Health, Fitness And Weight Loss Blog

If you have never used plant matter in magic before, I explain in detail in the column Plants, Herbs and Roots for Prosperity the different ways these substances can be practically used in rituals and everyday practice. In brief, the main methods of using plant material to summon protection are: carrying the substance on your person in a locket or a sachet, boiling the herb and sprinkling the residual water around your residence, putting a sprig of it under your bed or pillow, bathing in a distillation of it or burning it as incense. Also
with love attracting, just keeping the living plant in your house can help increase your vibrations. Below I have detailed where an herb can be used for a specific protective purpose.

Ague Weed: A bath in this herb is alleged to banish evil spirits. This herb is also known as Boneset.
Agrimony: Is burned or sprinkled around the house to send bad spirits back to the sender.
Angelica: Worn on the person to protect from evil spirits, however a drawback of this herb is that it also may protect you from opportunities. Used formally in rites of exorcism to get rid of bad spirits. Brew into a tea it and sprinkle in the corners of a house to protect from evil spirits. It is also warn on the person in a locket or sachet for personal protection.
Anise: Stuffed under a pillow it protects from nightmares.
Ash: The branches can be shaken and rattled like a wand to cleanse a place of bad energy.
Asafoetida: Kept in a potpourri or burned for protection.
Bergamot: Usually used for money, but some sources say it can be used for personal protection and to attract good spirits as well.
Borage: Place in an area that is suspicious it is said to make the truth come out or have dishonesty, plots or secrets revealed.
Broom Tops: Boiled in salt water to keep evil spirits and ghosts away.
Caraway: Carry the seeds on your person to protect from disease and ill health. A few seeds in the clothing of a loved one are said to protect your marriage from infidelity.
Carnations: A bouquet of fresh or dried blossoms is said to protect the home and family from rivals and attackers of all sorts.
Camphor: Worn as a balm it is used to ward off physical attack or unwanted advances from others.
Cedar: The boughs or incense are burnt to protect the home from spirits. It also protects those in deep meditation or doing rituals from picking up unwanted energies and astral attack. It is toxic to reptiles and birds, however, so you should be careful using it if you have either as pets.

Coriander: Burn as an incense or wear the seeds on your person to protect against attack. Helps keep friends and lovers from accidents.
Deersbane: Burned to reveal bad energy or tell one the source of bad energy.
Dill: Sprinkle in a corner of a children's room to protect them from harm.
Elder: A highly protective tree whose branches are burnt or kept in the home to save residents from accidents and attacks of all kinds.
Eucalyptus: Burnt in the home to protect the health from viruses, disease and plagues.
Geranium: Live bouquets, oil and incense are kept in the home to protect the family against attacks of all kinds and also disease. Worn as an oil to protect the health.
Heather: The sprigs are worn on the person or kept in the house to protect from evil spirits and unwanted attentions.
Lavender: Use a fresh bouquet, dried flowers, oil, perfume or incense to protect and shield your person and home from bad vibrations and negative people.
Marjoram: Sprinkled in the house for protection against accidents, burglars and unwanted visitors.
Myrtle: A sprig is kept above the front door for protection.
Motherwort: Burned or kept in sachets or lockets on the person for personal protection.
Pennyroyal: Burned to protect against domestic abuse and violence in the home.
Pine: A wreath of pine protects from bad spirits and attracts good spirits. The incense clears spaces of bad vibrations.
Snakeroot: Used to banish a person or thing from a home.
Rue: Rue Candles are burned for protection and the herb is burned to rid a space of bad thought forms and malevolent energies.
Slippery Elm: Place the herb in the place where you wish to get rid of slander or gossip. It may also be burned while sending bad thoughts back to the sender.
Vetivert: Wear the oil to protect yourself when you go out in dangerous or iffy situations.

About the Author

Sam Steven's metaphysical articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. You can meet Sam Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com where she is the staff writer. Currently she is studying technology's impact on the metaphysics.

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Wreaths are like rings. They represent the Universal Circle ("Let the circle be unbroken …" as the song lyric goes) and also the idea of circulating love, wealth and prosperity for yourself and neighbours. Usually they are hung on the front door, over the fire place or over the dining room table to commemorate special occasions or the changing of the seasons.

To make the frame for your wreath you will need strong thread, glue and branches from the appropriate tree. Try to make your wreath from branches you find on
he ground, however if you can't, be sure to thank the tree if you end up breaking off any its limbs. However, probably the easiest way is to buy a pre-fabricated frame for it at Walmart or a local craft store. Most craft stores sell very nice circular frames made from varnished grape vines that look very natural and authentic.
A wreath can be complicated and hung with a cornucopia of herbs, fruits and flowers or it can be as simple as a bunch of pussy willows braided together and formed into a circle. Below I have made a few suggestions for different wreaths you can make to suit different purposes.

LOVE DRAWING WREATH
For this you all you need is some kind of circular armature, or the above mentioned grape vine wreath. However if you want to make your own circle, the branches from any fruit tree (apple, cherry, or orange) are perfect. Leave as many leaves on the branches you can and make sure they are thin and pliable enough so you twist them into a the circle. Once you have constructed the circle decorate it with dried roses. Pink and red are the best colours. The darker the red, the more sexy the wreathe. You can dry your own roses in advance. However, if you have no dried roses available, fabric flowers will work just as well. Tie the buds of the roses into the wreathe and then decorate it with pink, red and white ribbons, Although kind of lush and girly, it is designed to bring love into your life.
PROSPERITY DRAWING WREATH
This little wreath is beautiful, simple, classy and it smells great. Use a grapevine armature and intertwine sprigs of basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, and bay leaves. All of these herbs draw wealth to the home. You may attach small oranges or kumquats. For an added dash of spice to your life, stick each orange with pins which have been threaded with cloves - an orange stuck with cloves is an ancient way of drawing money to you fast.
CHINESE PROSPERITY DRAWING WREATH
Use dried or fresh red, orange and yellow chrysanthemums, which symbolize autumn, protection and money. With this one you can use a Styrofoam board backing to affix the flowers to the backing. Or you can tie them to a grapevine armature. Decorate with red ribbons.
PROTECTION WREATH
Take long thin branches of holly that still have berries on the vine and braid and twist them into a circle. Holly is known to protect from evil spirits and bring blessings to the home. Decorate with a white ribbon.

CORNOCOPIA OF THE GODS WREATH
Take pine or spruce branches and using wire and players, twist them into a circle. Decorating this is not unlike decorating a Christmas tree, only you are going to attach pomegranates, oranges, walnuts in their shelves, kumquats, pine cones, acorns, bay leaves and chocolate covered coins. I like using fresh stuff, but there are many versions of the wreath that could be made using plastic replicas of food such as grapes strawberries and oranges. Finish this masterpiece off with gold, yellow and green ribbons.
MARTHA STEWART 'S OSHUN HAPPINESS WREATH
I stole this one off of Martha Stewart who probably didn't realise that she was inventing something that would honour the African Orisha of the Rivers, Love, and Wealth, Oshun. It is Oshun who takes care of love and relationships, money, and all the things that make life sweet. For this one you will need hundreds of pins, and bags and bags of pink, orange and yellow gumdrop candies. Use the pins (or use glue) to press these candies onto their backing. The effect is a sunburst of joy. Finish it off with a big bow of pink, yellow and orange ribbons, However save this one for the mantelpiece. Oshun is not the only being that loves sugar. You don't want an army of birds or squirrels attacking your front door!

About the Author

Sam Steven's metaphysical articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. You can meet Sam Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com where she is the staff writer. Currently she is studying technology's impact on the metaphysics.

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What can you do when you do not feel like getting started? When procrastination takes over...

We all know what that feels like. You sit there staring at the
mountain of work in front of you while your mind screens a
horror movie of toil and effort.

I am sure you have tried making a list of things to do but the
problem is the longer the list the harder it is to get started.

Well, listen I have a very effective remedy you can use
whenever you feel this way.

Find That One Thing You CAN Do Now.


ow, it does not matter how small a task that one thing is.
Select one thing you feel capable of starting and completing.

Let me give you an example.

Last week I was sitting at my desk ready to get stuck into a
new project but I just could not get started and my mind kept
wandering.

Then it hit me...

There was such a huge pile of papers, books and notes on my
desk that the clutter was driving me crazy.

I picked up that pile of paperwork and deposited it on a
different desk in my office.

Notice that I did not sort through the pile and file it away.
I did one thing!

Now, at that stage I had started and completed one task that
would help me to make progress on my project. I then picked
one other thing I could do NOW.

Little by little I found myself starting and making progress
on the project without giving myself a hard time.

This is easy to do. And it gives you a sense of achievement
and gradual progress towards the successful outcome you have
in mind.

You Can Use This Simple Motivation Approach Today...

1. Pick a task you want completed but do not feel like
starting.

2. Ask yourself - what is the one thing I CAN do now?

i.e. you feel capable of doing it and it is effortless for you
to do so right now.

