The Outlet Detector

Responsibility:

What you may ask, does responsibility have in common with fitness, weight loss, and nutrition?

Everything, it all starts with personal responsibility.

We have somehow become a society that is not responsible for ourselves. Numerous examples from the past few years abound:

Someone drives away with a cup of coffee, spills it; it’s the restaurant’s fault. Over 60% of us are overweight; it’s the fast food industry’s fault. Prescription drugs have moved up to the number 4 killer in the United States, it’s the drug industries fault. (although we take them) Most recently a doctor tells an obese person to lose weight or die He’s insensitive.

The list goes on and on. What we seem to have lost sight of is, it really doesn’t matter who is at fault, if we are overweight, unhealthy, and die prematurely, we lose no matter who caused it.

We have simply got to become more aware of our environment, what is causing the obesity issues today, and take personal responsibility to resolve those issues on a personal level.

The diet and drug industries are counting on you doing just the opposite. They are selling over $35 Billion per year in diet supplements, diet drugs, diet foods, and numerous other products. They obviously aren’t working because obesity in America has increased 20% in the last decade.

The stuff doesn’t work but it is profitable.

There really is no secret pill. You need to understand the body’s caloric requirement at your current fitness level to maintain your current weight. You then eat less and exercise more to burn calories to reduce weight. Any calories we take in that are not burned are stored as fat.

It doesn’t matter what pill you take, what you inject into your body, or how much expensive prepared food you eat, sooner or later it comes down to logic and numbers.

The body was not designed to run on a single kind of fuel, be it fat, carbs whatever. We need a varied diet to regenerate our bodies and remain healthy.

We simply refuse to accept that fact. In my books “Living to be Younger” and “Living Better”, I cover these subjects in detail. There are no false claims and wild promises. You learn exactly why losing 30 pounds in 30 days is not only nonsense it’s unhealthy.

Stop wasting time and money chasing a magic bullet solution. If there was one, we’d all be the ideal weight.

Take responsibility for your health and wellness and become an Educated consumer. Learn what your body needs, how to provide it properly and naturally and take charge of your life.

When our bodies first came into the world from the original designer do you Think they were meant to need diet pills, shots, or expensive processed foods?

Of course not they need a varied diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, and we need to Move them around some.

For more information and no nonsense facts, visit our websites at Living to be Younger or Fitness One Stop Fitness and weight loss are easy with the right information.

The old familiar adages just don’t do it for me any more. For instance, consider “the early bird gets the worm.” In this age of freelancing, premature ejaculation and peaking too early in one’s career (by age 24) a more appropriate adage might be “The early bird dies earlier.”

Another one that has been puzzling me lately is “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.’ Sure it does if the woman is staying up late cleaning the house and taking care of the kids after working a full day at the office. Not only is the adage sexist but it also doesn’t make any sense. Most people who work these hours slave at low paying jobs with little chance at advancement. Shouldn’t it read, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes the corporation I slave for wealthy and wise?”

“The doors of wisdom are never shut.” This also should be revised to read, “The doors of a 24 hour Drug or Convenience Store are never shut.” It is more truthful.

Another migraine-maker is “You reap what you sow.” Now whether this is supposed to apply to gardening or whatever, we know this is not true. Many individuals slave for years on projects that don’t pay off, couples copulate to try and have babies with no result and people sow wheat all the time only to have it destroyed by frost or rainstorms. In these hard times, doesn’t a saying such as “You reap what is available” make much more sense?

Also problematic is the ultimate adage about being sweet — you “attract more flies with honey.” The trouble with this kind of “honey” is it also attracts other creatures such as raccoons, bears and others that would rape you of your charms. Also I am very suspicious of charming people. Often they want to borrow money from you or some other favour. I think it should be changed to “Beware those bearing gifts of honey, as they probably want bread.”

I also have a problem with “He who laughs last, laughs best.” I think that should be changed to “He who laughs last, laughs alone.” Nobody likes a joke at his or her expense.

A bird in the hand is definitely NOT worth two in the bush. A bird in the hand is worth about $2.99 a pound!

