How To Get Tattooed

How To Get Tattooed
 by: Isreal Caine

So… You want to get tattooed. Great! This can be a rewarding and life-enriching experience... IF done right. Knowing HOW to get tattooed is key to being happy with this decision. I hope in the following paragraphs to help you, as a potential client, learn the skills necessary to get a good tattoo, one you can live with.
People get tattooed for a number of reasons… some good, some not so good. Tattoos can be a scrapbook of a person's life. They tell us about the wearer's loves, hates, hopes, fears, accomplishments, and regrets. They can be purely decorative. They can tell where a person is from or where they want to be. . It may be done as a way of being "different" or "rebellious", or fitting into a larger group identity..
Ideally, they are applied in an attractive way, by a knowledgeable artist, fitting the body and personality of the wearer, with an enduring personal significance and a timeless style that will not go out with the current trend. Tattoos of this type are seldom regretted and can be empowering points of pride for their owners. I don't know one person with a good quality, appropriately sized, and personally significant tattoo they wish they hadn't gotten.
For many, however, this is an impulsive act, one eventually regretted for that very reason. Often, not much thought is put into the design's significance or its overall effect on one's self-image. Too many times, tattoos are gotten because they are fashionable. The problem is, fashions change, and unlike other fashion accessories, you have to keep your tattoo.
This is why it's important to know HOW to get tattooed. For many, this is a daunting and confusing endeavor, especially the first time. After all, it's permanent. This idea alone can be nerve-racking enough. Most people never do anything permanent. Half of marriages nowadays are far less than that, and the idea of committing to an aesthetic seems far tougher than committing to a soul mate.
The first step is to know your self. What are you into? What do you hold dear? What do you desire? What do you believe? What types of imagery do you find pleasing, and what part of your body would you like to accentuate with a tattoo? These are good places to start.
Placement, scale, and flow, are paramount in importance. Good tattoos, in my opinion, should look like clothing or jewelry from a respectable viewing distance. A prime example is traditional Japanese tattooing. Another would be Pacific islander. Optimally, they should read well from across the street. If so, they will age well. Badgy, small, isolated tattoos look like melanomas and only get worse with time. These should be avoided.
Then you need to decide on the imagery. Good design reference can be found anywhere; the internet, library, magazines, comic books, greeting cards, even wallpaper. This part is subjective. Look for TYPES of imagery you like, not necessarily specific tattoo designs. A good tattooist can then help you develop a basic idea in a beautiful finished piece, but he or she needs direction from you.
Next you need to find that artist… the one who can do the mental math for you, adding up your expectations and ideas to give you exactly what you never knew you wanted. Word of mouth is invaluable. If you see a tattoo you like on someone, ask who did it. Look a tattoo magazines and on the internet to find out about local tattooists. Once you've found a few prospects and located their studios, take some time to visit them and view their studios and portfolios.
The portfolio is key. How artists present their work speaks volumes about them professionally. Look for HEALED pictures of quality work a style that speaks to you. Look for consistent line work, smooth shading, and solid color. A tattooist will most often put their favorite work in their book, so you can see what they prefer to do or specialize in. Do not bypass this step. If you neglect to look at a portfolio, you deserve what you get. If you ask and they say "Portfolio?"… run like hell!
So there you are. You've brainstormed for weeks, gone into all the local tattoo shops, perused portfolios, chosen the "perfect" artist, AND decided on a design (WHEW!). Now you're ready to sign the waiver form and have your skin art dreams come true...right? Not just yet, there, Turbo! One very necessary part of the overall picture should be looked at before you should have ANY kind of invasive procedure done. It's always a good idea to look at the practices of your chosen artist to make sure that this isn't a decision you'll regret. If you'd be so kind as to read on, I'll tell you what you should know and look for to insure you're getting a safe tattoo.
First of all, let's discuss the risks inherent to this kind of procedure. Like any other activity that involves needles and blood, there is always the possibility of transmitting disease if proper standards are not met. Blood borne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis are of greatest popular concern, with most people believing their biggest risk is "getting AIDS". In fact, HIV is hardly a concern in tattooing, mostly because of the sheer volume of blood that has to be transmitted to infect someone with the virus. HIV is also relatively weak and survives for only short time when exposed to the environment. Hepatitis, a desease that attacks the liver, is of a lot more concern, being a much heartier pathogen that requires a much smaller amount of body fluid transfer, though it should be mentioned that , according to the Centers for Disease Control, there has NEVER been a documented case of Hepatitis OR AIDS caused by a tattoo. However, there's always a first time for everything, and nobody wants to be it, so it's always a good idea to take universal precautions. Remember, too, that there are many other diseases out there that you can receive through contact with infected blood, such as tuberculosis. That's not all, though. We also have to take into account the plethora of different bacterial and fungal infections that that are just waiting for the opportunity to fester inside your brand new tattoo. So be careful...the hide you save could be your own.
The first step in this process is to ask about the studio's universal precautions...a set of practices used with each and every client to prevent infection and disease transmission (hence the term "universal"). Do they use new needles? Do they wear latex or comparable exam gloves while working? Do they use an acceptable hard surface disinfectant on all their tools and work surface in between tattoos after doing away with all disposable items (razor blades, ink, ink cups, Vaseline, plastic barriers, rubber bands, etc)? How do they sterilize their non-disposable equipment? These are the questions that you should have answered BEFORE getting tattooed or pierced...as well as any others that come to mind. Remember, it's YOUR health, and it's your responsibility. Do it for yourself as well as for your friends and loved ones. You don't want to end up an amputee Typhoid Mary, do you?
As far as sterilization goes, their are three commonly used methods... cold chemical, dry heat, and autoclave sterilization. An autoclave is a device that uses steam, heat, and pressure to kill all known microorganisms and the spores with which they reproduce and is the preferred method of sterilization, especially for equipment that has come into contact with possibly infectious body fluids. Chemical and dry heat sterilization are considered adequate for non-contaminated items (those that have not come into contact with body fluids) or items that cannot be sterilized in an autoclave, but aren't the most effective practices because the steam pressure of an autoclave (what these two methods lack) is what kills reproductive spores and gets into all the little nooks and crannies of the equipment. Autoclave sterilization takes place when clean, dry, individually packaged items are processed at 15 pounds per square inch and 250 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes at temp and pressure (though this is the most common standard, these figures vary… more heat or pressure can decrease necessary exposure time).
The next thing you should try to do is watch the tattooist work. Usually this isn't a problem and most good tattooists will actually appreciate the fact that you care enough to ask. Things that you should look for include, "Is the work area clean, organized, and well lit", "Does he wash his hands between clients", "Does he refrain from touching things like doorknobs, lights, the telephone, or radio with dirty gloves?" Increased confidence can be had with an artist who also uses plastic barriers on their power supply, tattoo machines, spray bottles, and work surface, because they cut down on gross contamination with blood and ink, therefore making clean-up between clients easier and more thorough. Great care should be taken to prevent cross contamination, which occurs when possibly infectious material from one client comes in contact with a surface and the tattooist touches that surface while working on the next, thus "cross-contaminating" from one client to another. Keep in mind that the care the artist takes with his cleanliness is a good indication of the level of care he'll take in the execution of your tattoo. There's no such thing as a good, dirty, tattooist.
If you bear these things in mind and keep you eyes peeled, asking any and all questions that come to mind, you should be fully capable of deciding whether or not your decision to get tattooed will be a good one. There are few things in this world more satisfying than having a brand-new, beautiful tattoo... except not having to worry about getting sick from it. If you need any other reason to go through all this hassle, just close your eyes (I'm waiting...) and imagine an oozing, festering, two week old fungal infection in that same tattoo and the resulting scar that will be there once it FINALLY heals. All it takes is a little time and common sense to avoid making a decision you'll regret. Isn't it worth it to insure your health and that of your loved ones?

