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May 8, 2007
Female Libido Enhancer To Boost Sexual Stamina
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Anna Hardy
Libido is a term used to denote the sexual drive in people. It is existent in both men and women, and it is difficult to say in whom it is greater. This is because libido is not something that can be measured; and to top it, libido varies very greatly from one person to another. People feel different sexual urges at different times, even within the same day. Libido also depends upon external factors like climate, geographical location, day or night, etc. Hence, any discussion on libido is very difficult to conduct in terms of quantities.
It has been observed that the sexual drive in women is much more dynamic than that in men. There are many more factors on which the female libido depends, simply because the female sexual biology is much more complicated than the male.
Women could find an increase in their libidos under the following conditions:
- When girls are midway into their puberties, there could be an increase in their sexual drives. Actually this is the period when the girls come to understand more about sex, and this revelation leads them to want to experiment and find out.
- Most girls find themselves infatuated with a male member in their lives quite soon in life. This could be a neighbor, or a school/college friend, or a teacher, or even a relative. Women who are thus infatuated will find an almost uncontrollable increase in their libido at times. The libido could be sometimes so high that the women would not be able to perform if at all they manage to have sex with the man of their fantasies.
- When women fall into love for the first time, their libidos are generally high.
- Women have high libidos when taken out at a solitary place. That is the reason why couples prefer lonely resorts for their honeymoons.
- Sometimes women get an increase in their libido when they are undergoing their pregnancies. This could be because of the changes in their bodies, which could be turning on their men.
Yet, women are not always at a sexual high. The following are the times when the libido of women could be low:
- Women having their menstrual periods are generally lacking in their sexual drive. This is because of both reasons – the hormonal changes occurring in their bodies and the discomfort around their genital areas.
- Drastic moods can also affect libidos. Women are generally moodier than men, and this could show in their desire for sex. Anything wrong with their environment could make them perform poorly in sex.
- Pregnancies can increase libidos, but it is also responsible for decreasing libidos in many women. This could be because the woman is in anticipation of a greater joy – the baby that is to come – and sex may not hold her interest anymore. Also the woman may find her body too heavy to perform active sex.
Libido is one of the most important factors to have a good sexual experience. Without a sexual drive, the intercourse becomes nothing more than some kind of a physical exercise. Therefore a couple must make efforts in order to bring about an increase in the libidos.
This puts a greater responsibility on the male partner, as it is he who can arouse the libidinous instincts of a woman. Men should begin with stimulating conversation about love and caring. Surveys have revealed that women perform better when they have comfortable conversations before the sexual encounter. From the conversation, the man should gradually lead into the foreplay, which could begin by kissing and then carry on to caressing and fondling. The length of the foreplay should be very carefully decided. It should not be so short that the woman may feel dissatisfied; and at the same time it should not be so long that the woman may get bored.
During the foreplay, the man must touch all the vital sexual areas of the woman’s body so as to arouse her fully for sex. The important regions are the nipples, the genitals and especially, the clitoris. The clitoris is as important to the female as the penis is to the male. For this reason, it is necessary that the clitoris must be properly stimulated. The male can do it his own way by either rubbing or stroking the clitoris. This is very important if he wants the woman to reciprocate better. A woman with an aroused libido is also a better performer at sex.
Needless to say, several methods have been employed since ages in order to increase the female libido, since it directly influences the satisfaction of both partners. Apart from conventional medicines, several herbal remedies are also being used since age-old times. Herbs like Ashwagandha, wild yam, Avena sativa, ginseng, ginkgo, kawa kawa, maca are an integral part of Ayurveda. These herbs have all the aphrodisiac properties required for making partners perform better.
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Breast Development Process In A Girl
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Anna Hardy
Breasts grow sporadically at different times in the life of a woman. At some times the growth is rapid, while at other times the growth is so slow that it cannot be observed. However, breasts do keep growing right from the fetal stage till a much later stage in the life of the woman.
In order to better understand the process of breast development, scientists have divided the entire stage of development into five stages. The development journeys from the newborn infant stage until adulthood. The development explained is not just in the size of the breasts; but also in their functionality and shape.
The initial stage of development begins at infancy itself. During this stage the breasts are flat and there is no major distinction between the breasts of male and female infants. But on minute observation, there is a thin milk line on the breasts below the nipples. There could even be a little discharge from this line for a few days after birth. This is the only indication before puberty that the breasts will become functional later on in life. As the woman advances in years, it is this milk line which will develop into full-grown breasts.
The milk line is actually an external termination point of the milk ducts that lie beneath it. The milk line could be present in both male and female babies at birth. But in males, this milk line disappears later, whereas in females due to the presence of the female secondary sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone, the milk line continues to develop. In some men, the milk line may not disappear at birth due to hormonal imbalances. This is what causes the condition of men having breasts, known medically as gynecomastia.
In the period between infancy and puberty, the female breasts show very little development. They are visible only as mounds of flesh around the nipples. This is actually undeveloped breast tissue. When puberty sets in, the tissues begin their development. This is seen as protuberances around nipples. The areolas and nipples appear raised. Milk ducts also begin to develop at this stage, but they will remain nonfunctional until the first pregnancy occurs.
Puberty occurs at different ages in different women. It could be as early as 8 years, or could be delayed in some women up to the age of 13 years. All through puberty the breasts increase in size and can be made out from the outside. However, the contours and the shapeliness of the adult breasts will not be present at this stage.
The fourth major changes occur just when the woman is stepping out of her puberty and entering into adulthood. This could happen in the late teens and they are also called as the post-pubertal changes. During this period, the breasts gain in their firmness and the nipples and the areolas become more pronounced. This indicates that the woman’s breasts have become ready for sexual intercourse and pregnancy.
But the final changes will be the ones that occur all through the first pregnancy and during lactation when the child is born. During the pregnancy due to hormonal triggers, the breasts will become larger in proportion with the increasing tummy. In the later days of the pregnancy, the milk glands will become fully developed and some milk may also start oozing out of the nipples when a few days are left for the baby to come. When the baby is born, the suckling produces definitive changes on the nipples and the areolas which last a lifetime.
It can be said that women who do not become pregnant will never have fully-developed breasts. Hence, pregnancy and lactation could be very important factors for the full development of breasts.
Natural breast development occurs due to hormonal changes that take place in the body at every stage in their lives. But some women try to enhance the shapes of their breasts by several methods. Herbal supplements are much in vogue today. Today, there are many herbs being used such as a kawa kawa, ginkgo biloba, ashwagandha, pueriria mirifica, saw palmetto, fennel, etc. which can produce changes in the anatomy of the body. These could increase the hormonal concentrations of estrogen and progesterone, which could increase the size of the breasts. Massage and exercises of the chest are also known to bring about some development of the breasts. The simple circular massage technique is being used by women today in order to improve the circulation of the blood and improve their shapes.
Even the simple practice of wearing a good bra is important in determining what the final breast shape will turn out to be. But it is important to first determine what size of bra would be best for the woman. Too tight bras could stifle the breasts, while loose ones would give them a sagging shape.
But, just as all organs of the body are susceptible to age, breasts are too. Hence, when the woman reaches her old age, several changes take place in the breasts which are indicative of the breasts becoming aged with the woman. Breasts would lose all their functionality and sag. At this stage, the sexual feeling of the breasts is also lost to some extent or the other.
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How To Self Examine Your Breast?
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Anna Hardy
Breast self-examination is a very simple procedure which women can perform in the confines of the bedrooms or bathrooms. This test is a very important self diagnostic tool to determine the risks of breast cancer. Nowadays, doctors are emphasizing on the point that each woman should perform breast self-examinations regularly so that they can find out if there are any abnormalities in their breasts.
One important factor that is in favor of breast self-examination is that no one will know her breasts as accurately as the woman herself. Doctors are encouraging women to become more familiarized with their own breasts so that they can immediately find out any abnormalities. Women should know the contours, the feel, the texture and the color of their breasts perfectly. This is an important part of the breast self-examination technique.
How to Self-Examine the Breasts
The first part of self-examination of the breasts is pure observation. The woman must remove her upper body garment and stand in front of a mirror. Then she should place her hands by her sides. The next step is observation of the breasts. For this, the woman must first observe her breasts in their frontal positions, then turn to the left and right sides and observe the breasts from those sides in the mirror. This observation must be repeated with the hands on the hips and finally with the hands placed over the head. Any abnormality in the breast must be noted.
The next stage of breast self-examination is actually touching the breast to find out any abnormalities. There are two methods to carry out this part of the self-examination.
(i) Circular Sweep Method
For this method, the left hand is to be placed behind the head and the right hand is used to touch different parts of the breasts. Women who are more comfortable with the right hand behind the head and the left hand touching the breasts may do so. The free hand must be kept on the top of the breast region, just where the bulge begins. Then the hand is to be moved gradually in a clockwise manner, feeling the breast carefully at each point for lumps or any other kind of deformities. When one circle is completed, the hand must be taken a little inside the breast and the circular sweep must be done again. In this way, the circle must be progressively decreased until the hand reaches the nipple area. At every point gentle but steady pressure must be applied to check that there are no anomalies in the breasts. Finally, when the hand reached the nipple tissue, the fingers must be used to squeeze the nipple in both vertical and horizontal positions to check if there is any secretion.
(ii) Pie Chart Method
Here too, the woman self-examining her breasts needs to keep one hand behind her head and examine the breasts with the other hand. The hand is to be placed on the top region of the breast and then swept downwards, towards the protuberance of the nipple. Along the way, the fingers must be used to check if there are any lumps in the breast. When the hand reaches the nipple after one sweep, then it must be taken to the top again, placed a little to the left and swept downwards again. In this manner, the whole breast must be covered, even from the lower region, checking every point. If a firmer touch is required, then the fingers can be moved in a walking type of motion over the breast. Again, this examination must be ended with a pinching of the nipples in both vertical and horizontal directions to check for any abnormal secretion.
Age to Begin Breast Self-Examination
Hormonal changes begin occurring from the onset of puberty, i.e. when the girl reaches twelve years of age in normal circumstances. When the girl is in her post-puberty, which is roughly twenty years, the estrogen amounts have generally built up to their maturity levels. This is when breast self-examination must begin.
The breast self-examination must be carried out as a routine procedure. In fact every woman who has crossed the age of twenty years must carry out the examination once a month while in the shower. When the woman has crossed the age of forty years, then only breast self-examination is not enough. At that time, the woman must have a mammogram taken at least once a year.
The Best Time to Self-Examine the Breasts
Breasts are prone to undergo several changes within the menstrual cycle of the woman. At some times during the cycle, the breasts are soft; while at some other times, they may be firm. This happens generally in the later days of the menstrual cycle. When the breasts are firm, it is more difficult to check them for any lumpy growths. Therefore, the ideal time for carrying out breast self-examination would be one week after the menstrual flow has occurred.
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How Safe Is Sex During Pregnancy?
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Anna Hardy
When a woman becomes pregnant, one of the questions uppermost in the minds of the couple is whether they will be able to enjoy any sexual intercourse in the following months. Some couples dread pregnancies as it could put a dampener on their sexual life. But the good news is that pregnancy may not necessarily intervene in your sexual life at all. There are several misconceptions about having sexual intercourse during pregnancy and that is why couples develop wrong notions. However, most of these notions are quite unjustified.
The first thing one must understand is how pregnancy affects the body of the woman. Pregnancy occurs when the male sperm fertilizes the egg cell of the female. This fertilized egg is called as the embryo, which gets implanted in the uterus. Pregnancy brings about a host of changes in the woman, the first of them being the pause in the menstrual cycles. The embryo develops into the fetus. In order to protect the fetus, the amniotic cavity develops around it. The amniotic cavity is a fluid filled cavity meant for supplying the fetus with all the nutrients it requires for its development. At the same time, in order to prevent further fertilizations, the uterus opening, i.e. the cervix, is blocked off by a layer of mucus.
Now we know the changes that take place in the uterus when pregnancy occurs. Nature provides the growing fetus with all the protections necessary. The mucus layer cuts off the growing embryo from the rest of the outside world.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no harm in having sex when a woman is pregnant, and this could continue till late in the pregnancy. First and foremost, there is no way the penis or the seminal and vaginal fluids can come in contact with the embryo and cause any infections. This is because of the mucus layer that blocks off the cervix. Also for this very same reason, there can be no dislodging of the embryo inside the uterus in any manner.
However, care must be taken with the sexual positions that are adopted. The missionary position must be avoided, since in this position there is a tendency to lay more pressure on the uterus. The missionary position is the one in which the male lies on top and both partners are belly-to-belly in contact. Also the woman-on-top position must be avoided. Any other position in which pressure is not exerted on the woman’s uterus is acceptable.
It is necessary to speak to the doctor about sexual intercourse when the woman is pregnant. This is because though there are no technical problems with sexual intercourse during pregnancy, there can be some biological problems linked with the past of the woman. Like if the woman has had a premature birth in the past, then the doctor would advise the couple to refrain from penetrative sexual intercourse in the last three months of pregnancy. Women with miscarriages previously must not indulge in penetrative sexual intercourse during the first three months. And women who have a short cervix (this can be ascertained with a sonography test) must abstain from sexual intercourse throughout the pregnancy.
Yet sexual intercourse during pregnancy takes on a new meaning as the couple soon realizes. Since the woman’s body undergoes numerous changes – including the increase in the size of the breasts and the hips – the male partner may become more aroused. Hormonal changes may also induce the woman to become more libidinous during pregnancy. At the same time, on an emotional level, the partners develop greater love for each other in anticipation of their shared joy.
But the contrary of this case can also be seen. During pregnancy, some women might become too preoccupied with their thoughts to become interested in sexual intercourse. They may be intrigued by the changes in their bodies, and even scared of them to an extent. If such a situation arises, then it becomes the man’s responsibility to put the woman at ease.
Some couples could find sex during pregnancy too difficult to manage, due to the increase in the size of the couple. This could make the vagina difficult to access considering some sexual positions. The man may be reluctant to lie on top because of fear of harming the fetus, and the woman may not lie on top for fear of putting more weight on the man. Both of these situations could lead to difficulty in managing sexual intercourse.
Finally, it must be remembered that there are alternatives to sexual intercourse if things become too difficult. Mutual masturbation is one of the options. The couple can stimulate each other’s genitals by hands and lead them to orgasms. This could help relieve the sexual frustration. Oral sex can be performed without any problems. Though not advisable due to hygienic reasons, anal sex is also an option. But the most important thing is, the couple should develop stronger emotional bonds of love for each other. During pregnancy, it is best to make love with the mind than with the genitals.
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Know How to Do Breast Massage
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Candy Williams
Breasts are body tissues, which can be effectively self-massaged or massaged by someone else. At some time or the other, most women experience physical and psychological trauma related to breast congestion, breast pain, discomforts of surgical procedures, and anxieties about changes in their breast tissues.
The fact that breasts are strongly associated with sexual touching and attractiveness, does not rule out the fact that they should not receive physical care. Breast care is an important area of health that is often neglected, due to the stigmas surrounding the treatment of this part of the body.
The breast tissue contains an abundance of lymph vessels. Unlike other areas of the body, the breast lacks sources of external compression, such as muscles or strong overlying frontal part that promotes natural lymphatic drainage. As a result, fluid has a tendency to stagnate, which may lead to breast problems. This is where gentle, non-stimulating massage techniques can be used to aid fluid recirculation.
Massage therapy is an effective non-invasive treatment for breasts, as they also require need good circulation and tissue mobilization for optimum health. It is at times believed that there may be a correlation between chronic poor breast drainage and susceptibility to cancer. Massage techniques is one of the most effective ways for addressing such problems and promoting breast health.
Advantages of breast massage:
# Breast massage is a concept used by women since centuries. It is a simple process, which can be done in the privacy of home. Secondly, it is an easy process and doesn’t take more than a few moments to accomplish.
# The breast is made up of tissue and adipose fat. A firm and proper massage helps tone these tissues and firms them up. This gives the breasts a healthier and more natural look.
# Breast massage help create a beautiful bust line by helping to shape and tone it, thus increasing its overall attractiveness.
# It helps one be aware of any fibrous areas of possible indications of breast cancer.
# It helps flush out high toxin materials from the breast, bring nutrition to the tissues and specifically remove the toxins via the lymphatic system.
# It gives women a feeling of their femininity, and promotes relaxation and peace of mind, as massage of other body parts does.
# Breast massage helps correct sagging, droopiness and other features, which are considered unattractive.
# Breast massage helps enhance the health and elasticity of the support ligaments, which in turn provides better breast support.
How to do breast massage?
Women’s breasts vary considerably in texture and sensitivity to pressure. Hence, gentle strokes for those who are sensitive or have softer breasts. Moderate pressure may be more effective for those with firmer-textured breasts. A lotion or massaging oil can also help avoid friction, and lessen sensitivity.
Gentle-to-moderate kneading, rubbing, and squeezing strokes with the hands are enough to encourage increased lymph and blood flow to the breast. The breast can be kneaded and squeezed by contracting the palm and fingers of the hand.
1. To drain the lymph fluid from the breast, a common massage stroke is a gentle radial outward stroke from the nipple to the outer edge of the breast. This is done by applying light pressure starting from the centre of the breast and making several strokes outwards from the nipple.
2. Hold your breast. But, instead of squeezing it out, give it a twirling kind of motion. Rotate your hands (and thus the breast) in a clockwise motion, followed by an equal anticlockwise motion. Continue this for about ten times.
3. Open out your palms on the breast such that are facing downwards. Then move your palms downwards so that the fingers rub against the side surfaces of the breast. This should be avoided on the nipple, as it may spoil its shape.
A gradual feeling of warmth in the massaged area indicates increased blood flow to massaged areas.
To gain maximum benefit and therapeutic effects, breast massage should be practiced daily, as part of a routine - perhaps when fresh out of the shower, since the skin is still somewhat moist. Massage can also be done several times a day, depending on requirement and schedule.
Precautions:
Breast massage is a very simple process that can be done by the individual. However, it must be done with the utmost care. Improper breast massage can actually boomerang, like damaging of the glandular tissues that hold your breasts upright.
Lymph drainage therapy for breast care:
Lymph drainage therapy (LDT) is a gentle, non-stimulating technique with few contraindications. LDT is particularly effective for treating breast tissue because it involves extremely light pressure. Mastopathies respond well to lymphatic breast care.
Breast problems, which benefit from LDT include:
# Menstruation related problems - breast pain and swollen breasts.
# Pregnancy and breast-feeding problems – engorgement due to massive breast edema, sore nipples, inflammation/infection, plugged ducts or nipple pores, fissures, dermatitis and stretch marks.
# Chronic non-malignant lumps –
# Breast implant complications
# Cosmetic concerns such as surgery and trauma recovery; scarring.
It is time for efficient breast care to be brought into the realm of accepted practice. Armed with proper knowledge and a clear understanding of our limits, we can eliminate the controversy and stigma surrounding this necessary therapeutic application.
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Woman and Menopause: Symptoms and Treatment
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Tom alter
Menopause is the stage in a woman’s life when the menstrual cycle stops. This is not a disease; rather it is a natural process in a woman’s life. However, the stage when a woman has her menopause could be a very painful and mentally debilitating stage. There could be several complications.
From an Ayurvedic point of view, menses is the flow of excess pitta from the woman’s body. Menses is called as Raja in Ayurveda. For this reason, the stoppage of the menses flow permanently, i.e. menopause is called as Raja Nivrutti, which literally means retirement of menses.
Menopause is a culmination of all the three doshas of the woman’s body. The menses themselves are pitta, while the woman may gain in her weight during this time. This indicates a kapha imbalance. Since the woman may become moody and even lose her sleep during menopause, there is a strong indication of the vata dosha at play also.
Menopause can occur in women after the age of 45 years, though this widely varies from one woman to another. The average menopausal age could be taken as 51 years. It must be made clear that menopause is not an abrupt end to the menses. The decline of the menstrual flow occurs gradually as the months progress. Generally, a woman is said to have had her menopause if there has been no menstrual flow for at least one year.
(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Menopause
1. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha is more popularly known as Indian Ginseng for its believed aphrodisiacal properties. In the case of menopause, this herb is usually prescribed to cure insomnia and mood swings.
2. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
Beetroot is found to be extremely effective in making the menopausal experience less painful. It should be taken as a salad, in which the beetroots are boiled with their peel on. The peel must be removed before eating.
3. Indian Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi)
Known popularly as the jatamansi in India, this is another herb prescribed to cure insomnia and mood swings. For such benefits, this herb is prescribed to be taken along with ashwagandha.
(2) Dietary Treatments for Menopause
The complications during menopause can be reduced by bringing about changes in the dietary patterns. There are some very beneficial points that can be followed:-
4. Bitter foods are good dietary indications. The dark green leafy vegetables are mostly bitter in taste. They must be regularly incorporated in the diet as a woman is moving towards her menopause.
5. Astringent foods are also advantageous. These foods include beans, soybeans, potatoes, cabbages and poultry foods. Both the bitter and the astringent foods help in reducing the excess heat in the woman’s body that is produced during menopause.
6. Foods that are sour, salty and pungent are contra-indications for menopause. Onions, garlic, mustard and chilies are pungent foods. Tomatoes, tamarinds, vinegars and curds are sour foods. These must be avoided.
7. Consume foods that can provide some phyto-estrogens. Such foods are watermelon, berries, legumes, licorice and pomegranates.
During menopause, the need of the following nutrients increases:-
a) Vitamin D – obtained from egg yolk, milk and animal liver
b) Vitamin K – obtained from green vegetables, cereals and animal foods
c) Magnesium – obtained from nuts, bananas and dairy products
d) Manganese – obtained from cereal, bran, nuts and tea
e) Calcium – obtained from milk and milk products.
(3) Ayurvedic Treatments for Menopause
Chandraprabha is the tablet of choice that most physicians would provide for menopausal problems. This tablet helps in reducing the vata vitiation which is one of the foremost causes of menopausal problems. Along with this, Punarnavasava or Lodhrasava must be taken thrice in 15 milliliters doses for a month. In order to increase the strength of the body, Dashamoolarishta and Pradari Lauha are prescribed.
If there are hot flushes during menopause (which increase body temperature and then cause sudden chills), then Ashokarishta is given along with Useerasava.
For any irritations or infections that may occur in the vagina during menopause, Gokshuradi Guggulu is prescribed to be taken in doses of two pills twice a day.
Massaging the back with Chandanaadi taila helps to allay insomnia and mood swings which can occur due to vata vitiations during menopause.
(4) Home Remedies for Menopause
1. Licorice must be consumed in fair amounts during menopause. It has the phyto-estrogens that are necessary to correct the hormonal imbalances during menopause.
2. Have beetroot juice daily or include it in salads.
3. Another recipe is to boil a few carrot seeds in a glassful of milk. Consume this milk with carrot seeds in it on a daily basis.
4. During menopause, there is a chance of osteoporosis setting in due to loss of calcium. Hence take adequate care of your calcium intake. The foods mentioned above must be had in the proper amount to maintain calcium levels.
