Category: Health

You need to understand the power of green thumbs

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  • Don’t miss out on this simple home solution to getting the best food
  • Have you been a victim of food fraud and fakery?
  • Why you should NEVER trust a label

 

After a few days in Devon with friends and family I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to Chez Collins.

Over the weekend much had happened in the garden.

My potatoes were breaking through the ridges, the summer cabbages had flourished and the broad beans were racing away after just a few warm n’ wet days.

A sight to behold.

I don’t care whether you have a full sized allotment, a few places amongst the flower borders or a window box, there is no joy greater than seeing healthy vegetables growing.

Well, actually the greater delight is the one where you pick your crop and eat it fresh from the soil…

…there truly is no better feeling.

Knowing that the minerals and vitamins are at optimum levels, taste and texture maximised and vibrant colours adding to a visual feast on the plate make a few hours of caring all worthwhile.

Of course we shouldn’t overlook one other major benefit.

I am a man who works hard for my pennies (believe me these letters don’t just write themselves you know!) and I like to keep them in my pocket for as long as possible.

Handing over my hard earned cash at a supermarket till fills me with dread – and it looks like thousands of us have been seriously ripped off when we do so.

Let me explain how our big shops are offering discounts but still earn more than they would normally, plus are destroying our countryside in the process.

Misleading Multibuys & Shameless Shopping Subterfuge

The consumer magazine Which? has revealed that shoppers who think they are being savvy by seeking out special offers are more likely being ripped off than saving money.

Supermarkets advertising huge savings are actually breaking the law by creating the illusion of thrift, and I hope the full weight of the law is brought to bear.

A few examples featured in the Times on May 19th such as Hovis bread being sold by Asda at a special price of £1… the problem is that before the price offer was announced the loaf cost £1 anyway!

Others such as Tesco selling a box of 100 Twinings Tea Bags for £4.40 then putting the price up to £4.49 when they reduced the pack size to 80 bags.

Two for one offers featured a lot in the rip off list, especially when the sellers claimed that the goods were priced at a much higher level than they were before the offer period, for example our friends from Asda again with a Robinsons fruit squash previously available at £1 each being sold as two for £2.50 (as they claimed it was previously available at £1.59 each!).

It shows that the general public is being dupped at every turn by the big businesses that now control food supply in the UK.

There is legislation to prevent this type of retailing fraud but it rarely gets applied due to the complexity of enforcement – and that is why they get away with it.

But the lengths they go to in their drive for profits don’t just stop at straight fraud, they think nothing of forgery either.

Why you should NEVER trust a label

It seems there’s been an upsurge in fake “organic” meat, fish, fruit and veg across the country.

Labels changed… big black marker pens used to blatantly lie on market stall packaging… sneaky loopholes exploited to bend the truth… that kind of thing.

And this criminal deceit is everywhere.

Shoppers have been duped into buying fake free range eggs that were actually factory farmed. This means we pay double what the Continent pays for similar eggs.

Organic Scotch Beef was found to be poor quality beef from South America… “wild” salmon was found to be as wild as a pet gerbil… “corn fed” chicken was found to be nothing of the sort.

But you can see why the rogue traders have moved in.

A chicken worth £2 can fetch £10 when you stick on an organic label. Steak that sells for £10 per kilo can fetch as much as £29.59 if it’s “organic”.

A lot of people are making a lot of money by taking advantage of our desire to eat good food.
It’s not easy to find a solution, either.

I usually come up with a specific tip for you to follow though when I moan about a big health issue.

But in this case it’s tricky.

I mean, what can you do when food manufacturers lie to you on the packet? How can we tell?

All I can say is that, if you can, try and buy fresh British produce from farmers’ markets, bona fide organic retailers, and good, traditional markets.

I realise this is sometimes hard for people to do. But check out this email I got from a friend of mine who reads the Good Life Letter and whose father is in the farming business.

“Supermarkets are bleeding farmers and producers dry. In a few years our dairy farms will be broke and we’ll be net importers of milk.

“We should stop buying fruit, veg and meat from the supermarkets, use farmers and normal markets instead.

