My Top 10 Weight Loss Tips

If there's one thing I want you to take away from this artice it's that I'd like you to keep it readily available as a quick reference. The 10 super quick weight loss tips, even though some are quite easy, could totally change your life for ever. Many times readers tell me how much they have benefited from them. I am certain you will too.

1. Drink Warm Water In The Morning

A warm cup of water first thing in the morning (and even better with a squeeze of lemon) goes right through the bowels and cleans mucus out from the day before. Drink another cup of warm water in the evening too.

2. Lubricate, Don't Flood

Your stomach needs to be lubricated, not flooded. When you drink fluids with meals, you drown your digestive enzymes and only partial digestion takes place. Therefore, drink fluids, juices, or preferably water, 30 minutes away from meals - say 30 minutes before or after, but not during.

3. Chew Slowly

Chewing slowly until food becomes liquefied is one of my most important recommendations. Really savor each mouthful. Feel the texture and capture the flavor of your food. It's when your saliva comes into contact with your food, as it is being chewed, that the digestive process begins. The chewed food will then pass easily through your digestive system with maximum nutrient uptake.

4 Eat When Calm

You physically can't digest food properly if you are upset or have just had an argument. Eat when calm. Your digestion will be much better.

5. Not Too Hot - Not Too Cold

The temperature of food and drink entering your body affects the strength of your spleen, your energy battery, and other organs too. Ice-cold drinks weaken the organs. Eating piping hot foods that burn your palate aren't much better, since they injure mouth membranes, damage gastric stomach lining, and degrade taste buds. Tepid or air temperature foods, drinks and water are best.

6. Decorate Your Plate

When you smell food, feast your eyes on it or even think about it, your brain spurs into action, sending a message to the salivary glands to secrete saliva which contains a digestive enzyme. So prepare attractive delicious meals to enhance your digestion.

7. Rotate Foods

Don't eat the same foods every day. You don't need too much of one single food and it can often lead to food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. So instead eat a particular food just once every four days as opposed to every day. You'll not only prevent allergies, but will also nourish your body with a broader array of varied nutrients.

8. Listen To Your Body

Take note of what foods you crave. If you really want a specific food - its color, the smell or the feel - just enjoy and go with the attractions. It may be that your body needs something nutritionally contained within that food. I'm not talking chocolate cookies here! I'm referring to all those fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables, seasonings, and so on that are readily available in any food shop or supermarket. Walk the produce aisle for fresh fruits and vegetables with an open mind and an open spirit. What looks good? What feels good? What smells good? Which foods look healthy and robust? Then make your choices. Try a food combining diet that explains which foods to eat together to improve weight loss.

9. Enzymes! Enzymes! Enzymes!

Sprouted seeds, raw vegetables, raw fruits, nuts and seeds are loaded with live enzymes, the key to nutrient absorption and vibrant health.

10. Break The Fast

Always eat something healthy and substantial for breakfast. This is the time period when your stomach energies are at their strongest, and your digestive enzyme juices are rearing to go. You will gradually weaken your stomach and digestive function if you skip breakfast. No matter how little it is, eat something decent. Fresh fruit, oatmeal, millet or quinoa porridge are all good morning choices.

Elddis Caravan Reviews - The New Tempest

Looking for something roomy to accommodate a large family? Looks like the Elddis Crusader Tempest caravan could be just the ticket.

It looks like the triple-fixed-bunk set-up is here to stay: the Tempest is the latest player to have its name added to an ever-lengthening team sheet that includes offerings from Bailey (first name on the list), Swift, Lunar, Adria and the Crusader's room mate, the Avante.

Arguably, the Tempest is the most imposing of the three-bunk six-berth contingent. The top-of-the-range Crusader is a big old beast, needing twin axles to accommodate the 20-foot-plus interior length. That's space enough for a full-size lounge at the front and a separate shower cubicle in the washroom.

Phew... There's a lot to get round, then. Better get on with it.

Construction

You could have a torrid time with assorted doors in the Tempest, the worst offender being the entrance door, which left me stranded outside when its notchy handle refused all polite requests to disengage from the latch fully, despite being completely unlocked.
Eventually, I gained entry by distinctly impolite means, and thenceforth kept the keys in my pocket every time I left the caravan. It repeated the same trick once, then behaved better - but always felt sticky.

Inside, the washroom door has one of those new breed of domestic-style handles, but it was already coming loose and didn't engage properly. The push-button release on the wardrobe door reminded me why I don't really like push-buttons: I pushed and, for a long time, it didn't release. Eventually, it admitted defeat but was still prone to bouts of stubbornness. If this one can be classified as a minor niggle, the other two would be unacceptable on any caravan, never mind one costing as much as this.

The quality of the joinery elsewhere on board is very good, with the nice, thick woodwork reminding you that you are, after all, in a top-of-the range caravan. Outside, the panels are joined to one another neatly and precisely

Towability

By the time you've decided to make a six-berth on a twin axle and kit it out with most of the available goodies as standard, there's little point in watching the pounds and ounces - you may as well have that second jumbo jam doughnut and be done with it.

So it is, then, that the Tempest weighs in at just under 1900kg if you take full advantage of the available payload. Nothing this side of a Land Cruiser, Pathfinder or
Discovery 4 will suffice. But, busy high streets and sweaty-palm-narrow site entrances notwithstanding, a massive outfit such as this will be superb on the road, with eight wheels providing well-planted roadholding, suspension dampers helping to smooth out the bumps and the standard hitch stabilizer providing that extra hand on the tiller. My friends old Discovery V8 made light work of it but, then again, I'd have been gutted if it didn't...

The two rear foglights and a pair of reversing lamps are sensible fitments.

Usability

My guess is that it must be great fun working in the Usability Department up at Elddis Towers. These guys consistently come up with ideas that make it all the way onto the finished product.

For example, a caravan's front lounge is often left 'exposed' when converted into a bedroom at night, but not here: a pull-out concertina blind shuts it off completely to give the occupants on either side of the divide a bit of privacy. It also means the lounge can be pressed into service as a changing/dressing room, a task it's much more suited to than the elbow-bashing confines of the washroom.

Something else: there are two mains sockets in the kitchen, so the kettle and the toaster can be plugged in at the same time. There's another mains socket under the fridge that provides power to the bedroom: handy for charging up the mobile overnight

The exterior gas barbecue point is a fine addition on a family holiday machine such as this; and the hinged, slatted bases of the two lower fixed bunks lift up out of the way to give a vast storage area when they're not in use. The awning warmer is basically an exterior-wall outlet for the blown-air heating system. But don't dismiss it as a gimmick if you've never experienced it: it's enough to make a difference in the cooler days of spring or autumn.

Never mind cooler days: if you use the Tempest in the dog days of winter, you'll be glad of the 40-litre inboard water tank, which removes any worry of your water supply freezing up overnight.

The so-called privacy glass on the side windows isn't misnamed: if you want to sneak a look inside this one as you walk past on site, you'll need to press your nose right up against the window.

But the highlight here is the presence of the 'proper' side dinette that offers genuine seating for four (maybe not four full-sized adults, mind), not to mention a terrific single bed that easily trumps the bunks for space and comfort. It's no big deal to transform it from bed to seating in the morning, either.

Storage is first-class. Wide-opening hatches provide easy access to the front bedlockers, and there's exterior access to the nearside one, too: open that hatch and you'll find a mains socket for use in the awning.

Each seat base in the side dinette also has a handy door, making it fuss-free to get to the very useful space in here, too. The wardrobe at the back is good and deep, with plenty of hanging space.

The carpeting is provided in loose-fit sections, an absolute necessity in a caravan that will no doubt have more than its fair share of muddy trainers and wellies to contend with. The big centre section is a bit unwieldy, mind: dividing it into two would make it much more user-friendly

Living And Sleeping

The triple fixed bunks mean that much of the chore of bed making on holiday is removed: indeed, if you're using the Tempest as a four- or five-berth and the kids are all happy to claim one of the bunks each that only leaves the front double to attend to. If Mum and Dad are happy to take advantage of the long lounge and use single beds instead of hauling out the slats to make the huge double, the chore is all but eliminated completely.

Each bunk occupant benefits from a 12V reading light and privacy curtain, but the person in the uppermost one loses out on a window. Other makers see fit to oblige, so it's a strange omission here.

They're fine beds: on the basis of my trying out the bottom one, the mattresses are firm and supportive, and there's room enough to toss and turn. The windows are sited so that their infrastructure doesn't get in the way of shoulders or elbows.

The wider-than-usual side dinette makes up into a luxurious single bed that allows the luxury of sprawling. The base is formed by slotting the clip-on table top between the seats. A curtain for a bit of bedtime privacy would be a useful addition, though.

The washroom is directly opposite the bunks, so it's effectively an en-suite facility for the bedroom.

The front lounge transforms into great sleeping quarters, whether in single- or double-bed mode: the sprung upholstery is deep and supportive, giving all-night-long comfort. Slats glide in and out effortlessly to make the double. Pull the concertina blind across and you really feel that you, too, have your own proper bedroom.