5. Maintain a healthy active regime. Sluggishness and a sedentary life will make the menopausal process quite difficult.
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Puberty or the Age of the Hormone Surge
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Clint Jhonson
Puberty is the period in life that each of us experienced some time ago or is soon approaching. It’s the time our bodies begins to develop and change as we move from a child to an adult.When children reach this first major point in their lives, parents tend to get scared, panic and simply don’t have or choose not to answer the blunt line of questioning from their children. Questions typically focus on subject matters like sexuality, period, PMS or TSS.
It’s advisable that parents play a major role in educating teens on this stage in their lives. Open dialogue and communication a key factor in having a close relationship with our children prevents them from seeking outside advice, which potentially could be harmful to them. So, parents, start preparing to have that “talk” with your child and be ready for very direct lines of questioning from them. The following provides an overview about puberty and other related subject matter, to inspire your ”talk”.
Puberty is a period of time when young adults mature physically, sexually, emotionally, intellectually and psychologically. This stage takes place between the ages of 8-16 in girls and 10-17 in boys. Sometimes, these transformations come smoothly in step by step process; and at other times, puberty starts out as a shock. Don’t panic, this is totally normal.
During puberty growth hormones are awaken and a teenager’s body will experience major growth spurts. Girls typically experience physiological development first. They gain weight and the overall shape of their bodies will change, making them more womanly and rounder, especially in the hip area. They also experience breasts development also known as, “breast buds” in the beginning stages. Typically, within one to two years after a girl’s breasts starts to grow, she will experience her first menstrual period, another change that indicates that puberty is occurring.
In boys, puberty brings a changing voice and a rapid growth, particularly in their shoulders and muscles. Another early sign of puberty is new hair growth in places like the pubic area, under arms and on their cheeks – mustache and beard. These are the so called secondary sexual characteristics. The growth of axial and pubic hair is pertinent for girls as well. At the end of the puberty period, the genital organs for equally girls and boys reach their maturity stage, which means that they are ready for copulation. In other words, around age of 18, teens are physically ready to have children, but are they mentally prepared?
Puberty comes along with behavioral and mental changes. This is adolescence. Puberty and adolescence start together, but adolescence ends up much later than puberty. Teenagers typically want to stand out. They have a point of view, a personality to show in relationship with adult their adult counterparts, particularly in conflicts with their parents. The new emergent personality signals its presence by sometimes adopting radical ideas or an awkward fashion style and look. Teenagers start to look inside and begin to question themselves some suffer from an identity crisis. They are unsure of their feelings, and don’t understand what it is they’re experiencing. Fear not this is normal; it’s just the insurgence of hormones.
Puberty also brings on new sexual sensations. Sooner or later, teens become aware of the opposite sex; and prefer and look for attention from them. School is no longer the number one priority. This is the age when dating becomes important. They also become obsessed with the way they look, and dress. They feel the need to belong to a group or to have close friends who have common interests, like music and sports; they begin to share their feelings, sensations, worries and desires. Physical attraction can then ultimately lead to a sexual act. Adolescent girls need to be particularly educated with regards to having sexual experiences at a young age due to possibly unprepared pregnancy once they’ve had their first menstrual period.
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It’s so easy to blame hormones for all the overwhelming changes occurring during puberty: sexual activity, menstrual period, mood swings, rebelliousness, you name it. No matter how teenagers manage to get through, the reward will be worth the struggle: they eventually become young men and women.
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Pregnancy Testing – Signs of Pregnancy that you can watch for
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Christy
Do you think you’re pregnant, but you don’t know for sure? Pregnancy testing can provide the answer to your question if you’re experiencing signs of pregnancy. A pregnancy test works by measuring the levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. This hormone is first produced once a fertilized egg has implanted in your uterus, which generally occurs about six days following fertilization. The levels of hCG present in your bloodstream will then rapidly rise over the next few weeks at a rate of about twice the amount every two days. Approximately a week after you would normally expect your menstrual cycle to begin, you should be able to detect hCG in your urine with pregnancy testing.
A pregnancy test is very simple to use. Depending on the test you choose, you may need to collect some of your urine in a cup and dip a test strip into the collected urine, or even urinate on a test stick. Additionally, each test displays results differently. Some may indicate a result with a pink or purple line and others may display a plus or minus sign. Most tests will show results within 5 to 10 minutes.
If you receive a negative result from a pregnancy test, this should not be taken to mean that you are not pregnant. If your normal menstrual cycle does not begin within a few days, it is recommended that you take another test or consult a medical professional to confirm whether you are pregnant or not. It may also be possible to obtain a false positive from a test, which can be caused by a “chemical pregnancy”, which is a term for a fertilized egg that began producing hCG but then failed to continue developing for some reason. In any case, the best results from a test can be obtained from testing first thing in the morning, to ensure the highest concentration of hCG in your urine.
In addition to pregnancy testing, there are several common signs of pregnancy that can give an additional confirmation of your pregnancy, including:
Your breasts become tender and swollen. This is a result of increased hormone levels.
Fatigue. Progesterone levels rise during pregnancy and changes in your body as it adapts to pregnancy can cause you to feel more tired than normal.
Nausea and/or vomiting. Morning sickness affects most women about a month following conception and usually stops by the end of the second trimester.
Frequent urination. Extra fluids produced by your body presents more of a load for your kidneys to process, as well as the pressure of the growing baby on your bladder.
Heightened sensitivity to odors. You may notice that certain odors can cause you to feel sick or trigger a gag reflex, even if they normally wouldn’t do so. This may be caused by increasing levels of estrogen in your body.
If pregnancy testing has returned a positive result and you are experiencing any of the common signs of pregnancy, you should contact your medical professional to confirm that you are pregnant, as well as to arrange necessary prenatal care during your pregnancy.
Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com
Information about the Author:
The article is prepared by Christy Berger who writes for TestCountry.com.Some information about this article is taken from these resources: Pregnancy Tests at Home: Early Pregnancy Tests Longer Version of Article can be found at Pregnancy Testing
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Female Masturbation Techniques To Relieve Sexual Frustrations
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Anna Hardy
Women also relieve their sexual frustrations by masturbating, just as men do. But in women, the mechanism of masturbation is more complex than in men. While men can achieve their orgasm just by applying a steady and strong pressure on the penis, women require a mental framework along with physical contact to reach their climax. In women, the touch is not the important part of the masturbation; the thought in their mind is. Also, male masturbation is a largely external process; but in women, masturbation is done by stimulating the internal genitals like the vaginal tract.
As already mentioned, there are various techniques of female masturbation. One of the most popular techniques women use is to arouse the clitoris. Women may begin with caressing their vulva and labia first; but gradually they will work their way to the little pea-sized pink organ known as the clitoris which lies between the folds of the labia. Women respond a lot to a rubbing kind of movement on the clitoris, which is generally done by the women with her first two fingers. The pressure and the rapidity of the strokes differ from women to women.
Since masturbation in women is an internal process, they can afford to be more adventurous than men. Though a woman produces enough lubricating fluids when fully aroused, some women would still apply lubricants such as KY Jelly or Vaseline. An external object in the vagina leads to an enhanced stimulation in most women. For this reason, women also experiment by inserting several objects shaped like the penis into the vagina. The list includes fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, gourds, bananas, radishes, etc. While putting any foreign objects such as these, it is necessary to lubricate the vagina more than its natural lubrication.
There are many sexual toys available to help women in masturbate. The most popular one is the dildo, which is a device shaped just like the human penis. This device could be mechanical or it could be battery operated. The idea is to insert the dildo into the vaginal tract to get a similar feeling as during penetrative sex. Advancements in the dildos have provided vibrators to them, due to which the pleasure it provides is greatly enhanced. Women use dildos even to stimulate their anuses. Thus, it can be said that the dildo is a versatile masturbatory device designed for women.
Positions adopted by women during masturbation also vary greatly. Most women prefer a sitting position with their legs stretched apart. This provides them easy access into the vaginal tract, and also facilitates a better stimulation of the clitoris. It also provides them with a comfortable posture. Women can also masturbate while lying down on a surface, but this is very inconvenient as the woman will need to stretch to reach out to her genitals. Standing postures are also employed. Some women rub their crotches against hard surfaces such as desks or kitchen stands and get themselves masturbated without having to touch their genitals.
It has been observed that in women, masturbation is more of a mentally aided process than a mere physical activity. Women need to be fully sexually aroused before they can achieve their full pleasure by masturbation. Women would love to have some music or to be able to look at something aesthetic like a painting or an erotic sculpture to masturbate, rather than looking at a nude male body. Several women can masturbate just by listening to some favorite music of theirs or by reading some erotic book, without even touching their genitals in actuality. It is possible for women to achieve masturbatory pleasure by just folding their legs and providing muscular pleasure within the masturbatory tract. For this reason, it can be said that in women masturbation is more of an intellectual activity than a sexual activity.
When it comes to a couple, then masturbation takes a different meaning altogether. Masturbation is very much useful in couples where the woman is pregnant and penetrative sex becomes cumbersome for that reason. When couples masturbate, it is called as mutual masturbation. This is usually preceded by foreplay. The male stimulates the genitals of the woman. He could begin by caressing the vulva, then the labia and finally reaching out to the clitoris. Rubbing the clitoris provides the woman with immense pleasure. At the same time, the woman can masturbate the penis and the scrotum of the male. Such mutual masturbation can also be employed when the couple does not want to have a baby or do not want to indulge in penetrative sex for some other reason.
Long since considered taboo, today women are becoming more open with their masturbation sessions and are even discussing that with their gynecologists. Doctors are in fact prescribing masturbation to some women in order to relieve themselves of their sexual frustrations especially when suffering from some diseases that make penetrative sex difficult. Masturbating women are at more peace of mind than women who indulge in penetrative sex with several men to douse their libidos.
Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com
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Read more about Female masturbation and other Secret Sexual Issues at www.mysecrethealth.com
Also read more about the Secret of How to Increase Libido.
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Beer - The New Natural Menopause Treatment
Filed under: 6. Woman
By: Rebecca Prescott
Whilst it may seem far fetched to think of beer as a natural menopause treatment, there is actually credible scientific research to support it. The key feature of beer in relation to menopause is the presence of phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like plant compounds that are also in alternative menopause treatments like soy. They work by binding to estrogen receptors, and so provide a mild estrogenic effect on the body. Phytoestrogens are not as strong as regular estrogen, but as estrogen levels decline in menopausal women, this boost of estrogen has a balancing effect on the body. Supplementing with phytoestrogens in soy and hops (which is made into beer, but can be purchased as a supplement), can alleviate hot flushes and improve the general quality of life for women during menopause.
Hops has more typically been used by herbalists for its mild sedative effect. It’s great for sleeping problems, and also for nervous gastrointestinal and stomach problems. It is stimulating to the stomach, and has been used for anorexia, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, dysmenorrhoea and amenorrhoea.
Hops has long been suspected of having an effect on the hormonal system. Before the advent of machine pickers, women and girls picked the plants at harvest, and would often spend 3 weeks doing so. It was observed amongst the young girls picking hops that their menstrual periods would come on early. But it wasn’t until hops was studied scientifically that this result was explained and validated. It turns out that hops contains very high levels of phytoestrogens - between 30,000 IU to 300,000 IU per 100 grams. The levels of phytoestrogens are highest when the plant is fresh.
The phytoestrogen in hops is called 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN), and is stronger than other estrogens studied so far. It is present in beer, but levels are low compared to levels in plant extracts.
8-prenylnaringenin (8PN) is a flavone. It has been found in the animal model to have milder but similar effects to estradiol. The hops flavone also had a stimulating effect on the uterus in this study (on animals). It has not been established if this effect is also present in women taking hops. If so, progestins, or natural progesterone, would need to be taken at the same time to prevent overstimulation of the endometrial tissue.
Czech scientists have developed this research by using a new technology to create a non-alcoholic beer that contains the same amounts of hops and malt as regular beer. No mention was made at this stage as to whether the menopause beer would have higher levels of phytoestrogens. The idea came about because the Czech Republic is a strong beer drinking nation, and menopausal women there had low levels of estrogen in their diet. The menopause beer is aimed at relieving the symptoms of menopause and improving bone density.
Scientists have also found hops to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Compounds in hops have an effect similar to regular pain killers like ibuprofen, but with less of a disturbing impact on the gastrointestinal system. These active constituents of hops work in the same way as the arthritis drugs vioxx and celebrex, in that they are COX-2 inhibitors.
Hops is also an antioxidant, it may reduce insulin resistance, and is being investigated for its potential anti tumor properties. Hops was found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells ‘in vitro’, or in the lab, paving the way for further studies to be done. Hops should not be taken by people with depression however, according to traditional herbalists.
References:
1. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=68117
2. raysahelian.com/hops.html
3. R Weiss, Herbal Medicine
4. Fisher and Painter, Materia Medica of Western Herbs
5. joe.endocrinology-journals.org/cgi/content/abstract/188/3/397
Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com
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For more information on natural treatments for menopause, click here. For a discussion on pre-menopause symptoms, click here. Rebecca Prescott runs the site, Menopause to Health
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“Acne Treatment: The Key Ingredients”
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: Bryanna Bredius
For those of us who have acne know that it can be quite a struggle to treat. The good news is that there is a wealth of research and knowledge that enable us to make new breakthroughs more often than not.
What exactly is Acne?
That would be the first step in understanding just how Acne is treated. Acne simply starts out as a pimple. The pimple starts out as a hair duct which becomes clogged in some way. The most common “clogâ€� is usually caused by skin debris, fat, and keratin (this is the same protein that our nails and hair are made of). After time, the pore either stays open or it closes. If the pore closes while the clog remains, it eventually turns into what is most commonly called a “whiteheadâ€� or if you want to get technical, a closed comedo. I just love those little guys! They’re so awesome! If they don’t close over, the clog becomes hardened and turns into “The Great Blackheadâ€� or an open comedo. Basically, the end result is bacteria that run a muck causing redness, inflammation and even pain (pain is usually associated with a nodule or a cyst). This is Acne.
What causes Acne?
Well, it’s not determined what the actual cause is. I suppose that it could be more of an individual thing. Just because medical science has no explanation, doesn’t mean that you can’t document your own flare-ups to see if a pattern emerges over time.
Is there a cure?
There is treatment. The key is to do your research (such as you are) and find what works for you. I would only use products that will offer a money back guarantee. Be aware that some products can lose their potency after extended use.
What are some good ingredients to look for in a treatment?
Well, Sulfur seems to be an ingredient that has been around for quite some time. It’s definitely proven its worth.
Another ingredient to look for would be Zinc. This aids in calming the skin (helps ward off colds as well) and helps to soothe the affected area.
Alpha Lipoic Acid seems to have a couple different uses. For one, it acts as an antioxidant which minimizes pores while firming the skin.
Salicylic Acid is another useful treatment when it comes to acne. It helps to dry out the affected area while minimizing redness. The tricky part is that you need a product to contain between 20 to 30 percent concentration in order for it to be as effective as if it were in a clinic.
The last thing that may be helpful is Licorice. Licorice is good to help balance out the skin tone because it’s actually somewhat of a bleaching agent. So it will be helpful when trying to repair some of the brown discolored spots that some people develop.
Though little is still known about what acne originates from, why or how it chooses its victims, there is one thing for sure; it does not discriminate. Whatever the skin color, whatever the age, and whatever the gender is completely inconsequential. Acne has been around forever and to my knowledge it does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The good news is that you’re not alone and treatment gets better all the time. So in the meantime, the best thing to do is to stay educated, think positive, get involved with support groups and continue treatment the best way you know how.
Bryanna Bredius’ experience in this topic has come from an abundance of research, study, and a first hand trial and error approach. She considers herself to be her best test subject. To learn more about this topic and related issues, visit www.what-u-need.net/acne
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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_132832_49.html
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What to Know about Diamonds
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: jyenterprises
Diamonds
About Diamond Weights
Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight. One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If adiamond is referred to as four grains; this also means that it is a one carat diamond. The word Carat comes from the word carob. A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond weighed the same as a carob bean, it was one carob, or one carat. However, in the Far East, where Carob trees do not grow, rice was used to measure the weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed as much as four grainsof rice, it was four grains – or one carat, as we know it to be now. The majority ofdiamond purchases are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.
Beware when shopping for diamonds that are already set or mounted.
If more than one diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total Weight – it does not tell you the carat weight of each stone in the piece. You need to ask the jeweler for the total carat weight of the largest diamond in the piece to truly understand what you are buying.
All About the Clarity of Diamonds
Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond, and it is important to know how to grade the clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is actually quite easy to learn how to grade the clarity of a diamond. There are basically two things that you must understand: Diamonds with visual inclusions and blemishes, and those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there are no inclusions or blemishes that can be seen with the naked eye. From there, the clarity of a diamond is further broken down into subcategories.
Many people mistakenly think that diamond clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so. Clarity actually refers to the internal and external imperfections of the diamond. The best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless – meaning that it is perfect. A grade of I-1, I-2 or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect, with a grade of I-3 being the worst.
Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which means that the diamond is very, very slightly imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and SI-2, which means that the diamond is slightly imperfect.
Are Diamonds Really Rare?
When you walk into a jewelry store and see all the diamonds in all of the various settings that are for sale, it is difficult to realize that diamonds are indeed rare.Most people don’t even stop to consider how that diamond came to be sitting in that jeweler’s case! There is quite a bit of work that is done before a diamond isready to sell to the general public!
For every one million diamonds that are mined, only one will be found that is a quality one carat diamond. In order to find a two caret diamond, about five million diamonds must be mined. More than two hundred tons of ore must be mined tofind one small diamond, and even then, more than 80% of the diamonds that are mined are only good for industrial use, such as diamond drill bits.
So, the next time you visit your local jewelry store, ask to see the one carat diamonds. You should look at this diamond with new appreciation – knowing that it truly is one in a million!
Buying Diamonds Online
With all of the potential for scams concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable! However, you actually can purchase diamonds online, without any problems – as long as you are careful.
First, think about your reasons for wanting to purchase the diamond online, as opposed to making a purchase from a local jewelry store. The most common reason is price. Due to low overhead costs, online jewelers and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices. However, you must be careful – sometimes a price that is too low is a sure indication of a scam.
One of the best things about purchasing online is the unlimited selection. When shopping offline, you are limited to the selection in the stores in your general area. Online, there are no limits. But again, you must use a great deal of care and consideration before handing your money over to someone that you cannot see and have never met!
Before shopping, learn as much as you can about diamonds – especially cut, color, clarity and carat weights. When you are knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once you know more about diamonds, you will be ready to start shopping.
Take your time. Don’t purchase the first diamond that you see that interests you. Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale. Do some comparison shopping to find the lowest prices. Once you have found the lowest p rice, start doing your investigation. You know about diamonds, you’ve found a diamond that you love, and you’ve found the lowest price – but you are still quite a ways away from actually purchasing that diamond!
Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as professional jewelry associations that they belong to. View and print the seller’s return, refund, and upgrade policies.
Also inquire about additional services, such as settings and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do a search for customer reviews on this particular company around the Internet. Also check with the BBB Online to see if there have been any complaints.
Ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD, EGL or AGS. You should see this before making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable escrow service for high dollar diamonds – preferably one that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession. The seller sends the diamond to the escrow service, and you send the money to pay for the diamond to the escrow service. The escrow service has the diamond appraised, sends the diamond to you, and sends the money to the seller. This is the surest way to protect yourself…again; make sure that you use a reputable escrow service!
Choosing The Cut of A Diamond
There are many different cuts of diamonds to choose from. The cut essentially refers to the shape that the diamond is cut into – unless you are in the diamond or jewelry business, but this shape has a great impact on the much the diamond sparkles.
The most popular cuts are heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, round, trillion, and emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on how much the diamond sparkles, but the actual cutting itself – when the diamond cutter actually cuts the diamond into a particular shape – also matters a great deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose its sparkle.
However, in the diamond industry, the cut of a diamond doesn’t refer to its shape at all. Instead, this is a reference to the stone’s depth, width, brilliance, durability, clarity, and other aspects of the diamond. Common cutting problems include a missing or off center culet, misalignment, and a diamond that is too thick or too thin, cracks, or broken culets.
When shopping for a diamond, you should of course choose the shape that you like the best, but then look at several different diamonds of that shape to find the one with the best cut – the one that sparkles the most, in all types of lighting.
Colored Diamonds
Fancy colored diamonds are all the rage these days. Gemologists have
developed new ways to create versions that are affordable for the average person - by treating less desirable diamonds. These less desirable diamonds are treated with irradiation followed by intense heat. This turns brown and yellowish diamonds into beautifully colored diamonds that you can afford. This produces stunning greens, blues, yellows, reds, purples and other colors. These colors are considered permanent, but there is a possibility they could change during repairs if a high heat is used.
Treatments like irradiation make it possible for more people to own these vividly colored diamonds. Most natural colored diamonds are rare and also extremely expensive. When shopping for colored diamonds you need to assume that any affordable fancy color diamond has been treated. Ask about the stones origin and request to view a lab certificate to verify authenticity.
Synthetic colored diamonds are another option if owning a colored diamond is something you desire but cannot quite afford. They are real diamonds, but they are created in a lab.
Natural fancy color diamonds get their coloring from different trace elements present in the stones, such as nitrogen, which produces a yellow diamond.
Diamonds can be colored by exposure to radiation during its creation. An example of a diamond affected by radiation is a Green diamond.
Another way that a natural colored diamond gets color is by its inclusions.
Regarded as flaws and undesirable in a colorless diamond, inclusions give unique tones and brilliant flashes of color in a fancy color diamond. Remember that Natural fancy colored diamonds are very expensive, any colored diamond labeled to be sold as natural should be accompanied by a certificate from a respected grading lab.
A "fancy" diamond is a natural diamond that has color. These colors vary from red, green, purple, violet, orange, blue and pink – and most shades between. Fancy color shades vary from faint to intense.
The most famous diamonds in the world are Color diamonds. The Tiffany Diamond, which is yellow, and the Hope Diamond which is blue, are colored, diamonds. Color diamonds have an amazing financial track record. The value has never decreased on wholesale level in more than 30 years. Blue and pink diamonds have doubled every 5 years of a strong economy. In the 1970’s you could have bought a very high quality blue diamond for about 50K and today the very same stone would be worth between 2 and 3 million.
Diamond Certificates
A diamond certificate is also known as a Diamond Grading Report. This report comes from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and you should require this report when you are purchasing a diamond.
With a diamond certificate, you can verify the color, cut, carat, weight, and clarity of the diamond. You don’t have to worry about a diamond dealer telling you anything less than the truth, because the certificate comes from the GIA – not the dealer. You may be required to pay for the certificate, but the cost is usually low, and in many cases, it will help you negotiate a better price on the diamond – or keep you from purchasing a lower quality diamond altogether.