About The Author

Caine is a professional tattooist of 7 years with 10 years of experience with the industry, working at Inu Tattoo in San Diego, California. Online portfolio and FAQ can be viewed at WWW.BONEDEEP.NET.
brothercaine@hotmail.com

This article was posted on November 21, 2004

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Ghost of Binges Past

Ghost of Binges Past
 by: Dolletta Mitchell

Holidays and special events should be a time of great joy, but dieters customarily imagine these occasions with dread and horror. Why? Because celebrations are not celebrations without lots of high-calorie, tempting foods. Does this suggest that you have to become a social-scrooge to duck temptation? No. The "secret" is to create a survival "plan" ahead of time and stick to it throughout this holiday season.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is a time worn and clichйd statement. But it's still wonderful success advice. Not only do most people fail to plan, they consciously plan to fail over the holidays.
Most people expect to "blow" their diet and miss workouts during the holidays. They expect to eat more, exercise less and gain weight. Instead of putting forth the effort by taking control, they resign themselves to maintenance at best or back-sliding at worst.
This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the first week of January, they're in the worst shape they've been in for a year and they frantically make New Year's resolutions to shed the excess fat they've gained. Is that your approach? Or, are you going to be strong and really make it all the way to the New Year without gaining weight?
Let's revisit October with the ghost of binges past. Oktoberfest plus Halloween equaled a huge junk food binge for some of us. Oktoberfest and Halloween are over and done. Does that mean you are going to let the ghost of binges past turn you into a food scrooge? Are you going to pass up seasonal celebrations to avoid the fattening feasts?
Ho, Hum! How do you avoid turning into a miserable ol' food scrooge?
First, get the Halloween candy out of your house. Take it far away. Okay, there are hungry children in third world countries, but you cannot lend a hand by eating everything in sight! Plus, feeding our sweet tooth is like watering a plant. It only makes the thing bigger, needing more the next time. Ho, Hum!
Wait! Look into your secret stashes and throw them in the trash with old coffee grounds and banana peel (so they won't find their way back out again). Yes, get rid of the sweets in your desk.
If you empty out all the candy, and find that your house echoes because there's nothing left in it, swap them with snacks such as unsalted nuts, fruits and vegetables.
Second, plan to tell friends and family to forego food gifts. If you still get them, thank the person, but later give the food away to someone else. This way, you won't hurt the giver's feelings and you will eliminate your temptation.
Third, manage your time. With hectic schedules, there never seems to be enough time to plan, eat, exercise, clean, shop, cook, and decorate. Sit down and write out daily schedules for the weeks before your events. Determine what you can reasonable do in specific time frames and then plan to do it. Manage to have a meal replacement when you are on the go. They are far more nutritious than a fast food meal and more convenient.
Fourth, plan to modify your recipes. You don't have to give up traditional favorites – just modify them. For instance, make turkey stuffing low fat by sautйing onions and celery in broth in place of butter. Use sugar-free gelatin to slice calories in gelatin molds. Take a look at your recipes to see if you can eliminate or decrease some ingredients or use lower calorie substitutes.
Fifth, plan to leave the leftovers. Too often leftover food goes into your mouth instead of the storage container, even if you're already stuffed. Give leftovers away, make packages for your guests to take with them, take food into work, or divide leftovers into portions to use with your diet plan.
Sixth, control your eating. The moment you arrive to a holiday gathering, check out the food and pick out a few "healthy" foods to eat and skip all the others. Eat slowly and savor every bite. So you don't overeat, eating a meal replacement beforehand can help fill you up before you reach the holiday party table loaded with "once a year, you have to eat me treats."
Seventh, a meal replacement is your answer if you're like most people, and don't' have several hours a day to prepare healthy and nutritious meals. Study shows that people who replace several meals a week with portion-controlled foods, like liquid shakes or snack bars, lose significantly more weight in three months than folks who simple try to cut calories. What's the secret of meal replacements? Meal replacements keep it simple. Forget counting carbs or calories!
So you see, you don't have to fail to plan. You really can make it to New Years without gaining an ounce by including meal replacements in your diet. And, when you make it to New Years Day (and you have not gained weight), you will be free to avoid the parade of New Years dieters. Everyone else will be starting the latest fad, but you will be living your new lifestyle without deprivation dieting. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.
For more information on how to lose weight and get lean using meal replacements visit http://www.waistline-management.com or call Dolletta Mitchell at 888-325-3062.

