Monday, April 5, 2010

The Best Diet Plan Mistakes You Can Avoid in Your Next Diet

With regards to going on a diet there are numerous blunders which might be made on a everyday basis. Although there are several actual unique flaws which accompany your territory there are many which appear to have got much more serious as well as long lasting ramifications compared to others. Ideally through studying these types of errors you are able to learn how to prevent all of them in your weight reduction pursuits.

Probably the sole greatest blunder which dieters carry out is implementing an all or absolutely nothing mindset. Those are the people who search the kitchen and also the fridge eliminating everything that may be viewed as a possible supply of enticement. These people start a diet program that's almost out of the question to keep up and believe almost all is lost as soon as they veer from the particular rigid rules of the diet plan.

Although this might work with a few for a while, this sets these people up for failing, aggravation, and being angry toward this complete going on a diet system. The main thing with regards to a diet may be the objective. Your ultimate goal would be to reduce weight. There are lots of methods by which this can be achieved that don't demand depriving oneself or perhaps penalizing oneself along the way.

An additional great blunder in terms of dieting is choosing the diet regime wherever you consume exactly the same thing every single day. In spite of the human requirement for structure as well as regimen we all usually take pleasure in altering the lunch time program at certain times. Choose the diet plan or brand new healthy eating plan which enables you to appreciate a multitude of meals instead of one which limits one to exactly the same food or dinner choice every day.

Some other typical blunders consist of depriving oneself of all things you love. Something that people frequently overlook may be the need for small amounts. Fill up in portions of fruit and veggies however permit one to relish the periodic indulgence with regard to peace of mind. Very seriously, don't forget to appreciate meals with regard to going on a diet. There's nothing wrong or perhaps sinful regarding taking pleasure in foods. The issue is situated whenever you get pleasure from just the wrong types of food items.

Learn how to get over these problems and go forward from them. Allow your own failures educate you on just as much as your own achievements and you ought to be on the right path to the much healthier individual you know is hiding within. Regardless of whether you would like to eliminate ten pounds or one hundred pounds the only method to attain this objective and cause it to last is as simple as dedicating oneself towards the technique of turning into a much healthier individual. A normal functioning person has healthful eating style and does not deprive him or herself. Neither can a normal individual overeat on stuff that is not healthful. Learn how to take pleasure in meals moderately and you ought to be well on your own towards the good results you search for.
Source: EzineArticles.com

5 Keys to Setting Healthy Boundaries

1. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't

If you are doing something that doesn't feel good to you in order to please someone else, you are probably struggling with boundary issues. For example, if you work sixty hours a week to please your boss but deep down inside you'd rather spend more time with your kids, you are allowing another person's priorities to supersede your own.

When making any decision, if you feel anger, resentment, intimidation or an intense feeling of dread, this is sign that you are going against something inside of you that says this is not okay with me, but I'm going ahead with it anyway. Learn to trust your inner guidance. If something doesn't feel right it's time to reassess the situation and make a different choice.

2. Keep your own counsel

No matter how close you are to another person, no one knows what is in your best interests better than you. If you are in the habit of allowing other people to make decisions for you, you are giving away your power and relinquishing your freedom to choose.

Although it might seem easier in the short run to abdicate your right to make decisions on your own behalf, especially if you live with someone who is controlling or highly opinionated, you are hurting yourself in the long run. Don't allow other people to decide what is best for you in any area of your life. Keep your own counsel and take responsibility for your life choices.

3. Get into the habit of saying "no" often

One of the biggest reasons we women are remiss in setting clear, firm boundaries is our inability to say no. Because we have been taught to be nice to others and not intentionally rock the boat, we often say yes when we really want to say no. Saying yes to a request when everything inside of you is screaming the word "no" wreaks havoc on your self-esteem and silently crushes your soul. Being amenable to every request that comes your way might benefit the people around you; however, if a battle is raging within your mind because you aren't speaking your truth, you are doing yourself a great disservice.

4. Know what you stand for

I once heard a country music song by Aaron Tippin that says, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything." You must be clear on what is acceptable and unacceptable to you in order to have healthy boundaries. When I was in my twenties, I would occasionally date someone who drank excessively. This is a boundary issue for me. As soon as it became apparent, I politely ended the relationship.

If you don't what is important to you it is impossible to set clear boundaries. Subsequently, you are likely to be taken advantage of on more than one occasion. Power hungry people thrive on controlling other people's behavior. Without clear boundaries you are easy prey.

5. Be consistent with your actions

Once you are clear on what your boundaries are, being consistent with your actions is the next order of business. It doesn't matter if you've taken the time to get clear on what is important to you if your resolve is weak.

