Posts Tagged ‘self help’
Some people have to try to make your life miserable, if you let them. It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt better, but some people just have to try to spoil it. I was told: lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure after being on Atkins I read it in the newspaper; you will have a heart attack, it’s not natural; your cholesterol will climb sky high and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of rubbish. So, I went to see my GP, who admitted that he did not know anything about the Atkins diet, but he also added that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all satisfactory. He was happy that I’d lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, the doctor said there was no cause for concern at all.
The Atkins diet book warns that you might develop bad breath (halitosis). I don’t know whether I did or not – no-one said anything, but I started brushing my teeth four-five times a day just in case. I guess that’s another benefit of following the Atkins diet: increased oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn’t get that either, although I didn’t give up black coffee, which has always had a laxative effect on me. But surely you can’t suffer from constipation if you’re allowed to eat well over 1lb of greens a day? I hadn’t been eating that well before the diet! So my two main concerns were nebulous.
A couple of weeks later, I was getting bored not going out so much. I was still happy with the diet, but because I am single and am used to going out and drinking beer. So, I decided to go about this scientifically. One day, after work, I drank three pints of Guinness and felt great – the taste was wonderful. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six pints. To my surprise and delight, the next morning the ketone stick told me that I was still ‘on the diet’. Over the following weeks, I really enjoyed experimenting to find out what would ‘work’ and what would not. I discovered that even a small amount of cider would ruin the Atkins diet; some beers and some lagers were all right; red and white wine were OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the Atkins diet, but it slows down your rate of progress. Even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet or not going out.
Be very wary of people encouraging you to ‘just try a little bit’. They don’t understand or don’t want to understand the trouble they’re causing you. Your body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates. One chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to put right. Don’t let them do it to you. This is not a diet for the weekends, in fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to keep ‘falling off the wagon’, because of the high fat content of the diet, which is not dangerous if you stick to it, because you body devours fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.
The story ends at this point, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there, until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. Once I get used to the food and have my own house and own kitchen, I will get down to 15 stone, I’m sure I will ” with very little effort.
Well, there you have it … My grateful thanks to you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are these days, you changed my life and my understanding of food and drink with that book and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.
Do you want to know more about the Atkins Diet? Visit our site on Atkins dieting at: Atkins Dieting Check here for free reprint licence: The Atkins Diet Part Two)..
Have you ever seen a golden rosary? They are not things you see every day, but they are very striking and they can be found if you look around. A rosary is a symbol of your faith, a method of doing atonement and even a way of remembering who gave you your faith.
Because of the symbolic character of a rosary, it does not matter at all what it is made from. However, if you like beautiful things, a golden rosary could be a luxury item for you, even though there is more risk of it being stolen.
You certainly would not want to have it stolen of course, but a valuable rosary is a beautiful object to have, like a golden business card case or an expensive fountain pen. It is not so much that it shows that you can afford one, it is more that it demonstrates that it is an important item to you. Something of significance. If you like writing, you want a good pen, if you want to give a good impression, you can have a good business card case and if you love God, you can have a lovely rosary.
However, you do not have to take it to church with you, if you are worried about being flash. You could only use it at home, if that made you feel easier. After all, you are not buying a golden rosary to show off to the world’s populace, just to illustrate your loyalty to yourself. The weight of a golden rosary seems to add solemnity to the proceedings, but that might be a personal thing.
However, you do not necessarily have to buy a gold rosary for yourself. You might buy one for a child or godchild in order to demonstrate how much you want that they will discover or uphold the faith.
You will have to go to a professional dealer who knows about gold rosaries. This is because if the beads are too heavy for the chain, the chain might not last long. The constant moving of the beads could either wear the gold chain thin too quickly or just break it.
That would be a real shame, because you might lose one or more of your beads too and the beads on a gold rosary would necessarily be quite classy too. Replacing one or more beads might be difficult or even impossible years down the line.
A gold rosary would almost certainly become a family heirloom and be passed down for generations or even hundreds of years. It would be a great inducement for a young person to consider the important things in life.
Your church could give you pointers about where to purchase a gold rosary from someone that actually knows what the proportions of the beads to the chain should be. They will also offer you different purities of gold, usually 9, 14 or 18 carat gold and the beads could be anything from glass to pearls.
