8 Easy Ways to Have the Body You Desire Before Obama is Sworn In

By Dorthy Weatherbush

How do you like the way you look? Are you satisfied with they way you present yourself to the rest of the world? Are you the confident person you know you can be or do avoid interacting with others simply because you feel uncomfortable and self conscious? Today is your lucky day because today you can make a choice that can change your destiny. If you are sick and tired of living a life of defeat, then you will want to listen up. Commit to the process of transforming your body today and before Obama takes the oath of office on January 20th, you'll feel and look like you've had a million dollar makeover.

For you step one is to simply get you up and out of that sedentary lifestyle. The key is to get your metabolism going as quickly as possible. To do this, wake up just 10 minutes early and take a brisk walk around your home two to three times.

After that, you must make sure that you always eat a healthy breakfast. There are those who say that eating in the morning is the most important meal of the day however is it really. If you eat donuts and other pastries, is that really good for you? To have a real impact on your figure, put the donuts and kolaches down and pick up the fresh fruit and yogurt.

You've heard the old saying you are what you eat. Well, what would that make you? Most people would be giant soda cans or giant bags of chips. If this is true for you then you must make an immediate shift in your diet. Stuffing your face with Oreos and cinnamon rolls while sipping on a Diet Coke is not healthy eating. A proper diet has many fruits and vegetables as a primary staple of life.

The next step is for you to become a "water-holic". Yes, I just made that up but I wanted to make a point to you that water has to become so part of your daily routine that people will literally think you'll need a "Water Drinker's Anonymous" meeting. Drinking water will lubricate your joints and ease painful muscle cramps or spasms.

Your next step is to count calories better than old Ebenezer Scrooge counted his pennies. By staying abreast on how many calories you are consuming each day, you are better able to plan meals an establish portion controls. The good news is that this doesn't mean you give up what you love to eat, rather it simply means you might it less of what you love eat.

The power of snacking is next on your agenda. It may sound crazy but the more times you eat, the better job your body will do at burning up those calories throughout the day. Your snacks don't have to be anything elaborate. In fact, I know of someone who brings to work a small back of dry Cheerios to snack on throughout the day.

Write down what you are eating. It's easy to forget what you have been putting into your mouth, but by writing it down you will give yourself an accurate view of what you are eating. This provides you with some accountability and knowledge as to what you are including in your diet.

Last but not least is the motivation factor. While eating the right foods at the right times and exercising are all very important things, none of those things are possible without proper motivation and support. Forget trying to do it on your own. If you could have done it, you would have by now. The best thing to do is to find a running buddy. Someone whom you can confide in and someone you can trust that will not let you give up. You two can support one another as you press forward toward creating the body you deserve by inauguration day.

About the Author:

Writer Dorthy Weatherbush sees everyday celebrities like Kristy Swanson of Knots Landing fame use these tips plus meal replacement diets to shed unwanted pounds. Read Dorthy's review of diets that work by visiting the weightloss sites above.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression For Lower Back Pain

By Randall Pruitt, DC, DACNB, DAAPM, MUAC, CES-NASM

The causes of low back pain are many, but the most common causes are herniated and bulging discs. This situation results when the inner material which has a jelly like consistency begins to break through the weakening outer fibers. As it moves through the outer fibers it can begin to cause pain through chemical irritation secondary to inflammation or through direct pressure on pain sensitive structures. If the discs are not treated the problem can become chronic.

Traumatic accidents, repetitive stress, or motions can cause herniated or bulging discs. Natural aging can also cause gradual breakdown of the disc fibers, making them more prone to herniating or bulging. Depending on the location of the damage the pain from these injuries can vary greatly.

When diagnosing a herniated or bulging disc the symptoms may not provide accurate clues. However, if the pain is significant and symptoms radiate into the leg and down into the foot then a herniated or bulging disc is most likely the culprit. If coughing, sneezing or laughing increases the symptoms down the leg then a herniated disc diagnosis becomes more clear. Weakness of the leg muscles, tingling or numbness can also point to the likelihood of a herniated or bulging disc. Getting the proper treatment is even more important in these situations because any delay could result in permanent damage.

