Sunday, October 30, 2011

It Is Important To Have A Multi-Lingual Online Receptionist System by Jim Peterson


In countries like Canada and USA it is important to have a multi-lingual medical receptionist because there are large non-English speaking populations, who might not be accessible as new patients if they had to confront an English-only software program that did not cater for their language. Doctors who would like to acquire patients from the different cultures which abound in both countries need to take this into consideration.

In the USA, there are many different nationalities of people who do not all live in the same vicinity. Some areas and parts of different cities cater for some same population groups. But, on the whole, in one city alone you might find Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Chinese, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Brazilian, Indian, English, Portuguese, French and Swedish. How to cater for all these nationalities?

It is very unlikely that you will find a receptionist who could speak all of these languages, not a real one anyway. The multi-lingual medical receptionist system is your answer, as this will make all of the different nationalities feel comfortable, being able to understand what is required of them, and fill in the web forms with help maybe, with their medical information in their own language.

The multi-lingual online receptionist system will simplify your and your live receptionist's lives by catering for the different nationalities.

The same goes with Canada, who has a multi-lingual population as well. There will obviously be more of the English speaking community, that language being more prevalent in both the USA and Canada. But there will be population groups who might not be reached if you limit your online reception system to cater for only one language group.

This does not mean that you will have to learn and know all of these languages. Most foreign language patients should know enough English to be able to get around in a new and strange country. But also not know enough of the language to understand your messages, or write and read in English only. This they may still have to learn. They will feel more comfortable if you are considerate enough to cater for their language, as they are strangers in a strange land,

The multi-lingual online medical receptionist provides a web interface in alternative languages which will attract the different population groups.

This will go a long way to adding patients from those population groups to your practice and will definitely go a long way towards fostering diplomatic foreign relations policies.

Benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by Laura Ng


Before I show you the benefits of coconut oil, I just wanted to let you know that there's in fact no such thing as "extra virgin coconut oil". That's because this healthful oil is not officially classified based on its production method, acidity level and flavor, unlike olive oil. So, when companies label their coconut oil as 'extra virgin', it simply means the same as virgin coconut oil.

They do not mean to cheat the consumers but just to tell you that their virgin oil is of the best unrefined quality, that's why they use 'extra virgin coconut oil' as the label for that matter.

Virgin coconut oil carries the most health benefits as compared to other types due to its full nutritional values being retained through its cold-pressed extraction method. The most powerful nutrient in it is none other than its abundant supply of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs).

Because of its massive amount of MCFAs, "extra" virgin coconut oil can help you ward off diseases like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer and many others. It can also help you kill most viruses, fungi and bacteria. Even the killer HIV is no match for coconut oil.

Besides healing you internally, it does wonders to your skin too - relieving symptoms associated with psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis and cure your dry, flaky skin in matter of days. Oh, it helps you purge out all your acnes and return you a smooth, spotless skin too.

How about losing some unwanted body fat? Yup, coconut oil promotes weight loss too.

Sounds too good to be true? Don't take my word for it, give it a shot. Make sure you get the quality organic virgin coconut oil which carries the most health benefits and comes with a distinctive, mild coconut aroma. Also, as there are many different brands you can choose from, I suggest that you buy the smallest bottle of a brand first and try it out until you lock on to a particular brand that you like the best.

And remember, begin with 1 tablespoon spread out in a day first for at least 3 days to see how your body reacts to this super food. You should not experience any negative response with virgin oil. Once you feel safe with it, you can up your intake to 3 - 4 tablespoons daily.

In fact, the best way to reap the full benefits of virgin coconut oil is to consume and use it topically. You'll gain extra boost to your health and restore your baby-like skin faster.

2 Vegetarian Weight Loss Mistakes You Must Fix to Lose Weight the Vegetarian Style by Laura Ng


Are you thinking like the majority that once you start your vegetarian lifestyle you'll lose weight automatically? Actually, it really is easy to lose weight as a vegetarian, but if you commit these 2 mistakes, it'll make losing weight an almost impossible mission for you, even though you're not eating the harmful, fat-filled and toxin-laced meat.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Mistake #1 - Eating Junk Food

Going vegetarian doesn't mean you won't get a chance to eat junk food. In fact, junk vegetarian foods are everywhere, infusing with sugar, sodium (salt), bad saturated fat and lots of funny artificial additives. Look at your size now, that's the end result of eating too much of these processed foods. Proof.

So, to lose weight as vegetarian, you need to make an effort to avoid these foods and replace them one by one with whole natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which carry plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber to help you flush out toxins and lose weight easily. Vegetarians should actually eat this way, shouldn't they?

Vegetarian Weight Loss Mistake #2 - Skipping Breakfast

Why skipping breakfast is a big mistake for vegetarians in weight loss? When you skip breakfast and starve your stomach, your body will enter starvation mode. During this period, your metabolism will slow down to conserve energy. That means, your body will burn less calories to sustain your bodily activities.

Then when you start eating (lunch), your stomach tends to absorb as much food as possible since it doesn't know when it'll go hungry again, so its absorbing power will double. As a result, you heap on excess calories easily and more calories get stored in your fat tissues. That's the negative side effect of skipping breakfast. But when you take breakfast, the whole situation reverses - your body will absorb slower and less calories, helping you to lose weight more efficiently.

This also applies to any meals in a day. Don't think that the side effect of weight gain in skipping dinner will be relatively less intense. It could go worse and stock up more calories as fat since your metabolism tends to run slower at night.

In a Nutshell...

The secret of effective vegetarian weight loss lies in eating the right type of vegetarian diet for weight loss and feeding your stomach regularly to avoid hunger. Once you achieve these 2 things, it'll make losing weight easier for you, as a vegetarian.

Corporate Health: Why Junk Food is So Addictive by Anders N W Lindgreen


It is safe to say that a lot of people like junk food, some more than others and some not at all, but many like it. Perhaps it’s the convenience, the taste, the price or our emotional state that makes us go for it, or is there actually something in the food itself? If your team or colleagues are running stressed at work, convenience options won’t be far away. And having people make these choices on a regular basis can be quite damaging to the corporate health score in your business.

Can junk food become an addiction, and what is it that makes it addictive – I mean, it’s not a cigarette, right? Well, for some people it seems just as bad and there is actually both a natural and an un-natural explanation to why that is. Hear me out.