If you do go in for a gold rosary, get the retailer to attest to the materials used in its manufacture and the various weights so that if you have a problem, you have proof to show the insurance company.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Clogau Welsh gold. If you have an interest in gold rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring
The Razor scooter is a fantastic suggestion for everyone wanting to stay in good physical shape. These days many of people are office-bound and we all appear to have a decreased amount of time for simply going out for a stroll, which is the age-old therapy for putting on a few kilos. The Razor scooter can help you here.
How frequently have you thought, ‘I haven’t got time to walk’ or ‘I can’t be bothered to walk’ and then have jumped in the automobile instead? But what if you had a Razor scooter handy? You could simply scooter down to the store or the park. You could take the dog for more walks and at a quicker speed too, something your dog will surely be thankful for.
The Razor A series or its bigger siblings, the Razor Pro or Razor Cruiser, are not expensive, costing between $40 and $60, cheaper still at Amazon or eBay, yet they will quickly save you hundreds of dollars on gas. After all, starting a vehicle is usually the most costly part of a short trip.
The Razor scooter is also very versatile. Weighing in at approximately six pounds, anybody could carry it without difficulty up or down a couple of stairs or lift it in or out of the trunk of a car. But not only that, it folds up too, so that the whole scooter is only a couple of feet long by six inches high by six inches wide. It will without difficulty fit in a passage sideboard or the boot of a car.
Your Razor scooter could be utilized in many ways to save you money and keep you trimmer. For instance, if you want a loaf of bread, you could jump on your scooter. You could take you dog to the park. You could scooter with your kids ‘in a pack’. You could put a Razor scooter in the trunk of your car and scooter the last half a mile into school. And every time you get on that scooter, you are burning not gas but fat!
Think of it that way. You are saving fuel and money and burning your surplus calories at the same time. You are also exercising your legs and increasing your metabolism and heart rate too. That is everything the bank manager and the doctor advised all rolled into one . And you will be in first-class company too.
Do you know who else’s children ride Razor scooters? Well, there’s Al Pacino’s twins for a start. Now, Al Pacino is not short of a few dollars, I’m sure, so you can be certain that he’s going to be looking for the finest for his kids, isn’t he? And Lisa Kudrow and her son. And Liv and Cal, offspring of Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich. You would be forgiven for saying, ‘Aw well, they got theirs for free!’ and that may be true, but at about $40 who cares?
The benefits in saved motor fuel and additional exercise make the Razor scooter a must-have necessity in my opinion. So, take another look at the Razor scooter and remember that someone’s birthday is coming up in a little while.
If you would like to know more about Razor scooter spares or Razor scooter wheels or if you would like to buy a discounted scooter, visit our web site at http://razorascooter.com
We live in a society where looking slim is the goal. We are driven to think that this is what we all ought to look like as well. We see the proof of this in the slim people in fashion magazines, in beauty contests on television, in adverts and in quite a few other places. There are books that are devoted to helping us get this new look. One book that attempts to help you obtain this modern look is Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution.
In Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, we are introduced to a new life style – a low carb lifestyle. In this new method, we are told what sorts of low carb foods we can eat. Of course, we will have to follow strict rules for Dr Atkins diet to start working and helping us to shed those ugly pounds.
There are four phases to the Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution that have to be followed by anyone who wants to lose weight the Atkins diet way. These phases are: phase 1:- the Induction; phase 2:- Ongoing Weight Loss; phase 3:- Pre-maintenance and phase 4:- Maintenance. Furthermore, the dietary rules of these stages Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution book recommends taking regular exercise and taking nutritional supplements as part of his low carb diet.
In the induction stage of the diet you can lose about 15 pounds. This is achieved by controlling your carb intake to 20 grams a day. You can, however, eat lots of low carb vegetables in your diet like lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes. Unfortunately eating yoghurt, fruits, rice, corn and starchy vegetables like potatoes is out while you are on the Atkins diet. Also caffeine and alcohol drinks are not recommended.
Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution declares that during the induction stage, you will stabilize your blood sugar level, thus curbing various health problems that arise from unstable blood sugar, like fatigue and diabetes. It is also in this stage of the diet that you break your food addictions and your cravings for different foods like sugar.
When you enter into the 3rd and 4th stages of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, the book tells you that you have attained your target weight and that from now on, you get to increase your daily carb intake to up to 60 grams per day. However, from here on. if you want to stay at your ideal weight then you must stick to the Atkins diet for the rest of your life.