Even though herniated or bulging discs in the low back are more common, a herniated or bulging disc in the neck may also cause pain. Neck pain can range from simple mechanical neck pain to pain into the shoulders, down the arms and into the hands and fingers. Neck pain can be intensified by certain movements or head positions as well.

A new alternative to more invasive procedures, is non-surgical spinal decompression. Spinal decompression provides a real answer to the pain caused by herniated and bulging discs. It is also indicated in the treatment of degenerative disc disease and facet syndrome. The mechanism behind decompression is the use of a patented computer system that creates a negative pressure within the disc space. This negative pressure draws the bulging or herniated material back into place so the disc can heal.

Non-surgical spinal decompression utilizing the DRX9000 creates the negative pressures by utilizing a logarithmic pulling mechanism. This specific curve bypasses the typical guarding mechanism that is common with the spinal muscles. The technology necessary to apply spinal decompressive forces is patented and The DRX9000 True Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression System utilizes high-speed treatment computers to calculate the logarithmic spinal decompression treatment curve for each patient. Recently published clinical research data demonstrates very promising results for patients suffering with herniated or bulging discs.

Lower back pain secondary to herniated and bulging discs is quite common in the United States and a difficult medical problem to treat. However, with new technology like the DRX9000 Non-surgical spinal decompression system there is now a viable alternative to surgery and other invasive procedures.

About the Author:

Randall Pruitt, DC, DACNB, DAAPM, MUAC, CES-NASM is a chiropractic neurologist and founder of the Arizona Back Institute. He pioneered the use of the DRX9000 In Phoenix Dr. Pruitt was one of the first physicians to offer Spinal Decompression In Arizona

Not So Fast, Obama, Say Insurance Companies

By Ethan Kalvin

When President-elect Barack Obama presented his National health care plan, red flags went up from a myriad of sources, as was expected in light of such a transformational program. The health insurance industry still has some concerns, even though it has agreed to cover all applicants without regard to pre-existing conditions. It is the National Health Insurance Exchange that still is a significant issue with them.

In this Exchange program, Americans would have a choice between a private plan and a government-sponsored plan. The idea behind the Exchange is that you can combine market forces with government intervention when it comes to reform. According to incoming Health and Human Services Secretary, Tom Daschle, the government plan would be modeled after Medicare, reported The New York Times.

The Medicare-like plan would compete with plans provided by private companies who participate in the Exchange. This would, proponents argue, enable more competition in the market and drive down rates. Not necessarily true, says the insurance industry. Their argument is that the Exchange wont do anything to make health insurance and health care more affordable " in fact, the opposite. The health insurance industry points out that the Medicare-modeled plan would likely underpay doctors and hospitals for their services. This would cause providers to increase their prices for private plans to balance out their loss from the government plans.

A new public program similar to Medicare would exacerbate cost-shifting, which already adds $1,500, or 10 percent, to the average premium for a family of four, said Karen Ignagni, the president of Americas Health Insurance Plans. And it seems as if the president-elect is keeping his word about working across the aisle and giving everyone a seat at the negotiation table.

Stephanie Cutter, spokesperson for Obama's White House transition, recently said, "These are listening sessions. We are trying to find people who share Obama's goal of health care reform, even if they disagree on the specifics." Thousands of meetings have already been scheduled with health care reform as the subject. All parties are being welcomed.

About the Author:

If you find yourself asking questions about your current health insurance dilemma, not knowing where to turn for answers, then visit the web's most popular and most comprehensive source of information at www.GoHealthInsurance.com to learn about available health insurance plans.