“In many cases, I think it’s cheaper and a whole load tastier than supermarket stuff and when you get home there’s none of that packaging to get rid of so it’s much better for the environment too.

“It’s really satisfying to sit down to a meal knowing that more of the money is going back to the farmers and producers as opposed to lining the pockets of monopolistic supermarkets.”

Do your own thing

What all this adds up to is quite a shocking level of blatant profiteering by the food retailers.

Right now they are driving farmers and growers out of business, promoting poor quality and fake foods and then charging us a premium price by sleight of hand.

Looking out over my growing crops I feel strongly that we should all do more for ourselves.

Take any chance to grow a few salad leaves, a fresh tomato or two, even just a bit of cress on damp blotting paper will make a difference.

I wrote the two books that make up Natural Food Wisdom because I passionately believe that we have to regain the control over our food – I urge you to take a positive step today.

Yours, as always

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing

Fat… It’s All Behind You! by Ray Collins – The Good Life Letter

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  • It’s all a bit late for a festive panto…but we now know the bad guys
  • Discover the truth about the bad cholesterol myth
  • Here are three favourites to celebrate with – guilt free fat!

Anyone else feel like we are involved in a pantomime?

“Oh yes it is… Oh no it isn’t… Oh yes it is…!”

Over the past few weeks a big debate has been raging about saturated fats and whether or not we should be eating them.

Various foods have come in for the kind of scrutiny that a poor dancer does on ‘Strictly’ and it looks like no one can agree on how to score them.

Far be it from me to chuck my two penn’orth in but I feel we need a bit of reason here.

But before I leap up and shout “It’s behind you!” let’s have a look at the facts.

The wicked witch says that these fats are too complex for the body to deal with so end up being shunted around the bloodstream where they cause blockages.

Whilst the grinning Cheshire cat maintains that these hyper complex food sources contain untapped riches which the body needs to stay healthy and, far from being the cause of arterial congestion, can help reduce it.

A real dilemma for poor old Buttons once again then! Let’s see if we can help him out shall we children?

The bad cholesterol myth

Since the early seventies dieticians have been advising against high fat diets.

They told us that too much fat of the type found in meat, eggs, dairy produce and even chocolate was going to bring about certain heart disease.

Even I remember the stories.

Sitting in my purple Oxford bags trousers (the ones with twelve inch bottoms, a six button waistband and side pockets big enough to get my school books in) listening to the Radio 1 chart show on a Sunday teatime when Newsbeat told me to stop eating chips!

This was devastating news to a ten year old.

Not that I used to have chips often (the Friday night treat) but that my mum and dad might be at risk because they’d been eating chips for longer than me.

I was properly worried.

Over the next few years men in kipper ties appeared on the TV and started to discuss levels of cholesterol in the blood and especially the bad type.

The concept of ‘bad food’ had never occurred to me before.

As far as I was concerned my body would deal with anything I fed it and would only take out of it what I needed, the remainder went down the toilet. This was the basis on which I consumed such delights as Spangles, Spanish Gold sweet tobacco and Bazooka gum!

Now I was beginning to understand that some meals were really capable of causing harm. I found it hard to believe back in those vividly coloured days of my youth.

The baggy trousers and weird sweets have long gone but the sense that natural foods like eggs, cheese and chocolate could ever be anything other than nutritious has never left me.

In fact it is probably a major reason why I started writing the Good Life Letter in the first place.

Thankfully the scientists have caught up with common sense and these foods are now in the clear… sort of.

Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra wrote an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) titled ‘Saturated Fat is Not the Major Issue’, in which he said the time has come to bust the myth that saturated fat consumption causes cardiovascular disease.

Commenting on a major study of over 600,000 people spread over 18 countries which showed saturated fat consumption had no effect on cardiovascular disease he said:

“This huge and important study provides even more evidence that our focus purely on saturated fat as the number one dietary villain in causing heart disease has been misplaced when we should be focusing on food groups.”

So, dear reader, which food groups do you think are most to blame for heart disease if it’s not saturated fats then?

The real villain of the piece

Standing centre stage with a dark menacing look, a big twirly moustache and an evil laugh is…

Carbohydrates!

