July 24, 2008

Birthday Gift Ideas

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 10:16 am

Birthday celebrations date back as far as biblical times, when celebrations among Pharaohs and other significant individuals have been mentioned. There is even some evidence to suggest that in pagan cultures people feared that evil spirits lurked about an individual on their birthday because they tended to become more malicious around important events in one’s life. In this case birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and actual births were all noted for their importance and their potential for harm. Because of this, gifts were often bestowed upon the celebrant as a means of wishing them well and offering good luck.

Though in times of old traditionally only kings and high ranking nobility had elaborate birthday celebrations, in modern times it is common for celebrations to be thrown for just about anyone. Many people spend a good deal of time pondering about birthday gift ideas, as well wishers still honor the celebrant with gifts on their birthday.

Coming up with birthday gift ideas each year might be challenging for the newbie, but it shouldn’t be. When you take into consideration an individual’s lifestyle, personality and hobbies, birthday gift ideas should abound.

For example, does the individual with an upcoming birthday enjoy sports? Perhaps they are a book worm. Maybe even a little bit of a diva, looking for some pampering type gifts. Regardless of the individual whose birthday is upcoming, you are bound to come up with many birthday gift ideas if you ponder on the person of honor for just a few moments.

In some cultures, it is not uncommon to forgo birthday celebrations until a child is old enough to understand the significance and welcomed as an adult member of the community. These celebrations are more similar to coming of age initiations that are practiced in many religions, such as the Jewish tradition of a Bar Mitzvah.

Birthday gift ideas might focus upon the significance of the age an individual is turning. For example in Latino cultures a girl’s 15th birthday is a significant event, marking a young girl’s transformation into womanhood. Gifts recognizing her achievement and maturity would be appropriate to offer in this situation.

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank. Find more Birthday Gift Ideas and if you want regular reminders on gift-giving sign up for her free monthly newsletter

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July 23, 2008

Go for a new house with bkr loans, 388265 euro in 24 hours

Filed under: Cash Flow + Credit, Finance Web, Loans Center — admin @ 10:38 am

Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 10 percent. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Translated in Dutch it means: Woon je in Wierden of Roermond en hebt u BKR’ Lenen met zonder BKR is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Koop een andere woning met geld lenen met bkr notering, 131671 euro is gewoon mogelijk om te lenen. Van Gaasterln-Sleat tot Middelburg, financieren met een BKR notering is hier geen enkel probleem.

Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 11 percent offered by competitors will change.

Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 8 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Although most mortgage experts say that rates 9 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 11 percentage. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Different lenders charge different fees. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 11 percent. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 8 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 4 percent. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. See which lenders are charging fees 10 percent and for how much. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown.

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July 22, 2008

Why Should I Believe You?

Filed under: Great Travel Tips — admin @ 2:06 pm

Why should I believe you??

A question that everyone that visits your web page will be asking themselves about you. The internet is a very big place and as we all know there are millions of sites out there.

So it’s vital YOU give YOUR potential customer a good “reason to believe” YOUR product will deliver EXACTLY what it says it’s going to.

This reason to believe could be that you’re already an expert in your chosen field or that you have published a book or held a teleclass or real life class on the subject.

Or it could be that YOUR product is proven to have delivered by getting testimonials or it been tested and out performed the competition.

But above all it’s vital that you give them some GUARANTEE that if YOUR product doesn’t deliver then they AT LEAST get 100% refund.

Take a look at all the big players in the internet and you will see virtually ALL of them will offer at the very least 100% money back and have 2,3,4 or more testimonials from satisfied customers.

ALL this is “REASON TO BELIEVE” that they will deliver what they promise. If they are doing it…shouldnt YOU???

About The Author

Want To Discover The Secrets To Grow Your Business Dramtically?

www.smartmarketingconsultants.co.uk

Mark@smartmarketingconsultants.co.uk

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July 12, 2008

Over Regulation Got You Down?

Filed under: Better Business — admin @ 2:47 am

Businesses these days are stifled with inefficiencies brought on by bad legislation and brain dead regulators. But businesses have a choice; we have a way to fight the system. One way is to stop producing, raise prices and invest in better markets with higher returns and less regulation. As a matter of fact this is what many businesses do and are doing.

