You and your sensual well-being

When you mention the word erotic, the first thing thatspring to mind is that it is something to do with sex. So, it certainly doeshave a great deal to do with it, but there are many other aspects of sensualitythat do not require a sexual experience.

To understand yourown sensual nature can be of use not just for your sexual experiences, but alsoin understanding yourself as a human being.

 It is important toremember that making discoveries about your sensual and erotic feelings are foryour benefit and while these discoveries may serve you well in situationsinvolving love your focus should not be on another person when still trying toget to know yourself.

Try to keep an open mind and do not shy away from your innermost thoughts and feelings; remember that you are not trying to impress anyone,just figure out a little more about who you are.

 Once you feel relaxedand ready to devote some time to self-exploration it is time to find out whatyou feel about sensuality from a mental perspective.

 After taking the timeto think over what this idea means to you currently you may find out a greatdeal more than you expected to. While a feeling of sensuality often has a lotto do with touch and the physical it often begins first in the mind. Sights,sounds and smells all play an enormous part in how you feel. The wrongsurrounding can destroy this mood regardless of how interested you in apartner, or simply having fun.

Allow your body to relax and simply free float through ideasthat come to you when focusing on sensuality. Practice this until you findcertain ideas, images, situation, or fantasies, which allow you to openly feelsensual and maintain that feeling.

By making use of your freely sensual mind you can improveyour skills at flirting and have an excellent time building toward the physicalas you go.

Each individual will find many different forms of touch thatmay have previously gone unnoticed and have now been transformed into spotsthat could easily create an erotic feeling over the entire body. Knowing whereand how you like to be touched is an essential for the health of your physicalhappiness.

Practicing this transformation and understanding how tosummon this feeling will can help to improve your life in many ways. Becausesensuality touches so many different areas of life, the lack of understandingor fear of such a feeling can cause great unhappiness and insecurity.

Allow yourself the freedom of being open to such feelingsand find the strength to unite the mind, body, and perhaps even soul in yoursensual well-being.

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Another perspective on beauty

What one person considers to be beautiful may be vastlydifferent from what another person may see as beautiful. It all depends on howwe, as human beings, look at one another. If we look only with our eyes, beautyis much more elusive than if we can also examine it with our hearts and oursouls.

There was a time when the curves of a woman were highlysought after, the emphasis has shifted in modern times – people tried to break  beauty down into a combination of specificphysical attributes. These may include a symmetrical body, a good complexion,youthfulness, health, and vitality. Unfortunately, it has been proven thatphysical beauty does not ensure a beautiful spirit, and this lack canultimately spoil the overall package.

It is true; beauty should be looked at as a combination ofphysical attributes, inner spirit, personality, intelligence, and heart. Such adefinition would greatly expand how we view the concept of true beauty.

Unfortunately, men and women often tend to look at beautyfrom opposite points of view. While many might think that men would be far morecritical than their female counterparts, the opposite is actually true. Womenare much harsher critics when it comes to analysing their peers.

But, why is so much importance placed on physical beauty? Attractiveemployees often receive more promotions and raises than their less attractivecounterparts; good-looking students do better in school because they canmanipulate their lecturers; beautiful women entice men to do their bidding;good looking men inspire women to pick up the tab. Shameful as it may seem,physical beauty plays an important part in our everyday lives.

Beauty has become an obsession among those who do notbelieve that grace, charm, or personality is enough to get them the things theywant out of life. Many individuals who cannot achieve the perfect look resortto other factors to sway people in their favour; they use money, power, orsexuality as a secret weapon to garner whatever they want from others. Whatthey do not understand is that such actions actually detract from their overallphysical beauty.

Beauty lies in what we can learn from one another. In thatrespect, everyone is beautiful.

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Defining beauty

It is difficult to define beauty . . .

When a person declares what is beautiful forhim or her, they reveal whom they love and how they love, and what they love todo.

Beauty reveals itself over time inrelationship. The people you love are beautiful to you. Their beauty comes fromtheir liveliness and authentic sweetness, their intention to live lives thatmake some sense the spirited coherence of being who they are.

When we are most alive, we are beautiful.When we are in love, we are reminded that we are beautiful. In addition,sometimes when we know we are beautiful, we find ourselves in love. "Inlove" usually means the romantic sense of being with one other person whoin that moment we feel reflects us perfectly. In love, living in the field oflove.

"Love is blind," we say, butperhaps it is more accurate to say love sees with different eyes. Love seesbeyond the surface. Love opens the door for beauty. When we see with the eye,we develop the ability to refine, to judge, to discriminate. When we see withthe heart, we expand the view of what it is to be human, see the common dream,see the wisdom of friends and neighbours, and see there is no separation betweenthat which is most beautiful and the everyday world. The eye of the heart seeswith a wholeness that allows imperfections and idiosyncrasies to coexist withbeauty. The eye of the heart knows surface and depth are not opposites.

Beauty is a process, a revelation, not afinished state.

The bond between humans and their pets

Take control of your own romantic needs

One way to get your man in your life totake notice of the romantic you is to romance yourself. You deserve it and ifhe is not going to do it for you, you can do it for yourself. Start out bygetting yourself into shape both physically and mentally, change what you canand want to change and learn to accept the things that cannot be changed.

Get comfortable with your naked body anddecide that you want to have a great sex life. Get a makeover; change yourhairstyle and even your hair colour. Go for a day at the spa. Pamper yourself.