About The Author

Dolletta Mitchell is a Health Advisor with Take Shape For Life, a subsidiary of Medifast, Inc. Dolletta provides weight loss and disease prevention management solutions that have been recommended by over 15,000 physicians nationwide and used by more than 750,000 overweight customers. Dolletta caring and positive, encouraging attitude and knowledge about wellness issues is a part of why her program has been successful to so many. She will educate, support, and assist you in attaining a healthier lifestyle.

This article was posted on November 21, 2004

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Is Man's Next Step Like A Can of Potted Meat?

Is Man's Next Step Like A Can of Potted Meat?
 by: Dr. Rita Louise

Is it the dawning of the Age of Aquarius? For years, predictions have indicated that humanity is readying itself for a golden age, a so called new age that is right around the corner just waiting to roll in. According to these forecasts, the air we breath will be clean and our environment pure. Hunger, starvation and disease will be eliminated. Most importantly, we will finally experience the peace and harmony we all desire and we will live in the spirit of brotherly love.
I too long for these events to take place, however, the reality that currently exists on our planet is very different and the choices we are making are sending us down a road that does not lead to salvation.
When I think about where we are going and how we are getting there, it can be likened to a can of potted meat. For those of you that are unfamiliar with potted meat, it is a canned meat product that is found next to the Spam and Vienna sausages at the supermarket. Its primary ingredients include cooked beef fatty tissue, beef hearts, beef tripe, cooked pork fatty tissue and mechanically separated chicken. These tasty morsels are ground up into a paste-like consistency, mixed with lots of salt and chemicals, canned and sold for human consumption.
I'm sure by now your mouth is watering and you just can't wait to sink your teeth into a forkful of this tempting delicacy. And while I make this comment in jest, the reality is that three major food manufacturers fight for shelf space at the supermarket each hoping to capture the potted meat market. The saddest or should I say scariest part of the saga is the fact that people buy it! It isn't as if only one or two people get the urge to munch down on some good ol' potted meat, there are thousands if not millions of people around the country why buy it, creating enough value, based on sales, to keep it on the shelf.
By now I know you're wondering what potted meat has to do with our next step, but it has everything to do with it. Take a moment and look around. Every day, our air grows increasingly worse. Obesity in children is running rampant. The amount and quality of real, wholesome foods on the shelves at supermarkets are being overrun by prepackaged preprocessed chemically laden ones. We fear for our safety, distrust our neighbors and hide in our hearts and in our homes. And like the potted meat, even though we don't really like it and know it isn't good for us, we buy it anyway.
Let's face it folks, we live in a chaotic world and in our haste we look for the easy answer. We let big business and big brother decide what we want, what we need and how much we can put up with. We've allowed the air we breathe, the foods we eat and the things we do to poison us and like pigs going to slaughter we do nothing about it, except perhaps complain.
Instead of working to bring in this new and golden age, many of us are sitting around waiting for it to show up. There are some who believe that if we pray hard enough, hope deeply enough or say enough affirmations that things will somehow magically change without any effort on our part.
There are others who believe that it can only be achieved after a major calamity falls upon the earth recreating balance in the imbalanced world in which we live. That it is only through the workings of karma that a profound shift can ever be achieved.
So how can we create this better world? The first step is it needs to become our number one priority. We must decide it is of utmost importance to us and let money, greed and personal gain take a back seat. It necessitates a change in consciousness from "what do I want" to "what do WE need". Until there is a dramatic transformation in the hearts and minds of man, the goal of a new world, while a nice thought is unachievable.
Unfortunately, many of us have chosen to stand on the sidelines and wait for the tide of personal and planetary changes to occur around us. However, it is not until we stand as a unified whole and demand that change take place that anything will happen at all.
Is it going to be hard? Damn right it's going to be hard. Tom Hanks in the movie A League of Their Own stated: "If it was easy, everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great". Remember change doesn't happen by hope or by prayer alone, it requires action. So take a stand, make a decision, let your voice be heard, your greatness shine. Don't let karma rear its ugly head. Just say no to potted meat and choose to bring in the future you desire.