I also think “crime doesn’t pay” should be revised to read, “Crime does pay, especially if you are a politician.”

I would like to also suggest some new adages that are more appropriate for the 21st century:

“Lips that taste wine, shall never touch mine” should be changed to “Lips that taste wine shall never die from a heart attack.”

Longing for the pre-Plague era? How about: “Let’s put the promise back in promiscuity.”

How about “A Rolling Stone gathers no taxes, (especially if they relocate to Switzerland).”

“Do unto others as you would have them do onto you unless you are a sadist.”

“A Fool and his furniture are soon parted, especially if there is no downpayment for a year!”

After observing the neighbor across the way, I also came up “Fools who live in glass houses should not strut around naked in front of the window after a shower.”

“There’s no fool like an old fool” should be replaced with “age and treachery outwits beauty and youth every time.”

In these conscientious times, Make Love Not War’ would have to be changed to “Make Love Wearing the Appropriate Contraception not War.

I’ve always thought that saying “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” makes more sense in reverse. “Angels rush in where even fools fear to tread…” I am thinking about firefighters, policeman, charitable workers, Greenpeace and other angels on earth.

One of the only adages that makes sense to me is the Chinese one “The Bigger The Front, the Bigger the back.” Think about it, it makes sense.

I am also fond of the old Jamaican adage “Cat Don’t Make No Dog.” Well unless you factor in bioengineering in which case it is possible that a cat can make a dog. After all “With God, Anything is Possible and that is What I Am Afraid Of.”

Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha 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

Direct Answers – Column for the week of April 19, 2004

I am currently involved in a wonderful year-long relationship with a man I’ve known for ten years. We dated briefly all those years ago, but I wound up marrying someone else. To make a long story short, I should have listened to the fates back then.

Recently I was contacted by another man I dated briefly right after high school. Our relationship ended in a gross misunderstanding. I thought I was getting signals from him to get lost, so I did. I was very hurt, and I have thought about him many times over the years. I found out in a recent meeting that I got the wrong signals and he has always been in love with me.

During this meeting the chemistry was very strong, but I would do nothing to betray my current boyfriend. You should also know I moved several times during that time period, and I believe he was looking for me but could not find me.

My problem is making a decision. I’ve compared the two, and I keep coming up with a true feeling of torn. I’ve done the pros and cons paperwork only to find each has the same amount of qualities I love. If I let one go, I will most likely spend my life wondering. One is wine and roses, the other is picnics and wildflowers…and I like both.

Penelope

Penelope, in ancient Greece people listened to the fates by going to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and asking the Delphic oracle for advice. The oracle would inhale the vapors from a cavern in the temple, enter a trance, then make a prophecy.

The most famous prophecy was to King Croesus, who asked if he should attack the Persians. The oracle ambiguously said, “If Croesus attacks the Persians, he will destroy a great empire.” Croesus thought this was favorable advice, but when he attacked, the great empire he destroyed was his own.

Last year some scientists published a paper suggesting the vapor in the cavern at Delphi was ethylene, a compound which produces the same effect as “huffing,” sniffing glue or paint thinner. In your case, we suspect the fates have been both speaking in riddles and sniffing glue.

Your feelings for neither man are strong enough that you could marry one without regret. Marry no one until you feel love without doubt.

Wayne & Tamara

Second Time Around

I am a 22-year-old female having a ridiculous problem getting over the fact my fiance was married before. We recently became engaged, and now the issue has become even more magnified for me. It upsets me to the point I’m afraid I might just tell him to forget the whole thing.

Aside from this, he is a really great guy and we get along terrifically. But I cannot get over the fact I am not the first person he’s felt this way about. It cheapens it for me. When I remember he has already spit out vows for someone else, has already had wedding night sex, has already gone on a honeymoon, I don’t feel special.

When we are at his mother’s apartment, which used to be his apartment with his wife, I get filled with anger and start being mean to him. This is totally unfair. Even typing this makes me feel like a jackass, but I seriously can’t help it.

Jackie

Jackie, a song made popular by Kathy Mattea says, “You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money, Love like you’ll never get hurt. You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching…” Everything, according to the song, must come straight from the heart without reservation.

