Who Says Vegetables Have To Be Boring?

Eat your veggies - especially your lettuce. But don't confine yourself to iceberg lettuce or salads! Darker greens have about the same number of calories and carbs -very low! - but pack a lot more punch in the vitamins and other nutrient categories. By substituting radicchio, watercress, escarole or spinach for the iceberg lettuce, you add vitamin C, riboflavin’s, manganese and other essential vitamins that aren't present in lettuce. Try them braised, steamed or grilled for something a little different from the usual salad.

Here are some recipes for greens that will tickle your taste buds and make your heart happy!

Wilted Spinach Salad

The onions take on a natural sweetness that contrasts with the tangy yogurt and the bite of the spinach. A family favorite that's low in calories and high in important nutrients.

Here’s what you need:

2 cups spinach leaves
1 medium onion peeled, sliced
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Sauté onions in olive oil till transparent. Add spinach and toss in pan to coat with oil until leaves are barely wilted. Stir in yogurt while the spinach is still warm. Eat hot or cold. Only 50 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: protein, calcium, vitamin c, manganese, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, beta carotene, vitamin K, ALA.

Grilled Radicchio

Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce add spice to heart-healthy
radicchio without adding much in the way of calories.

1 head radicchio
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
A splash of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients except radicchio in small bowl. Cut head of
radicchio in 1/4 inch slices. Brush cut side with marinade mixture. Grill over hot coals till browned. Only 25 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene.

Spinach, Mushroom & Anchovy Salad

Anchovies are one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids AND they're low in calories. Simple to fix and delicious for dinner, on its own, or with a bowl of chunky pasta.

6 cups spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 2 oz can anchovies in oil
10-12 small mushrooms
Juice of 1 lemon

Wash and dry spinach. Drain anchovy oil into sauté pan and warm. Add anchovies and gently stir over heat till anchovies are dissolved in oil. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to anchovy oil, sautéing till browned. Add spinach, tossing with oil and anchovies till just wilted. Spritz with squeezed lemon. Only 50 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and calcium.

Walnut & Raisin Greens

Get even more essential fatty acids and antioxidants in this great tasting warm salad.

6 cups greens, loosely packed (spinach, collard, turnip will all work well)
2 tbs. walnut oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Chop greens and place in shallow bowl. Heat walnut oil slowly over low heat. Mash garlic cloves and sauté in walnut oil till soft and browned.
Add raisins and toss, and then add walnuts and heat through. Pour over greens and toss to coat well. Only 150 calories per serving!

With this recipe, you’ll get: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, foliate, vitamin K, beta carotene, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and calcium.

10 Ways to Exercise When You Don't Feel Like Exercising.

Exercise. It's been endorsed by every major health organization in the country as one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body. One half hour of moderate physical activity a day is the key to better health, they say. The best diet in the world can only go so far in helping you lose weight. To really see the effects of changing your eating habits (in lost pounds and inches, that is), you need to rev up your body with physical exercise.

So why does the word bring a collective groan to dieters around the world? Maybe it's our mistaken impression that exercise is a chore, and a boring, painful one at that. Here are ten ways to exercise that should get rid of that impression for good, and make exercise something you can look forward to:

1. Take a walk through a favorite place. One half hour of moderately paced walking will burn 450 calories - and make you feel great. Make sure that you're wearing comfortable shoes, and pick a venue you enjoy. Try a walk around the lake, up and down the block or around the mall - your body doesn't know the difference.

2. Go out and play a game of tag with your kids. Making exercise a family activity turns it into fun that you share with them. Besides being good for your body, you're instilling good habits in them, and creating happy memories that will stay with them for life.

3. Go swimming. An annual membership to the local YMCA or YWCA is fairly inexpensive, and many have 'scholarships' and financial aid available. Swimming is great exercise - it's aerobic, low stress on your joints, and a lot of fun!

4. Join an exercise class. You can turn exercise into a social activity by becoming part of a class. Besides making friends, you're more likely to exercise if you're paying for it.

5. Get an exercise buddy. It's partly the same principle as joining a class - turn exercise into a social activity. In addition to that, making a commitment to a friend for a daily exercise date will make it far more likely that you'll stick to it.

6. Play ball! Seriously. If your company has a sports team (softball, anyone?), join up. Or join a bowling league, volleyball team or other sports group that practices and plays regularly.

7. Get a trampoline. Mini-trampolines are easy to set up, store in small spaces and provide a stress-free surface on which to bounce, dance and have a lot of fun.

8. Go for a bike ride. Even leisurely bike-riding burns calories and exercises muscles that don't get used in regular walking. No need for an exercise 'routine' - just ride your bike to the store, or back and forth to work each day.

9. Take up a new active hobby. Would you believe that gardening is exercise? Bending and stretching and digging and weeding - half an hour of energetic work in your garden burns more calories than a brisk walk.

10. Challenge yourself. If you're the kind of person who thrives on competition, challenge yourself to meet a new goal each week. Walk one more block. Do six more sit-ups. Take the stairs each day instead of the elevator. Goal-setting to meet challenges is a great way to commit to exercise.

Reward Yourself!

Looking better and feeling great may be their own rewards when you lose weight, but it never hurts to reward yourself for reaching goals and sticking to your eating plan. Building in incentives is a time-honored way of helping keep yourself on track. Did you pass up that piece of cheesecake at lunch? Reward yourself with a pot of fresh herbs! Did you get out and exercise for your daily half-hour? Take a luxurious bath with scented oils. Went the whole week without falling off your new routine? That calls for a big reward! Treat yourself to an evening out, or buy that book you've been dying to read.

Need some excuses for rewarding yourself? Try setting one of these goals to give yourself something to shoot for:

1. Weight loss goals.

Pretty traditional here - treat yourself to something special whenever you can mark off ten pounds toward your goal weight. Get a manicure to make you feel extra special.

2. Look, Ma, I dropped a whole size!

Well, that certainly calls for buying yourself something in that new size, even if it's just a pair of new exercise sneakers!

3. Whew! I made it ALL the way through the half-hour workout without stopping ONCE!

Now that's impressive! Call your best friend or your mom and brag - or just chat. Even if it's long distance.

4. I didn't do it! That chocolate chip cookie dough sundae was calling my name, but I turned my back and walked away.

In that case, don't you think you deserve fresh flowers for your desk?

5. I finally fit into THAT dress!

I'd say that calls for wearing it out somewhere special, wouldn't you? Take yourself out dancing to show it off!

6. I lost weight for the third week in a row. I'm so proud of myself!

Here's an ongoing reward - for every pound you lose, drop a dollar or two into a jar, and watch the money build up. Entertain yourself with plans on how you'll spend it when you reach your goal weight.

7. I got stuck for three weeks, but I finally budged from that plateau!

I'll tell you what - sticking to a diet when you're not seeing results is one of the hardest things that you'll ever do. Get yourself something that will make it easier to reward yourself. For example, buy a blender for whipping up frozen fruit smoothies.

8. I'm halfway there!

You deserve a Halfway Party, don't you think? Pull out all your old fat clothes and try them on so you can feel great about how far you've come.