3. Do it!

4. Repeat step 2. Ask yourself again - what is the one thing I
CAN do now?

This works as long as you use these steps without putting
yourself under pressure. Remember that even a tiny step
forward is still a step forward. And each one builds your
confidence.

Do not force yourself to raise the stakes in a big way every
time you go back to the question - what is the one thing I CAN
do now?

Simply do that one thing you know you can do and repeat the
process. You will become more motivated as the momentum builds.
About the Author Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a
very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and
sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited
time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm


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IF YOU WANT THEM TO HEAR YOU, SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE!
ฉ Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

You've probably noticed that there are some problems with our communication system. We have to use words. They are often imprecise, awkward and unable to capture the essence of what we want to say.

Problem #1. Words mean different things to different folks. Even when we find what we consider to be adequate words, the listener hears something else.

Problem #2. It is difficult to capture feelings in words. And, equally difficult to remove fe
lings from words. What a conundrum.

Problem #3. Listeners may not be listening. There's a big difference between listening and hearing: only the former engages the mind. Many folks begin formulating their response after you say the first ten words.

Problem #4. The listener's prior experiences color your words for them. You are not alone. They are hearing every person who has ever spoken to them in your way or with your words as you speak. Therefore, they decide where to place their attention and what their focus will be.

Problem #5. And, we wonder why communication is difficult? It's enough to make you close your mouth forever!

Now, aside from those five problems, there are other considerations. Here are some simple and significant ways to increase your chances of being accurately heard and, hopefully, listened to. Consider the following questions:

1. Do you know what is important to your listener? Are they more interested in facts or feelings? Demonstrate your desire to communicate with them by leading with what is of greater interest to them.

2. Do you know if your listener is more interested in the details or the decision? Some folks are more comfortable with assessing and planning solutions than with making decisions and implementing them. To whom are you speaking? It is difficult to get a "decide and do" attitude from an "assess and solve" person. Similarly, it is more difficult to engage an "assessor" in a decision making conversation. They will usually want to keep perfecting their plan. Acknowledge this and affirm their skill before asking them to decide.

3. Is your listener results- or relationship-oriented? Spending any time at all with small talk may drive a results-oriented listener to distraction. Conversely, offering no small talk can push away a relationship-oriented person. Lead with their interest and then you can present your point, or your point-of-view.

4. How is your timing for the conversation you wish to have? If it could be in any way confrontative, be careful. Taking just five minutes to assess a situation prior to bringing up an issue can be very informative. Listen. Pick up the 'climate' around your proposed listener. As with the philosophy of 'pick your battles', so, it is wise to pick your times to increase the probability of being heard.

5. Are you clear about what you wish to say? Wading into a conversation without clarity can find you drowning in misunderstanding quickly. Think about the outcome you wish to create before you open your mouth. This will help you temper and tailor your approach to reach your desired goal.

A quick way to measure the appropriateness of your communication is to ask yourself, "Am I willing to be spoken to in the way I am about to speak?" If the answer is 'Yes', proceed with assurance. If the answer is 'No', be very thankful you took that minute to think.

Communication can be tricky, but most tricks can be mastered.

ฉ Rhoberta Shaler, PhD All rights reserved worldwide.
=============================
Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, speaks, coaches & conducts seminars for entrepreneurs & professionals who want the motivation, strategies and inspiration to achieve, to lead and to live richly. Hear her weekly on http://www.WSRadio.com Dr. Shaler is the creator of the Living Richly� Programs. For further articles, free ezines, upcoming teleseminars and booking information, visit http://www.OptimizeLifeNow.com today! For permission to reprint this article, please contact mailto:Jane@OptimizeLifeNow.com
About the Author Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, speaks, coaches & conducts seminars for entrepreneurs & professionals who want the motivation, strategies and inspiration to achieve, to lead and to live richly. Hear her weekly on http://www.WSRadio.com. Visit her website for more great info.


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Have you ever wondered how your eyes actually work? There are many delicate parts to the eye that work together almost like a camera, including the:

Pupil, the "black dot" in the center of the eye
Cornea, the clear covering of the eye
Crystalline lens, behind the iris
Ciliary muscles, controlling the lens curvature, known as accommodation (ability to focus at all distances)
Retina, a light-sensitive membrane covering the back of the eye
Optic nerve, running from the retina to the brain

How the Eye Works Light passes through the cornea and the pupil, then through the lens. The image is focused on the retina, where sensory cells known as rods and cones translate the image to electrical energy and pass it to the tiny optic nerve fibers in the retina. They converge in a large nerve which exits the back of the eye and carries the image data to the brain to be interpreted.

The cornea is clear and curved and acts like a lens. It bends (refracts) light as it enters the eye. The lens is also clear and curved and refracts the light further. In a 20/20 eye, their combined light refraction focuses the light rays on the retina.

When light travels from a distant object it needs less refraction than light coming from a close-by object. The ability of the lens to change its curvature "accommodates" that by bending incoming light at a greater or lesser angle. The corneal curvature is fixed.

Four Types of Refractive Error Your eyes have a refractive error if:

Book print looks blurry (you are farsighted or presbyopic)
You cannot recognize a person standing a block away (you are myopic)
Things look a bit blurry at all distances (you are astigmatic)

In those scenarios your eyes are not refracting (bending) light well enough to give you clear vision at all distances.

1. Nearsightedness (myopia) A myopic eye refracts light too much. The cornea and the lens between them are focusing light before it gets to the retina. So when it does get to the retina it has diverged again and gives you blurry vision. However, it is only relatively distant objects which look blurry while the book print is clear. That is because light from close objects needs to be refracted more than light from distant objects. So your eyes are doing well for close objects and need to be corrected for far objects.

2. Farsightedness (hyperopia) A hyperopic eye refracts light too little. The light is focusing behind the retina (except that light cannot travel through this dense tissue, so in effect it is not being focused at all within the eyeball. This is fine for light coming from far objects, since it needs less refracting. This light does focus on the retina. Light from near objects needs to be more sharply refracted. But the hyperopic eye cannot do that so these images look blurry.

3. Astigmatism An astigmatic eye has an oval-shaped cornea. It has a steeper curvature on its shorter side and a flatter curvature on its longer side. It refracts light in two ways, causing some light to focus on the retina and some to focus in front of or behind the retina. This gives blurry vision at all distances. You can be both astigmatic and myopic or astigmatic and hyperopic.

4. Presbyopia Presbyopia is age-related. Everyone starts to become presbyopic after the age of about 40 or 50. You may have 20/20 eyes and still be presbyopic, which means that book print is blurry while intermediate and distant objects are clear.

Causes of presbyopia are not fully understood, but it is related to the lens being less able to change its curvature. It becomes fixed within a narrower range of curvatures which maintain clear distance vision but progressively give blurry vision at closer distances. Subjectively it is like being farsighted but the cause is different.

Diagnosing Refractive Errors

Any eye doctor can test your vision to determine your eyes refractive errors. For glasses or contact lenses, an instrument called a phoropter is used. It is a device that positions a variety of different corrective lenses in front of your eyes. You read an eye chart while looking through the lenses, and the eye doctor will switch between different lenses until you can see the eye chart clearly.

Custom LASIK uses a more microscopically accurate method of diagnosing the eyes refractive errors. It is called Wavefront technology. If your eyes are in good general health, refractive errors are nothing to fear. Todays advanced vision technology offers solutions for clearer vision, including LASIK and its variations.

About the Author:

In San Francisco and surrounding areas, The Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley can help you see more clearly.

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Animals have interacted with humans for thousands of years.  But here's some news to all you animal lovers: that sneezing, coughing, hacking, runny nose and those rashes that appear on your skin may be caused by small, furry creatures that you so love and admire.  Are you allergic to pets or other animals?  Here is a list of animals that commonly trigger allergies in humans:

Cats and dogs

Most dogs and cats that trigger allergy have fur.  Since these animals shed regularly, the tiny hairs eventually find them
elves on the skin, in the nose and mouth.  When this does happen, allergic symptoms occur.  This can happen whether the animal is longhaired or shorthaired.

What about hairless breeds?  For people whose allergies are triggered by animal hair, keeping a hairless cat or dog seems to solve the problem.  That is, until the animal develops a skin problem and sheds dander or dead skin.  This can then trigger an allergy.

Horses

Like cats and dogs, horses can also trigger allergy through their saliva.  There are certain proteins in horse's saliva that can be problematic to people who are hypersensitive.  Horse dander can also cause allergic reactions.

Rabbits

Rabbits have fine hair that when shed, can trigger allergies in people who have a sensitivity to them.  People who have allergies or asthma might suffer from wheezing, sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose.  Nasal congestion is also common.  Their urine also contains certain proteins that can cause itching or rashes upon direct contact.

Guinea pigs and hamsters

Guinea pigs and hamsters are quite cuddly and are low-maintenance animals.  Many of them have been domesticated and are found in many households as pets.  They are generally easy to care for, which makes them quite popular with children, young teens and even adults.