Get moving, exercise for a strong healthyand sexy body. Take dance classes that really get you moving like a Latin orsalsa class or a belly dancing class, something with moves you can use in thebedroom. Then go shopping and buy some new stylish and sexy clothing,especially sexy underwear and lingerie.

You should be becoming more confident andfeeling sexy. He should start to notice the changes in you too. Maybe he willwonder what is going on. Buy yourself flowers and send yourself gifts. I hopethat by now he is taking the hint and sending some of his own style of romanceyour way.

Never give up, make the first move withhim. Most men love nothing more than having their woman desire them and comeafter them. Sometimes the hunter really enjoys becoming the hunted. This willsurely make him take notice. Be a little aggressive with him. Take charge. Hewill be surprized at the new you and you’ll have him eating out of your hand.

Sometimes it is not even the man that needsprompting with the romance, it is us. We get bogged down with the kids, home,and work and forget that we are sexual creatures with needs. Our sexuality getsplaced on the backburner after everything else that needs to be taken care of.By learning to romance yourself and put your needs and desires at the top ofthe list, romance and passion from your partner are sure to follow.

Improve your brain power

Have a workout at work

You spend one-third of your day at work, but that doesn’tmean you have to spend that time without exercise. Knowing a few simple tipswill help you fill your days with efficient exercise breaks that not only keepyou fit but relieve stress, too.

Anyone who has tried to start a new exercise routine knowsthat half the battle is just getting you to stick with it.Try these suggestionsto keep yourself on track:

- Let your first step be two minutes of walking. Get off thebus one stop earlier.

- Use small holes in your schedule- between meetings orappointments, for example – to stretch your limbs or do simple exercises.

- Join a gym. Working out after work gives you an excuse toleave the office at a reasonable hour.

- When traveling on business, consider staying in hotelsthat have gyms.

Peopleexercise regularly when reminded to do so. Maybe you need to find the rightreminder:

§ Wear a watch with beeper.

§ Write a reminder on your desk calendar.

§ Put a note to yourself in your in-basket.

§ Ask a co-worker to remind you at a certain time.

Thinkof your exercise time as a break from your workday, not as a chore. Thefollowing 5 exercises outline a simple routine that you can do at your desk to stretchout those stiff muscles:

ü Clock Stretch: This neck stretch is excellentfor relieving the day’s tensions. Imagine you are facing the hands of a hugeclock. Turn your head to the left to look at nine o’ clock then look to theright, to three o’clock. Look up to 12 o ‘clock and then down to six o’clock. Dothe movements slowly, feeling the stretch in your neck muscles.

ü Shoulder Shrugs: Hunch your shoulders, movingthem upwards. Then rotate them forwards, down, back, and up to your ears threetimes.

ü Apple Picker:  Stretch your arms as though you were pickingapples from a tree. Stand or remain seated as you reach up with your left arm,then, with your right, stretching as far as you comfortably can.

ü Shoulder Stretch:   While standing, reach behind you, graspingyour hands behind your back. With your hands joined, lift them up as far asthey will comfortably go. You should feel a stretch in the front of theshoulders.

ü Simple massage: With your fingertips, massagethe muscles between your shoulder blade and spine. Use firm, circularmovements, paying attention to any tenderness or knots you might, feel.

When doing any of these exercises, move only as far iscomfortable for you. Stop if you feel pin of great discomfort.

Any exercise counts. The benefits of simple routines, suchas stretching or taking short walks, will add up when they are done oftenthroughout the day.

How to enrich your marriage

A strong marriage will provide a refuge from the stresses ofdaily life. Here is some good tips to enrich your marriage:

     Do not keep your feelings to yourself. Say ‘Ilove you’, to your partner often.

     Make physical gestures part of yourrelationship. When you sit on the couch, for example, exchange hugs, hold handsand enjoy the closeness.

     Surprize your partner with little gifts thatwill convey the message ‘I was thinking of you today’.

     Regularly compliment your partner’s looks. Everywoman wants to hear the magic words ‘you look beautiful’.

     Make your partner feel appreciated. Say ‘thankyou’ for the little things he or she does for you.

     Carry a photograph of your partner in yourwallet or purse. It will help you feel connected when you are apart.

Enjoy each other – marriage is a life-long journey!

Tips to deal with stress

Have a healthier sex life

The best relationships take time, patience, and commitment. Thisincludes your sex life with your partner.

Here are some valuable thoughts on sex:

Always make some time for intimacy. Teach your children torespect your time alone when you are in your bedroom. Install a lock on thedoor if needed. Frequent sex may not be absolutely essential for a healthymarriage, but emotional intimacy is.

Be realistic. Too often people think that in a goodrelationship sexual desire should be as strong after several years as it was atthe beginning. Even among happily married couples, desire will waneoccasionally. However, this need not be a problem. In fact, many happilymarried couples find greater emotional depth and satisfaction in sex as timegoes on.

Both partners should be equal active in initiating sex.

Remember; keep all your battles out of the bedroom.

Food for thought

Happiness can bethought, sought or caught, but never bought: the best way to keep happiness isto share it.

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The power of a positive body and mind

Perfect health depends upon a balance of the trinityruling a body - physical, mental, emotional. You cannot run a healthy mind whenyou have a physical deficit. The mind governs, but the condition of the bodyalso affects the mind.

You must recognize that harmful thought patterns – fear,hatred, anxiety, over sensitivity - originate in brain-cell starvation andbodily fatigue. Positive thinking is utterly impossible in a mind physicallyunder par to a serious extent. If you think that food does not influence yourhusband’s frame of mind, try showing him that new dress before dinner! Now thatyou have learned your bitter lesson about food and disposition, you had bettershow him those new shoes after dinner!