A Winning Combination

Back in the caveman days fruit and vegetables were seasonal, meat was hunted (not farmed) and the only cooking done was over an open fire (if any). This made our diets limited in carbohydrates, fats (because wild animals tend to be leaner) and salt. So whenever our bodies ran into any of these three, our taste buds went bananas to make sure that we had as much as possible, as we never knew when to get it next. Also, our brain only runs on blood sugar, which is made primarily from the carbohydrates that we consume. And sugar (a simple carbohydrate) converts even faster than slower alternatives and so our brain is extremely keen to get some. Now think about fast food; it’s high in salt, fat and carbohydrates and often washed down with a drink of sweet sugary goodness. Our bodies love it! The only difference is, we can get it whenever we want it nowadays, but our bodies haven’t caught up to that fact yet, so we still crave it like there’s no tomorrow.

MSG Keeps Us Coming Back For More

MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate, is a flavour enhancer common in processed foods and especially Asian foods. It is the food industries own anti-appetite suppressant. It achieves this by stimulating our pancreas to release insulin into our system, just like carbohydrates do, raising our blood sugar levels quickly only to drop not long after. This quick drop is what makes us feel hungry again.

What Does It Mean

It means that our bodies prefer junk food for many reasons. The more you eat, the more you are likely to want to eat and the harder it will be to cut down. Because not only have you got the winning combination of nutrients and minerals, plus the MSG, you will now also have the habit of eating a lot of junk food. Those three bad boys combined may be difficult to break apart, but it is far from impossible. I would suggest just going cold turkey if you have the will power for it, otherwise, cut down and replace the junk with an equally tasty but less processed and healthier alternative.

Fitness Training: Learn To Love Your Weight Loss Journey (or Lose The Race) by Anders N W Lindgreen


I can tell you right now, that if you are not looking forward to making that lifestyle change or the road to get there, you will fail. Little in life is really just about the outcome. When you decide to buy that car that you have been dreaming about on for weeks, months or even years; a lot goes into that experience. All the times you’ve been scanning brochures, researched it on the internet, customised it online, test-driven it, enquired about it, imagined it, talked about, dreamt (or even fantasised about it), putting money away, looking forward to the day you’d buy it, going through motions with the dealer, exchanging pleasantries while acting hard to get (even though you have already made up your mind), deciding on the customisation (even though you’ve known what you wanted for months), picking the right colour, signing the papers, driving it home, showing it off to your friends… and the list goes on.

Just snapping your fingers and having that car today would be great, indeed, but it would take away all the satisfaction and exhilaration involved with buying the car in the first place; everything that will make you really treasure owning it. Your weight loss journey can be like that, and if you make it out to be you’ll soon care less about the outcome, because you know that you will get there, just like you know that putting away X dollars each month will eventually get you that car. And once you have that confidence in your ability you will find that a lot of stress, worry and anxiety will be simply stripped of your body, like fat literally melts away through effective fitness training. You can also look forward to the positive reinforcements you will get all through your journey to compound off of each other, leaving you with an unstoppable positive spiral and energy high. So, let’s get excited about the journey and I can assure you that it will be a much more pleasurabl!

e experience and something you will actually stick with. You are the only one who knows what motivates you, so fill your mind with images and emotions illustrating just that. And don’t just do it on the days you may find yourself discouraged, do it every day and make it next to impossible for negative thinking to find you. You’ll have a ball, and when times do get tough, you will be tougher!

How to Lose Weight with a Vegetarian Lifestyle & Maintain Your Ideal Weight for Life by Laura Ng


There are 2 types of vegetarian lifestyle - one will make you lose weight and then maintain your ideal weight for life, the other will cause weight gain and impair your health over time. Obviously, you're leading the latter vegetarian lifestyle. If not, why are you reading this?

It's no surprise nowadays to see more and more overweight vegetarians. "I'm a vegetarian, but I'm overweight!" That doesn't sound right but it does occur. You can reverse the situation easily if you're willing to. Here I offer you 5 tips to help you lose weight as a vegetarian. There are a lot more vegetarian weight loss tips to pursue, but I suggest that you learn to pick up these 5 habits first before you advance to the next level for more fat loss.

1. Vegetable Helps to Lose Belly Fat - Up It!

Don't take veggies completely out of your meal plans just because they don't taste as delicious as grains, legumes, nuts and seed, and other vegetarian foods. Now, other than their cancer-fighting abilities, vegetables are one of the best foods for effective fat loss. Let me explain.

Let's say you eat spinach that carries 50 calories, due to its fibrous complex-carbohydrate structure, your body may use up 75 calories (from your energy reserve - fat storage and glycogen) to digest the food to get its energy value (50 calories) and nutrients. In other words, you lost a net 25 calories while breaking down spinach.

The more vegetables you consume, the more calorie deficit you create, and the more fat you'll burn, particularly on belly fat. Now you know why vegetables are so important in fat loss. Those who eat tons of veggies don't grow fat easily. Those who don't, grow fat (are you one of them?).

2. 5 - 6 Vegetarian Meals Burn More Fat

Split your breakfast, lunch and dinner into 5 or 6 smaller portion size meals. For example, breakfast - morning snack - lunch - afternoon snack - dinner.

This is a typical vegetarian diet for effective weight loss. If you take lots of veggies and other nutrient-dense food, you should not feel the need to eat the 6th meal (supper). But if you prefer 6 vegetarian meals for weight loss, go ahead. But make sure your 6th meal contains light calories like a small bowl of oatmeal since it'll be close to your sleeping time. Eating too much can affect your sleep quality.

3. Keep to this 70%-Satiety Rule to Block Unwanted Calories

Don't eat too full in every vegetarian meal, especially your lunch as it can make you feel heavy and clumsy. It might couple with intense sleepiness as more blood will gush to the digestive system to help digest the big chunk of food you just took, resulting in less blood carrying oxygen to your brain.

Hence, practise this 70%-satiety rule. I guarantee you'll feel a lot better by keeping to this satiety level starting today, and you won't feel sleepy and sluggish so easily.

4. Water Helps to Lose Weight - Water Can Kill Too!

Adequate water consumption can boost your metabolism and burn fat. On the contrary, drinking excessive water can cause water poisoning and eventually lead to brain damage or death. You shouldn't follow the general rule of drinking 8 glasses or 2 liters of water as parroted by many others out there.

