A Gift From The Amazon. Top Marketing Company Launches ACAI Juice

This is not a story of some explorer hacking his way through the jungle, searching for a forbidden city, and discovering some mystical fountain of youth. This is not a tale of the mythological healing powers of some exotic crop. This is, however, the true account of leading researchers and scientists who saw a health need and as a result, discovered an authentic solution.
This group of experts, led by Dr. Ralph Carson, realized that the world's population at large were not enjoying the health enhancing benefits found in some of nature's most wondrous fruits. And that through the proper intake of the right variety and balance of fruits, grown and harvested in some of the richest soils of the world, individuals could benefit from critically important nutrients that are so illusive in today's polluted environment. Together they made a discovery that they believe, can significantly impact the landscape of personal wellness because of 4 important factors.
Factor #1 - The Forgotten Fruits
Evidence is clear that throughout the world, individuals are not eating enough fresh fruit. Whether this is due to convenience, cost, or taste, culturally the world has moved toward cheaper, processed alternatives rather than raw whole fruits. Dietary trends have eliminated much of the health benefits nature has to offer. In many ways, all fruits have become forgotten.
Factor #2 - A Wide Variety
When fruits are actually remembered, it is just a few: an apple here, a banana there. If additional fruits are considered, people instantly look for that single cure-all nutrient, hoping it will be contained in a particular berry or melon. Consider the body with all of its functions and processes; it is unreasonable to assume a single substance can aid all of the body's faculties.
Factor #3 - Color Me Beautiful
Simply put, fruit with rich color equals fruit rich with nutrients. It is all about the pigments. Brightly colored fruit naturally contain high levels of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients for the plant's own protection. The brighter and deeper the pigments, the more intense and potent the nutrient levels.
Factor #4 - Wear and Tear
Even with the full impact of all the nutrients available in fruits, due to wear and tear, the body still requires more assistance. Once the damage is done, two natural substances can help: Celadrin and Glucosamine. Celadrin lubricates the body's cells and revitalizes the membranes that cushion the bones and joints. While Glucosamine restores flexibility and is the natural building block of healthy cartilage. Helping repair previous damage paves the way for the benefits of fruits to have full sway in the body.
The Solution
Step one was to find the perfect combination and variety of fruits, rich in pigments. If the right fruit was rare or expensive it still was to be used--compromise was not an option. Step two, puree them in their entirety--flesh, skin, and seed so as to capture all the rich nutrients. Step three, include the repairing benefits of Celadrin and Glucosamine enabling the body to enjoy the full benefit of these sometimes forgotten, yet wonderful fruits. And the final step was to elegantly bottle the juice with the natural ingredients that enable prompt results.
The solution is MonaVie.
MonaVie provides the full impact of what fruit really has to offer: This polished product is the perfect blend of rare and lesser-consumed fruits from the 4 corners of the earth that are enormously rich with nature's benefits. It is not a mixture of mythical juices; it is just good science.
With each bottle of MonaVie purchased, a portion of your proceeds will be donated to help preserve the Amazon rainforest. MonaVie's roots are entrenched in the Amazon. The Amazon is a region of superlatives: it spans the borders of eight countries; it is the world's largest river basin and the source of one-fifth of the Earth's freshwater; it has the world's highest diversity of birds and freshwater fish; it is the planet's largest and most luxuriant rainforest in which, amazingly, live more than one third of all species in the world. Despite its natural richness, the Amazon ecosystem is fragile and in peril.

Top Health and Wellness company Monarch Health Sciences to Launch New Phyto-Blend Elixar MONAVIE on Jan 8, 2005 in Salt Lake City. Oprah's website names Acai Fruit TOP Superfood and it is also touted by NBC's Matt Lauer as the 'Amazons Viagra', the Acai Fruit Berry is quickly gaining popularity. Experts predict that MonaVie is very likely to set industry records.
More MLM and Network Marketing leaders as well as many Top corporate individuals are aligning themselves with the MonaVie Acai Juice product and Monarch Health Sciences.
We are currently looking for team leaders for the following countries: USA, Canada, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Australia
We will be opening many more countries starting in 2005. We are currently looking for team leaders to help with International Expansion and we are offering free Signup and free Website marketing systems at no cost to you but for a limited time only. So act soon !

Foot Pain Relief At Last

"As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people complain about more often than almost any other, is their feet." So says Dr. Nathan Wei, Clinical Director of The Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. "This is too bad because there are many treatments that can be helpful," Dr. Wei adds.
The foot is made up of 26 bones and 39 muscles...
The foot and ankle are designed to bear weight. The multiple joints in the feet are capable of adjusting to almost any terrain and the padding in the feet are designed to absorb shock.. The ankle joint allows the foot to move up and down, side to side, and inward and outward (inversion and eversion).
Not All Foot Pain Comes From The Foot!
Careful examination of the low back, hip, and knee should be performed because pain from these areas may affect the foot and ankle. In particular, pinched nerves in the low back can cause foot pain and weakness.
Ankle sprains are common- 25,000 people sprain an ankle every day!
The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and prevent instability.
Treatment of an acute sprain consists of rest, ice compression and elevation ("RICE"). Exercises to help stabilize and strengthen the ankle should be started.
Arthritis of the ankle may cause recurrent pain and swelling.
Pain from arthritis typically is made worse by weight-bearing particularly on uneven ground. What this means is you should try to avoid excessive walking or running on uneven ground. Anti-inflammatory medication and proper foot support can do wonders.
Pain in the ball of the foot has many causes...

