Acne Control: Natural Ways to Overcome Acne

Writen by Kismet Johnson

Acne control is a struggle for many teens. This disorder comes about when the sebaceous glands, or oil glands, become overactive and produce excess oil. As a result, the pores in the skin become clogged. Acne control can be most difficult when dealing with the face, shoulders, chest, and back because these areas contain most of the oil glands.

There are many forms of acne control. Many are in the form of acne medications. Fortunately, there are several less expensive forms of acne control as well.

First, individuals needing acne control should eat healthier. Fruits and vegetables are a necessary part of a balanced diet and assist the body in acne control. Along with eating healthy foods, people also should drink lots of water to promote acne control. Doing so flushes the system and keeps the skin hydrated.

Next, taking multivitamins can assist in acne control. Multivitamins contain zinc which aids the body in acne control as well. Next, minimizing the use of makeup is another form of acne control. Wearing too much makeup can clog the pores, so limiting the use makeup can prevent outbreaks.

Another form of acne control is to use rose water to cleanse the face. People also can use a cucumber mask in order to rid the pores of excess oil. Instead of spending money on acne products these natural remedies can be just as effective for acne control.

All of these tips can be effective forms of acne control. Although they do work for some, they may not work for everyone. Before you spend hundreds of dollars on acne medications, take a trip to your local grocery store- the natural remedies you find can be your answer for acne control.

Written by Kismet W. Johnson http://www.teenacnesolutions.com

DDR Dance Dance Revolution and Weight Loss – Play a Game and Lose Weight?

Writen by Bill Herren

What is dance dance revolution?

It is a game played using a television, a game console, the DDR software, and a dance pad.

The ddr game is played on a mat or platform with 4 arrows pointing in each direction (up, down, left, right) and four arrows on your tv screen that will scroll or overlap. When they overlap then you hit the corresponding arrow on the mat with your feet all while listening to lively music.

Dance dance revolution was started in video arcades but I feel the real weight loss benefits are going to be achieved now that it can be played in the privacy of your own home.

How expensive is DDR?

That is one of the beauties of dance dance revolution for home. You probably already own a TV and maybe even a playstation or similar game console. But even if you don’t own a playstation everything you need can be purchased for approximately $300.00! This is much cheaper than many stationary bikes or elliptical machines.

How did you learn about dance dance revolution?

As part of my job here at weightloss-articles.com I subscribe to many newsletters and breaking news alerts, read many magazines, and research everything weight loss related. In one weeks time I received two breaking emails about weight loss studies with ddr and also came across one article and many many weight loss testimonials. This lead me to start researching to bring this information to our readers.

What are some of the claimed weight loss achievements?

In researching dance dance revolution weight loss achievements I came across testimonials from users claiming anywhere from 5 to 95 pounds of fat loss! I am a skeptic, especially when I read a claim on a site that is selling products, however, when I find message boards full of real people claiming weight loss I tend to believe it more. It just makes sense – if you enjoy it and do it on a daily basis you will burn more calories!

Who is DDR for?

DDR is for people who want to lose weight but who have not found a cardiovascular exercise they enjoy enough to stick with. Overweight children who love video games will benefit greatly from ddr. Dance dance revolution is for the people who enjoy dancing, music, moving, and a good challenge. DDR is also for anyone who is bored to tears with a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical machine. Most importantly it is for people healthy enough for exercise and who have been cleared by their doctor.

Conclusion

I believe that if your exercise and eating routines incorporate something you enjoy then you will more than likely succeed in your goals. My cardiovascular exercise of choice and a great passion in my life is mountain biking therefore I find it easy to do and want to go ride anytime I get an opportunity. When I heard of dance dance revolution or ddr I became very excited because I know many people will benefit from this and achieve their weight loss and fitness goals simply because they will feel the same way about ddr that I feel about mountain biking. If you think it is something you will enjoy, can do on a regular basis, and will stick with then by all means give it a try. DDR is creating a craze and a community of people willing to share stories, success, and experiences. Let us know if you have a dance dance revolution weight loss story you would like to share with us.