But like all pantomime bad guys they have to have evil accomplices and in this case it is the modern day equivalent of the ugly sisters – trans fats, oil based manufactured fillers.

It is clear that to reduce the risk of heart disease we need to reduce the amounts of processed carbohydrates we eat (gluten, sugars and syrups) and cut out the enriched manufactured fats.

This all means…

…TA DA! Stop eating processed food and go back to basics!

Hardly a happy ever after ending but like most pantos the final act was obvious from the outset wasn’t it?

A return to the proper dinner table

How should we interpret these latest findings then?

Well I think it’s time we welcomed back some old favourites to our tables.

– Eggs. Long demonised for their rich, cholesterol-filled yolks they are in fact one of the most nutritious and healthy foods around. A soft boiled free range egg with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and toast soldiers will gladden even the hardest heart… Rather than harden its arteries.

– Butter. Where would the toast soldiers be without real dairy butter? Forget the processed low fat choices, opt for a little unsalted butter for the best in healthy spreads. The study found that a particular dairy fat called margaric acid acts to reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

– Cheese. I was enraged a few years ago when a report suggested that my cheddar treat was bad for me so I am delighted to be able to enjoy it without having to sneak off down the shed! The great thing about cheese is that the proteins it contains actually prevent your body absorbing the carbohydrates that we now know are the real problem.

So there you have it.  The players walk to the front of the stage and take their flamboyant bows – and we should all cheer.

Eggs, butter and cheese…

…time for the perfect omelette I think!

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

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You can receive The Good Life Letter direct by email, just click here http://www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing

17 health remedies in your cupboard

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17 Health remedies in your cupboard

  • Welcome to you all…

  • A free downloadable report that shows the healthy power in your kitchen cupboard

  • A fantastic way to enjoy the very best of seasonal food – and the secrets of the supermarket cons

Dear All

An introduction is needed I feel…

My name’s Ray Collins. I have a middle name as well, but that’s best left alone. I’m forty-eight years old, a shade over six foot, a little overweight, and with all the aches and creaks associated with a middle-aged man.

I used to play rugby at university, and picked up a fair few injuries along the way, including a neck problem that still troubles me from time to time. Other than that, I’m in pretty good shape (touch wood).

To my constant surprise and delight, I am married to the lovely Lara and we have three children.

Luckily, they all enjoy good health. But I know how fragile health can be. And their well being is MY responsibility.

The buck stops with me. NOT with the medical establishment. NOT with what I can pick up in newspapers. NOT with the drug companies.

It’s up to me and you to ensure we enjoy healthy, stress-free lives. The problem is, there’s so much confusion in the mainstream press about what to eat and what not to eat. Worse still, much of the mainstream pressed is biased towards the mega-corporations and their clinical trials.

I am most honoured to have been asked to contribute to your new website, I’m a big fan of how powerful this technology can be to share insight, knowledge and wisdom.

But above all I love the fact that we can use it to research, interrogate and debunk the stuff that big pharmaceutical and food companies throw at us all the time.

The other day someone asked me if I enjoy ‘surfing’ the web.

Well, I use the Internet almost every day… but is ‘surfing’ the right word?

Surfing is term that means skimming the surface of something. It’s a word for young people with no health worries. People who just want to go faster, look better on the outside.

They use Facebook and Myspace to keep in touch with each other (don’t worry if you haven’t got a clue what these things are, they’re mainly populated by pop stars, media types and the under 30s!)

‘How r u?’ they ask each other.

‘Gr8 thanx’ they reply.

And then they swap short films of men’s trousers falling down or monkeys dancing to ABBA.

This is fine. It’s what surfing’s about, I suppose.

But I think of myself less as a surfer and more as a scuba diver. Searching amongst the reeds. Probing deeper for pearls of information that you find useful.

Useful because it’s health giving, vitality boosting, life extending, mood lifting stuff….

And not a lipsynching monkey in sight!

So here’s something I think you’ll love: 17 extraordinary pearls of useful information culled from the deepest coves of the internet…

17 powerful health remedies from your kitchen cupboard

I don’t know about you, but for me, the kitchen cupboard used to be the place to store teabags, ketchup, old onions and sneaky bars of chocolate.