If you buy a high quality diamond, and then later decide to sell the diamond, you will need to have the certificate, or you will have a hard time selling it to someone else. Furthermore, you can use the Diamond Grading Report to look up the wholesale value of the diamond in question. Use the guide that is used by the diamond cutting industry.
With the Certificate, or Diamond Grading Report, there won’t be any doubts when you are trying to purchase a diamond. You can easily find out what the diamond is worth. This will prevent you from overpaying, and it can prevent a seller from under-charging as well.
A copy of the Diamond Grading Report should be given to your insurance company as well, when you insure the diamond. This provides absolute, unquestionable proof of the value of the diamond should it be stolen in the future. Insurance companies cannot argue with the report.
Avoid diamond dealers who seem reluctant to provide a certificate! Also avoid sellers who tell you that a certificate diamond will cost you more – the only additional cost should be the cost of the certificate, which is low. If the dealer doesn’t want to provide a certificate, then you don’t want to do business with that dealer.
Don’t accept certificates from Gemological Laboratories other than GIA. There
are many fly-by-night Gemological labs these days, but in the end, GIA has been established as the most respectable and trustworthy – not to mention oldest – of the lot. So avoid dealers who don’t want to use GIA for certification purposes as well.
Don’t buy an expensive diamond without paying the extra cost of the certificate. If a dealer tries to convince you to make the purchase without the certificate, or if they want to use a company other than GIA, you can be sure that the dealer has probably greatly inflated the price of the diamond – they have something that they are hiding from you.
Diamond Scams
When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds. Scams occur simply because most people who buy diamonds – for whatever reasons – don’t know that much about diamonds. Therefore, they are easily fooled.
A common scam that most jewelry stores participate in is the Carat Total Weight scam. The tag on the piece of jewelry, usually a ring, only states the total carat weight of all diamonds in the piece, instead of listing the total weights separately for each diamond. This leads consumers to believe that the main diamond in the piece is actually bigger than it is. Ask what the total carat weight of the center stone is.
Also beware of fractions. Jewelry stores are allowed to round off diamond weights. This means that if the jeweler tells you that it is a ¾ carat diamond, it is probably between ½ and ¾ carat – but closer to ¾. Jewelry stores often run ‘fluorescence’ scams to varying degrees. Referring to a diamond as a blue-white diamond is such a scam. A blue-white diamond sounds very unique and special, but in fact, this type of diamond is of lesser quality – even though the jeweler will try to make you think you are getting something special. Jewelry stores also like to show their diamonds in bright lights. Lights make diamonds shine. Ask to see the diamond in a different, darker type of lighting as well.
Some truly unscrupulous jewelers target those who want appraisals on diamonds that were given to them as gifts or that were purchased elsewhere. They will try to tell you that the diamond is worthless, or worth less than it actually is worth – and offer to take it off your hands or trade it for a much better diamond, along with the cash to make up the difference. This is called low balling. Get a second, third, and even a forth opinion before taking any action.
Another common dirty trick is to switch the diamond you have chosen and paid for with one of lesser quality and value when you leave it to be set in a piece of jewelry, or leave a diamond ring to be sized. The only way to avoid this is to do business with one trustworthy jeweler. Avoid jewelers that you have not done business with in the past.
There are many more scams that jewelry stores commonly pull on unsuspecting consumers. Just use your best judgment, and purchase your diamonds with the utmost care and consideration.
Famous Diamonds
Among the most well known diamonds is the Hope. This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond is currently on display at the Smithsonian. The legends of the ill-fortune and curse bestowed on the possessor of the Hope Diamond are many. This diamond was donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. The Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky 110-carat rough.
The Dresden Green stands out among the natural colored diamonds. It is the largest green diamond in the world weighing 40.70 carats. This diamond is historic, large and has a natural green color with a slight blue overtone. These facts make it virtually priceless.
The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and weighs 9.01-carats. This pink diamond was once owned by Louis XIII.
The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42 in the rough (metric) carats discovered in either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa. The gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary weight of 128.54 carats.
And until recently, was the largest golden-yellow in the world.
The Koh-I-Noor ( Mountain of Light ) is now among the British Crown Jewels. This diamond weighs 105.60 carats. First mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have been once set in Shah Jehan‘s famous peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.
The Agra is graded as a naturally colored Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats. It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990. Since this sale, it has been modified to a cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.
The Transvaal Blue is pear cut. This blue diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal, South Africa.
The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered in the summer of 1963, in a South African diamond field. This 198.28-carat fancy brown diamond appeared to be a light honey color in its rough state. However, after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt orange.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped 69.42 carat diamond. Cartier o f New York purchased this diamond at an auction in 1969 and christened it "Cartier." The next day Richard Burton bought the diamond for Elizabeth Taylor.
He renamed it the "Taylor-Burton�. In 1978, Elizabeth Taylor put the diamond up for sale. Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500 each to view the diamond to cover the costs of showing it. Finally, in June of 1979, the diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.
How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings
There is much to consider when purchasing a diamond – especially diamond engagement rings! The tradition of presenting a woman with a diamond engagement ring when proposing began in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and in most cases, the woman you plan to propose to will expect a ring to accompany that proposal!
First, determine how much ring you can afford. Most people use the ‘two months salary’ rule. This means that the ring should cost the equivalent of two months of your current salary. Because you have other bills to pay, saving up this amount of money may take quite a bit of time. You should consider financing. Simply go to the jeweler of your choice and tell them that you plan to buy an engagement ring, and that financing will be necessary. Go ahead and get the credit check out of the way, find out what your payments will be, and how much of a down payment is required.
Now, have your mother, sister, or your girlfriends best friend take your girlfriend shopping, and make sure that they gaze at the engagement rings to get an idea of what she might like. Make sure that the jewelry store you buy the ring from will allow you to return the ring, if that is required, or allow your girlfriend to exchange it for another if she isn’t happy with it!
How to Care for Your Diamond
Caring for a diamond takes more than occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever, but they can be damaged if you are not careful. By learning how to properly care for your diamond, you will ensure that your diamond is indeed forever.
First, you should take your diamond jewelry to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the mountings and prongs that hold your diamond in place. Have him make any needed repairs. This will prevent your diamond from falling out of its setting and becoming lost.
Diamond jewelry that is not being worn, or diamonds that are loose should be stored in a fabric lined jewel case, or in a jewelry box where it can be kept separate from other jewelry. Each piece should have its own compartment. This will keep diamonds from becoming scratched, and it will also keep your diamond from scratching other jewelry as well.
Remove your diamond jewelry when doing physical work. Diamonds can be chipped and scratched easily. Also avoid allowing your diamond to come into contact with bleach or other household cleansers – this can damage or change the color of the settings and mountings, and it may even irreversibly change the color of the diamond!
How to Sell A Diamond
There are many reasons why you may want to sell a diamond that you own.
Perhaps you’ve gotten divorced, or you are strapped for cash. The reasons why don’t really matter – getting the best possible price is what counts! The way to obtain the best price for the diamond is to not be in a rush. Slow down, and carefully consider all of your options – there are many.
First, have the diamond appraised. In fact, have it appraised by two or three jewelers to get an accurate idea of the diamonds value. Tell the appraiser that you want the Rapaport Value. This is the wholesale value of the diamond, and it basically tells you the highest price that you can sell your diamond for. If your diamond has no certificate, you should consider getting a certificate from GIA. This may help you get a better price for the diamond as well.
First, try to sell the diamond yourself, to people you know. Friends and family members may be interested. If you don’t have any luck with friends or family members, you should turn to outside sources.
Absolutely avoid pawn shops! A pawn shop will only offer you about 10% of what the diamond is worth! Also avoid offers of selling the ring on consignment. There are many things that can go wrong, and there is no shortage of diamond scams – even in well known jewelry stores.
If the diamond is important, you should strongly consider auctioning it off through one of the famous auction houses, such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s. If it isn’t what is considered an ‘important’ diamond or a high-end diamond, you should try to sell it to an individual using classified ads, or even eBay. However, selling to an individual that you do not know could put you in danger – especially if the diamond is worth a lot of money.
Your final option should be a jewelry store. It is vital that you not let your diamond out of your sight while in the jewelry store – you might find that the diamond you walked in with is not the same diamond that you walk out with! The jeweler will try to tell you that your diamond is of poor quality or low weight.
Inevitably, there will be some problem with the diamond. This is where your appraisal and/or certificate will come in handy.
If the jeweler is fair, they will offer you between 60% and 80% of the value of the Rapaport Value. Do not accept anything less than this. Again, do not let the diamond out of your sight until you have been paid for it.
How to Spot A Fake Diamond
In this world of advanced technology it is almost impossible to simply look at a diamond and determine whether it is real or not – especially if you don’t know much about diamonds. There are some steps that you can take to avoid buying a fake diamond, however.
First, only deal with reputable jewelers, and when you find a reputable jeweler, stick with them. Avoid buying diamonds or other jewelry from jewelers that you have never dealt with before in the past. Ask to see the certificate for the stone.
If no certificate exists, walk away.
Look at the setting that the stone is in. Fake diamonds, such as zirconias, are usually set in low quality metals. Take a close look at the stone. Fake diamonds are not durable – natural diamonds, on the other hand, are the most durable stone on the planet. Look for scratches or nicks.
After purchasing a diamond, take it to another jeweler for appraisal. In fact, take it to two or three other jewelers for an appraisal to make sure that the appraisals are all fairly close. If you find that you have purchased a fake diamond, you may be accused of making a switch when you return to the store of your purchase;
therefore, it is important to have a certificate for the diamond. No two stones are alike.
Selecting Diamonds
Diamonds are graded for certification by laboratories using grading criteria. Four of these criteria are critical to understand when making a diamond purchase or investment. Known as the “Four C’sâ€� these criteria are: color, cut, clarity and carat.
Color is the result of the composition of a diamond and it does not change. When a jeweler is describing the color of a diamond they are referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Because a diamond with no color allows maximum light to pass through, colorless diamonds are preferred for their sparkle.
Cut refers to a diamonds reflective quality. Most diamonds are cut with 58 facets. The brilliance of diamonds is heavily dependent on the cut. The different angles and the finish of a diamond determine its ability to reflect light and cause its brilliance and fire. Remember that the cut of a diamond can have an impact on its durability as well as its beauty.
Some cutting faults can make a diamond prone to breakage. A diamond that is cut too thin can also cause light to leak out of the back and the diamond will lose some of the sparkle and appear not to shine. So, as you can see the Cut is probably the most important of the Four C’s.
During the formation process, inner flaws, or inclusions occur in most diamonds. The number and size of these inclusions determine what is referred to as the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear create more brilliance and therefore are rarer and highly priced. To be considered “flawless�, a diamond must have no surface or internal imperfections visible upon being viewed by a skilled diamond grader using 10 power magnifications.
Carat is the unit of weight by which diamonds are measured. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams. A carat is divided into 100 segments called points. 150 points would equal one and a half carats.
When you go to the store to make that all important diamond purchase, do not be shy! Ask questions, get the answers needed to make an informed purchase. Shopping for certified diamonds enables you to make an informed selection. Knowing the “four C’sâ€� allows you to comparison shop and purchase the best diamond at a fair price. But, before making a purchase, shop around and decide what shapes and styles really appeal to you. Enjoy your diamond for years to come!
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Airbrush Makeup- The Evolution of Beauty
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: Robert Closs
What ever happened to Fay Wray? We’ve lost her in the tunnels of time, but the new starlet captured in these beastly arms is just as gorgeous as Wray ever was- and we’ve done it all with a little bit of air! Sounds light? You’re right! Airbrushing! The flawless coverage and natural translucency that airbrush makeup offers is a huge step in the evolution of makeup art.
When the average person hears the word airbrush, we think of a car being painted, or the final stages of prints for magazines that are finessed into perfection. Today, these processes are accomplished digitally. The model’s print (who already happens to be stunningly gorgeous) is color corrected, her teeth are made whiter, her pupils enhanced, her lashes made thicker, her skin tweaked to perfection, her legs thinned out and elongated. It’s quite an artificial process and it leads me to the conclusion that I …or any farm animal in Bruce County, for that matter… could probably model for Vogue. However, what would you say if some of these adjustments could be made on your face instead of on your picture? I said prove it!
As I watched the tiny droplets leave the airbrush gun and dance in the air before landing on the subject’s face I was intrigued. I was sold when I saw a pretty great result dry into flawlessness. "Lets just wait a minute and watch the paint dry to see the final result," the demo makeup artist whispered. (It reminded me of an episode on the original Star Trek with William Shatner hanging out with a colony of women taking "the beauty pill " and watching all the "Plain Janes" turning into sexy amazons with the blink of an eye).
Spending time with the system I discovered the secrets that airbrushing holds. The airbrush gun takes the tiniest, most fragile foundation molecule and oxidizes it into a high opacity. In other words, one can wear the sheerest of sheer foundations and have virtually perfect skin. When I took the airbrush foundation and tried to apply it by traditional methods (a sponge and my fingertips) it was too watery to work with. Yet the same foundation passed through the air system takes on a new characteristic and a strength that I have not seen in the twenty-six years I’ve been painting faces.
Our model, a mother of two in her mid-thirties is posing for a "beauty and the beast" concept photo shoot. Genny has had her foundation, contour, and eye shadow air brushed. This photograph has been slightly lightened but is untouched. Genny typically has darkness under her eyes, and an uneven skin tone.
THE PROS OF AIRBRUSH MAKEUP:
Maximum coverage with minimal product
Delivers a natural and translucent look
Great for oily skin
Fantastic for overly active skin that tends to "eat" makeup up
Lasts ten to twelve hours - a bride’s best friend
Does not require powder, which can be ageing
Some foundation formulations are silicone based
Silicone is as smooth as silk
THE CONS OF AIRBRUSH MAKEUP:
Set up fee for airbrush technician: $500 to $800. Requires a skilled technician/artist or a lot of home practice
Airbrush Make-up session $80 to $200
Beauty airbrush is slowly making its way into the television and the film industry. With the transition of high definition television, it’s definitely a makeup artist’s and television personality’s new best friend
To view a video clip of airbrush makeup, log on to www.promakeupart.com/video.shtml and click on " fashion air brush".
Author BIO:
Robert Closs is the Founder and Managing Director of The School of Professional Makeup in Toronto, Canada. The School of Professional Makeup is one of the premier makeup schools in Canada. Rob has provided fashion advice, makeup tips and beauty tips for almost 25 years.
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Bigger and Natural Breast by Breast Enlargement Hypnosis.
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: cheetu
Hypnosis is the natural way of improving your breast size without any surgical approach. Through this process you can increase up to 3 inches of your bust size.
Hypnosis is as much safest as surgical implants are not. It is the best way of getting bigger and softer bust without any side effects, pain and scars.
Complications of Breast Implant Surgery
Do you know that 75% of the women are moving into natural alternative of improving breast instead surgery?
Because breast implant surgery involves risk and other major complications like surgical infection, breast pain, breast cancer, loss of nipple sensation, problem in breast feeding, unnatural and asymmetrical appearances etc.
Women who have implants will need to have one or more additional surgeries due to the cosmetic concerns and capsular contracture.Not only this, in breast implanting silicone and saline like chemicals are used which results hardening after surgery.
Most of the women have claimed that they have become ill after surgery. They have complaint including systemic fungus, neurological and rheumatologic problems.
How Does Breast Enlargement Hypnosis Works
Bigger And Natural Breast in two simple steps…
1. Understanding how your mind responds to self hypnosis. Your mind is impressed by what you see in your body. Your present body is manifestation of an image that you possess deeper in subconscious mind, so if you want to change your body you have to change that image and it’s very easy by hypnosis.
2. By the help of hypnotic suggestions your subconscious mind to enlarge your breast size. Hypnosis is the process of communicating your mind. Through hypnosis we can instruct, your mind to stimulate that hormone which causes the growth of woman’s breast.
The growth of woman’s breast is caused by sex hormones chiefly estrogen. Estrogens are present in both men and women. They are usually present at significantly higher levels in women of reproductive age.
During hypnosis we’ll take you so deep where your mind becomes receptive and then we’ll put such suggestions, which will effect direct to your mind.
This process is so cool, calm and relaxing that you will enjoy doing it everyday.
For
More on Feminization and Breast Enlargement cheetu.com
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Gray Hair: Step by Step Color Guide to Dye Gray Hair!
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: Terri-leigh
Had enough of standing in front of the mirror and plucking out your sneaky, little gray hairs that seem to be sprigging-up more and more. Well I am going to help you decide what color is best for you and your hair and guide you along with an easy step by step guide to getting rid of gray hair.
1. First of all you need to decide how much of your hair is gray, look at your hair and estimate a percentage of gray.
2. Use a semi-permanent if you estimate your hair is around 20 percent gray. The semi-permanent will begin to fade after 6-12 washes. So your hair will require frequent re-coloring if you shampoo your hair everyday.
3. If your hair is around 50 percent gray then I would opt for a longer lasting semi-permanent, often called a “quasi”. These colors will last roughly around 24-28 washes. So if “quasi” isn’t labeled on the box then look to see how many weeks the color will last which will be on the box.
If your hair is more than 50 percent gray and you are looking to color most or all of your gray hair then you will need a permanent dye. If you are more than 50 percent gray and you would prefer a semi-permanent then that is okay but you should know that all of your gray will not be covered, however some clients actually prefer this as:
· A small amount of gray left which looks very natural. People that see your hair will just assume you don’t color your hair because they can see a little gray, when in actual fact most of it is covered!
· You don’t need to do touch-ups (roots) as often.
· Semi-permanents are kinder on the hair and leave hair with an incredible shine and in great condition.
4. If you decide that your hair needs a permanent dye then I would advise doing a strand test. One reason for this is to check your hair is compatible with the chemicals in the color. Secondly, to assess the result of the color.
· Cut off about a ¼ of an inch of hair from underneath, near your neck and bind one end with some tape.
· Mix a small amount of the hair color solution from the directions on the box.
· Place the hair swatch in the solution and leave for least amount of time according to the box. (It’s generally around 40 minutes).
· Although do keep checking for the desired color, take a note of the time it took.
How to choose the right shade…
Choose colors that closely match your natural color. The natural color you’re looking for is not the gray; it’s the darker strands in your hair. Once you have determined your natural hair color consider a shade darker for your chosen color as the color can appear lighter than expected, and will most likely fade a little due to washing and UV rays from the sun.
You will need to regularly touch-up your roots, around 6-8 weeks depending on your hair growth. I would suggest coloring your hair on a Saturday morning, if possible, so you have time get used to your new look before you go back to work.
Give yourself plenty of time to apply the color as it may seem tricky at first. Take your time and apply neatly over your hair.
Be especially neat around your hair line as the color will stain to a certain degree. However there are ways to prevent bad staining by apply a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) around your hair hairline and the tops of your ears and around the back of your neck.
Make sure you don’t get any petroleum jelly on your hair as this will act as a barrier against the color, which means you will be left with patches of hair uncolored.
Lay an old towel over the bathroom and wear an old top. Wear fitted protective gloves and now you can begin the coloring process. Follow the directions on the box exactly.
Set the timer and sit back and relax while you wait for your hair to develop.
Top 3 Don’ts When Coloring your Hair!
1. If you have used a Henna Color, make sure you never use any Chemical products on it i.e. Color and Perm solution as the chemical reaction will be extremely damaging to your hair, scalp and skin. You will have to wait until it grows out.
2. Some color-enhancing products can be quite irritable to the scalp so always test on very small amount before hand. (back of your neck or behind your ear)
3. Avoid chlorine for a few days after coloring, this could change the color.
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Baby Bath Tub - A Necessity or a Luxury?
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: Danielle Bennett
Deciding to buy a baby bath tub may be as easy as a picking out cute little baby booties, or as hard as choosing the right name for your baby. With prices on some infant bath tubs as high as 30 and 40 dollars; many may wonder if having one is really a necessity, or just an expensive baby luxury.
Well consider this… The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that dozens of children drown each year. Two-thirds of these accidents happened in the home in bath tubs. While the majority of these drownings took place when the child was left unattended, a few incidences occurred while a parent was trying to give their baby a bath in an adult-sized tub and the child just simply slipped away.
For safety reasons, baby bath tubs are clearly a necessity, especially during those first few months when an infant cannot sit up or provide their own support.
Many of these specialized baby tubs are designed with slings or hammocks that will hold a newborn securely in place. Others have a foam grip inside that will prevent slipping. All of them are small enough to fit inside a regular bath tub which gives the parent the convenience of bathing their baby in an environment that is water-friendly and easy to keep clean.
But make sure you do some research and read product reviews on the various baby bath tubs on the market before you fork over your hard earned cash. A tub that is perfect for one baby may be a complete disaster for another. A Soothing Spa and Shower Baby Bath Tub may sound like a wonderful thing, but if you later find out that the sprayer is too difficult to use you may end up feeling ripped off. That’s why it is always best to find out what other parents have to say before you buy.
Lastly, if you are giving your baby a bath for the very first time, consult your pediatrician or get some information online on how to do it right. Experts say you should not immerse a baby in bath water before the umbilical cord has fallen off or the circumcision has healed. Sponge baths are the only way to go in the first few weeks. You should also line up all of your baby bath items before you start the bath.
More importantly, NEVER EVER leave a baby unattended in a bath tub! If you have to leave the room, take your baby with you.
Author Bio:
Danielle Bennett is an editor at http://www.BabyBathBasics.com . The site provides baby bath information and advice for new parents as well as product reviews and helpful online baby bath videos.
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Birth Control Pills as Acne Treatment?
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: CharleyHwang
Some people want to enjoy their intimacy of their life but one of the ways is to consume birth control pills. However, people believe that taking birth control pills will help to control acne. How far is this true? Women sure will think about this statement as if ‘killing two birds with one stone’ and fear of side effects surely comes into the mind.
Back in history, in 1997, Us Food and Drug Administration or FDA approved low dosage of birth control pills to treat acne patients. SO to those teenagers who are more prone to acne, birth control pills are the answer they are seeking. Dermatologist will recommend different kinds of creams, antibiotics and other medication but even birth control pills. Birth control pills can stabilize fluctuating hormone level in the person’s body which causes acne. Thus, the usage of birth control pills is not only what it seems on the surface.
Acne usually develops at the teen period of our life and this is when our hormone levels begin to fluctuate. At this moment, our glands which are located under our skin near the hair follicle will begin to produce oils. Combination of oil and dead skin cells will form acne that is trapped in our skin pores.
Birth control pills are prescribed for mild to severe acne if other medications fail to do its part. Hormone that contained in birth control pills prevents can from forming on our skin. Most of the birth control pills work the same thus any of those pills will work the same way but the effectiveness of these pills will be quite long. It will take from several weeks to months for the effect to be obvious.
The decision making of taking birth control pills is very subjective to personal and also medical point of view. Thus, before making decision, get the facts right of the pro’s and con’s before proceeding. This may be important as some people might develop allergies to the medication or the sight effect of it. The side effects are vaginal bleeding, fluid retention, melasma and depression. However, the pills side effects not only stop at there, it also has some relations to heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and breast cancer. Smokers should stay away from birth control pills as the risk is higher to contract cancer. Some women who stopped taking birth pills after some time find it even worse than before.