The problem with guinea pigs and hamsters is that their hair, dander and urine can trigger allergy.  To someone who has asthma or has hypersensitivity to the proteins in the animal's urine, the animal can be a source of physical discomfort.  Symptoms can vary, ranging from skin rashes to sneezing and asthma.

Mice and rats

These are the guinea pig's wilder cousins.  People who are hypersensitive or those who have not developed antibodies to certain allergy-causing proteins secreted by these animals can also suffer from allergic reactions to their hair, urine, feces and saliva.

Birds and poultry

Birds, ducks, chickens and their kind can also trigger allergies in humans.  Direct contact with their feces and the downy part of their feathers can cause certain physical discomfort.  Consumption of eggs can also cause certain allergic reactions in certain individuals.

Cows

Cows produce milk, which contains common allergy-causing substances.  Cows can, through their milk, cause the gastrointestinal discomfort associated with lactose intolerance.  Direct contact with their urine can also trigger allergies in certain individuals.

Whether you are suffering from animal allergies, food allergies, hay fever or just about any type of allergies, consult only the best allergists

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DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.--Of these three types of sea food, lobsters are perhaps the most popular. They are found along the North Atlantic and North Pacific seacoasts. Alive, they are mottled bluish-green in color, but upon being cooked they change to bright red. As soon as they are caught, many of them are packed in ice and shipped alive to various points, while others are plunged immediately into boiling water and sold cooked. Lobsters vary greatly in size. Only those 9 inches or more in length can be sold, the smaller ones being thrown ba
k into the water. When they are purchased either raw or cooked, they should be heavy for their size; that is, they should be heavy because of their plumpness and good condition.

PRELIMINARY PREPARATION.--To prepare a lobster, which should be alive, grasp it firmly by the back, plunge it quickly, head first, into a kettle of rapidly boiling water, and then submerge the rest of the body. Be sure to have a sufficient amount of water to cover the lobster completely. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes; then lower the flame or remove to a cooler part of the stove and cook slowly for 1/2 hour. Remove from the water and allow to cool.

After being prepared in this way, a lobster may be served cold or it may be used in the preparation of various made dishes. If it is to be used without further preparation, it is often served from the shell, which is usually split open. Mayonnaise or some other sauce is generally served with lobster. The flesh is removed from the shell with a small fork as it is eaten.

REMOVING LOBSTER FROM THE SHELL.--The majority of the dishes made from lobster require that the flesh be removed from the shell. To do this, first pull off the two large claws and the four pairs of small claws, and break the tail from the body. Then with scissors, cut a single slit the entire length of the shell covering the under part of the tail and remove the flesh inside the tail in a whole, large piece. The intestinal tract, which can be readily observed, will be found embedded in this piece and running the entire length. Slash the flesh and remove it. Next remove the flesh of the body from the shell, retaining only that part which appears to be fibrous, like the flesh of the tail. The stomach, which is called "the lady" because its inside appearance closely resembles a lady sitting in a chair, should not be removed from the shell. However, care should be taken to obtain all the flesh surrounding the bones in the bony part of the lobster. The coral substance, that is, the roe of the lobster, should also be removed, as it can be used for a garnish.

With the flesh removed from the shell, proceed to take out that contained in the claws. Break open the large claws, using a nut cracker or a small hammer for this purpose, and remove the flesh that they contain. If the small claws are to be used for a garnish, as is often done, remove the flesh without breaking them; otherwise break them as in the case of the large ones.

LOBSTER COCKTAIL.--Practically all varieties of shell fish make most satisfactory cocktails, and lobster is no exception. To make a lobster cocktail, shred or cut into small pieces the flesh of a lobster that has been prepared according to the directions just given. Chill the shreds or pieces and then serve them in stemmed cocktail glasses with any desirable cocktail sauce.

SCALLOPED LOBSTER.--Persons who care for the flavor of lobster will find scalloped lobster a very attractive dish. When prepared in this way, it is suitable either for luncheon or for dinner.

SCALLOPED LOBSTER (Sufficient to Serve Six)

1 c. lobster meat 1 c. medium white sauce 2/3 c. buttered bread crumbs 1 hard-cooked egg Salt Pepper

Mix the lobster with the medium white sauce. Butter a baking dish, place half of the crumbs in the bottom, and pour over them the lobster and white sauce. Slice the hard-cooked egg over the top of the lobster, season the whole well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over the top. Place in a hot oven and bake until the crumbs are brown. Garnish with sprays of parsley and serve at once.

About the Author:

Visit the Fruits And Vegetables website to learn about how to cook bok choy and cabbage nutrition.

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How many times have you wanted to make a particular chicken recipe or one of your heart healthy recipes and just couldnt remember which recipe book it was in? If you have ever been in this kind of situation you will know very well what I mean. Without a recipe finder, it can be very difficult to look for the recipe you intend making.

So what exactly is a recipe finder? It is something that helps you find your recipes quick and fast; no matter if they are chicken recipes, healthy recipes, low calorie recipes, lunch recipes, baking
recipes or any other. If you have a lot of recipe books, then you can keep a notebook with some pages reserved for each letter of the alphabet with which that recipe name begins. Or better still, invest in a folder and you can go on adding pages as you feel the need. Here, under chicken recipes, you can write the recipe name and the page number and book name it comes from if it a cookbooks recipe.

Or now in the age of the computer, you can create a file with all these details and this kind of recipe finder might be even faster than the manual one saving you even more time when you are looking for your healthy recipes or family recipes. All you have to do is use the find option by pressing the Ctrl and F keys on your keyboard simultaneously and key in the word or phrase that you are looking for. Very soon you will have located the recipes that you have been looking for.

Yet another recipe finder available is in the form of a search engine where you key in "healthy recipes" and are greeted by a great long list which will take you quite some time to sift through to get the ideal recipe you might be looking for. Another way is to visit recipe websites. Some provide you with recipe finders that let you browse by category whether it is chicken recipes, dinner recipes, recipes meals and the like; others let you browse by ingredients.

As the days get shorter and colder and winter approaches, we look for comfort foods. These foods are rich in fat and high in carbohydrates which can be devastating if you are asked to restrict yourself to healthy recipes. Mashed potatoes, macaroni with cheese, meatloaf and cakes are some of the hot favorites. If you make use of a recipe finder on the Net you are sure to find some free recipes that will provide you with substitutes for some ingredients which you should avoid.

While making mashed potatoes the next time, add some roasted cauliflower. Replace the whole milk and butter with some skimmed milk and some chicken brother which is low in sodium. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Thus you can make your own healthy recipes even if you are not happy with what the recipe finder on the Net gives you.

About the Author:

So start searching the Net for healthy recipes now! The recipe finder is very useful and will help you collect a lot of good free recipes.

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What do you like about yourself? Are you proud of yourself? If these questions make you feel uncomfortable, or you cannot answer them, chances are that you have a problem with self esteem. Why is that? Why do so many of us basically dislike ourselves? Why are we embarrassed to "esteem" ourselves?

Before answering this question, we must first define self-esteem. Self esteem comes from the inside out. It means that a woman is not dependent upon anyone else to make her feel good about herself, because she already know
she's fine just the way she is. She is confident and aware of her strengths and abilities. She wants to share them with others. This does not mean she os conceited. She is also aware of areas needing work and growth. But that's ok, because she knows she's not perfect, and she doesn't have to be. No one is. She understands that we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
Self-esteem is a core identity issue, essential to personal validation and our ability to experience joy. Once achieved, it comes from the inside out. But it is assaulted or stunted from the outside in. A woman with low self-esteem does not feel good about herself because she has absorbed negative messages about women from the culture and/or relationships.
The reign of youth, beauty and thinness in our society dooms every woman to eventual failure. Women's magazines, starting with the teenage market, program them to focus all their efforts on their appearance. Many girls learn, by age 12, to drop formerly enjoyable activities in favor of the beauty treadmill leading to nowhere. They become fanatical about diets. They munch, like rabbits, on leaves without salad dressing, jog in ice storms, and swear they love it! Ads abound for cosmetic surgery, enticing us to "repair" our aging bodies, as if the natural process of aging were an accident or a disease. Yet with all this effort, they still never feel like they are good enough.
How can they? Magazine models are airbrushed to perfection, and anorexic. "Beautiful" movie stars are whipped into perfect shape by personal trainers, and use surgery to create an unnatural cultural ideal. But youth cannot last. It is not meant to. If women buy into this image of beauty, then the best an older woman can strive for is looking "good for her age" or worse yet, "well preserved". Mummies are well preserved. Mummies are also dead.
Abusive experiences join with cultural messages to assault female self esteem. Abuse is pervasive and cuts across all socioeconomic lines. It invariably sends the message that the victim is worthless. Many, many women have told me that verbal abuse has hurt them far more than any physical act. As one woman put it, "his words scarred my soul". Women whose abuse started as children have the most fragile sense of identity and self worth.
Poor self esteem often results in depression and anxiety. Physical health suffers as well. Many times, women with this problem don't go for regular checkups, exercise, or take personal days because they really don't think they're worth the time.
Relationships are impacted as well. Their needs are not met by their partner because they feel like they don't deserve to have them met, or are uncomfortable asking. Their relationships with children can suffer if they are unable to discipline effectively, set limits, or demand the respect they deserve. Worse yet, low self-esteem passes from mother to daughter.The mother is modeling what a woman is. She is also modeling, for her sons, what a wife is.
In the workplace, women with low self-esteem tend to be self-deprecating, to minimize their accomplishments, or let others take credit for their work. They never move up. Finally, with friends, they are unable to say no. They end up doing favors they don't want to do, or have any time for. They end up going where they don't want to go, with people they don't want to go with!
A woman with low self-esteem has no control over her life.
But that can change. These women can get help and emotional healing. It is criticial to remember that no one deserves to be abused. If something bad has happened to you, it does not mean there is something wrong with you. The responsibility for the abuse lies with the person who chooses to hurt you. If you are presently being abused, you must put yours and your children's safefy first.
If you think you are in danger, you can call your local domestic violence hotline number (the Connecticut number is 1-888-774-2900).
You can choose your own identity. You can discard the popular cultural image and replace it with something real. As I read someplace once, "We are bound by our fate only as long as we accept the values that determine it."
Nobody is perfect, but everyone is worthwile. Believe in yourself.

