Yes, you can fill a workshop when spending is down and buyers are wary. If your topic is clear, your marketing materials well-done, your product solid and your title catchy, success shouldn't be tough. The fact is that people are as hungry as ever for the inspiration and stimulus a workshop provides, even when they're nervous about money. And even though most bum economies recover over time, you may find the following tricks helpful enough to keep using even in good times!
1. Tailor the workshop to the economy. In other words, acknowledge the problem. So if your workshop is about helping women over 50 live their dreams, change it to Living Your Dreams Over 50 . Even When the Economy is Down. Or make it about finding your dreams after being laid off, or managing fear while pursuing your dreams in a poor economy. Your fundamental message doesn't have to change . you just dress it up in slightly different clothing.
2. Use unconventional marketing methods. Advertising and flyers may not be the most effective way to enroll a workshop in lean times. For one thing, affordable ads are not usually big enough to effectively describe a workshop, unless it's very targeted and easy to 'get', i.e. quitting smoking, or stress-reduction. If you're teaching motivational or inspirational work, consider using an affiliate program, viral email marketing, distributing articles through targeted ezines, working your personal network, or making yourself available as a guest on local TV or radio talk shows. Best of all is a combination of all of the above.
3. Make your niche one with a pipeline. Be careful not to pick a tiny niche market that is hard to access. Instead, a good rule of thumb is to look for a niche market with marketing channels already in place. For instance, one successful workshop leader I know targets retirees on the RV-Camping circuit. Many US campgrounds offer classes and other stimulating perks to visitors, and since RV'ers often stay for several nights or even weeks, this makes a workshop a likely hit. She simply has to talk to management, and they put her workshop in place for her. Participants magically show! Hospitals with neighborhood 'wellness' programs, bookstores with evening events, and community center Teen programs are also good venues.
4. Pitch a co-operative venture with another business. One fun way to reach your niche is to approach another business's clientele. For instance, if you're offering stress-reduction workshops, arrange a tie in with the local health club or weight loss group. Look for businesses that attract people who would logically be drawn to your product as well. Then approach that business and offer something great. You can sell them your workshop at a reduced rate (a special offer just for their members, which they can use as a perk.) Or you could hold a workshop on their premises at your usual fee, and pay them a percentage of the gate. Or you could simply offer to exchange advertising plugs for each other's business's. (This works well if you communicate with your clients via an email newsletter or direct mail.)
5. Offer a FREE mini-workshop. In tough times, people need more convincing to buy. So offer a free sample of your workshop (a forty minute talk, say) at a local venue such as a public library or church coffee hour. Give participants time to ask questions, and have lots of handouts available about your bigger, more elaborate (paid) workshop to be held a few weeks later. And be sure to make the occasional reference to it in your free talk. Finally, make your free talk compelling and packed with good stuff. It can be a very general overview or 'taste' of your more fleshed out paid workshop. (You don't have to give away all your goodies, of course, but don't be afraid to share a few key pieces.) Wary buyers cannot resist excellence.
6. Lower the price. Not always the most fun option, but one that works - especially if you have a themed sale, such as Wipe Out the Winter Blahs Special or a Kick Off the New Year With a Bang. If possible, try to position your price reduction as a limited time gift for your clients . one that ties in with a particular need or time of year. This lets them know you are, in fact, thinking of them and their best interests.
7. Offer bonuses. We all love something free, so come up with some highly desirable bonuses that are just irresistible. These can be free reports that get downloaded automatically, or sent with registration info. Or it could be a tangible product, such as a book, a mug,
8. Enroll a friend for a discount. Or if you don't want to offer a discount, encourage clients to bring a friend who can act as an on-going supporter with the work of the workshop. (And, of course, they can provide the same to their friend.) Such support is actually one of the best ways to get your material to 'stick', so your client's get more on-going value from the workshop, so this plan is a real win-win. Consider tailoring the workshop to pairs such as mothers and daughters, work buddies (great for stress reduction!), married couples, fathers and sons, or best friends. If you pitch it to couples, you could market it to resorts as part of a Second Honeymoon or Mom-Daughter Getaway package weekend.
21 Secrets of Fit People
1. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and drink from it often. Water *is* the drink of choice, but if you don't enjoy it (I admit it. I don't), drink Propel, Diet Ice, Reebok Water, Vitamin Water or some other form of healthy fluid intake.
2. Think twice before deciding what to eat and why, making sure that it is healthy and will provide you good nutrition.
3. Measure intake based on activity, not how you "feel." Need should mandate intake, not mood.
4. Eat well-balanced meals and remember that excessive calories, even if they are fat-free and high protein will turn to excess weight!
5. If your diet is unbalanced, try a daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health. 6. Limit caffeine and exposure to even second hand smoke.
6. Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise.
7. Keep a daily log of what you're actually eating. this includes grabbing a handful of chips here, the crust of your kids sandwich, and all your snacking.
8. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Remember that no matter how hard you're working out, if you're consuming too many calories, you'll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue.
9. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) "unhealthy" treat, but never an "unhealthy" week or "unhealthy" vacation.
10. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions.
11. See fitness and health as a privilege, not something to take for granted.
12. Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or friend to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who desire to feel better and have more energy.
13. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising or using things that keep you motivated and inspired like new shoes or great music.
14. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity.
15. Subscribe to fitness magazines to keep focused on health as an overall way of life.
16. Invest in the right tools, good shoes, a health club membership, a portable MP3 player, fitness equipment, a personal trainer, etc.
17. Don't compare your body to others. Instead, work to be your personal best.
18. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit, and not a number on a scale.
19. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 6-7 days a week.
20. Create an exercise schedule the day before, instead of leaving it to chance or waiting to "find" the time. If our last two Presidents of the United States can find the time to work-out 5 days a week, you can find the time too!
21. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
2. Think twice before deciding what to eat and why, making sure that it is healthy and will provide you good nutrition.
3. Measure intake based on activity, not how you "feel." Need should mandate intake, not mood.
4. Eat well-balanced meals and remember that excessive calories, even if they are fat-free and high protein will turn to excess weight!
5. If your diet is unbalanced, try a daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health. 6. Limit caffeine and exposure to even second hand smoke.
6. Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise.
7. Keep a daily log of what you're actually eating. this includes grabbing a handful of chips here, the crust of your kids sandwich, and all your snacking.
8. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Remember that no matter how hard you're working out, if you're consuming too many calories, you'll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue.
9. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) "unhealthy" treat, but never an "unhealthy" week or "unhealthy" vacation.
10. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions.
11. See fitness and health as a privilege, not something to take for granted.
12. Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or friend to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who desire to feel better and have more energy.
13. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising or using things that keep you motivated and inspired like new shoes or great music.
14. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity.
15. Subscribe to fitness magazines to keep focused on health as an overall way of life.
16. Invest in the right tools, good shoes, a health club membership, a portable MP3 player, fitness equipment, a personal trainer, etc.
17. Don't compare your body to others. Instead, work to be your personal best.
18. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit, and not a number on a scale.
19. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 6-7 days a week.
20. Create an exercise schedule the day before, instead of leaving it to chance or waiting to "find" the time. If our last two Presidents of the United States can find the time to work-out 5 days a week, you can find the time too!
21. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
How To Tell Sadness From Depression
HOW TO TELL SADNESS FROM DEPRESSION
You have and will experience sadness. It might be the loss
of a job, pet or a loved one. Yes, even a loved one. The
trouble is, particularly here in the United States, we have
a quick-fix for everything... why not sadness too?
Our quick-fix for sadness is that it's simply not allowed.
Healthy purging of sad feelings is great for you physically
and wonderful for your mental health. When you stuff the
expression of healthy sadness it may lead to health
problems, interpersonal issues and depression.
So, the first lesson is FEEL your sadness over whatever
issue is at hand. It doesn't make you weak or less a man
or woman to do so. Yes, I have to say "woman" today too,
because women have also begun to place the same negative
meaning on expressing feelings of sadness; so they hold
back too.
There are Five Basic Stages you will go through with a
significant change or loss in your life. They are:
1) Shock/Denial
2) Anger
3) Asking "What if..." questions
or making "If only" statements.
4) Sadness
5) Acceptance
Please keep in mind several points about the five
statements made above. First, each one is NORMAL! You may
cycle through the steps several times and may not do so in
the order listed above.
The only time these steps become a problem is when you
become stuck at a particular step. Here's an example.
I met a woman about a year ago. She'd been married over 25
years. She and her husband were planning on traveling
after he retired. He died within a year of retirement from
cancer. She came to see me three years after his death.
She had become stuck at step 3 above. She questioned, over
and over again, whether she had done everything she could
for him and all their family during those last days before
his death. After about a year of ruminating minute-by-
minute, she became quite seriously depressed. Then later,
she was referred to me by her physician.
We worked through her questions from step 3. She then went
through a normal period of being angry over the loss of her
husband and how that had changed her life and retirement
plans. She felt appropriately sad about the loss of her
best friend.
She's not terribly happy about working, but she's been
working full-time now for about six months. She is hoping
to begin dating. She's insecure about it. "It's been so
long since I've dated!" She quips. But, she is on her way
to a new life and her level of acceptance is growing each
day.
Other times depression may set in from a traumatic event,
or a series of negative life events that overlap and
overwhelm your usual ability to cope. If this is you, you
are often bewildered as to why you can't simply shake out
of it as you normally would. Or if it was a trauma event,
you will often find that simple security issues (e.g.,
walking out into a dark parking lot at night after
shopping) will trigger panic and later deep depression.
Sudden trauma threatens your sense of general safety in the
world at large.
If you are wondering if you have Major Depression here are
some guidelines to help you to the correct answer. For the
best possible solution please seek professional evaluation.
I offer professional consultation for individuals through
email, making this step easy and convenient.
MAJOR DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS:
1) Depressed mood nearly every day.
2) Diminished interest in regular activities.
3) Significant weight loss or weight gain.
4) Sleeping difficulties.
5) A feeling of being "slowed down."
6) Fatigue and energy loss nearly every day.
7) Feeling worthless or excessive and inappropriate guilt.
8) Difficulty in staying on task or making decisions.
9) Frequent thoughts of death, including but not limited to
suicidal thoughts.
Having a few of these symptoms does not necessarily qualify
your for the diagnosis of Major Depression. You need to
have at least five symptoms consistently over a two-week
period of time or longer.
You have and will experience sadness. It might be the loss
of a job, pet or a loved one. Yes, even a loved one. The
trouble is, particularly here in the United States, we have
a quick-fix for everything... why not sadness too?
Our quick-fix for sadness is that it's simply not allowed.
Healthy purging of sad feelings is great for you physically
and wonderful for your mental health. When you stuff the
expression of healthy sadness it may lead to health
problems, interpersonal issues and depression.
So, the first lesson is FEEL your sadness over whatever
issue is at hand. It doesn't make you weak or less a man
or woman to do so. Yes, I have to say "woman" today too,
because women have also begun to place the same negative
meaning on expressing feelings of sadness; so they hold
back too.
There are Five Basic Stages you will go through with a
significant change or loss in your life. They are:
1) Shock/Denial
2) Anger
3) Asking "What if..." questions
or making "If only" statements.
4) Sadness
5) Acceptance
Please keep in mind several points about the five
statements made above. First, each one is NORMAL! You may
cycle through the steps several times and may not do so in
the order listed above.
The only time these steps become a problem is when you
become stuck at a particular step. Here's an example.
I met a woman about a year ago. She'd been married over 25
years. She and her husband were planning on traveling
after he retired. He died within a year of retirement from
cancer. She came to see me three years after his death.
She had become stuck at step 3 above. She questioned, over
and over again, whether she had done everything she could
for him and all their family during those last days before
his death. After about a year of ruminating minute-by-
minute, she became quite seriously depressed. Then later,
she was referred to me by her physician.
We worked through her questions from step 3. She then went
through a normal period of being angry over the loss of her
husband and how that had changed her life and retirement
plans. She felt appropriately sad about the loss of her
best friend.
She's not terribly happy about working, but she's been
working full-time now for about six months. She is hoping
to begin dating. She's insecure about it. "It's been so
long since I've dated!" She quips. But, she is on her way
to a new life and her level of acceptance is growing each
day.
Other times depression may set in from a traumatic event,
or a series of negative life events that overlap and
overwhelm your usual ability to cope. If this is you, you
are often bewildered as to why you can't simply shake out
of it as you normally would. Or if it was a trauma event,
you will often find that simple security issues (e.g.,
walking out into a dark parking lot at night after
shopping) will trigger panic and later deep depression.
Sudden trauma threatens your sense of general safety in the
world at large.
If you are wondering if you have Major Depression here are
some guidelines to help you to the correct answer. For the
best possible solution please seek professional evaluation.