But as you’re about to see, many of the everyday items you find in your kitchen are, in fact, powerful health remedies.

You’ll be amazed at how many ordinary, inexpensive, natural foodstuffs can improve your life and vitality, ease pain and help protect you against disease.

For instance, here’s a website that shows you…

  • How blueberry jam could be good for your eyesight
  • How vinegar can relieve a headache
  • How avocados can help slow the ageing process.
  • How ginger can super-charge your love life
  • How broccoli can help protect your lungs
  • How oil could help rid you of dandruff
  • How cabbage can soothe the pain of an ulcer and many more secrets.
  • How one simple lemon could be a powerful weapon against the symptoms of asthma.
  • 4 natural migraine secrets and many more

It’s fascinating stuff, easy to read, and it’s there on the net for you to look at and put to good use.

Go and take a look at this downloadable report: http://www.shop.goodlifeletter.com/site/page/view/natural

It’s easy and risk-free

Simply click ‘download now’ and the report will be on your computer in moments.

There’s no risk, no obligation. And it’s great fun.

Talking of fun….

Natural ways to enhance your mood this autumn If you’re feeling sluggish, down, or on edge, I thought I’d tell you today about some natural mood enhancers.

These tips are here for you information and illumination only. Please consult your doctor first if you have a serious depression problem during winter.

You’ve heard about the herbs ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and valerian root, right?

You probably know that they’ve been long renowned as mood enhancers by some… and vilified as useless placebos by others.

Well, I’m not going wade into this eternal argument today, though I side with people who find things that make them feel BETTER, whatever the science boffins say.

Instead, let’s avoid the easy ‘one-stop’ solutions (groan!) and look at ways of eating and living yourself into a better frame of mind.

Try this mood lifting diet;

  • Eat foods rich in vitamin B6. They’ve found that low levels can lead to depression. I suggest cabbage, bananas and fish. But not on the same plate, unless you’re pregnant!
  • Get some folic acid in your system. Researchers have found that clinically depressed patients just don’t have enough. Eat more citrus fruit, spinach and wholegrain foods which are packed with the stuff.
  • Try nuts; especially Brazil nuts. They contain selenium, which was found to boost your mood by researchers at University College in Swansea. The daddy of all selenium is the mighty Brazil nut.
  • Eat chilli peppers. They contain capsaicin, which helps your brain produce endorphins – the natural mood-enhancing chemicals in your body.
  • Wherever you can, get 15 minutes in the bright sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for a balanced mood.

And finally, I know it’s not what you want to hear… but exercise is vital.

The runners high

Even modest exercise boosts your self esteem…

improves self-image, confidence and feelings of accomplishment… and it gives you a break from the things that get you down.

Even the scientific community recognise this subtle, almost unquantifiable effect. They call it ‘the runner’s high’.

But you don’t need to run. Take it easy. Go to the edges of what you can achieve.

Go for a brisk walk for 20 minutes each day, or try swimming or cycling to the shops. Since I got my bike I’ve been a changed man, believe me.

It doesn’t even feel like exercise. It’s getting from A to B.

A to B and to the PUB!

If you’ve enjoyed this letter please have a look at the fantastic Seasonal Diet Programme that I have just published – it is a goldmine of useful facts and information about healthy living, easting…

…and drinking!

Click here to find out more: http://www.thegoodlifeletter.com/promos/superfoods/

Yours, as always

 

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: , ,

Exhaustion

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Liz Almond pictureAs life progresses, we all have ups and downs, but sometimes during the down moments, you can find it really difficult to get back up again, as you find yourself with such exhaustion and you just don’t have a good reason for why you have it.  Sometimes you may get the urge to have a sleep in the afternoon and this regenerates you enough, but other times you might be sleeping  for hours during the day, with little motivation to get on with your life.

When I developed Chronic Pain Syndrome following an accident, I had two years off work.  The first 6 months of this, were pretty much spent in bed.  I was absolutely exhausted and I was not sure why, as I definitely hadn’t done any exercise to warrant the need to sleep so much!  As time went on, I did not need to sleep so much, but I had periods of time where I felt exhausted for no reason.  So what was causing it?