The best way to see if you need more water is check your urine color. If it shows colorless or pale yellow, that means you already got enough water. However, if it looks yellow, then that's a sign indicating you need more water. Proper hydration of your body promotes fat-burning. This works for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. So, no more, no less is the key.

5. How a Vegetarian Should Sleep for Effective Weight Loss?

There's no hard-and-fast rule as to how many hours you should sleep for optimal fat-burning response. Different people require different number of hours of rest to feel recharged. If you need 7 hours, so be it. Don't mimic another person who needs only 5 hours to get rejuvenated. You'll get worse.

Try to turn in before 11 P.M. as studies show that our bodies go into repair mode between 11 P.M. and 2 A.M. You'll feel revitalized when you get more cells and tissues repaired. Your fat-burning engine will operate at its best once you get the quality sleep you need.

How To Lose Weight For Vegetarians In 2 Weeks by Laura Ng


It's so common nowadays to see overweight vegetarians. Fret not, I'm gonna show you how you can lose weight the vegetarian style in 2 weeks or less. Wait, I'm not saying that you can slim down from 200 pounds to 140 pounds in just that 14 days. That's way too drastic and unnatural for your body to take it. What you'll discover are the practical, proven tactics that'll help you shed pounds on a natural pace. In other words, you'll learn how to lose weight as a vegetarian healthily and safely without any side effects. Let's begin.

1. Whole Vegetarian Foods Make Losing Weight Easier

No doubt pre-packaged (processed) vegetarian meals can fill your stomach fast, their high-sugar, high-sodium and high-fat content can easily sabotage your weight loss plan. Cut back on those and include more raw vegetarian food in your meal plans. Not only you save time in cooking, but you'll lose weight vegetarian way more easily.

2. Eat More to Lose Weight Effectively

You get optimal metabolism when you break up your 3 regular meals into 5 smaller meals. The logic behind eating smaller meals at 2 - 3 hours interval is that your metabolic rate will stay active over longer duration. You won't get too full on each meal, but yet you won't feel hungry so easily. When you starve, your metabolism will slow down, and you'll burn less fat. Hence, eat more meals to burn more fat.

3. Create Your Own Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet

Whenever possible, make your own meals so you know exactly what you're feeding your body with. To save time on making vegetarian meals at home, I suggest that you buy some recipes that show you how to easily whip up nutrient dense dishes in less than 20 minutes so you won't feel daunted at the thought of creating your own weight loss vegetarian diet.

4. Change Your Weight Loss Recipes

Keep changing your recipes every 2 - 3 days. Sticking to the same old meals will deprive your body of certain vitamins and minerals it needs for optimal metabolism. When you rotate your meals with a wide spectrum of ingredients and nutrients, you won't likely experience weight loss plateau, which some overweight vegetarians face.

5. Proper Body Hydration Burns Fat Efficiently

Drinking soup, fruit juice or green tea already contribute some water content in your body, so you don't need too much water. When weather turns cool, you may need only 5 glasses of water per day. Observe your urine's color. If it turns pale yellowish or clear, it means your body is properly hydrated for effective fat loss. When it goes yellow, you need to drink more water. But don't drink 2 glasses at one go even if the weather is extremely hot. Spread out your water consumption over time for better fluid absorption.

Besides these 5 tips, you should take great care of your sleep and couple your vegetarian weight loss plan with exercises at least 3 times a week. Only then will you be able to effectively lose weight the vegetarian way faster and safer.

Fat Burning Exercise: Ab-Machine Scam Revealed! by Anders N W Lindgreen


Oh, the infomercials we love to hate. The ab-machine creators never seem to run out of ideas for new creations, but since they now seem to attack the abs from every possible angle I am wondering what the next upgrade will be. But do they actually work? Consider this; the difference between the very first ab-machine I saw (and bought!) back when I was ten years old, to the ones that are on sale today, is that the newer ones seem to do more. And not just doing more, promising more, both in effect and in how fast you will achieve it. The five minutes / day is now three minutes per day, instead of just the abs it now targets the sides as well, does cardio AND inner thigh work, it used to promise 5kg in 30 days now it will happen in only two weeks. Is the design really that much smarter? No.

Easy Storage and Money-Back Guarantee

The companies know that the demographics that buy these products are notorious stop-starters and fairly lazy at that. First it was enough to offer a product that was easy to store so that they could put it under the bed after the first three times they’ve used it. Today, that’s not enough, so they have the money-back guarantee – knowing that most people are too lazy to send it back anyway.

Abs and Cardio

Some ab-machines claim to give you a cardiovascular workout, so let’s evaluate that claim. A cardio workout is a heart workout and it requires a heightened heart rate for a period of time. Lie down and do crunches for three minutes; sure your abs may be screaming, but is your heart rate that different? Put on a heart rate monitor if you don’t believe me. And in three minutes? Give me a break! Poor heart rate elevation and insignificant duration. Period.

Thermo Imaging

Yeah, I just saw one ad showing thermo imaging between a runner (just starting out) and someone using the ab-machine. And the picture only showed the torso (of course). Now clearly the ab-machine torso went all orangey-red from the abdominal stimulation and was therefore deemed superior to running - BUT - YOU RUN WITH YOUR LEGS! So how is that even relevant? It’s nothing but clever marketing.

All the Experts, Trainees and Celebrities

If you have money, you can hire just about anyone. Enough said.

Is It Fat Burning Exercise Anyway? People Do Get Results!

These machines always come with a food plan, and an almost starvation-like food plan at that. So, take someone who used to have a real sloppy diet, give them a healthy eating plan and they will lose weight. Does it have anything to do with the ab-machine itself? No, that’s just how they make their money. And when sales drop off they will develop a new model, a more convincing script, hire new actors and the cycle begins again.

Conclusion

I wish I came up with the concept.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Tips to Help Overweight Vegetarians Lose Weight with Eating by Laura Ng


As a vegetarian, you'll definitely lose weight much more easily than those non-vegetarians since your body carry less toxins (from dead animals). However, if you want to lose weight with just vegetarian weight loss diet without exercising and yet wanted to get positive results, then you got to "work harder" in the way you eat your vegetarian weight loss diet. In fact, these are easy techniques to follow, all you need is just a little discipline. Follow them and you'll probably see yourself getting into better shape and look slimmer in the next 7 - 10 days.