I offer professional consultation for individuals through
email, making this step easy and convenient.
MAJOR DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS:
1) Depressed mood nearly every day.
2) Diminished interest in regular activities.
3) Significant weight loss or weight gain.
4) Sleeping difficulties.
5) A feeling of being "slowed down."
6) Fatigue and energy loss nearly every day.
7) Feeling worthless or excessive and inappropriate guilt.
8) Difficulty in staying on task or making decisions.
9) Frequent thoughts of death, including but not limited to
suicidal thoughts.
Having a few of these symptoms does not necessarily qualify
your for the diagnosis of Major Depression. You need to
have at least five symptoms consistently over a two-week
period of time or longer.
Just Say No to Carb Phobia
Anyone who has been in a grocery store recently knows that food companies are tripping over themselves in the rush to introduce "low carb" versions of everything from bread to candy to soda to cereal. Do not think for a minute that these companies are motivated by the health interests of consumers. The reality is that they are mainly concerned with the wallets of consumers and will market anything that they think a gullible public will buy. Low carb junk food is still junk food.
I know some of you reading this may already be raising your defenses because you have lost weight by cutting your carb consumption. Let me first congratulate you on your weight loss, and secondly say that this is not an anti-Atkins or anti-South Beach piece. This article is simply meant to educate readers on the reality of carbohydrates, "good" carb choices vs. "bad" carb choices, what they do, why your body needs them, and how to make better nutrition choices than food company marketing efforts want you to.
The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates provide the body with its main source of fuel, glucose (blood sugar), which is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any muscle contraction, whether during exercise, getting out of bed, or blinking an eye, is fueled primarily by glycogen. So, for those of you engaging in resistance training, this should immediately point out the fact that you need carbs for fuel in order to maximize your efforts in your resistance program. The next fact to understand is that your brain (which burns more calories than any organ in the body) and nervous system can only use glucose for energy. This is why, especially in the early or induction phases of carb restricted diets, dieters often feel sluggish and less alert than normal. By cutting out carbs, you are cutting off your brain's main source of fuel.
Some of you are probably thinking, "That's exactly what I want, because now my body will need to burn fat for energy!" Yes and no. Yes, your body will burn some fat for energy; however it will also generate glucose by breaking down protein stores in the muscles, organs and other tissues. This will severely compromise tissue growth, repair, and maintenance, and as discussed in previous articles, slow down your metabolism. Certainly, that is not the result you are looking for.
As I said, this is not an anti-(insert your favorite low-carb guru here) piece. But, the truth is, carbohydrates are a nutrient, and a nutrient is defined as a "substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustainment of life". So, does it make sense to follow a program that calls for the wholesale abandonment of vital nutrient? Of course not. What is needed is an understanding of the difference between supportive, quality carbohydrates that provide essential nutrients and fuel, and overly processed and refined carbohydrates that provide empty calories and support fat storage.
What do I mean by overly processed and refined carbs? Think about white bread, donuts, muffins, pastries, white rice, candy, sugary breakfast cereals, white pasta, potato chips, crackers, soda. Foods like these digest very quickly and give your body a rapid spike in blood sugar, which, when fat loss is the goal, is something we want to avoid. After your body takes the blood sugar it needs to replenish muscle glycogen, whatever is left over from that spike will get stored as fat.
What makes supportive, quality carbs different? They digest more slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood sugar and providing a more even source of fuel. Look for breads and cereals made from whole grains, pasta made from whole wheat flour, brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, fruits in moderation and vegetables in abundance. Whole grain carbs will keep you feeling satisfied longer, and not looking to devour a bag of chips within an hour of eating your plain bagel.
So, the lesson is to not get taken over by carb phobia and fill your shopping cart up with all of the new low carb products. Just like in the early 80's when the food manufacturers were frantically trying to come up with low fat versions of every product under the sun, they are doing the same now in order to sell more products, not because they are concerned with your health. Back then, consumers were tanking up on SnackWell cookies. They are low fat, so they must be okay right? Well, since the low fat boom of the 80's, the obesity rate in this country has skyrocketed. That is not because the true culprit is now carbs. No, the reason is because junk food, whether low fat, low carb, or low whatever, is still junk food.
I know some of you reading this may already be raising your defenses because you have lost weight by cutting your carb consumption. Let me first congratulate you on your weight loss, and secondly say that this is not an anti-Atkins or anti-South Beach piece. This article is simply meant to educate readers on the reality of carbohydrates, "good" carb choices vs. "bad" carb choices, what they do, why your body needs them, and how to make better nutrition choices than food company marketing efforts want you to.
The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates provide the body with its main source of fuel, glucose (blood sugar), which is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any muscle contraction, whether during exercise, getting out of bed, or blinking an eye, is fueled primarily by glycogen. So, for those of you engaging in resistance training, this should immediately point out the fact that you need carbs for fuel in order to maximize your efforts in your resistance program. The next fact to understand is that your brain (which burns more calories than any organ in the body) and nervous system can only use glucose for energy. This is why, especially in the early or induction phases of carb restricted diets, dieters often feel sluggish and less alert than normal. By cutting out carbs, you are cutting off your brain's main source of fuel.
Some of you are probably thinking, "That's exactly what I want, because now my body will need to burn fat for energy!" Yes and no. Yes, your body will burn some fat for energy; however it will also generate glucose by breaking down protein stores in the muscles, organs and other tissues. This will severely compromise tissue growth, repair, and maintenance, and as discussed in previous articles, slow down your metabolism. Certainly, that is not the result you are looking for.
As I said, this is not an anti-(insert your favorite low-carb guru here) piece. But, the truth is, carbohydrates are a nutrient, and a nutrient is defined as a "substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustainment of life". So, does it make sense to follow a program that calls for the wholesale abandonment of vital nutrient? Of course not. What is needed is an understanding of the difference between supportive, quality carbohydrates that provide essential nutrients and fuel, and overly processed and refined carbohydrates that provide empty calories and support fat storage.
What do I mean by overly processed and refined carbs? Think about white bread, donuts, muffins, pastries, white rice, candy, sugary breakfast cereals, white pasta, potato chips, crackers, soda. Foods like these digest very quickly and give your body a rapid spike in blood sugar, which, when fat loss is the goal, is something we want to avoid. After your body takes the blood sugar it needs to replenish muscle glycogen, whatever is left over from that spike will get stored as fat.