Alternatively, take the husband, whom the doctor has puton a reducing diet. Feed him a low-calorie salad-and-fruit dinner, and a fewhours later he will throw caution to the wind in favour of a Dagwood sandwichdripping with calories. A clean steak, liver, or lamb chop or other proteinfoods will keep your dieting husband from raiding the icebox much more than anynagging on your part.

By making certain that you eat a diet to maintain the properchemical balance in your body, you restore your functional balance and checkthe effects of stress upon your system. Often, by relieving some of thephysical tensions caused by hidden hunger, you can soften the inner climate inwhich you must do your thinking. It is much easier to enlist your conscious ifit is not preoccupied with being hungry.

Stomachs constantly harassed with inferior, inadequate, andindigestible meals become touchy. So does a brain that is constantlyundernourished. The brain in a tired, undernourished, and ill-cared-for body ismost assuredly going to be the brain with the greatest amount of irritability.

An abused, undernourished, harassed body generally houses amind incapable of optimum thinking and reasoning power. As the central powerstation of the body, the brain must be kept in top physical condition throughnatural means so its mental activities can be controlled. Unhealthy thoughthabits have a pretty hard time dwelling in a contented body.

One of the reasons that humans have advanced so much furtherthan animals is that there is very little thinking brain in animals. The basisfor their nervous control is undoubtedly autonomic or automatic. Animalsbreathe, digest food, perform muscular movements without thinking, and showbasic emotional responses - including rage. Like humans, the animal wants todestroy anything threatening his security. The thinking portion of your brainis your cerebrum. As in animals, the basic human emotion is fear. However,pragmatic humans learn to overcome this with correct diet and positive thinking.

Hate, anxiety, and guilt are the emotions causing physicalillness if the thinking brain is not allowed to keep the house in order.Positive thinking restores the criteria of normalcy out of neurotictendencies-freeing you of physical symptoms, letting you progress unhampered bymental conflict, and giving you a satisfactory working capacity .

The positive thinker is able to love someone besideshimself.  Do not confuse love with sex.Sex is love which loves to be loved, and is a subject which desires to possessthe from anything which would hurt itself. It becomes incapable ofunderstanding sacrifice. Pride and sex are psychologically inseparable.

Love can be shown in all relationships - man and wife,father and daughter, mother and son. It is self-surrender because of thenobility of the person loved. Love and humility are inseparable.

The most important factor in your personal health,happiness, and effectiveness depends on whether you can love and are loved morethan you hate. When you love, you give. But when you hate, you can only deprivesomeone of happiness. In addition, happiness is the only thing you can givewithout having.

We must learn to love. We must learn it repeatedly and overagain each day. In addition, we must teach it every day- in everything we do,in every contact with our fellow humans .The destroying power of hate, which noone meant to teach us, comes of itself. It is true that if we say, “I loveyou,” It may be received with doubt, for there are times when it is hard tobelieve.

However, say “I hate you,” and the one spoken to believes itinstantly finally. A thousand times afterward you can say ”I love you” to thatperson – and mean it every time- but it still does not change the fact thatonce you said ”I hate you, ”and meant that, too. Hate can leave a mark on thesurface that love had worn so smooth with its eternal caresses. Love must belearned, and learned repeatedly; there is no end to it. Hate needs noinstruction but waits only to be provoked - and, when it is provoked, rips youapart. Do you want that? Is hating worth the price you must pay?

NO! Hatred expressed hurts those about you; hatred repressedcreates nervousness and symptoms that can simulate almost any physical disease.

Be positive!

Danie De Villiers

Let us talk about happiness and love

Sometimes you wonder what it is that makes you feel so good.Believe it or not but one of the things that makes a person feeling good, ismaking someone else happy – doing something that brings a smile or a shout ofpleasure to someone else’s lips.

There was the little girl who had been sitting listening tothe conversations of the mother’s bridge club and after they were gone, said toher mother, “Mother let us now talk happy”!

Did you ever realize how much of your conversation – andyour thinking – is taken up with harrowing tales about your annoyances, yourrelatives’ annoyances and tragedies, and all the annoyances that go with livingwith an average husband or wife, or having in a cleaning woman, or going to work, or doing your shopping, or what not?

Many persons get themselves more and more neurotic byconstantly indulging in what is often called “post –mortems”; long detaileddescriptions, many times retold, of unpleasantness,  family rows, and sorrows. How much better itwould be for all of us if we would always “talk happy,” and so far as possibleavoid unpleasant topics. What good does it do to keep constantly going backover the stories of unhappiness?

Drain your mind of the worries, the resentments,irritations, guilt reactions, and annoyances that have collected during the dayjust as thoroughly as you pull the stopper in the sink.

Then you can refill it with refreshing thoughts of emotionalmaturity such as these:

- You are going to free yourself from fears, anxieties, andtensions.

- You find greater satisfaction in giving than in receiving.

- You will contribute to the improvement of your home, yourcommunity, your nation, and your world.

- You seek give-and-take relationships to form. You profitfrom your mistakes and successes.

- You use your leisure time creatively.

Recognize hate for the destructive emotional force that itis. Love is the constructive psychological force of a positive mind. Loveresurrects people who have lost life while they live. It is the force thatgives new hope, joy, vitality, and invincibility. Those of you who truly want apowerful new lease on life will find it possible through love and a positivemind.