Products for Hair Loss: Stop Counting Hairs in the Sink

By David U. Goodman

Make no mistake about it. Some hair loss is not preventable. Every one of us loses 100-150 hairs a day in the natural cycle of hair growth and death. It is normal and should not be cause for concern. Further, larger amounts of hair loss can occur at specific times in life - illness, surgery, pregnancy, life-changing events, anxiety and stress, and certain diseases. Again, these are treatable and, in most cases, temporary. More-than-normal hair loss can be prevented in several ways:

1. Keep your body healthy. Body health translates into scalp health and allows follicles to continue to produce hair to replace that which is lost. Good diet and exercise, to increase blood circulation are really important.

2. Stop injuring your hair: Harsh shampoos and coloring/treatment products, used in excess, will kill your hair. Your follicles cannot replace hair as fast as it is falling out when your hair is severely damaged. Likewise, use dry heat as little as possible - blow dryers and curling irons dry out and crack hair, causing it to break off in more than normal amounts.

3. Get rid of as much stress as you can. You've heard it before - and it's true: stress can cause hair loss! If you work or live in a stressful environment then you should find an outlet for that stress, such as exercise, yoga or meditation. Too much stress can have a real negative impact on your overal health, so if you are used to living with stress then you may have larger health issues looming on the horizon if you don't do something to relieve it soon.

4. Find and use a good topical treatment for your scalp. Herbs, essential oils and combinations of these and nutrients will help to keep hair follicles open and producing hair.

5. Use a good medical product. Find a quality product targeted specifically for hair restoration and stick with it. Many are available - Provillus is the number one recommended solution.

6. Don't wait. The longer you wait to address your hair loss, the deeper the hole will be that you're trying to dig out of. First confirm that your hair loss is not attributable to a serious health condition - and then jump all over it! Experiment with different treatments - some products require three to six months to show good results, so the sooner you start the better.

7. Don't give up. Use the product that works best for you right now, and look for new advances in the area of hair loss. Medical research is "on this," in a big way, and lots of money is being poured into the search for a permanent, universally effective treatment.

If after following the steps above you still can't find a product that delivers the results you're looking for, then you might consider a wig, toupe, hair piece, extension or even hair transplant. These are all last resorts and some can be very expensive. If hair loss is causing you a great deal of pain or affecting your sense of well-being you owe it to yourself to find a remedy that works for you.

About the Author:

As far as products for hair loss go Provillus is the most effective treatment available for hair loss. It's working for me, and it can work for you too. To purchase Provillus visit the links above.

Parents Can Obtain Texas Health Insurance For Their Children

By Jordan FeRoss

Children generally visit their pediatrician than anyone else sees their doctor. This is often due to illness caused by a child not practicing good hygiene, such as hand washing, before putting their hands in their mouths. They become ill and spread germs and viruses very quickly. Medical bills can quickly become overwhelming for parents, especially if they do have health insurance in Texas. There are resources available for parents so that their children can be insured even if they cannot afford to do so without assistance.

There are multiple government programs that provide insurance to children if their families meet the eligibility guidelines. This option is most often available to families where the parents are unemployed or underemployed and for whom an employer-sponsored plan is not an option for health insurance in Texas.

The most popular and well-known federal insurance plan is known as Medicaid. The Medicaid plan works through the cooperation of the state and federal government. This plan provides health insurance in Texas for people who can't afford it, especially pregnant women and children. There is no charge to the recipient for this health care plan, but the requirements must be met in order to qualify.

Some of the requirements for persons to qualify for Medicaid health insurance in Texas include: being a resident of the state of Texas; a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident. When a child's parent is not a US citizen, but resides here legally, the child may still be qualified for Medicaid. The family's income, expenses and any medical problems are taken into consideration when qualifying them for Medicaid.

Because of the size and scope of the program, there is a dedicated state agency for handling applications for Medicaid health insurance in Texas. For some families with special circumstances, eligibility for Medicaid is automatic. However, most families on receiving Medicaid will need to regularly update their information and promptly report any changes to their status. Families must also agree to periodic evaluations by social workers to re-assess eligibility for Medicaid.