• Foot strain occurs when a person "overdoes it." And the treatment is pretty straightforward. Rest.
• Morton's neuroma (a benign nerve tumor usually located between the 3rd and 4th toes)
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome (pinched nerve in the ankle)
• Arthritis.

Other common causes of foot pain include:

• Stress fractures may occur after excessive walking.
• Achilles tendonitis causes pain in the back of the heel. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medicines, rest, a heel lift, and gentle stretching.
• Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the bottom of the heel. Treatment includes rest, anti-inflammatory medication, heel cup, orthotics, stretching, and local steroid injection.
• Flat foot.

Muscle strengthening exercises and orthotics are helpful.
Two other common problems are:

• Osteoarthritis, particularly common in the big toe. The big toe will point out to the side. When bursitis alongside the great toe joint develops, this condition is referred to as a bunion. Treatment involves proper padding and footwear. In extreme cases, surgery is required.
• Neuropathy. This painful condition is particularly common in diabetics. This occurs when the small nerves in the feet are damaged. Symptoms include burning, tingling, and pain in the feet - worse at night.

Well fitted orthotics (arch supports) can alleviate not only foot and ankle pain but pain in the knees, hips, low back, and neck!!
We often take the ability to walk for granted. This ability involves the use of two engineering marvels- our feet and ankles. Because of the tremendous amount of force transmitted to the feet with walking, unique problems may develop. Attention to proper preventative care, i.e., comfortable shoes, sox, hygiene, support, along with proper prompt medical care can really put the brakes on foot pain.