Combinations of estrogen and progestin hormones are very common in most birth control pills. For those pills which contain estrogen and progestin hormones with high contain of androgen, which is a male hormone will make our acne worse.
In conclusion, be wise when making decision to take birth control pills as acne treatment and there are other alternatives to enjoy sex instate of taking birth control pills.
For more information on Acne Treatment or visit http://www.myacnetreatments.com/treating-acne-with-birth-control-pills/, a popular website that offers information on Acne Treatments, Acne Solutions, and Acne Medications. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks
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Bathing Children the Right Way
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: vincent platania
Make Soap and Water Time Special
Creating special times to bond with your small child is an important part of parenting. The daily bath can be a struggle or a special, relaxing, and fun time for both of you. From your newborn’s first bath, you have the opportunity to teach your child to enjoy the bathing experience. Bathing children the right way from the very beginning can teach them to trust their caregivers and to look forward to time set aside for personal care.
Baby’s first bath at home can be in a special infant tub or in a sink next to a counter or dressing table in a warm room. Gather a fresh diaper, a soft wash cloth, soft towel, mild soap, swabs, lotions, and any other product recommended by your family doctor for baby skin care. Have on hand a small, soft to use during baby’s shampoo. Gently scrubbing baby’s scalp with this soft brush will help eliminate any cradle cap. Use this brush also to style you little one’s hair until baby is ready for a regular brush.
Before undressing your baby, wet the washcloth and gently wash baby’s face, paying special attention to the eye area, ears, and folds under the chin. Then, gently cradle baby’s head in one hand and, using a mild shampoo and the scrub brush, wash and rinse his scalp. Remove baby’s shirt and wash his hands, arms, tummy and back. Then, remove the diaper and wash the diaper area and legs and feet. Wrap him in his big, soft towel and gently pat him dry. Apply any baby skin care products and dress him quickly to keep him warm. If his naval has fallen off and healed, you can set him down in the tub, in a couple of inches of water, while you are washing his body. That way, he can get used to being in water, and you can rinse the soap thoroughly off his skin.
Before placing your infant in the tub, be sure the water is neither hot nor cold. Most babies will prefer water that is skin temperature to slightly warm. Remember to hold your baby securely and to work quickly so your baby does not startle or get cold. Keeping baby comfortable during the experience will help him eventually look forward to bathtime.
When your child is walking, he is ready to move into the big tub, with lots of help. A toddler bath is a teaching experience and play experience, as well as a time to get clean. Let your child help you gather and organize everything you will need: a clean, soft towel and washcloth, mild soap, a mild shampoo, a good, soft bath brush, two or three special bath toys, bath salts or bubble bath to make sudsy bubbles. Don’t use bath oil for very young children. Their skin usually doesn’t need the moisturizers, and the oil can make the tub slippery. If a toddler slips in the tub, he might get hurt or become afraid of the bathtub.
Have your child “help” you fill the tub and add a small amount of bubble bath. Be sensitive to the water temperature your child prefers. Some children prefer a cooler bath than an adult might. Also, be careful of too hot a bath. Often, water heaters are set to a temperature that can scald a young child. Never let your toddler run his own bath. Also, never leave your toddler in a tub of water alone—even for a few seconds. If the doorbell or phone rings and you have to answer, wrap your little one in a towel and take him with you. Toddlers can be scalded or drown in a very short time.
If your child has a fear of water, start with only two or three inches of water in the tub. Let him put his toys in the tub and wash them with the shampoo, soap, and washcloth. Make a game of playing with the bubbles, and a game of getting his skin wet and soapy. Before you know it, a game of “peek-a-boo” using a wet washcloth can result in a washed face. A sudsy back rub can result in a clean child. Carefully avoid getting any soap in his eyes, and be sure to rinse all the soap off your child. Help him rinse, dry, and put away his special toys until the next bathtime. Then, wrap that clean toddler in that fluffy towel and enjoy! With care, your toddler’s bath can be a highlight of the day. Bathing children the right way can strengthen your relationship with your children as well as help them enjoy the rituals of personal grooming.
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Baby Shower Planning Basics
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Timothy Millar
Planning a baby shower is the loveliest gift that you can give to a mother-to-be. When planning the baby shower remember that its meant to be fun, so don’t get all stressed out about everything being perfect.
Planning
When you are planning to throw a baby shower, there are a lot of preparations that must go into the celebration. There are two main keys to planning the baby shower, making lists and delegating some of the work. Here are several mistakes common mistakes to avoid when planning your baby shower –
Not considering if you have too many guests – can the location, food or activities cater to so many people?
Keep a watchful eye on the budget its no fun looking the bill at the end of the day that will break the bank.
Avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different themes together in many cases it doesn’t work.
Make sure that the food sufficient – nothing can be more embarrassing than running out of food mid-way.
Do remember that baby shower involves planning, invitations, decorations, themes, color schemes, and so much more.
Theme
Just make sure that when choosing a baby shower theme, once you pick something - stick with it. As mentioned, you should try to avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different baby shower themes together. Unless you are confident in pulling it off, avoid at all cost - in many cases it doesn’t work.
Decorations
From the gifts, to the decorations to the food and drink, it is important that all the elements of the baby shower reflect the joy that the expectant mother is feeling. After all, it is the baby shower decorations that will set the right theme for the entire baby shower.
Baby shower decorations range from simple to extravagant depending on what you are looking for. When it comes to planning a successful baby shower, the importance of baby shower decorations simply cannot be overstated. Lots of balloons, streamers, banners and colorful decorations make the baby shower party area livelier. Whether the baby shower is held in someone’s home or rented hall, try to make sure that all the decorations are all baby related.
Location
Typically the person throwing the baby shower hosts the party at their house or at an alternate location such as a park or reception hall. Anything you plan to use to spruce up the location of the baby shower falls into this category. Use them outside the party location to direct people to the event.
What one should also take into consideration when inviting people, is whether or not the location of the baby shower can accommodate only a few or a large group of people.
Invitations
The baby shower invitations can be mailed 4-6 weeks before the actual date for out of town guests and they can be mailed 2-3 weeks before for local guests. There are many baby shower invitations available, you can go to specialized stores, order them online or use free baby shower templates that are available on the Internet.
Favors
The baby shower theme you choose will dictate the type of cake you purchase, the decorations, the games, the party favors and so on. And there are so many baby shower favors that choosing the most suitable one can be pretty confusing. But offering your guests baby shower prizes and favors that they can take home with them to thank them for their gifts and commemorate the special day is a gesture that is well worth the time spent in preparation.
Games
Baby shower games are generally inexpensive and just require a little planning. It’s important that you organize games that everyone can play. So it’s vital that the games also have to be designed so that the male guests do not remain spectators and observers during the entire celebration.
Foods
Finger foods are simple to prepare and can fit around any theme. For an early afternoon or early evening party, appetizers, salads and finger foods will suffice. The baby shower menu can be anything from a selection of finger foods and scrumptious desserts to a full course sit down meal. Of course, choosing foods and drinks that are free of alcohol, caffeine and other substances that could harm the baby is an important consideration. If you want to keep the food a bit simpler you can plan to serve a variety of appetizers, baby shower finger foods and desserts.
The Author is the owner of the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
Please visit the website for more information on Tips and Resources on Baby Shower Planning, Themes, Favors, Hosting, Gifts, Games etc. at the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
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Bra And Pantie Panic
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: kevinor
There is no shadow of a doubt that a sexy silky satin bra and panties set does make the perfect romantic gift for the lady you love. Women adore silk or satin next to their skin and those lacy bras make them feel really feminine too. The problem for you guys out there is just where to start your search for that perfect lingerie gift. You may even have made a fuddled attempt at purchasing a lingerie or nightwear gift in the past and fallen at the first hurdle so in this article we have put together some useful tips to help make the whole process a little less painful for you.
The first and foremost thing you must absolutely get right is the whole issue of size. This is the main reason why most guys give up before they even start looking at the idea of buying her a bra and pantie set. They have no idea whatsoever as to her size and then there is all that confusion about cup sizes to throw into the mix as well. Don’t panic though because there is an easy way to get all the important information you will ever need and believe it or not it’s probably right there under your nose.
You are going to need to do a little research but it will be an "undercover operation" into some unknown territory and it will require a little stealth or cunning if you are to pull it off successfully. You need to take a naughty peek into her lingerie drawers (in the nicest possible way of course) and hopefully without detection or your surprise gift won’t be a surprise at all. O.K. choose a time when you know that you aren’t going to be disturbed for at least fifteen minutes and in you go.
You need labels. You know the little tickets sewn into the garments with the all important information relating to size. Whist your in there it may be well worth your while to check out the kinds of lingerie styles she already wears because that way you stand a better chance of getting it right first time. Check her bras especially one you think she wears on a regular basis and make a note of the two measurements on the label. One will be the cup size which follows the letters of the alphabet starting at "A" for the smallest size and the other will be her actual chest measurement in inches. If you are thinking of buying her a bra and pantie set you will also need to read the label in a pair of her panties as well. This will usually relate to a standard dress size like 12, 14, 16 and so on although some times it may be labeled small to extra large ect.
Now if your mission into the depths of her lingerie drawers has been a success you will be armed with all the information you need to buy her that perfect lingerie gift. A visit to your nearest lingerie store is not going to be necessary because everything you need can be found online. On of the great things about the internet is how its revolutionized lingerie shopping by making it safe, secure and very discreet too. Don’t be tempted by all those vivid colors which look fabulous but will show through most of her clothes meaning your new lingerie gift isn’t going to get much of an outing if at all. Stick with pastel shades and remember that sexy doesn’t after mean uncomfortable. The more practical the lingerie the more she will wear it so try to base your choice around some of the stuff you saw in her lingerie drawers. If all else fails the more reputable online lingerie stores will offer a returns service so she can always exchange it for something else. Happy lingerie shopping!
Kevin Moore owns and runs several lingerie web sites. He also writes weekly articles about the pleasures of wearing silk and satin against the skin. To learn more visit here Bra And Panties
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Buying the right gold jewelry
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author: David Yrui
The process involved with purchasing jewelry can be at the same time fun and confusing. You can purchase jewelry either for someone you love or for yourself. The decision you make may turn out to be a tough one. Because gold jewelry represents something you will cherish for a very long time or maybe your whole life, you should allocate as much time as possible so the choice you make will be a wise one. There are some things you should consider in before you go for the purchase.
The first thing you should keep in mind is the source of the jewelry. Bargains are at hand. But always remember that you get what you pay for. If you are a person that shops online, the best choice for you would be a web store that specializes in fine jewelry. You should not have very high expectations if you choose to purchase from a website that offers home appliances alongside gold jewelry, even if it is a bargain. You should also look for a return policy in case the jewelry is not what you expected it to be or has a defect.
A very important aspect of purchasing gold jewelry is the quality. You can choose to purchase jewelry at low prices, but what are you really getting out of it? The quality of gold jewelry comes from karats. For instance, 24k gold is pure gold, but 18k represents 75% gold, 14k 58.3% and 10k 41.6%. All the other percentage is made of alloy or different metals that give the jewelry shape and strength.
You should not e hasty in your purchase. Try to get an idea about what you want by looking at a lot of designs. This may prove helpful and the satisfaction of the purchase will be even greater, because you know you have bought exactly what you wanted. The design and engravings, the look and feel, the ornamental detail and the finish are all things that you can use to determine whether that jewelry is suited for you or for the recipient you want to buy it for.
If you want to purchase gold jewelry for somebody else, be sure you are well-informed. You must know what your recipient’s ring size, neck size, wrist size or ankle size is, depending on the type of jewelry you want to purchase. You should do this in order to avoid any later unpleasant situations, like miss fits. You should also choose something that bears a special meaning or has some kind of special energy.
David Weitzman is a cosmic jewelry designer. He started designing this type of jewelry in 1998 and he received responses about the changes and the experiences that occurred in the lives of customers all over the world. The gold jewelry he designs represents symbols from Jewish culture –Star of David–, from Egyptian culture –Eye of Horus–, Tibetan symbols –Endless knot, Lotus– and others. You will also find representations of sacred geometry symbols found in all the cultures mentioned afore, like the Seed of Life, the Flower of Life and the Tree of life.
The jewels are hand crafted and finished. All of them are submitted to a special energizing process that involves special meditation. They are intended to cast light on the road of the truth seeker. The jewels are designed for a specific purpose and can be worn as talismans for success and good karma, others for healing and self balance purposes and some as symbols of unity. You can purchase them for yourself or as a perfect gift on a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary.
All the jewelry designed by David Weitzman can be found at ka-gold-jewelry.com. Ka represents the life force of the human spirit in ancient Egyptian culture. Gold has always been a symbol of the sun and can be used to represent life, light, love and well being.
All the criteria enumerated are filled by David Weitzman’s unique jewelry. Good health, luck and success are often believed to be promoted by gold jewelry. Be sure to visit the website of this cosmic jewelry designer and choose the one that is best suited for you, enjoying its special energy.
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Baby Gifts to Give the New Mom and Dad
Filed under: 6. Woman
Author:Michele Rogers
There is no greater joy than bringing a new life into the world. New parents have a long road ahead of them and there is no better way to help them with their new addition than getting them items for the new baby.
There are many articles out there giving advice on what to get the new parents for their new baby, but many give too much advice. Simply worded a gift that has the essentials is the most used and most appreciated by the new parents.
A gift with the following items is the best used: baby manicure set, baby door pillow, baby soap, wash cloths, beanie, tee shirts, photo frame, baby brush and comb, a first tooth keepsake box, and first haircut box, security blanket, and a rattle. These are all items that the new parents can put to good use. You may also want to include baby bottles, but this is up to the giver, if the new mom chooses other methods of feeding you may want to leave it out and give at a later time.
There are many retailers that offer items as mentioned that are themed for a boy or a girl. At times, it’s also appropriate to include a gift that has a neutral color. When buying a gift for new parents at times the items are purchased before the baby is born and it is unknown whether it is a girl or boy.
New parents are very appreciative of such items. No matter how prepared parents now days seem to be there is always one or two items that are overlooked while buying items for the nursery. New parents are grateful of the givers thoughtfulness.
Author is Michele Rogers, owner of http://www.lilyputts.com Lilyputts Gift Baskets , an online gift basket retailer. Also hosted is a http://www.lilyputts.blogspot.com BLOG that reviews gifts and welcomes other comments as well. Please visit Lilyputts Gift Baskets for descriptions and product presentations. Please, if you use any portion herein be sure to email author first.
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February 28, 2007
Which Aerobic Exercise Is Best For You?
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: John Hartley Posted: 27-09-2006
Want to use aerobic exercise to keep healthy? So did I, and so do I! But when I first came upon the idea of aerobic exercise the only option was jogging, although I think ‘aerobics’ or really aerobic dancing was just coming in. Not for me. So I joined the band of people who went around jogging up and down the road.
I learned that you needed to exercise every other day from the original exponents of the idea of aerobic exercise, and so that’s what I did. I used to be quite good at doing it every couple of days, except when travelling on business or on holiday.
Jogging for aerobics for a while –
Then I stopped doing it for a while, and took it up when I realised I was getting out of shape. Eventually, I got fed up with jogging. It is not much fun. Now if you are a really long distance runner, you get a kick from running - it’s a natural high. But I can’t say I got that.
Then, I heard that you can damage your joints, especially the knees, with too much jogging on concrete, so I gave it up - except at times of stress when I found the exercise helped calm me down! Of course, if you can jog on grass or heathland that will be OK, especially if you don’t do it too much.
Then I started swimming regularly
Later I tried swimming. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can take, as it exercises nearly every muscle in the body - and is definitely aerobic. I found I soon got bored with pounding up and down the pool, probably because I am not a good swimmer and use too much energy doing it.
So I gave that up, too! Next came cycling, and when I started I was living in a very hilly area, so you could not go more that a mile without coming to a steep hill and getting your heart beat up suitably. Despite those hills I enjoyed cycling - always have I suppose, ever since my first proper bike gave me some real freedom at thirteen years old.
So now I cycle every two days. Although it is fairly flat where I live there just enough hills for this to qualify as aerobic exercise. I enjoy it, and it keeps me fit. Of course you need some other exercise as well - and this can be walking occasional swimming or whatever.
So, to keep fit do some aerobic exercise. Try one you think you will enjoy, and if that doesn’t work, try another. Cycling, power walking - preferably in a hilly area - jogging, swimming, roller blading, many sports and lots of other forms of exercise qualify as aerobic. The minimum according to the experts is that you exercise for eight minutes with your heart beat up about 40%. You can achieve the same result with a lower increase for a longer period, so choose something that you enjoy as your form of aerobic exercise.
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About the Author:
John Hartley is a business writer who has always enjoyed sports and exercise. He cycles regularly wherever his business takes him, and runs the web site, http://www.best-aerobic-exercise.com, where you can find plenty of information about aerobic exercise
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Pranic Healing
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Pranic healing encompasses a broad array of curative approaches, both ancient and modern, based on the notion that illnesses of consistency or mind involve an imbalance and/or blockage in the stream of full of life liveliness vigor. In ancient India, this vigour was known as prana, as it still is in the contemporary practice of yoga and Ayurvedic practice of medicine. Traditional Taiwanese music uses the term qi to describe this lively vim. Pranic healing seeks, by widely varying agency, to tone and equalize the pranic flowing.
as the figure of option therapies has mushroomed during the shoemaker’s last several decades, the conception of prana/qi has become almost a common denominator among approaches that may otherwise seem wildly diverse. The belief in a fundamental spirit violence flowing done the human consistence (and, by extension, through with(p) all living things) is an ancient 1, common to many healing systems worldwide. More recently, many Western therapies rich person incorporated a similar construct. The of prana evolved thousands of days agone in India, apparently in connection with esoteric spiritual practices. A central in both yoga and Ayurveda (an ancient healing organisation), it is discussed in the earliest scripted sources for these disciplines–the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the ancient Hindu scriptures known as vedas.
As with prana, the origins of the of qi lost in the distant past. Acupuncture, which uses needles inserted at particular points to arouse the menstruation of qi, has been practised extensively in China for thousands of old age. Archaeologists wealthy person unearthed stone stylostixis needles dated to around 3000 B.C. The Nei Jing (or Classic of Internal Practice of medicine ), the oldest known text that discusses the theoretical basis of traditional Formosan medication, is believed to give birth been roughly 2,000 years ago .
Practitioners of pranayama, or respiration, believe that prana is moving when the human hint, which is a manifestation of universal prana, is flowing freely. When the organic structure’s Department of Energy is blocked, this stagnation tin can lead to illness and disease. Because Ayurvedic medicinal drug considers prana a kind of nutrient that i toilet take in through and through the intimation, ventilation exercises play an important role in promotion in Ayurveda. Pranayama soothes the nervous scheme, induces relaxation, regulates respiration, and balances the hemispheres of the brain. The major technique of pranayama is alternate nostril eupneic. Over the cobbler’s last century or so, more especially in recent decades, a identification number of mutually exclusive therapies deliver emerged that manipulate the physical structure and/or noninvasively energize points to promote , achieve healing, and tone up the critical effect.
About the author:
Rich Gully http://www.sweetinfo.com
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Skin Care For Acne
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Caring for your skin is important for good health and beauty, but especially so if you are prone to acne. One of the best ways to keep acne under control is to maintain your skin’s health as much as possible. This means keeping the skin clean and protecting it from damage from sunshine and harsh cosmetics.
Cleansing Your Skin
Wash your face twice a day with a gentle soap or special acne skin cleanser, using a gentle, circular motion of the fingertips. Do not scrub, since this can aggravate acne. Moisten the face with warm water, then apply cleanser from the hairline to the neck. Rinse with lots of water and pat dry with a soft towel.
Those with especially oily skin may need to use an astringent, but it must be alcohol-free, and used with care. Apply it only to the oiliest parts of the face and discontinue use immediately if your skin becomes irritated. If you feel you need an astringent, you may need to see a dermatologist instead.
Hair care is also important — shampoo twice a week to as often as daily, keeping the shampoo away from your face as much as possible.
Protect Your Skin From The Sun
A suntan may dry your skin, making the acne less noticeable, but this is only temporary. As your skin becomes accustomed to sun exposure, the acne will flare up again. Meanwhile you are risking skin damage that can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Many medications that treat acne cause the skin to become more sensitive to sunlight and more vulnerable to burning. Whatever the weather, you should wear sunscreen on your face and any other exposed skin when outdoors.
Choose Makeup With Care
The best choice for good acne skin care is to wear no makeup at all. But if you feel you must wear makeup, choose products labeled noncomedogenic — that means they will not clog your pores. Be aware that these products may still cause acne in some people. Above all, avoid makeup with an oil base. Read the labels carefully and use sparingly.
Shaving
Try both electric razors and safety razors to see which causes the least irritation to skin blemishes. Always use a sharp blade in a safety razor — change the blade every 2 or 3 shaves. You may have to shave around blemishes to avoid cutting them. Be sure to soften the beard as much as possible with warm water and shaving cream before starting. If your skin is covered with blemishes, perhaps it is best to skip shaving that day.
No Touching
As tempting as it may be to squeeze pimples, don’t! That invites more trouble by spreading the bacteria which cause pimples. It can also lead to permanent scarring.
Try to avoid touching your face as much as possible because the hands carry dirt, oil and germs.
Rest assured that acne can be brought under control. Medications will go a long way toward clearing your skin of acne. Your job is to help the healing process along as much as possible by taking good care of your skin.
About the author:
Visit http://www.relief4acne.comto learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer at http://www.ronxking.com
Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.
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The Need for Silence in a Noisy World
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
It is quite evident that we are living in one terribly noisy world and it seems to be getting worse every day. Everywhere we go we are accosted by loud, unwanted sound. When we enter elevators, malls and restaurants we are engulfed by musak. I recently had lunch at a popular restaurant and found the background music so loud that it interfered with normal conversation and the enjoyment of my lunch. When I asked the waitress if she could turn the music off, or at least down, she said, “ I don’t think we can.” Surely we as a people are still in charge of volume controls.
When you add lawnmowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, jack hammers, jet engines, transport trucks, and horns and buzzers of all types and descriptions you have a wall of constant noise and irritation. Even when watching a television program at a reasonable volume level you are blown out of your chair when a commercial comes on at the decibel level of a jet.
We seem to have created a cultural acceptance of our noisy world in spite of the fact that it is making us ill physically and psychologically. We can’t seem to live without background sound. We have friends who turn on the television the moment they awaken in the morning and leave it on all day. The house is just too quiet if it isn’t on. Former highschool students of mine used to tell me that the first thing they did on arriving home after school was turn on their CD player as loudly as would be tolerated by their parents.
