Archive for September, 2007

Perhaps We Have Over Complicated Our Marketing Programmes?

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

By Paul Ashby Because there is a much easier way of marketing your products and services. Please consider this piece of evidence: P & G wished to evaluate an advertising technique and asked that Dr. N.Roberto, Coca-Cola Foundation Professor of International Marketing, to evaluate over $10 million of independent research examining the effectiveness of this technique, that claimed to make advertising more effective and accountable. His conclusion: The interactive programme and the participating products generated recall scores that are more than 50% more productive than normal advertising. The effect on purchase intention is just as impressive if not much more. All these productivity increments are attainable at a reasonably inexpensive budget with one client revealing that for its participating brand, its quarter television expenditure was $5.7 million as compared to its budget for this technique of $0.5 million. This 1:10 ratio has been obtained in a number of countries.Source: AGB: Gallup: Martyn Research: Bourke: NOP. City Insights & more. This technique creates a personal dialogue between your brand(s) and your customer and is truly interactive. One of the many benefits that this interaction brings to you is that you can use existing media to create really effective and accountable programmes. This would then allow you to generate the sort of results demonstrated above and, at the same time, make your existing reach and frequency model on television work that much harder! Demonstrably so! And you don’t have to change a thingyou can continue your current advertising, with the additional advantage of positively developing it as a result of the feedback you generate, making it even more effective. So, ten times more effective, without changing anything. Don’t you think that that’s an opportunity to good to be missed? When interactive events have been prepared together with a direct request for the viewer to pay particular attention to participating TV commercials, there is a substantial and measurable lift in brand awareness and message comprehension, which always lead to increases in sales. To demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive programmes linked to terrestrial TV here are just some examples of the increases recorded by independent research. Sources: AGB, NOP, Gallup According to Gallup the four participating brands, Birds Eye Fish Fingers, Sara Lee, Sunsilk Shampoo, Duracell Batteries experienced an average increase in awareness of television advertising of 231%. These results are just the tip of the iceberg in demonstrating that terrestrial TV aligned with interactive events can produce staggering increases in all key measurements, including sales. The first rule of your advertising, obviously, is to get noticed but that is easier said than done. In the advertising arena everyone is trying to get noticed and as is clearly accepted these days, this results in substantial levels of clutter. However, link terrestrial TV to interactive “events” in print and you will discover, that your job of creating additional sales becomes much, much, easier. And isn’t that what you want, an easier job with less hassle? The one problem facing interactive advertising is the fact that it has become a clich in recent years, without any very clear or consistent definition of what the word means or how it is supposed to work. Properly executed it has none of the theorising that lies behind the arguments about various forms of so-called interactive communication using direct marketing and electronic media (most of which involves at best the minimum of true interactivity). It is both practical and down-to-earth and uses a readily comprehensible and verified mechanism to expand the relevance and salience of advertising and other forms of marketing communications. You can apply it to all of the major media and to various other forms of communication, including new media. There is no theoretical reason why it should not also be applied to packaging designs or product literature. So why the need for interactive “Events”? There is a clear understanding nowadays, that your customers want to be taken account of; to affect change; to learn about your products that they buy and to personalise their relationships with you and your messages. There are a phenomenal number of reasons that cause people to interact, which go far beyond just giving them things. To feel part of the process of developing products and services that they want and are willing to buy has much more value and allowing your customers to do so, builds their trust. When people participate in your interactive advertising they are told that their efforts and feedback are of positive help to you and, therefore, to them. Moreover, by participating, they then learn and understand the message from you and personalise their relationship with you and your products or services by becoming involved. And it could be said that involvement is the parent of trust. Consumers tend to filter out information they do not want to hear and this alters the effectiveness of your advertising in quite a dramatic way. The purchasers decision is invariably a compromise and this leads to a certain amount of anxiety. They worry that perhaps the purchase decision was not the best or right one. In order to minimise this anxiety the purchaser seeks to reinforce his choice and begins to take more notice of his chosen products advertising. And, at the same time, the purchaser deliberately suppresses data, which might challenge his decision by ignoring the advertising of your brands. People are often loyal to a brand simply because they do not want to readdress a decision. The opportunity to screen out undesired data always exists when media advertisements have to stand on there own and fight for attention. Interactive Communication takes the consumer through the barrier of not wanting to address change; and this is certainly a market your will want to influence and capture the people who use your competitors products. Now the consumer can say Yes, I will change my behaviour and I have a very good reason or series of reasons why, and have a well-informed opinion or image in mind.If someone enters into a product purchase decision with a very specific image of the product and its reason to exist and why they have decided those reasons are worth its purchase, the test is, in reality; the use of the product. If the product delivers, this will confirm that premise and, therefore, conversion will be enormously enhanced.Interactive Marketing Communication turns your passive one way advertising into active advertising and actually alters behaviour during the communication and learning process. Paul Ashby pioneered interactive communication to the advertising and marketing communities some twenty-five years ago. The communication issues he addresses have been neglected during the explosive grown of advertising in the 60s, 70s and 80s, these are Cognitive Dissonance, Selective Retention and Selective Exposure. Would you like to discover the incredible results to be attained by using interactive communication? Well these are revealed for FREE at http://effectiveaccountablecommunication.blogspot.com or contact Paul directly on paul.ashby@yahoo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Ashby http://EzineArticles.com/?Perhaps-We-Have-Over-Complicated-Our-Marketing-Programmes?&id=552931 generic name for ultram where to buy tramadol buy ultram er generic buy tramadol online without prescription