About The Author

Dr. Rita Louise, PhD is a Naturopathic Physician and a 20-year veteran in the Human Potential Field, and it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Author of the newly released book "Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4", Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. a can help you identify what is really going on and provide you with straightforward guidance and advice. She can be reached by calling 972-475-3393 or visiting her website at http://www.soulhealer.com.

rita@soulhealer.com

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

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What is Real Hunger?

What is Real Hunger?
 by: Caryl Ehrlich

In order to identify hunger, you must first understand what it is. This is not as easy as it seems. Many of you may never have let yourself experience true hunger, only a feeling of discomfort. Not knowing exactly what it was, you may have been eating past hunger for such a long time you can no longer differentiate between hunger and the feeling of anxiety, stress, boredom, or any number of other emotional or circumstantial stimuli. You haven't allowed yourself to go without eating for a long enough period of time to have felt true hunger; you may not have experienced it since childhood.
Each of us is born with an innate sense of hunger. When you were a baby and felt this sensation, you cried. Your mother or caregiver pacified you with a bottle or breast, and when you were no longer hungry, you pushed the food away. Before you could speak, you made yourself understood.
As a toddler beginning to eat baby food, you were still in control of your food consumption. Your mother might have thought you had to finish everything she served, but you had other ideas. You might have clenched your little baby teeth and not permitted one extra spoonful of anything to enter your mouth. She might have pushed your chubby little cheeks together trying to force you to open your mouth, but you would not. If she did manage to insert some food, you spit it out, sometimes on your bib, sometimes on mom. The message was clear. "No more food, Mommy."
As she persevered, you finally learned to please your mother by finishing everything on your plate. You may have been told that if you ate your vegetables, your reward would be dessert. You were bribed with a lollipop if you'd stop crying. You learned to eat all your food because it gave pleasure to others. It didn't seem to matter anymore whether you were hungry or not. You were taught to ignore your feelings of hunger and satiation just to please someone else. And you learned well.
Years later, you're still keeping a friend company by sharing a meal when you're not hungry, or accepting an alcoholic beverage just to be part of the crowd, or to please a hostess.
The dictionary describes hunger as "the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by need of food." Some people become irritable, shaky, or disoriented if they are not fed at their usual mealtime. Others experience hunger as feeling lightheaded, empty, low, headachy, or hollow. At times a growling stomach prompts an eating episode. Some eat when they get depressed. Others lose their appetite when they get depressed. External stimuli are abundant, as are emotional and physical ones, yet few of these are hunger, just some other strain on your nervous system.
Human beings have a built-in fight or flight mechanism that helps them to survive. When your ancestors roamed the earth and encountered a tiger who had leaped out of the bushes, they would mobilize themselves to either fight the tiger or flee from it. Years later, you still face the tigers. A death in the family, loss of a job, or an illness may certainly have the bite of a tiger. Your pulse quickens, your mouth feels dry, your palms sweat and you revert to old behavior and try to quell the anxiety by putting something into your mouth. You also may be reacting to the fluctuations of daily life – a waiter being inept, traffic inching along, a line at the bank – that cause you to eat a box of cookies or ask for a second helping of food. You might be misidentifying a minor travail as a tiger when it is only a baby cub.
Have you had the experience of thinking you were hungry at noontime only to become absorbed in a project or in a book, and have several hours pass before you think about food again? True hunger cannot wait a few hours. It demands to be fed. You were not hungry at noon but were responding to a time of day stimulus, another reason you've given yourself to eat. If you distract yourself with some other activity, the urge usually passes within a few minutes. Try to differentiate between your hungers and your urges.
Food need not fill you up in order for you to feel satisfied. A few bites of foods you don't usually eat can be very satisfying while baskets of bread, mugs of coffee, or liter bottles of diet soda might leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied.
It is not okay to eat when you are physically or emotionally uncomfortable. Eat when you're hungry. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry, not when you are full or there is nothing remaining on your plate. As your clothes get looser, you'll start to enjoy leaving food on your plate. It is a process that takes time to achieve. Remember:
· Volume of non-nutritious food merely stuffs and bloats but does not satisfy real hunger.
· Variety and texture along with nutrition satiates hunger.

About The Author

This article is an excerpt from the book Conquer Your Food Addiction published by Simon and Schuster. Caryl Ehrlich, the author, also teaches The Caryl Ehrlich Program, a one-on-one behavioral approach to weight loss in New York City. Visit her at http://www.ConquerFood.com to know more about weight loss and keep it off without diet, deprivation, props, or pills.