Health, Vitality, and Courage

During the dark years that followed my diving accident, I deviated from my wholesome eating habits. This deviation was partly due to my limited control over my diet, as I lived in a hospital or a group home. It was also due to my reduced health-consciousness. Largely disgusted with life, I was proportionally hedonistic and suicidal. I sought consolation in gustatory pleasure at the risk of undermining my health. To be more precise, I often overindulged my fondness for fatty and savory foods or sweet ones, with the result that I gained weight and lost my edge - that is, part of my vitality. This loss was ominous. It took a wealth of vitality to accept and overcome the difficulty of attaining happiness. The more I was devitalized and consequently weak, the more I was likely to be daunted by this difficulty.
Devitalization was the worst form of impoverishment. In a state of weakness, it was tempting to deny that happiness was possible or worth the effort and choose the easy option: idleness and carelessness or death. I never gave in to this morbid temptation, but my overindulgence in fatty and savory foods or sweet ones caused my vitality to lessen and my depression to worsen, thereby reinforcing my hedonistic and suicidal tendencies. I had entered a vicious circle, or rather a downward spiral that led to hell.
Fortunately, before it was too late, I became disgusted with my way of life, as opposed to life itself. I was less a victim of circumstances than a fool who brought about his own misery, on account of his negative attitude and self-destructive behavior. I began my uphill journey to wisdom and health.
Health is the basis for every human achievement, even when it is poor, in which case it provides a lot less vitality and longevity than when it is good. I pledged to do everything possible to be healthy to maximize my potential to live and love.
In fact, health is not just a matter of vitality and longevity; it is also a matter of sanity. A sound mind is a complement to a sound body. Furthermore, the one is dependent on the other. This dependence had dawned on me with dazzling clarity a few months after I had moved into my apartment and improved my diet. By then I had studied many health books. They had helped me define and meet my nutritional requirements much more wisely.
My body needed a balanced and moderate amount of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins to function well. Correlatively, the foods containing these nutrients had to be properly chewed to aid digestion and absorption (this did not apply to fiber: a type of carbohydrate that the body can neither digest nor absorb). Proper chewing reduces foods to mush and proportionally increases the effect of the digestive juices on them or the availability of the nutrients that are ready for absorption. I thoroughly performed this simple chore, at the center of life.
To start with, carbohydrates are simple or complex sugars that I generally obtained from fruit, honey, milk products, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, legumes (beans, lentils, or peas), nuts, seeds, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains. Simple sugars and digestible complex sugars serve as an energy source and participate in the synthesis of DNA and RNA molecules: the genetic information and the genetic messengers that enable the organism to regenerate and reproduce. Indigestible complex sugars, better known as dietary fiber, are capable of promoting the elimination of waste through the intestine. Refined foods are depleted of this fiber, without which constipation is a predictable outcome that bodes ill. Except on festive occasions, I resolutely avoided them.
Lipids include two main subdivisions: saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats (with a phosphoric component in some of them - i.e., in phospholipids versus triglycerides that are pure fats) and cholesterol, which is a singular fatty compound. Like simple sugars and digestible complex sugars, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats serve as an energy source. In addition, they contribute to the integrity of the body tissues. Polyunsaturated fats and cholesterol also contribute to this integrity and are used for a variety of vital functions involving the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and immune systems.
A distinctive feature of polyunsaturated fats is their instability. When exposed to heat, light, or air, such as in processing, intense cooking, or prolonged everyday use, they can suffer damage and become harmful. In view of this fact, I was careful to eat the foods that contained them - for example, walnuts and seeds, and the oil extracted from either - in their most natural (unprocessed and if possible uncooked) form and fresh (unspoiled) state. When cooking was necessary, as in the case of fish or tofu, which numbered among these foods, I resorted to steaming or baking in preference to frying and proceeded with caution, while avoiding the pitfall of undercooking. I applied the same basic principles to the foods that contained monounsaturated fats, like peanuts, almonds, olives, and avocado, and the oil extracted from any of them, though these fats are less unstable than their polyunsaturated counterparts. As for cholesterol, found exclusively in animal products, and saturated fats, found mostly in land animal products, they have a reputation for causing arterial blockage and organ dysfunction if consumed without restraint. I limited my intake of them by following a largely vegetarian diet where animal flesh was the exception, not the rule. Actually, I exercised restraint in my consumption of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats as well. The opposite, like any lack of moderation, is a health hazard.
Now for proteins. They are various macromolecules that comprise a large number of amino acids (nitrogenous molecules that occur in twenty-two different forms). In the course of digestion, these macromolecules are broken down into these molecular components, which act thereafter as raw material or building blocks to produce new molecules or new macromolecules (polypeptides, smaller than proteins, or proteins) that suit our physiological needs in many areas: the metabolism, the blood, the mucous membranes, the skin and the tendons, the muscles, plus the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. These molecular components act so if the body has enough carbohydrates and fats to satisfy its energy requirements. Otherwise, they are stripped of their nitrogenous part and mobilized into satisfying these requirements. This constitutes a waste of precious amino acids and a burden to the kidneys, in charge of eliminating the free nitrogenous part after the liver has transformed it into urea. As it happened, my main sources of protein - namely, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and the bread, cereal, or pasta made from these grains, together with milk products and eggs - were also rich in carbohydrates or fats. Here the fats that mattered were saturated or monounsaturated, whereas the polyunsaturated ones were not a favorable means of satisfying my energy requirements, given the many other important roles they played.
Lastly, minerals and vitamins are a group of some thirty substances that complement carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. A deficiency in one of them can hamper a bodily function and jeopardize in so doing the health of an individual. Collectively, as precursors or components of useful agents, or as useful agents themselves, they assist in numerous processes: vision, nerve impulses and neurotransmission, muscle contraction, digestion and absorption, regulation of blood sugar and of the metabolic rate, respiration, energy production, regeneration and reproduction, formation and maintenance of bones and teeth, coagulation, protection against free radicals (noxious atoms or molecules), and immunity. My usual sources of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein already supplied me with minerals and vitamins, all the more since they were unrefined. Refining is a terrible refinement that depletes fibers and nutrients in foods. Nevertheless, to make sure I got enough minerals and vitamins, I rounded off these usual sources with additional vegetables: carrots, radishes, cauliflower, red cabbage, green vegetables, leafy or non-leafy, garlic, and onions. I drank plenty of water to boot, though not during or immediately after meals lest I interfere with my digestion by flooding my stomach. Drinking water typically contains a minute quantity of minerals. Much more importantly, it has the ability to replenish the bodily fluids and cleanse the system of undesirable substances.
The best thing about my improved diet was that in a few months my state of mind had taken a turn for the better in a big way. Never before had I thought so clearly and felt so enterprising. I was brimming with vitality and soon became immersed in the writing of my book on "vital efficiency." It appeared I was a lot more capable of rationalizing and embracing the challenge of leading a fulfilling life, because I was a lot more alive. My energy level had risen dramatically. I could sleep three hours, rest another two hours, and go about my business for the remaining nineteen hours. In conjunction with this rise, my morale was unusually high. Circumstances alone could not account for this boost. My relationship with my girlfriend (the extremely kind and gentle, and rather pretty nurse) was in the doldrums and on the brink of termination. My new apartment, on the other hand, was a significant improvement; but what changed for the better during the few months in question was primarily the condition of my body, which impacted my state of mind. I was vibrant with health, notwithstanding I still experienced bladder problems that somewhat weakened me on occasion. This health was both physical and mental. I had a vigorous and joyous sense of purpose that kept me going and especially writing.
In the effort to be healthy, a reasonable diet is not everything. Fresh air and regular exercise ought to form part of this effort. There are two types of exercise; both require stretching, before and after, plus warmup and cooldown periods, to avoid injuries.
The first type of exercise is anaerobic, not dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of anaerobic exercise is weightlifting. Done frequently, in vigorous workouts, it strengthens muscles and bones. The second and most beneficial type of exercise is aerobic, dependent on the intake of oxygen. An example of aerobic exercise is jogging. Done every day or a few times a week, for at least fifteen minutes (enough to markedly and sustainedly increase the activity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues), it yields numerous health benefits. Besides strengthening muscles and bones, it raises endurance, improves the handling of stress, promotes good mood, boosts the immune function, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, and helps to prevent obesity together with disorders like diabetes and hypertension that often accompany this condition. In a nutshell, fresh air and regular exercise are important aspects of a wholesome lifestyle. They result in someone being stronger, feeling better, and probably living longer.