About the Author Maggie Vlazny is a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist and RCI Singles coach practing in Fairfield County, Connecticut. She has also written and presented a mental health series on Monroe (CT) Cable Television.

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What is beauty of hand ? It is not so much the shape, just as in hair it is not the color, which counts here. Texture, skin quality and skin tint, the manner in which the hands are used, the nails, these determine their beauty. Nothing will give away your age quicker than the condition of your hands. Let's take a look at some tips to try and hold off the ravages of time.

NO hands, as one authority on female beauty has declared, "reveal every hidden secret of the soul .... in their shape, texture and color" ? We do
bt it. But they reveal themselves quickly enough as beautiful or the reverse. What is beauty of hand ? It is not so much the shape, just as in hair it is not the color, which counts here. Texture, skin quality and skin tint, the manner in which the hands are used, the nails, these determine their beauty. Nothing will give away your age quicker than the condition of your hands. Let's take a look at some tips to try and hold off the ravages of time.

Care is what produces beautiful hands. If you are not your own manicurist then visit a professional one every week. Protect your hands against water by using gloves, rubber or canvas. Always have a cut of lemon handy to the sink. Whether you have a "psychic" or a merely plebeian hand, lemon juice removes stains, whitens the skin and cleans the nails. Vaseline, which keeps the nails from growing brittle, also makes up for the drying effect of hot dishwater. Dish washing should always be followed by a vaseline or cold cream application. Always wear gloves when gardening, and use vanishing cream on them before you expose them to the bright sunshine or cold. A cold cream application before retiring and cotton gloves should accompany chapped hands into bed.

Red Hands.—When red hands are not caused by some trouble which calls for a doctor's care, usea good rich, cream massage, for it will help circulation if bad circulation is the reason. A meresurface redness may be treated by rubbing in some standard skin food, after washing with hot water and soap, and leaving it overnight.

The Ideal Hand.—The ideal hand has smooth, tapering fingers. If you have square or knotty fingers give them treatment for pressing out the ends. A soft, white skin, a firm palm, firm andsupple wrists and well-kept nails and fingers are all possible of attainment by manicuring, massage and constant cleanliness. Hands should be neither too fat nor too thin. Regular diet in the first place, then massage and special exercises are correctives. This applies as well to fat wrists. Remember that, like the ideal face and figure, the ideal hand is only relatively so. There is a different style of hand for nearly every style of being, and there are as many different hands as there are face beauties.

Gloves.—Tight gloves will make your palms perspire, give your hands a pudgy look, and, if youwear them right along, will turn the hands red and mottled. Red hands often result from continual wearing of tight-fitting gloves. And—if you do not chemically clean your gloves after each wearing—your hands will grow dirty as soon as you put them on. Gloves which are not perfectly clean chap and coarsen the skin texture of the hand, and at times cause infections

A narrow palm is supposed to be a sign of a feeble temperament, one lacking imagination. Afairly generous palm shows imagination and a nature capable of greatly enjoying physical pleasures. Too large, broad and pronounced a palm denotes egoism and sensuality. Hard, thick palms, out of proportion to the rest of the hand, show an animal nature, void of intelligence. Knotty fingers mean originality, imagination and a scientific trend. Smooth, tapering fingers hint at aptitude in art and sentiment predominating over reason. Square fingers mean a sense of method and order. Spatulate fingers are a sign of ability, activity, tact and knowledge.

THE NAILS

A woman's nails should have home attention, but this should be supplemented by occasional visitsto the manicurist. Else it is impossible to keep them in perfect condition. You may use an orangestick or an ivory pusher to push back the cuticle from the nails (after it has been softened by cold cream or vaseline), but do not cut the cuticle yourself. This had far better be left to the professional. If you use the professional cutting tools you may easily cut and scar the surface of the nail, and weeks may elapse before the scar disappears. If the cuticle be cut constantly the edges grow hard and thick.

Manicuring.—Always see to it that your orange stick is well covered with absorbent cotton or abit of silk. When you have shaped the external edge of the nails with a fine pair of scissors, finish with emery or a steel nail file. And always, before beginning to manicure your nails, soak them in hot soap water and cleanse with the nail brush. When you polish the nails, use paste first, and do not apply the powder till afterward. As a buffer you can use the palm of the other hand. A thorough "home" manicuring should be undertaken at least once a week.

There are many very satisfactory nail pastes and polishes on the market. A liquid polish is usually best for the nails, all the more if there is no paste foundation. Carmine, which gives a pleasing pink tint, should be the paste used. Never use the liquid varnishes which produce a sheen without the aid of the buffer. They have a deteriorating action on the nails themselves. You brush your teeth every night. It is just as easy to devote a few minutes to your nail cuticles as well.

The Nail Bleach.—A good and simple nail bleach for use beneath the free edges of the nails is made by mixing an ounce of hydrogen peroxide with a quarterounce, respectively, of ammonia and lemon juice. Before polishing the nails wash out the bleach with hot water. Keep your manicuring tools in good condition, and throw away your orange stick as soon as it roughens. For a buffer, if you do not care to use your palm, buy a buffer frame and renew the chamois skin.

Bruised Nails.—A hot water dip, with an overnight application of antiphlogiston, is good forbruised nails. The white nail spots which often result from a bruise will fade out slowly of themselves as a rule. Their departure can be hastened, however, by application of refined pitch and myrrh in equal parts.

Nail-Bite.—The only real cure for nail biting is not to bite the nails. The application of tincture of myrrh is merely a reminder not to do so.

About the Author Michael Fortomas is a teacher of Biology and his Free Guide "151 Beauty Tips" is a look at specific tips, old and new, to help women meet the current perception of our societal definition of beauty.
Visit http://1source-body-health.com/beautysecrets.html

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How would you like to have a fan club filled with people who know, like,
trust and respect you? People who have a very clear understanding of what
you do and exactly the kind of client you are looking for. People who will
actually go out and find clients for you, and, best of all, theyนll never
charge you a cent!. Sound like a fantasy? Itนs not. Itนs all
possible...if you know how to network.

So what exactly is networking? If you look at the word ณnetwork,ฒ youนll
notice that it is both a noun and a verb. As a noun i
is simply the people
you know, your sphere of influence. As a verb, it is making use of that
sphere of influence in an intelligent manner by sharing information and
giving support. Networking today is about forming and cultivating
relationships. The objective of networking should be to help other people
succeed. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.
It is a simple law of nature: what goes around comes around.

Like anything else in life, though, networking is work--netWORK. You need
to have very clearly defined goals and objectives in order to succeed. You
need to have systems in place to make sure those goals and objectives are
met, and you must have a plan of action.

Here are just few tips to help you build your business through networking:

--Know who you know!
You cannot even begin to network, unless you know who is in your network!
Make lists of everybody you know through family, friends, your children,
hobbies, sports. For everyone on your list write everything you know about
them, e.g, their hobbies, where they grew up, the type of dog they have, who
their friends are, etc. Update this list weekly.

--Know who you want to know.
Then figure out how to meet them. This is where you need to have a very
clearly defined plan of action. Learn everything about the people you want
to meet, and then figure out who in your network shares the
same interests. It is very probable that they will know someone who knows
the person you want to meet.

--Understand and appreciate your value to the people in your network.
We all have unique interests, talents, and experiences which can be used to
help others. Revel in knowing that you can touch the lives of everyone you
meet if you are prepared to share your knowledge and resources with them.

--Develop systems to organize your information so it is readily accessible.
Whether itนs a Day-timer, a contact management computer program, a Rolodex,
or good olน index cards doesnนt matter. Use whatever works best for you and
allows you to retrieve information quickly so you can pass it along in a
timely manner.

--Strategize ways to consistently get your name before the people in your
network.
You want to be at the forefront of their thinking so when a potential client
presents him/herself to someone you know, that person immediately makes the
connection and makes the referral. This is the ultimate goal of networking.