9. I've been slugging away forever, and I'm starting to get discouraged...

Okay, so it's not a 'reward' situation -- but it is. You deserve a reward for sticking to it this long. Want a quick pick-me-up? Pick up the phone and get together with someone you haven't seen in months. This will guarantee that you’ll receive compliments at how great you look!

10. I did it! I made it! I reached my goal weight!!

Well, sweetheart, that calls for pulling out the stops! Remember that money you've been paying yourself for losing weight? Time to cash it in for something fabulous!

Eating healthy and losing weight are gifts that you give yourself, though they may not feel like it at first. By rewarding yourself along the way, you’ll not only increase the chances of your success, but you’ll enjoy the process a whole lot more!

10 Real Life Diet Tips.

Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone with apparently unlimited income and time? For some of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. And there are those of us who cringe at the thought of weighing food to achieve 'optimal portion sizes'. Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.

1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.

2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pains begin. In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.

3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need, and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.

4. Buy a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of its natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.

5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.

7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.

8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.

9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.

10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.

The New And Improved Nutrition Pyramid.

Just when you were getting the Nutrition Pyramid down to an exact science, the USDA goes and releases an all new nutrition and diet plan for healthy Americans. On April 19, 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its new My Pyramid nutrition pyramid. Available at its own web site (www.mypyramid.gov), the new guidelines aren't so much NEW as they are more in depth, detailed and helpful.

For starters, My Pyramid can be personalized. On the main page, you have the option of entering your age, gender and activity level. Simply click “submit” and get a recommendation that's more specific than '6-11 servings of grain per day'. Instead of those vague, wide-ranging recommendations, you'll get a pyramid that says, "6 ounces of grain products", or 2 1/2 cups vegetables.

Even if that were the ONLY improvement on the new site, it would be tremendous. No more guessing whether you should aim for closer to six servings or closer to eleven. The nutrition calculator factors in your age, gender and activity level (above your normal daily routine) to come up with a recommended caloric intake. From there, it breaks down the calories by food group, and tells you exactly how much of each group you should eat per day for a healthy diet. It's far easier to figure out what 2 cups of milk is than it is to figure out how much '3-5' servings of dairy is!

But it doesn't stop there. Beneath the pyramid chart with the specific serving sizes on it, you'll find a list of links to 'tips' for making the healthiest choices from each food group - divided by food group.
There are some great diet tips there, along with ways to serve foods in appetizing and nutritious ways. A sampling from each category includes:

* Grain: Substitute whole grain cereal for bread crumbs in toppings.
* Vegetables: Try crunchy vegetables raw or lightly steamed.
* Fruits: Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for oil in baking.
* Milk: Trim down from whole milk to fat-free gradually, week by week.
* Meat/Beans: Replace some of the meat in your diet with nuts.

Want to know how your actual diet stacks up against the dietary guidelines and get specific, personalized recommendations for improving it? Tucked away at the bottom of the list of links in the menu you'll find the My Pyramid Tracker. It's easily the handiest tool that I've ever seen. Enter the foods that you eat in a typical day, click Analyze, and you'll get a detailed analysis that includes the calories, the amount of over 25 specific nutrients, the difference between your diet and an optimum diet, and specific recommendations for changes you should make to eat a healthier diet. Better yet, you can save your history day by day to keep track of your eating habits and watch the improvements. It's the diet diary with a difference. Use it - and see yourself eating better every day.

Helping Your Child Lose Weight.

I was a chubby child. My mother, out of love and fear, tried everything to help me lose weight - bribes, threats, punishment, diets, commiseration, even hypnotism and diet pills. I usually lost weight, only to put it back on shortly after she stopped doing whatever she was doing. Her biggest worry was that I'd be unhappy - that I'd be picked on and unpopular, and no one would like me because I was fat. Now that I'm a mother myself, I can completely sympathize with her motives, but these days my concerns about my children's weight are far more serious than a little name-calling.

While the name-calling can be devastating, what's frightening these days is the growing evidence that obesity leads to serious health complications, even in young children. Doctors find that they're diagnosing children as young as ten or eleven years old with conditions that were once the province of middle-aged people. Diabetes, heart conditions, and arthritis - all of these conditions have a clear established connection with obesity, and more and more often, they are being seen BEFORE children reach adulthood. It's enough to scare a mother into the extreme methods that my mother used to try to take the pounds off of me, but there are healthier ways to help your child lose weight.

First: Consult a Doctor

Don't decide on your own that your child needs to lose weight. Many of us have grown up with distorted body images that we pass on to our children. Be sure that you're not seeing your child through your own misconceptions about 'ideals', and let a doctor make the judgment call.

If your doctor agrees that your child is overweight and should take off some pounds, your best bet is to serve up a healthy daily diet within the USDA Food Pyramid Guidelines and encourage daily exercise to help rev up his internal motors. Beyond that, here are tips for helping your child lose weight - while retaining a positive self-image.

* Put EVERYONE on a diet. Seriously. Since the best way for your child to lose weight is to eat a healthy, balanced diet in normal proportions, doesn't it make sense that your entire family will benefit from eating the same way? Your dieting child will feel far less deprived if everyone is eating the same foods.

* Serve an after school snack. It may be tempting to cut out the after school snacks, but the truth is you'll be doing harm rather than good. The human body was never designed for the 'three square meals a day' regimen that has been the norm for decades. A healthy snack in the mid-afternoon will provide fuel for afternoon play and stave off the 'I'm STARVING' feeling that leads to overeating at dinner.

* Shop smart. Leave the cookies and chips on the shelf, and instead grab the low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit and fruit cups, sugar free applesauce and other natural treats. If you make healthy snacks available and unhealthy ones hard to find, you'll keep temptation out of the way.

* Exercise with them regularly. Instead of just shooing them out to play - or taking away the Game boy, go out WITH them. Pull together a neighborhood kickball game, or take a walk around the block as a family. If you can get a family membership to a health club with a pool, make a family swim a once-a-week event. It's more than setting an example - it's having fun with your kids.

* Cook JUST enough food. Instead of trying to limit portions on the plate, limit them BEFORE you cook. Only prepare ONE portion per family member. That heads off requests for seconds before they even start asking. No, you can't have the last piece of chicken -- because there isn't one to have.

Follow those five suggestions, and chances are that no one in your family will even realize that someone is on a diet. And everyone will be healthier and happier.

Five Common Diet Tips That Really Work - and Why.

Losing weight is a national preoccupation. I challenge anyone to turn on the television or radio, surf online or open a magazine without finding an advertisement for a weight loss product or an endorsement for a new diet or eating plan. Everyone wants to be healthy and look their best, and for possibly the first time in the last half century, those two things happen to coincide. The current ideal of beauty is far closer to what's attainable by a 'real' person than it has been in decades. Thanks to the recent popularity of actresses and singers who aren’t rail thin, coat hangers are out and healthy muscles and curves are in.

If you've been working toward that comfortable ideal body weight, chances are that you've read the same diet and weight loss tips time and time again. In some cases, it's because someone said it and it got repeated endlessly. In others, though, it's because the tip really works. Here are five of the most common diet tips that really work - and why.