As always, I wish for you the best of health,

Bill Herren is the webmaster for http://www.weightloss-articles.com Top weight loss site! Weight loss articles, success stories, product reviews and much more! Every thing you need to reach your weight loss goals.

Flower Remedies and Health

Writen by James Brunton

An example of a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that is truly complementary is the Bach Flower Remedies. That’s because you can use them with any other single or combination of therapies from conventional through the CAM spectrum.

You can use them alone or while you are being treated with other remedies. And they work on the basis that improving your emotions, to change them from negative to positive, will help the healing process from within.

They restore your mental balance to prevent disease starting in the first place or stimulating healing when you are ill.

It’s all to do with the real you. You are unique. No one else is exactly like you. You have your individual mix of genes and traits that make you react to stress and illness in a particular way.

You might fight a disease or you might give in to what you think is inevitable. You could become depressed and miserable, or carry on cheerfully.

Emotions are part of the health picture and you need to think about them in recovering from illness. And, these Flower Remedies are part of that. They don’t treat symptoms such as pain or high blood pressure. They look after personality, lifestyle and emotions.

Dr Edward Bach developed these remedies as a series of liquids extracted from plants. They are produced in dropper bottles and the extracts are in brandy to preserve their activity.

The first thing you need to do is decide on the kind of person you are. It’s important to be truthful here. Write down your traits, strengths and weaknesses. Use adjectives such as aggressive, agitated, capable, clever, daydreamer, energetic, frustrated, helpful, intolerant, jealous, negative, popular and so on.

You could get a close friend or relative to confirm your thoughts if you wish, just to make sure you are being truthful with yourself, but you don’t have to.

Then you survey the remedies to find out which are closest to your assessment of you. It may take one or several to make up your complex self. Ideally it should be fewer than six or seven. (In my case it was three.)

Follow the instructions for taking the liquids and look forward to improvements. Generally, they work quickly if you are treating a short-lived problem. But, they take longer if you are working on a chronic problem. If you’ve had it for months the remedies won’t work in only a few days.

As treatment progresses, you can adjust it to suit the way you feel, by adding or removing remedies.

The very popular Rescue Remedy range should have quick and dramatic results since it is meant to be used in emergency situations.

To make this system work for you need to be aware of what each remedy is used for. Then you can match your personality to the remedy or remedies and take it from there.

Flower Remedies are not meant to replace vital medical treatment, but you can use them in conjunction with treatment. There are similarities to homeopathy but the therapies are not the same.

Just like homeopathic remedies, you can give Flower Remedies to animals and even plants. Clearly, you can’t ask them how they feel but you can assess the stress they are in (just re-potted a plant) or the mood they are in (a sad dog), and treat them accordingly. You need to adjust the doses for the size of the animal or plant. A horse will need more than a cat. And, a plant can get its remedy by watering it or spraying its leaves.

It’s an enlightening process finding your personality (and recognising those of friends and family), and a simple matter to start treatment once you get the relevant Remedies.

James is a pharmacist with over 35 years experience. Get his booklets on CAM including Bach Flower Remedies at http://www.healthexplored.co.uk and subscribe to his newsletter and other health publications.

7 Tips to Keep Your Fluid Down on Dialysis

Writen by Stuart Drew

As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid gain between dialysis sessions in check is not only important to your long term health, it is a major factor in your immediate well-being.

Keeping fluid level gains as low as possible between dialysis treatments will minimize the risk of congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, and hypertension. Cramps, headaches and breathing difficulties are short term side-effects of fluid overload, and whilst not as dangerous as the long term effects, these should be heeded as a pointer to fluid overload in dialysis patients.

Whilst every dialysis patient has their own special method of keeping their fluid levels in check, I thought it might be pertinent to explain some of the methods that I have found (relatively) successful.

1. Buy a bag of ice. I have a large chest freezer in my kitchen, I buy a 5kg (approx 11lb) bag of ice chips from the service (gas) station, place it in the freezer, and suck on ice chips throughout the day. Make sure the freezer is in a convenient place, so you can reach it quickly to grab a few small pieces of ice, so you can avoid the temptation to fill a glass with ice. (In which case you might as well have that mug of coffee you wanted in the first place!)