Fifteen years on, now that I have a much deeper understanding of holistic therapies, I understand that my exhaustion was linked to boredom and being resistant to change and move forward to live the life I really wanted to live.  I was a very quiet and shy person and really did not believe that I was destined to do anything great with my life.  I was wrapped up in my own world and not seeing how I was reacting to life, rather than actively taking part!

Spiritually, we all have a purpose in life…

and if you are not working towards that purpose, you will become bored and frustrated with life.  At the time of my accident, I was working many hours in a stressful job as a Catering Manager.  I knew I wanted to do something else, but I had no money to retrain to be a secretary, which was my dream at that time.  Basically, I was bored, but not making any effort to change things.

Liz Almon - Reiki treeDuring my time off sick, I was empowered to Reiki.  Although I would not have attributed my success back then to being given this gift, I now realise that this gave me the energy that I needed to make the change as it works on you, Spiritually, Emotionally, Mentally and Physically.  Within 6 weeks of being empowered, I had got off benefit, and was training to be a teacher.  My relationship and money improved too.  Not bad for someone who was predicted by doctors to only have 70% of her function for life!

So if you are suffering from exhaustion and you don’t know why, ask yourself what can I do differently to change this situation and start to change negative thinking to being more positive.  Your past experiences will affect your thinking and the more you live in the present, the more you will see a change in your energy levels.  If however you find it difficult to change your thinking, then you may wish to work with a practitioner like myself to change unconscious behaviour which is sabotaging your success and your energy.

 

Liz Almond

Health and Wellbeing Coach

Insightful Minds

 

liz@insightfulminds.co.uk

07815 904848

www.insightfulminds.co.uk

 

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: ,

Would you like to be well again?

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Liz Almond picture

When you are feeling unwell, life just isn’t as good as it could be is it?  You may have a multitude of symptoms or you may just have one thing that is making you miserable.  So what can you do about the situation?

Well as I see it, you have two options, you can sit and wallow in your misery or you can take action and be more positive.  Following an accident at work in 1996, I had two years off work as I was suffering from Chronic Pain Syndrome.  I was predicted by doctors to only have 70% of my function for life.  It was devastating news….My problems were investigated by GPs, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and pain specialists and I was on high strength pain killers which had no effect.

As you can imagine, life was not great.  I was terribly unhappy and really quite negative.  I was on benefit, in debt, in excruciating pain and in a relationship which was not empowering me.   I went from therapist to therapist trying to get help to make me happy and well again.  It took me a long while to realise that they could not make me happy, and the only person who could make me happy was me!  I had to change my attitude to life and become more positive.  I had to take control of my health!

So what worked….

In my search for happiness, I tried all sorts of complementary therapies.  The main one which made such a difference to me early on was Reiki.  I was empowered to the healing energy in October 1998 and by January 1999, I was off benefit, I was working full time as a teacher and the pain I felt was much reduced.  Life was looking up …. I felt amazing and things seemed just to get better and better.  How could something so simple as being attuned to this natural healing method help me feel so wonderful? Now 15 years on, I am Reiki Master/Teacher and I am able to pass on the wisdom I have learnt in my journey of self-healing.

If you are wondering what Reiki is, according to the Reiki Council (www.reikicouncil.co.uk) it is….

Liz Almon - Reiki tree‘Universal life energy’, a term used to describe a system of natural healing.  This healing tradition was founded by Dr Mikao Usui in the early 20th century and evolved as a result of his research, experience and dedication.  We live in a world of energy that nourishes and maintains all living things.  When the energy flows uninterrupted there is balance and harmony within and around us and we experience a sense of wellbeing. Reiki works at bringing us into balance and works on a spiritual, physical, emotional and mental level.’

So was it just Reiki that got me well again or did I use other complementary therapies?

As well as Reiki, I have done lots of other stuff to change my mindset.  I have read numerous self help books, been on courses for Neuro Linguistic Programming, Timeline Therapy and Hypnosis and much more.  In essence, when you start to take responsibility for what you are saying to yourself and understand why you are reacting to your life negatively, your pain and unhappiness will change.  Anyone can be attuned to Reiki and once you have it, it is with you for life, so it is a great way to help yourself!