Tip #1

Drink a full eight ounce glass of water 20 minutes before each
meal. It's only partly because you trick your body into thinking that it's full. The real trick is in giving your body all the water that it needs. The usual recommendation is at least an 8 oz glasses of water a day. That's WATER - not soft drinks, not coffee. Just pure water. Your body needs water to maintain all its systems and to flush wastes away. When you don't take in enough water, it starts trying to conserve it by retaining water in muscle and fat tissues. Water your body as faithfully as you would a plant, and you'll find that it starts ridding itself of excess water regularly as well. Is it just water weight? Well, yes. But that water weight is weight you don't have to carry around with you as long as you're taking in enough water for your body's needs.

Tip #2

Eat your fruits and veggies raw. Aside from the fact that raw fruits and vegetables pack more nutrition per calorie, in many cases you're actually getting LESS calories when you eat your produce raw. Especially if you generally opt for canned fruits or vegetables, there are added preservatives and flavorings that can increase calories substantially. But there's another reason as well: your body works harder to digest raw fruits and vegetables, and that means that it uses more calories in getting all the nutrients out of it. Your body NEEDS the extra roughage present in fruit and vegetables that haven't been cooked and processed to keep it working right.

Tip #3

Eat a balanced diet. It's obviously more healthy, but will it help you lose weight? The answer is yes, and here's why. When your body lacks ANY nutrient in its daily intake, it tries to make up the difference by substituting other nutrients. The result can be false messages that you're hungry, when what your body really craves is enough of ONE particular nutrient. Eating a balanced diet provides all the nutrients your body needs in the proper proportions so that it isn't telling you it's starving.

Tip #4

Half an hour of moderate exercise five times a week. Your body uses the food it eats to produce energy for your daily activities. The more energy you use, the more of your food your body will use to fuel it. When you eat fewer calories than your body needs, it will turn to stored reserves to keep it going. Adding one half hour of moderate exercise to your daily routine five times a week increases your body's consumption of energy. But there's more. Your body is using up calories even when you're not exercising just to maintain circulation and health in its tissues. It uses up more calories maintaining muscles than fat. As you exercise, your body is converting fat to muscle -- resulting in a higher metabolic rate as it increases its activity to keep your muscles in tone.

Tip #5

Snack between meals. Our bodies were never designed for the 3-times-a-day eating schedule we've adopted. They work round the clock, and need energy all the time. Rather than eating all your calories in three sittings, spread them out over 5 or 6. The trick is to eat smaller meals - not add more food. You'll keep your digestive system busy, and your body at full energy all day long.

Don't Undermine Your Diet.

Let's start this article off right. You are not 'going on a diet'. Our concept of 'a diet' implies a temporary change that will work miracles - if we're only strong enough to stick to it. That way of thinking is encouraged by decades of 'fad diets' that promised us quick, low-effort weight loss, if we just ate this one miracle food. I still remember the Cabbage diet, the No-Carb diet and the Banana diet, among others. Over and over throughout the last 40 years, diets that advocated eating by a strictly enforced menu have been proven ineffective, or worse, dangerous.

Going on a diet also implies that you will eventually go off your diet - whether you 'fall off' it, or return to 'normal eating'. The secret to losing weight and keeping it off is to create a new eating plan that will BECOME your normal eating. And this is the place that most of the popular 'diets' fail. Any diet that restricts your intake of ANY necessary nutrients too severely will ultimately fail you. In order to lose weight and maintain your weight loss indefinitely, you need to teach yourself to eat a balanced diet in portions that your body needs.

Below is a list of common diet mistakes that will undermine your attempts to lose weight.

* DON'T restrict your intake to less than 1000 calories a day, unless you are under the supervision of a doctor. Restricting your intake that severely can lead to serious health complications. It also will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism so that it conserves your stores of food. In other words - your body will kick into gear to hold onto your fat so you don't starve to death.

* DON'T cut out one or more entire food groups, including fats. Your body needs an adequate intake of all nutrients in order to stay healthy. In every food group there are 'good' and 'bad' choices for weight loss. Stick to the good ones, and you'll see your weight dropping without compromising your health.

* DON'T fast for extended periods without medical supervision. For the same reasons that you shouldn't restrict your intake of calories to less than 1000 a day, you shouldn't embark on a fast that lasts more than 48 hours without a doctor's supervision.

* DON'T purge. Purging, whether by emetics, diuretics, vomit-induction or laxatives robs your body of more than the nutrients that you're getting rid of. It's unsafe at any speed. You can end up with far worse problems than a few extra pounds.

* DO see your doctor before starting a serious diet. He or she can recommend a visit to a nutritionist to help you design a common sense weight loss plan that will naturally evolve into a healthy eating style that will last a lifetime.

Weight Loss Helps Prevent Diabetes.

A few months ago (March 2005), the American Diabetes Association announced the findings of the comprehensive Diabetes Prevention Program. The DPP was conducted at over 25 medical centers nationwide and involved thousands of participants who volunteered to have their habits monitored and to follow dietary and exercise recommendations. All participants had been diagnosed with 'pre-diabetes', a condition where the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet in diabetic ranges. Untreated, more than half of those people diagnosed with pre-diabetes will develop full-blown type 2 diabetes within a decade.

For the study, the participants were divided into two groups. One half were given dietary recommendations. The other half got the same dietary recommendations, plus the recommendation to exercise at least 30 minutes daily, five times a week.

The results? Those who included daily exercise in their routines and followed the diet recommendations cut their risk of developing diabetes by 58%. The reason? Those who made the recommended changes in their lifestyle lost 'a moderate amount' of weight. Even more important, researchers found something that they didn't expect. Those in the treatment group had a substantial chance of reducing their blood sugar level to normal, something that had been assumed was impossible.

Apparently, losing weight not only prevents a worsening of diabetes, it reverses the damage that obesity causes to the cells that produce insulin.

How much weight loss does it take to have an effect on the progression of diabetes? The key is in the definition of 'a moderate weight loss' - 5-7% of your body weight. In other words, depending on your boy weight, a loss of as little as 7-10 pounds can make a difference!

The recommendations suggested by the American Diabetes Society for a healthy diet to prevent diabetes is an ideal diet for steady, gradual weight loss - the kind of weight loss that stays lost. The diet includes the following suggested daily diet allowances:

* Grain - 6-11 servings per day (Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta)
* Vegetables - 3-5 servings per day
* Fruits - 2-4 servings per day
* Milk - 2-3 servings per day
* Meat - 4-6 ounces per day (Meat, eggs, fish, dried beans, nuts and peanut butter)
* Fats, Sweets, Alcohol - Occasional treats

(Recommendations for portions are based on gender and activity level. For instance, a sedentary 40 year old woman needs fewer portions than an active 25-year-old woman.)

Look familiar? It's also the dietary recommendation for the Heart Healthy diet from the American Heart Association, and the recommendations from the USDA's new MyPyramid. The results just keep coming in, but the message is clear: losing weight, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet can help prevent most major health problems. Why wait till you're diagnosed? Start today - and it may never happen.