2. Get a GOOD set of digital scales. I have a set which measures with an accuracy of 200grams (don’t we all wish we could afford the scales at the dialysis unit which measure to 50grams?!?), which is accurate enough to get a good idea of where you are at with your fluid gain. Work out the difference between your dialysis centre scales, and your home scales, so you can get an accurate reflection of your fluid gain. I weigh myself first thing when I get up in the morning (you’d be surprised how much weight you lose over a warm night!), as soon as I get home from work, and whenever I have a drink.

This method is great in two ways: 1)You never (well, rarely, anyway!) get a nasty surprise when you arrive at dialysis and jump on the scales. And 2) You don’t get the opposite surprise of getting to dialysis with only 1kg of fluid on, thinking: “Damn, I wish I’d drank more!” (I often find myself in the ridiculous situation of forcing myself to have another cup of coffee before I leave for dialysis, as there’s no bank for fluid, once you’ve had that dialysis, the opportunity to have that drink is gone forever!)

3. Save up your drinks if you’re going to need them. If you know you are going to an event where the temptation to drink more fluid that you should will be strong, save up your drinks beforehand. For example – if you get off dialysis at lunchtime on Wednesday (meaning that you go back to dialysis on Friday Morning), and you have a function to attend on Thursday night, try to drink as little as possible between Wednesday lunchtime and Thursday evening, telling yourself that your reward will be the fact that you will be able to drink (nearly) as much as a “normal” person at the function.

4. Keep yourself busy! Any dialysis patient will tell you that when they’re busy, they’re not thinking about drinking. It could be a gentle walk, send an email to a friend, jump on the phone, or play with your kids. It doesn’t matter, as long as it keeps your mind occupied.

5. Frozen water. Freeze a bottle of water, containing the amount you have allowed yourself to drink that day, and drink it as it defrosts. This has the benefit of the drink being ice-cold, as well. The down-side of this is that if your bottle melts too quickly, you could find yourself at 3pm, with all your water gone!

6. Spray bottle. Get yourself a spray bottle, and fill it with water (maybe with a little lemon juice or mint flavouring), and spray it into your mouth when you feel the urge to have a drink. Whilst this won’t completely sate your desire for fluids, it may help you wait a little longer before indulging!

7. Mints and toothpaste. Try sucking a strong mint, or even brushing your teeth. The feeling of a clean, fresh mouth will often lessen the desire to blow your fluid limit. (This method will make you nicer to kiss, too!)

I hope that these suggestion will help you in the dialysis patient’s eternal quest to keep their fluid gain under control. But remember, life is for living too, and we, as dialysis patients more than most need to adhere to this edict. So whilst keeping your fluid gain under control is important for both your immediate and long term health, remember that if you’ve blown your fluid this time, there is always next time, so keep trying!

About the author: Stuart Drew is a 34 year old dialysis patient from Adelaide, Australia. He has a wilfe, a son (with another on the way), and two miniature schnauzers. He is a part time web geek, and runs the website http://www.therenalunit.com – a news service for all issues relating to kidney disease and dialysis. He can be contacted at mailto:stuart@stuartdrew.com

Fighting A Virus With Antibiotics

Writen by Roschelle Nelson

Have you ever taken your child to the doctor and been told he has a cold or the flu and the doctor prescribes antibiotics? We often think the doctor knows best so we dash out of the doctor’s office to the nearest drug store and purchase the medication hoping our child will improve swiftly. There’s only one problem. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses and doctors know this. So, why do they prescribe them?

As a former health care worker, I’ve seen countless parents bring their children in with complaints of runny noses, fever, congestion. They insist on the doctor giving them an antibiotic because this is the only defense we generally think will “make us well”. Doctors are human too. So, to appease their clients, they often write the prescription and give the kid a sucker and a super hero sticker and send them on their way. When in actuality the only thing that’s super about it is the bugs we are assisting in mutating to one day be the super-bacteria of them all- resistant to everything we have to combat them. Yes, there are bacteria around today that are resistant to almost every form of antibiotic we have. In other words, there are some bacterial infections that there’s no cure for.