--Give, give, give!
Give freely of yourself, never expecting anything in return. Trust that what
you put out there will come back to you. It may not come back immediately.
It may not come back, directly. It will, however, come back eventually.
Just give. Read more!

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the average businessperson wastes an hour a day because of disorganization. That's 6 weeks a year! Want to be more productive? Follow these 10 tips!

1. MANAGE YOUR TIME

Use only one calendar (or electronic device) to track your appointments, otherwise it's too easy to overlook something or to double-book your time.

2. CLEAR CLUTTER

Make some room on your desk – remove all supplies and gadgets that you don't use every day. Take a look at the items o
your bulletin board and the Post-its on your computer – throw out ancient history. Uncover your horizontal surfaces – credenzas, tables, bookshelves.

3. ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION

Create a filing system that works for you. Use hanging folders with plastic tabs (e.g., Pendaflex) to organize your papers. Create a filing system for your electronic documents that mirrors your system for paper. For more filing tips visit http://www.101FilingTips.com.

4. DON'T WASTE SPACE

Use your space effectively so that you can find things quickly. Keep critical and frequently-used items and information within arms' reach. Use a vertical step rack or a file box for "hot" files. Move your furniture and office equipment so that you can easily access the things you need.

5. TRAVEL TROUBLE-FREE

Lists, lists, lists! Start a list of the information and materials you must bring with you as soon as you plan a trip. Keep a master list of items you always need to bring along – from your toothbrush to your business cards. Give a copy of your itinerary with contact numbers to someone who isn't traveling with you.

6. PREVAIL OVER EMAIL

Check and respond to e-mail at designated "sessions" rather than continuously throughout the day. Mute the incoming mail chime to make it easier to ignore each message.

7. MAKE THE MOST OF MEETINGS

Have a written agenda, ideally with timeframes. Be vigilant about starting and ending on time. Keep information for different meetings in separate folders or binders. Write the date on your notes. Keep track of any actions you promised to take.

8. MINIMIZE INTERRUPTIONS

The average businessperson is interrupted every 8 to 9 minutes. When you really need to get something done, make yourself unavailable – no phone calls, no e-mail, no visitors. It's okay to not answer a ringing phone. Even a cellphone. Really.

9. GET GREAT GEAR

From your letter opener to your computer, don't tolerate products and tools that aren't perfect, however you define it. Your briefcase/bag is like a portable office – make sure you love yours and that it works for you.

10. MAKE A HABIT OF GETTING ORGANIZED

Spend a few minutes every day to "create order from chaos" – even 5 minutes will make a difference. 15 minutes could transform your life.

Feel free to reproduce this article in full; just include the full author bio too!

About the Author Lisa Zaslow is the founder of http://www.GothamOrganizers.com and a nationally recognized expert on organization and productivity. She helps individuals and businesses to be more productive, more organized and less stressed. She is the author of "Can't I Just Shred It All? 101 Quick Tips to File – and Find – Your Important Papers", available at http://www.101FilingTips.com.

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Almost everyone will at some point in their life, experience some form of constipation. Usually a poor diet is the culprit. This is very important...constipation is a symptom not a disease.

Please keep in mind that you are not alone. It is estimated that here in the united States over 4 million suffer from frequent bouts of constipation. More than $700 million is spent on non prescribed laxatives and medicine, with 2.5 million trips to the doctor. Constipation is a serious threat to your health. It is a warnin
sign that your style of living needs some change. Especially if you are getting up in age like I am.
The one thing that most doctors wont tell you is that all these drugs and over the counter laxatives, can and will do serious harm to your body.

The colon, or large intestine absorbs water from food while it creates waste or stool. Ideally, the muscle in the colon will push the stool toward the rectum. On this journey the stool becomes solid because most the water has been absorbed. To much absorption of water results in constipation. It is known that constipation is responsible for many colon diseases such as hemorrhoids, colitis, diverticulosis, IBS, varicose veins, and possibly colon cancer. It is important that you know that the origin of many diseases in the body come from a constipated colon.

So how do we get and maintain a healthy colon? A healthy colon means no constipation. Here are a few facts that will help you understand what causes constipation. Knowledge that will put your mind at rest, and guide you to begin to relieve or alleviate your constipation.
1.People who include high fiber in their diet are less likely to be constipated.
2.Drinking water and juices will add fluid to the colon and thus bulk to the stool.
3. Try to stay active, especially as you get older.
4.Stop taking laxatives. Seek out and find natural remedies.

There are many who claim to have the one cure that everyone is searching for. How would you like over 70 natural remedies to choose from? That is what you get with Natural Nutritional Consultant, Rudy Silvas book. He suffered from constipation for many years. After doing significant research, he found that there are 77 natural methods to relieve, prevent or completely rid you of constipation. Combining this information with his own experiences and those of his nutritional clients, he wrote:
Discover How You can Eliminate Constipation Step By Step In 7 Days

In it you will learn;
How constipation causes back pain ( page 168)
What 12 things you need know to really prevent constipation
(page 195)
What foods you need to avoid to prevent constipation from coming back (page 200) and many more helpful hints.
If nothing else sign up for 10 FREE e-lessons;

" The Information You Need for Getting Rid of Constipation With Natural Remedies"

You can find this and other natural cure ideas at

My RecomMANNdations Click Here

Learn how to NATURALLY END:
Acid Reflux, Migraine Headaches, Stress and Anxiety, Lower Blood Pressure and much more.

About the Author:
At 57, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of Nothing. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about alot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. I live in California with my beautiful wife and a menagerie of pets. Read more!

This article is about acne and the role of diet. Your diet may affect acne, but is not the cause of it. The food you eat may contribute to acne but not necessarily the main player.

To prevent acne, people around you will most likely tell you to avoid junk food because it contains high amount of fat and grease that will cause the skin to be too greasy and hence pimples will start to appear.

According to several reports, it is the oil in the sebaceous glands that causes acne problems, not the oil from the oily food eat
n. However recently there is some disagreement about the link between acne and diet. Several researchers suggested that there might be a degree of truth behind some dietary factors having an influence on acne. For instance, some dairy products and refined sugars that are found in our diet are being evaluated as possible acne triggers.

Your diet affects your acne by some means. This is what I found personally after suffering from acne for a very long time. You will find that some foods you eat will cause severe acne breakouts on the other hand some will help in preventing acne. If you really feel that a particular food type is worsening the conditions of acne then it should be avoided. In this article, I am going to share you some of the food that I found contributes acne.

Processed Grain and Sugar is the major culprit! Grain and Sugar is a common ingredient in modern food. It is found in many of the foods we all eat today like biscuit, donuts, sugary foods, and pizza. Eliminate processed grain and sugar from your diet and prevent acne.

Let know the reason - why grain and sugar causes acne? It causes hormonal imbalance that leads to serious inflammation and results in acne. You will feel like your acne is going away once you stop eating grain. I personally experienced an amazing clear up after stop eating processed grain and sugar.

If you stop eating processed grain and sugar (white bread, candy, pizza, donut, etc) your acne will start to fade. Another food item that comes in the list of foods to avoid for preventing acne is vegetable oil. This oil is found in many of our modern foods. You will find it in many junk foods and also in cooking oils.

Try to eliminate as much vegetable oil as you can from you diet. This is hard to do as all major food stuffs have this in them but if you eliminate as much as you can then you should see good results in a short time.

So this article concludes that your diet is a contributor to acne, but not necessarily the main player. Your diet may affect acne, but is not the cause of.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

About the Author Know more natural Home remedies for acne. Visit our new Beauty and fashion accessories store at http://www.beautyandaccessories.com and find a wide range of beauty accessories and fashion tips.

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Ah, coffee... a fantastic dark beverage that wakes us up in
the morning. For some of us, it keeps us up during the day,
or for late night study sessions. We drink it out of habit,
we drink it from addiction, we drink it for flavor; whatever
the reason, it is surely a popular beverage. So where did
this famed drink come from?

Coffee, for Americans, is three hundred years old. In the
East it was widespread at every level of society, since the
earlier era. The most notable dates point to around
800b.c. However, Ho
er, and according to Arabian tales speak
of a mysterious bitter black beverage with powers of
stimulation that could have been this drink.

About the year 1000, coffee was being used for medicinal
purposes. In 1400 a Yemeni goat herder observed his flock
eating reddish berries, then becoming excited and restless.
After relating his observations to a monk, they boiled
the berries and made a beverage that could disperse
sleep and weariness. No matter how it actually was
created, the fact remains that the coffee plant
started in Africa, in an Ethiopian region known as Kaffa.
From there it spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia, where it
became a part of daily life.

In the late 1500s coffee was a commodity, being sold in
Europe. However, due to an increasing demand for the new
beverage, and high taxes on shipping, there was
experimentation with growing the crops in various other
countries. Much later, around 1727 coffee growing started in
Northern Brazil. By the 20th century, various forms of
coffee were developed for the public.