Just as much care and attention have been lavished on the lounge to make it a fine place to be during the waking hours: sink into those substantially upholstered front comers and you'll find them every bit as comfortable as they look. There's enough room here for six, but why cram everybody in when there's such good seating available in the side dinette? With two dining here, everybody on board will be able to wallow in space and comfort.

Kitchen

Elddis kitchens are always impressive and this one's no exception. There's an enormous amount of storage, divided among lockers, drawers and a huge cupboard under the sink. A respectable amount of work surface has been designed in, and there's always the possibility of using either the hefty chinchilla glass covers of either the sunken sink or hob.

These now-familiar covers are heat, scratch and stain-proof. With three gas burners (one of which is supersized), a grill, oven and microwave, cooking dinner for six should be easily achievable. The wall-mounted Thetford fridge with totally separate freezer, directly opposite the cooker, is a real tour de force - stylish and, with plenty of capacity, immensely practical.

I can think of just one reason to mark this impressive kitchen down, and it's the usual - one little striplight over the sink just isn't good enough for a kitchen this size.

Wash Room

Once you're past the disappointment of the door, things start to look up. The mirror-fronted cabinet takes care of storage - that 'cupboard' under the basin is actually a bijou linen basket. The wash hand basin has been attacked by the mastic gun: generous sealing is one thing, but there's so much of it here, it looks untidy. There's a carpet section in here - loose-fit, thankfully, so it can be whipped out.

The washroom is nice and spacious. Sensibly, the separate shower compartment is at the back of the room, so doesn't put the wc or basin out of commission if it's being used. This is a nice facility - spacious and with sensible provision for gel and shampoo.

Lighting and Electrics

Two wall lights in the front comers, four reading lights, four downlighters surrounding the sunroof binnacle and two 'mood-lighting' strips. That's the lighting allocation... for the front lounge. Strewth! Suffice it to say, you won't run short of illumination, unless you're trying to see what's occurring on the hob after dark. The mood lighting is hidden under the overhead lockers on either side of the lounge and in the side dinette. It doesn't give out much light by itself, but with so many other lighting options at your disposal, you can dial in whatever ambience you fancy of an evening.

There are another four downlighters surrounding the second sunroof in the middle of the caravan, two reading lights in the side dinette, one for each of the bunks, a downlighter over the mirror outside the washroom and no fewer than three in the washroom itself. Let there be light? I should cocoa.

Let there be power, too - there are five mains sockets inside, two of which are accompanied by aerial/12V sockets to give you a choice of TV viewing locations. As mentioned, the bedroom is connected to the mains, too, although its semi-hidden location under the fridge had me foxed at first.

All the controls are where they should be for ease of access, putting the seal on a thoroughly well-connected caravan.

Verdict

The Tempest's build quality concerns are very out of keeping for an Elddis: none the less, I'd be less than elated to encounter them if I had just taken delivery of a vehicle costing nearly 21 grand (sterling). In virtually all other regards I'd be chuffed to bits: it's spacious in every area, smartly turned-out and really makes the most of what is a terrific layout.

Michelle has recently started an automotive review service where she test drives and reviews everything from industrial forklift truck models to touring and sports vehicles. Her latest industrial work deals with the revolutionary electric forklift trucks.

Volvo XC60 Review and Test Drive

Sleek, elegant, chic and sporty are not words you might normally associate with a 4x4 - and you'd be extremely unlikely to use them all at once to describe the same 4x4. That is until the advent of Volvo's XC60.

Since bringing the utilitarian off-roader into the family leisure market, car makers have striven to style it and tailor it to offer the broadest appeal, with varying degrees of success. Some try a 4x4/MPV cross, while others go for a more laid-back SUV image. There's even been an attempt by a premium car maker at trying to turn its large SUV into a sleek sports coupe, with notably unsleek, nay, grotesque, results!

Unlike many SUVs, Volvo's XC60 manages to retain, and even enhance, the svelte lines and subtle contours of its more lightweight saloon and estate brethren. In fact, if you lowered an XC60 to make it adopt a road-hugging stance, it would doubtless appear as a rather rakish sports estate. Volvo calls it "emotional" styling.

Cabin Comfort

You wouldn't accuse the XC60's interior of being overdone. It is fresh, modem, stylish and, above all, simple. The all-anthracite lower-half trim of our test example might seem dull and oppressive in some cars, but with little more to lift it than white contrast stitching and tastefully applied bright moldings, the Volvo manages an air of smart practicality. You'd expect nothing less from Swedish design.

The focal point is without doubt Volvo's now well known 'floating' center console, in this instance having a bright metallic finish. It presents an array of logically-arranged and clearly-marked controls - the human-shaped air-distribution graphic being a particular case in point - which become almost intuitive at first glance. Above this and the CD slot resides the clear sat-nav screen, slightly inset to reduce reflections in the window glass, and located on the same plane as the instruments where a quick glance enables immediate visual clarity without refocusing.

Gauges - just the two - convey the necessary details via annular analogue dials and (that word again) 'floating' pointers with digital supplementary information displayed in their centers. They have a chronographic look to them, but Volvo has thankfully resisted the usually Far-Eastern car manufacturers' trend to decorate them with too much bling and fancy illumination.

In true Volvo tradition, the seats are well-shaped, supportive and comfortable with those in the front offering a useful range of adjustment. The rear compartment boasts reasonable if not commodious legroom, and the nicely contoured seat should provide three average-sized adults with cozy but comfortable travel. The 40:20:40 split/fold seat gives a flat load floor when the one-touch release levers are operated.

Zoned climate control gives a degree (actually, quite a few degrees) of heating/cooling versatility and clean cabin air using filtration and Volvo's Clean Zone Interior Package, an innovative air-purging system.

Driving Dynamics

Five-cylinder engines make a deal of sense, being as responsive as a 'four' yet almost as smooth as a 'six', although the smoothness bit is less apparent with an oil burner. Once warmed up, though, the D5 is a pleasant enough diesel, delivering brisk performance in concert with the smooth-shifting six-speed Geartronic transmission, which also has Sport mode and manual override.

Having originally thought the steering over-weighted, a few miles later it seemed to feel quicker and more responsive. Speed-dependent assistance is available as standard or an option, depending on model, with a user-selection facility.

In normal conditions the all-wheel drive system is front-biased, with torque re-apportioned via the computer-controlled hydraulic clutch as available grip alters. Volvo's Instant Traction is designed to assist with standing starts. Ride is quite firm (maybe due to the BMW X3 being an XC60 benchmark) but gives car-like cornering and handling, though well-judged initial compliance takes the sting out of many road imperfections.

The Volvo's City Safety helps avoid low-speed accidents; Collision Warning with Auto Brake and Adaptive Cruise Control with Distance Alert operate at higher speeds; BUS reveals your blind spots; DAC and LDW try to stop you falling asleep or straying out of lane; and IDIS delays phone calls while you deal with complex driving situations. These systems can be had along with Volvo's renowned safety design and engineering assisted by Roll Stability Control, Hill Descent Control, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, and Trailer Stability Assist. Oh, and there's Park Assist...

Pulling Performance

The Volvo's 90kg nose weight offers a good margin to accommodate most appropriate caravans, and rectangular, straight-edged door mirrors provide a better platform than many for towing mirrors.

The XC60 proved to be brisk, turning in a 0-60mph time of 14.5 seconds despite initial take-off being softened by the automatic gearbox.. Hill starts were equally as trouble-free. The outfit felt quite unruffled in urban conditions, possibly due to the assurance of City Safety, and with a 30-50mph time of 6.1 sec was rarely in danger of holding up other traffic. Normal auto mode coped well, smoothly finding itself in the right gear at the right time.

The steering could occasionally feel a bit weighty in tight, twisty urban conditions but improved at higher speeds to become smooth, responsive and accurate, where the Volvo felt in complete control through strings of minor-road bends. On steep descents manual gear selection could be useful, but the strong brakes with their various driver- assistance systems provided reassurance.

At motorway speeds the XC60 tracked straight and true, though on a very windy test day some buffeting was experienced, as was some enforced deviation offline from large overtaking trucks and coaches.

Ride comfort in all conditions was firm, though rarely uncomfortably so, and the XC60 managed to damp out the caravan's bump reactions very competently over all but the worst ruts.

Verdict

Think of this SUV as a tall, slinky, blonde Swede that'll never have a blonde moment, yet is very XC.

Check out these automotive reviews from hybrids to the latest forklift truck models, and HGV to forklift training guides.

Type 2 Diabetes Diet Or Normal Healthy Eating Plan - Which Is Best

Many weight loss plans and programs for diabetes offer good ideas about what should work to help control diabetes. But do you really need to follow a specific diabetes diet plan? A recent survey performed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine may prove otherwise. The participants in the Diabetes Obesity Intervention Trial (DO IT) study, and others highlight a number of factors that support a normal healthy approach to eating over any kind of type 2 diabetes diet.

A healthy eating and exercise plan corrects simple but fundamental errors committed by many people trying to lose weight, such as going for too long without eating or saving the biggest meal for the end of the day. It also ensures that you cover all your basic nutritional needs without ever feeling hungry.

It never restricts what you can eat, although you may need to eat favourite foods in smaller portions or prepare them in different ways. A typical comment by DO IT participants is: "It didn't feel like a diet.'