Caryl@ConquerFood.com

This article was posted on November 20, 2004

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What Every Woman Needs!

What Every Woman Needs!
 by: Kim Beardsmore

As a woman, your body is very complex. Throughout every phase of your life you will require extra care and nutritional support. Today's scientific advances support a number of natural choices for women, like soy. Still, the fact remains that calcium, folic acid and iron continue to be the most important nutrients that can impact a woman's total health. All women should take a daily multiple vitamins with these essential nutrients.
Calcium is essential to strong healthy bones.
As a woman you have a much greater risk of developing osteoporosis because you have less bone tissue and lose bone more rapidly then men do. Be sure to consume adequate calcium throughout life, as this may reduce your risk of osteoporosis later in life. Calcium is essential to the health of bones, teeth and skin, yet few adults get enough of it in their diets. Make sure you find a high quality calcium supplement to ensure you receive a health-enhancing daily allowance.
Folic acid impacts women in many ways.
It plays an important role during rapid fetal growth and development. In fact, adequate intake of folic acid as part of a healthy diet before and in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of having a baby with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord. All women of childbearing age are recommended to consume 400 mcg of folic acid everyday starting at least one month before conception into the early weeks of pregnancy.
Folic acid also plays a role in the maintenance of normal homocysteine levels; elevated levels of homocysteine are believed to be a risk factor of heart health.
Iron
Iron is a vital nutrient that plays an essential role in forming healthy red blood cells and transporting oxygen. It's estimated that as many as 62% of women over the age of 20 are not meeting the RDA for iron. Women also tend to be low in iron because they tend to eat foods low in iron and lose iron through menstruation.
Drinking a glass of orange juice with your cereal can boost iron absorption by the body. Vitamin C helps the body metabolize the iron. A high quality Vitamin C supplement rich in antioxidants to help fight the harmful effects of free radicals is a wonderful supplement not only to assist iron absorption, but also to combat ageing.
Vitamin C is coveted for its many benefits, including a contribution to healthy bones, teeth, blood vessels and the production of collagen.
In addition to taking a daily multiple vitamin, routine exams are key to prevention and healthy living. You should have a yearly gynecological exam that includes a pelvic exam, breast exam and PAP test. Also, consider performing monthly self-breast exams to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel. If you are over 40, you should have a mammogram every year.
(c) Kim Beardsmore

About The Author

Kim is a successful weight loss coach who will cut through the diet-hype and help you reach your goal weight. No public 'weigh-ins', meetings that cost you money or fads...simply results you will love! You can receive a free consultation. Visit today: http://tinyurl.com/5xsw5. Are you interested in earning money from home? We can help you grow a profitable home business: http://tinyurl.com/5wyma.

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

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A Lifestyle Approach to Remedy Snoring

A Lifestyle Approach to Remedy Snoring
 by: Kevin Meates

If you want to remedy snoring, you have to find the underlying cause. Snoring is not an affliction like the common cold, where you wake up one morning and you've just got it. It is something that normally arrives slowly over time. Most people can't remember the day and date that their snoring started. It was sometime in my mid 30's or some such vague description is the normal response to a question on its arrival.
The lifestyle approach to remedy your snoring, doesn't treat it as a condition or a disease. But rather treats snoring as a symptom, or a warning, that the body is out of balance.
I like to think of snoring like the ground proximity alarm in a modern jet aircraft. (The one that goes "WOOP! WOOP! PULL UP! PULL UP!", if the aircraft gets too close to the ground when it's not supposed to). If you are a pilot, you'd prefer not to hear it. But if you did, you would be grateful for the warning before dire consequences arrived. I'm sure the warning siren must be very annoying when it is activated but a lot less painful than the alternative. Likewise snoring is annoying, but not responding to the warning may have more serious consequences.
The above example may seem extreme but the reality is there has been an enormous amount of research in recent years linking snoring to a range of serious conditions such as hypertension and coronary disease.
The human body is a truly amazing machine. It has the ability to self regulate a complex array of interacting chemical and electrical processes within fine tolerances. This ability of homeostasis means the body can keep the internal systems (e.g. blood pressure, body temperature, acid-base balance) in equilibrium despite changes in the external environment.
However if the body is subjected to persistent extreme conditions outside the normal bounds of function then it may not be able to rectify the situation without help. For instance if your body gets cold, it starts to shiver to maintain its core body temperature. But if your body is subjected to sub zero temperatures without any external heating then shivering alone will not be able to stop the inevitable deadly conclusion. But the act of shivering is, in itself, a warning for you to take some action; put some warmer clothes on for example.
Snoring can be set off by a number of different balance upsets such as your diet, your breathing, your stress levels, and your physical environment. If you systematically work through these factors two important things are going to happen. You're eventually going to stop snoring and you'll end up with a healthier body.
Once you start you may be pleasantly surprised, as often, a snoring solution doesn't always require a big change in your lifestyle.

About The Author

Copyright © 2004 Kevin Meates

Kevin Meates writes for http://www.snoring-solutions-that-work.com where you can find a set of strategies for overcoming all types of snoring problems.

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: mailto:kmeates@snoring-solutions-that-work.com

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

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Go Ahead. Toss the Starfish!

