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Using Meditation to Enhance Creativity

2013-06-09T18:22:00.003-07:00

While having many therapeutic applications, meditation is a wonderful tool for boosting creativity. Often meditation creates room for greater levels of creativity by increasing clarity and focus as the mind slows the endless flow of thoughts.

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5 Keys to Losing Belly Fat

2013-01-13T12:46:00.001-08:00

Many people struggle to lose excess weight – especially the stubborn fat that accumulates around the belly. Some approach weight loss by changing their diet but are not that interested in stepping up the exercise. Others are willing to spend hours at the gym, but are hard pressed to give up............read more

Time-Saving Workout Tips for Busy Schedules

2013-01-13T12:44:00.003-08:00

One of the main obstacles many people cite for not getting fit is the lack of time. How great would it be to be able to tone your muscles in just a few minutes each day? The good news is that the latest studies on the affects of exercise reveal that it doesn’t take as much time...........read more

Cold and Flu Season: Getting Your Home Prepared

2013-01-11T08:46:00.004-08:00

Did you know that the average person gets about three colds each year? And the statistics are higher for people who live and work around young children. But the good news is that you can protect yourself by employing some precautionary measures around your home.

Prevention Is Key

We've all heard it before: Wash your hands. But the truth is that this is one of the simplest and .......................read more

5 Highest Paying Jobs in Canada

2012-08-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

With the Canadian economy in fairly good shape compared to the rest of the world, many workers have the luxury of obtaining jobs that not only provide fulfillment, but a good lifestyle, as well. Among the upper echelon of Canada’s workforce, a handsome six-figure salary is par for the course. Here is a list of the highest paying occupations for 2012 according to Statistics Canada:
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5 Cool Canadian Jobs

2012-08-17T10:21:00.002-07:00

What is your definition of “cool”? In terms of jobs, “cool” might mean a high salary or working in a natural setting, or even working seasonally – only in the summer or winter. Whatever your definition, Canada has some of the coolest jobs around.

Camp Jobs

Youth camps are big business throughout Canada and they always need summer time staff. From camp coordinators to..............read more

Unemployment: Tips for Managing Your Time

2012-08-08T13:09:00.002-07:00

There are many ways that people react to being unemployed. Some may feel anxious and worried, while others may fall into a deep depression. Whatever the reaction to being unemployed, it helps to remember that there are many things that can be done to improve the situation and one of the most important aspects of surviving unemployment is............ To purchase full rights to this article, go here

The Olympic Job Wave

2012-08-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the preparation and events linked to the Summer Olympic Games, London, England's unemployment rates have been in decline four straight months. That’s great news, not just for London but for the ailing Euro zone, as well. The events surrounding the Summer Olympic Games have, at least temporarily, served to offset the lifeless economy that has prevailed in London for the last several years. The Office of National Statistics in England report a decline in the unemployment rate for the fourth month in a row. Down from 8.3%, the current rate is 8.1% which is the lowest it has been since last summer. Because of the Olympic Games being held in London, a reported 61,000 more people are now employed predominantly in customer service and hospitality positions. The question is: Will the positive impact of the Olympics last past the summer? The “Halo Effect” In addition to the direct impact of added jobs and increased sales brought in by the Olympics, London officials are counting on what is known as the “halo effect” – the continued economic activity that persists after the event – and they are worried that .....read more

Vegetarianism: Are You Getting Enough Nutrients?

2012-04-07T06:04:00.002-07:00

Vegetarianism, veganism, and the raw food diet are all the rage among today’s trendy foodies, but it is the opinion of many health experts – even some who strictly follow such diets – that special attention must be paid to getting adequate amounts of certain nutrients. Without the right knowledge concerning nutrients, adhering to a strict vegetarian, vegan or raw food diet can be a dangerous endeavor. Vegetarianism takes many forms. Some people are part-time vegetarians, eating fish on occasion. Some vegetarians include eggs and dairy. And some are vegan, abstaining from the consumption of any animal-based foods. By its nature, the raw food diet also tends to be devoid of food derived from animal sources. The choice to eat vegetarian, vegan or to eat only raw foods is often a commendable one that is based on personal spiritual convictions or ethical concerns. So the question remains: what are the critical nutrients missing from these lifestyles choices and is there any way to make up for them?