Tips on how to deal with stress

The pleasures of a bath

A warm bath is a daily oasis for many people. Relaxing in ahot bath will ease the effects of tension and put you in a better state of mindto deal with your troubles.

Remember, the bath should be warm, not hot.

Some well-chosen herbs in your bathwater could make you soakeven more effective. Different herbs provide subtly distinct sensations whenadded to bathwater. Place one type of herb or a mixture in a cloth or net bag,and then toss the bag into the bath or hang it on the tap as the bath fills.Use the guide below to help you choose:

·        Stimulating, for a refreshing early-morningbath:lovage, mint, rosemary, sage, orange, pine, thyme

·        Tranquillizing, for an end-of-the-day bath:camomile, sandalwood, lavender, marjoram, marigold, mint

·        Relief for sore muscles or joints: arnica,wintergreen, lavender

·        Relief for itchy skin: parsley, sage, rosemary,basil

·        Antidote to fatigue or stress: pine, sage, fir(plus a cup of cider vinegar)

Every few days, stay in the bath long enough to soften skinon your feet, elbows and elsewhere. Then rub those areas with a wet pumicestone or abrasive puff. After removing rough skin, rinse off and apply bodylotion.

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Self-confidence and a Good Body Posture

A woman’s self-confidence is evident by her posture. Your posturemeans the way you carry yourself. Your posture is also one of the main factorswhich contributes to the first impression another person may form of you. Makinggood first impressions can be very beneficial e.g. job interviews.

When you stand tall and proud, you portray an image ofself-confidence. Your posture is the way you keep body aligned with its centreof gravity. A good posture is when you have control of your body’s alignment inrelation to the centre of gravity. A person with poor posture can easily be spotted;they tend to slouch with drooping shoulders and head bowed.

It is easy to improve your posture. The important thing isto remember that having correct posture requires a conscious effort anddedication. 

Here are some tips on how to acquire and maintain correct posture:

Whilst at work

• Use an ergonomic chair that fits and support your back.

• Always sit with your back against the seat,  your knees at your hip level and  your shoulders should be parallel to yourhips.

• Regularly, stand up and stretch or just walk briskly downthe passage and back.

Whilst carrying a bag

• Do not overload your bag and regular clean it up of unnecessaryitems.

• If you are using a backpack, make sure that you put theheavier items close to your back, thus providing support for your back.

• The handles and straps of your bags and backpacks shouldbe padded and wide. In addition, backpacks should have hip straps.

Everyday Living

• As far as possible, try to avoid shoes with high heels, ashigh heels can alter your centre of gravity, which could result in poorposture.

• Exercise regularly, which will help the body becomestronger and develop much needed support for your back.

Whilst sleeping

• As far as possible, sleep on your back or on your side.

• If you prefer sleeping on your side, place a pillowbetween your legs.

• Avoid any over-sized pillows, as they can result in neckinjury problems or pain.

To have a good posture requires daily effort and practise.However hard it may seem, it is worth it in the long term.

Exercise your eyes!

You are Beautiful!

We all want to be beautiful. That is human nature. Weconstantly deal with beauty issues like what is best for our skin and whatmakeup is best.

However, look at yourself in the mirror and see how prettyyou are, even without all the makeup, because true beauty comes from within us.

There are days where you may think that you're not verypretty because of not having a good hair day or having bags under your eyes dueto lack of sufficient sleep. Sometimes those things are true, but really, noone cares if you put tons of makeup on just to cover up physical flaws becauseinside we are all pretty in our special way.

Always be who you are, because we all carry a unique qualityand style that lies inside each of us and that is your true beauty.

Food for thought

Friendship

Friendship is a wealth, so, it should be utilized properly.It needs a commitment. To keep it fresh and sustainable we have to take someresponsibilities. If anybody considers friendship as an opportunity, it willdie within a short time.

Our best friend?

Women and a Balanced Diet

So what is this balanced diet? It is taking food from asmany different sources as possible and eating food in its natural state - thatis fresh, unprocessed and , where possible, raw. The problem is that our dietsnormally centre on our concentration on foods, which narrow down the spectrumof our diet and contain many foods that are unhealthy. Too many processedfoods, preplaced, precooked, junk food, fast food –whatever they are, theycontain too much animal fat, salt, additives and too little fibre. The foodcompanies are now coming under pressure to reduce to salt sugar and additivesin their products. This is easier to monitor with improvements in labeling.

Our methods of cooking are also hazardous to health. Fryingis a common method of preparing food, adding butter to vegetables is almost a ritual,sauces are progressively richer, and creamier. So, changing to grilling foodinstead of frying, limiting butter on vegetables and reducing sauces instead ofthickening them with butter, cream of flour would lead immediately to healthiereating. If you feel that you need the discipline of a diet programme, look atit carefully: is it too expensive? Will it fit in with your family catering?There is no point in preparing two meals and watching the others eat yourfavourite foods. Is the diet balanced nutritionally? Stay clear of diets thatconfine you to one or two foods. Nobody is meant to survive on a limited numberof foodstuffs and it could throw your metabolism awry. Do you like the foodsthat are permitted in the diet? Are there any indulgences? You know yourself. Doyou want to stretch indulgences? You know yourself. Do you want to stretch yourwillpower to the limit of adopt a more flexible attitude?  Your responses to these questions should helpyou organize a plan for reducing weight by yourself.

The Importance of Protein for the Body

Women and their eating habits

There are times in a woman’s life when she needs to takecare of her diet. During adolescence, the rate of growth in a girl is secondonly to that infancy. Her growth spurt usually begins and ends earlier than inboys, but it is not possible to predict when it will happen.