Decaffeinated coffee was first founded in 1903 when
Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee importer, gave a batch of
damaged coffee beans to researchers. They developed the
process of taking the caffeine out of the beans without
losing any flavor. This was marketed in the 1920s.

Instant coffee was first mass produced from the invention of
George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in
Guatemala. While waiting for his wife one day to join him
outside for coffee, he observed on the spout of the silver
coffee urn, a fine powder, which looked to be the
condensation of the coffee vapors. This excited him and
led to his founding of soluble coffee.

In 1906 he started experiments and put his invention, Red E
Coffee, in the markets in 1909. Nestle', in 1938, trying to
aid Brazil with their coffee surpluses created freeze-dried
coffee. Nescafe was started and first introduced into
Switzerland. Instant coffee became a fad after 1956 when
commercial television was the new craze.

And now in the US alone, 400 billion cups of coffee a year
are consumed. Coffee is one of the world's largest
commodities, second only to oil. From a remote area in
Africa, to millions of shelves and homes worldwide, coffee
has became a fixture everywhere.

Irene D. Hope is the webmaster of

All Special Coffee About the Author Irene D. Hope is the webmaster of

All Special Coffee

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Many diet formulas are just fads that don't work. The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is based on scientifically effective ingredients that help you lose weight and keep it off.

Dieters are always searching for the holy grail of weight loss -- a healthy product that melts fat effortlessly. As a result, ads for miracle diet pills and weight loss methods are everywhere. At best, many of the diet formulas that people try are ineffective and disappointing; and at worst, some have major side effects and can cause serious damage to your
health. Ephedra, or ma huang, for example, is a stimulant that can cause jittery behavior or even heart trouble. It's not a true thermogenic, and in fact, it's dangerous. Unlike other herbal products like ephedra and prescription drugs for obesity, green tea extract does not increase heart rates or raise blood pressure.

The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is based on clinical evidence and healthy results. The products in the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program have been scientifcally proven to help you lose weight naturally and safely.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in metabolic energy expenditure and a significant effect on fat oxidation. A 4% overall increase in energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract. What's more, the researches found that the extra expenditure occurred during the daytime, which led them to conclude that since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis! Chi Tea products harness these impressive thermogenic properties.

So what is the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program? It consists of three fat-burning supplements: Ultimate Green Tea, Ener-Chi Cafe and Ener-Chi Sport.

Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea is a concentrated extract that uses 50 pounds of premium quality green tea leaves per pound of product. This means that drinking 1 cup of Ultimate Green Tea is equal to 12-15 cups of regular teabag green tea! Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea contains more than 95% polyphenol antioxidants and 62% fat-fighting EGCG.

The Ener-Chi collection consists of two natural energy elixirs filled with fatigue-blasting vitamins and herbal extracts. Ener-Chi has a high concentration of green tea and other fat busters like L-Carnitine which help to rapidly melt away stored fat in your hips, thighs and belly. The unique blend of vitamins and herbs in Ener-Chi gives you a sustained mental and physical energy boost without the "jolt and crash" you normally get from drinking coffee or sugary energy drinks.

Ener-Chi comes in two flavors: Ener-Chi Cafe has a delicious natural coffee flavor, and Ener-Chi Sport has a refreshing natural orange flavor.

DAILY CHI TEA WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM:
* 2 glasses of Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea anytime during the day
* 1 Morning Cup of Ener-Chi Caf
* 1 Afternoon glass of Ener-Chi Sport

The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program consists of drinking a cup Of Ener Chi Cafe in the morning as a delicious herbal coffee substitute. To prepare, simply squirt 1-2 dropperfuls (according to taste) into a cup of hot water, add dairy or non dairy milk, and enjoy!

Ener-Chi Sport is perfect for later in the afternoon when you're in need of an energy boost. Simply squirt 1-2 dropperfuls (according to taste) into a glass or bottle of cold water, and you've got a refreshing, all-natural energy drink.

The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is completed daily by drinking two cups of delicious Chi Tea Ultimate Green Tea in hot or cold water, or added to your favorite beverage, anytime during the day.

The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is not just about losing weight -- it's about gaining health. Apart from its amazing antioxidant power, we know that supplementation with green tea can reduce the risk not only for obesity but also for heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The Chi Tea Weight Loss Program is most effective when combined with an overall wellness plan of health-giving foods and physical activity. Clearly, drinking green tea alone is not going to magically shed all of those unwanted pounds. However, combined with a sensible diet and exercise program, you will be thrilled at how quickly the pounds come off.

Are you ready for a safe weight loss program that really works ?

Some helpful suggestions include:

Make a list of the reasons you want to lose weight.
Set a goal to lose a certain number of pounds in a certain amount of time.
Strive to eat a sensible diet consisting of healthy foods,
organically grown when possible.
. Maintain a positive attitude.
Visualize the clothes that you would like to wear and the activities that you would like to do when the weight is off.
Drink 8 glasses of water daily (the teas count).
Design a daily exercise regimen that is enjoyable and convenient for you, whether it's hitting the gym, dancing with your kids, taking a long walk with your dog, or stretching and meditating with some private yoga time. If you enjoy doing it, you'll stick with it.

For more information about the Chi Tea Weight Loss Program, including helpful articles and tips on living a healthy lifestyle, visit our website and blog at www.vivaherbals.com.

Chi Tea Weight Loss Program of Chi Tea Green Tea and Ener-Chi can be purchased online at www.vivaherbals.com and in select health food stores, gyms and pharmacies

About the Author:

Renata Lorenc is a featured columnist for Vegas Buzz and has contributed articles to Independent Film Quarterly and Jewish Voice. She enjoys holistic health, yoga and has a baby son. She spends her time between New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

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If you haven't lived under a rock for the past few decades, then you surely know that Rolex stands for luxurious precision timekeeping, and you know that Timex is the premier name in inexpensive, reliable timekeeping. The vast area between the two, however, offers the widest selection of watches-in terms of function, fashion and price.

We're all creatures of habit, and if one watch has served us well for years, it's natural that we gravitate toward the same brand and design each time we purchase a new watch. If you'd
ike to adorn your wrist with a different type of watch, perhaps a Swiss-quartz or high-fashion watch, we offer you a cheat sheet below, to help you get up to speed quickly with the many offerings available today.

If you've always thought of a watch as a functional necessity, you might add a few fashionable watches to your collection of watches and bracelets. If you've always worn high-fashion watches, consider adding an elegant watch to your collection, perhaps one with a golden mesh band. Whatever your requirements for timekeeping and your sense of fashion, you'll find a watch to suit your needs.

Impress Your Colleagues Watches

In the exclusive $5000-$2,000,000 range, you'll find a variety of luxury watches with names that escape the average man or woman on the street, and you won't find any of these online. Does Vacheron Constantin or Blancpain ring a bell?

Perception is everything, and a genuine Rolex brands you a person of discerning taste. If you live in New York City, you might be surprised to learn that you can buy a Rolex from a bona fide jeweler, most likely in the 10021 zip code. Forget all the hype about Rolex watches: people buy them for one reason. They are the most recognized status symbols in watches—everyone has heard of a Rolex, and a diamond and gold Rolex remains out of most everyone's price range.

Rolex watches are the most popular, and ownership is not a requirement for popularity. It might surprise you to learn that Rolex watches are not THE most accurate. It is unlikely that they take a year to make, and their resale value is of little importance to their buyers. Ah, Madison Avenue strikes again. Still, a Rolex watch is a fine watch and an investment in time. Give me status; give me a Rolex.

Other fine high-end watches include Cartier and Omega.

Affordable Treats

If you're a mere mortal with a penchant for arriving at your destination in style at the prescribed time (perhaps your job depends upon it), your idea of a good watch probably resides in the $100-500 range, and maybe even toward the lower end of that scale. You know the names Seiko, Swiss Army, Pulsar, and Citizen—just to name a few. The brands available in this price range offer a wide selection of choices ranging from simple and elegant leather bands, to mesh and link bands. You'll find analog and digital displays, timers, calendar displays, water-resistance, etc. in this price range. In fact, this price range offers the widest variety in terms of elegance, precision time keeping, and fashion choices. You can select from a number of watches using Swiss-quartz movements in this price range.

For the Fun of it

You'll find everything from designer-of-the-moment watches to household names such as Swatch and Fossil in the below-$100 range. The Fossil collections feature casual and dress watches in a dizzying array of choices, and provide dependable service as well. Fossil offers a lot of bang for the buck—fashion, dependability, variety.

Starting at $40, Swatch offers the most in up-to-the-minute throwaway watch fashion. The company began late in the 20th century as a consortium of Swiss watchmakers and worldwide graphical designers with one goal: to resurrect the analog watch. Swatch has come a long way since those days, and one of their newer creations, the Skin Diamond watch, can set you back a cool $2000. Of course, you won't run into yourself coming and going if you sport this new status symbol. The rest of us can settle with wearing our moods on our wrists.

And, last but certainly not least—depending on your current age—this category satisfies the Abercrombie-and-Fitch, Top 40 crowd with an assortment of watches from the king of the teen designers, Tommy Hilfiger himself.