Go Ahead… Toss the Starfish!
 by: Paul Shearstone

There is an old story that tells of a man walking along a beach when up ahead in the distance, he catches sight of another man acting strangely. As he gets closer, he notices the man is picking things up from the sand and throwing them into the water.
Upon reaching him, he sees the objects being tossed are starfish, stranded on shore by the retreating tide. Curious about his intentions, the first man asked, "What are you doing?"
"I am saving these starfish," he replied. "They won't survive in the sun until the tide returns."
Totally taken aback by this statement, the first man said, rather indignantly, "Aren't you being a little silly? Do you not realize how many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of starfish there are in the sea and that by throwing a few back will make absolutely no difference at all?"
The second man said nothing but was unfazed. He picked up yet another starfish and threw it out into the waves. He hesitated for a moment, then looked back the first man and said, "I just made a difference for that one."
It is an old story but a good one and it still serves to remind us – or maybe just me – of several important life lessons.
Given the unrest in the world of late and the day-to-day pressures, people endure; it comes as no surprise that too many of us have become conditioned to seeing our lot in life from a jaded point of view. We learn to accept the notion that we, as individuals, have no real control and/or that in the big scheme of things, what we do or influence, doesn't really matter. As a result, we tend to retreat psychically, so as not to deal with conditions we believe beyond the realm of our control.
The net result is we act in ways in keeping with a defeatist's outlook, or to borrow a phrase, to see the glass Half Empty. Almost everybody can think of people they know that fit this profile – perhaps even they themselves.
The starfish story serves to underscore the importance of a basic human psychological need for people to find balance and purpose in their daily life.
One could argue about who benefited more, the starfish or its benefactor. At the risk of sounding a little 'out there', we might ponder the question; in this example, whose life was made better? An answer might be that the starfish's life was saved but that the man, albeit on a small scale, found 'Purpose' and no doubt, the feeling of satisfaction that comes from doing something good for others.
Although it would be easy to dismiss this observation as being a little academic or foolish, psychologists, nevertheless, will tell us that genuine feelings of - in this case, doing something simple but good – automatically influence one's physiological chemistry. Simply put, when we feel good, our body produces endorphins that stimulate our brain and vital organs, which in turn, helps promote better health, pleasure and improved life-balance. We have all heard the expression, It is better to give than receive. Believe it!
Granted, the starfish example is a simple one, but the premise or law still holds true for human interactions more complex. For those who possess 'Purpose' – even marginally – find they are more in control than out. The fact is, they cannot be directionless if they have a 'Purpose'.
Many find purpose in their job or career. They do not dread the work they do; they embrace it and benefit from it. In the workplace, they are a pleasure to be around. People, who find purpose in family, are apt to achieve enjoyment, satisfaction and pleasure in their own life – but only in the pursuit of their purpose, achieved only by serving others – which brings us to perhaps the most important point.
A generation ago, purpose-based coaching was more structured, finding bedrock in the traditional family unit, educational and religious institutions. We were all taught the Golden Rule: "Do unto others". Sadly, however, we now live in different times. The traditional family unit has changed. It might even be broken. Religious institutions play less of a role with a greater number of people and today's work environment is more challenging, complex and stress-filled than ever before.
The result? Near epidemic numbers of people suffering from depression and health related breakdowns. A world filled with too many individuals bereft of passion, purpose and self-fulfillment. As Mazlow once said, "Most people live lives of quiet desperation".
Therefore, what can we learn from the starfish scenario? Two things.
1) The act of saving the starfish, in the end, brought greater benefit to the man than the starfish. "It is in the GIVING or the doing that we help ourselves!" Our reward? Purpose… A reason for being.
2) The Contagion Factor: Although the starfish story clearly demonstrates a moral, benevolence and wisdom, it stops short of casting light on the ultimate outcome from such an activity. It is no stretch to believe that the second man may have been inspired. In so doing, he may reevaluate his own jaded outlook, and wish to emulate the kindness he'd witnessed.
We know that an unselfish act serves as its own lesson and motivates others to react in kind. It is infectious! It is also circular or better put, "What goes around, comes around". It brings with it, renewed purpose, balance, hope, health and satisfaction.
So go ahead… "Toss a Starfish!"

About The Author

Paul Shearstone aka The 'Pragmatic Persuasionist' is one of North America's foremost experts on Sales and Persuasion. He is also founder and President of The CFIDS Foundation of Cda Inc [A registered Charity]. As an International Keynote Speaker, Author, Writer, Motivation, Corporate Ethics, / Time & Stress Management, Recruiting Specialist, Paul enlightens and challenges audiences as he informs, motivates and entertains. To comment on this article or to book the Pragmatic Persuasionist for your next successful event we invite to contact Paul Shearstone directly @ 416-728-5556 or 1-866-855-4590 www.success150.com or paul@success150.com www.paulshearstone.ca.