Even as consumers, we purchase antibacterial soaps, lotions and other products that claim to be mega germ fighters. Why? Are the germs we encounter on a daily basis deadly enough to illicit this type of constant safeguard? Or is this another way of exposing relatively harmless bacteria to a product so many times until it is forced to mutate into something bigger, stronger and way more powerful.

Word to the wise – stop abusing antibiotics. If your child has a cold or any type of viral infection, treat the symptoms. There is no cure for the common cold, flu or other viral infections. Treating the symptoms includes: medications to reduce fever, decongestants, antihistamines for runny noses and Grandma’s homemade chicken soup. A virus has to pretty much run it’s course. Alleviating some of the symptoms so that the child feels better during the course of the virus is the only true remedy.

As far as the antibacterial products that are saturating our market today, the regular products work just as well unless you have some sort of bacterial skin infection or other reason to utilize topical antibacterial products.

Remember, always take antibiotics exactly as directed. Misuse can be just as bad as not using at all. These are powerful drugs that have saved countless lives. Let’s continue to keep our family’s healthy by making good choices. Here’s to your health.

Roschelle Nelson is the founder of Wah4life.com. She lives and works at home with her husband and two sons. Visit her website: http://www.wah4life.com and http://www.wah4life.blogspot.com

Beans and Other Legumes: Nutritional Powerhouses

Writen by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Legumes are our second most-important food source (grains rank first). Humans consume huge amounts of both beans and grains, and use even more to feed livestock we raise for meat, dairy products and eggs.

The huge legume family includes the many varieties of beans, as well as lentils, peas and peanuts. The dry seeds of legumes have been staples in our diet for thousands of years. Beans, like grains, are easy to grow and store so they were among the first plants to be cultivated when humans moved from hunting-gathering to agriculture.

Seeds contain everything necessary to bring a new plant to life, so they are nutritional powerhouses for us as well. They provide vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, and are very high in fiber. They are good sources of the essential fatty acids and are the best plant source of protein. While most beans do not contain all of the essential amino acids, eating them with any grains yields “complete” protein. Our ancestors figured this out, since virtually every culture has devised tasty combinations of beans and grains that have provided sustenance for generations. Many of our favorite recipes today are based on these traditional dishes.

Most supermarkets carry a wide variety of dried and canned beans. They are equally nutritious. Dried beans are usually more economical, but they take longer to prepare. Canned beans are more convenient. It’s your choice. Canned “baked beans” may contain added sugar and fat, so check the list of ingredients if this is a concern for you.

Beans come in lots of colors and sizes, and there are different popular names for some varieties. For example, chick peas are also called garbanzo beans or chana dal. All beans are cooked basically the same way and their flavors are similar, so they are usually interchangeable in recipes. Pick your favorite kinds or use whatever is available.

Most legumes are relatively low in fat, with most of their energy (calories) coming from protein and carbohydrates. However, soybeans, peanuts and some of their relatives are concentrated sources of fat and so may need to be limited by those who are trying to control their weight or cholesterol.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes, many including BEANS and other legumes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

Bird Flu: Personal Preparedness Must Include These 4 Critical Areas

Writen by Bradford Frank

The recent hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been powerful reminders of how destructive the forces of nature can be, and how preparation for them can mitigate their effects. Avian influenza, commonly referred to as “bird flu,” is a powerful force of nature that we must prepare foror suffer the potentially devastating health and financial consequences. Bird flu is a viral contagious disease, just like the regular seasonal flu, but it might turn out to be 70 times more deadly. And, because of the nature of the virus, it might be most deadly for healthy children and adults, and pregnant womenjust like the so-called Spanish flu of 1918-19 was.

The report of the U.S. National Intelligence Council’s 2020 Project, Mapping the Global Future, identified a global pandemic (an epidemic that is worldwide) as the single most important threat to the global economy. According to Shigeru Omi, regional director of the World Health Organization, “The world is now in the gravest possible danger of a pandemic.” And according to Dr. Robert Webster, a world-renowned influenza researcher at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, “We could be heading for a global catastrophe.” Infectious-disease experts have repeatedly warned that it’s not a question of whether a bird-flu pandemic is coming; it’s only a question of when.