Laurent Grenier’s writing career spans over twenty years. During this time he has broadened and deepened his worldview, by dint of much reflection and study, and in the end has crafted “A Reason for Living,” his best work to date.

Music, Dance And Your Sanity

Music, Dance and Your Sanity
"To do science? To really do science? You don't live in the world," he says. "You live in an attitude." Gerald M. Edelman, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla, California. Following this same concept, "In Real Estate and Business it's about Living in an Attitude!" Ted Borgeas, "From the Chicken Coop".
The benefits of music and dance during the decision making
of buying or selling your home has extended as far back as
Aristotle and Plato. Even Reigning Monarchs had court
musicians and dancers, for their entertainment but possibly
for the relaxing affects from their stresses of boredom? Well
buying and selling a home sure doesn't have boredom but a
lot of anxiety and even stress. With modern technology and
the advent of television and the Internet combining visual,
auditory and artistic qualities these medias have extended
numerous benefits to our homes and businesses.
Applying music, dance, laughter and mirth to the buying and
selling process of properties, has acquired critical acclaim
because of scientific studies that can now measure some of
the perceived health, stress and anxiety release attributes
from music and dance.
One of the best definitions for science and probably for the
home decision makers, I believe was a statement made by
Gerald M. Edelman, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the
Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla, California. He explained
the difference between scientists and other people. "To do
science? To really do science? You don't live in the world,"
he says. "You live in an attitude." Dr. Edelman's statement
"You live in an attitude," can extend to every facet involving
not only in science but our emotions, perceptions and
responses of mind as related to the pressure of the multiple
decisions and complexity of buying and selling your home. Of
course with the right Attitude of Gratitude, especially with the
right Real Estate Professional can contribute a lot of
pleasure and happiness. Responding to each emotion still
encompasses an
Attitude of Gratitude, which can be helped, developed and
improved, as related to our need for sometimes, Heroic and
Daring humanistic actions to these emotions, yes especially
when buying and selling your home or for that matter,
including your family, finances, location and the magnitude of
other disclosures.
The Neurosciences Institute, during their research, has
discovered a way to measure how the human brain
processes intricate tones, presenting incredibly new insights
into the effects of music. While there application may be
directed towards disorders of hearing. I believe, future
studies will extend far beyond into the emotions involved for
any home transactions. But don't let technology interfere with
the Romance of the Home due your transcending enjoyment
of also listening your intuition.
Ted Borgeas uses the same concept, in addition to others,
as Hospitals that are now utilizing the media of combining
soothing music with associated pleasant and relaxing nature
scenes on television, not only in the patient's rooms but also
in the waiting and recovery areas, but instead at his office
and while showing homes in person and on the internet. He
can recall utilizing soothing music and encouraging and
positive conversation regarding the patient's postoperative
responses to projected recovery during surgery in the
operating room. He knew the positive subconscious
interpretations by the patient while under anesthesia aided in
they're perceived recovery and healing and applies the same
principles to homebuyer and sellers.
"People are now using music to help them deal with sadness
and fear." Dr. Anne Blood, a researcher at Massachusetts
General Hospital in Charlestown Massachusetts. "We are
now showing in our study that music is triggering systems in
the brain that make them feel happy." What a startling
revelation, especially since music lovers and people lovers
have known this since eternity!
Our interpretation of applying dance and music to buying or
selling a home may not include Aristotle's and Plato's ancient
perceptions. But the concept of music and dance not only
stimulates physical movement, either overt or imagined but it
also affects our immunological system based on studies
relating to music, laughter and humor.
Dancing is not only physical exercise, including footwork,
rhythm, tempo, balance, control, showmanship and style but it
also helps in transcending thought. Try dancing to any type of
fast tunes and think at the same time? It is especially
beneficial, in times when we may have nasty unbeneficial
feelings and thoughts or confusing perceptions about
properties. It is guaranteed to change you attitude; to a
relaxed Attitude of Gratitude!
"I frequently perform solo dancing, yes, by your-self, utilizing
various types of ethnic music with marvelous results". This
author has utilized music, dance, laughter and mirth, in
conquering his prostate cancer. This of course was in
conjunction with the Physician's God inspired therapies! Try
it? It works.
Copyright © 2005 Ted Borgeas, All Rights Reserved
Ted Borgeas, Author, 35 years Self-Coaching Yourself.
Helps people get insight on Career & Life Transitions.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Dr. Ted Borgeas is a 75 year old retired Foot Surgeon-Podiatrist who is a master of transcending through life transitions and piggybacking careers and attitudes to success.
He limits his coaching to Doctors and other professionals. Dr. Ted had been a Podiatric consultant inside a Federal Prison for 15 years and inside a state mental hospital for 7 years. How he uses Music, Dance and Meditation to help cure his cancer.
The author of 11 books. Keynote speaker and lecturer. Most business gurus will stress using "Other Peoples Money" But Dr. Ted believes and lives on the premise cultivate and enlighten "Other Peoples Youth" it nourishes your own youth.