What makes supportive, quality carbs different? They digest more slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood sugar and providing a more even source of fuel. Look for breads and cereals made from whole grains, pasta made from whole wheat flour, brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, fruits in moderation and vegetables in abundance. Whole grain carbs will keep you feeling satisfied longer, and not looking to devour a bag of chips within an hour of eating your plain bagel.
So, the lesson is to not get taken over by carb phobia and fill your shopping cart up with all of the new low carb products. Just like in the early 80's when the food manufacturers were frantically trying to come up with low fat versions of every product under the sun, they are doing the same now in order to sell more products, not because they are concerned with your health. Back then, consumers were tanking up on SnackWell cookies. They are low fat, so they must be okay right? Well, since the low fat boom of the 80's, the obesity rate in this country has skyrocketed. That is not because the true culprit is now carbs. No, the reason is because junk food, whether low fat, low carb, or low whatever, is still junk food.
Beating the Freshman 15
It's a fairly accepted 'fact' among college age women that they will gain weight their first year away from home. It's so well accepted, in fact, that nearly anyone will know immediately what you mean when you refer to the 'Freshman 15'. The research doesn't quite bear it out, though. One study conducted 15 years ago found that incoming freshman did gain weight at higher rates than their peers who did not attend college, but the average weight gain for the stressful freshman year was 7 pounds, less than half the mythical 15 pounds they'd been told to expect.
Even more encouraging is that a more recent study of college weight gain monitored the weight and body fat of freshman women. More than half the students put on weight, but for most it was less than five pounds. One third of the students lost weight. Interestingly, those students who most worried about gaining weight believed that they had gained weight even when the scales showed that they hadn't.
If you're concerned about gaining weight in that first year away from home, here are some concrete suggestions that can help you avoid the dreaded Freshman 15.
Adopt a Healthy Attitude Toward Food.
Researchers place part of the blame for the Freshman 15 on the tendency to turn to food for comfort. In an unfamiliar setting, with new stresses and new worries, students may turn to the familiar foods that make them feel good to help them get through. Train yourself to eat when hungry - and deal with stress through other means.
De-stress.
The corollary to the statement above is that the less you allow changes and worries to affect you, the less stress you'll have to deal with. One of the best ways to stress-proof your body is by eating a healthy diet. Regular exercise and making sure you get enough sleep play a big part, too. When you're body is well-nourished and well-rested, you'll find it much easier to deal with stress without resorting to major snacking.
Watch out for the parties.
Away from parental supervision for the first time, many college age students give in to the urge to party. Try to keep in mind that beer, even light beer, has 100 calories per every 12 ounces that you drink. You're also a whole lot more likely to snack on high fat junk food like chips when you're drinking. As for other drugs - there are all sorts of reasons not to smoke. Add the fact that it's fattening to the list.
Exercise.
Take advantage of the gym facilities and any student privileges you might have by getting regular workouts. Swimming, tennis, aerobics - any sport that you play, any activity that you do will both burn calories, and help reduce the stress of your first year at school.
Socialize.
Find a group of friends and be a part of it. The more you feel like you belong, the less you'll be missing home, and the less you'll be snacking to make up for it.
The Freshman 15 isn't inevitable. Just remember to eat healthy, exercise, sleep well and have fun. The weight loss will take care of itself.
Even more encouraging is that a more recent study of college weight gain monitored the weight and body fat of freshman women. More than half the students put on weight, but for most it was less than five pounds. One third of the students lost weight. Interestingly, those students who most worried about gaining weight believed that they had gained weight even when the scales showed that they hadn't.
If you're concerned about gaining weight in that first year away from home, here are some concrete suggestions that can help you avoid the dreaded Freshman 15.
Adopt a Healthy Attitude Toward Food.
Researchers place part of the blame for the Freshman 15 on the tendency to turn to food for comfort. In an unfamiliar setting, with new stresses and new worries, students may turn to the familiar foods that make them feel good to help them get through. Train yourself to eat when hungry - and deal with stress through other means.
De-stress.
The corollary to the statement above is that the less you allow changes and worries to affect you, the less stress you'll have to deal with. One of the best ways to stress-proof your body is by eating a healthy diet. Regular exercise and making sure you get enough sleep play a big part, too. When you're body is well-nourished and well-rested, you'll find it much easier to deal with stress without resorting to major snacking.
Watch out for the parties.
Away from parental supervision for the first time, many college age students give in to the urge to party. Try to keep in mind that beer, even light beer, has 100 calories per every 12 ounces that you drink. You're also a whole lot more likely to snack on high fat junk food like chips when you're drinking. As for other drugs - there are all sorts of reasons not to smoke. Add the fact that it's fattening to the list.
Exercise.
Take advantage of the gym facilities and any student privileges you might have by getting regular workouts. Swimming, tennis, aerobics - any sport that you play, any activity that you do will both burn calories, and help reduce the stress of your first year at school.
Socialize.
Find a group of friends and be a part of it. The more you feel like you belong, the less you'll be missing home, and the less you'll be snacking to make up for it.
The Freshman 15 isn't inevitable. Just remember to eat healthy, exercise, sleep well and have fun. The weight loss will take care of itself.
So You Wannabe A Small Business Owner?
Honest advice and practical suggestions for people who want to start a real world small business.
Owning a real world small business can easily be your ticket out of the work a day world. You'll still be working, but for yourself! This can, all at once, be gratifying, frightening, annoying and rewarding. The result of all your efforts depends more on you, then anything else. Even in the planning stages, it's you that will have to make all the tough decisions and live with the consequences once your small business is up and running. If you're an unyielding perfectionist, don't quit your day job. Starting a business takes a lot more then just attention to detail, it requires flexibility, patience, self motivation and discipline. If that's you, let's move on to the next step.
No matter where you live, buying, starting or planning a small business can be a big headache. Between the red tape created by tax laws and what seems like a never ending parade of forms and inspectors, the task can be daunting. And that's just one small part of the process. Once you leap over all the financial and bureaucratic hurdles, there's still that annoying little detail of actually being able to make a profit. Many small businesses fail because by the time the owner gets the shop or service up and running, they are already too financially, emotionally and physically exhausted to make it work. So what's a future small business owner to do?