You have a reservation about your fiance, and it is something he can never change. You are latching on to his past to stop something you don’t wish to occur. We would not dismiss your reservations. Neither should you.

Wayne & Tamara

About The Author

Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.

The idea behind furniture for your home is so that you feel more at ease in an environment that you’re supposed to be relaxed in. After a hard day’s work, or whenever you need to, the furniture should be there to allow you to slip into a state of mind where you don’t have to worry. If you have something awesome like oak furniture, then maybe you can even show off to your friends, because everyone loves awesome oak furniture – especially your friends. There can come a time when you have too much furniture, I imagine. Maybe when you’ve had the same house for a few years and you continuously amass more furniture as the days go by. If you keep buying without getting rid of old things, you’re going to run out of space eventually, and I’m afraid that furniture is one of those things to which that can happen on a number of occasions. Old furniture that is broken can be thrown out or taken to a rubbish dump, or – better yet – even recycled. Some old furniture can be given away, maybe to neighbors or to relatives. You could even have a yard sale and try to get some extra cash from things you don’t need any more, furniture included. So whilst furniture is indeed very important in a household, don’t let it become so important that you’re always getting more and having to get rid of the old stuff, because important memories might be contained therein.

The alarm nags you to bolt out of bed, you rush to get ready, and race out the door, forgetting to grab that healthy lunch you worked so hard to pack. Deadlines are looming everywhere at work or the kids have to be in two places at once, not to mention that phone that won’t stop ringing.

With a day like yours, who has time to think about exercise? Did you know that getting active, even just for five minutes can vastly improve your mood and your body at the same time? Do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and try to squeeze just five minutes of fitness into your day – you’ll be glad you did!

Here are some quick tips for 5 minutes of fitness and a lifetime of health.

1. Get out! Take a quick break, and get out of your office or house. Take a brisk walk around the parking lot or down your street. Getting out of a stressful atmosphere and to a place where you can think is a huge part of calming your mind and emotions. Plus, by walking fast, the excess tension in your system gets worked out so you return to work feeling relaxed and refreshed.

2. Take the steps. Hop in the elevator and ride to the bottom floor. Climb the stairs back up to your floor. If your building is less than four floors, do it again. Don’t have steps in your building? How about getting an inexpensive workout stepper for the office or home?

3. Squeeze the tension away. Grab a tennis ball in each hand and squeeze as hard as you can for a count of eight. Release your grip, relax, and then repeat several times. You’ll condition your forearms and strengthen your hands. You can also use tennis balls to massage your feet and back – pretty versatile tools for under three bucks!

4. Use resistance bands. When you feel stressed or irritated, grab the band with the highest resistance and use it for lateral raises. Place one end of the band under your foot, and the other in your hand on the same side (at about waist high against your hip). Lift straight out to the side, stretching the band for resistance and releasing your stress along the way.

5. Find some competition. Challenge a co-worker to a daily parking lot speed-walking event. Start the competition by walking down the stairs (vs. riding the elevator) and see who can walk the parking lot (or other course) the fastest – no running allowed! This is great exercise, and is almost certain to bring a laugh or two.

6. Don’t be a dumbbell! Just use them! Grab a set of dumbbells you can keep at the office. These little babies are available just about everywhere in small sets with four or five weights up to 10 pounds. Use them for building arm or back strength, and for those really frustrating times, grab the heaviest one and do as many bicep curls as you can stand. It just might prevent you from blowing your top at some unfortunate co-worker.

7. Reach for the sky. Remember to stretch. Doing so will prove to be a tremendous tool for releasing tension and stiffness, and can even boost your energy levels. Keep a yoga mat or blanket in your office and you can even do prone stretching (but keep your door closed!).

8. Lean on me. OK, not me, but how about the wall? Try this: stand about eighteen inches away from the wall (or a door), then place your hands on the surface at about shoulder height, and do vertical push-ups. For a more challenging exercise, move away from the wall or try changing hand positions. When you feel confident, try one-handed push-ups – you may find yourself doing the real ones sooner than you think!