Is Anything Missing In The Vegetarian Diet?

The majority of people who are on vegetarian-type diets probably receive adequate amounts of most nutrients.
Protein is a concern for some, but legumes, seeds, nuts, and some vegetables contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. It’s safe to assume that ............read more

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Why Teens Contemplate Suicide

2012-03-02T11:37:00.002-08:00

Mary was a normal, middle-class, 15 year-old girl. She fit in pretty well at school. She was involved with her youth group at church and she loved to play volleyball. Over the last couple of years, her life had taken some stressful turns since her mom and dad divorced. Mary’s mom was tired, frustrated, and angry much of the time from working two jobs to try to take care of Mary and her little sister. Mary’s dad had remarried and was very involved with his new family. Mary found herself lonely and sad most of the time. Mary’s grades had always been high and her parents were proud of her for succeeding academically. But now her grades were starting to fall short of the norm and Mary was actually failing math. She was afraid to tell her mother because she didn’t want for her mother to be disappointed in her. She knew that her mother had recently gotten a prescription for sleeping pills from the doctor. It really sounded very appealing to Mary to just go to sleep and never wake up. As she poured a handful of pills into her hand, Mary heard her little sister come bouncing into the house. It would be several hours before Mary’s mother would be home and Mary didn’t want her little sister to be the one to have to deal with the tragedy that was about to ensue. Mary put the pills back. The next day, Mary mustered the courage to talk to her mother about what almost took place. She found out that her mother cared deeply about what was going on in her life and was more than willing to help.

Teens Become Overwhelmed

Many teens that survive a suicide attempt have said that they were trying to escape a seemingly impossible situation or avoid unrelenting bad feelings. They say that they don’t want to die as much as they are want relief from painful emotions. Some teens may be feeling rejected, worthless, or, like Mary, they may feel like they are a disappointment to family members. These feelings can overwhelm the underdeveloped teen mind and, in a moment of charged emotion, they can consider acting on the impulse to take their own life.

The Depression Component

It’s probably safe to say that most teens are confronted with stressful situations from time to time, and yet most are able to cope. What is the difference between those...........read more

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Obstacles to Women's Weight Loss: Fears Surrounding Sexuality

2012-02-28T05:14:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those women who have repeatedly tried but can’t seem to lose weight? Or maybe you lose a little weight and then put it right back on again. For many women weight loss can be subconsciously sabotaged by fear. They don’t know exactly how people will react to them being thinner and, depending on their past experiences, that can be a bit scary.

As much as we would like to think so, issues surrounding women’s weight loss and weight gain are not altogether cut and dried. If it were as simple as taking in calories and expending energy weight might not be so difficult to manage. More often than not, however, women’s weight concerns include emotional and psychological components that must be dealt with in order to experience success. Although it may seem a bit strange to some, the process of losing weight can actually invoke a fair amount of fear in some women surrounding sexuality.

Fear of Being Sexually Attractive

Probably the number one reason that losing weight can be frightening to women is because of the unwanted sexual attention that they will get as a thinner person. Many women don’t know how to handle the increase in sexual attention, or in some cases, it may make them feel unsafe.
Oftentimes, when a woman begins to lose weight they draw attention that they are not accustomed to getting. For example,.........read more

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Cooking Tips: Butter, Flour, and Eggs

2012-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

Over centuries of baking, our forefathers (and mothers) have discovered various tips that solve various common baking problems. Here are some of the most helpful tidbits for using a few common ingredients that should prove useful in the kitchen when creating your baked creations.

Butter

Called for in many recipes, butter is one of the most universal ingredients used in baking and, as far as taste goes, there is really no substitute for real butter. Butter should be stored in the refrigerator, but can be safely left out for as much as a couple of days in a covered dish when you want to soften it, or for ease of spreading. For long term storage, butter can be wrapped and frozen with no problems at all.