If you've already got an idea and want to try and make it work, look for the path of least resistance to your goal. Start small. Many small businesses are unsuccessful because the owner fails to test market their idea on a smaller scale. I know someone who began a telemarketing business in his home. He started with a small contract to raise money for a charity, one phone and the local phone book. As the money began to trickle in, he dedicated a room in his house to the project, bought a couple of folding tables and chairs and added some additional phone lines and employees. All the while he did a lot of research on the telemarketing business, finding out what equipment was needed, desired and affordable. When it was time to expand again, he rented inexpensive storefront space in a strip mall that was down on it's luck. As his company grew, he took over two more adjacent storefronts, computerized the whole operation and had a number of contracts going at the same time. If you can't keep your overhead low, you will never show a reasonable profit.
Nothing can knock the wind out of a person or family like the failure of a small business. That's because many people try it the good old fashioned way. They max out their credit cards, take out another mortgage on the old homestead, borrow money from every friend or relative who ever owed them a favor and dump it all into what they are certain will be the next Starbucks. When things go bad from a starting point like that, there's no place to go but down! Before you bet the farm on your dream, take a step back, examine your plan and consider the alternatives. Create a parachute for yourself. Don't over borrow, keep a cash reserve to cover living expenses and personal bills for at least six months and pay off as many personal debts as possible before you start your business. If you're already seriously in debt, it's not a good time to start a business. A new business is unlikely to help you pay off large, existing debts. In many cases, it may temporary place you deeper in debt then you have ever been before. The type of small business you choose to open should be dictated by your present finances, not future situation or borrowing ability.
You walk past that cute little store in the mall and say, "I could do that!" But while you're looking at all the great stuff in the window, did you take the time to notice whether or not there were any customers in the store? If so, were they buying anything? If you're planning to buy an established small business, make sure it's not a lemon. And even if it's not, jumping into an industry you have no first hand knowledge of can be a big mistake. It's possible that the shop owner has a customer following, connections and supply sources that are unique to them. It may be a family operation. If it takes three or four experienced people working together to keep a store profitable, there is no way you will be able to step into those shoes without taking a gigantic risk.
But what about Joe's Burger Stand? I mean the guy seems to rake in the cash. And then there's Betty's Boutique. Her store always seems to be crowded. Aren't these good bets? For Joe and Betty, they might be fine. But how much do you know about the burger or boutique business? If you have even the vaguest notion of trying your hand at an existing or brand new retail or food establishment, it's going to cost you some money and that's just the beginning! You'll need the physical constitution of a horse, understanding friends or family and time to take the necessary management and food service certification courses at your local community college. A little knowledge may be dangerous, but none is deadly when it comes to the world of small business.
It might surprise you to learn that the most successful small businesses started by first time owners are not retail stores or food shops. They are lawn and landscape services, movers, cleaning or maid services, onsite windshield replacement, painting, household repair and come to you or neighborhood minor auto repairs. All these businesses have low overheads, most are not expensive franchises and many require substantially less initial investments then retail establishments. They also tend to skirt many of the inspections and licenses needed by storefronts. The success of a service related business depends on how much competition there is, the skill level of those offering the service and how much people are willing to pay for it. To make a long story short, the best service related business to own is whatever service most people in your area want, need, can afford and can't get.
One of the big questions you need to ask yourself before investing in a new or established small business is, "How many headaches am I prepared to deal with?" Unless you are the luckiest person that ever lived, the odds are that you are going to be sued, robbed, vandalized, run afoul of an inspection or have a code violation at one time or another. If you not up to dealing with those sorts of hassles, then a storefront is not going to be the right choice for you. If a service type business doesn't appeal to you either, there are still some interesting choices. If you can't be the store, how about supplying it? Unique craft ideas and items are highly sought after. There are huge numbers of small consignment craft malls and stores springing up everywhere. Unique, one of a kind clothing products are also in demand. Decorated shirts, pants, dresses and bags move fast and fetch big bucks. Whatever the stores won't buy, you can always try selling online.
Tap into the market for used or bargain goods. Second hand or bargain furniture and clothing stores were the fastest growing and most successful storefront-style small businesses in 2002. Everyone needs furniture and clothes, but what happens when cash is tight and you can't get credit? You go to second hand stores. Although it's not something I would encourage given the neighborhood repercussions, I know of more then a few people that make a ton of extra money by having a garage sale twice a month.
You can collect used clothing or buy discontinued and imperfect new clothing cheap by the box. Just adding a few studs or an appliqué to some used quality jeans or imperfect new items can make them worth ten or twenty times what you paid. Purchase used furniture at house or apartment sales, clean it up and resell for a nice profit. Buy discontinued furniture kits, put the stuff together and sell a five dollar set of book shelves for ten. Given the recent baby booms, quality new and used children's clothing at cheap prices is always in demand and presents a good business opportunity. People are looking for bargains. If you can offer them new or used clothes for prices from a dollar to twenty five dollars, you're likely to make some fast money.
Almost any small business or service you start in the real world, can use the internet as a source of attracting customers. The biggest mistake that anyone with a service or business can make is to avoid having a website. Even if it's just an online business card with contact information, that gives you access to many more people in your area who own computers, go online and are likely to look there before ever picking up a phone book. It's also a time saver. If you offer a service like wedding, family or portrait photography, you can display some of your work on your website. This allows potential customers to take a look at your work, without taking up your time. If they like what they see, they'll call or email. Posting your price list will eliminate having to deal with bargain hunters on the phone. You can visit my website at http://bkspeaks.cjb.net for a list of places to get free websites and free site building help.
Word of mouth is still the most powerful way of attracting customers. No matter what small business idea you plan to pursue, make sure that you are ready, willing and able to offer your customers a good deal and excellent service when they need it. People are so used to substandard service, that even when a barely competent person goes the extra mile for them, they sing that person's praises to all their friends. Go the extra mile, charge prices that will bring them back, be totally honest and offer the kind of service you would like to receive. These are non-negotiable items when it comes to being a successful small business owner.
Beware of 'junk' franchises. These are offerings made by companies that get rich from selling equipment to unwary people wanting a turnkey style, get rich quick small business. The worst of these are the used pay phone and cheap vending machine deals, but non-existent routes for food, prepaid phone cards and novelty items are also right up there. Companies run ads in Entrepreneurial magazines offering exclusive distributorships for rechargeable or prepaid phone cards, cheap candy, junk novelties or out of date CDs right in your own area. They claim to offer routes with established businesses ready to buy their products. That actually means they give you exclusive rights to try and sell their stuff to any small stores in your area that will buy. The vast majority will not, and don't be surprised if your 'exclusive territory' is just a few business blocks wide! Meanwhile, your stuck with a contractual commitment to buy a certain number of items from the company each month as part of your franchise. Many of these companies will insist on a prepayment of three to six months worth of products before they will award you the franchise, with a need to buy more each month allowing for non-existent growth.