There really isn’t a more scientific way to lose weight and keep it off permanently. The Atkins diet does work, and by reading Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution you will be taking a step in the right direction.
Do you want to lose that excess weight rapidly? Well, take a free look at The Atkins Diet, by visiting our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan This article, Dr Atkin’s New Diet Revolution is released under a creative commons attribution licence.
If a credit card is used cleverly, it is one of the most powerful financial tools. But not everybody can afford to pay the expensive interest rates that most credit card issuers charge. This is where low interest rate credit cards can help people who plan to maintain a balance on their account and not to repay the full amount monthly. However, what does interest or APR mean for when talking about low interest rate credit cards?
Basically, APR is the charge for credit as a yearly interest rate. APR stands for “Annual Percentage Rate” and can be used to compare various credit and loan offers. The APR on credit cards is usually calculated monthly based on the current amount on the credit card.
The monthly interest is worked out as if the current card balance would remain the same over a year; the interest on the amount over a year (APR) is worked out and divided by 12 to get the monthly interest. It is a requirement that all lenders tell their clients what their APR is before signing any agreement.
Although the terms and agreements do differ from one lender to another, it is better to get low interest rate credit cards because the lower the APR, the better it is for those who like to spend more money shopping wherever and whenever they want.
Why should you choose low interest rate credit cards? Low APR credit cards are a great choice for those people who prefer tighter financial budgeting. The APR determines the balance over a period of time, it being the most important attribute of a credit card.
In low interest rate credit cards, the amount of interest one has to pay on his or her credit card balance depends on its APR. So the lower the APR is, the better it is him or her because it means they have to pay less interest. APR’s on low interest rate credit cards can either be ‘fixed’ or ‘variable’.
If you are intending to have low interest rate credit cards, there are many cards that offer low APRs to be found online. These low interest rate credit cards are chosen using a factoring scheme that ordered these cards by computing a number of their attributes to put the best credit cards at the top.
One of the questions one has to ask when looking for low interest rate credit cards concerns the charges: whether they vary or are fixed. If these charges are variable, they might affect the repayments and if these rate are fixed, the repayments remain the same. Searching for low interest rate credit cards should also include inquiries on the possibility of any charges that are not included in the APR like optional payment protection insurance or an annual charge.
If there are any, make sure that you understand what they are and when you have to pay them. Lastly, looking for low interest rate credit cards should include questions on the terms and conditions of the credit and how these conditions suit you.
If you are looking for low interest rate credit cards, you could begin looking for a scheme that could help you save hundreds in interest with a low interest credit card and low cost processing. Most low interest rate credit cards offer 0% APR for the first months on purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.
Low interest rate credit cards sometimes offer rebates on certain items purchased. They also offer $0 liability on unauthorized purchases, and no annual fees. Some low interest rate credit cards have very good introductory rates for purchases. They also offer good deals if one carries high balances on other cards and want to transfer the balance.
Indeed, having low interest rate credit cards can be useful and convenient, and can even help build a strong credit history that will help you with future activities like home-buying, paying for higher education, and even finding a job. But, before you apply for low interest rate credit cards, consider the advantages and disadvantages especially with regard to the current financial situation you are in.
If you are considering changing or applying for low interest credit cards, have a look at the free advice on our web site on using Using Credit Cards wisely. This article, What Are Low Interest Rate Credit Cards? is available for free reprint.
There are so many sorts of headache and headaches are so common, that there is a very good chance that everyone you know has had them or still gets them. The reasons why people get headaches are just as wide-ranging. It could be stress, over-medication, migraine, lack of calories or tension. One of the worst kinds is chronic tension headaches.
A normal tension headache feels as if a strap is being done up tightly around your forehead, but they do not have a tendency to last very long and they are few and far between. A chronic tension headache is the same, but it may come every day or even several times a day. A headache is classed as a chronic tension headache if you get a tension headache more than fifteen times in a month for several consecutive months.
Therefore, if you think that you are suffering from this type of headache, start to write notes in a diary. When? Where? How bad? How long it lasted? And anything else that you think may be relevant, like what you have eaten or done that day and the day before. You may become aware of a connection to work or diet.