Monaco Marathon

A popular event in Monaco takes place every year in November, the Monaco Marathon. And when I say popular, I mean it literally - the event is open to whoever wants to participate.

The territory of Monaco being very restrained, the 42 km Marathon is the only one that takes place along the coast of three countries, on the territory of France and Italy.

This year, the the 8th Riviera Marathon program was as follows:

• November 12th - from 14.00 to 19.00: inauguration of the Marathon Expo
• November 13th - from 10,00 to 22.30:
• Opening of the Marathon Expo;
• Presentation of the course and athletes;
• Pasta Party near by the Marathon Expo.


• November 14th - from 7.00 to 14.30:


• Distribution of finals bibs;
• Group Warm-up towards the Start Line
• 9.30 - Start of the 8th "Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera"
• 10.15 - Start of the 2nd "10 Km of Monte-Carlo"
• 14.00 - Prize Giving
At 9,30 the race was started by HSH Crown Prince Albert of Monaco outside the IAAF's Headquarters. The course was open for 5.5 hours.

On November 14th, on a sunny, warm but windy weather, the starting line-up counted 3000 competitors from over 40 countries. Taking place for the second time this year, the 10 km course was run by 958 contestants.

This year, the participants fundraised and ran on behalf of Challenge Aspen, a non-profit organization in Colorado that offers assistance for persons with mental or physical disabilities.

The full marathon was won by Russian contestants:

• Men: Andrey Chernychov with a time of 2h 22min 12sec.
• Women: (11th overall) Maria Fedosseva with a time of 2h 41min 17sec.

The 10km race was won by:

• Men: Emanuele Manzi from Italy, with a time of 31min 42sec.

Benefits of Lavender Green Tea

In Health
Organically grown Green Tea is rich in polyphenols and anti-oxidants that fight free radicals that damage cells and tissue. An 8 oz. Cup of Green Tea has as much potency as a cup of blueberries, a best source of anti-oxidants and as much vitamin C as a lemon. It also contains magnesium, riboflavin, niacin, folie acid and potassium.
Larch Arabinogalaetin (AG) is a good source of natural dietary fiber. Women who increase fiber from 12 to 24 grams absorb 90 fewer calories from fat and protein. Men who increase fiber from 15 to 36 grams absorb 130 fewer calories. Larch (AG) moves waste through the digestive tract promoting intestinal cleansing, making it the safest dietary supplement. Unlike psyllium, larch increases mineral absorption, and like our green tea, it contains no sugar, sweetener, seasonings or colorings.
AG provides us with healthy bacteria that fight free radicals in the digestive tract. The digestive tract is the site of the vast majority of free radical production. A healthy digestive tract directs nutrients to the organs of the body and eliminates waste.
Skin Care
We eliminate toxic materials through the digestive and urinary tract. Should these organs fail, toxins will attempt to exit via our skin, decreasing the quality of our skin. Green tea, larch, and lavender are frequently used in skin care products.
Weight Management
Green tea has been sold in health food stores as a safe way to reduce weight. Green tea is thermogenie. That is, it bums fat. If we don't burn fat, we will soon wear it.
Weight Management & Stress
Does stress causes you to reach for comfort food7 Comfort foods are often used to deal with emotional events. Lavender is emotionally balancing; that is, it picks us up when we are down and helps to calm us when we are tense. Possibly reducing our desire for high calorie sweets. Long before Lavender was used for fragrance, it was considered a culinary delight. Enjoy the taste of Lavender Green Tea with Larch and profit from the many nutritional benefits without the calories.

Gerald F. McCarthy holds a patent on the unique diffuser used in all ESSENTIAL AIR models.
Over the years McCarthy of Leyden House has accumulated seventeen patents in the field of energy and health related products. A speech pathologist by profession he was intrigued by the beneficial effects of natural healing and began searching for ways to deliver essential oils more effectively.