If you want to invest in a small, turnkey style franchise like cleaning, resurfacing, weight loss schemes, vitamin products or most anything, try and link what you already do or the resources you already have to your future business. If you're a Realtor, for example, a carpet or house cleaning business might be a natural extension of your profession. People selling or renting a home need it cleaned. If you're a fixit person, you can offer your customers name brand tile or carpet cleaning. Franchise pavement or roof resurfacing and deck resealing is also a plus that can add to your income. Auto mechanics working for themselves can make some nice extra bucks by offering windshield repairs, tinting or auto painting. Most small franchises should be thought of as an extra income with a growth opportunity.
Before you call that 800 number for franchise information or visit your local business broker, spend a lot of time looking in the yellow pages and visiting some small businesses in your area. If you see a lot of empty storefronts, that will tell you that normal retail doesn't work well there. What services are most needed? How much are they charging and do they seem to be operating at a profit? If you are still a bit stumped or concerned, try a business consultant. That's one of the services that I offer. A good business consultant is not going to charge you an arm and a leg, but they will point in directions you may not of thought of and may need to go to give you a better shot at success.
Owning a real world small business can easily be your ticket out of the work a day world. You'll still be working, but for yourself! This can, all at once, be gratifying, frightening, annoying and rewarding. The result of all your efforts depends more on you, then anything else. Even in the planning stages, it's you that will have to make all the tough decisions and live with the consequences once your small business is up and running. If you're an unyielding perfectionist, don't quit your day job. Starting a business takes a lot more then just attention to detail, it requires flexibility, patience, self motivation and discipline. If that's you, let's move on to the next step.
No matter where you live, buying, starting or planning a small business can be a big headache. Between the red tape created by tax laws and what seems like a never ending parade of forms and inspectors, the task can be daunting. And that's just one small part of the process. Once you leap over all the financial and bureaucratic hurdles, there's still that annoying little detail of actually being able to make a profit. Many small businesses fail because by the time the owner gets the shop or service up and running, they are already too financially, emotionally and physically exhausted to make it work. So what's a future small business owner to do?
If you've already got an idea and want to try and make it work, look for the path of least resistance to your goal. Start small. Many small businesses are unsuccessful because the owner fails to test market their idea on a smaller scale. I know someone who began a telemarketing business in his home. He started with a small contract to raise money for a charity, one phone and the local phone book. As the money began to trickle in, he dedicated a room in his house to the project, bought a couple of folding tables and chairs and added some additional phone lines and employees. All the while he did a lot of research on the telemarketing business, finding out what equipment was needed, desired and affordable. When it was time to expand again, he rented inexpensive storefront space in a strip mall that was down on it's luck. As his company grew, he took over two more adjacent storefronts, computerized the whole operation and had a number of contracts going at the same time. If you can't keep your overhead low, you will never show a reasonable profit.
Nothing can knock the wind out of a person or family like the failure of a small business. That's because many people try it the good old fashioned way. They max out their credit cards, take out another mortgage on the old homestead, borrow money from every friend or relative who ever owed them a favor and dump it all into what they are certain will be the next Starbucks. When things go bad from a starting point like that, there's no place to go but down! Before you bet the farm on your dream, take a step back, examine your plan and consider the alternatives. Create a parachute for yourself. Don't over borrow, keep a cash reserve to cover living expenses and personal bills for at least six months and pay off as many personal debts as possible before you start your business. If you're already seriously in debt, it's not a good time to start a business. A new business is unlikely to help you pay off large, existing debts. In many cases, it may temporary place you deeper in debt then you have ever been before. The type of small business you choose to open should be dictated by your present finances, not future situation or borrowing ability.
You walk past that cute little store in the mall and say, "I could do that!" But while you're looking at all the great stuff in the window, did you take the time to notice whether or not there were any customers in the store? If so, were they buying anything? If you're planning to buy an established small business, make sure it's not a lemon. And even if it's not, jumping into an industry you have no first hand knowledge of can be a big mistake. It's possible that the shop owner has a customer following, connections and supply sources that are unique to them. It may be a family operation. If it takes three or four experienced people working together to keep a store profitable, there is no way you will be able to step into those shoes without taking a gigantic risk.
But what about Joe's Burger Stand? I mean the guy seems to rake in the cash. And then there's Betty's Boutique. Her store always seems to be crowded. Aren't these good bets? For Joe and Betty, they might be fine. But how much do you know about the burger or boutique business? If you have even the vaguest notion of trying your hand at an existing or brand new retail or food establishment, it's going to cost you some money and that's just the beginning! You'll need the physical constitution of a horse, understanding friends or family and time to take the necessary management and food service certification courses at your local community college. A little knowledge may be dangerous, but none is deadly when it comes to the world of small business.
It might surprise you to learn that the most successful small businesses started by first time owners are not retail stores or food shops. They are lawn and landscape services, movers, cleaning or maid services, onsite windshield replacement, painting, household repair and come to you or neighborhood minor auto repairs. All these businesses have low overheads, most are not expensive franchises and many require substantially less initial investments then retail establishments. They also tend to skirt many of the inspections and licenses needed by storefronts. The success of a service related business depends on how much competition there is, the skill level of those offering the service and how much people are willing to pay for it. To make a long story short, the best service related business to own is whatever service most people in your area want, need, can afford and can't get.
One of the big questions you need to ask yourself before investing in a new or established small business is, "How many headaches am I prepared to deal with?" Unless you are the luckiest person that ever lived, the odds are that you are going to be sued, robbed, vandalized, run afoul of an inspection or have a code violation at one time or another. If you not up to dealing with those sorts of hassles, then a storefront is not going to be the right choice for you. If a service type business doesn't appeal to you either, there are still some interesting choices. If you can't be the store, how about supplying it? Unique craft ideas and items are highly sought after. There are huge numbers of small consignment craft malls and stores springing up everywhere. Unique, one of a kind clothing products are also in demand. Decorated shirts, pants, dresses and bags move fast and fetch big bucks. Whatever the stores won't buy, you can always try selling online.
Tap into the market for used or bargain goods. Second hand or bargain furniture and clothing stores were the fastest growing and most successful storefront-style small businesses in 2002. Everyone needs furniture and clothes, but what happens when cash is tight and you can't get credit? You go to second hand stores. Although it's not something I would encourage given the neighborhood repercussions, I know of more then a few people that make a ton of extra money by having a garage sale twice a month.