Health Benefits of Qi Gong

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

By James Chen There are a variety of health benefits that practitioners of qi gong can enjoy. Proponents of the exercises, also called “chi kung”, believe that following a regular exercise routine of qi gong can improve your health in a number of ways. The practice of qi gong is based on the belief that the body is innately equipped with the ability to maintain and heal itself, and that all that we have to do is to learn how to assist the body in doing this. The exercises of qi gong are designed to promote and restore the flow of life energy or vital energy, also called chi, throughout the body. If the flow of chi is restored to the optimum state, then the body can naturally fight and eliminate any illnesses or injuries. Qi gong can be used not only to cure illness and improve immune system function, but also to improve energy levels and vitality, make the practitioner feel younger and live longer, help to reduce stress and generate an overall sense of wellbeing. Different forms of qi gong are designed to perform different functions, so studying with a teacher is important in order to learn the correct sequences of exercises to create the optimum effect on your health. To understand the theory behind the beliefs surrounding qi gong, it is important to first recognize some of the fundamental differences that exist between Western and Eastern medicines. Western medicine accepts that certain illnesses and dysfunctions are incurable. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine disagrees. In this tradition, there is no such thing as an incurable disease, although a patient may reach a stage in a disease where, if they have been untreated, the damage is too severe to repair. So the key to using qi gong is to incorporate it as a daily practice in order to prevent any kind of illness or disease from reaching this stage. The belief that no disease is incurable comes from the idea that man is born in perfect condition, with the ability to remain in perfect operating order. However, as our bodies, our vehicles, move us through life, they experience certain kinds of damage that our lifestyles can generate. Poor diet, high levels of stress, general loss of awareness of our bodies and other lifestyle choices result in a dysfunction in the bodys natural ability to heal itself. Illness only results when one of our bodys complex physiological or psychological systems fails to work properly. These failures occur when the flow of chi energy is in some way impeded or blocked. Qi gong exercises work to free up these blockages so that the chi can flow naturally and freely to the needed locations. The energy restores and repairs damaged tissues, carries away toxins that the bodys cells and processes produce and keep the body generally vital and healthy. The focus of qi gong is on enhancing health and preventing illness, although many practitioners claim to have cured diseases such as cancer, asthma or diabetes that were previously thought to be incurable. James Chen is an expert Qigong practitioner and shares his knowledge of this ancient healing art at his site Qigong Secrets. Visit now to learn how to enjoy the health you deserve. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Chen http://EzineArticles.com/?Health-Benefits-of-Qi-Gong&id=298738 buy prescriptions international pharmacy levitra no prescription mexican pharmacies

Is a Career Change on Your Horizon?