Choose to act now and think differently about yourself and your life.  Take responsibility for your happiness and be careful what you are saying to yourself.  Think happy thoughts and be grateful for what you have got, rather than what you haven’t.  Dream big and set yourself goals and work towards them.  Never settle for second best.  Remember the age that you are, does not stop you from having happiness right now.  It is free…..

 

Liz Almond

Health and Wellbeing Coach

Insightful Minds

 

liz@insightfulminds.co.uk

07815 904848

www.insightfulminds.co.uk

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: , , ,

Natural Healing With Energy Medicine

The body has a powerful ability to heal itself when given the tools it needs to stay healthy. We cannot entirely remove anxiety from our lives, but we can create lifestyles that reduce stress and toxins so the natural healing process can take place.

In the eastern hemisphere, medicine targets the mind, body and spirit while western medicine tends to treat symptoms through time-tested scientific methods. Although the two approaches represent opposite ends of the same spectrum, practitioners and clients are discovering that they actually complement each other. Using western and eastern philosophies together is known as integrative medicine.

Scientists now know that everything consists of energy, and that includes everything from our mitochondria to our thoughts and feelings. Our cells send out electrical impulses, collectively creating magnetic energy fields around our bodies. When this energy becomes imbalanced by stress, trauma or toxins, we develop diseases.

The goal of natural medicine, also known as energy healing, is to remove blockages in the body’s energy system so it can return to ideal health. Although new to traditional medicine, this philosophy originated thousands of years ago. Today it encompasses countless methods and theories.

Eight Kinds of Energy Healing

– Energy healers use their hands to send vital life energy to the magnetic field around the body. Modalities include Healing Touch, Pranic Healing, Reiki and medical qigong.

– Chinese medicine revolves around energy channels called meridians. Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate energy points along the meridians while acupressure applies physical force. Energy in Chinese medicine is known as “chi.”

– Qigong is an ancient form of martial arts that uses soft, sweeping motions to bring qi into the body and balance its magnetic field. “Qi” is the Japanese word for energy.

– Yoga, Sanskrit for “joining of the body, mind and spirit,” dates back to Vedic teachings in early India. The practice promotes clean living, gentle poses, breathing techniques and meditation as a way toward balanced living and union with source energy. In yoga, the word for energy is “prana.”

– Massage is a broad term that refers to the physical manipulation of the body’s connective tissues and muscles to bring about healing. Kinds of massage include craniosacral therapy, deep tissue, Swedish, Shiatsu and Thai. Soothing music and aromatherapy go well with the art of massage.

– Emotional Freedom Technique involves the process of tapping on various parts of the body to release buried emotions so it can replenish its own energy.

– Sound therapy uses sound vibrations to resonate with different parts of the body. Like energy, sound waves vibrate at specific speeds and are able to repair subtle energy patterns.

– Meditation refers to a group of techniques that use the mind to change one’s state of awareness. Its physical, mental and spiritual benefits are well-documented by scientific research.

Although there are many other techniques of natural healing, all seek to return the energetic body to its original state so that physical and emotional healing can occur. All kinds of healing are most effective when used as part of a daily practice. Most methods complement each other and western medicine.

By Serena Li

Serena Li enjoys exploring the topic of Complementary and Alternative Medicine as she believes in the power of natural healing through natural foods, a green lifestyle, and alternative therapies. She is a regular content contributor to Basic-Natural LLC, a natural living website providing practical information on a way of living that’s more in tune with nature, our environment, and our inner self.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Serena_Li

 

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: ,

Find, Acknowledge and Celebrate Your Best Body Feature

There is an old song that goes accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative; do not mess with Mr In-between. Great words!

Too often I hear women over 40 worrying constantly about their negative body bits. The media is full of articles telling us women how to disguise our faults. When that all seems too hard, we fall into the in-between. These are the so-so clothes that are neither flattering nor disguising but just plain boring.

When you dress to accentuate your best body feature all or most of the time, you show your self-confidence. You also stand out as a leader who is making the most of her strengths. In the different ways you draw attention to your best body feature, you learn creativity and give the visual impression of being a modern, forward-thinking woman. Wow!