You can collect used clothing or buy discontinued and imperfect new clothing cheap by the box. Just adding a few studs or an appliqué to some used quality jeans or imperfect new items can make them worth ten or twenty times what you paid. Purchase used furniture at house or apartment sales, clean it up and resell for a nice profit. Buy discontinued furniture kits, put the stuff together and sell a five dollar set of book shelves for ten. Given the recent baby booms, quality new and used children's clothing at cheap prices is always in demand and presents a good business opportunity. People are looking for bargains. If you can offer them new or used clothes for prices from a dollar to twenty five dollars, you're likely to make some fast money.
Almost any small business or service you start in the real world, can use the internet as a source of attracting customers. The biggest mistake that anyone with a service or business can make is to avoid having a website. Even if it's just an online business card with contact information, that gives you access to many more people in your area who own computers, go online and are likely to look there before ever picking up a phone book. It's also a time saver. If you offer a service like wedding, family or portrait photography, you can display some of your work on your website. This allows potential customers to take a look at your work, without taking up your time. If they like what they see, they'll call or email. Posting your price list will eliminate having to deal with bargain hunters on the phone. You can visit my website at http://bkspeaks.cjb.net for a list of places to get free websites and free site building help.
Word of mouth is still the most powerful way of attracting customers. No matter what small business idea you plan to pursue, make sure that you are ready, willing and able to offer your customers a good deal and excellent service when they need it. People are so used to substandard service, that even when a barely competent person goes the extra mile for them, they sing that person's praises to all their friends. Go the extra mile, charge prices that will bring them back, be totally honest and offer the kind of service you would like to receive. These are non-negotiable items when it comes to being a successful small business owner.
Beware of 'junk' franchises. These are offerings made by companies that get rich from selling equipment to unwary people wanting a turnkey style, get rich quick small business. The worst of these are the used pay phone and cheap vending machine deals, but non-existent routes for food, prepaid phone cards and novelty items are also right up there. Companies run ads in Entrepreneurial magazines offering exclusive distributorships for rechargeable or prepaid phone cards, cheap candy, junk novelties or out of date CDs right in your own area. They claim to offer routes with established businesses ready to buy their products. That actually means they give you exclusive rights to try and sell their stuff to any small stores in your area that will buy. The vast majority will not, and don't be surprised if your 'exclusive territory' is just a few business blocks wide! Meanwhile, your stuck with a contractual commitment to buy a certain number of items from the company each month as part of your franchise. Many of these companies will insist on a prepayment of three to six months worth of products before they will award you the franchise, with a need to buy more each month allowing for non-existent growth.
If you want to invest in a small, turnkey style franchise like cleaning, resurfacing, weight loss schemes, vitamin products or most anything, try and link what you already do or the resources you already have to your future business. If you're a Realtor, for example, a carpet or house cleaning business might be a natural extension of your profession. People selling or renting a home need it cleaned. If you're a fixit person, you can offer your customers name brand tile or carpet cleaning. Franchise pavement or roof resurfacing and deck resealing is also a plus that can add to your income. Auto mechanics working for themselves can make some nice extra bucks by offering windshield repairs, tinting or auto painting. Most small franchises should be thought of as an extra income with a growth opportunity.
Before you call that 800 number for franchise information or visit your local business broker, spend a lot of time looking in the yellow pages and visiting some small businesses in your area. If you see a lot of empty storefronts, that will tell you that normal retail doesn't work well there. What services are most needed? How much are they charging and do they seem to be operating at a profit? If you are still a bit stumped or concerned, try a business consultant. That's one of the services that I offer. A good business consultant is not going to charge you an arm and a leg, but they will point in directions you may not of thought of and may need to go to give you a better shot at success.
All Successful Entrepreneurs Do This
Everyone wants to make money! Some want to make money
by owning their own business. All successful entrepreneurs
have the self discipline to build their business. Most of us have
heard the saying "you need money to make money". Basically
what this means is you must invest money in your business if
it's to make money. Some 24% of all startup small
businesses fail within two years. That's because the life
of your business depends on you during these early years.
If you must depend on the business it will probably fail.
The first years of a business rarely show profit, because you
are re-investing your money back in it.
Most of us spend money on entertainment, whether it's
eating out at nice restaurants, movies, cars, bikes, games,
big toys, etc..... Some of us can come up with cash for
our online business by not eating out one time a month!
That should not be so hard to do, as lots of us are spending
more and more money on weight loss products!
If you want your business to grow you must feed it. You must
spend money to make money, even if it's a small amount, it
will still grow some. You cannot win the lottery without
first buying a ticket!
All successful entrepreneurs spend a certain amount each
month on their business. Sure you say they are making money
so they have it to spend. But actually you start out
investing a larger percentage of your profits then you will
later on as your business grows. Most people who start an
Off-line business usually invest a large amount of capital
before they see any money coming in. You have to continually
re-invest your money.
That's where an On-line business is unique. You can start
with very little capital and invest as you learn. You do
still have to invest some money and time, or you will not
grow. You have to spend wisely though, where you will see
results. You must read and do some research before you
spend. There are lots of ways to throw your money away if
you are new and not careful. There are also many ways to
receive valuable information online that's Free. One way is
reading Free articles by those who are successful. You will
find many of these Free articles at:
http://www.best-home-business-ideas.net
Also if you're in an MLM or affiliate program, you should
have an up-line leader. They will help you along with good
advice because it's in their best interest for you to
succeed!
by owning their own business. All successful entrepreneurs
have the self discipline to build their business. Most of us have
heard the saying "you need money to make money". Basically
what this means is you must invest money in your business if
it's to make money. Some 24% of all startup small
businesses fail within two years. That's because the life
of your business depends on you during these early years.
If you must depend on the business it will probably fail.
The first years of a business rarely show profit, because you
are re-investing your money back in it.
Most of us spend money on entertainment, whether it's
eating out at nice restaurants, movies, cars, bikes, games,
big toys, etc..... Some of us can come up with cash for
our online business by not eating out one time a month!
That should not be so hard to do, as lots of us are spending
more and more money on weight loss products!
If you want your business to grow you must feed it. You must
spend money to make money, even if it's a small amount, it
will still grow some. You cannot win the lottery without
first buying a ticket!