When using butter in a recipe, your measurements will be more accurate if you use the stick form. Because the whipped variety has large amounts of air incorporated into it to help maintain its ability to spread easily, the net weight is less than the stick variety.

Flour

Although most people associate flour with ground wheat, flour can be made from grinding a number of different ingredients such as barley, almonds, or chickpeas. In baked goods, flour is what binds the other ingredients together, adding structure, flavor and texture. It can also be used as a thickener for sauces, gravies, and dessert fillings.

When baking with flour, proper measuring is a must. A common mistake in baking is to measure out too much flour which results in heavy or ..........read more

The Evolution Of Body Image – Thin Wasn’t Always In

2012-02-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

It took 400 years after Gutenberg invented the movable press for the public to begin to be exposed to fashion images in the United States. Harper’s Bazaar and New York Daily Graphic were among the first publications to display such imagery and it wasn’t long until a more powerful medium for showcasing the female body was introduced – the film industry.

Nestor Studios was the first film studio to make its debut in Hollywood in 1911 followed by fifteen other studios by 1912. Mass media was here to stay bringing with it the “ideal” version of how a woman “should” look. Unfortunately, it also brought a public obsession with body image that has lasted until the present time.

Beauty Defined

With America’s swift progression into the industrial revolution came many lifestyle changes. People were moving from rural settings to cities and buying food from stores instead of growing it themselves. This meant that body image would change as well.

Prior to this time, carrying quite a few additional pounds was a sign of wealth and prosperity, since not everybody had access to ample amounts of food. The revolution of industry, however, brought prosperity of the nation and also changed body image philosophy. Food was plentiful so overly “plump” became............................read more

Banishing 4 Common Parenting Myths

2012-02-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a challenging endeavor and many moms and dads complicate the process by adopting some rather frustrating myths. What do you believe concerning good parenting and well-behaved children? Common Myths Consider the following myths about parenting and honestly evaluate whether you are consciously or unconsciously buying into them.

Myth #1 – Committed parents who are emotionally connected have children that are naturally well-behaved. The truth of the matter is that even loving, committed and engaged parents have children that act up from time to time. The mistake that parents make is unfairly associating a child’s actions or imperfections to the level of love and care that a parent offers their child. The fact is that children are human and they are going to throw temper tantrums and pitch fits no matter how emotionally connected their parents are to them. Those types of behaviors are just part of being immature and they are not a direct reflection on your level of commitment to the parenting process. Conduct that adults label as “misbehavior” is really a very integral part of the maturing process. Actually, acting up or acting out is necessary for children to learn to make positive adjustments in their behavior, and to grow as a person.

Myth #2 – If you love your child, you will automatically have all of the parenting skills required. Loving children comes quite naturally for the majority of parents, but having naturally-occurring parenting skills is rare, indeed. Becoming a skilled parent is a learning process and, since every child is different, there is not a cut and dried set of rules. Children don’t come equipped with owner’s manuals so, in many cases, there are no definitive rights or wrongs. Parents must tailor their parenting approach to each individual child by sorting through the information they have and they must gain parenting experience simply by doing what they think is best.

Myth #3 – Good parents have an endless supply of........read more

The Dynamics of the Blended Family

2012-02-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

Would you be surprised to learn that for the first time in history, step families are more common than non-step families? Life in a step family, which modern terminology refers to as a blended family, isn’t always smooth sailing and, in fact, can be quite challenging.

Expectations

Because blended families come with their own unique dynamics, it is implausible to assume that step families will always behave like intact families. Many parents enter a blended situation with misguided expectations. They think their desire to love and nurture their stepchildren will be grounds for full-fledged acceptance and reciprocated affection and that possibly their stepchildren will even regard them like they do a natural parent. In reality, however, the circumstances take on some serious complexity and conditions are rarely so cut and dried. In natural families, children are an extension of the parents. Because of this, natural parents are usually jointly motivated to devote hefty amounts of time, energy, and money into their progeny. Step parenting, however, is not that predictable and often drifts into uncharted territory for both parent and child. It takes awareness on the part of the step parents to come to the realization that the dynamics of their new blend won’t be the same as a natural family. With this recognition, the blended family has a better chance of tracking a more positive course.