Judging from the federal government’s incredibly inadequate response at all levels to hurricane Katrinawhich is emblematic of its ineptness in dealing with large national emergencies, its slow and superficial response to bird flu to date, and its lack of leadership on this issueit is clear that you cannot count on the government to protect you. You must take the initiative to prepare yourself and your family for the coming bird-flu pandemic.

There are four essential areas that you must address to prepare for the bird-flu pandemic: 1) “social distancing”; 2) commoditiesincluding food, 3) personal protective equipment (PPE), and 4) financial preparation. Social distancing refers to your living and work situations when the pandemic strikes. Without going to extremes, you want you and your family to be as far away from other people as possible. Bird flu is just like the regular seasonal flu in that you become infected from other people, not birds. (Although it might be possible to acquire the viral infection from birds, it is much more likely that, if you do become infected, you will have acquired the virus from another person, not a bird.)

The bird-flu virus is extremely contagious; it is transmitted though casual contact with a contagious person (who might not have any symptoms during the first 24 hours of infection), through touching contaminated objects, and through the air. Because of this, you want to stay away from people as much as possible, and that means spending more time at home. Your children will not be at school, they will be home. If your home is on the 73rd floor in an apartment building in New York City, how are you going to avoid other people? You might want to think of an alternative living situation for a few months.

The same principle applies to your work setting. If you can telecommute, that is the best scenario. If you don’t telecommute now, but because of the type of work you do it might be a possibility, discuss it with your employer. If you will have to continue to work closely with others at your job site, what can be done there to help protect you and others from infection? How can policies and procedures be amended to minimize contact with coworkers or customers? Are there hand-washing stations available? What are your employer’s plans for dealing with the coming pandemic? Discuss these and related issues with your employer and coworkers.

The second area that must be addressed is “commoditiesincluding food.” There will be sporadic difficulties manufacturing or producing goodsbecause workers around the globe will be sick or otherwise absent from work. There also will be supply chain disruptionsboth because workers will be sick or otherwise absent from work, and because of regional, national and/or international restrictions on travel. These problems will cause a decrease or the unavailability of most or all of the products we easily have access to now.

Commodities such as soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and virtually everything you can buy at stores such as Wal-Mart will be difficult or impossible to obtainfor periods of weeks or months at a time. This includes the most important commodityfood. The federal government is always telling us to stock up on emergency supplies for three days. This will not be sufficient preparation for the coming deadly bird-flu pandemic. There will likely be limited food available in stores. In addition, stores are places you want to avoid anyway, because potentially contagious people might be there. Stock up now so that you have sufficient commodities, including food, for a period of months.

The third area to address is so-called personal protective equipment (PPE), which you will have to use, depending upon circumstances. PPE includes special face masks, called N95 respirators, which help prevent infection through inhalation of the virus. Remember that avian influenza (”bird flu”) is a very contagious disease that can be transmitted through the air. The only way to counter this source of infection is through the use of special N95 respirators. These are disposable face masks that can be worn for up to eight hours.

N95 masks were the type of masks worn by hospital workers during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic that struck a number of cities around the world, including Toronto, Canada. Surgical masks or other common face masks, sometimes used when sanding or painting and so forth, are not effective. Other elements of PPE include disposable latex or vinyl gloves, eye goggles or face shields, gowns impervious to liquids, and sometimes disposable booties or disposable head caps. Keep in mind that during the pandemic, most people who become infected will have to be cared for at home, not in crowded and overwhelmed hospitals. This means that caregivers taking care of loved ones at home need to be protected from the virus, just like hospital workers working in hospitals. The only way to be protected is to wear PPE. (Just washing your handsthe federal government’s primary recommendation for caregivers at homewill not be enough.) Once the pandemic starts, demand for PPE will be huge and supplies will be in very short supplyor nonexistent. Buy now or suffer the consequences later.

The last area that must be addressed before the bird-flu pandemic strikes is personal finances. This is an area that governments at all levels have been mute on. However, preparing your finances to sustain yourself and your family during (and after) the pandemic could prove to be the most important area of preparation. Although the bird-flu virus is deadly and many of us will fall ill, most of us will not die from itonly one to two percent of the population will likely die. The vast majority will livebut under what circumstances?