Is My Diet Deductible?

Dieting can be expensive, especially if you join a weight loss program or purchase special foods. As of April 2002, the Internal Revenue Service recognized some weight loss expenses as tax deductible under medical expenses. According to that ruling,

"...Uncompensated amounts paid by individuals for participation in a weight-loss program as treatment for a specific disease or diseases (including obesity) diagnosed by a physician are expenses for medical care that are deductible under § 213, subject to the limitations of that section." (IRS Ruling, April 2, 2002)

What does this mean to the average taxpayer? It means that the cost of weight loss programs recommended by your physician for the treatment of obesity, or conditions related to obesity MAY be deductible on your taxes!

Who can deduct weight loss programs on their taxes?

In order to deduct the cost of your weight loss program under the 2002 ruling, you must itemize deductions on your taxes. You can deduct the costs of weight loss treatment IF they are not reimbursed. In addition, you can only deduct expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross annual income.

Can I deduct my weight loss program if I'm not medically obese?

You may be able to deduct expenses even if you're not diagnosed as medically obese. If your doctor has recommended weight loss as a treatment for weight-related diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease, you might be eligible.

What kinds of weight loss expenses are deductible?

You can deduct doctor-recommended treatments that are specific to weight loss and maintenance. Those include, but aren't necessarily limited to: bariatric surgery (stomach stapling or gastric bypass), FDA approved weight loss drugs, hospital based programs, nutritionists, dieticians, behavioral modification programs, exercise programs and even some commercial weight loss programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

What can't I deduct from my taxes?

Not allowed are: health club dues, nutritional supplements, over the counter appetite suppressants, low fat foods, and exercise equipment. Liposuction is also not included as it is regarded as cosmetic surgery.

How about weight maintenance programs?

Weight maintenance programs may be deductible if your doctor deems it medically necessary to treat your condition. In other words, if maintaining your weight is part of a medically recommended treatment, it could be eligible.

Do I need documentation of my doctor's orders and expenses?

You don't need to submit documentation with your taxes, but it's wise to keep the following in case of audit: you doctor's written recommendation that you lose weight for treatment of a specific condition (and remember that obesity is an official disease), and receipts for the all costs that you deduct.

Can I still deduct the expenses if I didn't lose weight?

Yes. You don't need to show an improvement in your condition in order to deduct the costs.

A Simple Plan for Weight Loss.

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.

All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.

So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:

* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.

* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories.

* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories.

* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories.

* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories.

* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.

* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.

* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving.

If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:

* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.

* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories.

* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour.

* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories.

* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.

* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories.

It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.

For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.

Where can you find friends?

Many times in your life you felt lonely and, sadder than that, you felt there was nobody you could turn to, in order to ask for help. Being uncomfortable when you’re alone is a natural reaction, because human beings are creatures that need social contact, just as much as they need to breath. In other words, like it not, we need friends!

But what should you do if you realize one afternoon that you want to leave office earlier, which you haven’t done in seven years since you got hired, but there is nobody in your agenda that you can call and invite to join you for a cup of coffee, precisely because you practically never stopped working for the last years?

There are no such things as true friends for rent, or if there are, they are called shrinks and you have to get an appointment, so how can you manage to find or to make a new friend, especially in those horrible moments, when you feel you’ll do anything not to be alone anymore?

It is indeed correct that a true friendship means time investment, and, in the case of adults, it takes even more time to establish an honest connection with a new person. But what about those times in your life when work did not occupy 90% of your time? Everybody had friends during childhood. Experts show that those bonds established during our infancy are the strongest and, as a result, why trying to build something from the ground, when there is something already built that only needs renovation?

That is why, specialists strongly advice you to reestablish connection with your old friends. The first step you should take, before dialing their number, is to invest some time and meditate on what led to this apparent lost of contact? If it was something you did wrong, don’t be afraid to admit it. Imagine that somebody comes to you after several years, begging pardon for something he or she did wrong. Wouldn’t you accept that person’s apologies? Of course you did and the same will do the friends you plan to contact.

When talking to them express you sincere feelings and don’t be afraid to ask for moral support or spiritual counseling, if you need it. Put yourself in their position, and you’ll realize they surely cannot deny your request. But don’t take advantage of them! Friendship is also about giving back, so always be ready to help the ones that helped you once.

If you discover you had no friends in your early years, turn your feelings towards your family, because between the relatives there is a connection that nobody can break.

But what if you decide that you got nothing in your past or in family that could make you feel you have a support? What if you never found a true good friend? Than, no matter how old you are, it’s high time you looked for one! Pay attention to the people you know and especially to the new people you meet. Invite them out, but be careful not to become too aggressive. When people insist too much, we always tend to be more suspicious. That is why, you have be patient, as a friendship takes time to build.

Nevertheless, never stop looking for new friends! Follow your intuition and maybe you’ll get to be the friend of somebody who is in the same situation as you are – seeking true friendship!

Use your time more efficiently.

There are things in life, which, in case we loose or damage, we can always gain, buy or obtain them back. Time is not one of them. Once it is gone, there is no way to get it back! Anyway, if you realize that a certain period of your life was less productive or was lost in a way or another, there is no point in crying over spilt milk – there is definitely nothing you can do about it, but learning from your own mistakes.

Take the time and meditate on why you feel that period of time was not productive. Analyze what you did wrong, what kept you from having great results, what contributed to your disappointments etc. All the information you gather will be extremely useful when it comes to establishing new guiding lines, in what concerns organizing your time in a more efficient manner. Here are some valuable advices that you might want to bear in mind, when drawing your plan:

• Think about your priorities, desires and aspirations and make time for accomplishing them. By doing that you’ll have the feeling your time has been used in the best manner possible. Concentrate on choosing especially those things that you always said you would do, but you never did, because that will offer you the impression you somehow made up for the lost time.

• Don’t postpone things like: duties, taxes, apologizing to the persons you hurt, spending time with your family, because all these actions have a certain charm and offer a certain feeling of completeness and serenity when performed at the right moment.

• We all have dynamic lives and we have a million of things to take care of every day. That is why, it is crucial to make the right choices and concentrate on the priorities. Deal with the fact that you won’t be able to satisfy everybody, but, nevertheless, focus on the persons you really care about. It is them you are not allowed to let down. That does not mean you have to neglect the persons seeking your help or support, but do not try to please everybody at the same time, because you’ll get exhausted shortly and you’ll end up by disappointing everybody.

• Aim at having to deal only with people with an efficient time management. Don’t waist your time with people who repeatedly are late for appointments, postpone meetings or never get there. Try to be in contact only with serious persons, who understand how precious time is. Otherwise, you’ll permanently feel unjustified. In case your job obliges you to deal with this kind of people, always try to have a back up plan at hand, something else to do, in order not to wait precious time.

• Learn to do more than one thing at the time. This does not mean to turn into Napoleon, but to keep your perspectives open. For example, do your nails while you’re taking a bath, exercise while watching TV, listen to the news while cooking or cleaning the house, read the newspaper on the bus, have breakfast while you’re answering e-mails etc. Remember there is not enough time for all the things we need to do, so… combine them.