Tip 1 - 5 Vegetarian Weight Loss Meals Daily

Break your 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) into 5 smaller-sized meals, with snacks in between the main meals to keep you going, like this: breakfast - snack (morning) - lunch - snack (afternoon) - dinner. This vegetarian weight loss diet plan will help sustain you through your daily tasks without you feeling hungry easily. You should be able to quit your supper naturally when you eat a fiber-packed dinner.

Tip 2 - Leave Your Stomach 70% Full

All your weight loss meals should not make you too full. Your breakfast, lunch and dinner should fill you up to about 70% only. You should receive 30 - 40% satiation from your snacks. But don't waste food. Always ask for smaller portion when eating out.

Tip 3 - Eat Longer to Avoid Gaining Weight

Eating slower by chewing your food more times not only helps you digest better but also allow your stomach to tell your brain how full it is. It takes about 10 - 20 minutes (at times, 2 minutes) for the communication between your stomach and brain to complete. So, don't rush your meal. Savor it and it'll help you block unwanted excess calories.

Tip 4 - Ingest Foods Rich in Fiber and Complex-Carb

Effective vegetarian weight loss diet should achieve these 5 things - it makes you feel full easily; it makes you feel full longer; it helps you burn more calories than you eat, it provides quality nutrients for your body to work optimally and it helps you secrete your waste daily. Vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, seaweed etc - these foods are packed with fiber and complex-carbohydrate and will help you achieve these 5 things in one go. Include them in your vegetarian diet for weight loss, always.

Tip 5 - Eat Coconut Oil for Weight Loss

Coconut oil is one of the best healthful foods on earth to help vegetarian lose weight and stay healthy. It generates a thermogenic effect in your body that in turns boost your metabolism up to 24 hours - you keep burning fat throughout. But choose only virgin coconut oil.

Tip 6 - Create Your Own Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet

Whip up delicious vegetarian meals for weight loss in your own kitchen. You can control the amount of the meal to fit your needs and ensure the quality of the ingredients use at the same time. How cool is that?

Tip 7 - Eat Raw for More Effective Vegetarian Weight Loss

Do you know that a raw vegetarian diet can help you achieve weight loss more effectively than any other weight loss diets in the world? Craig Ballantyne, a non-veggie pro trainer even admits that a raw diet is the best weight loss diet in the world. But not all can turn to raw easily. It takes time to transition your diet. However, partial raw works well too. Start upping your raw intake today and you'll get a fast ticket to effective vegetarian weight loss.

Though you can achieve fat loss with eating alone, it's even more rewarding to build some muscles and improve your body shape with exercises.

Fat Burning Exercise: Are You Ready to Change? by Anders N W Lindgreen


It is a valid question; if you are not ready it wouldn’t matter if all the opportunities in the world lay at your feet because you’d be walking all over them with soles so thick that you wouldn’t feel a thing. Not even access to the world’s best fat burning exercise would do you much good.

To better understand where you are I will use and explain the Stages of Change model developed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente at the University of Rhode Island when they were studying how smokers were able to give up their habits.

Determining exactly which stage you are at and what you need to advance to the next is absolute key. But it is also equally important to your support network (friends and family) to understand where you are to make sure that their thoughtfulness does not become an unnecessary obstacle in your journey.

The 5 Stages of Change:

1. Precontemplation

In the precontemplation stage, you are not yet ready to realise that there are any issues and you are not accepting help from anyone. People may actually keep you in this stage by trying to force change upon you and thus the harder they are trying to push you the more you are likely to resist. In this stage you may even find yourself defending your bad habits out of sheer principle or obliviousness.

2. Contemplation

In the contemplation stage, there has been a shift in your thinking. You have started to realise the consequences of your ways and even though you are not sure whether you really want to do anything about it or not; you are weighing the pro’s against the con’s and are now open to receive information from friends and family.

3. Preparation

In the preparation stage, you are now committed to do something about it. It is a deeper acknowledgement and a realization that the problem is serious and that you cannot allow it to go on any longer. You begin by researching your options and strategies available to achieve your goal (like reading this book e.g.).

4. Action

In the action stage, you have put your money where your mouth is and you are doing courage by acting. It may be one step forward two steps back at times but make no mistake, you are on your way and with the right guidance and information you will get there as long as you persist for long enough.

5. Maintenance

In the maintenance stage, you have reached your target and are now hard at work trying to maintain what you have got. We cannot fall back into past habits here or we will fall flat on our face and may end up right where we started. Your body will always choose the easy option and habits you have held on to for decades die hard and so you must persist daily to build new and more permanent ones.

Relapse

When you try to skip a stage, quit reinforcing or in any other way shortcutting change you run a serious risk to relapse all the way back to the beginning. The moral of the story is that is takes effort, it takes time and once you have it you cannot let it go. Make it a lifestyle and not a fad.

Hospice CNA by Karen Williams


A hospice is defined as a medical facility providing emotional and mental health care services for patients who are terminally ill along with their families. A CNA providing services in a hospice, is generally referred to as hospice CNA. A CNA with considerable experience and a regular CNA certification can take up job at a hospice, no additional qualifications are needed. A hospice CNA can either get employed at a hospice center or at a patient's home.

A hospice nurse usually provides solace and comfort to patients who are at the end of their life by taking care of them and their respective families too. Thus they provide both emotional and physical support to the patients and families. A hospice nurse usually takes complete care of the patients by administering medications on time and providing massages to provide comfort, if any required. They generally take utmost care of their patients and find every possible way to keep them away from pain.

They even educate the families of patients and teach them the methods of taking care of their loved ones, if the patients prefer to be taken care of, by their families, instead of being in hospital. This way they ensure that the patient's last days are lead in the comfort of their loved ones.

In case, a hospice nurse gets employed to take care of a terminally ill patient, then at times they even prefer to do some simple household chores, so that, the patient's family members get maximum time to spend with the patient. This gives the families some more time to be spent with their loved one, who is on the death bed, counting days.