For those who may not qualify for Medicaid, there is another option for children's health insurance in Texas - the CHIP Program. CHIP or Children's Health Insurance Program is a government-funded program for families who exceed the Medicaid income requirements but cannot afford insurance through a traditional insurance plan. CHIP offers the same coverage and benefits as insurance from a private insurer.

With the CHIP health insurance in Texas participants pay fees that are based on their income. They may incur small co-pays for doctor visits prescription drugs. When using emergency hospital services with this health insurance in Texas, there may also be an additional co-pay. Applying for CHIP is also done through the local state agency office and the requirements are similar to those for Medicaid, except the income limit is higher. The participants have to be reevaluated, usually each year to determine continued eligibility for this type of program. Every child deserves to have appropriate health care to keep them safe and healthy and the Medicaid and CHIP programs are great ways to ensure that no child goes without health insurance in Texas.

About the Author:

Securing Texas Health Insurance for your kids takes a higher priority to your own. Find the right health insurance in Texas for your kids and avoid future problems.

The Benefits of Professional Salon Hair Care Products...

By Jennifer Summers

If you pride yourself on having clean and healthy looking hair, looking after your locks is a top priority. So using good shampoos, conditioners and hair care products on your hair is important. But when it comes to price and the quality of hair care products, how do you know which hair products to use?

Cheap hair products available from the average high street store might appear to be better value for money because of their lower cost, while professional salon hair care products often appear to be pricier, with the average salon hair products priced at $20/GBP10, and a similar size cheap hair care product costing $4/GBP2.

On just this kind of price comparison alone, it appears that the cheap high street hair products are the winners as you are getting 5 times as much product for the same cost, or the same amount of product for 1/5 the price of the salon professional hair care products.

When you look more closely at the comparison between the effectiveness and the quality of high street hair products and salon hair products, does the comparison end up in the favour of cheap hair care products, or do the cheaper high street products turn out to be a false economy?

To discover which in the long term out of cheap hair care products from the high street and professional salon hair care products proved the best value for money, we decided to test the products to find out how the high street hair products compare with the salon professional hair products.

We tested a 300ml bottle of shampoo from the high street and a 300ml salon professional shampoo. With the high street product a 50ml application is standard to clean hair where with the professional product a 10ml application was all that was required to clean the hair to the same standard.

Using 50ml per application, the average high street hair shampoo provides approximately 6 applications per 300ml bottle. With just 10ml used per application, the professional salon hair shampoo gives you around 30 applications per 300ml bottle. Doing a little math, the cost per applications are $0.64c/GBP0.32p for the cheap high street shampoo, and $0.66c/GBP0.33p for the salon professional shampoo.

Result: although the high street shampoo appears to be better value, in truth there is very little difference in cost compared to the professional hair shampoo. The professional shampoo is of much higher quality and more effective in cleaning your hair. Buying cheap high street hair shampoo is a false economy. Q? Why would you want to use an inferior product on your hair?

About the Author:

About the author: Jennifer Summers can help you achieve great looking hair. She is a well of information on hair products, regularly providing valuable and informative hair care advice.

Treatment for Wrinkles: Which Is The Best One?

By Samatha Jackson

When it comes to wrinkle treatment, people are always looking for one that's failsafe. Effectiveness of a wrinkle remedy depends on the user's skin type however and won't have the same results for everyone. Certain factors should be looked into (skin type, extent of damage) prior to buying the right treatment if you expect to get the best results.

- What is your aim?

People looking to use anti-aging cream aim for different results. Some want to target lines on their forehead. Others aim to eliminate fine lines around their eyes. Still others simply want to prevent further aging and just want to maintain their youthful skin texture. There is an anti-aging serum that will address each of these problems, but how effective they are still depends on the type of skin you have and on the extent of damage from the elements.

- What's your skin type?

If you have skin that's still relatively youthful and wrinkle-free, using anti-aging serum designed for wrinkled skin can actually worsen the situation and may even cause problems. Using preventive anti-aging remedies designed for younger-looking skin on one that's already been exposed to the elements may not bring any effects.