Use all these tips together with a correct diet, exercise at least three times a week and sleep no more than eight hours a night. Keep in mind that time is a gift – this way you will live as you’re suppose to – like everyday was the best day of your life!

Tips to get along well with your neighbors.

Not many of us are lucky enough to live on such an extended property that no neighbor in the world can bother us. There are few who do, but the rest of us, whether we like it or not, must be in good relations with the people, above, below or next door to us.

Why is that? Why can’t we be always fighting with the neighbors? First of all because nobody likes living in a hostile environment and secondly because it’s always good to have somebody keeping an eye on your property while you’re gone, picking up your mail if you have to sign for it and you’re not home etc.

But what if your neighbor is so crazy and impossible to deal with, that he actually made his previous neighbors move? Should you surrender and move away, as well? Or should you try to somehow turn the situation in your favor?

Anyways, there are some things that always work, even with the strangest neighbors, and which you should apply whenever you want to improve or maintain your good relations them with the ones living next door.

• First of all be friendly: scream good morning or have a good one every time you see them; admire their car, their beautiful garden and their lawn.

• At the community reunion tell everybody how good, friendly and helpful is to have them as neighbors, although, in fact they are the most awful persons you ever had to deal with. This way, they will feel obliged to slowly start to behave.

• If your children go to the same school, offer to give their children a ride as well or at least organize a schedule, so that each family takes their turn.

• When you mow your lawn, you get dirty anyway. Offer to mow their lawn as well, and with the minimal effort (taking into consideration that you’re already dirty) you’ll make them feel they owe to feel thankful to you.

• If your next door people are found of animals and the have a puppy, don’t let them take it to a hotel or a shelter, while they go out of town for business, or vacation. Make the effort to take care of the poor creature, even if you have to take anti allergy drugs.

• When you barbecue in your back yard, especially if your houses are really close, don’t forget to grill some extra meat for your neighbors, as well. Remember how hungry you get, as soon as you feel barbecue smell and, no matter how many goodies you have in your fridge, you can never feel full, unless you cook your own barbecue.

• Invite them to swim in your pool, but demand, from the beginning that they have to contribute at cleaning the water.

• Don’t send away their kids when they come to sing carols for you for Christmas!

Tips on training your mind.

Today’s fast paced life often puts every one of us in difficult situations where stress and anxiety dominate our day. The frequency and complexity of problems that arise and need to be dealt with weakens both our minds and our bodies, making us incapable of finding the right solutions.

There are several ways to improve your power of concentration and to learn how to relax your mind and prepare it for future struggles. Your body responds to what your mind dictates, but most of the times it does this on a subconscious level. If you manage to tap into this vital resource, which is your subconscious mind, you get an extra edge in dealing with all problems that surround you.

First of all, try to change your daily routine. Not much, just a bit, but be very conscious about the changes. In the evening, try to recall all the events that took place in a day. Quickly analyze the highlights of the day and check for any gaps in your memory. If you fail to remember details about an issue you want to recall this is a good indication that you momentarily failed to concentrate during that timeframe.

You may also try to diversify the way you live. Again, changes don’t have to be drastic. If today is no different than yesterday and the day before you might want to include new elements in your life. You could start practicing a sport or maybe giving a shot to a hobby you never practiced before. Repetitive and dull actions slowly push your mind in a state of semi hibernation, which slows down your responses to the issues around you.

Stimulating your mind by engaging it in a new activity always has good results. You don’t have to play heavy mind involving games (such as chess, for example) to do this. Try the simple things first: take a different route on your way to work, buy another brand of laundry detergent. Try to travel by bus, if you normally use a car and stand up on a chair to have a different perspective of your bedroom.

You can also engage your mind in other interesting activities such as meeting new people or seeing old friends. Give a call to an old high school friend and go out for some coffee or a beer. Your talks will surely trigger a chain of events that you store in your mind but almost never utilize. Still, this would be a good exercise for the mind and, more importantly, a pleasant experience for you.

There are many things you dislike or despise in life. Give them a chance, try to view them from another perspective. If there is a person you hate try to put yourself in his or her shoes for a few minutes. Try to see yourself through the eyes of people around you and objectively observe your actions and beliefs. Try to let a clear mind analyze events that you find annoying and ignore the preconceptions that urge you to judge a person or event in a certain way.

All of the above are just some simple exercises that will help you face your problems better prepared. Do not over do any of them and let them integrate naturally into your way of life. You may soon look in the mirror and see a happier you!

The reasons your diet failed to show results.

You tried repeatedly to keep a diet and you almost did. It is true that here and there you did not quite go by the book, but still, for several weeks in the row you can’t say that you exaggerated when it came to food.

However, you were disappointed to see that you could observe no relevant result, despite of all your efforts. But maybe there are some things that you did not know about dieting. Let’s go over some of these tips together.

Do you make time to eat at the same hours every day? It is important not to miss any of the three important meals of the days, but don’t forget to snack also between the important meals. To snack does not mean to help yourself to chocolate or chips. Have something healthy: low-fat yogurt, dry fruits. It is not recommended to ignore your hunger, because otherwise you’ll get very hungry for your next meal and you’ll find yourself eating too much.

How many times did you find yourself eating for any other reason than hunger? We have to admit that often, it is not the hunger, but certain sentimental reasons that send us to the fridge. Listen to your body and try to understand his message; if you are worried, preoccupied by something, etc., eating might be a manner in which you can solve the problems, because during those moments you burn more calories than usually. However, do not eat only because you’re bored.

Is the food you’re eating health and diverse? Make sure your plate is full of diverse sources of vitamins. Include in your daily regime cereals, vegetable, fruits, eggs and milk. These kinds of foods stay in your stomach longer and give you more energy.

How many times did you find yourself verifying the nutrition facts? It is indeed necessary that your diet follows healthy rules. Still, from time to time you are also allowed to skip the strict regime. That is why you should not turn into a maniac when it comes to calories. Use you common sense in order to determine what’s good for you and establish your own rhythm. Once you do that, you’ll get both the physical and the psychological satisfaction, so much desired.

You’re not hungry but you feel like eating… A story that you know very well, don’t you? You sit down in your living room watching TV, when you see a commercial with a lady eating a deliciously looking pizza. All of a sudden you can’t concentrate on the movie anymore and you keep on picturing the pizza, with some ketchup on it. Soon you realize you’re body is next to the phone dialing the number of the pizza place and ordering the desired… junk. Stop! You don’t really want to do that! Can’t help it? Eat something else, with less calories – it will keep you away from the danger; or talk to yourself – explain loudly why you should not do it.

Mind these little details and you are sure to be more successful during your next diet!

The Art of speaking clearly about things.

There were times when you tried to render a message, but instead of people finding out what you really wanted to say, they understood almost the opposite. Disappointed, you ask yourself why that happened. In order to express a certain thought the way that you really want to, you have to bear in mind a few techniques.