On an average, a hospice nurse can earn up to $57,280 a year. Being a hospice nurse, is not a child's play. They need to have a lot of patience, need to know how to keep their cool at times of stress, need to be cheerful and pleasant, should be friendly, so that they can easily build a rapport with the patient, should be able to easily communicate with the family members in such a manner that, the family members understand what they want to convey. They need to be able to provide comfort and solace to the family members.

They should be wise enough and able to keep the stress resulting from the job, off their own personal life. Their job is really demanding and an emotional one too. A hospice nurse needs to be an epitome of incredible compassion, spirituality, patience. Also, the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds is also necessary.

If you are an youngster pursuing education in CNA and are interested in taking up a job in hospice, then, try to utilize the rotation policy of your school and take up work in a hospice setting, this way you can get a feel of the typical life of a hospice CNA. If you are afraid of watching people die, then this job is not for you. A successful hospice nurse is one who can ease and reduce patient's fears and bear to watch them suffer immense pain. It is definitely not a job for the faint hearted!

Biofeedback Relaxation by Michael Logan


I have used a number of biofeedback relaxation techniques in my counseling practice including handwarming, EEG biofeedback, and heart rate variability biofeedback, which is the tool I have used since becoming a licensed one on one provider in 2000.

I like to teach my heart rate variability biofeedback clients another tool, which I believe works very synergistically with it, called Open Focus. Open Focus helps me to remember the space in and around everything, including my heart, and when I create an Open Focus, my brain moves into an alpha brain wave (or relaxed external focus) very quickly.

I think the key to biofeedback relaxation is to be able to switch attentional styles, brainwave status, or heart rate variability coherence quickly, moving into and out of eustress and avoiding distress.

I think it is important to understand that a couple of factors mitigate a constant brain wave pattern or heart rate variability coherence.

One is the human orienting response, which means I pay attention to movements and changes around me, and when I attend to a change in the environment, like a noise behind me, I move quickly into an alarm physiology, which can take me away from my heart rate variability coherence and my alpha brainwave state and into beta (focused external awareness) in perhaps 1/18th second, according to Mihalyi Csiszentmihalyi, Ph.D. or 1/25th second response time for facial expressions like a look of contempt. By comparison, it takes me 1/10th second to blink my eyes.

My thoughts change that rapidly, and once I have identified that the noise behind me is not dangerous, and the facial expression is not a concern, then I can, with some mindfulness, return my heart rate variability to coherence.

How does heart rate variability biofeedback coupled with Open Focus help me be that mindful?

Heart rate variability biofeedback is a computerized program that provides the feedback on a computer screen, and clients get a sense, from the audio and visual feedback, of how fast their physiology changes when they create a stressful thought rather than a affiliative or cooperative thought, even though they are sitting quietly, attending to a computer.

Once clients get a sense that by switching thoughts from "I do not know how I am going to pay the gas bill this month" to "that fun birthday party with their children", they can move into heart rate variability coherence, which is a very relaxed feeling of contentment, clients begin to understand that they can mindfully engineer their internal state of biofeedback relaxation heart beat by heart beat.

Why is that heart beat by heart beat distinction important? If your heart stops, do you have to worry about biofeedback relaxation anymore? No.

I have made heart rate variability biofeedback a part of my domestic violence and anger management groups for about 10 years.

In fact, I would have a client hooked up to the computer sitting on a table that was purposefully placed in the center of the room, and each client would do the heart rate variability biofeedback while the group swirled about them, which is the way life is, lots of noise and distractions.

Most clients were surprised to see how they responded to a tone of voice or a particular topic, and almost all of them could still move into a medium of even high level of coherence.

I would stop the group and ask them how they did that, and many would relate that they were thinking of some pleasant experience from the past, so I of course asked them if they could repeat that experience on demand. Of course, most said they could.

Brainfitness?

If you have been reading about neurogenesis and neuroplasticity at all in the last two or three years, then you have seen that we actually grow neurons daily if we attend to the pillars of brain fitness including stress management.

The heart rate variability biofeedback tool was recommended by Alvaro Fernandez, one of the leading lights in the brainfitness field.

He says it is the best stress management tool in the marketplace.

4 Factors To Find A Good Lose Weight Diet That Is Effective For You by Jeff Schuman


Are you looking for a good lose weight diet but everything you have tried so far has not worked like you believed it would? Then you need to understand 4 important factors that will help you finally find the good diet that will help you effectively lose all the weight you want to.

The following 4 factors are imperative to look for when searching for a weight loss diet.

1. The diet you choose to use needs to ensure that you will be getting enough food to help keep your body processes running at top level. It is important that you eat enough of a few different things which include:

- Calories

- Vitamins and minerals

- Protein

- Carbs

You don't want to overdo on any of these things but it is imperative to losing weight that you get enough to help you live a healthy and active lifestyle.

2. You have to feel satisfied with the diet that you will be eating and can't be left to feel like you are not getting enough. You will be putting a limited amount of food into your body everyday so the best diet will ensure that you are not left feeling hungry all the time or you will end up cheating on your diet.

The best type of diet will allow healthy snacks to be eaten in between meals so that you are getting enough energy from the food you eat and so you are not hungry all the time in between these meals.

3. Liquids should be an important part of the diet because they are important for keeping your from being thirsty and in helping to keep your metabolism working to burn the fat. Staying hydrated is one of the secrets to not only losing weight but also to keeping it off once you have achieved your weight loss goals.

4. Exercise should always be a part of the diet plan because this is imperative along with the foods you eat to help you achieve your weight loss goals. Exercise is needed on a regular basis to lose weight and to keep it off once you have lost it.

If you find a diet that tells you that you can lose weight without exercising then this is a good sign to avoid that particular diet because it may work temporarily but it will not be effective for long term weight loss.

Knowing these 4 factors means you now have the knowledge needed to help you find the good lose weight diet for you and avoid all the ones that won't work effectively. Just don't rush your decision because finding the right diet can really help you achieve the weight loss goal that you are aiming for.

A Description Of Bacillus Coagulans Probiotics by Rudy Silva


Do you know what good bacteria you need in your intestinal tract? There are hundreds of different bacteria in your intestines. Do you want to know, which ones dominate and that contribute to your over all health. Read this article to discover what health benefits you can get with the right bacteria.

Good bacteria, also known as probiotics, live in the human digestive system. It helps the system do its job by restoring the digestive tract balance.