The greatest influence on a teenager’s diet is her peergroup. It is more difficult to have control over an adolescent’s choice offoods the way parents can when children are younger. Eating also becomes partof a social activity and family meals assume less importance. Most teenagegirls are very concerned about their shape and weight and as many as one girlin ten may try to control her weight by some means. This usually involves excluding nutritious foods such asbread, cereal and protein and filling up on empty calories – junk food in theform of snacks and soft drinks.

In pregnancy, your body is providing nutrition for bothyou and your baby. There are foodstuffs that you may not be able to tolerate,particularly during the first four months. This is an important time for thebaby and you need to eat well when you feel like it. The best idea is to snackoften with healthy foods. That way you will not feel uncomfortable and you’llbe well fed. Your medical advisers will suggest supplements with folic acid, iron,and calcium if this is necessary. Do not take supplements unless your doctoradvises.

One of the major problems for post-menopausal women is osteoporosis,which is the loss of protein from bones. Research has shown that osteoporosiscan be halted (not cured) by having hormone therapy. This does not mean thatevery woman needs hormone therapy, but if you get aches and pains in your bonesand muscles, backache and pins and needles in your hands and feet, go to yourdoctor to ask for a diagnosis. If your bones are beginning to look thin on X-ray,your doctor should consider hormone therapy. 

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Women and Vegetarianism

Many women are turning to vegetarian diets; some exclude allanimal products, even dairy products, and eggs. A vegetarian diet of any kindis a healthy option but requires eating a wide variety of foods. The vitalfactor is to combine the vegetables with grains so that the complete protein ismade up. (Animal protein contains the correct number of essential amino acidsto make a complete protein; vegetable protein does not.)

Milk is a major source of vitamins and minerals so everyoneon a vegetarian diet should include skimmed milk (all the goodness with none ofthe fat) and a great variety of plant foods - nuts, lentils, pulses, and grains.If you are a vegan and therefore taking in no animal products at all, youshould supplement your diet with Vitamin B 12, which is not found in greatquantity in vegetable products. In addition, calcium, iron, and Vitamin C mightbe in short supply. One good sensible rule is that there is no such thing as anessential food- there is always an alternative.

Delicious Egg Recipes

Be Good to Yourself

Learn to be good to yourself, develop self-acceptance, self-trust,self-respect, and self-love.

Make a list of all your achievements and successes so far inyour life, believe in yourself, and know that you deserve the best. Go forevery opportunity, take risks, have powerful self-belief. Reward yourselffrequently and congratulate every achievement, no matter how big or small.

Be positive at all times and stay away from negative people.Negative people dilute your dreams and their negativity will rub off on you.

Recognise and respect your feelings and listen to your bodyand mind. Pay attention to your dreams – they are your subconscious messages.Trust your gut instincts.

Learn to say no and teach other people how to treat you. Ifyou let others treat you badly, they will carry on. Set boundaries, be assertive,and calm. Explain to people the behaviours and languages they use are no longeracceptable.

Relax and enjoy yourself and allow good things to enter yourlife. Be open to new ideas. Learn from every situation.

Be happy that you are doing your best. That is all you canever do. Do not set impossible standards. Ask for help or support if you needit.

Get rid of anything you have not worn, looked at or used inthe last 12 months.

Make time to switch off. Stop thinking about work when youare at home or home when you are at work. Focus on one task at time.

Take time to sit down and eat breakfast. Write a 'to do'list for that day. Do not worry. Worrying is wasted energy.

Have a warm bath with scented oils, candles, and soft music.Nourish your mind and body.

Get enough sleep and rest. Eat well and you will be moreactive, feel and look much better.

Every aspect of your life will become more manageable,happier and more fulfilled.

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Women and weight loss

Permanent weight loss for most women is a slow and steadyprocess. Give yourself a year or more to adopt new eating habits. Meanwhile,you may lower your risk of such disorders as heart disease, stroke, diabetes,and some cancers.

Promise yourself that this diet will be your last. Repeatedlosses and gains rob your body of muscle tissue, increase your risk of disease,and contribute to the tendency to regain fat.

Evaluate whether or not you really need to lose weight. Ifan extra two kilograms isn’t causing or aggravating a medical condition, it maybe healthier to accept yourself as you are.

Forget ideal-weight charts. Think of a weight you were ableto maintain comfortably for longer than six months, and aim for that goal.

Accept the reality that body shape and size are largelydetermined by genetics. Try to reach the weight that’s right for you- not anidealized image - and stay there.

If you are obese, discuss a weight-loss plan with yourdoctor or dietician. Obesity is commonly defined as weighing more than 20present the desired weight for someone of your height and body type. Risksinclude high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and other illnesses.

If you have a health problem that is caused or exacerbatedby your weight, such as elevated blood cholesterol or diabetes, losingkilograms can bring significant improvements - even if you still weigh wellabove what is considered ideal.

Assess your potential for success in dieting. Do yourecognize the need for a nutritional overhaul - not just a diet that you willabandon as soon as you’ve achieved your weight-loss goals? Can you handle thestresses at home and on the job pretty well? If you answer no to eitherquestion, consider postponing your diet.

Analyse your own needs. If you lack motivation, you may dobest by joining a program that offers peer group support.

Choose a reducing programme that encourages a slow, steadyloss (about half a kilogram or less a week for women, one kilogram or lessweekly for men) and focuses on changing habits.