A Vital Tool For Your Fitness Success

A Training Diary is a Vital Tool For Your Fitness Success
I know you've heard this before and it seems
"basic". But it is an important key to success.
And apparently, it isn't heard enough because
I'd say less than 1% of the people I see in the
gym keep track of their workout.
An essential part of the organization needed to
get each workout day right is a training diary.
At its most basic minimum this is a written record
of reps and poundage for every work set you do and
an evaluation of each workout so that you can stay
alert to warning signs of overtraining.
After each workout reflect on your evaluation and,
when necessary, make adjustments to avoid falling
foul of overtraining.
A training diary or journal is indispensable for
keeping you on track for training success. No matter
where you are now -- 180-pound squat or 500, 13-inch
arms or 17, 135-pound bench press or 350 -- the
systematic organization and focus on achieving goals
that a training journal enforces will help you to
get bigger, stronger, and leaner.
As simple as it is to use a training log, do not
underestimate its vital role in helping you achieve
your fitness goals. Most trainees are aware that
they should record their workouts in a permanent
way, but few actually do it.
And even those trainees who keep some sort of
training log usually fail to exploit its full
potential benefits. This is one of the major reasons
why most trainees get minimal results from their
training.
Your training journal is extremely important and
should be more than just a list of weights, sets
and rep.
When used properly, a training journal enforces
the organization needed to get each work-out right,
week after week, month after month and year after year.
By recording your poundages and reps, you log your
entire training program and the week-by-week breakdown
of how you work through the routine (s) in each
training cycle in the journal.
A training log eliminates reliance upon memory.
There will be no, "Did I squat eight reps with 330
pounds at my last squat workout, or was it seven?"
Refer to your journal and you will see precisely
what you did last time--i.e., what you need to
improve on if you are to make your next workout a
step forward.
With a well-kept and detailed journal, you'll know
with absolute certainty what is working in your
program and what doesn't. Are you stagnating? Not
making the progress you want? Go back and consult
your journal at a time that you were making fantastic
progress? What were you doing then that you are
not doing now?
You must be 100 percent honest when entering data.
Record the quality of your reps. If you did five
good ones but the sixth needed a tad of help from
a training partner, do not record all six as if
they were done under your own steam. Record the
ones you did alone, but note the assisted rep as
only a half rep.
It is not enough just to train hard. You need to
train hard with a target to beat on every work
set you do. The targets to beat in any given workout
are your achievements the previous time you performed
that same routine.
If you train hard but with no rigorous concern
over reps and poundages, you cannot be sure you are
training progressively. And training progressively
is the key to making progress. But for accurate records
of sets, reps and poundages to have meaning, your
training conditions must be consistent.
If at one workout you rush between sets, then at the
next workout you take your time, you cannot fairly
compare those two sessions.
If one week the deadlift is your first exercise and
the following week you deadlift at the end of the
workout, you cannot fairly compare those two workouts.
And the form you use for each exercise must be
consistent and flawless every time you train.
Likewise, if you do 3 sets of the bench press and
one workout you take 1 minute between sets and the
next workout you take 3 minutes between sets, you
can't be sure that you've progressed from one
workout to the next.
Get all the details of your training in black and
white, refer to them when appropriate and get in
control of your training. In addition to control
over the short term, this permanent record will
give you a wealth of data to analyze and draw on
when designing your future training programs.
Keep accurate records of each workout, each
day's caloric and protein intake, how much
sleep you get, muscular girths and your body
composition. Then you will remove all guesswork
and disorder from your training program.
But all of this is just a bunch of words. You
have to make the theory and rationale come
alive with your conscientious and methodical
practical application. Do exactly that now, and
take charge of your training!
Most trainees have neither the organization
needed for success nor the will and desire to
push themselves very hard when they need to.
But these are the very demanding essentials for
a successful fitness program.
Find out how you did in trying to make today
another step toward achieving your next set of
short-term goals. Have all of today's actions--
training (if a training day), diet and rest--met
or exceeded the goals for the day? If not, why
not?
A daily critical analysis of what you did and
did not do to take another step forward will
help you to be more alert to improving tomorrow.
Take a few minutes each day to review your
journal.
Take as much control over your life as you can.
Learn from your mistakes. Capitalize on the
good things you have done. Do more of the
positive things you are already doing and
fewer of the negative things.