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

By Kathleen MacNaughton Making a career change is nothing new in today’s job market. I’ve heard it said that the average American changescareers at least once in his or her life. Long gone arethe days of working for the same company from the timeyou graduate high school or college until that magicalretirement day. You sure won’t find that kind of loyalty from companies to their workers these days, and it’s rare to find that kindof loyalty from the average worker as well. What withcompanies merging, downsizing, and moving their operationsoffshore, you’d be wise to plan for a career change somewhere along the line in your life. Of course, losing one job doesn’t automatically mean thatyou can never find another job in the same industry orcareer path. Hopefully, you will. But what if you can’tfind another job? Or what if you don’t really want to? Maybe you’re bored with what you’ve been doing, or you’vegone as far as you can in that career and you’re ready fornew challenges. Is it really possible to switch to a new career midstreamin your working life? The answer is a resounding yes! But you have to know how to go about it. It takes a bit of planning, thorough self-assessment, and perhaps additional training. When I tired of the grind in health administration as anurse, I spent about 2 years trying to figure out what elseI could do. Luckily, I was able to parlay a love and talentfor writing into a new career as a health writer. I did have to prove my ability to write–even though much of myjob responsibility in my previous healthcare administrationjob did involve writing. I was fortunate enough to be able to use networking and some lucky breaks to get into thecareer I wanted with a minimum of effort. My partner, Jim, has been a systems engineer for more than20 years, but graduated with a bachelors degree in math originally. When he began to search for a career changealternative, his path was not quite as clear as mine hadbeen. Finally, though, after spending quite a bit of timeon self-assessment, he honed in on his love for trainingand teaching. But you can’t just move into the field ofteaching with no experience or education. Fortunately, theshortage of qualified teachers–especially in certain highneeds areas–has led to the development of a number of “alternative path” programs for teaching. Jim has enrolledin just such an online program out of Montana State University and will be launching his new career later thisyear as a high school math teacher! So, the question is… once you’ve figured out what you want to do in your new career and you’ve gotten the training you need, how do you sell yourself to a newemployer? The first thing you want to consider is the format for yourresume. The traditional chronological resume format is notyour best choice for a career change. Instead, you want touse either a functional–or even better, combination–format. You can read more about the different types of resume formats here:http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/formats Second, you need to take a look at your transferable skills. That is, what current or past experience or skillsdo you possess (either from past jobs or in your personallife) that you could use in your new career? For example, one of my readers recently asked how hecould get into interior design without any previous jobexperience or training. I’m not sure you can get intothis field without any training, but if so, then Iadvised him to look at any design experience he’s had,perhaps with redecorating his own or a friend’s home. Ialso encouraged him to build a portfolio of his work,which can be a very effective way to get an employer’s attention. Thirdly, you have to be honest with yourself about whetheryou can really make a career change without adding to yourskills and credentials by getting some training in the newfield. There’s a lot to be said for the contacts you can make during such training too, that may help you networkwith people who can provide an entree into the new career. In summary, anyone can make a career change if they reallywant to. But to do so, you’ll need to know what related skills and experience you bring to the table. And you’llneed to know how to sell yourself to a prospective employer. Career change is inevitable… you can count onit! But make sure it’s on your terms by making a solidcareer change plan. Kathi MacNaughton is a freelance writer and resume expert.For many more practical, how-to articles like this, alongwith career change tips and a free course on acing your jobinterviews, subscribe to Resume Power Tips here:http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/interview Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_MacNaughton http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-a-Career-Change-on-Your-Horizon?&id=18983 online pharmacy xenical order xenical online pharmacy xenical buy cheapest online xenical