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Copyright 2005, easyfitnessinfo.com. All rights reserved. Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise or fitness program. This article may be freely distributed as long as it is not edited in any way.

Copyright 2006 Wendy Owen

Almost 10% of the US population suffer from depression at any one time. Similar statistics would be expected from other developed countries.

Depression can affect our sleep in many ways. Some of us sleep longer and others find themselves waking up in the early hours of the morning, unable to go back to sleep.

Insomnia can be one of the many symptoms of depression, so it’s best to treat the depression itself and usually the sleep problems will resolve themselves.

Depression can affect not only the sufferer but also family and friends who are often at a loss as to how they can help. We should let them and not try to shoulder the burden ourselves.

We have to be careful whom we chose to confide in though as some people still have the mistaken belief that depression is a “malingerers” complaint. The last thing we need when depressed is someone telling us to, “Snap out of it” or “Pull yourself together”!

Depression is a clinical complaint and a genuine illness. Symptoms of depression can include fatigue, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, irritability and even physical symptoms such as headaches or digestive upsets.

Depression can be severe (major depression) which can completely disable the sufferer, or moderate (dysthymia) in which sufferers can function from day to day but never really feel content or happy.

Then there is bipolar disorder which is less common. Those afflicted with bipolar disorder can swing from a high (manic) state to a low (depressed) state seemingly without cause.

What causes depression? It could be several things. Depression may run in the family, or start after a chronic illness. It can also be caused by hormonal imbalance which is why so many women fall victim. A person’s thinking pattern may be prone to depression, for example those with poor self esteem.

“Cures” for depression are many and some more effective than others. There is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) while sounding like something from the torture chambers of the inquisition, is an effective aid for severe depression.

Prescribed medications like lithium can be effective but can also have side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, insomnia, constipation and more…

Herbal remedies are a viable option and have many less side effects while being remarkably effective and cheaper. Recommended are St John’s Wort and Passiflora.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet are also important. Make sure there are plenty of B vitamins in the food you eat or take a supplement. Include foods which help raise serotonin levels (Oats, milk turkey and pasta) This will have a beneficial effect on your sleep too.

Cognitive or behavioural therapy can greatly assist by changing behaviour and thought patterns that may have led to the illness.

To summarise – Share your problems with a trusted friend or paid counsellor, watch your diet, exercise regularly, take appropriate medication or enrol in behavioural therapy. Help yourself defeat the “black dog” of depression.

Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year. We all start with great intentions but after a few weeks, we fall back into our usual unhealthy lifestyle and the weight we did lose creeps back on. Let’s take a look at what steps to take to make sure we still stick to our weight-loss resolution at the end of December.

Determine your “Why” and write it down.

Think about the reason why you want to loose weight. Is it to look better in a bathing suit for that vacation in July? Is it to be healthier and get your risk for heart disease and diabetes down? Do you want to be able to enjoy a more active lifestyle? Do you want more energy to play catch with the kids? Be as specific as possible.

Now take out a sheet of paper and write down your big “Why”.

Set and write down sensible weight-loss goals.

The next important tip to being able to stick to your weight-loss goal is to set a sensible goal to begin with. You shouldn’t expect yourself to loose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Look for a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator online to help you determine whether you are underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The higher your BMI, the more weight you can expect to lose in the long run. If you are in the normal range, but feel that you should lose weight, you may not want to aim for more than 5 pounds. On the other hand, if you are obese, than losing 50 pounds this year may be a good goal for you.

I would also like to encourage you to consult with your physician before starting any weight loss program. He or she can give you an even better idea on a good goal for you.

Make a plan you can stick with all year long.

You know yourself better than just about anyone else. Most likely you’ve been on a diet or two (or more). So you already know what doesn’t work for you. You’ll be most likely to stick with something common sense making small changes that you can live with from here on. Eat healthier and consume fewer calories, but also get more active.

Set small goals along the way.

Look at where you are at now and at your goal for the end of the year. Now break it down into several small goals. You want to break your weight loss journey down into small chunks that seem more attainable. Focus on the first “mini” goal until you reach it and then move on to the next one.