Look at all the off shoring of jobs and factories in other countries by US based corporations. Why are they doing this? Because it just makes no sense to beat your head against the wall with over regulation, Sarbox and folks like Elliot Spitzer with his extortion tactics. Recently someone wanted to buy a franchise from our company in California. He writes us and puts on the email address title; “RE; Franchise Opportunity” even though there was no first email from this gentleman and he then states:

“I’m interested in buying a franchise for the San Diego, CA market. Please send along any pertinent information I may need, along with information regarding “exclusivity” arrangements. I’ve never owned a franchise, but I have owned and operated any number of businesses over the years.”

We email him back:

“We are not selling franchises anymore in Southern California and as a matter of fact we are setting up units in San Diego right now. This business is too good to share profits with franchisees in So. Cal. Especially in such a litigious state. California just is not worthy of the incredible advantage franchising brings to the consumer and local economies. We would rather exploit the labor and take the money for ourselves and remove those monies to other places more worthy of investment from a free market standpoint. That is what all the companies do. Can’t blame them. I know you understand.”

Now mind you in his first email he said he had owned and operated a number of businesses over the years. Yet, if this were true he would understand exactly what we were talking about; but instead we get back this email.

“No, I do not “understand. But if this isn’t a joke, I will say this: You sound like one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. And you can take your business and shove it up your ass…I can always outfit a truck and do the same thing. I also suggest you take a course in business ethics, professionalism…and some psychological counseling appears to be in order. Blow me.”

Now then either this guy is a complete competitor or a government regulator trying to pull some sort of entrapment scheme. Either way anyone who had been in business before understands how ridiculous the over regulation is in this current period, especially in California. If he is a regulator he got upset for me telling the truth and felt belittled. If he was a competitor, he simply wanted free information and was never going to buy anything anyway even if we were selling franchises there.

There is nothing unethical about making the most money you can on your invested dollar and nothing wrong with investing your money where you can make the most return on investment. There is nothing wrong with teaching society, civilizations, nations or government regulators the truth about where they are leading this nation. There is nothing wrong with winning markets or being an entrepreneur. There is nothing unethical about stating the truth about bad legislation, over regulation or outrageous litigation. If some people cannot handle a little Ayn Rand psychology to help enlighten them, they have no hope indeed.

Apparently this poser or misrepresentation of a franchise inquiry cannot handle truth. Can you? Are you willing to take a hard look at your business and the over regulation and traps of litigation? Is it really worth the hassle? Ever wonder why so many businesses could care less about service anymore, raise their prices or just retire early and stop producing those things you as a consumer desire? Do you? Go read some Ayn Rand and think about it.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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Guest Articles: Good for Some, Bad for Others

Filed under: The Publishers Way — admin @ 12:17 am

A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing strategies can be right for one Web site, but wrong for another — depending on the site’s purpose and the underlying reasoning behind the action.

If an action doesn’t directly and logically plug into site goals, then there are likely more profitable ways to spend that time and effort.

Publishing third-party articles on a Web site is one of those marketing strategies that can be right for one site, yet wrong for another.

Publishing Guest Articles as a Strategy

Publishing guest articles as one of your Web site marketing strategies can help broaden the amount and quality of content on a site, which in turn can lead to a more solid, stronger reputation. James Edwards of Umbrella-Consultancy explains:

IMO having quality articles on your site will show that you are…someone who embraces the industry and respects the work of others. Most research scientists post links to other respected scientists’ work… I think it can only be good to have quality material by other people in your field posted on your site.

Helping Web Site Visitors

Another situation where adding others’ articles to your site can make strategic sense is when a lot of visitors arrive looking for a solution other than the one you provide on your site. Rather than have them wander off, no closer to an answer to their problem, you can build goodwill and credibility by having articles on the Web site that give them more information.

For example, several types of people arrive at my site through the search engines:

* Some are people researching marketing consulting services.

* Some are students looking to write a paper or finish an assigned project for school.

* Some are looking for marketing software.

* Others are looking to buy printed material (e-books, templates, workbooks, etc.) in order to proceed, step-by-step, on their own.