Expert Tips For Smooth, Healthy, and Beautiful Skin

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

By Alex Fir Beauty of the skin starts from inside your body! Your skin needs fresh air, exercise, a proper diet, minerals and vitamins and it needs protection from the sun. Many people just put skin cream on their skin, thinking it is going to make it soft and smooth. Skin cream on the skin feels soft and smooth, but if you want your skin to benefit from that cream, you need to dampen your skin first then add the cream. The cream will help retain the moisture in the skin. Start walking and building up your muscle tone. Muscle tone will keep your skin from looking so saggy. Keep your skin clean. Do not scrub your face. The face does not need scrubbing. And, neither does your back. In fact, the more you scrub on it, the more acne you can get and more trauma to your skin. A warm face cloth with a non-chemical soap, patted. Then a good gentle rinse. You next dry your face by patting with a soft clean towel. You can actually not use soap on your face at all, especially if you have dry skin. USE Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) as a perfect exfoliate for your face. A good cream should last a long time and not be expensive. Use it at night when you wash your face before going to bed. It is derived from fruit, milk and sugar cane and when used on the skin it helps remove the dead skin cells, which will give your face a much younger, fresher look. Easy, effective and cheap ways to do a mask are: Use an egg yolk and honey mask. Just mix one egg yolk with a little honey and spread it on your face and neck. When it dries, rinse it off. It makes your skin feel very soft. Another one: Use plain egg yolk. It is good for acne, too. Mix it up. Spread it on your face for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse it off. Another one: Take plain egg white, beat up the egg white, and then spread it on your face until dry about 20 minutes, rinse off with water. This leaves your face refreshed and helps clean the pores. You can make masks of many things that are right in your kitchen, such as oatmeal. Grind it up. Mix it with some skimmed milk and let it dry. Rinse well. Milk can attract bacteria so you dont want to leave it on your face. Ancient Chinese Secrets from Ning Hua: Wrinkles Reduction Two tablespoons of fresh cucumber juice and same amount of egg white (about one egg), stir well, and then apply on wrinkles every night after cleansing. In the morning, rinse off thoroughly using warm water. Keep using for a month, your skin will be firmed, your wrinkles will disappear. Pigment Fading: 5 teaspoons fresh tomato juice with 1 teaspoon honey, apply on the pigment, rinse off thoroughly. Keep using for 10-15 days; your pigment will fade away. Fruit Mask: Juice apple, cucumber and pear, mixed with flour, add a teaspoon of water, and stir thoroughly. Apply after cleansing, avoiding eye and mouth areas, leave on for 20 minutes and rinse off thoroughly. Do you want to have beautiful skin every day for the rest of your life? Visit Skin Care Center for the latest news and information on how to get beautiful skin. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Fir http://EzineArticles.com/?Expert-Tips-For-Smooth,-Healthy,-and-Beautiful-Skin&id=52292 fuck your face teen nudist photos sex questions nude teen boy model

Weight Loss - Gastric Bypass

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

By Michael Russell Severe or morbid obesity is a chronic condition that is tough to treat. When exercise and diet alone are not working, then this is when gastrointestinal surgery becomes an option for people who are morbidly obese. People who cannot lose weight traditionally and who suffer weight related medical problems may need to look into surgery. This is not a cure all. If one decides to do any weight loss surgery they need to make life long changes such as eating healthier and exercise. Candidates for restrictive surgery have a body mass index of 40 or more. This may equal to about 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women. You will need to have a very clear understanding of the operation, its risks and all the lifestyles changes that you will need to make. A lot of surgeons require that you attend classes and support groups months before you have the surgery. If you have a body mass index between 35 and 39.9 and you have obesity related medical issues like diabetes and heart disease you may take into consideration for surgery. In your body’s normal digestion, the food will pass through the stomach and enter the small intestine. This is where most of the nutrients and calories are absorbed. Basically, in gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon makes the stomach smaller and makes it so food will be allowed to bypass a part of the small intestine. This will make you feel fuller a lot faster by eating smaller meals. When the surgeon bypasses some of the small intestine, it results in fewer calories being absorbed, this in turn leads to weight loss. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common gastric bypass surgery. This is the most successful gastric bypass surgery in the Untied States. The surgeon will first create a small stomach pouch to restrict the intake of food. A Y-shaped section to the small intestine is created next. It is attached to the pouch to allow food the bypass the lower stomach and the first sections of the small intestine, the duodenum and the jejunum. This will greatly reduce the amount of calories and nutrients being absorbed. So you will have to multivitamins and other mineral to replace the nutrients being lost. You may also have to take more protein as well. Most of the patients who have this surgery will lose weight quickly and will continue to lose 18 to 24 months after the surgery. Most will maintain their weight loss of 60 to 70 percent of their excess weight for at least ten years. There are some disadvantages that people need to know about as well. This procedure is more likely to cause long term nutritional deficiencies because of the small intestine bypass. Women who are still in their menstruating years may develop anemia because they may not get the vitamin B12 and iron. Calcium is also not absorbed easily and it may cause osteoporosis and other related bone diseases. Patients must take supplements for the rest of their lives and they need to understand that before the surgery. After the surgery you should expect a 4-6 day hospital stay. Most of the patients will be able to return to their normal lives in about 3 to 6 weeks. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Weight Loss Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss—Gastric-Bypass&id=225036 buy cheap phentermine 37.5 mg 90ct buy phentermine without physician phentermine online without rx phentermine online cod

Blondes Talking About Blondes!