Cornell University recently conducted a study to determine the impact of noise on employees in an open area office space where people are constantly exposed to fax machines, telephones, office chatter, shredding machines, etc. Test results revealed that workers in an open area had high levels of adrenalin in their urine. Adrenalin is released by the body when under stress. It prepares us for fight or flight. When these employees were compared to those in self contained office spaces the results were startling. People in a quiet, self contained work area did not have the same high levels of adrenalin in their urine. They were much more relaxed and less stressed.
A puzzle, demanding attention and concentration, was given to both groups of employees. The open area group was found to be less diligent in the solution of the puzzle becoming easily frustrated and giving up much earlier than the group from the quiet office. The study also found that workers from the quiet office slept better at night, had better digestion, were much less irritable at home and felt better at the end of their workday than employees from the open concept office. Noise does seem to effect focus, productivity and general physical and psychological well being. Noise tends to increase stress levels which in turn can result in increased frustration, anger and strained interpersonal relationships. We must begin to establish a friendship with silence.
How to Make a Friend of Silence
While we have very little control over noise in the environment at large, we do have control over our own private environment. This is where we begin to cultivate a friendship with silence.
* Make a conscious commitment to the experience and appreciation of silence.
* Go for a walk in nature. Let the silence soothe your spirit.
* When you are alone in your residence turn off all noise making appliances. Begin with fifteen minutes of silence and gradually increase the duration.
* Learn how to meditate and schedule a ten minute meditation period once or twice a day. Gradually extend your meditation time.
* When driving to work, turn off your car radio and drive in silence.
* Go camping for an night by yourself. Find a quiet campground where they don’t allow people to blast their music without consideration for others. I usually go solo camping for one week each year to be alone and silent in the outdoors. It has become something I eagerly look forward to.
* Drive to a lake at sunset and rent a canoe. Paddle slowly along the shoreline observing the silent sights and the gentle sounds of nature as the sun sets and darkness approaches.
* In silence listen to your breathing. Get a sense of the silent rhythm of life.
* Just before retiring go outside and look up at the night sky. You will soon sense another universal rhythm so unfamiliar to many. Let the night sky and the darkness embrace you and calm you as you prepare for a night’s rest.
* When you read a book, do so in silence. Many of us read to music or during television commercials. Try silence. You’ll grow to love it.
Soon you will begin to cherish the periods of silence you have built into your day and long for more. You will quickly discover that you are becoming more relaxed and less tense even in the midst of our noisy world. You will have made an invaluable new friend of silence, a friend which can comfort, heal and soothe your spirit. What a gift you will have given yourself.
Be still and know the restorative power of silence.
About the author:
Mike Moore is an international speaker and writer on human potential, motivation and humour. You can check out his motivational books, tapes, special reports and manuals at http://www.motivationalplus.com/store.html
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The Reasons Behind Smoking
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
So what are the reasons behind smoking. Both you and me know that it is not good for our health? There are very many reasons to it but in this article we will look over the biggest reason in today’s world and that is to release STRESS. So what is stress, can we get rid of it through smoking, if not then how can we get rid of it, lets look at the reason behind smoking.
Stress – What is it?
Stress is the result of feeling helpless, incapable to perform, not able to meet the deadlines and pressurized. Stress could be due to any reason, be it down to pressure at the office, home or even a bad financial situation, or it could be due to anything your not happy with.
Can smoking get rid of it?
Can we get rid of stress through smoking? Will smoking make us relax and even feel better about life? Well lets look at it like this, will smoking get you out of that bad financial situation or do your work for you at the office or even ease things at home. I don’t think so! Then why carry on smoking, it’s not going to cure the problems but just ease it for a few minutes at the very most.
So what do you do?
Then what should I do in a stressful moment? The answer is to confront it head on. You need to find a long term solution to the problem. If you having financial trouble, go to the bank. Trouble at the office, see your boss. Don’t go to the shop and buy more cigarettes, they won’t sort the problem out long term. By confronting it head on you will ease your stress over time.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking is bad for you. Smoking increases the chances of death due to lungs and breast cancer by a number of times. It wrecks the lungs during sports. One good way of easing stress for the short term is to do sport, it can control it way better than smoking can.
Tobacco the chemical contained in the cigar narrows the blood vessels and strains our heart. This gives you a larger risk of strokes and heart disease. If you haven’t stopped yet them you need go for a stress free way of stopping. That way you’ll not feel worse off than when you smoked.
About the author:
Rob Mellor owns the www.quit-smoking-expert.comwebsite helping normal people stop smoking in less than 40 minutes. Please visit the site for more information on our stop smoking program
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Weight Loss Survey: Why Dieters Fail To Lose Weight
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Current levels of overweight and obesity, together with weight-related disease, have made weight control a major health priority throughout America. Yet statistics indicate that average weight reduction on conventional diets adds up to a mere 5-8 pounds per year. So why do we find dieting so difficult? According to a new survey(1), the answer seems to be: because we make 3 crucial mistakes. We don’t have a good enough incentive; we allow ourselves to go hungry; and we can’t cope with "bad days".
The weight loss survey conducted by annecollins.com asked dieters to select the three biggest problems they faced when dieting. The most common problems reported were: "Inadequate incentive to lose weight" (76%); "Hunger" (72%); and "Bad days" (70%). Although these results will come as no surprise to most dieters, they highlight the importance of motivation in the dieting process. We examine how these problems occur, and what steps can be taken to overcome them.
Why Do We Need an Incentive?
We gain weight because we take in more energy than we use. Either because we eat too many calories, or burn too few, or both. So if we want to reduce weight, we need to improve our eating and exercise habits. And this is not easy, because let’s face it - old habits are not easily discarded, especially if they involve cutting out our favorite treats. We need a powerful incentive to help us change. Specifically, we need an answer to the question: "How exactly will I benefit from losing weight?"
When faced with this question, many dieters have no answer. Those who do, typically reply: "I’ll feel better" or "my health will improve". Others explain they are trying to lose weight to please their doctor, or their partner, or simply because they are "overweight". Unfortunately, none of these reasons are strong enough to help us succeed. So when temptation strikes, we are unable to resist.
What Type of Incentive is Best?
Our motivation to lose weight must be based on a selfish, specific benefit. A good example might be an upcoming beach holiday, or a family occasion, or the achievement of a specific mobility or fitness goal. It must be as specific as possible (general benefits are useless) and ideally related to a fixed date. In addition, it must be selfish. Losing weight to please others rarely works. The advice I give to my clients is very simple. Do not bother dieting unless you have a good incentive. Because no matter how good the diet, no matter how valuable the exercise plan, unless you have a powerful reason to change your habits you won’t succeed.
Hunger Kills Diets
Most dieters are still convinced that calories are their enemy. So the less they eat, the faster they are likely to lose weight. This is not true. In reality, the less we eat, the more hungry we get and the easier it is to fall into temptation. The human body is trained to eat when hungry and no amount of willpower will neutralize this basic urge. This is why binge eating is such a common response to low calorie diets.
How to Avoid Hunger
No rocket science here. Avoiding hunger simply means eating regularly throughout the day, and keeping your calorie intake above 1000-1200 per day. This prevents hunger, thus reducing the urge to overeat, and in addition helps to maintain a regular high level of calorie-burning.
Eat Too Much Rather Than Too Little
We all have days when we feel extra hungry, even when we are dieting. This is no problem - simply eat more! It is always better to eat a little too much than not enough. Might this delay your weight loss? Yes. But so what? Taking a few extra days to achieve your goal is not a problem. The real danger is not eating enough and ending up hungry and depressed. This is a recipe for a binge.
Bad Days and The Problem of Perfection
No dieter is perfect. The truth is, all dieters experience "bad days" or fall into occasional temptation. Sadly, most dieters insist on "being perfect". They cannot tolerate these lapses. So if (say) they visit a friend and end up eating 2 containers of ice cream and a box of cookies, they go to pieces. "I’m useless!" they cry. "I’m a failure!" Overwhelmed by guilt at not being perfect, they then quit their diet in disgust.
It’s the Guilt That Does the Damage
In this situation, the actual binge is typically fairly harmless. I mean, we need to eat a huge quantity of food (3500+ calories) to gain even one pound of weight. The real damage is caused by the ensuing guilt. And this is what we need to address.
Guilt Comes From Trying to Be Perfect
All dieters make mistakes and this is perfectly normal. Having an occasional binge is no cause for alarm, far less guilt. Even my most successful clients - those who have lost 100+ pounds - had regular lapses. The difference is, they didn’t see themselves as "perfect" individuals. So they felt "entitled" to make occasional mistakes, and so should you. Once you accept this, you will find dieting a whole lot easier.
We Need Support to Make These Changes
In order to overcome the 3 problems described above, an essential first step is to find proper support. This is just as important as choosing the right diet plan, because no matter how good the diet, it can’t motivate you to stay on track - only people can do this. Dieting is ten times easier when you receive encouragement from others. So when choosing an online weight loss program, choose one with an active forum. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about people. When we are alone and isolated, the smallest obstacle can seem like a mountain. But when we have people behind us, anything is possible.
Notes:
1. Weight Loss Survey (Oct 2005) by annecollins.com. A total of 17,403 subjects replied to the survey. They were asked to choose 3 from a list of 10 diet-problems. The results were as follows:
(1) Inadequate Incentive (76%).
(2) Hunger (72%).
(3) Bad Days (70%).
(4) Boredom (69%).
(5) Stress (60%).
(6) Interference From Others (51%).
(7) Too Much Eating Out (32%).
(8) Eating on The Run (28%).
(9) Ill-health (5%).
(10) Lack of Sleep (1%).
Copyright Anne Collins 2005.
About the author:
Anne Collins, 54, is a qualified nutritionist and full time weight management consultant with over 23 years experience. Her clients range from top celebrities to ordinary people of every age and shape. Her website, www.annecollins.comattracts 9 million unique visitors per annum, and her weight loss forum is one of the most active support centers on the Internet.
Anne Collins Web Site
Weight Loss Program
Weight Loss Forum
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What is a Body Massage?
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
The holistic application of physical touch to affect the systems of the body-the muscular, skeletal, elimination, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, lymphatic, emotional, mental and nervous systems is called Body massage. Body massage is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body with the hands for healing, therapeutic, pleasurable and relaxing effects. Body massage is the loving touch of the heart expressed through the hands. Professional therapeutic massage originated in China, is an age-old healing art, which can alleviate mental, physical and emotional ailments.
Let us study about the healing powers of body massage.
STRESS
Body massage helps releasing stress and tension in our bodies by increasing oxygen flow and blood circulation in the body. Excessive unresolved tension and stress in our daily lives could cause continuous muscular tension. This type of mental tension or stress diminishes the flow of oxygen and blood to the muscles and organs causing pains and aches, feelings of fatigue, symptomatic
heaviness, tightness of muscles and stiffness. This can even increase the chance of strains and injuries. . Tension creates a tendency for a build up of toxins in the body, and reduces the flow of the more subtle energy or life force (Prana or Chi). Muscular stress also deforms the skeletal anatomy, which further compounds present problems and develops new ones.
Benefits of Body massage
1. Assists weight loss
2. Improves and increases blood circulation and the flow of tissue fluid (lymph)
3. Nourishes the skin (with the right oils)
4. Soothes and relaxes nerves
5. Assists in removal of deposits of tissue
6. Releases emotional and mental tension
7. Creates a feeling of well-being
8. Gives pleasure
If you have any illness it is always advisable to inform a doctor before you go for a body massage.
About the author:
For more information about body massage, visit http://www.bodymassageguide.com
David Chandler
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What Is Yoga
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Yoga is a organization that benefits the consistency, head, and spirit by teaching ego-control done a serial of postures and exercises, as wellspring as through with(p) external respiration, liberalization, and speculation techniques. The ultimate end of yoga is -realization — so that for each one person tin attain his or her complete tangible, emotional, genial, and Negro spiritual potential. Another, and More limited, finish of yoga as a organisation of exercises is to restore the whole individual to balance wheel and to better and observe goodness wellness. Although about yoga exercises employ postures that stress liberalisation and avoidance of brawn emphasis or painful sensation, individuals WHO ar overweight, or suffer from high bloodshed pressure, arthritis, or spinal disk injuries should consult a physician earlier doing yoga; and a fountainhead trained yoga teacher is recommended once at that place any medical or touchable problems.
Yoga is an ancient pattern that has undergone a Major revival in the late 20th century, especially in the Occident. Some say that yoga was organism practised as Army for the Liberation of Rwanda backrest as 4000 BC. The recovery of seals from the Indus Valley that date to around 2000 BC showing citizenry in recognizable yoga positions, suggests that it was an recognized exercise at littlest that early. Yoga did not enter the American English awareness in any John Major means until the 1893 Worldly concern’s Fair in Chicago the charismatic Swami Vivekananda gave a much-publicized talk at the Earthly concern Parliament of Religions. Following this beginning of a yoga awareness in the United States, interest in yoga remained at a fairly first level until the 1960s youth movements focused interest on Eastern ideas and techniques of cognizance-raising. Interest in yoga increased steadily, and by the 1990s, approximately aspect of yoga could be found as function of about completely workout and fittingness regimens, and the figure of yoga classes beingness offered in American language gyms and clubs is rising apiece year.
Once the recognised image of yoga changed from an exotic, mystical or religious move to that of a practical system of rules of living and exercising that had obvious benefits, yoga was ready to enter the mainstream of alternative therapies. The Bible "yoga" derives from the Sanskrit language and agency "union." This meaning lavatory be applied to yoga in the broadest sense of the Christian Bible, implying such notions as a oneness of consistence and brain, existence at ace with nature, single with others, and many other similar connotations of the Book. For yoga, it is an suitably descriptive term since yoga’s principles based on the notion that the organic structure and psyche cannot and should not be wise as separate from other. However, because of its ancient origins and its adoption into the Hindu faith, yoga is frequently identified as office of an Eastern religious belief. On the other hand, about consider yoga to be alone(p) a arrangement of , piece others think of it as just a serial publication of strange exercises or poses. Nonetheless, despite its apparitional aims and its sometimes profoundly philosophic schools or branches.
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You don’t need to go on a diet to lose weight
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
You are reading this article probably for one of two reasons.
1. You want a weight loss program that works
2. You are a serial dieter, because you can never lose weight and then keep it off.In fact you seem to end up heavier and more depressed than before
Possibly a third reason would be that you have become very cynical about all the new diets promoted by the ’stars’ of television and the movies!!
Perhaps like me, you just see it as a means for fading stars making money by endorsements.
Most female stars are thin, and if you knew how much they starved themselves because they believe thin is beautiful, you might, or might not be surprised!!
Perhaps I’m just an old cynic too!!
There are a number of excuses we make for ourselves so we program in defeat before we begin a weight loss program.
The first thing to note is, that we are all on a diet all the time, so why go on a diet to lose weight!!
Our diet is what we are eating now, and all we really need to know is that if we eat 3000 calories per day, but only expend 2800 calories per day, then we will get heavier, until our increased weight means we need to expend 3000 calories just to lumber around!!
This may be simplistic, but it is a very simple principle.
Taking the whole thing in reverse, it should therefore be possible to lose weight by reducing the calorie intake on a daily basis.
Unfortunately this doesn’t work for long.
Supposing you decrease your calories from 3000 per day to 2000, then logically you will lose weight, and for a while you do.
Two things happen, and the first is that you need less calories for your daily energy requirements because you weigh less, but secondly and more importantly the internal computer we all have detects that starvation is on the way, and it automatically reduces our energy use, so we only expend 2000 calories a day.
In addition it lays down fat deposits, as a ‘rainy day’ store anticipating a future without enough food.
Low calorie diets just don’t work for this reason.
In fact ‘diets’ don’t work because of the association the word ‘diet’ has. Diet means pain and torture, and it is interesting to discover what springs into your mind when you hear the ‘D’ word.
Excuses, and reasons pour out, and phrases like
1. You just put all the weight back on again
2. I’m too busy to eat healthily
3. I can’t keep track of my eating
4. It takes too long to see results
5. The food on a diet is boring!!
The main comment seems to use the words ‘willpower’ - as in I don’t have any!!
So let us examine some simple principles.
Suppose you are 28 pounds overweight, how happy would you be, if it took you a year to lose it, and then it stayed off permanently?
You would be less than sensible to say that is too long a time span, because it almost certainly went on slowly, a pound at a time, at first unnoticed!!
Forget the word ‘diet’.
Just do the following:
1. Write down everything you eat and drink over a seven day peiod.
2. Let a close friend see it, and ask them to circle your ‘vices’. We all have them, whether it is cookies, or chocolate, or wine. It may be biscuits, or two pints of milk a day – whatever.
All you need to do is find an easy way to eat less of them!!
Do this now.
Think of something that really makes you feel sick.
In my case it would be finding a cigarette end in a can I was drinking at a party
It would be imagining all the hairs that stick in the plug in the wash hand basin being in a glass of milk.
It might be finding a fly in your mouth when you drink cola.
Then do the following.
Take your thumb, and rub it against your four finger in small circular motions, whilst thinking of the thing that makes you nauseous, and you will feel really sick.
All you have to do, is to associate that with the item of food, be it milk, chocolate, cookies, wine or whatever. Every time you are tempted just rub your thumb and forefinger together, and temptation will vanish!!
Just by doing that you will begin the process of slow weight loss.
You are not on a diet – never forget, all you want is weight control, and that simple step will go a long way towards helping you to achieve your ideal weight, whilst painlessly cutting out your ‘vices’.
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This article has been written by Julie Tucker, a nurse, who contributes to nutritional websites including http://www.medifast-diet-solutions.info
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How to Start Exercising the Right Way
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Louanne Baelde Posted: 22-10-2006
by Louanne Baelde
The toughest part about an exercise program is getting started. The best way to start exercises is to start slow and steady.
In order to change your lifestyle from sedentary to physically active, you need to have a workable plan.
Choose an exercise that you can practice easily all year round. Most people enjoy walking, swimming, jogging, and fitness videos. If you have a medical condition, be sure to consult your physician before you begin any type of vigorous activity.
Always begin your exercise slowly. Be sure to make it fun, not overly strenuous. Give yourself a chance to get used to the new activity. Allow yourself the necessary time to warm up before your exercise and as well, time to cool down afterwards. Five minutes for warm-ups and cool down times are often recommended. By doing warm-ups first, you will be less likely to injure yourself.
Aerobic exercises are a great way to remain healthy or even to lose or control your weight. Regular aerobic exercises help to prevent heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and cancers. They can improve your muscles and strenghten your bones, and improve your flexibility. Aerobics can also lower your blood pressure, and lessen depression. Aerobic exercises include bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, hiking,running, walking, aerobic dancing and many other activities.
Aerobics use the large muscles in the legs and buttocks to strengthen your heart and lungs. These are called cardiovascular exercises. Regular aerobic exercises makes your heart stronger.
Establish a reasonable schedule by allowing certain days to be off. It is good to exercise at least three times a week. A well thought out schedule will continue and be more productive on the long run. An example would be to exercise maybe every other day with two or three days off every week. Begin your exercise moderately at first with maybe only 30 minutes per day. Make time for several different activities. If you find that 30 minutes is too long of a time at once, break up your session into shorter intervals such as maybe two sessions of 15 minutes. Don’t stop exercising if your muscles hurt at the start; that’s normal and this will gradually decrease and disappear in time. If you experience any severe pain or swelling, make sure to stop.
Choose a convenient time of the day to exercise. When exercising, it’s best to wait a while after eating or to wait till the weather cools off if it is too warm.
Make sure to wear shoes that you can breathe in and that allow enough room for comfort, but yet properly support your feet.
Have a goal in mind and plan to achieve it gradually. A great way to track your success is to use a chart. You could maybe list the minutes you exercise each day.
To succeed, you must stick with your plan of exercise. Make time to reward yourself for each accomplishment. As you progress, you can increase your levels of exertion over time.
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Lose 10 Lbs By Making Lifestyle Changes
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Ronald Goodpaster Posted: 25-01-2007 Views: 83
The following paragraphs summarize the work of weight loss experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of weight loss. Heed their advice to avoid any weight loss surprises.
So you want to lose some weight. Almost all of us have felt this way at some time or another. Maybe it’s some holiday weight you want to work off, or maybe you’ve just decided that you would feel and look better with a little less bulk. Whatever the reason, losing weight can sometimes be difficult. It’s often the case that you find yourself dealing with a very restrictive diet that is difficult to stick to, or other inconveniences. You can avoid much of this, however, by making some lifestyle changes that incorporate more healthy activities into your daily routine.
Although everyone will likely be tempted to try and lose their 10 pounds as quickly as possible, unless you feel for some reason that this is absolutely necessary, it’s better to take a long term approach. If you want to lose 10 pounds quickly, it’s likely that you’re going to have to make a restrictive and drastic diet change that will be hard to implement. This also means there’s a good chance you will simply put the weight back on when you diet is over, or when you (inevitably) lapse from it.
A far better long term solution is making some lifestyle changes. Not only will this be an easier way to lose 10 pounds, but those 10 pounds will stay lost. The reason that lifestyle changes are an effective way to lose weight is that you don’t have to alter your daily routine too much. Many people find the exercise regimens and diet changes involved in quick weight loss unrealistic - you never have enough hours in the day as it is, so it’s hard to make more for exercise.
You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about weight loss. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?
The best place to start in your attempt to lose 10 pounds is to look at things you do every day. First and foremost for most people is going to work. Many people live close enough to their employers to bike, but choose instead to drive. By biking to work you will not only be getting exercise and working towards your goal of losing 10 pounds, you will be saving money and doing a good thing for the environment. Try and think of other small changes in a similar vein: take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a walk on your lunch break instead of sitting at your desk. Although these chances may seem small and suspiciously convenient, they will go along way towards losing weight.
The other more pro-active way to lose 10 pounds through a lifestyle change is to engage in more athletic activities. Take up a sport, or go hiking on weekends. The beauty of this is that these things are entirely recreational: you’re having fun at the same time that you’re losing weight. It’s much easier and more enjoyable to commit to going on a hike every weekend or playing tennis with a friend than it is to sit alone in gym: after all, there’s a reason they call it working out.
Lifestyle changes go a long way towards losing weight, and anyone who incorporates some of the changes listed above should find themselves able to lose 10 pounds.Those who only know one or two facts about weight loss can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here
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Ron Goodpaster is a loving husband and father of six beautiful children. He has written many articles on children and babies. He is also an entrepreneur. He has helped many people start their own home-based business. Please visit www.getupandmove.ws
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The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Wendy Wood Posted: 29-01-2007
Cardio Workouts for Weight Loss. Aerobic exercise can help you to lose weight, as well as increase your overall health. Aerobic exercise provides the dual benefits of working large muscle groups, while simultaneously elevating the heart rate for an extended amount of time. These exercises are particularly helpful in keeping your heart in good shape. Healthy exercise will burn fat without the bulky muscle gain of weight-based exercise programs. Experts recommend that aerobic exercise is most effective if practiced between 3 to 6 days a week for between 30 and 60 minutes at a time. Before starting an aerobic workout plan, consult your doctor for an idea of a healthy program implementation.
