• Oxygen to the brain:  Cobwebs clear out and there is a sudden clarity of thought.
• Your body has a morphine-like chemical that releases within, like a “natural high”-endorphins. You feel as if on mood enhancing drugs.
• While outdoors and viewing the sunrise (or sunset) you’ll connect with nature.  The beauty, miraculous order, and intricacy of the natural world is a metaphor for perfect human functioning; with complete self acceptance-here and now-nothing to improve or change.   Have you ever seen a discontented tree?  Or a dog chastising himself for not catching the ball?

2.  Laugh:  It reverses your perspective; your mood from what’s-the-use to motivated, opened to new solutions.

• Humor hits when there is a sudden unexpected switch–truth revealed, cut through the B.S.  Someone else knows what   it’s like out there in the trenches.

3.  Breathe:  Use this biofeedback method - it evens out your heart rate, greatly slows down your rate of breathing, and increases your body temperature, causing stress to melt away.

• Stop all you are doing and sit or lie down in a comfortable position
• Using belly breathing (feel your belly to be sure you are), slowly inhale for the count of 2, naturally and gently.
• Breathe out gently, slowly, while counting to four.  Again, use belly not chest breathing. Make sure the out breath is much longer than the in breath.
• Repeat above steps for 5 to 30 minutes while visualizing pleasant scenes or listening to a soothing meditation recording or music

Not Getting Swine Flu

A Pandemic Is Declared

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.  It wouldn’t hurt to have some preventative medication such as tamiflu available to you.

WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus.

Making more Money

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.

But it’s hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on “make money online” and “making money online”, and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, “Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?”

Here is a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that -

★ Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money

★ Don’t require you to have your own Web domain or your own products

★ Don’t involve any hard-selling

★ Aren’t just promoting more Internet marketing

★ Give a good return on your time investment.

These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.” - Says About.com

Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, Bohire and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates.

Quitting Smoking

Here are some examples of reasons to quit:

★ I will feel healthier right away.
★ I will have more energy and better focus.
★ My senses of smell and taste will be better.
★ I will have whiter teeth and fresher breath.
★ I will cough less and breathe better.

Why not utilize the help of a prescription medication to aid in helping you quit the habit.  A medication such as Zyban may be just what you need, and easily obtained through online resources.

Controlling your Allergies

Pollens. Shower or bathe before bedtime to wash off pollen and other allergens in your hair and on your skin. Avoid going outside, especially on dry, windy days. Keep windows and doors shut, and use an air conditioner at home and in your car.

Mold. You can reduce the amount of mold in your home by removing houseplants and by frequently cleaning shower curtains, bathroom windows, damp walls, areas with dry rot and indoor trash cans. Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to kill mold. Open doors and windows and use fans to increase air movement and help prevent mold.

Losing Weight

Before you try to make any changes to your habits, first you need to see where you are right now. Find out what your body mass index (BMI) is. See how it compares to a healthy weight. Start keeping a record of what you eat each day and how much exercise you get.

The next step is really important. You have to make a long-term commitment. If you’re going to change your eating and exercise habits, you won’t be done after six weeks or six months or six years. You have to decide that you’re motivated to make changes that will last for the rest of your life.

America’s Food Standards

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Americans consume too many calories, saturated and trans fats, salt, cholesterol and added sugars. The guidelines suggest that Americans should adjust their daily intake to include more potassium and vitamin E rich foods. They advise individuals to choose more fruits and vegetables while decreasing intake of foods that are low in nutrients but have a high energy level. Examples of these high energy level foods include fried foods.

Why Do We Eat This Stuff?

Availability - In many parts of the country, we are overrun with fast food and junk food options. There are fast food restaurants on every other street corner.

The Price - There’s the ever-present-well-lit-open-24-hours-drive-thru menu at Whataburger. There’s McDonald’s Dollar Menu at 4am - McDouble, fries, 2 pies, and so on . Del Taco’s 2 for $5.00 Deluxe Combo Burrito’s at midnight. There always open and always cheap.