The only ones that are going to be interested in what I have to sell are those in the last group. Instead of letting the majority of visitors go without a fight, I have articles on the site from handpicked individuals or companies.

Those articles are chosen according to how good the quality is, how well the subject matter fits, and whether I think the information will help site visitors.

Information Sites

If a site (or section of a site) is informational in nature, guest articles can be a viable Web site marketing strategy, for several reasons:

* Repeat, purchase-related visits. A good information library can help potential customers through the decision-making process. If they find the information on your site especially helpful, they will be predisposed to coming back later, when they are ready to purchase.

* Increased Web site revenue. Publishing others’ work can generate more revenue for your own site. For example, when I publish a third-party article, elsewhere on the page I include one or more of the following: AdSense; an advertisement for my own products; a newsletter sign-up box; or a relevant affiliate link. That way, every path off the page satisfies one of my own goals (direct ad revenue, new newsletter subscriber, or product sales lead).

* Increased targeted traffic. Each new page of quality content has the potential to bring in a happy chunk of incremental traffic from the search engines.

* Future collaborations or other projects. An indirect benefit from publishing others’ articles is contact and future collaboration with authors. For example, after one author received several new sign-ups to her newsletter through an article published on my site, she contacted me about collaborating on an audio product.

Poor Fit With Marketing Strategies

For some business models, including guest articles in a list of Web site marketing strategies does not make sense. For example, it can be counterproductive to include guest articles on Web sites where the primary goal is to sell.

Service Web Sites

If the goal is to generate direct sales and leads for your own services, it doesn’t make sense to dilute the message and call to action with diversions. Karon Thackston explains:

The purpose of my site is to get those in need of copywriting services and SEO copywriting services to contact me in order to do business. People who come to my Marketing Words site are looking for information about copywriting. They are also looking to hire a copywriter.

Therefore, you will find only material written by Karon on her site.

Product Sales Sites

Some sites have a single goal: to sell product. Every page on the site is devoted to product descriptions or copy designed to move a visitor toward a purchase. In these cases, where the predominant call to action is “buy the product,” articles could hurt sales by diverting visitor attention away from the products.

Visit your favorite online retail sites, and you are likely to find product descriptions, reviews, photos and other product-driven content — but little or no guest articles. Their absence on many e-commerce sites is an illustration of the poor fit of such articles as a marketing strategy for those sites.

Understanding how different techniques support, or sabotage, Web site marketing strategies can be critical to a site’s success. Align your strategies with overall goals, and your business is more likely to flourish.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com, and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book “How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business.” ( HowMuchForSpider.com/TOC.htm )

Copyright 2004 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.

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July 8, 2008

Website Translation and Localization: DIY Guide

Filed under: Better Business — admin @ 12:50 am

Expanding businesses into other countries means that you will be conveying your messages to people who speak other languages. What’s more, your audience may have cultural background other than yours — and it does matter.

Surprisingly many people think that creating, say, a website in a foreign language means just to translate the existing English version. Good translation by all means is very important. But what about putting your message into the context of the particular culture, which is native to your new audience?
This process is called “website localization”. It is like “tuning” your website (both content and design) into unison with mentality of other people — the prospective visitors.

Here I won’t describe the part of web site localization which deals with programming; this issue itself is complex enough. I will focus on writing content for your website and its further translation.

What part of this work you can do yourself? Probably not all of it, but quite a lot. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you in the process.

Step Zero: Remember: Your Website is Not for You.
It is for VISITORS. So it is logical to consider what THEY think such websites should look like. It is their points of view that matter, not yours. When you memorize this axiom, go to

Step One: Learn!
Self-education is useful in itself; besides, this knowledge is going to save you money and bring profit later. Learn as much as you can about your prospective audience. The more, the better.

It’s a rather time-consuming but exciting process. I hope you will manage, as Ancient Romans used to say, “Miscere utile dulci” (to mingle the useful with the pleasant). You will find out plenty of interesting things about another culture. Customs and traditions, rules of etiquette and moral principles, stereotypes, superstitions and lots of other stuff for you to consider when addressing people from a country other than yours.