Studies show that there are actually more than 400 types of bacteria in a human body. Contrary to the common misconception, the majority of them are good species that are essential for regulating the immune system. One of the best types of these bacteria is the bacillus coagulans probiotic.

Among the health benefits of good bacteria is to prevent diseases. Good bacteria like bacillus coagulans probiotic make an unfavorable environment for less desirable bacteria.

Good bacteria are classified in two major categories according to their environment in the human’s digestive track. These two categories are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Lactobacilli are those which are known to exist in the small intestine while the latter are those which are found in the colon.

Either of these types of bacteria are usually the main components of the best probiotics. These beneficial bacteria like the bacillus coagulans probiotic are important in maintaining good digestive and immune health. Probiotic products are now readily available in the market.

Before purchasing any of those products, it is also important to know the different kinds of bacteria that provide us with the needed health benefits. Here are four different types of good bacteria that are commonly found in many probiotic products:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus. This is a kind of probiotic bacteria that has the ability to treat a lot of ailments. As such, it is now gaining a lot of interest because of its GG (What's this?) strain component. Studies show that this bacterium is useful especially for treatment of communicable diseases and allergic situations.

Lactobacillus plantarum. This is a very dominant type of bacteria. It is commonly found in nearly all normally fermented foods. It is also considered as an efficient form of antibiotic. It helps a lot in obstructing receptor sites for negative bacteria.

Streptococcus thermophilus. This microorganism is considered as an excellent antioxidant. It helps individuals recuperate from malnutrition. It is particularly beneficial to address malnutrition resulting from instant fasting.

Bacillus coagulans probiotic is a species of live microorganisms that are present in many food products in the market today. This beneficial bacterium has been giving health benefits especially when administered in adequate amounts.

Studies show that daily intake of food supplements containing these bacteria help maintain the delicate intestinal balance. It has also been proven to be an effective way to enhance the immune system.

These are just a few of the many beneficial bacteria that are present in many different kinds of probiotic products that are readily available in the market today. You can also support probiotic growth in your digestive system by increasing the amount of cultured dairy products you eat.

It helps a lot to eat foods that increase probiotic growth. This includes cheeses, yogurt, and other forms of dairy products. Hence, the next time you do your grocery shopping make sure to pick up food products containing good bacteria.

How Big Are the Scars After Liposuction? by Roy Kim MD


Pretty darn small! The incisions are about as long as this line-____

Liposuction is done with several different technologies. The bottom line is that the cannulae, or the small thin instruments that liposuction requires, require very small incisions, usually about 3-5 millimeters in length.

Generally, plastic surgeons hide the surgical incisions by putting them in folds of the body. For example, if you’re getting liposuction in your neck, we put the incision in your chin. If you are getting liposuction in your abdomen, the tiny incisions go in your belly button, groin folds, outer pelvis area, or anywhere else where it’s naturally hidden.

The skin also stretches to accommodate the liposuction equipment, so the actual incision is usually a little smaller than the actual diameter of the liposuction equipment. This contributes to the small size of the surgical incisions.

The scars should heal as very small, thin, white lines. They are very difficult to see long term. Sometimes, depending on how your body heals, they may develop a slight excess of scar tissue. Special creams, bandages, or injections may help the overall surgical incision appearance if this occurs.

Some of the liposuction instruments, or cannulae, can be quite long. This allows the incision to be pretty far away from the actual area of liposuction. The bottom line result to you is that you may have fewer surgical incisions for the same surface area.

Also, feathering, or performing liposuction from 2-3 different areas, is key to get smooth and consistent results in liposuction. Most plastic surgeons will want to perform liposuction in the same area from 2-3 different areas, which allows for more fat extraction and a smoother overall result.

Vegetarian Fat Loss - 1 Effective Tip to Lose Fat for Vegetarians by Laura Ng


Many vegetarians consume only about 12 g of fiber per day, which is more than 50% lesser than the recommended daily value (DV) of 25 - 35 g. Do you know how important fiber is to your vegetarian fat loss success?

Its bulk satisfies your hunger faster and longer. It carries relatively low calories and slows down conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, while flushing out toxins, fats, cholesterol from your body through regular bowel movements. Because of these, fiber is an effective element to help vegetarians lose fat.

Here's a guide to show how much fiber you need per day.

Men (less than or equal to 50 years old) - 38 grams

Men (more than 50 years old) - 30 grams

Women (less than or equal to 50 years old) - 25 grams

Women (more than 50 years old) - 21 grams

Source: The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine

Doctors and dieticians always advise people to eat more fruits and vegetables to boost fiber intake for good health and fat loss, but, easier said than done. Even with a simple but useful suggestion like "2 cups of fruits and 2.5 cups of veggies daily", many people still don't eat enough fiber in their diets.

Interestingly, vegetarians are supposed to ingest more fiber than anyone else, but due to the modern processed fiber-stripped vegetarian food choices nowadays, their fiber intake becomes as low as non-vegetarians. That explains why vegetarians are growing fatter and now they need to lose fat too.

Perhaps you find counting cups too troublesome. So you must come up with more innovative ways to boost adequate fiber in your vegetarian diet. Why not try this method that will sure provide enough fiber in your daily vegetarian meal consumption for effective fat loss?

Blend veggies and fruits into smoothies. Imagine facing 5 cups of shredded vegetables and fruits at every meal, how much can you eat? You probably would stop after the second cup. But you need the fiber from these quantities of greens and fruits at each meal not just to lose fat but for health maintenance too.

Now, blending them into green smoothies works best because you get to retain their fiber and other important nutrients. Indeed, the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies get broken down into smaller particles during blending so that it becomes easier for your body to digest and absorb them.

Moreover, what turns out from blending 5 cups of veggies and fruits is only 1 cup of smoothie. Wouldn't you find it easier to drink 1 cup of smoothie instead of munching through 5 cups of veggies and fruits just to lose that excess body fat? Most importantly, smoothies ensure you consume enough fiber daily.

If you worry about the veggie taste in the smoothie, try mixing fruits to veggies at ratio 3:2 for a nice combination. I always do that. If you can think of more ways to boost your fiber consumption, just make sure they're natural and safe before going ahead.

All in all, you should always include sufficient fiber content in your vegetarian weight loss diet if you want to lose fat effectively as a vegetarian. Working out like mad without enough fiber won't get you much reward in fat loss. Fact.