How To Increase Your Energy

Being tired in fast becoming the new 20th century disease. According to the book 'The 28Day Plan' lack of energy can be attributed to: a bad diet, overindulgence in alcohol, lack of sleep and smoking. Plus we know that stress can zap our energy and leave us feeling tired. So how can we get more energy into our life?
One of the best ways to increase your energy is to eat energy producing foods such as porridge, muesli, fish, poultry, lean lamb, bananas, dried fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegies, baked potatoes, wholemeal foods, fresh juices, water, Soya milk, seeds and nuts. Foods to limit are coffee, tea, cows cheese, beef/pork, sugary foods, pastries, biscuits, chips, white flour foods, fizzy drinks and chocolate (oh no!).
Other tips in the 28-Day Plan book to raise and restore energy are:
(1). Hibernation-take 20 minutes a day for quiet time. Think about no one and nothing. Lie down, listen to some favourite music or close your eyes and drift off to a beautiful island.
(2). Breath-Spend 5 minutes doing some deep breathing. Sit on the floor in comfortable clothes. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in through your nose, hold for a count of five and slowly exhale to a count of 5.
(3). Laugh-Have a good belly laugh. Watch a funny video or tell a funny joke. Refer back to my last newsletter for more tips.
(4). Sleep-Most of us realise we need 8 hours of sleep for the most benefit. Some other tips are to sleep with the window slightly open (be security conscious too). Have a firm supportive mattress and sufficient pillows. Eat at least 5 hours before going to bed. Go to bed the same time each night. Relax before bed.
(5). Pamper yourself-Go out and treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of flowers (or pick some from your garden). Have a massage, give yourself a facial or bubble bath, and go out for herbal tea with a friend.
(6). Do some stretching and flexing of your body at the start of each day.
(7). Exercise for 30 minutes each day. Some exercise ideas are: walking, jogging, cycling, skipping, bouncing (trampoline), swimming, cleaning and gardening. Have a health check before starting any exercise program.
(8). Eat breakfast.
So get to it. Use this information and tips to begin putting more energy back into your day!

How To Give Up Insomnia

I am writing this on a Sunday morning following a very restless night when sleep just didn't want to be my friend. I have suffered with insomnia for many years but, by using a combination of techniques, it is more or less under control.

Yesterday, I spent much too long working on changes to my website. I was enjoying it, so the time shot by. I ended up sending out for a big Chinese meal late in the evening. A vast quantity of spicy food was washed down with several glasses of wine. If you want to lie awake half the night, just do as I did. The remedy is simple and obvious. Time to get a grip on the lifestyle.

Self-inflicted insomnia is easily cured. What I call "real" insomnia is a beast of a much deeper hue, debilitating and much harder to defeat. Even so, it is not impossible to overcome and there is a whole range of things you can do to get the upper hand.

Here I should state that I do not pretend to have any special medical or therapeutic knowledge and I would not advise anybody to stop taking their prescribed medication. I am just sharing my experiences in the hope that they might help other people who are struggling through wakeful nights.

The following tips for getting off to sleep are pretty well known but I think they are worth repeating.

1. Keep the bedroom just for bed with no reminders of daytime activities like work or study. Decorate the room in restful colours and use soft lighting. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and the ventilation adequate. Hang curtains which are heavy enough to block out the early morning light.

3. Have a bedtime routine. This does not involve doing anything special, it is just a matter of doing the same things in the same order each night. We all have things we do regularly: empty the dishwasher, put out the cat, lock the front door, set the alarm, brush teeth etc. These routine things are our steps away from the activity of the day, towards the restful night.

4. Make a soak in a warm bath part of your nightly ritual. Adding a few drops of aromatherapy oil to the water makes it doubly relaxing, soft background music makes the experience positively decadent.

5. Don't drink alcohol late at night. A nightcap might make you feel drowsy but it will disrupt your natural sleep rhythms and exacerbate your problem.

6. A warm milky drink is the best thing to have last thing at night. (Yes, our mothers were right when they made us drink cocoa.) There are tons of instant milky drinks available and most ranges have low fat options. If you don't like this milky, chocolatey type of drink, try out herbal teas but avoid anything containing caffeine.

7. Exercise is important but should be performed several hours before bedtime otherwise the adrenaline will still be pumping around your system and keeping you awake.

What if you follow the above tips, fall peacefully asleep and then wake up three hours later, in the dark middle of the night? To me, this is the most distressing type of insomnia. I know how it feels to wake up at 2.00 am, listen to the clock chime every hour round to 7.00 am, fall asleep and be rudely awakened by the alarm at 7.30. I always feel worse after that final snatched half hour of sleep than I felt in the middle of the night and sometimes get up insanely early to avoid it. The following tips can help you get back to sleep.

1. Recognise why you are awake. If you are too hot, cold or uncomfortable in any way, fix that problem. I often wake up thirsty, so I always have a jug of water at my bedside. Sometimes a drink of water is all that's needed to get back to sleep.

2. Relax by breathing slowly and deeply and by concentrating on tensing and then relaxing every muscle in your body, one by one, starting with toes and working upwards to your head.

3. Keep a pen and paper by your bed so if you are worrying about things you have to do, you can write them down in a list. This way you can stop worrying about forgetting anything important. As you write each thing down, visualise it leaving your brain and lodging itself on paper where you will find it safely in the morning. I find this exercise helps a lot if I have things on my mind.