Think of hurricane Katrinawhere most people survivedbut where hundreds of thousands are now homeless and underemployed or unemployed. Because of the potentially severe local, national, and international economic consequences of the bird-flu pandemic, many of us will suffer financially. Businesses around the world will not be able to make or distribute products or provide services. There will be layoffs and some companies will go out of business altogether. At a minimum, people will be out of work for periods of weeks or months. Your child or children, if you have any, will be at homenot in school or day care. Will that force one parent to stay home from work to care for them? How will you pay your rent or mortgage and your bills under these circumstances?

At Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When it comes to bird-flu preparation could make the difference between life and death, how much you and your family eat, and whether or not you can pay your bills, including your rent or mortgage. The government will not resolve these issues for you. Just like Smoky the Bear’s admonition, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Only you can take stock of this situation and do something about it. Think about itand then do something about it.

Hair Loss: Biotin is Food for Your Hair

Writen by Antoinette Boulay

Biotin plays a significant part in the prevention of hair loss. Most nutritionists agree that biotin is one of the important vitamins for supporting hair growth. It is also commonly advised to take biotin to supplement medical treatments such Minoxidil or Propecia.

A deficiency of biotin may cause hair to become frail and unhealthy, and hair breakage, which may result in hair loss. Biotin also keeps your skin and nails healthy as well as being an important element of new hair growth. Supplements are sometimes needed to return biotin levels to normal, but it is recommended to include biotin regularly in your diet. Two foods containing good quantities of biotin are liver and egg yolks. You would have to eat thousands of calories worth daily to get enough for your hair needs, which is why I would also suggest biotin supplements.

Foods full of biotin include brewer’s yeast, green peas, oats, soybeans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, green peas, bulgur and brown rice. In terms of the egg yolks, your body’s ability to digest and assimilate biotin decreases with high intake levels of protein. Biotin binds easily to proteins, making it unavailable to your body, which in turn causes biotin deficiency and hair loss. Try to steer clear of raw eggs in your diet, and cut down on protein powders and bars. Use one of the many shampoos that contain biotin and silica.

Additionally, those with type A blood don’t have the ability to fully absorb B vitamins. Biotin is classified as a Vitamin B, so if you have Type A blood, adding higher doses of 5-8 grams twice daily will be needed to help prevent hair loss. At this time, there are no known side effects at this dosage level.

People suffering from heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD and who are taking antacids may absorb biotin less and hair loss may occur as a result. Therefore watch your use of over-the-counter antacids if you are worried about hair loss.

Ms Boulay writes for Groominguy.com, where you read about home dermabrasion kits, and home hair removal methods.

How Reading This Article Will Make You A Happy Non-smoker For Life!

Writen by Sean Riain

Don’t try to give up smoking through brute willpower. Instead free yourself through UNDERSTANDING – and you’ll be a Happy Non-smoker -for life!

Here’s how……

How the Story began……

When we are kids, we all see the adults around us smoking. In fact, this is the reason 90% of us start smoking in the first place.

And yet if we ask for one, we are refused and told that it is a terrible, horrible habit; that it tastes awful and that it will kill us!

But, of course as a little kid, we are puzzled and don’t know what to believe:

“What he said can’t be true? If it does all those terrible things, why is he still smoking? And why are hundreds of other people doing the same ? They don’t seem mad.”

And so as a kid, you unconsciously come to the only logical conclusion……..:

….”If it can do all these horrible things but people still want to do it – in fact feel terrible if they have to stop – surely there must be something really pleasurable in smoking. Why else would people do it?’

A SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEF

And so, subconsciously the unconscious belief grows in us that, at the very least, cigarette must contain some magical hidden attraction.

There must be some great hidden pleasure or enjoyment in them – why else would people continue to do something that is killing them?

And then so as we get older – and actually smoke our first cigarette, we are further puzzled.

We get nothing at all from the experience – in fact it tastes awful – but yet the next day, we will continue on with this experiment.