Benefits of Coconut Oil by Laura Ng


The benefits of coconut oil don't just cover internally to improve your health, but externally as well to give you a smooth, ageless skin. Here's the list of the advantages of eating coconut oil:

1. Prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes.

2. Support the development of strong bones and teeth, prevent tooth decay and protect against osteoporosis.

3. Help you lose weight by generating up to 24 hours of thermogenic (fat-burning) response.

4. Kill viruses that cause mononucleosis, influenza, hepatitis C, measles, herpes, AIDS.

5. Kill bacteria that cause pneumonia, earache, throat infections, dental cavities, food poisoning, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, and other diseases.

6. Kill fungi and yeast that cause candida, jock itch, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.

7. Expel or kill tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.

8. Relieve symptoms associated with psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers, malabsorption syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, prostate enlargement and cystic fibrosis.

9. Mitigate your pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.

10. Reduce your chronic inflammation and epileptic seizures.

11. Protect you against colon, breast and other cancers.

12. Prevent premature aging, kidney disease, liver disease, periodontal disease and bladder infections.

13. Moisturize your skin to prevent dry and flaky skin. And ward off skin infections.

14. Protect your skin against UV radiation that may aggravate your wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots.

15. Control your dandruff.

You might think that the above list of benefits of coconut oil is a lot, but in fact, this is just a conservative list. There's more than what coconut oil can do for you. Eat it. Apply to your skin. And experience the amazing health and skin benefits that coconut oil will bring to you.

However, as there are about 4 types of coconut oil available in the market such as virgin, fractionated, RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) and hydrogenated, it's best to consume and use topically only the virgin coconut oil type as it provides the most health benefits.

Refined oil, especially hydrogenated, may cause harmful side effects since you're ingesting trans fatty acid along with the oil which will more or less offset some of the natural nutritional benefits of coconut oil. Also, refined oil will clog up your pores when apply to skin whereas virgin coconut oil will not.

That's why when you buy coconut oil for your health and skin benefits, choose only the virgin type. For even more radiant health and smoother skin, get organic virgin coconut oil which is free of pesticides.

Science and Health Scientist Addresses Cancer Concerns Related to Atrazine by Sue Schulte


Elizabeth Whelan, President of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) posted a great entry on ACSH’s Health Facts and Fears blog on the growing attempts by activist groups to convince the EPA to ban atrazine due to cancer claims and other health concerns.

Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It helps farmers fight weeds on corn, sugar cane and other crops, leading to dramatic increases in crop yields. Without it, our food supply would be in jeopardy. Activists want the public to believe that atrazine causes cancer and birth defects, but it’s simply not true. Whelan writes:

“Atrazine’s health and safety record is stellar. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires monitoring for a multitude of chemicals, including atrazine. Levels of atrazine in U.S. waters are well within the federal lifetime drinking water standard — a level containing a 1,000-fold safety buffer. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 completed a 12-year review involving 60,000 different studies and concluded that the current use of atrazine poses “no harm” to the general population — infants, children and adults. According to this same regulatory agency (which oversees pesticide use) atrazine is “one of the most closely examined pesticides in the marketplace.”

Whelan points out that many activists are not willing to accept this assessment and were able to cast doubts upon the issue with the EPA. As a result, last fall the EPA announced it would initiate a re-re-re-evaluation of atrazine and health. These activists will not be happy until the EPA bans this herbicide, which would then open the door for activists to attack more chemicals, claiming they are unsafe.

Finally, Whelan points to the media for “scaring” the public into thinking that these “chemicals” are unsafe and that the manner in which they are evaluated should be changed:

“Many of the recent media chemical scares, like the two hour “toxic” presentation on CNN, argue that a) there are tens of thousands of “chemicals” out there; and b) the current government policy, assuming these chemicals are safe until contrary evidence was presented, must be reversed so that a chemical is considered hazardous until it is “proven safe.” But how do you prove something to be safe? It’s like trying to prove a negative — it can’t be done. The example of atrazine — with decades of safe use, thousands of studies that found no harm to humans and years of getting a green light from EPA (which is not known for understating chemical risks) leaves us with the question: After all these evaluations and years of use, if atrazine doesn’t meet the criteria for “safety,” what chemical possibly could?”

Vegetarian Weight Loss - 7 Tips to Lose Weight as a Vegetarian by Laura Ng


What is your waistline now? Going vegetarian doesn't mean you'll lose weight and become slim. As technology advances and more processed vegetarian foods "sprout up", your belly fat is growing as big as a non-vegetarian. It's getting hard to differentiate between these 2 groups of people who eat differently now.

Let's take a close look at why you, a vegetarian finds hard to lose weight, which is normally the problem of a meat-eater and then I'll show you how to reverse the situation to help you lose weight as a vegetarian.

1. You eat tons of cheap pre-packaged foods infused with sodium, sugar and saturated fat that are too irresistible to resist. These junk foods stuff toxins in your fat cells thereby impeding the burning of fat as fuel. You gain weight as a result. To lose weight, toss all your junk foods and switch to whole natural vegetarian meals.

2. You're not spared in the agony of stressful workload and household matters. You still have to earn a living and take care of your spouse and kids and so on. Stress can lead you to binge or emotional eating. Exercise to keep stress under control. A stress-free body tends to eat less and will work properly to help you lose weight.

3. You don't sleep early and you don't sleep enough. Like many other people in general, you get hooked on facebook, twitter, other social networking activities and online games. Cut down on these activities. A good night's sleep can dramatically improve your metabolic function and burn fat efficiently.

4. You go with soda, sugar-laced coffee, beer, alcohol and other high-calorie beverages but drink less water. Sugar is but empty calories. Reduce your simple sugar intake and learn to drink more plain water. This reduces unwanted calories from gushing into your body and get stored as fat.

5. Because of your fiber-deficient food intake, you suffer from constipation. Storing waste in your body for 2 days or more can intoxicate your body and make your fat storage difficult to get extracted for energy use. So, include more fiber-rich food in your vegetarian weight loss diet. Get around 25 - 30 grams of fiber per day.