It's a plan you can live with. Although recent research has tentatively bolstered weight loss claims made for popular low-carbohydrate diets - at least in the short term - doctors and dietitians find that many people have an extremely difficult time staying on these diets long term because they are too restrictive. A more balanced and healthy eating plan can produce significant results that become a way of life, not merely a temporary fix.

Another important reason to follow a healthy eating plan rather than a specific diabetic diet is that it has been proven to work for people with Type 2 diabetes. Eating smaller meals more regularly is specifically designed to keep blood sugar levels from swinging wildly between highs and lows, as well as to reduce your calorie intake so that you lose weight.

Unlike many low-carbohydrate diets, the eating smaller meals more regularly steers you clear of the less healthy type of fat that makes blood sugar more difficult to control and raises your risk of heart disease - already a big danger if you have diabetes - and focuses on the 'healthy' fats that facilitate better blood sugar control.

You can eating unlimited amounts of vegetables, which will provide plenty of the nutrients that people with diabetes need most (not to mention plenty of food, so you won't be hungry). And the exercise you get will help to increase your insulin sensitivity and further decrease your blood sugar levels.

Because a normal healthy eating plan doesn't involve maths, it's easy to follow. There's no calorie or carbohydrate counting (except for an initial one-off assessment of your current diet); you don't have to know the specific Glycaemic Index values of all the foods you eat; and you don't have to eat your burger without a bun or give up potatoes. You're allowed to eat bread and pasta, and even dessert, in reasonable amounts. You will need to make some changes - for instance, eat a little less fat, fill your plate with more vegetables, and cut back a little on portion sizes overall - but they aren't big ones. And you must be ready for change, or you wouldn't be reading this article.

The Power Of Choice

Can a 'self-selected' diet really control blood sugar as well as one that imposes more rigid guidelines? Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, USA, recently put this question to the test with 648 African-Americans, whose risk of diabetes is twice that of Caucasians.

One group of Type 2 diabetes patients was put on an eating plan using food exchanges, while another group was given a much simpler program that emphasized making healthy choices (balanced meals, less fat).

The result: the people in the healthy choices group improved their blood sugar just as much as those on the plan that used the food exchanges.

Following a diabetes diet plan may not necessarily be the best thing to control and manage your diabetes symptoms. A normal healthy eating plan coupled with some regular exercise could be just as good as any diabetic diet plan. Get the facts today.

Diabetes Diet Tips - A New Approach To Blood Sugar Control

I'm assuming that you're reading this diabetes diet article for one simple reason. You (or a loved one) have diabetes or a family history of diabetes and you want to find a healthy diet for diabetes that will help you manage the condition more effectively. Maybe you'd like to reduce your reliance on medication. Perhaps you're hoping to avoid having to resort to drugs in the first place. Maybe you simply want a diabetes diet plan that will allow you to do everything in your power to keep your blood sugar under control and to keep serious health problems at bay.

No matter what your situation, if you have Type 2 diabetes, there is a lot you can do to help you to tame it.

By following some healthy type 2 diabetes diet tips you'll be able to lose some weight and also boost your cells' ability to respond to insulin.

If you have Type 2 diabetes, your primary goal is simple: to bring your blood sugar levels under control. By doing so, you'll help to stave off diabetes-related complications that can compromise your quality of life, such as serious eye and kidney problems; you can reduce your risk of heart disease (did you know that people with diabetes have two to four times the normal risk of heart disease and stroke?); and you'll most likely live longer. Best of all, you will soon feel better both physically and mentally and more in control of your day-to-day health.

How to lower blood sugar levels is another matter entirely, and one that can seem anything but simple.

Medications can achieve this, of course, and you may need to be on some. But there are many more measures that you can take to control your diabetes and slow its progression, starting with changing your diet.

There are countless different ways to regulate your diet, from simple healthy eating to choosing the foods you eat according to their Glycaemic Index ratings. But we don't think you should have to research each and every food before you eat it.

Taking charge of diabetes doesn't have to be all that complicated. In fact, it shouldn't be, because the more complicated a piece of advice is, the less likely you are to follow it. Approaches that involve a lot of time, attention and planning can be difficult to stick with permanently.

The truth is that all you really need to do to achieve a radical change in your health is to make a few small changes in some of your everyday habits, such as what you eat for lunch or what you do during the commercial breaks on TV. How can such small changes possibly add up to controlling diabetes?

Lowering your blood sugar levels is reason enough to lose weight for someone with diabetes. But shedding surplus pounds may also help to relieve or prevent a multitude of secondary health problems, including

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Joint pain
• Sleep apnea
• Arthritis
• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Kidney cancer

Stop Smoking Tips - Overcoming Deprivation

If you are reading this as a smoker, the fact that you're free to smoke might seem rather obvious. Here you are, lighting up cigarettes and smoking them. Of course you can do that. It's after you have made an attempt to stop that your choice to go back to smoking can seem to have been surrendered.

The work involved in stopping smoking is in coming to understand that you have the freedom to return to smoking - even though you are not exercising that freedom by smoking.

The chances are that you have a deep-seated belief that you have been developing for many years, even decades. And it takes some time and effort to turn this false way of thinking around.

A friend of mine, Susan, is typical of someone working through a substantial problem with deprivation. When she first stopped smoking she got very angry, then lethargic and apathetic. When I spoke to her a week later she was feeling very deprived, yearning to smoke for hours on end, even though she was genuinely horrified by the thought of going back to smoking.

Dealing wth deprivation is part of learning how to quit smoking.

Understandably, she said that she didn't feel very confident at all. She told me that she couldn't smoke. Her (false) logic was that if she wanted to stay off smoking, then she didn't have the option of smoking. 'If I want to live,' she said, 'then I can't smoke.' 'Not true,' I told her. You want to live; true. Smoking will kill you; that is possible. But the truth is that you still have the option of doing that. It's a freedom you have, whether you want it or not. It's a fact of life.'

I wasn't encouraging her to smoke, I was encouraging her to acknowledge that the choice to smoke exists, so that she wouldn't think she was being deprived. When she turned this thinking around she felt much more positive and in control, and found staying stopped much easier.

Her background explains the trouble she was having coming to terms with the concept of free choice. Her parents were both heavy smokers. While they smoked and smoked every day, they always told her, over and over again, that she 'must never become a smoker'.

They were both very ill from smoking, and understandably wanted a better life for their daughter. Susan started smoking when she was 16 and you can imagine the reaction when her parents found out. There was much screaming and yelling, and again she was told that she was not allowed to smoke, that she 'had to stop'.

Once, a few years ago, she stopped smoking after a visit to a hypnotist, but she had just repressed her desire, and was back smoking after two weeks. She didn't even see the issue of choice and deprivation until she read a few good self help books, after 30 years of smoking, simultaneously believing she just wasn't allowed to smoke.

When she reminds herself that she does, in fact, have the freedom to smoke, not smoking becomes easier and far more positive. Her desire to smoke is significantly more tolerable, when before it was 'like a scream through my body'. Knowing she has a choice provided the key.

She goes through periods of forgetting her freedom, but then she will remember it again, eventually shifting her thinking enough so that her choices are real to her.

Sometimes it does take a while for the penny to drop, and this is what causes the initial difficulty in quitting smoking. It's important to keep on repeating to yourself that you are totally free to be a smoker. You may understand that you have the choice to smoke, but only on a relatively superficial level. You see the logic, but inside you are still fighting against the belief that you are not free at all. It takes a while for your thinking to change on every level.

Many people feel the effects of thinking they are deprived, but are not aware of the thinking that is causing them. In fact, most people aren't even aware that it is thinking that is causing them at all.

Often a person who has been feeling deprived for a week or two will say to me, 'When will it get better?' 'When you change the way you are thinking,' I reply. A common mistake is to believe that the sense of deprivation is caused by something physical, like a flu virus, and must be patiently tolerated until it runs its course. I have seen the transformation in so many people, though, who have made that all-important shift in their thinking and instantly stopped feeling deprived!

If you feel angry, remind yourself that nobody is making you do this and that you have not trapped yourself: you are free to return to smoking, whether you actually do that or not it's up to you.

If you feel grief, remember that you have not lost anything; smoking is completely available to you.

If you forget your motivation, remember that you are not locked into one irrevocable decision: you can become a smoker again. Consider that option carefully and honestly, and if there's anything you like about not smoking, it will become obvious.

Stopping smoking doesn't have to feel like a restriction and a tragedy: it can be a liberation and a genuine reward. But you will only experience it that way while you really understand you have still got the freedom to be a smoker if you so choose.

That choice doesn't exist only at the time you stop. A return to smoking continues to be an alternative for the rest of your life, and this can be difficult to accept, especially if you have a strong fear of failure. How to enjoy your continued freedom to smoke - and not deny it or fear it - is something you can learn, with the right techniques.

Diabetes Diet Tips - Do You Really Need To Follow A Diabetic Diet

A couple of years ago, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine undertook a survey to examine what effects being overweight had on diabetes. The objective of the survey was to help a control group lose about 7 percent of the excess bodyweight and monitor the impact it had on their diabetes symptoms.