3. The Taste - While some would disagree that fast food tastes good, big chain fast food corporations pay tens of millions of dollars to figure out what taste, texture, and temperature combination will be more than just mildly non-offensive. The food items have to be so taste-filled that an otherwise reasonable person will overlook every detail on where that combination of ingredients came from.

The First Step

Going Cold Turkey
I had to completely gross myself out from eating fast food. So I went online and searched for McDonald’s, Don’t Eat At McDonald’s and of course “Super Size Me” - The Movie. What I found was very disturbing, and it really made me realize how I had come to be 50 pounds overweight. I was ashamed and embarrassed of myself, how could I put all that crap in my body? So I just had to quit Cold Turkey and that was that!

Fast Food = Fat Food

The Truth
As if The movie “Super Size Me” wasn’t bad enough I saw another video about a wellness educator and nutrition consultant Karen Hanrahan. She has kept a McDonald’s hamburger since 1996 to illustrate its non-existent ability to decay. Aside from drying out and bit and having “the oddest smell,” it apparently hasn’t changed much in the past 12 years. That was “super gross”.

If you over-eat on food, you might end up getting cavities.  If that is the case, you will probably want to visit a dentist or dental assistant that can help you with controlling the cavities so you can get back on track to eating right.

Eating Healthy

Your Meal Plan
Remember this - in the end weight loss is still about burning more calories than you take in. The advantage to these foods is that they may help you do just that - if you eat them instead of some higher-calorie foods.

Your Goals
Set them and carry through, it’s not easy but if you never do it, you never will. I wrote my story of sticking with it and never giving up. I set my mind on my goals, stuck with it, and ended up loosing 20 pounds this summer!

You Won’t believe these Videos

McDonald’s Fast-Food Test

click on fries to view

400 calories, 17.5g fat, 57 carbs

click on burger

500 cal, 26g fat, 38 carbs

10 - Keeping It Off Super-foods

1. Green Tea - In a recent study, volunteers who drank a bottle of tea (fortified with green tea extract) every day for three months lost more body fat than another group who drank a bottle of regular tea.

2. Soup - Eating low-calorie soups (the broth- and tomato-based ones) before meals may reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness. Therefore you would take in fewer total daily calories.

3. Green Salads - Just how low-calorie can a green salad be? Consider that two cups of fresh spinach leaves, 10 slices of cucumber, one medium tomato, and 1/4 cup of grated carrot has a grand total of 67 calories (along with a hefty 5.5 grams of fiber).

4. Soy - Replacing the dairy in your diet with soy can give you a great caloric drop. Soy milk is high in protein. The more the protein in the soy milk, the higher the isoflavone content. Many believe that isoflavones reduce cholesterol, prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk for certain cancers (prostate cancer and breast cancer).

5. Beans - Beans help you feel full longer, which means they may work to curb your between-meal appetite. They also give you a big fiber and protein bang for a minimum of calories. One-half cup of pinto beans or kidney beans has around 8 grams fiber and 7 grams of protein, all for about 110 calories.

6. Water - it’s a great alternative to other, calorie-containing beverages. Water is necessary for life, and you should be drinking it throughout the day. You can get your water flavored, unsweetened mineral water, regular water with lime or lemon, or cucumber. Even brewed coffee (especially decaf) counts if consumed black and in moderation.

7. Diet Shakes - While diet shakes are not the solution to weight loss or maintenance, research shows that they might help. Women who had lost weight on a reduced-calorie plan that included meal-replacement beverages maintained their losses after a year by drinking at least one diet shake a day in place of a meal.  There are medications that might help with weight loss as well.  Try talking to your doctor or order online something like Xenical.

8. High-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal - Whole grains in general help boost fiber and the nutritional value of your meal, but many studies done on their relationship to weight loss have specifically involved breakfast cereals.

9. Grapefruit - A recent study found that grapefruit may help encourage weight loss and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One pink grapefruit takes a bit of time and effort to eat, and it adds 3.5 grams of fiber with only 74 calories.