- Have A Busy Schedule?

There are anti-aging treatments that require several different applications or multiple steps each day for them to work effectively. If you have a busy schedule and will find it difficult to adhere to the instructions for multi-step applications, it's wiser to invest in a one-step wrinkle cream if you plan to get the best results. Anti-aging treatments work less efficiently if the instructions for their usage are not followed.

- Are You Addressing More Than Just Age Lines?

If you have other issues with your skin besides age lines (acne or rosacea, for example), these will play a factor in determining the optimum wrinkle treatment for you. Consulting a dermatologist will help you avoid choosing the wrong remedy since some treatments can actually have adverse effects on your skin.

Careful analysis of your skin type and compatibility will help keep you from making a wrong purchase and get it right on your first attempt.

About the Author:

When you're researching all of your wrinkle skin cream options, be sure to read plenty of online reviews. We've put together some of the best here: wrinkle cream reviews.

Healthy Food Choices Becoming More Common

By Patrick Glancy, BCH

Healthy lifestyle trends are popping up in many areas of this country. Many restaurants are offering healthier alternatives, fast food restaurants are disclosing nutritional information and public schools are ripping out soda machines and replacing them with water machines. Attitudes toward exercise are getting more positive, diet has been replaced by the phrase "healthy lifestyle" and the word "organic" is now understood by many. America has spoken, it is time for a change of lifestyle!

American's like to eat out but eating out does not have to mean sacrificing your health or diet. Wendy's and Subway were some of the first fast food restaurants to offer healthy substitutions for children and adults. At Wendy's a salad can replace fries for no extra charge. For a kid's meal, parents can order their children a fruit cup and milk instead of fries and a soda. Subway also has raisins and apples in place of chips. Another chain is seeing their competitors success and making a change! Fatburger recently changed from vegetable oil to soy bean oil to fry their foods therefore reducing the amount of trans fat being served. Fatburger will also start using the leanest beef possible in all of their burgers and they are now offering a Boca patty (soy based meatless patty) substitute for all their burgers according to prleap.com. Even sit down restaurants such as Applebee's are jumping on the band wagon by offering Weight Watcher friendly menu items.

In years past eating out meant not knowing how many calories or servings you were eating. There was a lot of guess work involved. But after America demanded to be informed, restaurants and chains relented. Now the nutritional information can be found anywhere from their internet websites, pamphlets in the place, or on the actual container such as McDonald's fries carton. There is no more guess work to be done, consumers know exactly what they are eating, no more mystery meat!

Americans not only saw a problem with the restaurant industry but in their schools as well. Consumers asked for the governments help in fighting obesity and during the 2006-2007 school year, every district in America had a goal to obtain. This goal was to implement a better nutrition and increase activity levels according to aappolicy.org, and nearly every school accomplished this. Soda machines, snack machine and pizza were removed from every district from preschool to high school. They have been replaced by water, fruit and a salad bar. Kids can no longer sell junk food for clubs during school hours and all the cafeterias are required to serve balanced meals.

People are also making an effort to get out and exercise at least three days per week. According to WebMD.com, some of the most popular exercises are yoga, core work and martial art based exercises such as Tai Chi which all help to relieve stress and get you into shape. In 2008 WebMd.com reports America will likely see an increased amount of training, education and certification for all exercise providers and trainers. This is due largely to the rising health kick.

Getting out and exercising is also critical to a healthy lifestyle. People are making an effort to get out and exercise at least three days per week. According to WebMD.com, some of the most popular exercises are yoga, core work and martial art based exercises such as Tai Chi. All of these exercises have multiple benefits such as stress relief, flexibility training and toning all built in. A new trend in exercises is also emerging, in 2008 WebMd.com reports America will likely see an increased amount of training, education and certification for all exercise providers and trainers. This is due largely to the rising health kick.