Options for Aerobic Exercise
The best thing is that there is an option for everyone. Any activity in which you maintain a consistent heightened heart rate is considered aerobic exercise. Some of the most popular types include:
Running
Jogging
Power Walking
Swimming
Dancing
Biking
Tennis
Additionally, classes are available in many communities or through a home-based DVD program. The main criteria for classifying an exercise as aerobic is whether or not the heart rate is elevated for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. Even if you’re a beginner who needs to start slow, the more exercise you participate in, the more you will be able to do over time.
Safe Exercise
As with any exercise program, safety is an important factor to consider as you begin. To avoid muscle pulls and joint injuries, be sure to warm up adequately before you start any type of intense conditioning. Just as important is a cool down period after you exercise. Walk off or stretch slowly before resuming normal activity. Having the proper shoes is also a major safety issue. Finally, be sure to monitor your heart rate while exercising. To check your heart rate, put two fingers on your wrist and count the number of times you feel a pulse over ten seconds. If you multiply this number by six, you will determine the number of times your heart is beating per minute. At rest, a normal heart rate will fall between 60 and 80 beats per minute. A strong heart rate during exercise will measure between 120 and 160 beats per minute. Be careful not to let your heart rate go too high
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Wendy Wood is a full-time mom in the process of losing extra pounds and loves to show other moms how they can lose weight and be healthier as well. Sign up for your free healthy recipes at http://www.DietMamma.com
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The Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise And How Easy It Can Be
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Susan Dean Posted: 09-08-2006
There are so many benefits to doing aerobic exercise and it is a lot easier to do than you may first think. I mean lets face it the majority of us have legs and can walk. There! That says it all. Walking is one of the best aerobic exercises of all. We all know how to do it and we use it everyday without even thinking about it. But isn’t it funny that we do it everyday but as soon as someone says we can do it as exercise we shrink back and say – that’s too hard.
It is the easiest form of exercising in the world. But to make it have any real aerobic benefit we need to pick up the pace and do it for at least 30 minutes at a time and at least 3 times a week. Depending on what you want to get out of it will be the decider on how often and how long you do it for. There are many reasons why people want or need to do aerobic exercise and the biggest reason for many is losing weight. Obviously you should be looking further than just losing weight as we all should be thinking about our hearts and lungs as well.
Of course walking is not the only form of aerobic exercise that will give you these same benefits. You can ride a bicycle including an stationary bike, do aerobics in a class session or on your own with a video or dvd, swimming, running, skipping or in fact anything that gets the heart pumping and the lungs working. Really, it is up to the individual to decide what suits them the best.
The good thing about walking though, is it costs you nothing apart from a good pair of walking shoes and if you want to do this seriously then you should invest in a pair that has been made for this reason. You don’t have to spend mega dollars on this as there are shoes for this purpose that are reasonably priced. If you want to join an aerobics class then you will also need clothes that suit. Once again you do not need to spend a lot of money. Often just wearing lose comfortable clothes will be good enough. But if you have the money and are fashion conscious then you can go all out as there are lots to choose from.
The important thing to remember though is if you have not exercised for a long time or you are heavily over weight and or you are over 40 then you should see your GP first to have a health check. You also need to remember to start out slow and build up. You will be amazed with how quickly you will improve which will then allow you to do much more. Before you know it you will be much more healthier and you will have lost those extra pounds to boot!
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Susan Dean is the webmaster of http://www.yourhealthsecrets.com/aerobic-exercise/ Visit her site for aerobic exercise help and advice
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The Best Back Exercises
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Richard Henderson Posted: 19-01-2007 Views: 84
If you have a back injury, you are going to be in a lot of pain. I once fell down the stairs at work and ended up with a back spasm that would not go away. I had no idea that something so simple could be so painful. I ignored the pain at first, but it got to be so bad that I had to finally give in and go to the doctor. He told me that I was lucky that I had come in when I did because it was not the type of injury that was known to go away on its own right away. He had to do a few things to my back, and he gave me a list of back exercises to do to help strengthen the muscles.
The muscles in my back locked up into a spasm and would not loosen up. They were holding my spine out of place, and those things combine were causing my pain. I had my back put into place a few times with the help of some muscle relaxants and a good chiropractor, and then I had to do the back exercises. One I found out what was wrong and how to fix it I was feeling much better within two weeks. The back exercises were rather simple, and they really seemed to help.
Sometimes when we exercise we forget about doing back exercises. We concentrate on other areas and the muscles in our back are not what they should be. That might be why so many people have problem with their back going out. If you do back exercises, you are going to have a strong foundation to keep your spine in place when you injure your back, or bounce down the stairs like I did. You do not have to make them a priority when you exercise, but you do have to do them.
However, if you have a good all around workout program, you may already be doing plenty of back exercises without knowing it. A good all over program will have you covered. If you are worried that you are not doing enough back exercises, look some up online to see what you can add to your routine. Though they will not keep your back from getting injured in all cases, they can help lessen the severity of something if it happens. The smaller injuries can be avoided altogether.
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Richard Henderson lives in Las Vegas and runs his own online marketing business. You can visit one of his websites about Aerobic Exercise Benefits here. http://www.aerobics-exercise.com/Aerobic-Exercise-Benefits.html
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The Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercises
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Edward Sample
Many people mistakenly believe that all vigorous forms of exercise are aerobic in nature. However, some forms of vigorous exercise are actually anaerobic, and have a very different effect on the body. If you’re just getting started on an exercise regimen, this information will help you sort out the difference between the two and tailor your workouts accordingly.
So exactly what is the definition of aerobic exercise? Aerobic means "with oxygen," where anaerobic is "without oxygen." No, that doesn’t entail holding your breath while exercising! Rather, it refers to cellular tissues producing energy without having to rely on oxygen availability. Alternatively, you may have guessed that aerobic exercise requires large supplies of oxygen to generate energy. The fundamental difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercises is that simple.
A more detailed definition is that during aerobic exercise, activity is so sustained that it requires large amounts of oxygen. The muscles utilize oxygen to burn fat and glucose to manufacture adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the basic energy vehicle for all cells in the body. During the initial stages of aerobic exercise, glycogen is transformed into glucose. If glucose stores become depleted, fat is metabolized as fuel. It’s interesting to note that "runner’s high" occurs when muscles have exhausted their immediate glycogen stores and begin relying only on oxygen, which releases endorphins in the brain.
During anaerobic exercise, the muscles being used rely on energy-producing processes that don’t require large amounts of oxygen. Instead, the body metabolizes muscle glycogen to produce power. Glycogen is supplied by blood sugar, which is manufactured by the liver from dietary amino acids and carbohydrates–whole grain, of course! Anaerobic exercise is so fast and brief that it doesn’t have time to rely on oxygen, so glycogen is used.
Some people mistakenly believe that aerobic exercise makes you small and weak. However, it actually tones muscle throughout your body and burns fat. This will make you look good in your bathing suit–not to mention your birthday suit! The effects that aerobic activity has on your body are not merely cosmetic - there are numerous health bonuses, such as:
·Improved circulation and lower blood pressure
·Increased lung capacity through stronger respiratory muscles
·A stronger heart, which boosts pumping efficiency and lowers the resting heart rate
·Increased red blood cell count, which transports oxygen more efficiently throughout the entire body
·Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
The effects that anaerobic exercise has on your body involves being able to deliver powerful performance on demand. That comes in handy when sprinting to the finish line, or making a break to score after stealing the ball. Muscles that are anaerobically trained develop differently, which boosts their performance in brief, high-intensity situations. Benefits include:
· Stronger bones
· Reduced muscle atrophy with age
· Increased speed and power
· Increased muscle strength and mass
It’s important to understand the different types of exercises that produce an aerobic vs. anaerobic effect. Anaerobic benefits are produced by brief, high-intensity activities, while in the aerobic zone, effort is moderate with a steady heart rate.
Specific types of anaerobic exercise include tennis, weight lifting, sprinting and jumping. If you’d prefer not to frequent a gym, weight lifting can be performed in the comfort of your own home. A few dumb-bells, a weight bench and medicine ball are all you need.
Some good aerobic exercises are walking, running, swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing and rowing. Fortunately, you can do aerobic exercises at home: riding an exercise bike, walking on a treadmill, or following an exercise video - the choices are virtually endless. This is particularly helpful if it’s rainy or drastically cold outdoors. Also, depending on where you live, going snow-shoeing, hiking or kayaking is possible without ever having to step foot in the car!
Combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is essential to maintaining overall balanced fitness. While most associate getting into shape with aerobic activities, anaerobic exercise is a beneficial complement to aerobic exercise. For example, weight lifting is a great way to add even more tone and definition beyond what aerobic training provides.
Be sure to check with your physician before beginning any exercise regimen. Also, it’s very important to begin any exercise program slowly. Many people overdo it and lose motivation or worse yet, sustain injury. You may experience a little soreness the day after working out in the beginning; but if you are so sore that you can only work out one or two times per week it is counter-productive. Make exercise a healthy habit by doing a little every day; you can increase the intensity as you build endurance and strength over time.
Of course, a daily exercise routine is just one factor in the equation for optimum health. You should also enjoy a nutritious and delicious diet, get eight hours of sleep every night, say no habits such as smoking and excessive drinking, and make sure you get the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to look and feel its best.
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The Home Treadmill Is A Great Piece Of Fitness Equipment
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Jerry Cahill Posted: 10-02-2007
Are you completely dedicated to your health? Does missing your exercise cause you concern? We have all seen those days when the weather was too bad to even leave the house and a person couldn’t get to their gym or exercise class. Perhaps you find yourself too busy to eat out, rest or exercise on a regular basis. If one or more of these scenarios describe you then a home treadmill may be ideal for you and your busy schedule.
A Home Treadmill Can Provide a Better Life
Exercise is important for everyone. However the majority of people indicate they just cannot find time to get an appropriate amount of physical activity on a regular basis into their life.
One example is stay at home moms. There free time is at a premium. They simply do not have the time to run to the gym and usually they are too exhausted to go out to the gym. Stays at home moms have a full-time job and then some. Their attempts to fit in a regular physical exercise program are often simply another frustrating task that never seems to work out for them.
In reality most women tend to try to maintain all their tasks as wife’s and mothers while also attempting to stay fit. These ladies would love the extra freedom afforded by a home treadmill. One can get all the exercise wanted right inside one’s own home. It is so much easier to work exercise into one’s schedule with one of these. An added bonus is the ability to read and do other things while exercising.
It has been discovered by many women that by regularly using a home treadmill they could maintain their desired body weight and also have higher energy levels. When adding some light weight lifting and other home exercises these benefits were magnified. These women truly appreciated the versatility of a home treadmill and found it an effective, enjoyable, and even presentable in a decorative way in the home.
In addition to all the advantages and benefits of a home treadmill for your health, they are also often found at reasonable prices. Buying a home treadmill might be the start of your home fitness center or a valuable addition to your existing fitness equipment. There are many people who are only interested in a treadmill. In any event this will be a great investment for you and help you to stay in style by being healthy.
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Jerry Cahill is a source for information that is easy to understand and published on the internet. At this website he writes on fitness equipment - Home Exercise Treadmill
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What is Cardiovascular Health?
Filed under: 5. Health, Sport & Fitness
Author: Stacie Battjes Posted: 15-02-2007
We all remember our days in gym class of running laps and climbing ropes. We treasured playing dodge ball and running under a giant parachute. Aside from delighting our childlike desire to play, these activities were designed to accomplish an important purpose. Gym class and sports practices were developed to get our hearts pumping and to improve our cardiovascular endurance.
What is cardiovascular endurance?
Cardiovascular training involves exercises that recruit both our cardiovascular and respiratory systems. When you think of activities that cause your heart to beat faster or you to breathe rapidly, these are activities that improve your cardiovascular endurance. Cardiovascular training is often referred to simply as "cardio" or "aerobic" training and includes exercises such as cycling, running, walking, and swimming.
Why is cardiovascular endurance important?
Cardiovascular training engages both your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, or more simply, your heart and your lungs. Stressing these systems and organs through exercising teaches them to become stronger and more efficient. For example, the stroke volume (amount of blood that is ejected in one heart beat) of a trained athlete will be much higher than the stroke volume for an untrained individual. As a result, a trained athlete’s heart at rest will be required to beat fewer times per minute than an untrained individual’s. Improving the efficiency of these systems allows the body to maintain health with less strain and difficulty.
How do we measure cardiovascular endurance?
While many activities are outstanding methods to improve cardiovascular health, measuring the intensity of these activities is an important way to assess both effectiveness and improvement. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals train between 64 – 94% of their maximal heart rate to improve health and endurance. The following equation is used to determine individual maximal heart rate:
Maximal HR = 220 – age
Using the maximal heart rate an individual can determine his or heart ideal training rage by multiplying maximal heart rate and target percentage.
Target HR (lower) = [maximal HR] x 0.64
Target HR (upper) = [maximal HR] x 0.94
For example, a 35 year old individual with an estimated heart rate or 185 (220 – 35 = 185) would want to exercise with the range of 118 – 174 beats per minute.
How do we measure our heart rate?
There are several methods for measuring your heart rate. We are all accustomed to the stethoscopes that health professionals utilize to clearly hear our heart beat, but it is unlikely that you will be carrying a stethoscope with you the next time you go out for a walk. Finding your pulse on your neck or on your wrist is an effective way to count your heart beats. After you find your pulse you can watch a clock for 15 seconds as you count the number of times that your heart beats. When you determine the number of beats in 15 seconds you can multiply this number by 4 to establish your heart rate, or beats per minute. You can also purchase a heart rate monitor to wear while exercising to ensure that you are training within the target range.
Improving your cardiovascular health and endurance is a key aspect in developing your overall wellness. A healthy heart will undoubtedly lengthen your life and the types of activity that you are able to enjoy as you grow older. As you fondly recall your days of recess and gym class, remember the activities that you once enjoyed with great enthusiasm, and try those activities again. You will get your heart pumping and improve your health!
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Stacie Battjes is Corporate Wellness Manager for http://www.infinitewellnesssolutions.com, located in Winston Salem, NC. Stacie has authored many health and wellness articles for various publications. Her works are included among the many free wellness resources and wellness tools on one of her companies sister sites http://www.wellnessproposals.com.
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February 24, 2007
Build Slowly For The Long Haul
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: John C. Maxwell
Recently, I was privileged to be in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl, where all the great college football players who are graduating seniors come together for their last big game.
I was asked to come down to conduct leadership training to 900 NFL coaches and scouts. The NFL coaches were there, as they always are, looking at the guys who were finishing college to find out who had the potential to be pro football players.
While I was there speaking to the coaches, Dom Capers came up to me. For those of you who don’t know, Dom coaches the new Houston franchise, and was the coach of the Carolina Panthers for several years. He said, "John, let’s do lunch, I want to talk to you about leadership."
He had an agenda — he wanted to ask me some questions on leadership; but I also had an agenda — I wanted to ask him what it was like to start an expansion team. As the head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers, he had been so successful that when Houston started their franchise, they said, "We want Dom Capers here."
I sat down with him and said, "Okay, talk to me about Carolina, first of all." I’ll never forget. He said, "John, there were some amazing lessons I learned. The good news is, we immediately started winning, but the bad news is, we couldn’t sustain that winning."
I knew that he was getting ready to tell me something that was pure gold, and I looked at Dom and said, "Okay, talk to me about this. Why could you not sustain the winning?" He looked at me and said, "John, we took shortcuts. I went after players who could give me instant success." I think that Carolina went 9 and 7 the first year — they had a winning record. He said, "I went after players who could help me win today, but I didn’t develop and I didn’t build the team for the long haul."
"In fact," he said, "I had NFL coaches come to me and say, ‘Dom, don’t do that. You’re winning too fast. You’re going to spoil the people in Carolina; they’re going to think that this is easier than it really is.’" Then he said, "Here’s the blueprint for an expansion team to become a champion: don’t go for the quick fix. Build slowly and solidly.
"In the expansion draft, there are so many good players and so many veteran players. If I were to pick the best players off of these other teams, I believe I could have a winning record my first year in Houston; but my goal is not to have a winning record the first year. In fact, we’ve already determined that we’ll take no one over the age of thirty in the expansion draft. We’re going to go after young players, we’re going to draft well, we’re going to spend our time developing our players, and we’re going to build slowly for the long haul."
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Successful Business Partnerships
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Steve Marr
“To team, or not to team,” that is the question Shakespeare might have asked were he writing a play on the subject of establishing strategic partnerships. In the early days of industrialization, most companies in the United States opted not to team up with others. Henry Ford believed that the Ford Motor Company should not rely on other businesses. Consequently, Ford owned its own steel mill, iron ore boats, and mines—even it’s own electrical generation facility. Today, however, most companies—including Ford—realize that partnering often makes sense. It allows companies to work together, each focusing on what it does best, and spreading the cost and the risk of expensive projects.
Effective partnerships are built when two or more companies can execute an idea or product better than they could on their own. Common reasons for partnering include the need to generate investment capital, or to obtain access to technology, markets, management expertise, or other important knowledge. The first question is whether now is the time to establish a partnership. As King Solomon wrote, “There is a time to tear apart, a time to sew together” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
Successful partnerships are based on common interest, trust, communication, and genuine agreement. The prophet Amos wrote, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Nevertheless, some companies view partnering as getting everyone to do exactly as they desire. True partnerships, however, involve give and take, openness, and a willingness to cooperate.
Stampings Incorporated, based in Fraser, Michigan, established an operating agreement with Saxonia, a German company. Saxonia provides engineering, special press equipment, and tooling to Stampings, which in turn provides Saxonia with sales, marketing, and customer service support in the United States. A complete, detailed agreement was established between the two companies, outlining the responsibilities of each party, and determining the division of income. Using Saxonia’s technology, Stampings has been able to obtain new customers, while Saxonia has quickly entered the U.S. market utilizing Stampings’s access to markets and customers.
Stampings has also developed partnerships with its customers—including Bosch, a company well known for partnering with its suppliers. Stampings president Don Veryser says, “Our first contact with Bosch on a new project is with engineering, not purchasing. We work together to design the needed product, and develop complete quality planning. Meetings are held to work out every detail; we all have input and everybody listens because we understand that our goal is to create the best product at the best price.” No prices are negotiated until agreement has been reached on all the product details.
Veryser has worked with other customers who talk about partnering on projects, but in practice the companies seldom “walk the walk” when it comes to promoting a longer term relationship. Often they will use your expertise in engineering and then shop for the lowest cost supplier. The buyer then dictates most of the decisions with little thought to the supplier’s perspective. “The communication is top down, not an even dialogue,” says Veryser.
It’s important for a business to develop its own philosophy on partnering. Effective models include both a top-down style and a joint-venture style. The key is to determine which style works best for you. Organizations that favor a top-down approach should be honest with their customers and vendors and make it clear that partnerships are not a part of their operating philosophy. King Solomon wrote, “Through presumption comes nothing but strife” (Proverbs 13:10). Better to establish the ground rules clearly in advance than to create future conflict.
When a buyer contacts a prospective vendor with the intent of creating a partnership to develop a product together, both parties must agree on the style of partnership to be established. The customer always has the last word, but the best partnerships are formed when ideas from both sides can be brought to the table for consideration. Effective partnerships create stronger organizations on both sides of the agreement. Partnerships allow many companies to grow more rapidly, and to leverage effectively the assistance and strength of other companies.
An organization that desires to create partnerships must develop an internal culture that supports partnering. Include in your performance reviews a section for recognizing and rewarding purchasing agents and engineers who successfully adapt ideas from customer input. Place an equal value on ideas without regard to their source and make a point of celebrating each improvement. The key is to cultivate a teamwork atmosphere that encourages cooperation and humility and minimizes individual self-importance and pride. “For where jealously and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder” (James 3:16).
Determine in advance whether partnering with others is in your best interest. Next, establish what you require and desire in a partnership and then clearly communicate those needs to your prospective partners. A little foresight and planning will help you build strong relationships.
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http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Successful-Business-Partnerships/163149
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Management Education
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Michael Bustamante
If you would like to get your feet wet in the field of management, there is a wide assortment of vocational schools and trade schools geared toward management education. A vocational school offering management education will help you to gain vital analytical skills, including the essentials of business practice, communication, organizational skills, and other specialized management training.
Since management courses vary greatly, there are several options from which to choose; you can focus on Applied Management, Banking and Financial Institution Management, Information Systems Management, Office Management, Human Resources Management, and many other associated specialties.
Upon receipt of your associate degree, you may decide to continue your management education at a college or university and earn a Bachelor degree or even a Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA).
Depending on the focal point of instruction, management schools impart the vital skills and training necessary to become administrative managers, advertising managers, public relations directors, computer and information systems managers, engineering managers, food service managers, human resources directors, medical office administrators, and property managers - to list just a few career options.
Management education may encompass extended and more in-depth curriculums based on individual academic goals and trade school programs. Furthermore, because the field of management is so versatile, income potential is far reaching and may be quite excellent, depending on the level of management education achieved and region of employment.
If you would like to learn more about Management Education, or even Online Management Schools, you can find more in-depth information and resources on our website.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on our website.
Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.
Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
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Find Management Education, Management Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Management-Education/163352
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Dealing With Client Problems
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: SD Lawyer
If you own a business, sooner or later you are going to run into a situation where you screw something up. This situation can be an opportunity or disaster all depending on how you handle it.
To error is human, or so the cliché goes. If you are older than about six months old, you know this is one of those clichés that is utterly and totally true. Some would even define experience as learning from your mistakes. Well, the same thing goes for your business efforts.
You may be the most diligent and hardest working person in the world. This will not insulate you from bonehead moves and mistakes. Sooner or later, you will fail a client or customer. You may not even realize it until they call you. It may be something as simple as forgetting a meeting or something more serious such as missing a deadline. How you handle these situations can kill your business or form long lasting relationships to your benefit.
Everyone makes mistakes. This sounds obvious, but most businesspeople seem to forget this when faced with a problem. It happens. In fact, the client or customer calling to complain certainly has done something similar. If you address the situation correctly, you can turn a problem into a positive. If you don’t, you can lose a client and damage your reputation. If you are really lucky, you will get sued!
As an attorney, I can’t tell you how many times I have defended business clients in litigation because of how they handled a problem with a client. Instead of addressing the problem, business people tend to bury their heads in the sand as though it will just go away. Nothing infuriates a client or customer more. If you have clearly made a mistake, no lawyer is going to save you. If you failed to deliver a big shipment on the due date, there is nothing I can say to a judge or jury that is going to save you.
When you clearly have made a mistake, there is a proper course of action to take. First, deal with it up front and center. Admit the mistake and apologize for it. You would be surprised how far an apology will go with an unhappy client or customer. It takes an adversarial situation and turns it into something less.
The next step is to come up with a solution to the problem. You may have to bite the bullet on the solution, but it is going to be cheaper than hiring an attorney. It is also going to do worlds for your reputation. A business that “makes things right” is one that prospers. This is particularly true if you are in an industry where most businesses do not act as such.