The main difference this study had over others of a similar nature was how they planned to help the diabetics achieve their weight loss. They did not place the participants on any kind of diabetic diet. The plan was to follow a healthy lifestyle rather than adopt any kind of 'type 2 diabetes diet'.

At a little over 6 months into the study, all of the participants in the control group had over achieved on their weight loss goals, having lost an average of 10 percent body fat.

The study noted that the corresponding reduction in blood sugar levels of the members of the group were particularly impressive.

Remarkable Results

Participants in the study, officially called the Diabetes Obesity Intervention Trial (DO IT), were given basic dietary guidelines to follow, and then they made their own choices about what to eat. Each week, a dietitian offered suggestions on how to make the meals and snacks they were eating slightly healthier. The idea was to improve the participants' current eating habits here and there, a little at a time, instead of trying to get them to adopt a whole new diabetes diet or way of eating.

The other key component of the study was physical activity. Here, too, the goal was not to start an exercise 'program' as such, but to introduce more activity into people's everyday routines, starting with small amounts of walking and gradually building more steps into each day.

For six months, the participants went about their normal lives while applying the principles of the plan. Then they went to the clinic for an extensive series of tests and evaluations that required an overnight stay - something they had done at the start of the study as well. One of those tests (not available at your doctor's surgery but used by researchers) is for insulin sensitivity, and indicates how well cells are able to use insulin.

Six months later the participants returned to the lab again. The results were nothing short of spectacular. By sticking to simple guidelines, the study participants:

Exceeded the 7 per cent weight-loss goal, losing an average of 10 per cent of body weight after six months.

Kept weight off through to the end of the year-long study. Although average weight bounced back slightly, on average, the participants were still more than 8 per cent below their starting weights after a year.

Reduced their fasting blood glucose from an average of 9.4mmol/l - well into dangerously elevated territory - to 6.9mmol/l, which crosses the border into non-diabetes territory. That's a significant 2.5 point difference.

Brought their hemoglobin Alc levels (a measure of blood glucose averages over a three-month period) down from an average of 8 (typical for people with diabetes) to 6.7, which is below the goal of 7.

Improved their insulin sensitivity by fivefold in some cases and, in many cases, by twofold. Because the sophisticated laboratory tests for insulin sensitivity are not generally available you won't be able to check your own sensitivity improvement, but if you have better sugar control with less medication, your sensitivity will have improved.

Were able to stop taking medication. This was true for 18 of 25 people who were taking drugs at the start of the study.

Matched the weight loss of a control group that followed the plan and also took the weight-loss drug orlistat (Xenical). By using entirely natural methods, participants in this study achieved the same results as people who tried to get a boost from a weight-loss drug.

Not everyone can expect these exact results, of course. For research purposes, none of the participants weighed more than 136kg (21st 41b) - the laboratory measuring equipment couldn't cope with people heavier than this. To enable researchers to tell which results came from lifestyle changes, none of the participants was on insulin. Those who were on medication needed to be able to come off their regimens for the study and safely maintain fasting blood glucose levels under 11.1 mmol/1 - well above the level of 7mmol/l that indicates diabetes, but low enough not to pose acute danger.

Regardless of these factors, though, anyone with Type 2 diabetes can significantly benefit from the approach used in the study.

As if the results of the DO IT study aren't impressive enough, there's even more you can do to bring blood sugar down naturally and reduce your risk of diabetes-related health problems. These measures won't necessarily help you to lose weight, but they will help to lower your blood sugar levels. They include:

Relaxation techniques which help to improve your glucose control by reducing levels of 'stress hormones' that raise blood sugar.

Improving sleep patterns and battling sleep deprivation, which has been linked to increased insulin resistance.

Simple strength training exercises that build muscle and boost your metabolism, so you'll burn more calories.

Total Body Detox Tips

Detoxing your body can take many additional forms as well as learning how to detox your body through diet.

Have you ever considered that maybe it might be a good idea to detox your mind too?

Try this:

Take a perceived risk

Test your comfort zone and feel the thrill.

If anything concentrates the mind it is a small dose of abject terror! Not only does it concentrate the mind but, as you go through the 'my whole life flashed before me' bit, you also get to take a long look at yourself and that is incredibly interesting. You find out so much about yourself and how you feel, how you react, in just a few small moments.

Now, a healthy mind detox is not about putting you at risk - far from it. But it is about looking at things differently in order to clear your mind of the rubbish and keep the important stuff. Putting yourself through an extreme experience (with all safety measures observed so there is no actual risk) is  a very good way to find out what is important to you.

Perceived risks can be taken by going along to a place where there are professionals ready and equipped to take you through an extreme experience whilst observing all the correct safety rules and guidelines. They will also assess if you are fit and able to carry out the task without putting yourself in any danger. The risk is all in your head!

The sorts of things we are talking about are:

• Parachute jumping
• Rock climbing
• Flying
• White-water rafting
• Going on a balloon flight
• Going on a glider
• Holding an insect or reptile
• Mountain hiking
• Cave diving
• Bidding at an auction
• Scuba diving
• Public speaking

The list goes on ... It is hard to name everything that would fit into this category but you need to find something that would truly be a massive thing for you to do.

Top tips

Just because something is a big deal for you does not mean it would be such a big deal for the next person. Just do something that would really challenge you. Don't listen to anyone else about what they think would be the most terrifying thing. Work it out for yourself and then, when you feel ready, start to make the necessary arrangements.

Call the association or club that operates the 'risk of your choice' and find out as much as you feel you need to know.

Once you have found something that you would like to have a go at, and that fits your budget and your timing, then just book it!

Obviously this is a lot to get done in one day but you should be able to start to think through the project - and work out the best time to schedule your risk taking. Good luck and fingers crossed!

If you can do this - is there anything beyond your reach? So rather than just embarking on a detox diet, why not detox your whole body too? You never know, it could be fun!

Green tea weight loss

Green tea weight loss is a program that is designed to help you lose weight. When you drink green tea to promote better health in your body as well as to lose weight there are a few things you should think about first. Number one, green tea weight loss does not mean you shouldn't have proper nutrition or that you should exercise.

For green tea weight loss to work you must have a proper healthy diet as well as a proper exercise routine. These three things combined will make it easier for you to lose weight. Green tea weight loss is not a miracle. There are just a few properties in green tea that can help with weight loss. Let's look at some green tea weight loss tips.

When you drink green tea results have shown that your cholesterol is lowered, you increase your body's rate of burning calories, and you enhance fat oxidation. Green tea has a property to promote good health in your red blood cells. The red blood cells are what carry oxygen to your body as well as increase your metabolism.

Catechin Polyphenols are also in green tea. This chemical helps to increase metabolism. With this compound and fat oxidation your body is able to heat up the process.

The amount of energy you get from drinking green tea will vary from person to person and the type of green tea. You see tea has natural caffeine, which means you get energy from that as well as the anti oxidants and other properties in tea. Even green tea weight loss programs that use non caffeine green tea will offer you more energy. Again it has to do with the actual properties of tea and the effects it has on your body.

With more oxygen being circulated in your body the more chance you have of gaining more energy. The other reason for more energy is the toxins you are getting rid of. Green tea tends to be a tea that allows you to slough off water and other toxins through more regular bathroom trips. Leeching all of the toxins from your system is a good thing because your body is able to produce more energy towards other things than the breakdown of bad chemicals and food in your system. Since burning of fat, calories, and getting rid of toxins are three really important aspects of dieting you should try green tea.

Weight Loss Tips 101: A Lesson In Homeostasis

Homeostasis and Healthy Weight Loss Tips

Have you ever stopped to wonder why you need food to survive? It might seem fairly obvious, but the complete explanation is exceedingly complicated. In essence, however, it all boils down to homeostasis, which is really just a fancy word for physiological balance, or equilibrium. The more steadfast and unfaltering our overall homeostasis, the better our state of health.

From the moment we are conceived until the moment we draw our last breath, our life represents a glorious and (temporarily) successful battle against the most lethal force in the universe: entropy, the tendency towards chaos. Our very existence as living organisms relies on a precariously maintained balance between interdependent systems and processes. Should even a tiny component of this bewildering array of life-sustaining functions be thrown off-kilter, it damages our health and jeopardizes our ability to offset future disturbances. You don't need to understand all the intricate details of homeostasis in order to know how to lose weight fast, but knowing the basics will certaily help.

The human body can compensate for a wide variety of assaults to homeostasis. However, each time our body engages to combat an ongoing threat to our health, our physiological equilibrium shifts to a new, less stable set point. The more chronic battles we must fight, the more the balance of life tips toward chaos. Eventually, we run out of ammunition. When our body can no longer defend itself against disequilibrium, we lose the war against entropy and draw our last breath.

Conceptually, you can think of homeostasis like an old-fashioned scale. However, instead of a single beam from which two pans are suspended, there are millions of beams suspended from millions of other beams, like an infinitely complicated child's mobile. Some of the beams are colossal; others are microscopic. And at both ends of every beam, regardless of its size or position, you will find a pair of pans.