Flexitarianism is a new "diet" which is quickly on the rise with many Americans according to CNN.com. Dietitians are defining these dieters as those who eat mainly fruits and vegetables but also eat protein but only three days per week such as chicken, lean beef and fish. The other four days a week they eat meatless meals. It is a diet which is low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Those who follow this diet have lower risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack.

America is ready to make a stand. Obesity causes stress for individual families, the pubic and healthcare providers. Of course there will be those out there who love eating their greasy pizzas and triple Whoppers. But for those who do not want to gain hundreds of pounds, there are now options. People are now given the choice when the once did not have one and America responded and healthy living is taking over.

About the Author:

Glancy Hypnosis works with Weight Loss in Salem Oregon

Salon Hair Care Products vs. Cheap High Street Hair Products

By Jennifer Summers

If you pride yourself on having clean and healthy looking hair, looking after your locks is a top priority. So using good shampoos, conditioners and hair care products on your hair is important. But when it comes to price and the quality of hair care products, how do you know which hair products to use?

High street products seem much more affordable and therefore giving you better value for money because of the low cost of high street hair products. Branded premium salon products can appear pricey with the average 300ml shampoo bottle priced at 5 times the cost ($20/GBP10) of a regular high street shampoo ($4/GBP2).

Comparing these prices it seems as if the high street products are better value at about a fifth of the price of salon professional hair care products, giving the impression that they are much better value for money, because you would be getting 5 times the amount of product as you would compared with professional salon hair products.

But when you look into this further, and take into consideration the quality and the effectiveness of the different hair care products, do the figures actually stack up in favour of the cheaper products, or are cheap high street hair care products a false economy? Let's find out?

To see if cheaper high street hair products provide more value for money in both the short and long term when compared with professional salon hair care products, we made the decision to test them both to see how each of the hair products compare against one another in a quality test.

We tested a 300ml bottle of shampoo from the high street and a 300ml salon professional shampoo. With the high street product a 50ml application is standard to clean hair where with the professional product a 10ml application was all that was required to clean the hair to the same standard.

Needing 50ml per application, a 300ml bottle of cheap high street shampoo would give you about 6 applications. But using only 10ml per application, the professional hair care shampoo gives you approximately 30 applications in a 300ml bottle. Comparing the prices, the price per application of the professional salon shampoo is $0.66c/GBP0.33p per application, and the cheap average high street shampoo worked out at $0.64c/GBP0.32p per application.

Summary: at first glance, cheaper high street hair products appear to be a better buy and provide value for money, but on closer scrutiny there is but a hair's breadth of difference in the price of salon hair products, and cheap hair products. When you add the better quality and effectiveness of salon products into the equation, the salon products turn out to be much better value for money. Q? Why would you use anything other than the highest quality hair care products on your hair?

About the Author:

About the author: Jennifer Summers can help you achieve great looking hair. She is a well of information on hair products, regularly providing valuable and informative hair care advice.

Individuals Can Obtain Texas Health Insurance Employers

By Jordan FeRoss

With all the information available online and from insurers themselves, it can be confusing and overwhelming for individuals searching for health insurance in Texas. There are so many different plans and their wording is often quite complex, making it difficult to fully assess options and even more difficult to choose the one that will provide the best care at the most reasonable cost. This is true even when working with employer-sponsored health insurance in Texas.

If you are employed full-time, then check with your employer to see what kind of health insurance is available in Texas. Some employers don't even offer health plans to their employees because they think it would cost them too much to invest in. With group health insurance coverage, it's an easy process and you can choose the coverage that is most affordable for you.

Usually you can sign up for a health insurance plan in Texas as soon as you are hired in. New employees are usually given thirty days from their date of hire to get signed up. People that miss this opportunity often have to wait for the next open enrollment period to get health insurance. The open enrollment period usually occurs once a year and lasts for thirty days. This is also the time when employees who dislike their current plan are permitted to switch to a different carrier.