If you tell your ten-year-old daughter that she is not allowed to watch PG-13 movies, you have set a clear boundary. Later, if you make an exception to that rule for any reason, you are confusing your child and being inconsistent with your actions. Boundaries are boundaries. Set them and keep them. The clearer you are the clearer your results will be.

Kathleen Bren is dedicated to helping women transform their lives from the inside out. If you are ready to Change Your Story and Heal Your Life, Kathleen provides the tools, guidance and inspiration necessary to help you live the life your soul intended.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Monday, March 29, 2010

Fountains of Prague

As in many of the older and more historic parts of Europe, the water fountains that were built were originally used as the main source of drinking as well as bathing. People would come to fill their buckets and take water to their homes or consume the water on the spot.

In the Czech Republic's city of Prague, water fountains of all types stood in every possible open space. While the fountains used to be the main source of drinking water, they have since become decorative sculptures. While some fountains were simple wooden-framed reservoirs others were ornately decorated. Still others were statues and delicately carved sculptures of classical, biblical and natural themes.

Author Ignát Hermann wrote that once upon a time there existed more than 400 usable fountains in Prague during the 19th century. As time went on, there became fewer fountains - even less for drinking. Currently most fountains are seen mainly in recreational or tourist areas. The following are some of the more popular water fountains that you will still find fully functioning within the city of Prague.

Water Features at Prague Castle

Fountains have always been popular features at the homes and castles of nobility. Prague Castle is no different. There are four water fixtures featured at this popular tourist attraction.
The first is Kohl Fountain, also known as Lion Fountain, located in the second courtyard of Prague Castle. Built in 1686, Kohl fountain is one of the oldest in Prague. This fountain was a significant part of the castle's water and fire systems. Being one of the largest castle water reservoirs, one of its main purposes was to extinguish fires.

The third courtyard of Prague Castle is home to the Eagle Fountain of 1661. This small Baroque fountain is located next to the Gothic gate which leads to a small yard below. Another water fountain located in the third courtyard of Prague Castle is the Fountain with the figure of St. George. The statue of St. George once decorated a fountain based on Plečnik's design in 1928. However, the statue was dismantled and installed in Jiřské Square in the 1990s.

The Singing Fountain at Belvedér is one of the most magnificent fountains of the Renaissance. It is located at the Summerhouse of Queen Ann in the Královská (or Royal) Garden of Prague Castle. The fountain was cast by Master Jaros in 1562-68 after a drawing and wax model by Italian painter Francesco Terzio of Bergamo. The wooden mould was cut by Hanus Peysser. The fountain, made of bronze blended with bell metal, is ornately decorated with hunting themes. If you squat down below the level of the fountain basin you can enjoy the "singing" water jets. These jets produce a lyrical, rhythmical sound by the water dropping on a resonating bronze plate.

The last water feature at Prague Castle is not a fountain but a well located in the second courtyard. This well has an octagonal basin and a wrought-iron superstructure. The creator of this well is unknown. The iron grille is topped with a metal rose. It is located right next to the Kohl Fountain.

Other Famous Fountains in Prague

Aside from Prague Castle there are a few other famous fountains scattered throughout the city. In Old Town there is the fountain located in the center of Malé Square. This is the very oldest fountain in Prague and it is protected by a hand-wrought Renaissance grille from 1560. This piece of history has been updated through the centuries with mechanical pumps and stone socles added to ensure proper water flow. Artistically the angelic décor of this fountain make it a true masterpiece.

In New Town there is an 1890 fountain located below the National Museum ramp, which is embellished with a sculpted group called Tschechia. Tschechia is an allegory of the Czech rivers by Antonín Wagner. The fountain basins are made of Hradec Králové sandstone, red Skandinavian granite and yellow Untersberg marble. The bronze lion's head waterspout makes this fountain quite an attraction.

Located in Kinských Square is a fountain called "The Trapdoor of Time." It is a newer fountain erected in 2002. The two granite slabs (made from a cracked rock) symbolizes the trapdoor of time that "devours all deeds of man." This fountain has 64 nozzles, 24 of which have a special bubbling feature that creates a unique water stream. 40 lights are used to illuminate the fountain at night. The jets in the central quarry-faced granite crack shoots water eight meters high.

There are still several other water fountains located throughout the city that hold their own special historical significance. Some fountains are still working but most are not. If touring the fountains of Prague is something that has piqued your interest, any travel guide can help direct you toward these amazing water fountain antiquities.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Joy Toys

The oldest and most prolific of the Australian soft toy manufacturers, Joy Toys is known for its quality. Highly sought - after by collectors, Joy Toys teddy bears command high prices on the Australian market.