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

By Willie Jones What is it about blondes that both sexes find so appealing? We are drawn to them like we are drawn to gold or a great barbequed steak and a beer. Although there is no denying brunettes and red heads can be every bit as gorgeous, there is something about blonde colored hair that demands instant attention. It is an age-old question, do blondes have more fun? I say thats the wrong question! How about asking: Who gets noticed first, the blonde or brunette? If you had a less than beautiful blonde and beautiful brunette walking together, at a swift first glance I think it would be fair to say the blonde gets the first look. If you are a guy reading this you know its true. But how did blondes get such a bad rep that an entire arsenal of dumb jokes has been devoted to them. Come to think of it, red heads and brunettes are not given this distinction so maybe that can be construed as a compliment. Yes! I think Ill take that. My all time favorite (smart) dumb blonde is Goldie Hawn! She is sharp as a whip and completely adorable and still looks fabulous today. Although, she is hooked up with Kurt Russell whom I would happily push Goldie in front of a truck to get a chance at. Ha ha, just kidding, maybe not. How about Christina Applegate in her years with the television show, Married With Children. You couldnt watch that show without hearing screaming fans every single time she entered the set. She was an adored dumb blonde sexpot men couldnt get enough of and she played the role brilliantly. She is also by the way, very clever and still looks fabulous. Hmmm another smart girl, coincidence? How about the classic, Marilyn Monroe. Another blonde adored by many. I think the smart, dumb blonde may be an irresistible combination. What do you think? Seriously though, there is something about the blonde that causes one to look and I want to explore some possibilities. 1) One theory I have is that everywhere on this planet anything that we have a shortage of is highly desired, such as diamonds, oil, gold, precious gems. We gravitate to the shiny things that are expensive and we want them but cant have too much of. All over the world the overwhelming hair color is that of the brunette. And Im including in this category everything from light brown hair to black. The true blondes are in short supply. This could be why we gravitate to that color and why many women dye their hair. Look at Asia or Africa, you wont find anything but black hair. Tropical islands and most of north and South America have brown/black hair. Im sure that when the Europeans first came to America, It must have been a shock to the natives to see blonde hair for the first time. 2) I also have the theory that people naturally gravitate to gold. It is the universal symbol of love. Most people wear gold wedding rings to symbolize a union of love and wear gold bracelets and necklaces in abundance. So if I am correct and gold is something we would naturally gravitate to, then would it not make sense that blonde hair, a gold color, would also be gravitated to? I may be completely off the wall here but it is something to look at. Im not in any way saying that blonde is better than brunette and I know that there are those that prefer brunettes over blondes but what I really want to accomplish here is taking a different point of view and exploring some possibilities. I am a blonde talking about blondes, poking fun at myself. About the Author Willie Jones http://www.yourtrophywife.com Willie is a freelance writer, researcher who enjoys sharing viewpoints with people. Your Trophy Wife Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willie_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Blondes-Talking-About-Blondes!&id=40598 levitra cialis new viagra cialis levitra market sales viagra buy viagra without a prescription levitra 10 mg

Finding Peace

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

By Ashley Thomas When you think about peace, what thoughts come to your mind? Maybe you see yourself in a quiet spot, no distractions away from constant agitation. Or maybe you see peace as a place for a better world - a place where people could live in harmony and unison. Perhaps, you think about peace as being at ease with yourself, free from the past and optimistic about the future. Many today say that this peace is truly a prized commodity. Unless you have it, you really have nothing. While it is true that peace is something we need to experience, finding peace is a never ending struggle, unless you understand scripture. The Bible talks about peace, as it regards to these two areas peace with God and the peace of God - without this foundational understanding- peace can never be found. For the child of God it is important that we have peace with God. This peace simply means that we are reconciled to God. Once were enemies on account of sin, but now we have been reconciled through His shed blood on the Cross. The one who has this peace, does not have to sorrow over sin and be condemned by it - He is a new creation. Old things have passed away and now all things are made new. The peace of God is a very important grace needed for the child of God. This is peace unlike that of the world. Peace in the ideology of the world is, having tranquility, being in harmony and the absence of conflict. That might sound very nice and attractive, but the truth is that in 6000 years of the earths history, it has never succeeded. The world can only “Imagine” they cannot know. The peace of God is that which surpasses all understanding for God is far more knowledgeable than we are.You look at your situation and might see no way through, but for God nothing is impossible. The peace of God is afforded to the one who has truly understood that God is in absolute control of all things. He says, ” My peace I give to you not as the world gives -let not your heart be troubled..” John 14:27 Are you in need of peace today? Do you know that God gives peace to those who ask? If you are troubled and anxious over particular matters, allow God in your life today - let Him fill you with peace and may your heart and minded be guarded in Christ Jesus. Amen! Ashley Thomas, http://www.ariseshine.org.au is the lead pastor of an emerging church in Brisbane Australia and writer of Praise the Lord It’s Friday. A weekly article of life and encouragement. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashley_Thomas http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-Peace&id=226273 male infertility cures foods to increase semen vitamins increase semen increase semen volume naturally