If all this fails, you have been awake for over half an hour and know you are in for a long wakeful night; give up, get up, go do things. You won't feel any worse and you will probably feel better. There is no point in wasting those hours just lying there worrying about insomnia. If you feel sleepy further into the night, you can always go back to bed.

I gave up insomnia by sleeping whenever I could and getting up and doing things when I was wide awake even if it was the middle of the night. I decided to sleep when I could, not worry if I woke up at strange hours and not waste time tossing and turning in search of sleep. The decision to stop worrying was the key to my recovery.

I was fortunate in that I was not tied to a 9-5 work schedule, most of my work was done at home or in the library. All I had to do was make sure I was there for my children who were all school age.

Over a few weeks I "enjoyed" a strange lifestyle. I would go to bed at my normal time, get up at any time of night when I couldn't sleep (usually between 3.00 am and 5.00 am) and read or write essays or do quiet household chores. Then I would get the children up and see that they had breakfast and got off to school. I would then, depending how I felt, carry on working or go to bed. My alarm would be set so that I did not have to worry about being asleep when the children came home from school (I never was: I think mothers have an internal alarm clock). I would sleep for as long as I needed and then get up and carry on with my day. At weekends I could sleep while the children were doing homework or out with their friends.

Gradually, my night-time sleep became longer and my spells of daytime sleep grew shorter. Without any effort or worrying, I reverted to a normal sleep pattern and resumed a conventional timetable.

Several years afterwards I came across this quotation: "If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep". -- Dale Carnegie. I couldn't have put it better myself!

How to Avoid Becoming a Fitness Failure

When it comes to fitness, no one likes being a failure, yet more than half
of new exercisers quit their program within the first six months. With a
little help you can ensure you're not one of them. Give these ideas a try
as you begin your exercise program for the new year.

Set goals

If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get
there? Setting short-term and long-term goals may increase your
chance of success. Your goals must give a clear picture of the end-point
to work towards. Use the SMART model, your goal should be Specific,
Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Without these
you'll never know if you have achieved the goal. You can't just say "lose
weight or gain energy." Instead say, "I will lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks
by doing strength training 3 times a week and cardio 3 times a week."

Go for variety

Whether you do a home workout or belong to a gym, build your routine
on cross-training to keep things fresh and interesting, and keep yourself
from developing an injury. Frequently vary the order of your exercises
and mix in dumbbells, barbells, resistance tubing, machine or body
weight exercises. Don't be afraid to take a class.

Track your progress

Write down your measurements and weight at the beginning of your
program. Keep a workout log and use it. Seeing results is a great
motivator. At least once a month, re-measure and review your log to see
advances in your aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and body
composition.

Seek out support

A workout partner with similar goals and a positive attitude can make
your workout more fun. knowing you are accountable to another person
can be a great motivator too. So can working with a certified personal
trainer.

Devise a backup plan

Time and access are the largest obstacles to fitness, and even devoted
exercisers experience lapses. Don't use these as excuses to avoid
exercise. Having some portable home workout gear like a stability ball,
resistance tubing, jump rope, and dumbbells, will allow you to work out
while traveling, at home or even at work. With limited time, focus on
compound
movements for the largest muscle groups and superset 2 for opposing
muscle groups. A brief but intense workout can be accomplished in a
few minutes.

Just do it

While pumping iron may not be right for everyone, the idea being active
is. Find something you enjoy doing that elevates your heart rate and
challenges you most days of the week. Also pay attention to how you
feel. If you are like most people in as little as three weeks you will find
yourself
sleeping better and feeling more rested.

The information contained in this article is strictly for informational
purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are
sedentary or over 40 please get clearance from a doctor before starting
an exercise program.

You have permission to publish this article electronically,
without changes of any kind, free of charge, as long as the
bylines are included, and remain working hyperlinks. Please send
a copy of the URL where you have posted this article.

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for at least 400 accidental deaths and over 5,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms per year.

Unfortunately, carbon monoxide poisoning is often misdiagnosed as flu, food poisoning, allergy/asthma or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Children, the elderly, individuals with respiratory problems and pets are at risk, even at low levels.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are; headaches, nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, tiredness, pain, cramps and sleep disturbance.

Some people experience headaches and dizziness for almost 2 years prior to carbon monoxide poisoning diagnosis.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is highly toxic, making it impossible to detect with our senses.

Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion in household appliances like furnaces, boilers, water heaters, stoves, ovens, fireplaces as well as well as automobiles.

Tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:

1) Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home

2) Have your appliances (boilers, furnaces, stoves, water heater, fireplaces) checked and serviced by a reputable heating company.

Be sure they are equipped with a professional carbon monoxide analyzer.

If they tell you they don't have one, find another company!

3 Do not use unvented appliances (kerosene heaters, barbecue grilles) in the house.

4) If you have a garage that is attached to your home click here.

5) Any time you strengthen the insulation properties or add a ventilation fan you should have your appliances checked to ensure the upgrades have not compromised the ability of the appliances to safely draft the combustion products from the house.