You may have a health insurance plan in Texas that will pay for your health services and later on submit a claim to get reimbursed by the health insurance plan. Just like any other plan, health insurance in Texas provides services that come from a network of medical providers. Not only that, you have a choice of preferred providers that are in the network of the specified health coverage.

These networks are beneficial for cost management but limit choice for health insurance in Texas as there are only certain doctors you can see and facilities you can use for procedures without incurring additional out-of-network expenses. As the insurer is not your choice, but your employers, you may find you don't have enough flexibility with their plan. This may be especially true if you have a doctor you really like who is not on their network. If this is the case, you are not required to accept your employers plan and can search for an individual plan. These are generally more expensive and require a deeper dive into your medical history but it is your choice.

Employers may limit the choices the employee has because of the high cost of providing insurance to employees. Just like everywhere else, health insurance costs in Texas go up each y year making it more difficult to provide coverage while keeping the company budget balanced. Larger companies of 50 employees full-time employees or more have different options than smaller companies with less than 50 full-time workers.

In addition to that, health insurance in Texas for employers is comprised of a managed care plan and an indemnity coverage health plan. A managed care plan means that you have to get medical services using a certain network of doctors and other medical personnel. An indemnity health plan is when you have to pay for medical services upfront and then submit claims to get reimbursed. So depending on the size of the employer, you may be looking at either one of these plans listed above. Just make sure that you have some type of health insurance coverage so that you won't be so much out of pocket for expenses.

About the Author:

Individual Texas health insurance can be secured at Texas Health. That is of course if your employer will not provide you with your own health insurance in Texas. Good Luck!

Tobacco Helps you Relax?

By Sara Mendez

I've helped a lot of people quit smoking. While doing this, I've been told a lot of reasons why it is good to smoke.

Smoking helps you think, relaxes you, de-stresses you, keeps you from getting upset at your family, tastes good with coffee, tastes really good after a meal. Basically, makes things "better" and makes you feel "better".

I know you don't really believe these reasons, or why would you be trying to stop smoking. Still, a part of you DOES believe these reasons.

You do have a strong reason to keep smoking or you would have quit by now. Just so you know, there are not any laws stating your reason to keep smoking needs to make any sense. It rarely does.

You've probably already proven your reasons untrue. Smoking might taste better with coffee because the coffee taste on your tongue covers the bad taste of smoking???

And most of the time you're AWARE it doesn't make sense. That doesn't change anything though, does it? Just one more log to toss on the fire of your motivation to quit. A fire that doesn't have much chance against the ocean of your craving to smoke.

There are two important sides to this. The feeling that smoking will make you feel better and, the feeling you want to feel better than. That's what needs to be changed.

If you're thirsty you crave something to drink. If you're hungry you crave food. If you feel bad (tired, stressed, overwhelmed, angry, lonely, whatever...) you want to feel good. And, whatever your mind has been taught feels good, you will crave.

This is an only slightly simplified explanation of a craving. Most smokers have more than one type of craving like, the 'first thing in the morning' craving feels different than the 'after lunch' craving. But the same model applies.

SO, how do you change these things? I can write on and on about this (and I have on my web site) It will come down to changing the feelings, motivations and beliefs involved.

First, feeling bad needs to be looked at and helped. If it's stress, get it managed, if it's a bad situation, do what you can to fix it or get help.

Second, the belief that smoking makes you feel good (it is often the mistaken, and understandable, belief that smoking equals being an adult, in control, strong, capable, etc...) The fact is, smoking is some plant leaf and chemicals wrapped in paper. The good feeling you're looking for, and sometimes experience, is created by YOU. YOU make yourself feel better when you smoke. You can make yourself feel just as good when drinking a glass of water. If, your mind believes it.

And that's the bottom line. The bulk of the quit smoking issue is about behavior modification - changing the way you feel. That's why the success rate of most prescription medication and nicotine replacement (like the patch and nicotine gum) alone is so low. The only current exception is Chantix and even Pfizer, the makers of Chantix, recommend behavior modification go along with the medication.