California Colleges

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

By Josh Riverside The State of California spends one of the largest budget allocations to public education - in fact, some 40% of its tax revenue is devoted to education. There are three collegiate level divisions that a college-bound student can get to in California. One is the University of California which has nine general Campuses. It intends to accept the upper 12.5% of college-bound students and provides most of the graduate studies and research. The California State Colleges, on the other hand, is where many of the college-bound population end up. It has 23 campuses and has more than 400,000 students in enrolled. CSU is the largest college system in the United States. The California Community Colleges System, meanwhile, provides vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. There are several certificate and associate degrees that these Community Colleges give. In 2005 it enrolled 2.9 million students in 109 colleges in 72 districts. Many private institutions of note such as Stanford and University of Southern California (USC) share the remaining, usually elite population of the college-bound students. Aside from these many specialty colleges run by religious and multi-sectoral organizations find their niche in arts and music. Southern California has more competitive choir groups than in any part of the United States. Campus Life in any of the California Colleges differs from the resources of each Campus. In USC, alcohol use is allowed for students of legal age. If you’re eyeing yourself on College education, then it is best that you find out about the SAT requirements of each school and try to work hard to achieve a well-rounded lifestyle while in high school. Units in the general education program of any College are recognized by the University of California and transferable in case you’re planning to shift colleges. The good thing about California Colleges is you can get as much freedom with their extensive choice in housing and offer in Campus employment. Student Organizations are very active in hosting cultural nights and are the forerunners of Campus Activity. In 2005, 20% of male undergrads are members of Fraternity and 15% of female undergrads are members of Sororities. Hazing is prohibited in the state of California. California Colleges are a cut above the rest when it comes to funding. The student population is very high and kids going to college are getting higher each year. California Colleges provides detailed information on California Colleges, California Community Colleges, Northern California Colleges, California Junior Colleges and more. California Colleges is affiliated with Continuing Legal Education. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Riverside http://EzineArticles.com/?California-Colleges&id=278225 refill your prescriptions online buying prescription medications online online medications without a prescription online drug prescriptions

Relieve Stress at Your Workplace: It Might Just Help You Manage Your Weight!

Sunday, September 16th, 2007

By Meri Raffetto No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want to raid the candy machine, or down a pint of ice cream. Of course we feel immediate gratification because of the feel good endorphins that are released when we eat something we love but now new research confirms these food urges are caused by more than endorphins. Elissa Epel, PhD, a health psychology researcher at the University of California at San Francisco explains that when we are stressed a hormone called cortisol is released which can increase our appetite specifically for sweets. Moreover, the more ongoing stress we have on a day to day basis such as a demanding job can lead to cortisol levels being elevated all of the time, and can facilitate the deposit of fat in the deep belly area which is known to increase health risks. Stress is a fight-or-flight response characterized by increased heart rate, increased breathing, increased blood pressure, and a 300 to 400 percent increase in the amount of blood flowing to our muscles, which prepares us to run or to flight. Unfortunately, in todays world we dont run nor do we flight. Yet the adrenaline and other hormones released during this process leads to a number of symptoms including: Anxiety Depression Excessive anger and hostility High blood pressure Insomnia (lack of sleep) Racing Heart Risk factor for heart attacks Tiredness The most common behaviors that people use to cope with the symptoms of stress are: Critical attitude towards others Overuse of alcohol Compulsive eating Inability to get things done Smoking As you can see, the most common coping strategies are not exactly healthy or positive choices. One problem is that many of the healthy choices such as exercise, yoga, and meditation arent easy to do during the workday. What is easy is the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup calling your name every time you pass the vending machine. But wait! There is another choice to relieve stress while at work. Deep breathing can help you to get through the extra stress of the workday.Deep breathing can help you to relax by lowering your blood pressure, slowing your heart rate, and easing muscle tension and the best part is you can do it at your desk. The Mayo Clinic Womens Healthsource offers instructions on how to practice deep breathing. * Sit in a comfortable chair with feet flat on the floor. * Close your eyes or focus on an object in the room. * Inhale slowly through your nose. Visualize your diaphragm moving down to create more room for your lungs to expand. * Notice your lower abdomen expand as it fills with air * When your lungs are full, slowly let air out through your mouth. * Repeat as many times as you need to. Be sure you have cleared your mind of the worry list that was present before. * When you are ready to end your session, dont jump out of your chair. Slowly bring yourself back into your surroundings. Practicing deep breathing regularly can provide great health rewards such as reducing anxiety, conserving energy, improving sleep, improving concentration, and relieving muscle tension. Coping with your stress in a healthy manner will help you to avoid the stress-induced temptations of the vending machine so you can manage your health and your weight with success. Meri Raffetto, 2005 Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She is the owner of Real Living Nutrition Services providing interactive online weight management programs. Sign up for her free monthly nutrition newsletter at http://www.reallivingnutrition.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meri_Raffetto http://EzineArticles.com/?Relieve-Stress-at-Your-Workplace:-It-Might-Just-Help-You-Manage-Your-Weight!&id=37410 buy soma online no prescription order cheap buy soma buy soma no prescription purchase soma on line