Each time you add or subtract a weight from a pan on the scale of homeostasis, every single one of the millions of beams adjusts accordingly. While beams in closest proximity to the disturbance usually display the greatest movements, even the most remote beam will shift incrementally with the addition or removal of weight from any pan. To prevent pans from tipping, the scale requires a steady supply of both counterweights and a processing and distribution system for delivering the appropriate denominations of those counterweights to the areas where they are needed. In other words, to successfully maintain the complicated balancing act of homeostasis, the body requires a steady supply of both matter and energy. This is where food comes in.

To illustrate this point, let's consider your muscles. To be firm and toned, your muscles need the elemental building blocks of tissue growth. Muscle toning also requires energy to deliver the building blocks to the muscles, energy to direct the building blocks to where they are needed within the muscle fibers, and energy to remove damaged tissue and metabolic waste products. Not to mention the huge amounts of energy demanded by the very muscle contractions that made your physique firm in the first place. Small wonder that your muscles represent such a metabolically active region of your body!

Although you are capable of using all three basic macronutrients - protein, carbohydrate, and fat - as caloric energy sources, carbohydrate is your body's preferred fuel for muscle contraction (which is another reason why a low carb diet is not good for long term health and weight loss). However, only protein can provide the building blocks your body needs for muscle growth and repair. In fact, the structural integrity of virtually all human tissue, from muscles, tendons, and ligaments to skin, hair, and organs, relies on a protein framework. In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, dietary protein is broken down into molecular subunits, known as amino acids, which can then be reassembled to create new proteins according to your body's specific needs.

While it's true that fat can also make a structural contribution, especially toward padding your hips, thighs, and belly, excess fat accumulation usually represents an unneeded and unwelcome contribution. However, eliminating dietary fat from your meal plan is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent counter-productive to eliminating stored fat.

When your diet lacks sufficient amounts of the right kinds of fat, stored fat becomes largely inaccessible as an energy source. I think that bears repeating: If you don't eat fat, you won't burn fat.

One of the keys to fat loss is knowing which fats to eat, and which fats to avoid. Indeed, there are several distinct types of fatty acid, the molecular subunit of fat, and each impacts human physiology and homeostasis differently. Knowing the difference between them can spell the difference between a flabby body and a firm physique, between clogged arteries and clear ones, and between chronic disease and extended longevity.

In addition to the three fundamental macronutrients, your body also requires a staggering array of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements. Micronutrient deficiencies can spell the demise of homeostasis, good health, and a firm physique.

Now that you have a basic understanding of why you need to eat in order to build a firm physique, I'd like to provide you with a better understanding of how you need to eat in order to hone your beautiful body. To put it simply, your success in the arena of physique firming is a direct reflection of your success in the battle against entropy (and disease). Like every other component of your physiology, good muscle health is inextricably linked to good health in general. And a diet that promotes a beautiful body and smooth skin is a diet that, by definition, also promotes optimal health. This is an extremely important point: Eating for a firm, youthful physique equals eating for optimal health, and vice versa.

The Lean Essentials:

• Food provides matter and energy for maintaining physiological equilibrium or homeostasis.
• The three basic macronutrients, protein, carbohydrate, and fat, can all be used as caloric energy sources.
• Carbohydrate is your body's preferred fuel for muscle contraction.
• Only protein can provide the building blocks your body needs for muscle growth and repair.
• You need to eat fat in order to burn fat.
• Eating for a firm, youthful physique also means eating for optimal health.

Do You Need Help Choosing A Dentist

If you consult your dentist regularly, then it's probably someone you've been seeing for a long time and trust completely to take good care of your oral health. If you have been avoiding the dentist for many years, however, or have recently moved to a new town, or are simply looking for a home teeth whitening kit, you may find yourself in a position where you know you need to find a suitable dentist, but do not have a clue as to how to choose this particular person.

Rather than picking someone at random, it's best in this situation to speak to friends and to get a referral from someone you trust, preferably someone who feels the same way you do about going to the dentist. Your doctor, or even a dental specialist, may also be a good place to find out about a reputable dentist in your area. Dental specialists such as orthodontists (who perform laser tooth whitening procedures) and maxillo-facial surgeons deal with dentists on a daily basis, and know who's doing a good job, and who is not.

Before you book your appointment and seat yourself in the dentist's chair, ensure you have chatted to the person concerned, and communicated any expectations and fears you might have. You should feel completely comfortable asking whatever questions you may have about your treatment.

Having this chat is important, as you will be able to determine whether or not you are likely to have a rapport with the dentist you've chosen, and are comfortable with his or her philosophy of treatment.

Also discuss costs: you need to ensure, firstly, that your new dentist understands what your budgetary constraints are, and secondly, that the services offered match the price being charged. Most countries have a dental association or society of some sort that  will be able to advise you on standard rates for common procedures.

You also need to ensure that the dentist is scrupulous about sterile working conditions. Gloves and masks are a must, both for the dentist's protection and yours, and don't be afraid to ask how frequently his tools and instruments are sterilized. You need to be sure that your health is safeguarded at all times.

You should also ascertain whether or not an emergency service exists. While dental emergencies rarely happen, they are certainly a possibility, and a dentist who has an emergency service as a backup, or has at least considered what his plan of action would be in case of an emergency, is a good choice.

Finally, watch those leaving the consulting room for an idea of your dentist's skill: the expressions on their faces can be a good indicator of what to expect in the consultation!

Effective Flossing Techniques

Flossing is one of those areas where many of us need improvement. It can seem like too much of an effort to floss when all you want to do is brush your teeth and fall into bed at the end of a long day. Taking care of your teeth is far more important than any oral cosmetics or buying the best teeth whitening products.

Flossing, however, is one of the most common and effective ways of getting rid of plaque and food debris between your teeth; that's why your dentist or oral hygienist flosses your teeth at every visit.

There are many kinds of dental floss on the market, so if you are at a loss as to which one to use, consult your dentist, or try a few different brands until you find one that works well for your teeth. Also ensure you are using the correct technique, as flossing incorrectly can actually damage your teeth. Again, your dentist or oral hygienist can help you here, and demonstrate correct techniques if necessary. Here's a basic guide:

Cut off a good length of dental floss, about 50cm (20in), and twist it around the middle or index fingers of both your hands, so that you have about 10cm (4in) of floss pulled tightly between your hands. Supporting the floss with your index fingers or thumbs, guide it between the teeth, and use a gentle sawing motion to move it back and forth from the base of the tooth to its crown. Take care when pulling the floss: use your other teeth to support your fingers as you can cut your gums if your hand slips.

It's vital that when you insert the floss between your teeth you curve it into an arc around one tooth, which you clean thoroughly, and then clean the adjoining surface of the adjacent tooth. Don't simply place the floss between your teeth and slide it to and fro. You need to ensure you clean each tooth individually.

Flossing is a very important part of looking after your teeth. For more teeth care tips including reviews of the best teeth whitening products and home teeth whitening kits visit TopTeethWhiteningTips.com today.

Dog Training Equipment and Dog Training Collars

Collars

The most suitable dog training collars are the broad leather or fabric ones or the half-check (check-choke), which is three-quarters nylon or leather and a quarter chain link.

Half-checks are good when training, because you can achieve a rattle with the chain part to attract the dog's attention.

When fitting a collar, make sure you can slide two fingers between it and the dog's neck. Check the collar regularly for signs of chafing, and also to see that it still fits comfortably on a growing dog.

Dog Training Tips - Leash Selection

A dog training leash, like collars and other dog training equipment, are available in all sorts of lengths and designs. What is important, however, is to choose the most appropriate one for you and your dog. It makes an enormous difference for both parties in terms of comfort and control if you have a leash that is the correct length for the size of your dog, and the right width for your hand.

The leash must be of suitable length to maintain a slack tension. If it is too short, the dog will be dragged along; too long and you will have meters of lead to deal with.

I prefer a leather leash to train my dog. Choose a fabric or leather lead that can be extended or shortened as desired (as favored by dog trainers), and then you will have the best of both worlds when training and when simply out for a walk.

Retractable leashes are available in a variety of designs, but as some are better than others it is imperative that you choose one you can retract easily and instantly when desired. You must also buy the variety suited to the weight of your dog, otherwise it may not be strong enough to control him (some have been reported to snap when under stress and flick back into the handler's body or face, resulting in serious injury). To be on the safe side, do not use retractable leads on dogs that pull or become very excitable.

Crate

Also called a den or a cage, a crate serves as a bed and is useful for toilet training, for keeping the dog separate from the family and other pets when necessary, and for safety when traveling with your dog.

Crates come in all sizes, with different types of opening. Good, sturdy ones are expensive, so choose one that will be big enough to accommodate your dog when it is fully grown. Cheap crates tend to be badly made or flimsy, and therefore represent poor economy because they do not last.

Plastic-covered metal crates are quieter and easier to clean than those constructed out of bare or galvanized metal. A two-door foldaway crate is more convenient, especially when being used in a vehicle.

Meditation Techniques to Reduce Stress

Learning how to meditate can be one of the best things you can do to regain some control of your life, and start to reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

People encounter stress everyday, some do at work or school, others at home. While they are usually able to cope with stress, sometimes the burden simply becomes too much that people break down because of it.

The Science of Stress

In the General Adaptation Syndrome model designed by Hans Selye, he identifies three stages that people undergo when stressed.