Some sufferers describe the pain as like having a very tight strap wrapped around their head, others say the sensation of constraint goes down as far as their shoulders. In general, sufferers of tension and chronic tension headaches agree, that the pain is worst in the forehead, then along the sides of the head and sometimes at the back as well.
They say that the normal level of pain is a dull ache which can be mild to moderate in intensity. It is more of a nagging, always-on pain than a sharp, distracting pain.
Chronic tension headaches appear to be early risers, that is, some people wake up with them and others say that they begin just after they get up in the morning. It is as if the contemplation of the day ahead is just too much too bear. The pain can get worse at certain times of the day, or it can simply slowly slip away almost unnoticed.
Chronic tension headaches are nowhere near as common as standard tension headaches, but they are twice as common in women as in men.
The main problem with these headaches, besides the ache itself, is that they become a routine event. You wait for it to happen, you are that certain that it will accompany you throughout the day as before. The pain can just become one continuous drag on your life.
For this reason, sufferers of CTH are often vulnerable to depression and anxiety and it is hard to know which came first, the CTH or the depression / anxiety and which is causing which. If you think this might be your trouble, do not try to cure the headaches yourself, go to see a doctor about the depression or anxiety, get that sorted out and the chronic tension headaches may disappear too without any additional medicine.
If you want to learn the Chronic Tension Headaches, go over to our website now for more information Stopping Headaches
Are you thinking of throwing a party in the near future, but are not sure whether to have a picnic in the park or a barbecue party at home? People do get pleasure from both kinds of party, although some may have a preference. One of the big differences between a picnic and a barbecue is often the food.
After all, you are usually allowed to have a barbecue and cook food in your own backyard, but there may be restrictions on cooking food on an open fire in a park or picnic site for fire safety purposes, so most people take pre-cooked meats and sandwiches.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of party, but we will begin by looking at the food aspect, as most parties centre around food. An advantage of having a picnic is that you will be able to muck in with your fellow revellers more, because you will have already cooked the chicken wings and legs and made the sandwiches the night before.
You will have bags of sausage rolls and small cakes and all you will have to do is put them out for people to help themselves. If you run out of sandwiches, people can do their own with the sliced bread that you will have brought just in case.
The disadvantages of a picnic are that you also have to tie your time up the day before making all the food and you will need transport to get there with your hampers, bottles, flasks, plates, beakers, tissues, flannels towels and whatever else you normally take with you. People may not even like your choice of sandwiches and if you let them make their own with what you provide, there could be a terrible mess. Your sandwiches could also curl up overnight of go off in the heat of the day or in the back of the car. This is a particular danger with pork, chicken and eggs.
You may have to put up a tent or rig up a shelter for those who can not stand strong sunlight. You may also have trouble with ants and wasps and the toilet amenities are often abysmal. Also if it begins to rain, you have little option but to pack up and depart for home or a pub
Barbecue food on the other hand is cooked there and then and cannot spoil. The only danger is under cooking, but it is not too difficult to get it right. There is not much likelihood of preparing vast quantities more than you require either as the chef will see when his food is not being taken away.
This is one of the disadvantages of barbecuing though, someone needs to stand there all day and cook, although this can be done in turns and there is usually a string of men willing to show off their expertise as a barbecue chef.
With a barbecue you have the advantage of cover if it rains and the toilets are better than in the park and if it gets chilly later on in the evening, you could use a patio heater to extend the party.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
Would it not be lovely, at the end of a hard day’s work or on your day off, to relax outdoors on your patio deck? It is a daydream that many people have. But it does not have to be only a dream.You could be actually doing it within a few of weeks. You can either make the deck or patio yourself, if you are useful with your hands or you can hire someone in.
The best thing to do is talk with your contractor about your plans about size and materials. If you want to have a go at making it yourself, take the dimensions to your local builders’ merchant and get them to give you a price. If you need it, they can normally recommend a contractor to you. This can be a good idea, even if it is only to get an idea about price.
There are also plenty of ’standard’ designs available too. You could get a few gardening magazines, you will be able to tell the ones you want by their titles. You could also look on the Internet. There is also designing software for this kind of project, it just depends what you want your input to be.
You could just hand the whole task over to your builder, if that is what you want. However, I would go for a drink with my wife and take paper and pens. Over a drink or two, I would encourage us both to make a few sketchy plans of what we would like. Then you can chat about and amalgamate the designs.