Avoid diets based on one food or food group. Be wary of anyeating plan that veers to far from the food pyramid.

Recognize the signs of eating disorders. The most common areanorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexics starve themselves; Bulimics alternatebetween binge-eating and purging. The disorders often cause serious healthproblems, so consult a doctor if you have developed either disorder ; or bothof them.

Six simple steps to better health

Motivational tips for losing weight for women

In recent years the psychological approach called behaviourmodification has proved highly successful in treating eating disorders from themild to the very serious. Because many experts believe that external stimuli,or cues in the environment trigger eating, they have focused on altering habitsthat are, in fact conditioned responses to false stimuli. What many people readas signals to eat are in fact symptoms - or sensations - of fatigue,depression, anxiety, boredom or tension.

The aim of behaviour modification is to teach you torecognise when you are most vulnerable to false stimuli and how to change yourbehaviour to thwart inappropriate responses. By attending to your patterns,your habits and your responses, you can avoid the feeling of helplessness that overtakes troubled eaters.

 The followingtips should help to get you started:

- The first step is to decide you really do want to change.List the benefits you believe will result if you succeed in gaining control ofyour eating.

- Set realistic goals. Weight gained over 10 years cannot belost in a week or two.

- Focus on patterns, not kilograms. You are teaching yourselfnew responses, not counting every bite.

- Do not collapse in guilt if you breakdown and have achocolate biscuit. Just put away the rest.

- Keep a food diary. Be honest and precise.

- When you’ve become aware of your personal danger zones, takeaction to avoid them: plan ahead; change your routine; avoid temptation.

- Eat three meals a day. Do not skip. Have a good breakfast andmake every meal an occasion. If you must snack, make it low-kilo-joule.

- Eat only sitting down and, when at home, in a placedesignated specially for eating.

- Present food attractively. Divide your meals into two ormore courses, even if the second course is only coffee or tea with biscuits.

- Eat slowly. Taste your food. Put down your knife and forkafter every two or three bites. Make each meal last 20 to 30 minutes.

- Never shop when you are hungry. Make a list and stick to it.Buy only what you need right now. Buy small packages, even if they are not thebest bargain. Buy foods that require preparation-and enough time to think aboutwhether you really need to eat.

- Build support for success. Educate those close to you toreinforce your efforts. But weight control and eating habits are yourresponsibility. Do not ask someone else to control your actions.

- Act thin. Stand erect. Walk confidently at any weight andyou will look better, feel better.

- Look at yourself in the mirror once a day, but weighyourself only every week or two. Weight fluctuates from day to day, and youcould unfairly become discouraged by failure to lose or by suddenly gaining akilogram or two.

Once you reach your desired weight or state of health, don’trevert to old habits. Remind yourself that you have accomplished somethingterrific. And, if you do find your weight creeping back up, start a dairy againto find out where you are having trouble.

You will have had a lot of practice running your own life bythen. It should not take you long to get yourself back on the right track.

The Importance of Protein for the Body

Women and Nutrition

There is no question that we are what we eat. Good nutritionis the key to general fitness and health. Two recent surveys in Britain andEurope have agreed on what constitutes a healthy and protective diet. Primarilythey suggest cutting down on fat. Fat gives us concentrated energy and any we donot use gets stored in our bodies, making us overweight. Fat is linked to heartdisease because it raises levels of cholesterol in the blood, clogging thearteries, leading to heart attracts.

Sugar and salt are the other two problems. Sugar providesonly empty calories, which give energy but nothing else. It also promotes toothdecay. As sugar provides no nutrients, it should be easy to cut it out, butmany of us are hooked on the stuff because we have developed a sweet tooth,either in childhood or from eating commercial savoury foods, which have sugarin them to make them more appealing. Fructose, glucose, and dextrose are allforms of sugar and are not necessary to our diets.

Salt is added to most commercial foods and most cooks add itin varying amounts when cooking. We do need salt to help maintain fluid levelsin our bodies but nothing like the amount we consume. Some people will sufferhigh blood pressure because they eat too much salt but there is no way ofknowing which people, so it’s best to be spare with salt when cooking, and toavoid putting mountains of it on  theside of your plate while eating. Sea salt crystals have some minerals whichiodized salt does not have, but it is still salt.

Even armed with basic information, many women find itdifficult to change their eating habits, because it means a change oflifestyle. However, poor diet affects women more than men because of changes inhormone levels throughout life. For example, extra calcium is neededpost-menopause since the reduction of oestrogen weakens bones.

Nutrition plan

The way to start is to familiarize yourself with the rightfoods and choose a programme you can cope with. Like dieting, if the plan isunrealistic from the start, willpower may not be enough. Accept yourpersonality; some people love food and eating, others cannot be bothered, butthey are expected to prepare food daily and enjoy the acclamation when familyof friends comment on it. You do not have to do everything at once: choose oneor two points and start with them so that you ease yourself into the newprogramme.

Do not:

·        Eat lots of meat

·        Use salty commercially prepared food

·        Add salt when you’re cooking

·        Buy sugar and sugar-laden foods

·        Fry your food

·        Use cream except for treats

Do: 

·        Start to read the labels on prepared foods

·        Look out for additives such as salt, sugar etc.

·        Choose and prepare whole-wheat products - bread,pasta, cakes

·        Eat potatoes in their skins

·        Cook with brown rice

·        Learn to cook with pulses and whole grains

·        Make sure your diet contains a lot of fresh food that requires no cooking orpreparation

Snacks

Manyof us do not eat the three square meals a day any longer and snack instead.Look at your snacks, are they biscuits, and prepared food? If they are,substitute with fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, grilled food, salads,low fat cheese, yoghurt, and wholemeal bread without lashings of butter. 