If you are having a dispute with an unreasonable client, then defend yourself. If you clearly have made a mistake, however, make it right and clients will forgive you.
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Richard A. Chapo is with SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com - providing limited liability company formation in California.
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Dealing-with-Client-Problems/164206
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Negotiation - About Tactics, Tricks And Threats
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Jonathan Farrington
Most successful negotiators recognise that the way people involved in negotiations behave does not always reflect their true feelings or intentions. We are going to look at negotiating tactics that may be used by you or on you. Whether or not you choose to use these tactics, it is vital to understand:
• Tactics work
• They can be being used on you, and can be used by you
• Once they are recognised as tactics, their effects are reduced, or eliminated
You may feel that there is no need in your particular case to negotiate or resort to tactics in negotiation. This is a matter of personal choice.
In general, tactics are used to gain a short-term advantage during the negotiation and are designed to lower your expectations of reaching a successful conclusion.
There are many tactics available to negotiators. Here are some you may recognise.
Pre-Conditioning:
This can begin before you even get together, or start your negotiations with the other party. Let us take a sales example:
You telephone for the appointment and the other side says, aggressively:
“Don’t bother coming if you are going to tell me about price increases. You’ll be wasting your time and I will be forced to speak to your competitors”.
When you do arrive you are kept waiting in reception for half an hour, without being told why. As you walk through the door into the other person’s office they indicate for you to sit down, but they don’t look up. Instead, they sit leafing through your competitor’s brochure, in silence, ignoring your efforts to make conversation.
You are given an uncomfortable low chair to sit in that happens to be directly in line with the sun shining into the office. At this stage, how confident do you feel?
The Monkey On The Back:
Some negotiators have the irritating habit of handing their problems to you so that they become your problems. This is the “monkey on their back” that they want you to carry around for them.
A classic example is the person who says, “I have only got £10,000 in my budget”.
This is often used tactically to force a price reduction. Here is what you can do.
When one side says “I have only £10,000 in budget”, look concerned and say something like:
“That is a problem. As you are no doubt aware, the cost of our systems can be anything up to £20,000 and I really want to help you choose the best system that meets your needs. Does that mean that if one of our systems has everything you are looking for, but costs £20,000, you would rather I didn’t show it to you?”
The “monkey” has been returned and they have to make a choice. If the objection is genuine and the budget figure is correct, you must try to look for an alternative that meets your needs as well as theirs.
If they genuinely can only spend £10,000 that is not a tactic but the truth. In dealing with tactics the first decision you must make is whether it is a tactic or a genuine situation. If it is genuine, you have a problem to solve, rather than a tactic to overcome.
The Use Of Higher Authority:
This can be a most effective way to reduce pressure in the negotiation by introducing an unseen third party and can also be effective in bringing the negotiation to a close.
“I need to have this agreed by my Board of Directors.” “If they agree to the terms we have discussed, do we have a deal?”
However, be careful to use this device sparingly so that the other side does not begin to feel you have no decision making authority yourself.
One way of countering this tactic is to say before the bargaining begins: “If this proposal meets your needs, is there any reason you would not give me your decision today?”
If the other side still wishes to resort to higher authority, appeal to their ego
by saying: “Of course, they will go along with your recommendations, won’t they? Will you be recommending this proposal?”
Nibbling:
Negotiations can be a tiring process. As the point draws near when an agreement is likely, both sides exhibit a psychological need to reach agreement and get on with something else.
You are very vulnerable as the other side reaches for their pen to sign the order form or contract, to concede items that don’t significantly affect the final outcome. “Oh, by the way, this does include free delivery, doesn’t it?” or “Oh, by the way, the price of the car does include a full tank of petrol?”
Nibbles work best when they are small and asked for at the right psychological moment. Like peanuts, eat enough of them and they get fattening.
Good negotiators will often keep back certain items on their want list until the very last minute when the other party is vulnerable. Watch out for this.
The Good Guy And The Bad Guy:
You may have come across this tactic before or else seen it used in films or on television. This is a tactic designed to soften you up in the negotiation.
For example, you are negotiating the renewal of your service contract with the Buying Director and his Finance Director. You present your proposal and the Buying Director suddenly gets angry and walks out in disgust muttering to himself about how unfair you have been and how the relationship is well and truly over.
You pick up your briefcase and are being shown the door when the Finance Director smiles at you sympathetically and says:
“I’m terribly sorry about that. He is under a lot of pressure. I would like to help you renew your contract, but he really will not consider the price you have suggested. Why don’t I go and talk to him for you and see if we can agree a compromise? What is the bottom line on the contract? If you give me your very best price, I will see what I can do”.
The best way of dealing with this tactic is to recognise the game that is being played and assess exactly what the quality of the relationship is. You may be able to say something like:
“Come off it, you are using good guy, bad guy. You are a superb negotiator, but let’s sit down and discuss the proposal realistically”.
If you don’t have this kind of relationship, stand firm and insist on dealing with the bad guy, or else bluff yourself and give a figure that is within your acceptable range of alternatives.
One way of combining .good guy, bad guy. with .higher authority is by saying things Like:
“Well, I’d love to do a deal with you on that basis, but my manager refuses to let me agree terms of this nature without referring back and he refuses to talk to salespeople. Give me your best price and I will see what I can do”
Body Language:
It is important in negotiation to react verbally and visually when offers are made. You may have seen the more theatrical negotiators hang their heads in despair or accuse you of being unfair and souring a perfectly good relationship when you present your proposal. Human nature is such that we can believe and accept these outbursts against us and our negotiating position becomes weaker as a result.
Ensure the next time you are in a negotiation that you react to the other party’s offer. If you show no reaction, they may be tempted to ask for more and more and you will lose the initiative in the negotiation. Also, it is almost certain that their opening offer is higher than the figure for which they are prepared to settle, so it is important that you clearly signal your unwillingness to accept the opening position.
If you reach the point below which you will not go, it is important that you show this with your body language. News readers, when they have finished reading the news, have a habit of picking up their script and tidying up their papers. This tells the world that they have finished their task and are preparing to leave.
Similarly, when you make your final offer, it can be very powerful to collect your papers together and indicate with your body that it really is your final offer. Put your pen away, sit back in your chair and remain silent. Look concerned and keep quiet.
If your voice says final offer but your body is saying let’s keep talking, the other party will disregard what you say and keep negotiating.
The Use Of Silence:
During the negotiation, you may make a proposal and find the other party remains silent. This can be very difficult to handle and often signals disapproval to the inexperienced negotiator. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so silence induces the need in people to talk.
If you have a proposal to make, make it and ask the other side how he or she feels about it. Having asked the question, sit back and wait for the answer. Whatever you do; don’t change your offer as this could seriously weaken your position.
The Vice:
A common technique used by negotiators when presented with a proposal is to say: “You’ll have to do better than that.”
The most powerful way of dealing with this is to ask them to be more specific.
Whatever you do, don’t weaken your negotiating position in response to the vice by giving anything away, too easily. This will only encourage repeat behaviour.
The Power Of Legitimacy:
People believe what they see in writing. We all assume that if a thing is printed or written down, it is non-negotiable. This is what can make price lists so powerful. If you have to present a customer with a price increase or you wish to encourage an early order to beat a price increase, show something in writing such as an office memo from your boss announcing the increase. This will have a far greater impact than just saying your prices are about to go up.
When presented with a price tag in a shop, ask to speak to the manager and make him an offer. You could be surprised at the results.
And Finally -The Low Key Approach:
Don’t appear too enthusiastic during negotiations. Over-enthusiasm can encourage skilled negotiators to review their strategy and demand more.
If you are in a negotiation and the other side is not responding to your proposal, recognise this could be a tactic and avoid giving concessions just to cheer them up. Salespeople like to be liked and will often give money away in a negotiation, if the other side appears unhappy.
For example, if you are buying a car avoid saying to the seller things like:
“This is exactly what I’m looking for. I really like the alloy wheels”.
Develop a low-key approach. Say things like:
“Well, it may not be exactly what I’m looking for but I might be interested if the price is right”.
Copyright © 2007 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group www.thejfagroup.com. To find out more about the author, read his latest articles or to subscribe to his newsletter, visit: www.jonathanfarrington.com You can now also read his weekly blog for dedicated sales professionals: www.thejfblogit.co.uk
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Negotiation—About-Tactics–Tricks-And-Threats/164481
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Negotiation - About Tactics, Tricks And Threats
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By: Jonathan Farrington
Most successful negotiators recognise that the way people involved in negotiations behave does not always reflect their true feelings or intentions. We are going to look at negotiating tactics that may be used by you or on you. Whether or not you choose to use these tactics, it is vital to understand:
• Tactics work
• They can be being used on you, and can be used by you
• Once they are recognised as tactics, their effects are reduced, or eliminated
You may feel that there is no need in your particular case to negotiate or resort to tactics in negotiation. This is a matter of personal choice.
In general, tactics are used to gain a short-term advantage during the negotiation and are designed to lower your expectations of reaching a successful conclusion.
There are many tactics available to negotiators. Here are some you may recognise.
Pre-Conditioning:
This can begin before you even get together, or start your negotiations with the other party. Let us take a sales example:
You telephone for the appointment and the other side says, aggressively:
“Don’t bother coming if you are going to tell me about price increases. You’ll be wasting your time and I will be forced to speak to your competitors”.
When you do arrive you are kept waiting in reception for half an hour, without being told why. As you walk through the door into the other person’s office they indicate for you to sit down, but they don’t look up. Instead, they sit leafing through your competitor’s brochure, in silence, ignoring your efforts to make conversation.
You are given an uncomfortable low chair to sit in that happens to be directly in line with the sun shining into the office. At this stage, how confident do you feel?
The Monkey On The Back:
Some negotiators have the irritating habit of handing their problems to you so that they become your problems. This is the “monkey on their back” that they want you to carry around for them.
A classic example is the person who says, “I have only got £10,000 in my budget”.
This is often used tactically to force a price reduction. Here is what you can do.
When one side says “I have only £10,000 in budget”, look concerned and say something like:
“That is a problem. As you are no doubt aware, the cost of our systems can be anything up to £20,000 and I really want to help you choose the best system that meets your needs. Does that mean that if one of our systems has everything you are looking for, but costs £20,000, you would rather I didn’t show it to you?”
The “monkey” has been returned and they have to make a choice. If the objection is genuine and the budget figure is correct, you must try to look for an alternative that meets your needs as well as theirs.
If they genuinely can only spend £10,000 that is not a tactic but the truth. In dealing with tactics the first decision you must make is whether it is a tactic or a genuine situation. If it is genuine, you have a problem to solve, rather than a tactic to overcome.
The Use Of Higher Authority:
This can be a most effective way to reduce pressure in the negotiation by introducing an unseen third party and can also be effective in bringing the negotiation to a close.
“I need to have this agreed by my Board of Directors.” “If they agree to the terms we have discussed, do we have a deal?”
However, be careful to use this device sparingly so that the other side does not begin to feel you have no decision making authority yourself.
One way of countering this tactic is to say before the bargaining begins: “If this proposal meets your needs, is there any reason you would not give me your decision today?”
If the other side still wishes to resort to higher authority, appeal to their ego
by saying: “Of course, they will go along with your recommendations, won’t they? Will you be recommending this proposal?”
Nibbling:
Negotiations can be a tiring process. As the point draws near when an agreement is likely, both sides exhibit a psychological need to reach agreement and get on with something else.
You are very vulnerable as the other side reaches for their pen to sign the order form or contract, to concede items that don’t significantly affect the final outcome. “Oh, by the way, this does include free delivery, doesn’t it?” or “Oh, by the way, the price of the car does include a full tank of petrol?”
Nibbles work best when they are small and asked for at the right psychological moment. Like peanuts, eat enough of them and they get fattening.
Good negotiators will often keep back certain items on their want list until the very last minute when the other party is vulnerable. Watch out for this.
The Good Guy And The Bad Guy:
You may have come across this tactic before or else seen it used in films or on television. This is a tactic designed to soften you up in the negotiation.
For example, you are negotiating the renewal of your service contract with the Buying Director and his Finance Director. You present your proposal and the Buying Director suddenly gets angry and walks out in disgust muttering to himself about how unfair you have been and how the relationship is well and truly over.
You pick up your briefcase and are being shown the door when the Finance Director smiles at you sympathetically and says:
“I’m terribly sorry about that. He is under a lot of pressure. I would like to help you renew your contract, but he really will not consider the price you have suggested. Why don’t I go and talk to him for you and see if we can agree a compromise? What is the bottom line on the contract? If you give me your very best price, I will see what I can do”.
The best way of dealing with this tactic is to recognise the game that is being played and assess exactly what the quality of the relationship is. You may be able to say something like:
“Come off it, you are using good guy, bad guy. You are a superb negotiator, but let’s sit down and discuss the proposal realistically”.
If you don’t have this kind of relationship, stand firm and insist on dealing with the bad guy, or else bluff yourself and give a figure that is within your acceptable range of alternatives.
One way of combining .good guy, bad guy. with .higher authority is by saying things Like:
“Well, I’d love to do a deal with you on that basis, but my manager refuses to let me agree terms of this nature without referring back and he refuses to talk to salespeople. Give me your best price and I will see what I can do”
Body Language:
It is important in negotiation to react verbally and visually when offers are made. You may have seen the more theatrical negotiators hang their heads in despair or accuse you of being unfair and souring a perfectly good relationship when you present your proposal. Human nature is such that we can believe and accept these outbursts against us and our negotiating position becomes weaker as a result.
Ensure the next time you are in a negotiation that you react to the other party’s offer. If you show no reaction, they may be tempted to ask for more and more and you will lose the initiative in the negotiation. Also, it is almost certain that their opening offer is higher than the figure for which they are prepared to settle, so it is important that you clearly signal your unwillingness to accept the opening position.
If you reach the point below which you will not go, it is important that you show this with your body language. News readers, when they have finished reading the news, have a habit of picking up their script and tidying up their papers. This tells the world that they have finished their task and are preparing to leave.
Similarly, when you make your final offer, it can be very powerful to collect your papers together and indicate with your body that it really is your final offer. Put your pen away, sit back in your chair and remain silent. Look concerned and keep quiet.
If your voice says final offer but your body is saying let’s keep talking, the other party will disregard what you say and keep negotiating.
The Use Of Silence:
During the negotiation, you may make a proposal and find the other party remains silent. This can be very difficult to handle and often signals disapproval to the inexperienced negotiator. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so silence induces the need in people to talk.
If you have a proposal to make, make it and ask the other side how he or she feels about it. Having asked the question, sit back and wait for the answer. Whatever you do; don’t change your offer as this could seriously weaken your position.
The Vice:
A common technique used by negotiators when presented with a proposal is to say: “You’ll have to do better than that.”
The most powerful way of dealing with this is to ask them to be more specific.
Whatever you do, don’t weaken your negotiating position in response to the vice by giving anything away, too easily. This will only encourage repeat behaviour.
The Power Of Legitimacy:
People believe what they see in writing. We all assume that if a thing is printed or written down, it is non-negotiable. This is what can make price lists so powerful. If you have to present a customer with a price increase or you wish to encourage an early order to beat a price increase, show something in writing such as an office memo from your boss announcing the increase. This will have a far greater impact than just saying your prices are about to go up.
When presented with a price tag in a shop, ask to speak to the manager and make him an offer. You could be surprised at the results.
And Finally -The Low Key Approach:
Don’t appear too enthusiastic during negotiations. Over-enthusiasm can encourage skilled negotiators to review their strategy and demand more.
If you are in a negotiation and the other side is not responding to your proposal, recognise this could be a tactic and avoid giving concessions just to cheer them up. Salespeople like to be liked and will often give money away in a negotiation, if the other side appears unhappy.
For example, if you are buying a car avoid saying to the seller things like:
“This is exactly what I’m looking for. I really like the alloy wheels”.
Develop a low-key approach. Say things like:
“Well, it may not be exactly what I’m looking for but I might be interested if the price is right”.
Copyright © 2007 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group www.thejfagroup.com. To find out more about the author, read his latest articles or to subscribe to his newsletter, visit: www.jonathanfarrington.com You can now also read his weekly blog for dedicated sales professionals: www.thejfblogit.co.uk
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Negotiation—About-Tactics–Tricks-And-Threats/164481
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Record Management
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Idtabije
Record Management is the practice of identifying, classifying, archiving, preserving, and sometimes destroying records. There is an International Standard on records management, ISO 15489: 2001. This defines record management as, "The field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records".
The ISO defines a record as "information created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business". It is a distinct piece of recorded information derived, accumulated or received in the preliminary, execution or completion of an activity and that constitutes sufficient composition, significance and structure to provide an attestation of that activity. While the definition of a record is often identified strongly with a document, a record can be either a tangible object or digital information which has value to an organization.
Often, a record management system helps to aid in the capture, classification, and ongoing management of records throughout their life cycle. Such a system may be paper based (such as index cards as used in a library), or may be a computer system, such as an electronic records management application.
A record management system is a computer program (or set of programs) used to track and store records. The term is distinguished from imaging and document management systems that specialize in paper capture and document management respectively. Record management systems commonly provide specialized security and auditing functionalities tailored to the needs of record managers.
As processed, record management starts with creating, approving, and enforcing records policies, including a classification system and a records retention policy. The next activity would be developing a records storage plan, which includes the short and long-term housing of physical records and digital information.
In putting this plan into action, it is necessary to identify existing and newly created records, classify them, and then store them according to standard operating procedures. Next step is to coordinate the access and circulation of records within and even outside of an organization. And finally, to execute a retention policy to archive and destroy records according to operational needs, operating procedures, statutes, and regulations.
It is apparent that record management is an essential activity to ensure and certify the authenticity of many business transactions and government activities. The propagation and advancement of electronic documents and their probable litigation exposure have led to issues regarding privacy, data protection, and identity theft, posing some problems in record management.
Managing records involves a variety of diverse disciplines. At the simplest, records must be organized and indexed. In more complex settings, record management demands expertise in forensics, history, engineering, and law. In a business environment, this is usually a matter of filing business documents and making them available for retrieval. However, in many domains, records must be identified and handled much more carefully. Record management then needs a coordination of many experts to build and maintain the system.
Copyright 2007 Ismael D. Tabije
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Project Management: Compiling The Task List
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: John Reynolds
The first stage in the bottom-up cost estimating process is to compile a complete list of every known item that is going to cost money. This can prove difficult. But any item inadvertently left out of the cost estimates will result in an underestimate for the project as a whole. This can jeopardize planning and scheduling, and (if not realized in time) lead to serious problems and red faces when the time comes to hand the project over to the customer. And, of course, if the project has been sold for a fixed price, the additional work must be paid for not out of the budgeted project funds, but from the contractor’s expected profits.
Preparation of a work breakdown, complete with cost codes, is a logical way of considering the total project, and should reduce the risk of errors of omission. At the outset of a project, however, the work breakdown can usually only be compiled in fairly broad terms. Many of the smaller items will remain unknown or ill-defined until the project has advanced well into its engineering design phase. In many cases a detailed work breakdown will not be possible until long after the contract has been signed and everything has become a firm commitment. A fair degrees of judgment is therefore necessary in deciding what should go into the earliest version of a project task list.
One very useful way of helping to prevent forgotten tasks is to use checklists. Every company with sufficient experience can develop these. A full checklist would include all possible factors – technical, commercial, statutory, environmental, social, and so on – that might eventually have a bearing on the work and its costs. Some checklists can be long and detailed documents: typically they list as many possibilities as the compiler can think up, so that they must inevitably include some irrelevancies and seem tedious. However, it is in this very wealth of detail that the importance and strength of checklists lie.
The task list must include not only all the obvious items of project hardware, but also every associated software job. ‘Software’ is a familiar term in the context of computers and IT projects, but most projects quite remote from computer work have their own software content. Schedules for production inspection and testing, instruction and maintenance manuals, lists of recommended spares and consumable items may have to be specially written. These, together with any other documentation specified in the proposal or contract, are software tasks which must usually be allowed for in the estimated costs.
Activities often forgotten during the estimating phase of manufacturing projects, only to be remembered too late for inclusion in the project budgets (and price), include incidental processes such as paint spraying, heat treatments, inspection and testing. In some firms these may be covered b y the general overhead rate, but in many others they will not, and must be listed among the direct cost estimates. Protective plating, silk screen printing, engraving and so on are frequently omitted from estimates.
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John Reynolds has been a practicing project manager for nearly 20 years and is the editor of an informational website rating project management software products. For more information on project management and project management software, visit Project Management Software Web.
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Project-Management–Compiling-the-Task-List/164862
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Project Management In The Organization
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: John Reynolds
Project management is a specialized branch of management which has evolved in order to co-ordinate and control some of the complex activities of modern industry. It is not, of course, an isolated example of a management skill acquired as a result of the challenge presented by industrial development and expansion. Indeed the phenomenon of survival through specialization hardly originated in the world of industry and commerce.
Once of the fundamental and most familiar aspects of everyday life is the growth of living things. This growth can be observed in a single plant, in a baby animal, or, more widely, in a whole colony or population. Sooner or later development must depend upon the supply of natural resources in quantities sufficient to support the demands of the population. Competition for available food, water and shelter must intensify as more mouths or roots require feeding. The effects of climate and predators add other elements of risk. In the course of time only those organisms which are able to adapt themselves will manage to prosper. The rule of ’survival of the fittest’ will reign, resulting in the evolution of life forms which grow more and more specialized as time proceeds.
The world of industry suggests close parallels with the world of nature when the effects of growth and evolution are compared. Continuous expansion of firms within a generally expanding economy will create more demand for all the available resources. Evolutionary processes must occur as companies adapt themselves to meet the challenges presented by their continually changing economic climate. Some firms will emerge as more successful than others, whilst others which cannot adapt in time will be unable to survive at all.
Current trends in the greater use of electronic computers for data processing and machine control, the increase in size of many civil engineering projects, complex weapon systems for defense and the establishment of better communication and transport links all require the participation of large contractors. Smaller firms either are unable to tender for large projects or must be content to accept a small slice of the cake as relatively unimportant subcontractors to their biggest brothers. Many small companies may in fact depend directly upon larger firms for their very existence.
Any firm which does not, for any reason, maintain a rate of growth which is at least in step with the current rate of industrial expansion will, in all probability, not merely stagnate but either fail altogether or be swallowed up by one of its powerful rivals. Companies which remain too small may suffer from relatively high production costs, owing to the small volume of work which can be undertaken and the limited amount of capital available for investment in modern tooling, plant and machinery. There will also be a restriction in the size of individual projects open to the smaller firm because the resources which it can muster will be limited.
Thus, companies must expand at the rate of industrial expansion to have any hope of survival in today’s competitive business world. Without proper project management, such successful expansion is practically impossible.
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John Reynolds has been a practicing project manager for nearly 20 years and is the editor of an informational website rating project management software products. For more information on project management and project management software, visit Project Management Software Web.