Keep track of your progress.

Keep a journal and record what you eat and how active you are during the day. If you chase the kids around the yard for 20 minutes, record it. Writing these things down builds accountability. You’ll find yourself thinking, “If I eat that cookie, I’ll have to write it down. I better skip it”. Or if you haven’t been a couch potato all day, you may be motivated to take a quick walk around the block so you can jot it down in your journal.

Celebrate each small goal.

Remember those small goals you planed out? Make sure you celebrate each goal you reach – but not with food. Reward yourself with a new blouse, a manicure, or a good book. Pick something you truly enjoy. This will build some positive reinforcement that will keep you going until you reach the next goal.

Keep your “Why” in mind.

Don’t loose track of the big picture. Remind yourself daily of your big “Why”, the reason why you want to lose weight. Keep the sheet of paper with your reason for losing weight close by and read it every morning or every evening. This is another big motivator to keep you going all year.

Losing weight can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have a fair amount to lose and you are just starting out. Don’t let it intimidate you though. Take it one step and one pound at a time. Before you know it, it will be the December and you will be 5, 10 or 50 pounds lighter. I know you can do it!

London is the most wonderful place in the world for sightseeing and of course for dainty women. The desirability of the call girls that live in the city really makes it the best place to get yourself a magnificent call girl. The escort market in the capital is decidedly competitive and all this makes the call girls who work in the call girl industry try and be as desirable as they can at all times. The pretty call girl girls come in a variety of nationalities including Scottish and the escorts work most days either in a hotel or the escorts can come to your home.

Call girls in London offer love to their clients and will spend one hour at a time with the escort for exchange of a fee. The fees for London escorts range from 150 pounds per hour to 300 pounds per hour. The charge does not include any cab expenses or extras such as clubbing or bowling. The gorgeous call girls with Lucy Bond are stuning, the hot escorts are hand picked by the escort organisation and have been picked for their intelligence. If you are having a boring night in you should use an Escort Girl to spice things up.

The company is new to the capital and have brilliant fees available for new customers. The fabulous call girls from the company are all experienced and offer in call at their flat and out calls in your home.

The Epic T60 Treadmill – Putting New Limits On Economy

The Epic T60 Treadmill is made exclusively for Costco, the discount retailer. It sports useful and desirable features for the home gym and for general fitness training, yet is often discounted for far less than $1000.

Icon Health and Fitness, Inc., which uses the Epic brand name on exclusive models, is the largest manufacturer of quality treadmills worldwide for training, weight loss, and personal fitness as well as other sports equipment for weight and fitness training, and it markets products like Epic t60 treadmills specifically for large retailers like Costco.

Strong Machine, Lean Price

The Epic t60 incorporates the best of Icon’s designs for treadmils. Designed for use in a home gym with the larger user in mind, the t60 features an adjustable cushioned platform with a large surface and is capable of supporting weights up to 350 pounds.

Equipped with a strong motor and power incline, the t60 is suitable for both light and intense weight loss and fitness regimens, as well as general sports training.

Additionally, feedback and readout displays keep track of time, distance, calories burned, speed, and pulse measured through the pulse sensor grips. Heart rate is measured and displayed using an optional chest pulse sensor.

The Epic t60 offers preprogrammed and customizable workout programs and iFit.com, the interactive workout technology found on most Icon exercise equipment.

With the optional chest sensor, iFit will control the speed and incline of the treadmill in response to your heart rate providing a workout under the guidance of trainers online or on CD.
Your home stereo, computer, portable device, and VCR can all be connected to the Epic t60 to keep you entertained while training.

And, like many of Icon’s treadmils, the Epic t60 folds away after use.

While the motor carries a 12-year warranty, the parts and labor on everything else carry only a 90-day warranty, a concern voiced by TreadmillDoctor which does not sell treadmills but does rate the Epic t60 a ‘winner’ for Costco.

Costco offers ‘threshold delivery’, not curbside, and its return policy applies at all 400 of its warehouses.

Steve Ecclestone is webmaster at Best Treadmill Guide