Sex and Biology

In a natural family, a man and a woman come together to have a child. Most of the time, both parents have the interest of the child at heart. They combine their energies to tend to and nurture the child. In step families, however, sexual energies of the couple and biological energies of parent/child relationship can cause family members to move emotionally in opposing directions. This polarization can be the beginning of divisive influences that affect every member of the family. Oftentimes, this damaging rift opens the way..........read more

Workplace Productivity and the Hawthorne Effect

2012-02-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

The principles of the Hawthorne Effect studied many years ago are still utilized in the business world today. Essentially, the Hawthorne Effect is a temporary increase in productivity in response to certain modifications to the workplace environment.Even though the Hawthorne studies were conducted many years ago, they are still referred to today when a company researches productivity issues.

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

The Hawthorne Effect refers to the results of a series of experimental studies done on human productivity at Hawthorne Works, a factory in Illinois that produced a variety of consumer products such as telephone equipment, electric fans, and refrigerators. Originally, the studies were designed to test the theory that increased lighting in a work environment would increase productivity. The results were very interesting. Improved lighting did, indeed, increase productivity. These results caught the eye of more university researchers who studied the phenomenon.............read more

Who Benefits From You Lowering Your Cholesterol Numbers?

2012-02-01T07:44:00.001-08:00

How surprised would you be to find out that people with higher cholesterol levels live longer? After you get over the initial shock of this seemingly absurd statement and clear your mind of the societal brainwashing that has taken place, maybe you can begin to understand the integral role that cholesterol plays in human health.

A Few Facts about Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance that belongs to a group of chemical compounds known as lipids. Throughout the human body, cholesterol is used in many capacities such as building cell membranes and insulating nerve tissue. It is also needed to produce hormones that act as regulators for specific biological functions such as digesting fat. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and a person need not consume food containing cholesterol for the body to produce what it requires. Interestingly, the body regulates its cholesterol levels automatically. If a diet high in cholesterol-containing foods is consumed, the liver produces less. If a person ....read more

What's Wrong with Size 10?

2012-01-23T09:45:00.001-08:00

What’s Wrong With Size 10?

“Everybody is unique. Compare not yourself with anybody else lest you spoil God’s curriculum.” — Baal Shem Tov

What do you think of the size and shape of your body? If your answer is less than positive, you are in good company. Upwards of 85% of women of all sizes think they should be smaller. And women aren’t the only ones with poor body image. About 45% of men are not satisfied either. One of the culprits in this growing body image epidemic is the unrealistic portrayal of the perfect body by the media. And due to technological advances, we are now able to digitally slim, airbrush, or otherwise alter people’s looks in photographs and videos, making the idealistic body even more mythical and impractical for the average person to obtain.

If it’s true that most women never acquire the pencil-thin figure of runway models and most men won’t ever achieve the muscle upon muscle look portrayed on the magazine covers, then why does that standard continue to permeate our society? That’s a good question and one worth examining.

Three Words – Large, Profitable Industry

The fashion industry, the cosmetic industry, and the diet industry are just a few of the commercial markets that profit from making people want what they probably won’t ever get. After all, if the media can shame you into believing that you are not the right size, then you might feel so bad about yourself that you.............read more

E. Coli: The Good, the Bad, and the Deadly

2011-12-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

In most circles, a conversation about the potentially harmful E. coli bacteria would probably include spoiled food, upset digestive function, and even death. But, would it surprise you to find out that E. coli is a natural part of the human digestive ecosystem and is not always harmful? The truth is that most E. coli bacteria contribute much to the health of humans and are actually categorized as beneficial bacteria. The problem comes when mutations occur.