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

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Possible Pitfalls

Possible Pitfalls
 by: Caryl Ehrlich

There are as many reasons you've given yourself to eat as there are minutes in a day. Storm clouds do it for me. They trigger a memory from when I lived in Florida and went deep-sea fishing in Key West. When a squall was imminent, we'd pull our boat into a nearby atoll and wait out the storm while eating fresh fish sandwiches and drinking cold beer. Sandwiches are finger foods, which I now steer clear of, and I don't drink beer anymore, but the smell of a rainstorm can be a powerful pitfall for me. I don't act on it, but the memory is a tantalizing trigger, nevertheless.
A splash of red wine on white pants may not trigger an overeating episode nor will the car not starting, a flat tire, and your cell phone losing a signal at 4:58 p.m. when you must reach someone before 5:00 p.m. But these things have a cumulative effect, and all the mini-annoyances have the potential of becoming maxi-eating responses by the end of the day.
You might stumble because you saw your favorite dessert on a restaurant menu. Or a celebration may convert a tentative no to an emphatic yes as soon as you hear a champagne cork pop from a bottle.
"I could resist anything but temptation," said Oscar Wilde.
Consider the reasons you're tempted to eat. Highlight or circle the ones to which you respond. There are many and they are varied.
Do you eat because you're hungry? Do you even know what hunger is? Or are you eating because you're lonely, tired, angry, or bored?
Think of all the reasons you eat that have nothing to do with hunger.
Perhaps you eat because you're up: it's your birthday, my birthday, our anniversary, or Groundhog's Day; or because you're down: sad, or grieving. You might eat because it's there, or someone else is eating so why not you? Is food easily available in your office, your home? Do you eat in your car?
Are you eating because of good news? Bad news? No news? One man said he eats during the news.
You might find yourself eating some foods because they came with a restaurant dinner or others because they came free with your airplane ticket or hotel room. There's bread on the table in a restaurant, peanuts on the plane, chocolates on your pillow, and you think: I'll never pass this way again.
To some, food is seen as a reward: I've been so good all day. I didn't have breakfast. I didn't have lunch. I'll just have this side of beef for dinner. Of course, if you're feeling stuffed, bloated, and not so good about yourself, then overeating is not a reward. It is a punishment.
When a young woman used the excuse that she overate prior to going to the ballet, I asked, did you dance? Unless she was dancing on that stage, she ate too much for dinner. She ate more than she was able to burn.
For many, food has become a socially acceptable drug. It seems to numb the tensions and stresses of your life. Perhaps you use food to stuff down feelings and thoughts you don't want to feel or think or to escape.
Do you eat when you're frustrated, disappointed, or angry? One fellow told me he knocked off a box of cookies and a pint of ice cream when the courts awarded his ex-wife a big divorce settlement. I wanted to know if she had returned the alimony check when she realized he was hurting himself.
Although eating doesn't change the outcome of anything but your waistline and self-esteem, you might still be eating to cheer yourself up when you're down. Or not to feel so alone when you're without company. Or to socialize: you don't want to be left out. You might continue eating even though your clothes are too tight and you're huffing and puffing when you walk. That is part of addiction: you continue doing what you do even though there are negative consequences.
Perhaps you eat because you're bored or have to fill unstructured time, such as evenings and weekends, or because you experience family, business, money, or peer-group pressure: ("Come on. We're all going for pizza and we want you to come.") You don't want to be left out. You might use food to avoid intimacy or sex. Perhaps you use food to avoid nurturing or being nurtured. You are procrastinating: ("I'll have lunch first and then work on that report.")
You might eat during food preparation and put-away. Perhaps because once you start you can't stop. You might think, what the hell, I blew it anyway. Maybe food is used as a reward because you did something wonderful, or a punishment because you already overate and figure What the hell, it won't make a difference. When you smell the coffee in your office or the popcorn in a movie, or fresh donuts in a bakery, do you queue up? Do you use food as a meal extender? You're having such a nice time and don't want the evening to end so you order another cup of coffee, a cocktail, a dessert. You're entertaining guests. There is an abundance of extra food and all those leftovers.
Going home to family is tricky for some. You may feel guilty that your family and friends have been cooking since last Thursday, and you have to taste (and comment on) everything that is offered. Does the cook get offended if you don't have seconds and thirds?
We eat differently when we are in the company of two people, three people, four people, more people. A recent study said that people who eat with six or more other people consume a whopping 78% more than they would if they ate alone. The more people there are, the more food is offered.
The longer food remains on the table, the longer you're tempted to eat.
Are you too tired to cook so you pick pick pick and convince yourself you didn't eat anything?
A point to remember:
If it's not water, it's food.
And this, too:
If you swallowed it, you ate it. It all adds up.
Whether you overeat because of genetics, ethnicity, religion, circumstance, or emotion doesn't matter. Perhaps you eat for some of these reasons or all of these reasons. Each person gets into the habit of using food inappropriately by eating for reasons you tell yourself it's okay to eat, even if you're not hungry. Having followed these habits for such a long time – sometimes decades – they've become involuntary conditioned responses. Just as Pavlov's dogs, when a stimulus appears, can a yes, thank you, be far behind? The intelligent you, thinks you shouldn't be doing what you're doing, but you can't stop. That's the sneaky part of the addiction – as if making up your mind will do the trick when it never has before. This might be the moment to make a list of the reasons you eat. Put down the breadstick and get a pencil.
After seeing my list, a middle-aged woman said to me, "According to your program, I haven't been hungry since 1963." She was correct. She and you may have misidentified these situations, circumstances, and emotions as hunger for such a long time, you've lost your innate ability to identify this most basic of feelings.
If you're trying to satisfy a physical hunger, your body doesn't require a great deal of food. If you're trying to fill an emotional hunger, you could back up a truck full of food to your home or office, and it would never, ever, contain enough food. "Okay guys, put the Mallomars in the cabinet, the Hдagen-Dazs in the freezer. The Twinkerdoodles go on the bed."
If you become so overwhelmed, confused and paralyzed with not knowing what to do about this multi-faceted, many-layered topic of weight control that you can't stop eating once you start, chances are you do nothing.
If hungry, you need to nourish the body. If, along the way, it also tastes good, looks good, and smells good, you've got a bonus. But you shouldn't be eating because it looks, smells, and tastes good. Almost everything fits that criteria.
If you're thirsty, drink water.
If you're responding to one of the above stimuli, change habits by creating new and constructive responses to replace your old and destructive ones. This is called repatterning.
I might have missed one of your Possible Pitfalls, but you get the idea. Add yours if it's not here. Observe how you eat when you're up or down, alone or with friends. We even eat differently with men, differently with women, and another way with children. These pitfalls might be because of emotions, circumstances, or just because it's there or you're there, in the neighborhood where your favorite something is prepared as nowhere else in the world! Pitfalls can be any of these things or all of these things.
None of the Pitfalls I've described above are hunger. And if it's not hunger, it's not a reason to eat.
What are your Possible Pitfalls?