10.Protein/Eggs - are super-nutrients. It’s becoming more scientifically accepted that protein may help to curb appetite. Protein can slightly boost metabolism. But, eating more calories than your body needs — even in the form of protein — will promote weight gain, not loss.

I Started with the Basics

I Drank More water instead of Soda, Juice, energy drinks and so on. I drank at least 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking a large amount of water on a daily basis helps increase your metabolism which also helps your body flush out toxins.

I kept my hunger under control by using a smaller plate when I thought I was eating too much. Eating is good for weight loss but over eating is bad to any one trying to lose weight. Eat 5-6 times a day instead of the usual three meals a day, plus snacks, etc.

I ate slower and it took less food to get full. This is mainly because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal from your body that you are full.

I never skip breakfast or any other meal.  If you must lose weight then it is very importance to give your metabolism a boost by eating regularly when necessary. Skipping meals makes your body believe your are starving and slows down your metabolism.

I watched what I was eating. I took out the unnecessary fats, such as butter and whole milk. I replaced them with olive oil and soy milk.

I ate leaner meats. I stopped eating pork, red meat, and instead ate white chicken and fish.

I tone my muscles with moderate weight lifting.  Muscle mass helps your body burn more calories.

I added more eggs to my diet.  Researches show that eating eggs for breakfast can help limit your calorie intake, by as much as 400 calories.

I used Color Therapy.  Believe it or not, the color blue can act as an appetite suppressant. So you can cover your table with blue tablecloth or serve dinner on blue plates.

Why is it so Hard to Quit?

one word … nicotine.

Nicotine is an organic compound known as an alkoloid (meaning a nitrogen-containing ring compound, usually water-insoluble and alcohol soluble) found in the leaves of several species of plants, predominantly tobacco, as well as in lower quantities in several frequently consumed vegetables from the nightshade or Solanaceae family, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers. Nicotine by itself is not carcinogenic. However, it does inhibit UV-induced activation of cell death (apoptosis) , interfering with the body’s ability to destroy potentially cancerous cells.

When you smoke, you also may be inhaling the following chemicals:

• methanol (used as rocket fuel)
• acetone (used as paint stripper)
• naphthalene (found in mothballs)
• toluene (found in industrial solvent)
• ammonia (found in floor cleaner)
• butane (a type of light fuel)

Ways to quit smoking:

There are several methods you can use to successfully quit smoking here are a few:
1. Go cold-turkey with a friend and support each other
2. Try using stop-smoking aids like gum, patches and inhalers
3. Talk to your doctor about Smoking Cessation Medications

I Chose #3

I talked to my doctor and there were several options. There were patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, and pills. Everything contained nicotine except the pills, and I thought that would be the best thing. I wasn’t easy, as a matter of fact it was 2 weeks and 1 day before I was smoke free. That sounds like a long time but compared to the rest of my life, that was pretty quick. So I decided to go with Zyban because it’s a nicotine-free quit-smoking aid.

About Zyban

Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride) is a nicotine-free, stop-smoking aid that has been shown to have a 29% chance at helping you to quit smoking. Zyban reduces nicotine with-drawl symptoms in the brain and curbs the urge to smoke.

How Does It Work?

While it is unknown exactly how this drug works, we do know it boosts certain responsive chemicals in the brain which help to reduce the symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. Zyban has been clinically proven to reduce the urge to smoke.

How to take Zyban

Only take this prescription drug exactly as directed to by your doctor, and never share doses of Zyban. If you miss a dose, do not double-dose; take your next dose at its scheduled time. Zyban can be taken with other stop-smoking aids such as nicotine gum or patches—let your doctor know if you intend to use these when quitting.

Remember To Stay Positive

Promise yourself that you’ll do it. It’s okay to have mixed feelings. Don’t let that stop you. There will be times every day that you don’t feel like quitting. You will have to stick with it anyway. Stay positive and have confidence in yourself, Happy Quitting!