During the first stage, the body goes on a state of alarm at the realization of a threat. In this stage, cortisol is released by the body.

The second stage is where the body becomes unable to cope with the strain until its resources are depleted.

Finally, the body breaks down which include the exhaustion of the immune system. Because of this, the body is unable to fight of sicknesses which then expose the person to illnesses.

How Meditation Helps Reduce Stress

Meditation is one method which can help reduce the stress levels of a person. By calming the mind and giving the person a sense of control over things, the things that are considered threats (the things which cause stress) become easier to manage.

But the reduction of stress isn’t the end of the exercise. Since stress can make people prone to illnesses, reducing stress can help in keeping the person healthy.

The practice of meditation techniques, therefore, can result in improved health and resistance to illnesses.

So the next time you feel stressed out, try to calm yourself down by practicing meditation. While your problems won’t exactly go away, you at least become mentally prepared to face them.

What Can You Do with HTML

All right, so HTML isn't the Hideous, Terrible, Mega-Leviathan that its name might suggest, but rather a Harmless, Tame, and Meek Lapdog. What can you do with such a creature? Well, lots of things, actually. After all, people aren't flocking to the World Wide Web because it's good for their health. Just the opposite in fact. They're surfing 'til they drop because the Web presents them with an attractive and easily navigated source of info and entertainment (or infotainment, as the wags like to call it). It's HTML that adds the attractiveness and ease of navigation.

To see what I mean here's some examples of the basic HTML elements.

You Can Format Text

A high Jolts Per Minute (JPM) count is what turns the crank of your average Web-surfing dude and dudette. However, nothing generates fewer jolts (and is harder on the eyes to boot) than plain, unadorned text. To liven things up, you need to use different sizes and styles for your Web page text. Happily, HTML is no slouch when it comes to dressing up text for the prom:

You get six different built-in font sizes that you can use for titles, headings, and such.

You can display your Web prose as bold.

You can emphasize text with italics.

You can make text look like it was produced by a typewriter.

You can even use different font sizes for characters.

You Con Create Lists of Things

If you're presenting information on your Web page, it'll help if you can display your data in a way that makes sense and is easy to read. In some cases, this means arranging the data in lists, such as a numbered list or a bulleted list.

You Can Set Up Links to Other Pages

Web sessions aren't true surfin' safaris unless you take a flying leap or two. I'm speaking, of course, of selecting hypertext links that take you to the far-flung corners of the Web world.

You can give the readers of your Web pages the same kicks by using HTML to create links anywhere on a page. You can set up three kinds of links:

To another of your Web pages.

To a different location in the same Web page. This is useful for pages that contain several sections; you could, for example, put a "table of contents" at the top of the page that consists of links to the various sections in the document.

To any page anywhere on the Web or on your company's intranet.

You Can Insert Images

Fancy text effects, lists, and lots of links go a long way toward making a Web page a hit. But for a real crowd-pleasing page, you'll want to throw in an image or two. It could be a picture of yourself, a drawing the kids made, some clip art, or any kind of electronic image for that matter. As long as you have the image in a graphics file, you can use HTML to position the image appropriately on your page.

If you're looking for computer based training for software, whether it's for home use or to gain the coveted mcse certification, check out these online training guides. Everything from how to format images for your photo album to detailed mcse training.

Investing In Buy To Let Properties

This is the form of property investment that most people think of when talking about investing in property. You buy a place that is not your main home in order to make money by renting it out or, alternatively, you bank on the property making a huge capital gain in a few years and rent it out to make it pay for itself in the meantime. These days, most investors look at the total yield, that is, rental return plus potential capital gain, when deciding whether to buy.

Pros: Buy-to-let, in all its various guises, has become by far the most popular method of investing in property in recent years, and is the main way used of making money - or turning you into a 'property millionaire' - at property clubs and investment seminars. The idea is that you get regular income through rental yield which offsets the many costs involved in buying and maintaining a property, and in the process you become a landlord.

Although you incur capital gains tax on resale, there are very many costs you can set against this tax, such as refurbishment and improvement, utility bills, council tax, service charges, accountancy fees, purchase costs and legal fees. Plus, the process of indexation on capital gains tax means that the longer you own the property, the less of this tax you pay on resale.

A further benefit is that buy-to-let mortgages are easily available and constitute cheap borrowing. The idea is that you make a killing by selling at a profit when you have bought with cheaply borrowed money. Mortgages are still the cheapest kind of long-term loan available, and a prime reason for so many people investing in buy-to-let.

Cons: There can never be any guarantee that your place will successfully rent out. Although many property developers are now offering a 'guaranteed rental' for a period of time, you as the owner do not know whether this is a genuine rent, or whether the property will rent out at that amount when the guarantee period ends. Or, indeed, that it will rent out at all.

In many areas, landlords struggle to find tenants as the buy-to-let phenomenon has caused serious oversupply of properties, with many developers now building apartment blocks specifically aimed at this sector, and canny tenants negotiating rents ever downwards. Rents also do not always cover mortgages, as Tony and Cherie Blair found to their cost when they had to keep lowering the rent on their West London house.

More recently in the UK there is now the requirements for home information packs, where a landlord must supply his potential tenants with a home information pack or energy performance certificate to state that the property has been certified as energy efficient.

Being a landlord is hard work and requires input from you. Renting out a property is emphatically not the same as hiring out a car, for instance, as the complicated rules of tenure always apply. Tenants are human beings, and being a landlord involves very human transactions - it is emphatically not simply a matter of moving money around.

There are very many regulations governing renting out properties and also many ongoing costs associated with buy-to-let. Figures have to be worked out very carefully indeed, to make sure the expected rental will adequately cover your costs - and not merely the mortgage.

Tenants nowadays expect smart, modern, clean properties, and this means constant work maintaining and renovating your property to a high standard. The unexpected - such as no tenants, the boiler breaking down, the roof coming off in a high wind - can always happen.

The other major factor here is that if buying mainly for capital gain, you are taking a big gamble as you can never know for sure that the capital gain on resale will be worth it. You are looking into the future, a place where nobody has a reliable crystal ball.

Although many property professionals are in the business of prediction, as with all financial predictions, they can actually only go on past performance. Anybody who could genuinely and accurately predict future trends would indeed soon be a billionaire, but that person has never yet come forward.

Property investment can be very lucrative if you know what you are doing. Get the facts about investing in buy to let properties, including your obligations as a landlord in areas such as home information packs and energy performance certificates from a certified Lincoln EPC agent.

Common Causes of Acne and FAQs

My forehead is all spotty but I don't have acne anywhere else. Why is this?

It is difficult to give you the right answer without seeing you but it is helpful to think about what is different about your forehead. Below are two likely reasons.

One problem can be your hairstyle. Ordinary hair across the forehead does not cause any problems but if you use greasy hair products, including hair waxes and gels, to keep your hair in a particular style it could cause acne. Greasy things can block up the pores and lead to the formation of comedones - we therefore call them 'comedogenic'. If this is your problem, stop using the grease and your acne should clear with or without needing a simple topical acne treatment. If your hair is naturally greasy, wash it as often a necessary with shampoo designed for greasy hair.

There is a type of acne called pomade acne, which is a direct result of using pomade hair products, more commonly used on African-Caribbean hair styles. If you wish to continue using these, there is no need to find a suitable acne remedy - you just need to keep it off your hair-line and wipe away the excess from the surrounding skin with a towel or damp cloth and keep your hands away from your face until you have washed them thoroughly.

Is it just me or are all burger restaurants staffed by kids with acne?

This is a bit of an urban myth but one that may have a little truth behind it. A hot sweaty face leads to more blocked pores and more acne. So the combination of heat and humidity in poorly ventilated kitchens where a lot of frying goes on and where everything gets a fine coating of grease can make acne worse.

Also, these types of fast food outlets tend to employ students looking to boost their pocket money and therefore you have more teenagers - the classic age for developing acne. The worst cases of acne triggered by heat and humidity occur in soldiers on jungle training where the added friction from their packs can cause an extensive and serious flare-up of acne. This type of acne is easily resolved with simple acne remedies from the pharmacy.

Is Property Investment Still A Good Idea

With the exception of the last few years, property has generally increased in value so much that there is a general belief that you just can't lose with property investment. This impression is underlined by the growth of property clubs, where you pay to invest in newbuild and off-plan properties bought at a discount. Such clubs tend to be heavily advertised and appeal to people's greed and laziness by suggesting that you can become a property millionaire in no time, for little or no money down, and whether the market is rising or not.

The truth is that you can lose, but even so, property does historically come good most of the time - eventually. Also, investors in property can now, quite literally, have the whole wide world in their hands - or in their portfolios. It is now possible to invest in property in most countries in the world, so that your property portfolio can look as international as you like. Nowadays, anybody can be an international investor and financier! Anybody can swagger around brandishing an impressive-looking international property portfolio!

So why do I believe that property, in general, makes a good type of investment?

In the first place, everybody understands property, simply because everybody has to have a roof over their heads. Everybody also understands that home occupiers have to pay rent or a mortgage in order to continue living there. It is also self-evident that even when fully owned and mortgage-free, there are continuing costs attached to living in a home.