First of all, before saying something important, take the time and meditate on it. Find out, in the first place, if you’re really convinced about it. Don’t rush to any conclusions, because your decision has to be the correct one. Then, think about the perspectives one can have in mind, when reflecting on the issue in question. You wouldn’t want to express something you agree with, in a manner that would make the others believe you’re against it, as well as, you wouldn’t want to look interested in something you’re not.

Once you are convinced what your position is, regarding a certain issue, focus on when and how to present your thoughts to the others. Bear in mind that every single detail is of great importance.

• For example, if you have to present something in front of your colleagues at work, remember that including the clothes you’re wearing that day are important. Specialists always recommend that you wear gray or black – the regular business outfit – because this way, people won’t be tempted to analyze your clothes instead of paying attention to your message.

• Also, remember that your voice has to be your ally. Since you are convinced of what you want to say, don’t be afraid to show it. Speak loudly, do not rush, take breaks to breath and articulate the words as well as you can. Show no hesitation and, although it’s an oral presentation, don’t forget to use the punctuation marks. Remember that a structured speech is always easier to follow and tips using rhetorical questions, helps involving the audience into your presentation.

• Another important technique, when it comes to keeping your audience interested and focused, is establishing eye-contact. Do not stare at only one or two people in the presentation room, only because they are your bosses or the special guests, but try rendering your attention to all the persons in the room, because, since they took the time to come and listen to you, you should consider all of them important. Also, the movement of your eyes and eyebrows can mark a point of extreme importance in you speech. Observe that when you are convinced of something your eyes get larger and your eyebrows rise, but when you’re talking about something you are not convinced of or you don’t know much about, your eyes get smaller and your forehead wrinkles. Therefore, do not forget to use your eyes during your presentation.

• Also mind your body position. When you want to convince and attract your audience, slightly bend forward. Also, be careful what you do with your hands – you wouldn’t want to realize your scratching your nose while you’re talking about an important issue.

• Keep in mind that the words you are using are the means you’re employing in order for your message to get to your audience. Adapt the vocabulary of your speech to the persons listening to you. Don’t use specialized terms for non-specialists, but try to make your message easy to follow.

Meditating on the tips above mentioned will help you improve the manner in which you make your opinions known to others. So, take a deep breath, keep your head up and give the speech!

Methods of Taoist Meditation.

The Taoist meditation practices are less abstract than the other similar methods evolved in India (the Hindu and Buddhist systems). One of the main focuses of Taoist meditation relates to the circulation of internal energy (called deh-chee). It can be used to promote a healthy life style and extend life expectancy, by improving spiritual relationships with the world. Practical aspects of Taoist meditation may relate to interests and activities such as self-knowledge, concentration, spiritual healing.

There are two elements related to meditation: the “jing”, which means calmness, stillness, and the “ding”, which stands fro concentration and focus. Calmness is directed towards cutting off external factors of disturbance and allowing you to direct your attention towards your inner self. By focusing on the breathing and allowing your mind to concentrate you should achieve a state called “one-pointed awareness”. This state allows you to achieve a deep concentration, enabling you to get a better understanding of any elements that you are focusing on. There are none, or very limited, distractions during this heightened awareness state. This technique may be used efficiently to find solutions to problems presented by the exterior world and also prepares you to deal with these difficulties.

The first steps of practicing Taoist meditation are often difficult as your mind is not willing to cooperate totally in the process. It is hard to tap into the high potential of the subconscious mind. Out thoughts tend to fly away, increasing confusion when we need clarity the most, bringing mental chaos when order is sought. There are six ways that enable you to recover your inner concentration and increase your ability to focus precisely on what you dictate your mind to, not vice versa.

1. Focus on the flow of energy through your body. You can do this by paying special attention to your breathing, to the air going in and out of your lungs.

2. Take this a step further and focus on the contractions of the abdominal area as you breath in and out.

3. Imagine a candle, with your eyes closed. Shift your focus on the center of the flame but don’t loose sight of the edges. At this stage it is vital to eliminate or ignore all outside interferences.

4. Practice mantra, the 'sacred syllables' which lead to a harmony of the mind and relaxation of the body. The three most effective syllables are 'om', which brings equilibrium to your body, 'ah', which balances your vital energy, and 'hum', which takes the spirit into a heightened state of awareness and focus. Chanting of the syllables should be done in a deep, low-pitched tone and a long exhale of the air.

5. Allow your breathing to create a rhythmic “drum beat” which will increase your energy and help you ignore outside interferences.

6. Focus on a symbol that is very important to you. This can be a person you love, a deity or a place or notion. When you feel relaxed and focused switch back to the meditation.

Stop Putting On Weight During Holidays.

Holidays are a time of excess and abundance and these aspects also relate to food. Late December and early January are probably the most dangerous periods of time for your body weight. This is when a lot of celebrating takes place and there is food everywhere you turn your eyes. Fighting temptation after temptation each day for a few good weeks can be a tiring process, which materializes in two distinct stages.

The first stage, the most common one, is that of letting go. You stop caring about extra weight and start enjoying the season. If there’s food on the table you eat it, as there is no point in starving or feeling miserable, especially during times of celebration. Of course, this approach does offer a good short-term solution: you are happy and full at the same time. On the other hand, though, there is that annoying “little” detail of putting on weight. For each hour you spent celebrating and eating without control you’ll probably have to work ten times more to take that excess weight off. It is not a good deal and most of us are well aware of that, but still we keep on doing it.

The second stage is different – you resist temptation, fight it, ignore it, minimize it. You are successful in the end, and there is little or no extra weight, but your spirit is almost broken, not because of lack of self-esteem but because the fight depleted all your mental energy. This situation is as bad as the one presented before, but there are a few tricks that you can use to overcome both of the above-mentioned obstacles.

Moderation should be the word of the season. Take part in every fun activity, but do it wisely. Don’t let your stomach and your subconscious mind work against you. It is time to take control over things and never even think about over eating and then finding an excuse like “there was nothing I could do”. Try to eat little portions several times a day. If there is a big dinner enjoy it! But don’t transform this into a habit of having five courses for dinner each day.

Try to find some time to do a little work out. Set your mind on working out at least 15 minutes a day, no matter which day it is. When you do begin your workouts session hide all the clocks and watches in the room – you will probably go beyond the 15-minute limit. Excuses like “I’ll start working out seriously after the New Year” can only lead to negative results, as you are tricking yourself. Set a goal now and set it low. If you want to do push ups, for example, start by doing 5 at a time and then taking a break. After a while you will develop more stamina and strength and five push ups should be easy to do. When this happens raise the number – to seven maybe. Gradually increase the difficulty of the exercise or the time spent doing it – this is the best way to convince your body to adapt and burn more and more fat to replenish the used energy.

The whole idea of a celebration is to be with the people you care about. Food is an addition to the concept of holidays, so don’t let it grow beyond its limits. Place more accent on socializing then on eating and a natural state of well being will develop. If you use common sense and the basic principles and ideas mentioned above you will spend some wonderful holidays without working during the whole spring to take off extra weight.

Stay focused on your diet!

Who hasn’t been on a diet before? Probably, at a certain point in time all of us have. Surprisingly, only some of us got what we expected after weeks or months of severe diet. The question is why does it not work for everybody? What does it take to get the right results? Does it really depend on us or is it just our body the one who decides if it’s time to loose weight?