6. You eat too fast. Before your stomach tells your brain its full, you've already finished the entire plate, resulting in over consumption of calories. That said, slow down your eating. Instead of using 5 minutes to finish your food, take 20 - 30 minutes to do so. An effective vegetarian weight loss attributes not solely to burning more calories, but also to be able to prevent excess calories from coming in.

7. You lead a sedentary vegetarian lifestyle with little or no exercise. Now, get on with exercises at least 3 times a week. You'll lose more weight than you can imagine.

Knowing your problems and learning these tips is one thing, but applying them is another story. If you don't apply your knowledge, you'll forever get stuck in this fat piece of skin. I used to be overweight like you, if I can apply these tips to help me lose weight as a vegetarian, why can't you?

How to Break Weight Loss Plateau for Vegetarians by Laura Ng


As an overweight vegetarian who's happily losing weight with a vegetarian weight loss diet, you can't escape the fate of hitting weight loss plateau, that is, you manage to lose 10 or even 40 pounds and you still have more to go, but somehow you got stuck. Your weight just wouldn't budge an ounce. What can you do?

Actually, there's no such thing as weight loss plateau in my opinion. The actual plateau lies in your food choices and your vegetarian lifestyle. Here are the 5 strategies to help you break your "weight loss plateau" and lose weight as a vegetarian. If you apply them correctly with good common sense, you'll slim down all the way till you reach your ideal weight and shape. Let's get started.

1. Include All-Round Nutrients in Your Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet

Imagine every day you eat oatmeal for breakfast, fruit salad for lunch and curried chickpeas for dinner, how many pounds do you expect to lose with that boring diet?

Even if you change the meal plans a bit is not enough. Get creative and start eating more varieties of food. For example, today your breakfast is protein smoothie, tomorrow it becomes oatmeal with raisins, then day after make rainbow salad as breakfast. Same goes for your lunch and dinner. Change your vegetarian meal plan to stimulate the "senses" of your fat-burning system.

Tip: Always include lots of fibrous foods such as vegetables in your meals. Vegetables carry low calorie but yet their high-fiber content will make you feel full easily so you won't get into trouble with binge eating. They help increase your bowel movement for daily detoxifying too. A cleanse body will burn fat efficiently and effectively.

2. Zig-Zag Calorie Vegetarian Meal Plans for Weight Loss

When you keep eating a fixed amount of calories, your body will auto-adjust to burn just that amount, nothing more, nothing less. To overcome this "defect", keep changing the amount of your calorie intake.

Assuming you need about 1800 calories a day. Take it for 2 days, then on day 3 switch to a lower calorie meal, say 1550 calories. And on day 4, go up to 1700 calories for 1 day then drop the calorie again, increase and decrease and so on… you'll burn more body fat over time this way.

Warning: When controlling caloric intake, do not consume less than 85% of your total daily calorie needs as a safety measure. The whole idea is, keep your stomach at a satiety level of 70%. Bottom line - never let your stomach go hungry.

3. Turn On to Interval Training for More Fat Loss

Don't keep to a specific pattern of exercising. Change your workout routine. For example, stop doing the same old brisk-walking every day. Start to do walk-jog-walk-jog to make your metabolism work a bit more. Stop doing fast pushups, start slowing down its pace and you'll raise the intensity level, thus stepping up your metabolic rate further.

Whatever you do with your exercise, inject changes every other day to give your metabolism something new to work with, and you'll break your weight loss plateau with exercise.

4. Split Up Your Vegetarian Weight Loss Meals

Break up the portion size of your main meals into two additional snacks that you can insert in between them, like this: breakfast (7 - 8 A.M.), morning snack (10 - 10:30 A.M.), lunch (12 - 1 P.M.), afternoon snack (3 - 3:30 P.M.) and dinner (6 - 7 P.M.).

This will keep your metabolism at an active level throughout the day. Quit your supper to avoid storing excess calories while you sleep.

5. Never Skip Breakfast

Even if you don't feel hungry in the morning, don't wait until your stomach rumbles then you start taking breakfast. Take your breakfast as early as 7 A.M. for best fat-burning response. Don't think that skipping breakfast will make you lose more fat. You won't. Instead, skipping breakfast will make you absorb more unnecessary calories when you start taking your lunch.

These are the 5 keys to breaking weight loss plateau. Just remember, whatever vegetarian foods you eat and whatever workouts you do, change the routine often, and you'll find that your body becomes very active in burning the excess calories from your fat storage. Once you break your weight loss plateau, don't forget to pass these strategies on to your fellow overweight vegetarians. Enjoy!

Personal Training: Eating Right for Newbies by Anders N W Lindgreen


If weight loss is the goal of your personal training regime or the reason why you’re stepping up the exercise intensity, don’t forget about what you put into your body. I would even go as far suggesting that about 50-75% of the weight loss come as a result of good eating. And in contrast to some people in the fitness industry, I don’t have a problem with all the different diets and eating plans out there. Sure, I have my favourite one, but I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I only have issues with eating plans that involve starvation, nutrient deficiencies, have little or no information to back up their claims and education and transition onto long-term eating habits for health and weight maintenance. I also believe that there are some simple rules that you can adopt your lifestyle to that will keep your body looking great without counting calories or being too technical about it.

Clean Eating

When you leave it up to the manufacturer to produce your food, you can be sure that it is tampered with to boost the taste, longevity or look of the product. These changes can mean that you get more than you bargained for and instead of just consuming the food itself you’re chugging down a small chemical lab as well. Getting around this is easy; avoid processed foods and let the majority of foods bought be clean. By clean I mean that if you buy a raw chicken breast, you know it’s chicken, if you buy an apple you know it’s an apple - but buy either in a tin can or pre-cooked and who knows what you “get a side-order of”.

Good and Bad Foods

In my opinion there are no good or bad foods. That is just silly. I do divide them into two different groups still; healthy foods and treats. But they have no emotion connected to them. My reasoning is simple, if you eat more healthy foods, you will end up looking healthy, but if you have more treats, you’ll also end up looking like one! So, if you find yourself taking the shape of your treats instead of the leanness of that chicken breast, you know what you need to have less of.

The 80/20 Rule

I believe in anything in moderation, and if you can stick to 80% healthy habits and 20% whatever-you-want – you will do well. The same goes for my philosophy around eating, keep 80% of your energy intake from the healthy foods category and the remaining 20% can be treats.

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