This is knowledge that we all have. By contrast, you have to be quite financially sophisticated to understand how equities and other aspects of the money markets work. You also have to be numerate and actually enjoy number-crunching. Successful people are doing sums in their heads the whole time; it is second nature to them. But few ordinary people really understand how and why stock markets crash, or how the stock market performance in, say, Japan, can intimately affect other stock exchanges around the world.

Few people, too, readily understand futures, hedge funds or derivatives. You have to be quite deeply interested in money and all its ramifications to be able to play money markets. It is a mindset which not all of us have. Yet everybody knows what estate agents and letting agents do.

Then, historically, at least, property is solid and substantial and far less liable than equities to stock market fluctuations, to crashes and recoveries. Obviously house prices fluctuate, but there has rarely, if ever, been a complete crash. One reason for this is that all real estate is built on land which will never go away. A further reason for the dependability of property is that everybody needs a home, whereas we can manage without a car, foreign travel, the latest electronic gadgetry, if we have to.

Then, there is almost always a shortage of housing. And while house prices can go up and down, there is always going to be some value in land. By contrast, the entire value of an equity can be wiped out, in a severe downturn of the market, performance in the High Street. And there is little the individual shareholder can do about this, except to buy and sell at the right time.

When you invest in stocks and shares, you may have very little control over whether their value rises or falls. To take a famous example, when former jeweler retailer Gerald Ratner made his notorious remark at a City dinner that his sherry decanters were 'crap', £500 million was immediately wiped off the value of Ratner shares, with the result that many shareholders lost very large sums indeed, through no fault of their own,

But even if somebody calls your house 'crap' - as 'specialists' on TV home design programs often come perilously close to doing - it is still unlikely to lose all its value.

One way to invest in property is through tax liens. Investing in tax lien certificates is becoming more popular, especially within the current economy. If you currently invest in property but aren't using this investment vehicle you should definitely look into it.

Selecting The Right Kitchen Appliances For Your Needs

The best way to equip a kitchen from scratch is to look at your cooking preferences and then determine what is important; which pieces of equipments best suit your practical needs rather than your aesthetic aspirations for the latest country kitchen designs. Once you have the first couple of pieces of the jigsaw fitting together, the myriad of decisions involved can often have a direct bearing on each other, and others will start to fall into place much easier.. Start with what is vitally important and always buy the best quality you can afford.

Whether, having weighed up the advantages of all your kitchen design ideas and options, you decide to have your kitchen redesigned or merely revamped, and once you have agreed on the layout, you will need to budget carefully for your new kitchen furniture and equipment. And while cabinets and work surfaces are obviously important, new appliances must be given priority as they can devour a large part of your available funds.

Appliances

The cooking zone is usually the most important area of the kitchen and your first big decision will be whether to combine cooking rings and oven or to separate the two appliances. Most cooks prefer a gas stove which offers fast and flexible heat: the rings may be combined with wok burners, which is practical if you enjoy cooking Chinese food. Deep-fryers or barbecue grills are other options to consider, but are only worthwhile if you are going to use them regularly. Integrating a stove into a central island unit is becoming increasingly popular as there is space on three sides to prepare food and often seating too, underlining the cooking-eating connection. If gas is not available, opt for halogen, the most responsive of the electric options.

Conversely, it is electricity that offers the best choice in oven-cooking methods. You can buy either single or double built-in ovens and a large household may require the latter, although a single oven and separate microwave might give you greater scope. A microwave is invaluable, both for defrosting, and for providing instant meals for reluctant cooks. When looking at ovens, ensure that the grill is efficient: one with a dual circuit is best so that half the grill area can be used on occasion rather than the entire roof of the oven.

An eye-level grill is convenient; so too a self-cleaning facility; and good interior lighting, of course, in order to be able to check on your food's progress at a glance. You can also buy multi-function ovens, which combine a fan-assisted heat function - best for roasting meat - with a radiant heat function, which is better for baking successful pastry and cakes.

You may want to situate all the various cooking functions together and many top-of-the-line stoves today are custom-made, offering you a choice of ovens, a mixture of gas and electric rings, chargrllls, griddles and hot plates. Big commercial stoves designed for professional catering kitchens are worth considering too, particularly if you are planning an unfitted kitchen, as they are freestanding. They produce more heat than most domestic stoves so they require good air circulation in the kitchen - and preferably a dueled extractor hood that covers the entire top.

If gleaming industrial steel is not your style, there are colorful enamel stoves on the market, fired by gas, electricity, oil or solid fuel that may be more appropriate.

Particularly in keeping for a traditional or country look, this type of stove comes into its own where there is no main gas supply, as it often generates enough heat to warm a kitchen and can usually be adapted to run a water-heating function too. Made in cast iron and designed so that heat comes from all sides of the oven, they have a reputation for turning out good bread and juicy joints of meat.

Before you set your heart on a big brute of a stove make sure that installing it will not present insurmountable problems - either because of its sheer size or to weight. And an industrial stove may not be a wise choice if you have children because the doors can get dangerously hot. Domestic models are often fitted with stay-cool systems to keep doors at a low temperature when the oven is hot.

Even If you have a dishwasher, it Is worth having a double or even triple sink as well - to let you wash up, rinse and prepare food all at the same time. Large kitchens with a central island may even have space for an extra small sink specifically for food preparation. A waste-disposal unit will require a second sink, fitted with curved waste pipes to avoid blockages and a reasonable water pressure to flush away rubbish. Good-quality mixer taps will control both the temperature and flow of the water, but it is worth remembering, as you survey what is available, that simple taps of streamlined design are the easiest to keep clean, particularly if the local water produces chalky deposits, and that taps with no washers or ceramic discs will avoid a lime-scale build-up if the water is hard.

Get inspiration from some of the latest living room designs and ideas being created by top interior designers. If you're looking for living room design ideas, or creative tips and ideas for any other room in the house, check out these free design tips right now.

Art Nouveau Design Styles and Interiors

The Art Nouveau design style made its appearance during the last ten years of the nineteenth century. At the time Victorian design and decoration was truly excessive, and people were secretly looking for something with perhaps a little less "clutter".

Art Nouveau design was born out of that desire to simplify things.

There was a general movement towards making rooms lighter and altogether less cluttered. This was reflected in the newly popular, paler paint colors for walls that were in strong contrast to the previously fashionable, darker shades and were seen as fresh and airy by comparison.

To provide interest, a paper or painted frieze might have been added at the ceiling line and borders above the skirting/base board were not unusual. Architectural embellishments were few. Dados diminished in popularity, but a picture rail or plate rack at approximately eye level might have been featured. Pilasters and paneling were also sometimes applied, especially if they could be employed to emphasize the vertical. Wallpapers, mostly depicting botanical themes, continued to be favored, particularly now that their cost was much reduced as a result of machine-manufacture.

Plain window and door glazing now gave way to more decorative treatments. Stained glass featuring geometric patterns or representations of botanical subjects was popular.

The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a decline in the fashion for large area rugs. These were often removed in favor of wood floors, both board and parquet, which were frequently covered with faded oriental carpets.

Art Nouveau Furniture

Plush curtain treatments and deeply buttoned upholstery were eschewed by the followers of the New Art. In their stead simpler furnishings were in evidence.

Attention was directed to the windows themselves rather than to how they were dressed. Pelmets, if they were used, were now flat and of simple design, otherwise lengths of fabric would be simply gathered and suspended from a plain wooden pole. With the emphasis on vertical lines, the curtains were frequently full length and rarely caught in a tie-back.

Furniture designs were pared down to a more basic form and were usually constructed from oak or satin-wood for a lighter look than the traditional mahogany. These items would have a simple wax finish and the grain was much in evidence. Cutouts, often in the form of a heart, inlaid work and simple carving were the principal embellishments to be seen.

Other items of art nouveau furniture, in the Mackintosh manner, were highly stylized, and chairs with their exaggerated ladder-backs were often painted black.

Lighting And Accessories

Probably the first item that springs to mind when Art Nouveau is mentioned is the Tiffany lamp. Its skilled American creator, L. C. Tiffany, who also designed whole houses (appropriately enough, for someone whose middle name was Comfort), produced some of the loveliest colored and leaded glass lamps to be seen. Although electricity became available during this period (to those who could afford it), in general the appearance of light fittings varied little from those fittings previously designed for gas.

Far fewer accessories were displayed, the emphasis being on objects made from silver, copper, ceramic, glass, bronze and pewter.

Whatever design style you are looking to incorporate into your home, check out these tips for interior room designs inspiration. Whether you're thinking along the lines of a Victorian style or just looking for some living room design ideas.

Are These Trendy Victorian Style Interior Design Ideas

With wealth and security inevitably come a profusion of styles and an irresistible temptation to go over the top: a broad statement, but one borne out by history. In the twentieth century we have to look back no further than to the 1980s to see evidence of this. If we retreat even further - to the mid-nineteenth century - we find perhaps an even finer example - I'm talking of Victorian interior design ideas.