You can find plenty of information in the Internet. Search Groups as well. Show your interest in other culture, and almost any native will appreciate it and help you as an expert. In addition, you will make good friends with great people.

Travelers’ guides can be an excellent source of information; they will help you avoid costly mistakes not only during a trip abroad. Just one example. You must have seen websites with pictures showing people gesticulate. Note that any gesture which is quite OK in the USA may be misunderstood somewhere else. By the way, do you know what the “OK” gesture means in some Asian countries? Demand for money, that’s what. In Tunisia it will be interpreted as a threat to kill; in Arab countries — “go to h…” In France it means just “zero” or “nothing.” In Denmark or Italy it can be taken as an insult; and so is in Brazil, Guatemala and Paraguay — here it is considered very obscene. So, you’d better make pictures of your website “culture-neutral”.

The farther in, the deeper… What is considered rude, impudent, offensive, or impolite in this culture? What is respected, valued, venerated? What traits of character are appreciated most? What are the favorite colors and what are they associated with? What are the most noticeable differences between your culture and this one?

Don’t be surprised if points of view on what is beautiful and what is ugly will also differ from yours. When you come to the conclusion that your text won’t do and the design probably needs changing as well, go to

Step Two: Analyze!
Turn your findings into tips for writing another text. “Don’ts” here are of much more important than “Do’s”
Realize how you shouldn’t write. Learn what won’t work. Find out what to avoid in graphics and website design.
When arranging content and graphics, it is very important to know whether the audience reads left-to-right, right-to-left or vertically.

Step Three: Write for your audience.

What to begin with when writing for a person from another culture? Put on his shoes first. Well, that’s second. First, take off your own shoes. I mean don’t be a representative of your own culture — just for a short time you’ll be writing the content.

  • Avoid jokes, slang, idioms, proverbs and sayings. They are YOURS, not theirs. Allusions to books they probably haven’t read, quotations, however familiar they are to you — all that won’t work.
  • Be cautious with metaphors and similes (comparisons). Pretty clear and familiar to YOU, for others they might be not so obvious.
  • Symbols can mean something very different in other cultures. If you can’t do without one, find out what it means THERE.
  • Abbreviations and acronyms are tricky, too - they may be unknown to your audience.
  • You will have to explain stuff you think to be trivial. Not everybody in the world knows what is eBay, Paypal, or Amazon. Celebrities’ fame isn’t worldwide, either. Big companies and brands may be unknown on the other side of the globe.
  • Step Four: Find a RIGHT translator

    If you can, get a well-educated native speaker of a language you are going to have your text translated into (it is called “target language”)

    The reason is that nobody can ever say: “I have learned this language” — only “I have been learning”. We all have been learning our mother tongues since birth. That is why native speakers have an advantage. The larger the translator’s vocabulary, the better your message will be expressed. Besides, a native speaker often has precious knowledge on the culture — it’s precisely what you need for website localization– and will help you in the process.

    Step Five: Bring it to Perfection
    How to check the end result? Ask somebody from this culture to proofread the text before launching the website.

    Encourage feedback when your website is launched. Correct mistakes, if any, at once. Improve your website all the time.

    Getting your messages understood in other languages and cultures is a tricky task. It takes plenty of effort — but it will pay. Not only will you make profit and avoid bitter losses caused by misunderstanding. As a bonus you will get deeper undestanding of people whose languages, cultures and even ways of thinking are different. This understanding is the key factor of your success in doing business or communicating with these people.

    Good luck to you! Success be to your efforts!

    Linguist by profession, Alexandra Gamanenko currently takes part in a design studio project. It offers localization and translation of websites into Russian and Ukrainian, among lots of other useful services.

    Learn more — visit the website
    www.clever-crayon.com

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July 7, 2008

Home Security Patio Sliding Glass Doors

Filed under: Security Info — admin @ 7:00 pm

As promised at the end of part 4 of this series, in this section I will deal with Patio Sliding Glass Doors. Quite often homeowners install sturdy locks on their front doors but leave their patio doors and sliding glass windows “wide open” to illegal entry.

Burglars love these because they are so easy to open. Usually, sliding doors and windows are at the side or rear of the home so they are more secluded than the front door, this makes a perfect place for burglars to hide and enter.