About the Author:

Quick, simple, hypnosis downloads available with quit smoking hypnotherapy!

Real Smoothies - Keep it Healthy

By Nick Jaggs

Have you any idea of what is going into that smoothie you are drinking? In recent years this type of drink has become big business and many companies will use words like "healthy" and "natural" to describe theirs. However, what you may not realize is that the smoothie you purchased from your local grocery store is not all that it seems. Although the label may show a sunny outdoor scene or lots of fruit in a blender to show you that they contain lots of living ingredients. What you will soon discover that these have been produced on a mass scale using fruit puree that has been pasteurized to help extend its shelf life.

Not every juice and smoothie bar set up offers completely natural products to you either. In some cases they use frozen fruit purees high in sugar that have been supplied to them by the company that supplies the juice and smoothie making equipment. Certainly these types of professional blenders are very expensive to purchase and juice bars will often be provided them for free as long as they use the companies frozen fruit portions to create their smoothies.

However, there are a number of juice bar chains who have created their own frozen fruit products which not only saves them money but simplifies their operations. Although there are some which are good there are others that contain high levels of sugar. But if you think it is some sort of conspiracy to make sure that we don't get natural ingredients, and then think again. It's just businesses streamlining things in order to make a profit, but there are times when we as the consumer lose out.

The original idea of a smoothie was simple; it was a blended health drink. It was made popular in the USA; although today there is still no specific definition to describe this drink. However, most of us know them as a thick, smooth drink that is fruit based and will be created using either frozen fruit or frozen fruit and ice. A large number of the independent juice bars around today are health focused and will offer a high quality of freshly prepared natural products. Also for the health enthusiasts they will provide super foods and boosters to further enhance their smoothies.

If you are lucky enough to have such a great juice bar close to you then you should really be using it. However, if your only real contact with smoothies is the bottled variety, you are missing out on some great flavours and goodness from the freshly prepared kind.

The best way for you to try a smoothie is actually make it yourself at home. But first let us clear up the confusion caused by some blender manufacturers. When we talk about smoothie makers we are actually talking about blenders. For years the kitchen appliance we know as a blender was always called this until someone somewhere in a marketing department decided to call them smoothie markets so that the company producing them could target those people wanting to make their own smoothies. Whilst a lot of companies have profited from the demand in people wanting to make their own smoothies it is this reason which has resulted in us thinking that these are two different machines, when in fact they aren't.

Making smoothies at home is very simple you just need to put some ingredients into the jug and then press the button. It only takes a matter of seconds to pulp a full jug of fresh fruit and juice, and at a lot less than you would pay for the high street ones. As well as the drink being delicious it is full of vital nutrients your body needs. Some people will use frozen fruit chunks that they have prepared earlier or add ice to the fresh fruit. To give the smoothie a much creamier tangier taste adding yoghurt is recommended. But you could experiment as well using different healthy ingredients in order to get the health benefits from them as well.

For making such drinks you need a blender or smoothie maker. It is important that you go for one which will do everything you require and is able to deal with frozen ingredients. The cheaper models may save you money but are as effective and blending ice in such machines can be very demanding on them. So it is better to go for a more expensive model. Ideally go for one that allows you to mill dry ingredients as well such as the Mill Blender by the American company L'Equip. This is a machine that not only allows you to create smoothies but allows you to grind up flax which is full of essential fatty acids and which can be added to the drink.

Many health enthusiasts demand much out of their kitchen equipment and some will spend several hundred pounds on purchasing commercial blenders like the Blendtec Total Blender. But you don't need to although you will get many years of good service out of such a model spending more than 60 on yours will be sufficient, especially if you intend to use ice in your smoothies. If you are looking for a good quality smoothie maker there are plenty of online sites such as www.ukjuicers.com who have available what you may need.

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There are a wide variety of smoothie makers available to buy from various online shops. It is worth doing some research into what type is most suitable for you and you diet needs. You may also consider picking from the many juicers which can be a great alternative to a smoothie maker.