth cancer cases. It is often blamed on the continued use of cigarettes and tobacco products. However – why would this lead to ‘increasing’ rates of mouth cancer at a time when smoking, overall, has generally been on the decline.

Synthetic chemicals, for foaming and preservation, flavouring and colours, have only been used in toothpaste over the last couple of decades. Half a century ago people used simple ‘homespun’ remedies to provide the mild abrasion needed for a ‘good old tooth brushing’.

Most popular amongst these simple dentifrices was ‘baking soda’ – or sodium bicarb – a chemical, yes, but known from years of use in cooking and as a simple indigestion aid to be perfectly inert and safe. Alternatively folks just dipped their toothbrush in a bit of sea salt and brushed their teeth with this. These methods where just as effective (if not more so), than any of the new modern chemical laden varieties of toothpastes!

Today it is hard to imagine kids being happy to brush with salt perhaps. It is a good idea therefore to take the time to look for a safer type of toothpaste product. It is possible to find toothpastes that are based on ‘baking soda’, and even using natural sea salt. If you can find brands that are 100% natural and made with only ‘certified organic’ ingredients then this choice is, of course, even better. The few pence more that such products cost MUST be worth the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are not teaching your children to use toxic chemical products that could have potentially serious implications for their health!

Next time you brush your teeth, or when you are buying toothpaste, take a look at the ingredients listed on the tube or packet – and make sure that you’d be truly ‘happy to put it in your own mouth’ - let alone your children’s.

Article by A. Graham Smith MSc BSc – The author has many years experience in the
food industry and teaching students studying food production, nutrition and health at degree
level. He now regularly contributes articles to the non toxic lifestyle website gonando.com GoNandO.com
where additional information about where to find safe and effective
gonando.com/toothpaste.html certified organic toothpaste can be found. You can also claim a complementary copy of the latest gonando.com/organic-beauty-products.html#directory Toxic Ingredients in Everyday Products ‘Desktop-Directory’ also prepared by A Graham Smith, via ‘GoNandO’.

Dental Tools and Handpieces

Every dentist and dental hygienist uses a variety of dental tools to clean, polish and repair teeth with. These instruments are expensive and need constant repair. If you are looking for a new career or a small business that requires little start up money then you may want to consider starting a repair business that focuses on the repair and maintenance of dental hand pieces.

To start up your dental hand piece repair business you will first need to learn about the dental hand pieces that you will be repairing. You can gain this information by simply reading the user’s manuals distributed by the manufacturers of dental equipment. These manuals can usually be found free of charge online.

The second step that you will need to take to set up your repair business is to learn basic maintenance and repair skills for dental hand pieces. There are several low cost courses that you can take to learn the skills needed to maintain these tools. Some of the repair courses that you may want to look for include repairing air turbine motors and replacing dental ball bearings.

The final step for setting up your repair business for dental hand pieces is to find customers. To help get the word out you will also want to design a brochure that lists your prices, repair services and information about your training. You can hand out these brochures to local dentists. You may also want to start by approaching your dentist or dental specialist. Having a business card can also help you to develop referral and repeat business.

There are a lot of supplies, tools and materials that dental practices need in order to operate properly. Some of the most important dentalbearings.info/dental_tools.html” target=”_blank dental tools are dentalbearings.info/” target=”_blank dental ball bearings. These small tools are needed for dental handpieces to work properly. A smooth running dental practice requires the proper tools for every job including administrative tasks. Administrative tasks include things like setting up patients’ files, filing insurance forms for payment, managing costs and ordering supplies.

Dietary and Nutritional Supplements: Know More About Supplements

At times, due to your busy and fast life, we tend to miss out on the essential nutrients such as protien, vitamins and minerals which are responsible for our good health. Good nutrition is the most important factor in achieving optimal health. If we face some type of challenges in life which doesn’t allow us to have a balanced diet all the time, then supplementing out daily diet with food supplements is quick, easy and effective way to fill nutrient gaps.

Supplements are basically substitute of the essential nutrients which we don’t eat in our busy daily routine. Since these Supplements provides us with the required nutrients, it helps us get extra energy and helps us build muscles.

Who needs supplementation?

1) Anyone not having a balanced diet needs supplements. Importance of balanced diet has been mentioned time and again and to fill in the nutrient gaps, we do need supplements.

2) Body builders, muscle builders and athletes who are suppose to take extra intake of recommended nutrients must take supplements. Normal diet normally doesn’t provide you with extra amount of nutrients.

3) Pregnant women need supplements such as iron, folic acid and calcium.

4) Teenagers generally do not consume adequate iron.

5) Since vegetarians do not consume animal products, they fell short of protein, iron, vitamin B12, zinc and calcium.

6) Children need supplements for their growing body and for developing bones. They can be given tasty chewable multivitamin and mineral supplements along with protein and vitamin drinks and shakes.

You have to be extra careful when it comes to supplements because most of the so called supplements do not work in Building Muscles. But no doubt, good supplements gives you an extra edge when it comes to Building Muscles.

One of the most popular and well known Supplement is CREATINE .

CREATINE: Creatine when combined with proper balanced diet gives you extra energy during Muscle Building . It allows you to put more effort during workouts.It also speeds up your muscle gain and you will see the results comparatively faster than without Creatine.

To get Creatine directly from food, Have Meat once a day. Meat is one of the best source for Creatine.

Point to be noted down : Do not take extra dosage of Creatine. It doesn’t help. Take in the amount advised by your physical trainer or Physician . Make sure you take in the pure Creatine as lots of fake supplements are out there in the market ready to dupe you. Be careful!!

Also other supplements like Carbohydrate Supplements or some fluids might help, but again be very careful and take proper advice from a physical trainer before using them.

Carbohydrate Supplements provides your body with extra Carbohydrates Carbohydrates basically triggers the growth hormone along with protein which helps in building great muscles.

Protein Drinks are wonderful as they give you extra energy without using up insulin. Vitamin and minerals capsules are very much in demand since they provide you with the required nutrients in quicker and efficient way.

Caution: Taking too much of vitamin E supplements can be hazardous to health rather than being a benefit. according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, use of high dose vitamin E supplements, in excess of 400 IU ( international units ) is associated with a higher overall risk of dying.

Tip: Buy safe Supplements from the best in this field at weightloss-health.com/muscle_building.html

About the Author

Jasdeep: for weightloss-health.com/ weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Know more on Supplements facts, myths, reviews and which supplements are safe for you at weightloss-health.com/supplements%20facts%20myths.htm Dietary and Nutritional Supplements Information

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