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Project-Management-in-the-Organization/165421
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How To Learn More About The People Who Work For You
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Wally Bock
Sharon is a manager in a retail store. Phil has just become a foreman on the shop floor of a large manufacturer. Chris has just been promoted to team leader. They’ve all heard that they’ll do better if they learn about the people who work for them. They just don’t know how.
Show up a lot.
Management is a contact sport. You can’t do it by remote control or by email. You’ve got to get out and spend time with your people.
When you spend time with your people, you learn what they can do. It’s one thing to read a report comparing your subordinates’ test results in different areas or checking out their work history for ideas about what they do well. It’s quite another to watch one of them struggle to master a task, or deal with a customer.
Seeing your people in action helps you learn about them. You learn what they can do and not do. You learn what they’re good at. You can correct bad behavior before it becomes a habit. If you show up a lot you can catch them doing things right so you can encourage good behavior.
Showing up a lot helps your people learn about you. Every time you show up you have the opportunity to tell your people what really matters. Just don’t try to tell them too much.
Craft two or three short messages that you can repeat over and over. Apply your messages to the situations you find. Use every encounter to counsel, correct, instruct and encourage.
Develop a system.
You’ll find it easier to learn about your people if you have a simple system that will help you determine what behavior of yours is most likely to get the results you want. When I was putting together my first supervisory skills training program over twenty years ago, I went looking for a system that was both sophisticated and easy to use without requiring you to go back to the book or administer paper-and-pencil tests.
The system outlined in Tony Alessandra and Michael O’Connor’s book The Platinum Rule meets those tests. The book lays out a simple system that will help you classify folks based on their Social Style. All you need to do is observe whether they make decisions fast or slow and whether they’re more naturally relationship oriented or task oriented.
With those simple judgments, you’ll be able to make some key decisions. You’ll know whether what you can do to treat them the way they want to be treated. That’s what Alessandra and O’Connor call the Platinum Rule.
Don’t just use the system to analyze your subordinates. Have people you know use it to give you feedback on your own style
Learn what your natural style is and how people are likely to react to it. That way you can tailor your approach to make it most likely that you’ll get the results you want.
Keep records.
Don’t trust your memory. Some folks naturally remember all the details about others, but most of us don’t. We need help and notes are a help that’s both easy and inexpensive.
Cultivate the habit of taking notes after every encounter with someone who works for you. This is not "documentation," the notes that you may use for discipline or development. These are simple notes about likes, dislikes, habits and interests that will help you manage better.
Pay attention to common interests. I’ve found that most managers have something in common with everyone who works for them. Find it, and you’ve got a ready-made source of interesting conversation.
Getting to know your people is important, but it’s not hard all you have to do is show up a lot, have a system for thinking about behavior and keep records.
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Wally Bock works with a limited number of managers to help them improve their personal and business results (www.threestarleadership.com/coaching.htm) and speaks to audiences in the US and elsewhere. He also writes the Three Star Leadership blog (blog.threestarleadership.com/). Wally’s free People Forms will help you do a better job of learning about your people. (www.threestarleadership.com/peopleformrequest.htm)
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/How-to-Learn-More-about-the-People-Who-Work-for-You/165434
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Risk Management
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Idtabije
Risk Management is the process of measuring, or assessing risk and developing strategies to manage it. Strategies include transferring the risk to another party, avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk. Traditional risk management focuses on risks stemming from physical or legal causes.
Financial risk management, on the other hand, focuses on risks that can be managed using traded financial instruments. Regardless of the type of risk management, all large corporations have risk management teams and small groups and corporations practice informal, if not formal, risk management.
An ideal risk management starts with establishing the context, inclusive of the identity and objectives of stakeholders, the basis upon which risks will be evaluated and defining a framework for the process, and agenda for identification and analysis. The next step in the process is to identify potential risks—events that, when triggered, cause problems.
Hence, risk identification can start with the source of problems, or with the problem itself. Once identified, they must then be assessed as to their potential severity of loss and to the probability of occurrence. After which, a decision on the combination of methods to be used for each risk shall be made. Each risk management decision should be recorded and approved by the appropriate level of management.
In as much as no initial risk management plans will be perfect practice, experience, and actual loss results will necessitate changes in the plan and contribute information to allow possible different decisions to be made in dealing with the risks being faced. In the end, risk analysis results and management plans should be reviewed, evaluated, and updated periodically.
Risk management also faces difficulties in allocating resources. This is the idea of opportunity cost. Resources spent on risk management could have been spent on more profitable activities. Again, ideal risk management minimizes spending while maximizing the reduction of the negative effects of risks.
If risks are improperly assessed and prioritized, time can be wasted in dealing with risk of losses that are not likely to occur. Spending too much time assessing and managing unlikely risks can divert resources that could be used more profitably. Unlikely events do occur but if the risk is unlikely enough to occur it may be better to simply retain the risk and deal with the result if the loss does in fact occur.
Prioritizing too highly the risk management processes could keep an organization from ever completing a project or even getting started. This is especially true if other work is suspended until the risk management process is considered complete.
Risk management is simply a practice of systematically diagnosing, quantifying severity, selecting cost effective approaches for minimizing the effect of threat realization of the risks to the organization. All risks can never be fully avoided or mitigated simply because of financial and practical limitations. Therefore all organizations have to accept some level of residual risks.
Copyright 2007 Ismael D. Tabije
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http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Risk–Management/165501
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The Problem With Passion (2 of 2)
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Daniel Akst
Getting business owners to embrace a boring but prudent strategy can be a challenge. Tobias says it’s often useful to let them have a relatively small separate trading account in which they can chase hot tips and generally blow off steam. His office does the paperwork, and occasionally the client gets to say, "I told you so." But over time, says Tobias, this "play account" tends to wither, thanks mostly to trading losses. Tobias says he’s also careful to craft portfolios that won’t plummet when the market goes down because it undermines client staying power: "Everybody has a point where a portfolio goes down a certain amount and they’re going to freak."
Hiring a professional can be a good idea for keeping entrepreneurs and their portfolios out of trouble, says Barber, who also likes index investing for this reason. Buying a mutual fund that robotically mimics a major stock index can keep you from doing the kind of trading that only generates taxes and expenses while impairing returns. In fact, most investors would be better off if they simply divided their portfolio into four index funds–large U.S. stocks, small U.S. stocks, foreign stocks, and short-term domestic bonds–and then forgot about them except for rebalancing annually, a course advised for the inattentive by the investment adviser William Bernstein in his book The Intelligent Asset Allocator. Bernstein wrote in 2000: "If the next 20 years are anything like the last 20, then you will outperform the portfolios of 75 percent of all professional money managers."
The good news is that entrepreneur-investors like Wittstock tend to focus most of their time and energy where it will generate the greatest return: in their businesses. "An hour a year," says Wittstock. "That’s about what I spend" on outside investments.
Okay, so how did he do with TiVo? Wittstock says he made out okay, but he must have been awfully lucky. Over the years the stock has had its ups and downs but overall has lost about 90 percent of its value from its high in January 2000. He is still mad that his wife (who prefers real estate) sold half his position about a year ago. Now that Wittstock owns much less TiVo, his retirement portfolio won’t be as exciting, but according to Barber, that’s okay. Entrepreneurs, he says, "should be boring in their financial investments and daring in their entrepreneurial investments."
Resources
For more information about investing, see The Random Walk Guide to Investing: Ten Rules for Financial Success by Burton Malkiel (W.W. Norton); The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias (Harvest Books); or Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment by David Swensen (Free Press).
Source : http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/finance-wealth-management_pagen_2.htmll
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The Problem With Passion (1 of 2)
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Daniel Akst
Good entrepreneurs can be bad investors.
Starting a business and making it grow takes passion, confidence, and a willingness to bet the ranch on a single great idea–everything, in other words, that can also make one a lousy investor. Exhibit A is the man who calls himself the Pond Guy. "I have zero interest in investing," says Greg Wittstock, who started a backyard-pond installation and supply business as a student at Ohio State back in 1991. Fifteen years later he’s doing $60 million in annual sales with his Aquascape Designs, now based west of Chicago. "My passion in life is my business," he says. "I have a hard time getting passionate over other people’s companies."
Once, though, he did. In early 2000 Wittstock got himself a nice home theater system and, like many of us, fell in love with his TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO). So he did what came naturally: He plowed his entire 401(k) into TiVo shares. "When I’m passionate about something," Wittstock explains, "I put my money behind it."
How did he do? Never mind for now. The point is, investing your entire 401(k) in a single stock is a terrible idea, even if you get a hot tip from God or, better yet, Warren Buffett. Wittstock’s bet illustrates the larger issue, which is that many of the characteristics that enable people to succeed as entrepreneurs can be handicaps when it comes to managing their investments.
For instance, Benjamin Tobias, a CPA and financial planner in Plantation, Florida, says that entrepreneurs tend to be overconfident: "They think they understand everything because they’re successful in business." Unfortunately, overconfidence is one of the worst failings an investor can have. When University of California business professors Brad Barber and Terrance Odean studied the investing behavior of men and women with money at a major discount brokerage, they found that the men traded way more, reducing their annual returns by nearly 1 percent versus the women. Need we add that, as the professors put it, "psychologists find that, in areas such as finance, men are more overconfident than women"?
Then there’s the problem of diversification. Successful entrepreneurs tend to have a disproportionate share of their assets tied up in their business. It’s the arena they know, and when they have cash to invest, they sometimes see themselves as expert stock-pickers in the very same industry. Tempting as it may be to try to leverage this expertise, it’s smarter to "tilt away from this to provide diversification benefits," says Barber, an expert in investor psychology. In other words, if you’re a homebuilder in suburban Denver, for heaven’s sake, don’t invest your nest egg in homebuilding stocks or Colorado real estate.
Tobias encourages his clients to think about diversification in the broadest possible way, taking account of the nature of their primary business, any real estate and other investments they may hold, and of course their portfolio of stocks, bonds, and other securities. "We talk to clients about diversification constantly," he says. "Not just your investment portfolio but your whole life needs to be diversified."
The hard lesson is that investors shouldn’t act like entrepreneurs. The goal of investing isn’t rapid riches via intense concentration of capital and efforts. Nor is it entertainment. Investing is really very simple. The idea is to diversify, minimize taxes and expenses, and stay with the program for the long haul. If you don’t have the patience or the humility to do this, hire someone who does. "Most of my clients have accumulated a lot of net worth," says Tobias, who works with quite a few entrepreneurs. "But they’re my clients because they’ve already made some mistakes."
Source : http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/finance-wealth-management.htmll
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Reading, Writing, Running a Company
Filed under: 1.6 Management
By: Mike Hofman
This month, a program called EntrepreneurshipWeek USA will extol the virtues of business ownership in schools across the country.
The Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City funds programs and research on entrepreneurship and education. This month Kauffman will bring its dual missions together in the form of EntrepreneurshipWeek USA. The program, to be held between February 24 and March 3, includes thousands of activities nationwide (for a list, go to entrepreneurshipweekusa.com). The goal is to introduce the notion of business ownership to kids. Carl J. Schramm, the head of the foundation, which was endowed with the pharmaceutical fortune of Ewing Marion Kauffman, also outlined his views on kids and entrepreneurship in the recent book The Entrepreneurial Imperative. Schramm (shown at left) recently talked with Inc.’s Mike Hofman.
What has been interesting or surprising to you about the response to the book?
My editor suggested I include four letters in the book: one to the next President, one to an unemployed worker, one to parents, and one to my kids. And the letters to parents and to my own kids have gotten tremendous feedback. The most common response I get is from parents who say, I read your book, and then I made my kid read the letter you wrote to your kids.
What did people like about the letters?
If you go to a bookstore, the "how to be a parent" section ends when the kid gets out of diapers or maybe after the second grade. But today, parents are looking for more advice, because they have a sense of how fast the economy is moving. It took me 18 months to do this book. On the day that I started writing, YouTube had not yet been incorporated, and during the week the book was published, YouTube was sold for $1.6 billion. So parents understand that the economy is hugely different today, and they worry that their kids aren’t prepared.
Is that why the Kauffman Foundation put together EntrepreneurshipWeek USA?
Yes. Even though entrepreneurship is an integral part of America’s history and the key to our prosperity, our schools have never given the subject its due. When I was a kid, we were taught that the great innovators were the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell…people who were dead. Living entrepreneurs were invisible.
Is that still true today?
The schools still don’t talk much about entrepreneurs, but the good news is that every kid knows about the Facebook guys and Tom from MySpace. That’s an incredibly positive development.
Great Britain has a weeklong program similar to the one you’re trying to create here. What has its impact been?
It’s been tremendous. They call it Enterprise Week, and they have thousands of events, which they support with BBC programming. You could not see it and not be impressed by its reach. As a matter of policy, every British high school student visits a young company, for example. In the U.S., we’re the opposite: We’re real expert on entrepreneurship broadly speaking, but we don’t have a deep culture that supports it in our schools. So I thought, why not take the opportunity to push it on our kids?
What do you say to people who think that, instead of learning about making money, kids would be better served by spending time on another subject or even in gym?
I disagree. Kids can’t start too young to be in charge of their own education, in charge of their own economic life. When you realize that what you learn in school will be handy when you are out earning a living, you make more of every day at school.
What do you hope to accomplish?
The goal is not to have every kid become an entrepreneur, but to let them know this is at least an option. We’re also trying to embed this idea in groups such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Junior Achievement. One of Ewing Marion Kauffman’s mottoes was "Make a job, don’t take a job," and this is a way to promote that philosophy.
Published February 2007
Source : http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/priority-entrepreneur-week-07.htmll
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February 23, 2007
Debt Consolidation
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By Kistina Robin
Though no one wants to be in debt, circumstances sometimes dictate that a loan be taken out. A combination of different factors and a lack of financial planning sometimes lead to more debts than you can deal with. The result is something totally confusing but not hopeless.
The problem with having too many loans from different creditors is that you have different payments to make each month. Each payment would have a different interest rate. Paying off all your loans could become quite a confusing process. There is also the fact that you may not be able to handle paying them all off regularly so the others suffer and you miss payments on them. That begets more problems in itself. Penalties and surcharges would be the least of your worries.
So what do you do when you find yourself in a financial mess of debts? Probably taking out a loan wouldn’t be your first answer. Yet this is really not a bad idea at all. Ask any financial adviser and chances are, you might be advised to consider taking out a debt consolidation loan.
What is a debt consolidation loan? This is a loan specifically designed for people who have several outstanding debts. These debts may be from a single creditor or from several different lenders. Whatever the situation may be, the idea is the same. A debt consolidation loan will pay off all or majority of your existing debts. You would then be indebted to only one creditor. That definitely lessens your headache when it comes to monthly payments. In some cases, a debt consolidation loan can actually lower your monthly payments. This is especially significant if you have a lot of debts from credit cards. Credit card companies are known to charge high interest rates. With a debt consolidation loan, you will definitely lower your interest rate and you would also need to concern yourself with only one interest rate. Repayment terms are also flexible with debt consolidation loans.
You may ask, what about my credit rating, will it affect my chances of getting a debt consolidation loan? There is good news for you. Lenders take into consideration the fact that since you need a debt consolidation loan, your credit rating is probably out of whack already. Therefore, they don’t really take your credit score into account. In fact, taking out a debt consolidation loan is a good way to stop your credit score from further plummeting. It helps you pay off your existing debts and gives you a fresh start.
However, lenders will probably ask for collateral when you take out a debt consolidation loan. Collateral may be a piece of property, your car, or anything of high value. Putting up collateral has the added benefit of lowering the interest rate applied as well as the monthly payments. Of course, you have to remember that in case you cannot pay off your debt consolidation loan, your property would be repossessed. Therefore, borrow wisely and don’t compromise your payments.
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Debt consolidation loans: Pull yourself out of debt trap
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By Braden Fred
Multiple debts are a looming danger of bankruptcy. If this is the situation you are in then debt consolidation loans can help you out. You can use these loans to pay off your high-interest debts that may have become unbearable for you with the passage of time. So, just help yourself out of trouble and make your debts more manageable.
The contemporary UK financial market is full of lenders who can provide you debt consolidation loans at competitive rates. All the help is available on the Internet. If you are willing to spend some time on market research, you are very much likely to get a good loan deal.
There are many sources from where debt consolidation loans can be obtained. High street banks, some private lenders, building societies and other lending institutions provide loans as per your financial status and circumstances.
Usually, people take debt consolidation loans for lowering their monthly outgoings or for effecting savings. If you lower your monthly outgoings, the number of instalments will obviously increase and, at the end of the loan, you will find that overall you have paid more interest. However, some people may effect some saving out of debt consolidation loans. Suppose, you are paying five instalments to different lenders and all the lenders are charging you very high interest rates. Now, if you take a debt consolidation loan at comparatively lower rate and repay all your lenders, you can surely effect some saving.
Some lenders require security for giving debt consolidation loans, while some may provide you such loans without the need for any collateral. If a lender asks for security, it means that the loan is a secured one and if he provides you loan without any security, it is an unsecured loan. Both types of loans have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. If the secured type of loans allows you low interest rates, unsecured ones provide you quick access to money.
About the author:
The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration as a finance specialist. For more information please visit: Debt consolidation loans
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Debt consolidation loans – Combine to manage your debts effectively
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By Braden Fred
Unplanned and causal approach toward borrowing money can lead one into a major financial mess. Managing multiple debts is a very cumbersome task. Keeping track of diverse repayment schedules is time and energy consuming. It requires very intelligent planning, as the probability of missing one or the other payment is always there, and missing repayments will not only make the situation worse but will spoil the credit record, too. When debts become unmanageable, debt consolidation loans can provide respite from the stress. This loan option enables one to pay off all his debts in one go - a single payment against multiple payments to pull a person out of a financial mess.
We can take the current norm of keeping multiple credit cards as an example. Due to attractive offers from numerous credit card companies, many have got into the habit of keeping multiple credit cards. People, who do not balance their earnings and expenditure, easily get into a financial mess. This does not mean that taking credit is bad or a matter of disgrace. It is simply a matter of convenience that requires keeping track of purchases and expenditures, and reimbursing the bills in full each month.
Like other loans, debt consolidation loans too can be classified as secured and unsecured loans. A secured loan requires security, and is preferred for its low interest rate and flexible repayment options. An unsecured loan, on the other hand, does not require security and is best suited for clearing smaller debts, as the rate of interest is high and repayment terms are more or less fixed.
The borrower’s present income and repaying capacity matters. It is wise to keep the loan period short to cut the risks and make tension-free repayments. The purpose of a debt consolidation loan is to convert high interest rate debts into a new low interest rate credit. So, one needs to make sure that his chosen option has a lower interest rate, as compared to the rate of the debts put together. Consolidating debts can provide great support. However, before availing any loan, do ample research and be cautious.
About the author:
The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration as a finance specialist. For more information on Debt consolidation loans please visit: http://www.adverse-credit-debt-consolidation.co.uk
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Sort out your debt problem with the help of debt consolidation loans
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By Braden Fred
Being a rational being, you make well-thought out plans before doing anything and carry on according to your calculations. But sometimes your calculation fails and you cannot keep control over things. Thus, in spite of utmost precautions to avoid debt, you end up procuring a huge amount due to the occurrence of unexpected situations. In this fashion, many people build up a huge debt and face difficulty managing it. Debt consolidation loans offer valuable help to people suffering from the debt trap.
Generally a person, trapped in the maze of debt, starts thinking that there is no way that can help him out. He gets ready either to bear the heavy burden of interest for a good number of years or go for IVA’s, bankruptcy etc., none of which is beneficial for one’s financial health. Debt consolidation loans help these people breathe a sigh of relief by decreasing their burden to a great extent. It converts entire debts of the person into one loan and makes it easy to deal with the debts.
Debt consolidation loans work in a versatile manner to help the borrower sort out his debt problem. To begin with, you can consolidate the entire debt of the borrower into a single easily manageable package. In this regard, it will reduce the interest rate and leave the borrower with only one loan to manage, instead of many. It will also provide the person with an extended repayment term and smaller monthly repayments.
Debt consolidation loan can play a vital role in the process of the betterment of your credit record. Since you will be provided with an easily manageable loan, you can clear your monthly payments regularly. This act from your part contributes a lot in improving your credit rating. Thus, with the help of debt consolidation loans, you can sort out your debt problem and rejuvenate the hitherto broken health of your financial self.
About the author:
The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration as a finance specialist. For more information please visit: Debt consolidation loans
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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Debt consolidation loans: it is never too late to mend your ways
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
By Jake Nathan
The fulfilment of desires in our lives is like mirage; the more you chase them, the more they seem to be farther from you. We all chase our dreams and desires…chase them at the cost of peace in life. There are many people in the UK who are neck deep in debt and on the verge being a broke. And their debt situation has become so messy that they do not understand where to start from. This is definitely not the cost you wish to pay for fulfiling your dreams and desires. Isn’t it?
The main reason for getting into the trap of unmanageable debt is poor financial habits. There are many people who get swayed away by the bait of “buy now, pay later” offers provided by various merchandisers. The temptation to own the item of desire is so strong that they succumb to it and face serious repercussions later. And for some them, it becomes too late when they realize the graveness of the financial mess that has been created due to such reckless spending habits.
“Don’t cry over spoilt milk.” It is never too late to start afresh. Efficient financial planning and debt management can enable a person suffering from debt burden to reduce the burden and eventually get rid of the debts forever.
The first step you can take is to list down all the debts you owe in order of the debt carrying the highest interest rate to the debt carrying a low interest rate. Try to pay off as many high-rate debts as possible. You can cut down on some of the non-essential expenditures.
Then, you may consider consolidating the rest of the pending debts (carrying a comparatively lower interest rate) using debt consolidation loans. You can take advice from some reputed debt consolidation companies regarding consolidating your debts in a cost-effective manner. Unsecured debt consolidation loans provide a risk-free means to consolidate the debts. You receive the loan without the need to put forth collateral security. Unsecured form of a consolidation loan has a comparatively shorter repayment term. And the debts you collate are small in amount (due to lower rate). This combination will enable you to reduce the debt burden and slowly get out of the debt mess successfully.
About the author:
The author is a business writer specializing in finance and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Debt-Consolidation-For-The-Stress as a Finance specialist.
For more information please visit: www.debt-consolidation-for-the-stressed.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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How To Repair A Bad Credit History
Filed under: 1.9 Debt Consolidation
by : John Edmond
We all get into financially tight situations from time to time. Short term financial demands can catch anyone by surprise. It could be around the birth of a new child, medical expenses or just Christmas or birthdays. Whatever the reason, without care, financially tight situations can result in a bad credit history.
It’s possible to get a bad credit history very easily. The credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and Transunion, maintain details on almost every adult in the country and they have a level of detail that for many is frightening.
As a matter of course the credit reference agencies have your personal details, your name, address and previous addresses, as well as credit information. If you have a mortgage they know about it. If you have any loans, credit cards or sto