Early Days - 1920s

The teddy bear industry began in Australia in South Yarra, Melbourne. Joy Toys commenced business in the early 1920s, as teddies became popular, and as WW1 meant a ban on teddies being imported from Germany, and disrupted shipments from Britain. Established by George Kirby and his wife, the company flourished.

The earliest bears produces were fully jointed, from fine quality English mohair, stuffed with wood wool, and had twill pads with four foot claws. Eyes were glass, of the best quality. As German bears had been the predominant imports, these early Joy Toys bears resembled German bears.

1930s-40s

The company continued its success, with the bears becoming distinctly Australian in appearance, but with British characteristics. Necks became immobile, and arm pads were tapered and made of cotton, including twill. The distinctive Joy Toys nose appeared, in which an outer stitch on each side was extended up, and with a "Y" shaped mouth. Kapok (soft, silky fibre from the seed pod of a tropical tree) was used as the stuffing. Often the eyes are missing from these early bears, which appears to have been a fault in the production.

In 1935 Joy Toys acquired the licencing rights to produce Walt Disney character toys and this helped the company to grow. Mickey Mouse was a popular toy, with pie-crust eyes, and similar to the original rat-like "Steamboat Willy".

In 1946 the British firm of Tri-ang took over the Joy Toys Ltd firm in Whangerie, N.Z. Tri-ang was originally founded by the Lines Brothers in 1850, and which also owned Pedigree.

Dolls were produced, often of felt with buckram (cloth mask) painted faces. Good examples still exist though they are a favourite with moths and so some damage is usually present!

1950s-60s

Joy Toys teddies of this period often display a distinctive smile! Happy bears are appealing and sell well! In the 1950s they had jointed (though stumpier) arms and legs, made from mohair/synthetic plush, velveteen or, later in the 60s, synthetic plush. Paw pads were often from a similar fabric, sometimes reversed. Crumbed rubber was also used for stuffing during this period, which deteriorated over time and so many of these bears have an unfortunate lumpiness!

During the 1960s, with the introduction of machine washable synthetic materials, the company developed a distictive unjointed teddy, with outstretched arms and straight legs. Pads were of a similar fabric. The same sweet smiling face, glass eyes and embroidered nose and mouth, could be seen in a range of animals that were also produced, such as pandas and dogs. Stuffing was plastic foam moulded into the shape of the body.

Golliwogs were made at this time, with smiling vinyl faces, short fuzzy black hair, cloth bodies and jacket "tails". These toys are highly sought-after.

Another distinctive toy of the 60s and early 70s was the long-legged range. These included golly wogs and poodles. Each "stood" three feet tall with long dangly arms and legs. Stuffed with foam, gollies had flat cotton faces, whereas poodles had shaped faces, curly "hair' and a tail.

In 1966 Lines Bros (Tri-ang) took over the company, though it continued to operate under the Joy Toys name.

1960s-70s

Teddies produced in the early 1970s were of the unjointed shape. Produced from synthetic materials, they still generally had the beautiful glass eyes that Joy Toys was renowned for.

A vast range of soft toy animals also continued to be manufactured at this time, including giraffes in various sizes, dogs and cats. Giraffes, as they had been since the 1950s, were made from artificial silk plushes, giving them a lovely satiny sheen.

In the late 1960s, and into the early 1970s, tariffs were removed by the Australian government on imported toys. Consequently, the market was flooded with cheap imports from Asia. This made it impossible for Joy Toys to compete successfully. After attempting to stay in business with a range of cheaper quality toys, it closed in 1976.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Thursday, March 25, 2010

BioCare - Vitamin E and Skin Care

For many years now BioCare products have been considered to be the finest in top quality vitamins and minerals. When it comes to new innovative products, manufacturing processes, and exciting beneficial ingredients, they have been the first in the United Kingdom, and perhaps even in the world to introduce many of them. Much research goes into each and every ingredient insuring the public will be safe from harm and supplied with all of the essential ingredients required to add to their daily diet. BioCare vitamins include a wide range of excellent quality products and their ingredients are guaranteed fresh, in a readily available form, and made from the purest of raw materials.

Skin care is vital to good health

We must take care of our skin as it is the largest organ of the human body and many times when there are problems within our body they will manifest themselves as skin problems such as rashes and discolouration. This is why proper intake of vitamin E is so vital to our daily diet and we can get that through BioCare vitamins taken on a daily basis.

Balanced diet is a key to good health

As a valuable antioxidant, Vitamin E is essential to skin growth and renewal and there is additional evidence that it assists in cardiovascular health and hormonal regulation.

Most of us realize how important it is to have a balanced diet but all too often it can prove to be difficult if not impossible to eat what we should. Busy schedules and traveling about cause us to grab whatever we can for meals. But our bodies require more than just a quick high calorie snack to maintain proper health and this is where BioCare supplements can prove to be quite beneficial.