The answer to all the questions is related to how determined we are to reach the goal. In order to find out if it is worthy or not starting another diet in a particular moment of your life, specialists advise you to test yourself first. By testing they refer to both going to the doctor, in order to establish how strict a diet your body can endure, and to analyzing a few things about yourself. Also, doctors can help you identify possible health problems that prevent you from loosing weight, so do no hesitate to get informed.

Think about how many diets you kept so far and try to remember why they failed in helping you loose the extra kilos. It is very possible to discover that there where some aspects that you overlooked. You probably discovered that you were so concentrated to eat only the healthy stuff, that you started eating it too often and in huge quantities. You might as well recall that after long days of keeping the diet, one night you just couldn’t help eating a gallon of vanilla ice-cream. Then think why do you believe this time your decision to loose weight is different from the previous one. If your answer is not 100% convincing, forget about going on a diet!

Doctors believe that our bodies are more likely to loose weight in certain periods of our life, while during other periods we should spare ourselves from cutting down food. Therefore, it is important to know exactly when to start the new diet and you should never proceed with it before an exam session, during pregnancy, during a very stressful period at work, because you’ll never obtain what you wanted in the first place and, even worse than that, you might get sick.

Even if you are sure you find yourself in a moment in life when you are ready to start the diet, don’t forget to make a plan. Include, first of all, a list of goals – how many kilos you plan to get rid of during the next weeks? Also, put down as many healthy and low calories products as you remember (include fruits, vegetables, juices, milk and also cooked food) – it will be of great use, after a week you started the diet, and you have a hard time figuring out what else to eat. Furthermore, organize your time, so that you are able to go the gym at least two or three times a week. It will be of tremendous help, because you’ll get inspired by the people there, which will help you stay on the diet, when you’re ready to quit.

A last advice for you: be determined! You know a few kilos less will make a difference. It will help you improve yourself in your own eyes and in the eyes of the others! Repeat this message or post it somewhere you can see it all the time and trust yourself. If read this article, you are at least 10% more informed regarding what you have to expect from yourself and you are also 10% more strong.

First step accomplished. Congratulations! Now stay focused on the diet!

My weapon – my intuition!

You heard about it everywhere: the prince in the fairy tales mentions it, the characters in your favorite book, the Greek legends bring it up etc. All these situations make you wonder whether intuition is something writers have invented. Could it exist beyond the borders of human imagination? Or, in other words, does intuition exist in real life?

Strangely or not, intuition is a characteristic associated mainly with women. That happens probably because women are considered to be more sensitive and open minded. Modern studies, regarding the typology of the personalities, reveal that about a quarter of all women know how and frequently use this mental capacity called intuition.

If you still have doubts whether intuition truly exists in real life, think about your own experience. Remember how, all of a sudden a great idea occurred to you in the most unexpected moment, or you discovered, spontaneously, the answer to a question that had been bothered you for quite a while. It also happened to you to run into somebody you know and to guess exactly what the person was about to say; or, also remember that sometimes you think about someone and after a few minutes, that person rings you up. All these examples, which do not seem to follow any logical path, can be explained by using the term intuition.

However, we cannot always fallow what our visions or intuitions tell us, because we can’t always afford to be spontaneous and take the risk. Who hasn’t been wrong when following his or her intuition? Sometimes, it turns out exactly the opposite from what we expected it to happen and we discover that in fact, out intuition, was nothing but a fear, a thought that turned out not to be real. We feel very embarrassed at the moment and we don’t dare to trust our instincts anymore, which is precisely something that we should not do. Despite the occasions when you were wrong, you should never totally ignore your intuition, especially if you have a strong feeling about something or somebody.

But, what is intuition more exactly? How would specialists describe it? By using our intuition we can say that we let, in a way or another, our mind or soul transmit to the eye those things that cannot be correctly distinguished. Instinct or intuition requires, in the first place, an open mind, capable to receive and transform information. It is also true that intuition helps us perceive meanings beyond logic, read between the lines etc.

However, it is important to determine whether intuition has any effects on our everyday lives? Persons who use intuition frequently tend to analyze the possibilities and the effects certain actions might have, and they end up with a multitude of options, out of which they chose the most favorable one.

There are two types of intuition: the one based on reason, typical for the persons who try to dominate the capacity of understanding, controlling and predicting the reality; and the intuition based on affection, representative for the persons recognized by the others as energy sources, as they influence in a positive manner all the people around them.

Let’s not forget that intuition is, indeed, a real and positive characteristic, but nevertheless it must be combined with judgment and reason.

Look thinner than you really are.

You’re in the middle of a diet, but you’re anxious to look thinner or you simply have a more robust body and there is nothing you can do about it. Don’t worry; there are little tips that work even in your case! Here are some of them:

• In what concerns women, things can be worked out more easily: make-up can be an ally and a special tool to make some changes in your favor. It is essential to get a tan! Stay in the sun or go to a beauty saloon, use a tanning lotion or whatever it takes to color your skin. If you use a tanning lotion insist more under the cheeks, as the colored areas always look deeper and this will make your face look thinner than it really is. Use a lot of eye make up in order to make your eyes bigger, because the bigger your eyes look, the smaller your face seems. Also, give special attention to your eyebrows for the same reasons as the ones mentioned above. You can even make up your legs: lay a vertical line of oil on the middle part of your legs, so that it makes your bone shine. You’ll discover that you’re legs, due to the extra shine, never looked longer!

• This trick goes well both for men and women. It has to do with the manner in which we arrange our hair. The more volume we give to our hair, the better. Your face will look smaller than it really is and it will give you a certain charm, especially if you don’t forget to play with it, from time to time.

• The clothes you’re wearing can indeed make a difference! Don’t use clothes that are too colored, they will only attract more eyes on the areas that you plan to hide. Chose black or dark blue clothes, as they will make you look up to 5 kilos thinner. In what concerns the right length for the skirt, women who intend to look a lit thinner than they really are should stick to the skirts that go up to the knees. Shorter ones show how fat their legs are and longer one show tick ankles. Both men and women should wear clothes with vertical stripes (they go for pants, skirts, shirts, dresses etc.). Use blouses and shirts with buttons, because they create a vertical line. The same effect is produced by long zippers. Loose the pockets or avoid filling them up. They will only make those areas look bigger than they are. Both men and women wear jeans from time to time, so make sure you have in your wardrobe at least two pairs of jeans that do not disadvantage you.

• Mind the position of your body. A correct position can make you up to three centimeters taller than you are.

• Reduce the quantity of alcohol that you consume. It will not only improve your health, but also help you get rid of one two pounds, in no time. Keep in mind these tricks and use your imagination to discover more!

Learn to feel good about yourself.

It happened to you more than once to meet a person and before getting to actually know the person, to realize that you simply couldn’t get along well with him or her, no matter how hard you tried. There are a lot of ancient believes, which say that people we simply can’t stand, reflect, in fact, a bad or weak point of our own personality, which we totally dislike. In other words, if you dislike about yourself the fact that you are afraid to speak in public and you are making efforts to change that, you will probably despise people who have the same problem that you do. Nevertheless, once you solve your problem, your feelings towards that person, might turn into pity and you might find yourself trying to help that person.