Whatever your pleasure in marking time, find it, get it, own it, wear it. Mere mortals like us can browse and purchase the watches of our choice right here—online.
About the Author M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.watches-4-u.net/, http://www.watches-4-u.net/mens-watches.htm, and http://www.watches-4-u.net/womens-watches.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.


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Lazer hair removal can help women who suffer with hirsutism which is an excess body hair problem. Lazer hair removal can help to offer a permanent hair removal solution.

We all have hair; in fact we have hair all over our bodies, but for some women excess hair otherwise known as hirsutism can be a major cause for concern. Hirsutism in women affects places such as the upper lip, chin, chest, top of the shoulders, and the lower abdomen and many women worry about this.

Lazer hair removal for women can help to combat this probl
m and this is why the laser hair removal treatment has become so popular. Lazer hair removal is a permanent body hair removal solution and can be carried out all over the body.

Lazer hair removal clinics specialize in permanent body hair removal and laser hair removal in New York is probably the most famous due to the number of clinics available and the high publicity these clinics have received. The laser hair removal treatments in New York boast having the most expensive Doctors and specialists and the average cost of laser hair removal is approximately $500 a treatment.

Women who suffer from hirsutism have very sensitive skin and the problem with this is that the skin reacts to the testosterone in the body and cause more body hair to develop. The reason for this sensitivity may be hereditary but sometimes it can be related to polycystic ovaries which will cause the production of excess body hair. If your skin is sensitive to testosterone there is no cure but it is worth knowing that there is a permanent body hair removal solution instead and this is lazer hair removal. Lazer hair removal works by using lasers to heat the hair follicles rendering them inactive and causing permanent body hair removal. Lazer hair removal is quicker and a lot less painful than electrolysis and a greater are can be covered in one treatment.

If you are a women suffering from excess body hair then maybe you should look into lazer hair removal.

About the Author Find more about Laser Removal on http://www.LeanderNet.com/Laser_removal/Laser_hair_removal.php . More useful content on LeanderNet - http://www.LeanderNet.com

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Learn how to use your mind to create anything you desire. Follow these simple steps and make the changes you want.

Every person on planet Earth desires change at one point or another in their lives. Whether that change is a long cherished Personal Development goal or a small Self Improvement desire, we all want change sometimes. It does not matter how huge the task may seem, all change is possible and you can improve your life with the right tools, knowledge and action steps.

However, before any change can occur in the
outer material world of form, there must take place inner change in the world of thoughts and feelings.

The first step to creating a better life is to know what you want. You must be clear on your intent. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have and your thoughts are the most powerful force for change that you will ever encounter in your own life. By getting clear on your intentions you will immediately set in motion the necessary energy needed to accomplish the change you desire.

Through your mind you can formulate new positive thoughts that are in alignment with your wishes. These thoughts will regulate your actions, reactions and ultimately your results. You should not underestimate the power that your thoughts and emotions play in creating the changes you desire. Get clear now on what you want to achieve and form a mental picture of having already achieved it. Dwell on that picture at different times throughout your day and recall the positive emotions assosiated with it.

Next you must cultivate the belief that you are capable of making these changes. Many times people will set goals and even formulate plans to attain their desires but they are unwilling to release their own self-doubt. As strange as it may sound holding on to false beliefs of inadequacy or the thoughts that certain things are impossible gives many of us a sense of safety. You must begin to challenge your own self-doubt and build your self-belief. If life has taught humanity anything it is that whatever Man can imagine in his mind, and take action to achieve, he can create in the world. You were born with the same basic mental equipment as everyone else and what one person can overcome to reach their goals another can overcome also.

Do something everyday that will move you closer to your goal. No matter how small the action may be, do something. The Chinese say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you take small steps everyday you will eventually walk a thousand miles! Taking small action steps everyday will just as surely mean you eventually reach your goal! Take these small action steps in the knowledge that, regardless of how small or insignificant they may now seem, they are moving you in the direction of your desire.

Begin to act as though you were already in possession of your goal - "fake it till you make it", is a saying that springs to mind. This means if your goal is to create better relationships start to plan how you will spend your time together. This forces the mind to visualize the scenario which gives added power to your creation efforts. Leave space in your bedroom for your future partner's belongings or park your car so there is enough room for your partner's vehicle - or anything that is meaningful to you and sends out the message that you are making room for your partner to appear! If your goal is a financial one mentally begin to spend your money and see your bank account grow. A word of caution though - do not spend money you do not have! Spend it mentally, in your mind's eye.

Prepare for your new found fortune. Build the plans for your changed life in your mind first. Then the material manifestation will follow!

Do things differently. The famous quote "If you always do what you've always done then you will always get what you've always gotten", sums this up. There is a Chinese proverb that describes insanity which encapsulates the very idea that I am now presenting to you. The Chinese definition of insanity is as follows; Doing the same things in the same way and expecting a different result! Be prepared and willing to change yourself before you see changes in your world.

Reward yourself for your successes. If you acknowledge even the smallest gain you make you will be building up your self esteem and reinforceing your confidence. Never berate yourself! Use your mistakes as learning experiences. There is no such thing as failure only giving up. When E\dison failed 9,999 times in his attempts to create the electric light-bulb he did not give up. When quized about his failures he said, "I have not failed, I have just found 9,999 ways that don't work!". By uses your mistakes as learning experiences and viewing them as merely gained knowledge you will increase your understanding and know what does not work. Sooner or later you will find a way that does work and your success will follow.

Use the experiences of others to your advantage. There is no point trying to do things in a way that has not succeeded for anyone else. Look closely at those people who already have what you want and try to ascertain how they got to where they are from where they started. You do not need to go through countless trial and error exercises to reach your goal if someone else has already found a way that would work perfectly for you.

However, be prepared for set-backs. Obstacles seem to be a natural part of growth in life and are needed to help cultivate better understanding and appreciation for life and what it has to offer. If everything came to you effortlessly would you enjoy the triumph of success as much as you would if you had overcome some obstacles along the way?

Be open to opportunities and allow life to show you the way. By remaining flexible in your approach to your goal-attainment you leave your path open to allow for unexpected windfalls of good fortune.

Strive to remove as much of your negative mental programming as you can. Your unconscious thoughts have a greater effect on your life than you currently realize and should be eliminated at their root. This clears your mental processes and ensures when you have a thought it is not battling with opposing thoughts and feelings. A focused thought is powerful enough to create any change and to create it quickly.

Start right now to form a picture in your mind's eye of how you want your life to be. Visualize your desired outcome as though it were already a part of your life. Feel the joyous positive emotions that this vision evokes. Everyday take some action that will lead you closer to your goal. Eliminate the negative unconscious thoughts that are in direct conflict with your desires to ensure your thoughts are strong and powerful. Follow my advice and within a year you will be astounded at the progress you have made.

About the Author Free reviews of the best personal development products we tested at Personal Development. Find out what really works! Self improvement products put to the test and then reviewed for free at Self Improvement. We find out what works so you don't have to!

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Why Create Your Own Business?

The attractiveness of creating an independent business and the motivating forces for doing so should be positive, but why you may ask is it so attractive to start your own business?

Not wanting to dwell on myself, I must in fairness must give you an indication of where "I am coming from" and why I feel so keenly about helping people who are looking at the prospects for going into business on their own account.

I trained as an engineer and worked initially in Research &a
p; Development. Gradually realising that there was a lot more to business I acquired additional skills through reading, courses and seminars and progressively gained experience working through line management in Customer Services, Sales and Commercial Departments steadily progressing up the Corporate Ladder.

Ultimately as a Company Chairman/CEO I led a Management Buy Out and left a number of companies in a far better condition than I found them. Learned a lot on the way.

At this stage I realised that life could be better if I went into business on my own account using my skills and experience.

1990 saw the founding of my own Business Consultancy Practice, helping individuals and business owners to achieve their goals. My life got better.

More job satisfaction through meeting and helping others of a like mind, more money and more control over my life and time.

Many others from a corporate background have also proved that the opportunities for ambitious individuals to independently succeed are now better than ever. The statistics also confirm it.

External conditions have changed so dramatically in the last 20 years that a new entrepreneurial age has dawned. Now is surely the time to work in your own business!

Why a new entrepreneurial age? Corporate Institutions have to go Global to compete and survive in the 'Global Economy' There has been and continues to be massive change affecting us all. Have you heard the phrase "the only constant is change"?

At the same time while the development of computers and the internet have been helping to fuel globalisation, the computer and the internet have also been creating opportunities for individuals worldwide to succeed in their own businesses.

Let your imagination work for you. You can now found your own business from your desktop computer that will have Global Reach. When I founded my consultant practice by and large I was restricted geographically. That no longer is the case because principles and practices used in consulting can be communicated world-wide. Just like this article.

If you are enthusiastic about the prospects for working in your own business you will inevitably start to explore all avenues and realise that the possibilities are limitless. This I is why I am so keen on helping others by passing on some of my relevant experiences learned in my own business life.