There are two main risks that need to be protected against.

1. Forcing the lock.
The standard lock that is fitted to most sliding doors and windows is very easy to pry open, an additional stronger lock should be fitted to give more security. Something as simple as lying a broomstick in the runner can offer some protection provided it is a good fit.

However Dead Locks are much better, they will prevent the burglar from using the door or window to remove stolen property unless they smash the glass and that is a very noisy and risky thing for them to do.

2. Lifting Out.
Many sliding doors and windows can be lifted out of their tracks from the outside. You can prevent this by putting two metal screws through the track above the sliding part of the door or window, the screw will need to be adjusted to allow the door to operate correctly.

Double Hung Windows
To lock a double hung window, you will have to drill a downward sloping hole into the top of the bottom window, and through that into the bottom of the top window being careful to avoid the glass unit, if you have any doubt about your DIY abilities get a professional tradesman to do it. Once the hole is drilled a pin can be inserted, locking the window shut.

To use the window for ventilation, you should partly open it (less that 4 inches) and making a second set of holes, the window can then be used for ventilation.

Remember, open windows and doors, even if secured, should never be left unattended while you are gone or asleep.

This section is quite short but I thought the information was important enough to deserve a section of it’s own. In part six we will be dealing with Burglar Alarms.

For more vital home security tips and information about how to protect your home and family please visit http://www.homesecuritynews.info

You may reproduce this article provided you maintain an active link back to
http://www.homesecuritynews.info

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July 1, 2008

The Mighty Nokia 9300i

Filed under: Hall Of Telecommunication — admin @ 8:59 am

Regrettably for Nokia it has not has not proven the most well received phone they have every made, in spite of this it remains worth thinking about if you see one with cash-back or cheap line rental. For the money the Nokia 9300i is quite basic. Like other similarly priced handsets from Nokia the visual aesthetic is quite contemporary and would be appealing to a wide range of users.The 9300i from Nokia is a sleek and stylish handset.

The 9300i supports 2G GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 . A WAP/xHTML, HTML (Opera), compatible browser is also included allowing mobile Internet access. Getting on to the all important battery duration the Nokia 9300i has 230 hours standby time and 8:00 talk time. The battery cell that is shipped with the 9300i is a Li-Po 1100 mAh (BP-6M). The ring-tones enabled on the 9300i are Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 . If colour is on your list of requirements you may like to know that this handset can only be bought in Silver. The Nokia 9300i is nothing special. Weighing in at 172 g, this handset is pretty light. The Nokia 9300i is has bluetooth, for convenient interactivity with a number of devices. The display type on this mobile phone is a TFT, 65K colors. The 9300i has a number of other useful features such as:

  • Java MIPD 2.0
  • Integrated handsfree
  • Music player - MP3, MPEG4(AAC), RA, MIDI
  • Organiser
  • MS Office applications
  • If you want a fantastic buy, buy online where it is easy to find plenty of great offers to consider. Buying online can allow you to take advantage of significant cost savings, incredibly it is possible to get a contract which is free for 6 months , which, if you read the terms and conditions will not cost you a penny.

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    June 30, 2008

    Disaster Preparedness: Remember These Flood Disaster Survival Tips

    Filed under: Security Info — admin @ 8:42 pm

    The dangers of a flood are always the obvious ones. Floodwaters are liable to contain toxic chemicals and will inevitably spawn dangerous bacteria. Only if you have your own supply of fresh water for drinking and washing can you keep any cuts or open sores from infection from floodwater-borne microorganisms. Follow the below precautions for you and your family’s safety.

    If you need to walk through floodwater only do so wearing boots or waders high enough to protect you from the water. Wash your hands with soap and clean, safe water completely and often. If available, use antibacterial soap, especially when preparing food or eating. Children who suck their thumb or those too young to know the danger are at risk of hand to mouth infection.

    Drink no water except bottled water until the water supply has been deemed safe by local officials. Even following the water supply being declared safe, water lines to your home must be disinfected.

    Structures that have been flooded can be dangerous. Ceilings can cave in, floors give way and the entire building can collapse with no warning. Have your home inspected by a professional and certified safe for you and your family before moving back in.