Why ?

Because we are convinced (brainwashed?) that it is an inherently pleasurable act.

We reason: “Maybe I just haven’t found it yet?

And so we continue…… and of course, unknown to ourselves we become hooked – addicted.

We don’t realize it at first – but if we attempt to stop for any reason, we are suddenly surprised to find that it is not as easy as we had imagined.

And then as we attempt to find out why this is so, we fall prone to even more of society’s brainwashing (deeply ingrained beliefs) about smoking.

We are told by everybody – even people who have NEVER smoked (how would they know!!) about how difficult it will be to stop and that you will have to suffer, if you want to give up for good.

Most of us have no idea of the extent and the extraordinary power this subtle mental conditioning has over us.

More than nicotine addiction?

In fact, if in giving up smoking, all we had to deal with was the chemical addiction the process would, indeed, be easy. But we are also psychologically addicted to smoking.

Even though this ‘mental conditioning’ is only a series of thoughts held in your mind about smoking, these thoughts and beliefs are the Key factor that will determine your success in giving up smoking and actually ENJOYING the process.

It is amazing how much we genuinely believe all the illusions about smoking.

We all genuinely believe that they do something for us – that they are a help, a joy, a comfort, a friend……. And that if they go, we’ll miss them terribly.

Can you for the first time in your like ALLOW yourself to think the UNTHINKABLE:

You can FULLY ENJOY yourself without NEEDING to smoke.

But right now, you believe this illusion totally, that you need to smoke to be happy..and it is your total acceptance of this belief that keeps you trapped in this addictive habit.

HOW THE ILLUSION BEGAN…..

It all happens very subtly……..

Your body is fine and complete before you begin to smoke.

You are able to get on with ALL aspects of your life without giving the slightest thought to cigarettes EVEN if everybody around you, like your parents are smoking.

When you were young, did you feel your day was ruined if you could not smoke? Did you feel nervous, uncomfortable or unable to concentrate because you could not smoke?

Of course not. Your life went on perfectly normally as a non-smoker.

Before you were a smoker, you were able to get on with EVERY aspect of your life without even giving a thought to cigarettes even if everyone around you was smoking. Soon you will be back to that state,,,,,,

Then, one day you decide to smoke.

To experiment. You force nicotine into your body.

You smoke.

Your body responds by either coughing or if you smoke too much by producing physical sensations of sickness or a dizzy feeling.

This is simply our bodies setting off alarm signals – trying to tell us we are putting an unwelcome poisonous substance into our body.

BUT we ignore it.

We keep on smoking, because deep down….. we are convinced there must be something in it…… and although we will swear that we are not hooked, ” I can give up anytime I want – I just don’t want to do it now” – we continue on.

But very soon we begin to realize we NEED that next cigarette.

We get a certain feeling ……. a certain emptiness …….. a desire ……… that we feel a cigarette will fill.

We feel uneasy as if we are lacking something ………

We reach for a cigarette – and within seconds, fresh nicotine is supplied and this unexplained hunger or emptiness is filled.

We feel relief and a great pleasure that that empty feeling is gone.

Danger-Danger-Danger

But something else is happening, at a subconscious level that most of us are not aware of.

When we smoke that cigarette and satisfy our craving, we F-E-E-L a great sense of relief and we unconsciously DECIDE TO ENJOY THE MOMENT.

” I’ll take a break from what I’m doing”. Or if you have a problem…….., “I’ll allow myself to take a break from worrying about it for a few minutes just to enjoy this cigarette “

—- And so you enter for that brief moment into a relaxed, safe, work-free, problem-free period ‘enjoying’ the cigarette.

For those few minutes……… you ALLOW yourself time to think, FREE of all your worries and concerns.

For that brief period…….. you put aside ALL your worries and problems…..

And as time goes on, these ‘pleasant, relaxed FEELINGS’ become interlinked – totally linked with smoking and certain parts of your day.

Every time you have a cigarette you mentally and emotionally ALLOW yourself ( even if you are unconscious of this happening ) to have a break from your work or worries and for that moment you feel…….

Happy…

Safe…….

And Secure.