We've learned it young but tend to forget

We have been taught while in grade school about the benefits of proper diet and that we need to eat quality foods from the major food groups. BioCare products restore those much needed healthy ingredients by adding BioCare supplements and vitamins to our daily diet.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Cosmetic Dentistry - Change the Way Your Teeth Appear

If you've got a toothache or mouth pain, you're going to be focusing on getting that resolved as soon as you can. But sometimes, no matter the expertise of the dentist, your tooth may look different after the procedure. Cosmetic dentistry provides you with the opportunity to resolve the way your teeth appear, whether it's due to a dead nerve making the tooth look grey, stains on your teeth or just the color you were born with. Cosmetic dentists can move teeth, extract teeth, whiten them and change their shape, which will change the appearance of your smile dramatically.

It used to be that everyone would notice if you'd had a filling. While many of us may not have gold teeth, we probably have the odd tooth filled with silver colored amalgam or other materials. Alternatively, you can now fill these with porcelain or an alternative that matches the color of your teeth, looking seamless when you smile or laugh. You can replace existing fillings with this to give your mouth a fresh new look.

Cosmetic dentistry is all about keeping the look of your teeth as natural and healthy as possible. They often can use materials that are also more durable, giving you longer and better use of any damaged teeth. Lasers are also used to help whiten teeth, bleaching them with high levels of light. This can make you look younger and remove staining caused by dieting, smoking, caffeine or red wine.

You can also have teeth that were previously thought of as un-saveable, composite bonded and rebuilt within your mouth, providing a strong structure that will feel like new. It will feel like you have your tooth back again - without the pain! If your tooth is chipped, split or badly discolored, a solution is to use a dental veneer that is bonded to the tooth. These can also be used to reduce gaps between teeth.

Maybe you've lost a tooth, instead of having a gap, you can use a dental implant that is an artificial tooth. This can make you look younger, and feel more confident.

If you think you need a lot of work, you may need a full mouth makeover. This process involves various procedures, where a range of different cosmetic dentistry skills are employed to change the whole shape of your smile. Don't let yourself get all stressed about the appearance of your teeth, contact your dentist today to discuss cosmetic dentistry.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Governing the Planet

"I believe that national sovereignty will shrink in the face of universal interdependence." ~ Explorer, diver and conservationist, Jacques Cousteau

Imagine a roadway through an ancient village, with houses on either side - a few big houses, owned by the rich, as well as modest middle-class homes. One day, after renovating his house, one of the rich residents throws his old unwanted furniture and out on the side of the road. Poor people take away some of the furniture, but some of it remains.

Soon after, one of the more modest neighbors has some old stuff that he leaves on the street, too. Soon other neighbors on the road are putting their old stuff out, too. Poor people come and take some of it, but before long the street is becoming clogged with junk. It's hard to even walk down the road. People trying to use the road are upset. Some blame the first rich person who started it all. Others blame the neighbors who put out more stuff and actually blocked the road.

Can the residents resolve this crisis on their own? Or does it require the intervention of a higher authority? Local governments were set up as social mechanisms purely because certain decisions affecting a set of citizens cannot be left to the citizens themselves; people must cede power to a higher authority to lay down the rules and enforce them. This has been the principle behind all forms of governments.

Let's zoom forward to the 21st century and air quality. We have the USA trying to take the lead in arriving at a global consensus. However, the US Congress is unlikely to pass a Carbon-Cap bill until 2010, if at all. India has agreed to keep the per capita emissions below that of the developed nations, while China has agreed to cut emissions per unit of GDP. These concessions are inadequate since the planet may not be able to accommodate China and India reaching even 50% of the US per capita emission levels.

Amid the political posturing and wrangling, greenhouse gases continue to block the earth's atmosphere at unprecedented levels, compromising our future generations. Can the current approach - leaving the future of the earth to independent sovereign states - produce quick and decisive action? Apparently not: at the Pittsburgh summit, the G20 nations dropped the December climate control deadline. This lack of urgency is troubling, and dangerous.

Just as humanity invented governments and governance at a tribal village level, expanding to larger states and finally to nation states, is it not time that we looked at world government to tackle specific issues? In line with principle of Subsidiarity, decision-making needs to happen at the lowest appropriate level. But decisions that impact the world as a whole need to be ceded up to the world government - matters like environment, global financial regulations and global peace. What form will these global governments take? Will we need to create new institutions by function or as a broad based body that handles all common issues?

What kind of legislative and enforcement powers will be effective? These questions, and more, must be answered - the sooner the better - if we want a sustainable planet. I look forward to your continued engagement and participation to create the burning platform for action.
Source: EzineArticles.com