Here is some inspiration for business and professional women over 40 to help you find, acknowledge and creatively accentuate your best body feature.

Step 1 – Find It

This is not always as simple as it sounds. I can hear you silently moaning that you have no best feature. Here is a starting list – your height, eyes, eyelashes, hair, face shape, long neck, figure, arms, hands, legs or feet. Something about one of these features causes others to notice you and comment positively on it. You may have dismissed the compliment. Now is the time to remember those words or ask your partner or friends what they think is your best physical feature and why. The why will be essential later. Another alternative is to go to an Image Consultant for an unbiased, positive assessment of your best body feature.

On the other side are those of you who know your best feature. You may have been complimented on it all your life and wish it would go away because you feel you are more than your striking feature. Some of you know what it is but you do not know how to accentuate it.

Step 2 – Acknowledge It

The most important part of acknowledgment is that it is for you first. You have been given your best feature to be uniquely you. It is part of you and something that will help you on your life’s journey like Paul Newman’s blue eyes. Be grateful for it. You have been given soft eyes to develop your gentleness; a strong face shape to develop your focused determination or your long fingers to be playful or elegant.

Secondly, it is there to attract others to you. They need it as a beacon to find you. Maybe they need to give you a life message or lesson; or come to you to learn something from you or to join you as part of your business or personal tribe.

Step 3 – Celebrate It

Short-term happiness is finding one item that accentuates and enhances your best body feature. You may discover that a princess line from the bust enhances your figure and you look for and wear that style all the time. You end up with a full wardrobe but feel stuck in a rut. Eventually you may get discouraged and you try to hide your best feature.

Long-term happiness is discovering and experimenting with different ways to develop and celebrate your best feature throughout the rest of your life. It is acknowledging your long fingers and celebrating them by learning all the different ways you can accentuate them. That may be experimenting with different nail shapes and colours; finding elegant, dramatic or fun rings, watches or bracelets; and looking for interesting sleeve styles and accents that draw attention down to your hands. Your long fingers become a source of physical and visual enjoyment for you because there is always the excitement of learning something new.

Repeating the same patterns of dressing over and over leads to women being judged as safe, boring and dowdy. Re-inventing yourself with minor or major changes to your clothes, colour and accessories is the mark of a modern, stylish woman.

Last Words

Making the most of yourself is about appreciating who you are physically as well as mentally and emotionally. Women who find, acknowledge and celebrate their best feature become a woman of influence who inspires other women to also make the most of themselves.

By Margaret A Sims

Margaret Sims is an Image Consultant and Modern Dressing Expert. Margaret helps entrepreneurial women over 40 dress to shine in a world of noisy experts so you can be an influential leader in your field. If this is you, visit my blog – http://thefashiontranslator.wordpress.com for more dressing tips. At both the Blog and Margaret’s website – http://yourfuturedirection.com.au you can sign up to get the free twice-monthly newsletter and receive your free eBook and Audio – ‘Look Fabulous, Feel Confident Every Day’.

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Laugh Away Your Worries With Comedy CDs

Most of the people in America and other parts of the world are leading a hectic life. People are busy with their work and don’t get enough time to be with their families or enjoy a few moments of relaxation at their favorite places. Stress is a disease that can cripple your life, and can even cripple your immune system. You may suffer from hypertension, high blood pressure, and other illnesses. If you are stressed out, you should find a way to relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. If you find that you are experiencing a lot of your stress from home or your office, you can use laughter as a way out of tense and difficult situations. You should always be able to handle tough situations coolly, but you can’t do that if you are constantly frazzled. Always make sure to keep this in mind, and try to make light of things whenever appropriate. To help, you could introduce a bit of humor into your entertainment menu. If you watch fun, entertaining shows, it will help you fight tension. Keep in mind, a little bit of laughter can go a long way when dealing with stress. After all, laughter is generally considered the best medicine.

There is even an old saying that laughter is the best medicine, for stress other illnesses. A few moments of laughing can help lighten up your mood and make the problems you are experiencing during the day vanish before your eyes. If you were to laugh every day, you’d be amazed at how your body would begin to heal itself. There are many examples in which people have chosen to forgo conventional medicine, and either buy or rent CDs, or Stand Up comedy CDs in order to induce healing laughter.