Additives

Theseare put into food to increase its attractiveness, taste, and shelf life. Do notget obsessive about additives; there is no evidence to suggest that you shouldeat none at all. Avoid products where excessive additives are used only toenhance low standard raw materials. Nutrients may be added to food. Forexample, margarine has added Vitamin A and D. This is good news since Vitamin Dhelps in the absorption of calcium. Added calcium to milk and the availabilityof milk with lower fat content means that there is now no reason for calciumdeficiency.

Main constituents of our diet

Proteinsare the structural material of our bodies. We need protein throughout ourlives; children need protein for growth and adults need it for repair andreplacement. Few people in the western world eat too little protein, and as anyexcess is used as energy or converted into fat, this can lead to an increase inweight.

Carbohydratesare divided into two groups: the sugars and the starches. Foods containingunrefined carbohydrate, such as potatoes and whole-wheat products, are rich inessential nutrients, including fibre, and give us energy at the same time.Sugars and refined carbohydrate, such as cream cakes, give us only energy, soovereating these and a sedentary lifestyle will cause obesity.

Fatsare essential to a healthy body as fuel but again we eat too much. They aredivided into two groups. Saturated fats are the ones we need to cut down on.These are contained in animal fat - meat, cream, butter and cheese - and insome vegetable products such as coconut oil and, of course, any dishes madewith these ingredients. Saturated fats tend to increase the level ofcholesterol in our blood and this is a factor in heart disease. The other groupis the polyunsaturated fats, which are necessary for the repair of body cells.This group reduces cholesterol levels slightly. These are contained invegetable oils, nuts, and oily fish. A good way of differentiating is to avoidthose fats that turn solid when cold.

Vitaminsare chemicals that help to regulate our body’s internal chemical system. Mostof us obtain sufficient amounts in our daily diet. Deficiencies tend to occuronly during times of ill health or changes in our metabolism, such as duringpregnancy. Claims are made about using vitamins for treatment, such as reducingthe severity of the symptoms of premenstrual tension syndrome and the commoncold. Although none of these has received wholehearted backing from the medicalprofession, folic acid, one of the complex B vitamins, is given in higher dosesto women who have previously had a baby with brain or neural tube defects suchas spina bifida.

Mineralsare essential to our metabolism in quite small amounts. Most of us get quiteenough from a balanced diet. Any deficiencies are usually only a problem if,because of some intestinal disorder, we fail to absorb the mineral properly.

Manywomen are unaware of the basics of good nutrition, or they may follow thecorrect road with their children, but ignore guidelines themselves, making themvulnerable to illnesses such as diverticular disease (caused by lack of fibre),and anaemia (caused by lack of iron).

Woman to woman

Women are Wise and Wonderful Creatures!

Lord Byron, the famous poet said: “The great thing is tofeel we exist, even though in pain.” Very true and applicable words!

Women have the ability to be drawn to those who are notafraid to let themselves feel, because they are swept along by the tide ofenthusiasm, the zest for life, the vibrancy, and the joy. No wonder that otherwomen will want to join you, to participate in the funny, crazy, sad andbeautiful experiences of life.

Unfortunately, we can quickly get into the habit of tryingto restrain our true feelings and the sad result is that we can lose touch withour own reality – we constantly try to project a ‘safe’ image – neatly packaged,antiseptic, cool, and collected.

Go and look at children – they are so beautiful because theyare so alive, free spirited – they have not yet been conditioned in those oftencrippling adult restraints. These restraints, if exercised to the extreme, canactually close us off from life.

We as women will forever be happier with ourselves torelease the abundant life within us; and we will certainly be more attractive, beautiful,and interesting to our friends, loved ones, and partners!

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What women should know about essential oils

Essential oils can be defined in two ways: their scientificexplanation is that many plants contain high concentrations of volatile oils,which give plants their distinctive flavour and aromas. These aromaticessential of volatile oils are made up from a wide variety of differentchemical constituents. A single essential oil may contain as many as fiftyindividual ingredients, including substances such as phenol, carvacrol, linalol,and geraniol. Aroma therapists, who use essential oils for therapeutic massage,are more likely to adopt a less clinical approach when it comes to definingessential oils. They often describe them as the ‘life force’ or ‘soul’ of theplant and believe that each essential oil has different characteristics anduses. Whether you take the more pragmatic and analytical approach, or prefer tofollow the folklore, there is no doubt that essential oils can be extremelyuseful in caring for the body and encouraging well-being.

Essential oils can be extracted from plants in two main ways- by using either steam or solvent distillation. Steam distillation involvesplacing the plant material in a flask, heating to a high temperature andcollecting the steam. As the steam cools and turns back into water, theessential oil from the plant floats to the surface where it can be collected.Steam distillation is the best method for extracting pure essential oils andmost of the expensive varieties are extracted this way. The other method ofsolvent extraction is faster and involves placing the plant material in a flaskand mixing with a chemical solvent such as hexane. The mixture is stirred andheated to release the essential oils from the plant before the solvent isevaporated away. Solvent extraction is common in the perfume industry wherenatural footwear fragrances are still used by some of the more expensivescents. However, it is not the best method for producing essential oils forskincare as traces of the solvent are invariably left behind in the oil.