Your use the of internet and the www for seeking information already marks you out as being in the vanguard of the new entrepreneurial age because simply you realise what may be possible from using your computer, the internet and www in your own business.

It is a simple but often unrecognised fact that because we have certain knowledge we assume that others possess the same knowledge. As a result we tend to underestimate the value of our experiences and knowledge. Making such an assumption is a mistake because most of us have some unique experience or interest that is exclusive to us as individuals.

These skills and experience can come from craft, trade, hobby, vocation, profession or some special interest. What could be better to help start you in your own business. Do not dismiss any of your accumulated knowledge.

More on this in later articles but for the present turn it round and see that it creates a business opportunity - for you.

We live in dramatic and exciting times let's make the most of them in our respective business and personal lives.

Tip

Be sure to enjoy what you do in your business life. Liking to do something is the first step to doing it well. If you do it well your name will be recommended and your business will grow.

About the Author Michael Harrison is an author, publisher and business consultant specialising in helping business owners and individuals to realise and release the full potential of their situation. He has helped many people to improve their business situations and advised and supported individuals to embark on new directions in their careers.

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Are you looking to achieve your optimum nutrition? You're not alone. There are plenty of people out there who know they are not offering their body optimum nutrition, but are also not completely sure what they need to be eating and doing to do it correctly.

Luckily, it's not as hard as it may seem at first glance.

First, let's understand what optimum nutrition is. This is when your body is getting enough calories and nutrition through your food to do everything you need to do without holding on to any extra fat that w
ll end up adding to your weight loss struggle. It's all about finding the perfect balance.

A healthy diet is one part of your optimum nutrition goal. You should make sure to eat a proper diet that is high in fiber and low in fat. You also want to make sure you have enough vegetables, fruits and protein to keep your body happy and healthy. Protein is the building block of muscle, so as you start exercising, you will need to make sure you are eating enough protein to keep those muscles strong.

The next portion of this equation is exercise. Your body must move. It needs a reason to be taking in those nutritious meals. The more exercise you get the more calories you will burn meaning your body will be using up the food you are eating and not have a lot left over to store as fat.

It is vital that you set yourself on a regular exercise schedule to keep your body in the habit of getting a workout and knowing that it's ok to burn those calories so you can enjoy optimum nutrition.

If you really want to see results more quickly, you can combine these two features of optimum nutrition with other health and weight loss programs that will speed up the process of seeing progress.

No matter how you decide to alter your lifestyle in terms of nutrition and exercise, be certain to get detox your system regularly and to get consistent exercise. Without the proper nutrition, exercise, and detoxification regimen, you may be halting your weight loss efforts before they even begin

If you're looking for a good program to help you lose 10-15 pounds in a short amount of time, I'd highly recommend checking out: Burn Fat Quickly

Aubrey Johnson is an Ezine expert author in the fields of nutrition and healthy living and has over 1,000,000 published article views

P.S. If you are looking for an overnight weight loss solution, check out this BRAND NEW product which allows you to Lose Inches from your troublesome fatty areas in just 1 hour

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As a natural healer working with those who suffer from Hidradenitis Suppurativa and other disease on a daily basis, not only do I have the pleasure of hearing success stories but the most common phrase used by ill people is Why Me? Accompanied by what did I do to deserve being afflicted by painful lesions on my body? They also ask what they have done that was so bad to be punished in such a torturous manner by God?

First and foremost the Higher Power does not punish us with disease however He does give us free will to
choose our style of living, the drugs we ingest as well as the foods that we eat and when we can realize this and take responsibility for our illness only then can we begin making changes and enter the healing process.

When the "Why Me" question is asked from seemingly helpless and hopeless sufferers of disease my response to them is "Why Not You"? What have you done to deserve health? Never the less this very question is not often well received by the diseased inflicted sufferer and their thoughts often oscillate in the direction that I dare say they are deliberately hurting themselves or causing their ill state on purpose. Sadly the truth of the matter is not many sufferers can come up with any good reasons why they should be healthy and free of disease and excuses are rather plentiful. However the common denominator in the whole scenario is caused by lack of knowledge and lack of responsibility of the diseased person and no one likes to hear the truth if it be told, not even I, especially if the truth hurts! However it is most important that if a diseased person wants to heal of their disease that they come face to face with what is causing the illness and the truth of the matter is what you put in your body is what you are going to get out of it!

"Why Me"? Why Not you? Why not start right now as the thinker and examine ways that you could improve upon your health. The body is a beautifully orchestrated network of cells, organs, veins, muscles and skeleton and is constantly trying to stay in tune and you can not constantly laden it with garbage such as refined sugars, processed nutrient deprived foods, artificial colors and additives, alcohol, soda, coffee as well as chemical drugs either prescription or over the counter and expect the body to run efficiently and effectively. Soon the body is overcome with the amount of garbage being put in and organs become sluggish and the immune system weakens from toxic overload. Your body is not a "Garbage Landfill Mine" you cannot just dump in it huge amounts of garbage everyday and cover it up with dirt and expect everything to be ok! And if you think it is ok to do so you are seriously fooling yourself, however you will not fool the body, not for long, and you will surrender yourself to disease.

So what can we do to start the healing process? Here is some simple advice to follow that I, as a natural healer, tell my clients as I sit back and watch their miraculously healings occur.

Stop complaining and asking "Why Me"? It is not going to heal your disease my friends, however when you ask yourself the question "Why Not Me"? What have I been doing to deserve good health? It is then and only then that we can assume responsibility and take action and we do this by learning what the body needs and wants to be healthy and thus accommodate it. The day I looked in the mirror and pointed my finger at myself and said "I am feeding my disease" and I, because of my unhealthy habits, am the reason that I am ill, is the day I started to heal from Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Start eating the proper foods that nourish the body and feed cells. Feeding your body garbage foods only weakens the immune system and organ function. Your body is not a Garbage Dump that is equipped to handle large amounts of dumping on an every day basis. When you put garbage in that the body cannot process and utilize for good health you thus become a human fermenting garbage dump. Have you ever been close to a garbage landfill mine? If so you know that smell of fermenting rotting garbage and that is what your colon looks and smells like. Do you see the scavengers feeding from the rubbish such as rats and scavenger birds? We have the same type of scavengers such as parasites that will feed off of you to live because you are such a good host and are feeding them what they want. Stop Feeding Your disease!

Stop putting chemical drugs into your body. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary relief of symptoms, they do not cure disease because they do not address the root of the problem, and they create other problems in the body. Unless you live in a box, it should be common knowledge to you that no pharmaceutical drug has ever cured a disease and were never made to be taken for long periods of time but were made to relieve symptoms until the patient made the changes necessary to be healthy. Doctors are well aware of this and so should you be. Do not depend on drugs to cover symptoms of the disease until one day you die of the disease. Start using God Given Nutrients that are proven effective to actually nourish the cells, correct organ function, and heal the disease.

And last but not least never assume, just because the Medical Profession tells you, that there is no known cure for your disease that there is none. Many others and I are living proof that Hidradenitis Suppurativa, which is claimed an orphan disease with no known cause and no known cure in fact can be cured! Learn all you can about your disease, talk to and get help from others who have healed from your particular disease, and turn the "Why Me" into "Why Not Me". Why can't I be healed from my disease as well? And then you shall find the truth, take responsibility upon yourself to make the proper changes needed, and be set free from your disease.

Much Love And Healing To All

Barbara Collins
http://www.truenaturalweightloss.com
ฉ Copyright 2005, all rights reserved worldwide

About the Author Owner of True Natural Weight Loss and Author of "A Naturally Slim Reflection" and "Natural Slim Recipes". Educates on using whole natural foods for weight loss,healing of Hidradenitis Suppurativa and other chronic health conditions.

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If you're planning on hosting a few parties this summer, then a barbeque could be a great way to feed the masses. By avoiding a few common problems, you can have great food from your barbeque.

Although Weber barbeques are often seen as being the top of the tree when it comes to cooking outdoors, a great BBQ doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to cook well on it. It's important that you take some steps to ensure that you produce tasty and safe food.

Firstly, let's look at some of the hygiene elem
nts. One thing to note is that cooking on the BBQ is often done by people who wouldn't normally be cooking.

There's something about the thrill of being outdoors that seems to encourage all of us to have a bit of a go at preparing food.

If you're an amateur enthusiast then you need to be aware of the dangers involved in storing, preparing and cooking food incorrectly.

A golden rule that you should follow is that raw and cooked meats should be kept well apart. If you're handling meats then don't forget to wash your hands. Good hygiene is vital.

It's also vital that you cook food properly. This means that meats, for example, need to be cooked right the way through.

A blackened outside certainly doesn't mean that the food is safe to eat - the inside could still be raw.

Some people would use a thermometer to check the interior temperature of the meat. If you don't have one available then be sure that your BBQ has a high enough temperature and that the heat distribution is as even as possible.

Keep a regular eye on the food that you are cooking and try to avoid too much alcohol during the cooking process, both for your safety and that of your guests.

About the Author Find out more about Weber barbeques by reading further articles by Keith Barrett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.

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