K.I.S.S. Diet Plan - A Keep It Simple & Satisfying Diet Plan

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

By Michelle Dixon If you are searching for a diet plan that is easy to implement, where you can find everything you need at the grocery store and is healthy and satisfying, you may wish to consider the K.I.S.S. Diet Plan. The K.I.S.S. Diet Plan may work for you because it can be adjusted to your lifestyle, it is not strict and incorporates positive aspects of several other diet programs. The K.I.S.S. Diet Plan uses healthy low carbohydrate foods, low carb meal replacement shakes, pre-packaged, portion controlled meals, low calorie, healthy snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables and an all natural appetite suppressant diet pill. The K.I.S.S. Diet Plan advises you to eat 6 times a day: 3 regular meals, and 3 healthy snacks. You choose what to eat at each meal. Each day you should have: (1) Meal replacement shake or bar which is low carb/high protein with a serving of fruit or non-starch vegetable. (1) Pre-packaged, portion controlled low carb/high protein diet meal with a serving of fresh fruit or vegetable. (1) Prepared meal (fresh food) using 5-6 ounces of lean meat or fish either roasted, baked, broiled or pan broiled with a very small amount of olive oil. Add to that a tablespoon or 2 of sauce or chutney; Plus, 2 cups of vegetables with a tiny amount of olive oil and/or a sprinkle of low fat cheese. And, 1 cup of brown rice, whole wheat pasta (you can add a little low carb tomato sauce to it) or sweet potato. (3) Snacks spread throughout the day/evening, like 15 walnuts or almonds, 30 pistachios (no preservatives), a bag of low sugar “100″ calorie snacks, a sugar free popsicle, fat free yogurt, 2 ounces of fat free cheese (anything that is low carb, low sugar and within 100-125 calories). (2-3) All Natural Appetite Suppressant diet pills like Hoodia Plus or Proactol. Daily: Drink 6-8 ounces of Purified Water and take a good multi-vitamin. With the K.I.S.S. Diet Plan you have a lot of variety. It’s not just meal replacement shakes or prepackaged diet meals. Yet, it does use these “easy” diet meals so it keeps the program simpler. You decide when to eat the meal replacement shakes or prepared fresh foods, so you can go out to eat for one meal, yet have a no preparation meal too. All of the diet foods and all natural diet pills can usually be found at your local chain grocery store. There are normally good low carb/high protein meal replacement shakes or protein bars there; plus you can use frozen prepared portion controlled diet meals like lean cuisine or healthy choice. You can make it even easier by purchasing the diet foods online too. The K.I.S.S. Diet Plan works because it is low calorie, yet satisfying. Plus, by eating 6 meals a day your body’s metabolism kicks up so you should burn more calories. Add some exercise and you are all set to lose weight fast and easy. By Michelle Dixon, Copyright 2007. Michelle Dixon writes about many different types of health and fitness subjects. For more information regarding K.I.S.S. Diet Plan please see http://www.kissdietplan.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dixon http://EzineArticles.com/?K.I.S.S.-Diet-Plan—A-Keep-It-Simple-and-Satisfying-Diet-Plan&id=493221 buy propecia online buy propecia online usa cheapest finasteride online buy online buy finasteride on the net