    If you live in a flood-prone area, keep a waterproof flood survival kit in your home, with the following items:
    Bottled water, ready-to-eat foods, drinks that don’t require refrigeration, first aid equipment, extra medications, rubber boots, heavy shoes, dry clothing, thermal blankets, flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, plastic bags for trash and smaller sealable bags for keeping things dry or just keeping things together and a small set of vitall tools including: a sharp pocket knife, razor-blade knife, adjustable-wrenches, assorted screwdrivers, adjustable pliers and channel-locks, rope, twine and bailing wire, duct tape, electrical tape.

    Standing water next to the outside walls of the house could indicate the structure or foundation’s integrity has been compromised it is unsafe to enter. You must have the house inspected by professionals and certified safe for you and your family.

    Walk around the outside of the house, looking for loose power lines and signs of gas leaks. You may not be able to smell a broken gas line, but you can probably hear the hiss of escaping gas. If you see, hear or smell anything suspect, call the utility company or emergency services.

    Do not light matches, use lighters, smoke or use candles, gas lanterns, camp stoves, or any other open flame around the house until it has been inspected and declared free of any flammable fumes or other fire hazards.

    Carlo Morelli writes for OnlineTips.Org, where you can read tips on
    home alarm monitoring, and home security services and products.

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    June 29, 2008

    The Glycemic Index is Your Key to Weight Control

    Filed under: House Of Health — admin @ 8:26 am

    Copyright 2006 Genesan3

    How is our society doing today?

    Let’s look at some facts. Today, two out of three adults in the United States and a staggering number of children are overweight. It is expected that, if current trends continue, 1 out of 3 children born today will develop type II diabetes. The rates of heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes and many other chronic degenerative illnesses are rising. In fact, 1 out of 5 high school age children already have the beginning stages of cardiovascular disease in their arteries! I could go on for pages with these depressing statistics but hopefully I have made the point - We are not healthy.

    Why is this the case? That’s really not a very difficult question to answer: too much low quality food and not enough physical activity. There have been thousands of studies to support this conclusion. Don’t believe what you read in the media headlines about the latest ground breaking diet pills or wonder drugs. There aren’t any truly legitimate fast fixes. If you want to regain your health and stay healthy it’s going to take some work. But you can start with small steps by changing a couple of simple things on a daily basis. Before long you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel. Let’s take a look at what we can do with our diets.

    Why are we so fat?

    Again, the answer to this question is somewhat obvious. We eat too much of the wrong kinds of food. Let me talk about something called the ‘glycemic index’. This is a measure of how fast a food burns in your body and how fast it spikes your blood sugar after you eat. A high glycemic food burns fast and raises you blood sugar quickly and a low glycemic food burns slow and raises your blood sugar slowly. High glycemic foods are full of simple sugars, like high-fructose corn syrup and low glycemic foods have more fiber and complex sugars like those you get from whole grains and vegetables.

    Why is this important? This is really your key to weight control. Your body needs to maintain your blood sugar in a very tight window. If you are always eating high glycemic foods then your blood sugar goes up fast and your body needs to take drastic measures to bring it down by spiking your insulin levels, a hormone that decreases blood sugar. This has the effect of crashing your blood sugar back down and this makes you feel very tired after you eat. It also makes you feel hungry again too soon because your blood sugar falls below normal and you crave something sweet to bring it up again - repeating the whole cycle. If you do this for many years, eventually your body stops reacting to its own insulin and you become pre-diabetic and have trouble maintaining your weight. If you pay attention to the glycemic index and eat foods that burn slowly you will have steady energy levels throughout the day, not get hungry as often, and not send yourself down the path toward diabetes. If you already have diabetes, then you probably know that low glycemic foods can help you maintain your blood sugar levels within the appropriate range. This is an extremely important concept in managing your weight. Forget all the crazy diets that don’t work, just pay attention to this and you’ll find yourself losing weight naturally.

    Wishing you Good Health.

    Simon J. Evans, PhD

    Dr. Simon Evans is an academic research scientist with an interest in helping people improve their physical, mental and social health. To get FREE information from Dr. Evans health website and information on quality nutritional products visit: www.genesan3.com

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