Victoria was on the British throne, her empire was churning along quite nicely and the rewards of the industrial revolution were being appreciated by a rapidly growing middle class. In the 'workshop of the world', as England was then known, fortunes were being made through trade with the colonies. Add to this newly found wealth and security, a monarch with strong feelings about home and family, and you have all the back-ground ingredients of Victorian style.

With all attention on the home, it was obvious that this was where an individual's status could best be demonstrated to the world at large. The message was loud and clear: 'I have arrived, I have substance and I espouse family values' (sounds familiar?). A great surge in building and urban development ensued, much of which constitutes the English housing stock of today.

The penchant for classical styles was declining, but without any strong, new, directional fashion surfacing, the only way to look was back and to reviving previously popular interior and living room design ideas (this too has its parallel in the 1980s when shabby-chic country-house eclecticism became all the rage). Gothic, Elizabethan, oriental, Scottish baronial, Egyptian and rococo - these were among the many styles that the Victorians mixed somewhat indiscriminately. When interpreting Victorian style today, you have the choice of jumbling these various furnishing styles within one room or perhaps of concentrating on just one theme in each individual space.

Industrialization had arrived and furniture was produced en masse (but, alas, not always to the highest standard). At least this meant that furnishings cost less and were therefore available to a wider public and in greater abundance. It should be no surprise, then, that house dwellers of the time overdosed on exuberance. The Victorian home is typified by the cluttering of furnishings, layer upon layer. Why stop at one pair of curtains at a window when these can be accompanied by blinds and net drapes too? Every imaginable item was draped, trimmed and bedecked; every inch of floor space crammed with furniture and every table spilt over with memorabilia.

While the dictates of today's decorators may be 'Less is more' or 'If in doubt, leave it out', the byword of their Victorian equivalents was 'More is marvelous'!

Although at the beginning of this long-enduring period (1837-1901) schemes tended to be relatively light in feel, by the turn of the century they had become altogether more somber. Window treatments were designed to restrict light, the decorator's palette took on deeper tones, furnishings became bulkier and dark woodwork dominated living room designs. Artificial lighting, despite the arrival of oil lamps followed by gas lamps, did little to brighten interiors. This all sounds rather dull until you remember that the Victorians would dress their rooms according to the season.

Come spring, many of the heavier elements would be replaced or covered by lighter-weight materials in paler colors; then the winter scheme would be re-imposed in the autumn. We adopt this arrangement for our personal clothing, so why not for our rooms?

In Victorian times there was a preciseness that we perhaps lack today with our flexible casual lifestyles. Each room had its definitive purpose and style of decoration. Libraries, drawing rooms and dining rooms tended towards the sumptuous, while upstairs was generally given a lighter, more feminine touch.

Natural Menopause Diet Tips

Natural Menopause Diet Tips - Try Eating More Foods Rich In Phytoestrogens

Here's some facts about natural hormone replacement therapy and other herbs for menopause. We don't need pumping full of drugs just because our bodies are changing - we need to take control and learn how to manage our symptoms with natural alternatives.

Foods rich in phytoestrogens are a very healthy addition to any menopause diet as they can help relieve and alleviate a lot of the menopause and perimenopause symptoms.

Here's some specific foods you can include in a menopause diet to help relieve the symptoms and signs of menopause, and improve your overall health:

Green Soya Beans (Edamame)

Fresh soya beans in pods are harvested when they are young and tender. When steamed and salted they make a delicious snack. Green soya beans are available from Chinese supermarkets.

20 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Canned Soya Beans

These can be added to salads or casseroles or pureed with olive olive, lemon juice and garlic to make a dip similar to hummus.

80 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Tofu Or Bean Curd

Made from pureed, pressed soya beans, tofu is low in fat and is a good source of protein. There are three basic types: firm, soft and silken. Firm tofu has a texture similar to cheese; it can be marinated and used to make kebabs or cut into cubes and added to stir-fries. Soft tofu is used in recipes that call for blended tofu or in Oriental soups. Silken tofu has a texture similar to set yogurt; it can be used to make dips, salad dressings, sauces or desserts.

11-30 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

This is a meat substitute made from soya-bean flour It is low in fat and rich in protein. It is available as dehydrated chunks, as a ground beef substitute or incorporated into prepared foods such as burgers or sausages. The ground beef substitute can be used in dishes such as spaghetti sauce or lasagne.

114-245 mg per 100 g (dry weight)

Soya Milk

This is available unsweetened or sweetened and in a variety of flavors. Look for one with added calcium. Soya milk is cholesterol-free and available in low-fat varieties. It is also lactose-free. Soya milk can be used in the same way as cow's milk, as a drink, on cereals, in cooking or to make smoothies.

A 250 ml glass provides 10-20 mg isoflavones

Tempeh

A thin cake made from fermented soya beans, it has a mushroomy slightly smoky flavor It can be grilled and used as a meat substitute or added to stews, casseroles or pasta sauces.

35-19 I mg isoflavones per 100 g

Isolated Soya Protein

This powder can be mixed into drinks and sauces or added to baked goods such as bread.

46-100 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Soya Flour

Made from ground, roasted soya beans, it comes in full-fat or low-fat versions. It can be used as a substitute for white flour in recipes such as muffins and cakes. It has quite a strong flavor so it is best mixed with another type of flour; try substituting 20-30 percent wheat flour with soya flour.

188-276 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Miso

Made from fermented soya beans, miso is used mainly as a seasoning or condiment. It is very salty and should be used sparingly.

8-28 mg isoflavones per 15 ml (1 level

Soya Desserts

There are many different types including yogurts and ice creams. Isoflavone content will vary according to brand.

Soya ice cream - 4-5 mg isolfavones per 100 g

Soya custard - 5 mg isoflavones per 100 ml

Soya yogurt - 16 mg isoflavones per 100 ml

Soya and Linseed Bread

contains around 7 mg isoflavones per slice.

It's also worthy to note that soy sauce, soya oil and soya margarine contain no isoflavones, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't include them as part of a menopause diet, as they offer other health benefits including helping to lower cholesterol.

Menopause Diet - Foods Rich In Phytoestrogens

Foods rich in phytoestrogens are a very healthy addition to any menopause diet as they can help relieve and alleviate a lot of the symptoms of.

Here's some specific foods you can include in a menopause diet to help relieve the symptoms and signs of menopause, and improve your overall health:

Green Soya Beans (Edamame)

Fresh soya beans in pods are harvested when they are young and tender. When steamed and salted they make a delicious snack. Green soya beans are available from Chinese supermarkets.

20 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Canned Soya Beans

These can be added to salads or casseroles or pureed with olive olive, lemon juice and garlic to make a dip similar to hummus.

80 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Tofu Or Bean Curd

Made from pureed, pressed soya beans, tofu is low in fat and is a good source of protein. There are three basic types: firm, soft and silken. Firm tofu has a texture similar to cheese; it can be marinated and used to make kebabs or cut into cubes and added to stir-fries. Soft tofu is used in recipes that call for blended tofu or in Oriental soups. Silken tofu has a texture similar to set yogurt; it can be used to make dips, salad dressings, sauces or desserts.

11-30 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

This is a meat substitute made from soya-bean flour It is low in fat and rich in protein. It is available as dehydrated chunks, as a ground beef substitute or incorporated into prepared foods such as burgers or sausages. The ground beef substitute can be used in dishes such as spaghetti sauce or lasagne.

114-245 mg per 100 g  (dry weight)

Soya Milk

This is available unsweetened or sweetened and in a variety of flavors. Look for one with added calcium. Soya milk is cholesterol-free and available in low-fat varieties. It is also lactose-free. Soya milk can be used in the same way as cow's milk, as a drink, on cereals, in cooking or to make smoothies.

A 250 ml glass provides 10-20 mg isoflavones

Tempeh

A thin cake made from fermented soya beans, it has a mushroomy slightly smoky flavor It can be grilled and used as a meat substitute or added to stews, casseroles or pasta sauces.

35-19 I mg isoflavones per 100 g

Isolated Soya Protein

This powder can be mixed into drinks and sauces or added to baked goods such as bread.

46-100 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Soya Flour

Made from ground, roasted soya beans, it comes in full-fat or low-fat versions. It can be used as a substitute for white flour in recipes such as muffins and cakes. It has quite a strong flavor so it is best mixed with another type of flour; try substituting 20-30 percent wheat flour with soya flour.

188-276 mg isoflavones per 100 g

Miso

Made from fermented soya beans, miso is used mainly as a seasoning or condiment. It is very salty and should be used sparingly.

8-28 mg isoflavones per 15 ml (1 level tbsp)

Soya Desserts

There are many different types including yogurts and ice creams. Isoflavone content will vary according to brand.

Soya ice cream - 4-5 mg isolfavones per 100 g

Soya custard - 5 mg isoflavones per 100 ml

Soya yogurt - 16 mg isoflavones per 100 ml

Soya and Linseed Bread

contains around 7 mg isoflavones per slice.

It's also worthy to note that soy sauce, soya oil and soya margarine contain no isoflavones, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't include them as part of a menopause diet, as they offer other health benefits including helping to lower cholesterol.

Get the facts about natural hormone replacement therapy and other natural herbs for menopause. We don't need pumping full of drugs just because our bodies are changing - take control and learn how to manage your symptoms with natural alternatives.