For those few moments, as you smoke…… you do not feel threatened by your problems or responsibilities.

This is why people believe smoking helps them if they have a problem.

It is not the cigarette – it is the safe, open feeling that the cigarette seems to evoke. You believe it can help you think more clearly.

And as you begin to enjoy these brief periods of peace, safety and relaxation snatched during the day, you do not realize it but you become convinced that these PLEASURABLE FEELINGS are totally linked – in fact, most of us falsely conclude that they must be in some way INHERENT in the cigarette itself.

What has happened though is that we have transferred pleasurable feelings of peace, relaxation and safety THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO EXPERIENCE every time we smoke …….TO the cigarette.

We have set up a neurological association in our bodies between the act of smoking and these feelings.

We have unconsciously transferred pleasurable feelings of peace, relaxation and safety that we have allowed ourselves to experience to the daily act of smoking. (For more information see our free 10-day Quit Smoking Course at ( www.quitsmokingonline.com )

Don’t you see the good news this contains ?

You found it hard to stop in the past (even if you were not aware of this ) because you believed with all your heart that if you stopped smoking, IT WOULD BE A GREAT SACRIFICE and you would lose all these pleasurable feelings and sensations.

And what were you told you would experience instead?

Terrible, unpleasant withdrawal pangs. No wonder you did not want to stop.

The truth is……all the time…. the enjoyment you experienced had nothing at all to do with the cigarette.

It was you who allowed yourself to feel those pleasant feelings and unconsciously transferred them onto the cigarette so that…… EVERY TIME you smoked or even looked forward to smoking, you experienced the joy you believed only cigarettes could give you.

And why wouldn’t you? Any one would think the same.

You had these nice feelings every time you smoked and so you assumed that in some way they must be linked ……..

Then you further assumed that if you took away one of the factors ( i.e. smoking ) you would lose the other i.e. the enjoyment – the pleasant feelings.

This is why the smoker who gives up through understanding what she is doing, unlike the person who struggles along using willpower alone does not envy those people who still smoke.

She has freed herself from smoking through understanding – and not brute willpower!

She is a happy non-smoker! And so can you now!

Choosing Quality Exercise Equipment

Writen by Andy Green

It seems like every time you turn on the TV these days, there is another commercial for exercise equipment. The latest and greatest treadmill or the second to none all in one machine are advertised on a daily basis. And why not? Consumers love them. We’re always looking for ways to shape up faster and without as much work. And, that’s just what this equipment claims to do. Work out for just 20 minutes a day, three days a week and you’ll have the body of a supermodel in just one month. If only that were true. We wouldn’t have to put ourselves through the pain of the gym everyday.

If you are looking for some quality exercise equipment though, it is available. You just need to do some research and talk to enough qualified people to learn what equipment will be best for your work out routine. A treadmill works for a lot of people who like to work out in the privacy of their own home. And there are a lot of benefits that can be gleaned from running on a treadmill everyday. This type of aerobic exercise is good for your heart and your lungs. Just be sure to keep tabs on your heart rate so you don’t over do it and put your heart in danger. A general rule of thumb for running is that you should be able to talk semi-comfortably while you’re running. If you can talk without any trouble at all, you’re probably not running hard enough or fast enough. If you can’t talk because you’re busy huffing and puffing, you’re probably pushing yourself too hard. Slow down a bit and take it one step at a time.

There are several other types of exercise equipment available that can prove beneficial to our health as well. A popular piece of equipment these days is the exercise ball. They come in different sizes, so it’s important to determine which one will work for the goals you have in mind. There are many muscles that you can work using the ball. And the balls usually come with a set of instructions that tell you how to use it for different muscle groups. It’s also a great way to stretch your muscles, which is an important factor in every work out.

Some people prefer yoga or Pilates as their main workout. Each of these activities has their own set of exercise equipment as well. Along with the exercise ball, it’s important to invest in a mat. Not only will it give you the comfort you’re seeking when lying on the floor, but it’ll help keep you from getting dirty as well.

Free Fitness and Exercise Tips http://free-fitness-exercise-tips.com/ – lots of information to keep you fit, healthy and help you to get regular exercise.