About The Author

This article is an excerpt from the book Conquer Your Food Addiction published by Simon and Schuster. Caryl Ehrlich, the author, also teaches The Caryl Ehrlich Program, a one-on-one behavioral approach to weight loss in New York City. Visit her at http://www.ConquerFood.com to know more about weight loss and keep it off without diet, deprivation, props, or pills.

Caryl@ConquerFood.com

This article was posted on November 20, 2004

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How To Prevent The Flu

How To Prevent The Flu
 by: Jane Kriese

Can you prevent the flu? or is it just luck when you are virus free all year long! The flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Because this illness can be spread easily by coughing and sneezing, influenza epidemics are very common, especially in winter. More than 200 different viruses can cause colds and flu, and strains of these viruses are constantly changing, so vaccinations against influenza have been only partly successful in preventing out breaks of this disease.
The symptoms of influenza begin much like those of the common cold head ache, fatigue, and body aches. In many cases, a fever develops, and you may feel unbearably hot one moment and chilled and shaking the next. Most influenza sufferers have a dry throat and cough. Nausea and vomiting may occur as well. Often a person with the flu is so weak and uncomfortable that he or she may not feel like eating or doing anything else.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THE FLU?
Build you immune system and stay healthy by; Eliminating as much stress from your life as possible. Drinking plenty of water Eating a healthy diet, high in protein, fresh fruit and vegetables. Avoiding sugar, caffeine, & alcohol. Taking a high quality liquid, herbal multi vitamin with minerals (To learn more about testing vitamins for quality and assimilation into the body visit www.herbs4health.net read Chapter Nine of the my eBook " 9 Steps To A Healthy Vibrant Body " ) Washing your hands often with antibacterial soap Getting plenty of rest Exercising a least three times a week Staying away from people with viruses If symptoms of influenza or a cold appear, immediately take a herbal product with Ginger & Echinacea as the main ingredients. (There are many of these available, the best are liquid herbal extracts made from plants)
SHOULD YOU HAVE A FLU SHOT TO PREVENT THE FLU?
Before you can answer that question, you need to learn more about flu shots. What is in a flu shot? There are approximately three different strains of the flu virus in each shot. These include some unknown substances, as most vaccines are grown and strained through animal or human tissues. In addition other vaccine constituents such as; Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) Phenol (carbolic acid ) Formaldehyde ( a cancer causing agent ) Aluminum (known for it's association with Alzheimer's disease ) Thimerosal (an antiseptic for cleaning wounds) Neomycin & Streptomycin (antibiotic) are found!
Believe it or not but, in the studies at VRAN (Vaccination Risk Awareness Network), statistics show that, with or without a vaccination only 1 % of the population is treated in hospital for pneumonia or flu. Also there are many different viruses throughout the world, and it is almost impossible to guess which virus will travel to your area. This makes a person wonder how they can choose which virus to inject you with? Another fact to consider is that of all the illnesses that come upon us in the winter months only 10 to 15% of them are influenza virus. To learn more visit www.demarcomd.com/vran/vaccines/flu/flu_severyn.htm
You have read the facts that your body can fight viruses. Your body and your immune system is designed to cure itself. Use this information to make you body healthier. With small changes in your life you can have a healthy vibrant body.
© 2004 Jane Kriese janes-store@telus.net
This article may be reprinted in newsletters and on web sites, with resource box included
If using this article, please send a brief message to janes-store@telus.net
Would you like to have a Healthy Vibrant Body? To learn more, sign up for Jane Kriese's Herbs For Health Newsletter at: www.herbsforhealthstore.biz

About The Author

© 2004 Jane Kriese janes-store@telus.net

Would you like to have a Healthy Vibrant Body? To learn more, sign up for Jane Kriese's Herbs For Health Newsletter at: www.herbsforhealthstore.biz

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

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