There are so many types of Comedy CDs available in the market, such as classical comedy, clean comedy CDs, and other CDs. You can also find new age comedy by stand up comedians. Their routines can entertain you, and help bring relaxation into your home. Watching these amusing programs on a regular basis has often brought about great successes, where illnesses have either completely disappeared, or are greatly reduced. Cds and Stand Up CDs have brought immeasurable joy to the millions of stressed out people. Comedy CDs are considered wonderful stress relief gifts, because humor is an excellent stress reducer and consequently an effective relaxation technique. Because of this, they can be wonderful gifts for your friends and loved ones. You can buy them from online stores at unbelievable prices

By Abelard Ku Tyler

The author provides a lot of information on Comedy CDs and Stand Up Comedy CDs. He can show you how to choose the best Comedy CDs from online stores.

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Category: Health/Fitness

Top 10 Exercise tips for the 50 plus age group

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It is important to exercise at any age, but as we get older it can be harder to find activities that we feel we can do and want to do. Here are a few tips to help you include exercise in your daily routine.

With the increase in state pension age, you must look forward to retirement as the time to relax and enjoy your golden years. Retirement can enrich your life with opportunities to see more of your family, travel, pursue hobbies such as fishing, painting and gardening etc.

Even if you are still working, especially in a sedentary type of job, it is important to keep active. It is recommended that older people include exercise in their daily routine. It helps keeps you supple, oxygenated, helps lower your blood pressure and enables your bones and muscles to stay strong.

You may like to join a regular exercise class in Pilates or Tai Chai where professional advice can be given regarding any health issues and which exercises you should do to prevent aggravating the condition, for instance back problems. Certain exercises that put pressure on the spine should not be attempted without professional advice.

Here are our top ten tips on exercise and fitness for the 50 plus age group: 

  1. Walk every day for at least 20mins. Wear comfortable shoes, a pair of light, supportive trainers will do. Perhaps you should choose a half-size bigger than your usual size as your feet usually expand during exercise.
  1. Swim. The length of time depends on your posture, age and agility. Doing combinations of strokes is best for a minimum of 20mins, working up to 1 hour.
  1. Cycle. Depending on your agility, try a minimum of 15 minutes.
  1. Pelvic floor muscles.Your pelvic floor is very important whatever your age or gender – it is a diamond-shaped muscle that joins your pubis to the sacrum. Contract your transversus (tummy muscles) and think of bringing in that diamond shape muscle to the middle of your tummy – this is a pelvic floor lift.There are two exercises:
    i) Lift, hold and let go slowly.
    ii) Think of a building with three floors. Lift to first, hold, lift to second, hold, lift to third then let go slowly.
  1. Lie on your back in bed with your legs up in the air and “cycle” with your legs 100 times. If you have back problems, check first.
  1. Hold on to a table or kitchen worktop and try and lift your knee up to your chest. Do alternate legs 15-20 times
  1. Depending on your age and mobility stand and sit back on a chair/sofa between 6-10 times a day, holding on to something for support if you need to.
  1. Create mobility in your spine by rolling your body down; head first, towards the floor from standing and then slowly roll yourself back up. If you have back problems, check first.
  1. Using lightweight hand weights (if you don’t have any then use tins of bake beans or full water bottles), and do bicep curls.
  1. If you have time try to attend some Tai Chi, Qigong or Pilates classes, they are fantastic for mobility and increasing energy levels.

As people grow older, they tend to become more and more sedentary, it is very important to try and keep mobile by increasing movement and raise your heart rate.

Also don’t forget to drink water! Water regulates ALL the functions in the human body.

It flushes your kidneys and regulates all the functions in the human body including the flow of blood and lymph through the body, functioning of our brains, cushioning and regulation of organs, the transfer and absorption of nutrients into cells and tissue, the removal of waste out of the cells, the movement of nerve impulses through the nervous system, the balance of hormones, the regulation of body temperature and the lubrication and cushioning of joints. So, as you can see, it is very important for our health to drink plenty of water.

Category: Health/Fitness
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