The Good Side of E. Coli

Living in large colonies in our gut, E. coli and other beneficial bacteria maintain a harmonious relationship with every human being on Earth. All human beings have a very close symbiotic relationship with E. coli and other microbes that take up residence in our stomach and intestines. Intestinal bacteria begin to multiply and flourish the moment we are born and continue to stay with us for the entirety of our lives. In fact, they are quite necessary for health and we benefit from them in many ways.
Beneficial colonies of bacteria, which include E. coli, help us break down food into usable, digestible molecules of nutrients. Through this process, the bacteria in our gut produce vitamin K– a vitamin that is not readily available from food sources – and some B-complex vitamins. E. coli and other beneficial bacteria also keep the populations of harmful strains ............read more

Holiday Overindulgence: What to do When You Eat Too Much

2011-12-05T09:11:00.001-08:00

To many people, the holidays are a time of temptation enticing them to overindulgence in unhealthful food, but all is not lost just because you blew it at the holiday meal. Listed here are six no-nonsense tips on how to deal with holiday overindulgences.

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Holiday Weight Management Strategies

2011-12-05T08:42:00.001-08:00

With holiday stress and holiday fare comes holiday weight gain. This article offers some practical guidelines for managing sweet,seasonal indulgences. Please purchase usage rights for your blog, website, or newsletter here.

Teen Pregnancy: Risk Factors and Intervention

2011-11-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

We like to think of our society as progressive and capable of solving our social ills one problem at a time, but the fact of the matter is that, among industrialized nations, the U.S. leads the way in teen pregnancy. Currently, 4 out of every 10 girls in the U.S. will become pregnant by their 20th birthday.

What Causes Teen Pregnancy

Aside from the obvious answer of engaging in sex, the factors that contribute to a teen being at-risk for teenage pregnancy can become very complex. Some of the risk factors include:
* Living in poverty.
* Being the child of a single parent, or being the child of teen parents.
* Being reared in an abusive environment.
* Involvement in drug and alcohol use and abuse.
* Having low self-esteem.
* Poor performance in school.
* Being in multiple foster care homes.
* Ongoing family conflict.
* Lack of parental supervision.

Approaches to Intervention

There have basically been three strategies for bringing down the numbers associated with teen pregnancy since they reached an all-time high in the ‘90’s:
* Abstinence-only educational programs. The Institute of Medicine reports that of 13 studies done evaluating abstinence-only educational programs, none have had a positive......read more

The Collision Between the Teenager and Mid-Life Parents

2011-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

There are many parents that are, at least, in their late 20’s or early 30’s when they begin having children. And there is an ever-increasing societal trend to wait even later to start a family. This puts parents square in the middle of life when their children become preteens and teenagers. Although more studies are being done, it’s safe to say that part of the problem that parents have in dealing with their teens is, to some extent, exacerbated by their own battle with middle age.

During this period, adolescents are exploring a seemingly limitless future, while, simultaneously, parents in mid-life are feeling the constraints of life. While your child is searching for freedom, you are busy bearing the brunt of parental, financial, and other responsibilities to the best of........read more

Natural Deodorant: A Better Alternative

2011-10-17T03:52:00.001-07:00

Are you paying attention to what goes under your arms? Commercial deodorants contain many toxic chemicals, but there is an alternative. Go natural.

Making the switch to natural beauty and personal care products is probably one of the smartest things you can do for your health. Commercial antiperspirant deodorant, for example, contains some very toxic ingredients. The majority contain one or more of the following:

Aluminum. A known neurotoxin, aluminum is what blocks the sweat and is contained in virtually all commercially available anti-perspirants. Unfortunately, aluminum is also one of the prime suspects in the ever-increasing rates of Alzheimer’s and

Social Media: Understanding It and Finding Balance

2011-09-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing all that new about social media sites if you consider that many of them were beginning to grow in popularity in the ’90s. So why is the question of teens and social media a trending topic now? The answer may be rooted in the fast advance of technology.

Social media has been around almost as long as the internet itself, but only with the implementation of technological devices and extensive and increased access to broadband internet connections has the ability to network on social media become the norm in homes, offices, and schools. Now that technology is easier to understand, use, and access, social media is all the rage, especially among teenagers.

As it is with many other issues in society, there are two sides to the social media coin. True also is the fact that it is the limitless access to social media that produces the negative effects. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, children and teens are spending upwards of seven hours a day attached to and engaged in some sort of digital device. Over the last decade, there have been numerous studies to confirm that........read more