Always remember that, in order to feel good about yourself, you have to create and maintain a perfect harmony between your inner and outer world, meaning between your soul and your body, between your thoughts and actions, between yourself alone and yourself in the company of others.

We all agree that our inner world, our souls, have a great impact on also on the action we perform in the outside world, which is why specialists strongly advise you to meditate on how to achieve harmony within yourself. Here are also some things to keep in mind:

• Try to forgive more, because nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. Accept the errors that people around you commit, but don’t forget about your own mistakes. Remember that it takes a very strong person to have the power to admit having done something condemnable and even if, at the beginning, the others might blame you, be sure that, after a while, they will appreciate your honesty.

• Get more attached to the persons around you and say a strong no to the isolation. Scientists confirm that human beings are more happy and feel more accomplished with themselves when living in society, surrounded by other people. Thus, you shouldn’t be afraid to make more friends. If you are wondering how you can do that, we recommend you start by listening more to other people’s problems, stop being egocentric and offer your help, whenever you’re given the opportunity. The feeling of being useful to the others, will result into a feeling of quiet and peacefulness with your own person.

• Although everyday life gives you plenty of reasons to be angry and affected by stress, keep in mind that defeating these feelings will make stronger and thinking in a positive manner, by trying to discover the good aspects in any less desirable situation, will get you through problems.

• As the human being should be, as we stated before, a perfect harmony between our souls and our bodies, don’t forget to take care of you physical appearance, as well. I you are not satisfied with the way you look, do not hesitate to do something about it. If your problem cannot be solved by any possible means, then you must start to love yourself exactly as you are. As soon as you do that, by finding the peacefulness and the joy of being alive, you’ll discover the same kind of feelings also in the eyes of the ones surrounding you.

The last advice specialists give you is to never be afraid to ask for help or advice, because by doing that you do something for yourself, you let the others teach you how to improve your own person, which will always result in making you feel accomplished.

Integrate in the new team!

When you change jobs keep in mind the first days are all you get to make your new colleagues like you. This article will teach you some things about how to act during your first days at work and please be convinced they are indeed crucial.

Accommodation period takes at least three months, during which people won’t judge you according to your professional achievements, but to your image. Try to respect the dress up policy that the company you work for promotes, but do it in such a way that makes you look good – this will give you more confidence in yourself.

Despite all the stress and the worry that you deal with, your attitude must be relaxed, must communicate self trust. In what concerns the dialogs with your colleagues, don’t be shy, let them know things about you, but do not tell everything – save a little mystery. However, during the period of accommodation, never talk about your previous job in a bad manner; don’t say how efficient or less efficient working there really was etc. Remember that you are not working there anymore and all your comparisons are annoying. Also, hold yourself from giving advice or from making observations – the new people at the office can’t enjoy this privilege.

Another important issue: don’t complain – at least, not from the very beginning. The coffee is too strong, your desk is not well positioned, you have too many duties and the list can go on – imagine your own opinion about somebody acting like this from the first days of work.

The ideal thing during the first day would be for your boss to present you to other members of the office. In case he doesn’t have the time to do it, don’t isolate yourself. Go and introduce yourself to the others, tell them you’re member of the team etc. Try to learn everybody’s name as soon as possible. They will all feel more important, if you do that and they will like you more.

Once you started work, open your eyes widely and listen to everything that is going on around you. Take advantage especially of the lunch and coffee breaks. During those moments people are more relaxed and they speak openly. This way you can find out the unwritten rules of the company, who owns the power, what kind of conflicts and complaints there are in your department etc.

No matter what, try no to be late during your first days at work; prepare yourself for the meetings, by trying to anticipate what problems will be discussed etc.; respect the deadlines; don’t talk about your personal problems or about your sexual life; think positive, smile a lot and show everybody you look forward to starting work; don’t make promises unless you are sure you can respect them; work fast and well; don’t talk to your colleagues about the salary you negotiated or about your promotion intentions.

Nevertheless, in spite of all the emotions you have to go through, don’t forget your main purpose: to do the job for which you’ve been selected as well as possible.

Improving Health Through Meditation.

There are several health conditions that can benefit from the positive aspects of meditation. You can use meditation to improve several aspects of your life, such as: eliminating drug addition, prolonging your life expectancy and improving the condition of several illnesses.

Prolonging life expectancy is scientifically proven by two main factors: lowering the body’s temperature and restricting the calorie intake. Meditation can help you achieve the first condition, as a state of heightened mental awareness enables you to slow down your body processes and achieve a positive state of relaxation.

Pain management also benefits from the healing power of meditation. Stress induced anxiety increases perception of pain and, in turn, more pain triggers increased anxiety. Employing mediation techniques that teach the patient how to better resist the negative effects of physical pain through mental abilities can interrupt this vicious circle. Improving your relaxation helps diminish pain, but it doesn’t eliminate it, so use this technique combined with modern treatments.

People often adopt meditation in order to reduce stress factors. It is, indeed, a efficient solution to improving your capacity to resist the negative effects of outside pressures. The source of these pressures may come from various aspects of life, such as family, work, illness. Scientific research has shown that several hormones and other biochemical compounds found in our blood that are good indicators of stress do decrease during meditation. Stress factors often manifest themselves as muscular tensions and psychological problems such as depression and anxiety, so by using meditation techniques you should be able to minimize their effects on your mind and body.

Reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks is also one of the benefits of meditation. You can lower you blood pressure as a result of meditation practices, thus lowering the chances of heart problems. Infertility is another issue that may be addressed by meditation practices. There are several psychological additions to infertility, such as depression and low self-esteem, and a reduction of these negative factors becomes more likely through meditation. Chances of pregnancy increase when the patients become more relaxed and in tune with their inner selves. Fewer respiratory crises are observed with patients suffering from chronic breathing illnesses, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Breathing techniques combined with effective meditation improve psychological and physiological responses.

Other health problems related to Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) find solutions in meditation practices. You can reduce physical tensions and pain, such as headaches. Meditating can offer you a break from the every day problems, offering you a chance to recover and face outside difficulties with ease. Increased stress can worsen symptoms of PMS, aggravating muscle aches and fatigue. A general improvement of your body’s response to stressful factors will lessen PMS’s negative effects, relaxing your mind and body.

Meditation is a powerful adjuvant in all the above-mentioned conditions. Of course, it is not a cure for some of them and medical treatment should always be considered first. Meditation helps support medical treatments by helping you relax and accept more positive aspects of your life, while diminishing the negative effects of distressful factors and illnesses.

Improve your image at work.

The image we have at the place we work or, in other words, what people we work with think about us, is always important for each and every one of us. It sometimes happens that you’re very close to a promotion and you’re wondering how to prove that you’re better than your hard-working colleague; or maybe you realized you would like to get along better with the persons you meet at work everyday. In any of these cases, as well as in others, an improvement of your image can only have positive results.

There are many ways in which you can modify or adapt your image to your true needs and here are some of them:

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