You also have to come to a decision whether you want a raised deck or one at ground level. A raised, wooden deck might help keep the snakes at bay, but a stone patio puts you right in the middle of your garden and flowers.
A consideration, depending on where you live, could be the use of patio heaters. If you think that you may have to use patio heating at various times of the year because of the weather, you might not want your patio deck made of wood. After spending time and money on your new patio deck, you will want to make use of it whether it is a bit chilly or not, which is where the heaters come in.
Furthermore, patio heaters are not that expensive any more and not that dear to run. If you add a mosquito trap and some lighting, you will have a pleasure to enjoy for the rest of your life.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with commercial patio heaters. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
The term ‘the long game’ is used to refer to the drives (shots off the tee) and fairway shots, which means every shot with the exception of the ones you make to actually get onto the green.
Because each hole has a different difficulty level, a different par and different hazards, advising you to use your driver every time on every tee would obviously be wrong.
This is something that you will need to learn over time as you learn the various shots you have to make depending on the club, the placement of the ball and your personal style of swing.
Without putting too fine a point on it, the lower the number of the club, the longer and lower your ball will travel through the air. So, for example, a 4-iron will make the ball travel on a long and low trajectory and that will most make it roll when it hits the ground, whereas a 9-iron will impart much more loft to the ball and ensuring that it will go less distance both in the air and over the ground.
The professionals on TV make it look so easy, don’t they? They hit the ball long and straight time after time after time and never miss-hit the ball causing it trickle six or seven feet or completely miss the ball altogether.
Driving is so very important to the game, and many hours spent at the driving range will help improve your distance. You should experiment with the same club to see what works for you if you move the ball forward or backward in your stance. Take a lesson, if possible, and learn the proper swing from the beginning.
You must master the long game as it will help you get to the green in much fewer strokes, which will keep your score and frustration levels down. Don’t forget that it takes a long time to be consistently consistent and always remember: you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself! So go and enjoy yourself.
Are you new to golf? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners This article, Golfing For New Players: Part Three is available for free reprint.
Everyone with a lovely garden, patio or deck will surely enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer’s day or evening. But if there is one thing that can blight it for you, it is mosquitoes. Sometimes, it only takes one of two persistent mosquitoes to make your blood boil. Mosquitoes are a pest for sure, but they can also be a health hazard, spreading dengue fever and malaria and several other really horrible diseases. So how do you go about keeping mosquitoes out of your garden?
Maybe you cannot realistically hope to keep mosquitoes out of your garden entirely, but there are some things you can do to deter them and keep their numbers down. Stopping them breeding in your garden is the first step to take. Mosquitoes do not have a long flying span. A lot of the mosquitoes that bother you in your garden will have been born in your garden.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, so make sure that there is none in your garden. They will lay eggs in water butts, dogs’ bowls, water that has collected in old tyres, bottles and tins and your rubbish bins, so make sure that no water can collect anywhere. Blocked gutters are another breeding site. if you have a water feature, put fish in it to eat the larvae.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of lemon, so you could grow citronella plants, lemon thyme, lemon grass and even a lemon tree, if the climate is right. Otherwise you could burn citronella scented candles or oil in the vicinity They not only keep the mosquitoes away, but the smell is very fresh and envigourating.
If they are still bothering you, you may have to resort to mosquito repellent. You could impregnate your clothing with permethrin, like the army does for jungle warfare or just rub a deet-based product on your skin. There are also plenty of natural mosquito repellents too, such as lemon oil, citronella and eucalyptus oil.
Garlic is said to repel mosquitoes, so you could try growing garlic nearby. It is also believed to repel ticks and has proven to discourage greenfly (aphids) from roses. What could be better, especially if you are partial to garlic too?
You could put up one or two of those lamps that attract insects to them and then destroy them with a high voltage shock. These electric bug killers are especially proficient at killing mosquitoes and house flies, which can also be a nuisance when you are sitting outside.
They are reasonably priced and will last for years. They give off a pleasing glow and some claim to be able to de-infest areas of a quarter, a half and even a full acre of terrain of all flying insects by the use of the ultraviolet light and pheromones.
By using some or all of the above methods of keeping mosquitoes out of your garden, you should be able to enjoy your drink, a chat or a snooze in complete peace and freedom from flies and mosquitoes.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on a lot of topics, but is at present concerned with work on mosquito bite treatment problems. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.