Technically, anything that has been produced by solventextraction should be called ‘absolute’ and not ‘essential’ oil. Common examplesof these include rose absolute of jasmine absolute, which are extremely rare tofind as essential oils made by steam distillation. The main problem when buyingessential oils is knowing exacyly what is inside the bottle. Always look forthe words ‘pure essential oil’, on the label, which mean that the oil has notbeen diluted with a cheaper vegetable oil before bottling. Some oils are soldas ‘aromatherapy oils’ or ‘fragrance oils’ and should not be confused withgenuine, highly concentrated essential oils. A good – quality essential oilwill last long time if kept cool and dark, and most oils have many health andbeauty uses. All essential oils are naturally antiseptic and many are naturallyantibiotic. Some even help to boost the immune system and fight off bacterial, viral,and fungal infections.

Aromatherapy andessential oils

Aromatherapy is the art of using these essential oils mixedin a base or ‘carrier’ oil, such as almond or grape seed oil, combined withmassage. Aromatherapy works by releasing the aroma of these oils into theatmosphere where they are taken up by the nerve endings in the nose and relayedto the brain. Here they can have a powerful effect on mood, emotions, andmental state. Essential or volatile oils also have a very small molecularstructure enabling them to slip through the surface of the skin and end up inthe blood stream. This is why the oils used on the skin in massage can be soeffective in treating not oily skin complaints but also disorders as diverse ashormonal problems and cellulite. Because essential oils end up circulating inthe bloodstream it is wise to use caution if using them during pregnancy.Stimulating herb and spice oils should be avoided and replaced with gentleroils such as chamomile, sandalwood, geranium, and lemon. While small amounts ofany oil are quite safe, for regular use it is best to consult a professionalaroma therapist for personal advice during pregnancy.

Pregnant or not, all essential oils are highly concentratedan should only ever be used in small quantities and always diluted either in acarrier oil or cream, or diffused in a warm bath. The only exceptions to thisrule are when using lavender oil neat on burns, or dabbing small amounts of teatree oil on the spots and pimples.

Essential oils toavoid during pregnancy

Aniseed, bay, basil, cassia, clary sage, cedar wood, clove,coriander, cinnamon, cypress, eucalyptus, hyssop, juniper, lemongrass, nutmeg,sage, savoury, thyme, marjoram (including sweet marjoram), myrrh, pennyroyal,pine, rosemary, sage, tansy, tea tree, wintergreen and wormwood.

Essential oils are recommended by many aroma therapistsduring pregnancy.

Citrus oils (e.g. mandarin, tangerine, bergamot and lemon),sandalwood, neroli, jasmine, geranium and chamomile. After the first threemonths, lavender rose and Melissa may also be used in moderation.

Woman to Woman

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Shape your Body with Callisthenic Exercises

Calisthenic exercises do as much for your figure as aerobicdancing – without the risk of injuries.

Calisthenics include both isometric and isotopic exercises:In the first, you flex various sets of body muscles without contracting orrelaxing them; in the second, it is the pull-up, push-up and –out contractionof various muscle sets that produce the training effects. The biggest benefitof doing your daily callisthenic dozen or half-dozen is the increase in bodystrength rather than improvement of cardiovascular of respiratory stamina –something running, cycling and swimming are best for.

These three sports give you twice the aerobic workout, butthey neglect certain muscle groups, especially in your upper body.

An hour of calisthenics does as much to shape your figure asaerobic dancing.

The following calisthenics routine provides both isotonicand isometric fitness. Do it for 30 minutes three times a week and you will befit for life.

All you need is a thick rug, a towel and a pair of athleticshoes. For maximum benefit, do two sets of the exercises explained below:

1. Warm-up:  Jog inplace. To reap heart/lung building and calorie-burning benefits, keep it up for12 minutes. Use music to keep going or go outside and jog a few blocks, walk afew, jog a few, walk a few. Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

2. Firm-up: Stand about 75 cm from a sturdy table (bookcaseor counter). Keep your back straight, lean forward and grasp the table top. Bendleft leg at the knee and raise foot behind you. Without twisting back, liftbent left leg to side, and then slowly straighten leg. Hold for a count of two,bend knee and lower. Build up to 20. Reverse legs and repeat exercise.

3. Leg –Shaper: Lie on left side, resting on left elbow.Place right foot in front of left knee. Lift left leg 

as high possible, then lower without allowing leg totouch the ground. Build-up 20, holding the last “lift” for 10 seconds. Repeaton right side.

4. Abdomen Strengthener:  Lie on back, fingers laced behind neck, elbowsout. Lift left leg straight up and raise fight leg 10 to 12 inches. Then do the‘scissors’- alternatively raising legs, dropping  lower leg only to point that back is stillflat to floor. Build up to 20 with each leg, holding the last lift 10 secondsfor each leg.

5. Waist Trimmer: Lie on back with knees bent, legs slightlyapart, arms at sides. Contract stomach and curl up halfway reaching to left ofknees. Repeat twice. Repeat to right side. Then reach to centre for 10 seconds.Add a second set when you master this.

6. Hamstring and Across-the Chest- Stretch. Stand with feeta shoulder’s width apart, arms out to the sides. Reach right hand down andacross body to outside of left calf, twisting torso and bending left kneeslightly. Point left arm to ceiling.

You should feel the stretch in your straight leg and acrossyour back. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat with the other leg. Then stand with feetslightly apart, arms at sides. Hold one end of a bath towel in each hand. Raisestraight arms up, over, and behind you and hold for 30 seconds. 

Woman to Woman