All successful entrepreneurs spend a certain amount each
month on their business. Sure you say they are making money
so they have it to spend. But actually you start out
investing a larger percentage of your profits then you will
later on as your business grows. Most people who start an
Off-line business usually invest a large amount of capital
before they see any money coming in. You have to continually
re-invest your money.
That's where an On-line business is unique. You can start
with very little capital and invest as you learn. You do
still have to invest some money and time, or you will not
grow. You have to spend wisely though, where you will see
results. You must read and do some research before you
spend. There are lots of ways to throw your money away if
you are new and not careful. There are also many ways to
receive valuable information online that's Free. One way is
reading Free articles by those who are successful. You will
find many of these Free articles at:
http://www.best-home-business-ideas.net
Also if you're in an MLM or affiliate program, you should
have an up-line leader. They will help you along with good
advice because it's in their best interest for you to
succeed!
Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer
As your personal fitness trainer my passion is to teach, coach, understand, push, prod, cajole, investigate, research and apply, over and over. As a 'Fitness Role Model'.well.I feel vulnerable with weakness, so, in hopes we can all learn, from my own weakness, here goes.My Confession.
Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk.
During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for the fall season
Atkins was in the media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to the Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try the diet. I liked the contrarian view point to the current AMA position of the low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as the culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and the extra work from all the protein for the kidneys. it's benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar.
I started out on the high protein, low carb aspect of the diet. As I reintroduced the animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and the colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet.
I then summoned up the courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these "forbidden foods" only to awaken the next day thin, svelte. I couldn't believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since .childhood
I was in full swing eating the high fat, high protein, low carb diet at the time when the pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on the beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously.
Eventually I had to add more carbs, I needed more energy. By carbs I mean vegetables, salads and whole grains. At this point I gained back the total of two pounds I had lost on Atkins. Body fat went from 16% to 18%, my energy was better. After 7 months I decided it was time to get the blood checked out and to my horror discovered that my cholesterol which had always been around 150 had rocketed up to 300!! Luckily my HDL to LDL ratio was still at a healthy level. Thanks to my forcing myself to exercise, I kept my HDLs high.
I immediately started drinking hot lemon juice with cayenne pepper every morning to clean my blood. I have now thrown away all the high fat foods and have once again, come back full circle to moderation and balance. A balanced diet. It takes a little more discipline but my energy is back and I can now eat the same meals as my husband so dinner preparation is simpler. My weight has not changed since I gradually introduced the carbs. I avoid at all costs the "white foods" flour, sugar, milk. I drink unsweetened soy milk I avoid foods in packages, boxes and bags. I feel a fine layer of fat but that's okay its winter, I need it, and in the summer, heat always melts it off. I am completely off sugar and alcohol to keep blood sugar low.
Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk.
During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for the fall season
Atkins was in the media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to the Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try the diet. I liked the contrarian view point to the current AMA position of the low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as the culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and the extra work from all the protein for the kidneys. it's benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar.
I started out on the high protein, low carb aspect of the diet. As I reintroduced the animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and the colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet.
I then summoned up the courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these "forbidden foods" only to awaken the next day thin, svelte. I couldn't believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since .childhood
I was in full swing eating the high fat, high protein, low carb diet at the time when the pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on the beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously.
Eventually I had to add more carbs, I needed more energy. By carbs I mean vegetables, salads and whole grains. At this point I gained back the total of two pounds I had lost on Atkins. Body fat went from 16% to 18%, my energy was better. After 7 months I decided it was time to get the blood checked out and to my horror discovered that my cholesterol which had always been around 150 had rocketed up to 300!! Luckily my HDL to LDL ratio was still at a healthy level. Thanks to my forcing myself to exercise, I kept my HDLs high.
I immediately started drinking hot lemon juice with cayenne pepper every morning to clean my blood. I have now thrown away all the high fat foods and have once again, come back full circle to moderation and balance. A balanced diet. It takes a little more discipline but my energy is back and I can now eat the same meals as my husband so dinner preparation is simpler. My weight has not changed since I gradually introduced the carbs. I avoid at all costs the "white foods" flour, sugar, milk. I drink unsweetened soy milk I avoid foods in packages, boxes and bags. I feel a fine layer of fat but that's okay its winter, I need it, and in the summer, heat always melts it off. I am completely off sugar and alcohol to keep blood sugar low.
Boring Ol' Cardio
Cardio is a very important aspect of any work out. There are numerous benefits to a good cardio routine. In the real world, there are many ways to get a good cardio workout. You can jog, play sports and get chased by the police. In the gym cardio usually revolves around a handful of machines. There are the stair climbers or steppers, the elliptical trainers, tread mills, and bicycles. That's about it. A good cardio routine can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and is really intensive. The problem is that when you are on a cardio machine, you do the same thing over and over. What I am trying to say is that for most of us cardio gets boring after about five minutes. Don't lie, you know what I am talking about. The best I have every heard about cardio is 'I don't mind it.' In other words, I get really bored, but I will keep doing it cause it works.
Being bored is horrible. Being Bored is even worse when you know you have another 25 min left and the seconds crawl by like eons. So what gives. Why does cardio have to be so boring? I think it's a safety issue. In the real world if you go running or play soccer for example, you environment and all its inputs are constantly changing; you run by different scenery, you miss the shot on goal. These changing characteristics are what make the whole process fun. In the gym, however, since space is limited, you have to do your cardio rooted to one spot. Very little happens to your environment to elevate the boredom. Imagine though, if you could have all the excitement of a soccer game while sitting on a recumbent health cycle? At first you may think it's a great and fun idea. No more boring cardio! Think about it and it becomes a little terrifying. The sheer amount of stimuli hitting you from all angles, your mind would exhaust quickly and you would run the risk of injury (not to mention getting overwhelmed). That is why cardio machines are so boring. They design them to be boring so you don't hurt yourself. So when you climb up onto your favorite elliptical trainer, remember that its boring for a reason.
What can we do to make cardio more fun? Being new to the world of the gym I think I have some neat ideas to make cardio a more exciting activity. Ok that's a lie. I don't have any way to make cardio more exciting, but I do think there are some techniques to make the cardio experience pass more quickly, which, when you think about it, is the next best thing. I really try to distance my mind from my body. I try to unplug. I daydream, listen to loud music and think about my shopping list. For a whole week I designed a basement apartment for my house. It was quite the undertaking. Really focus on not thinking about time. Cover up the timer, know where the near by clocks are and avoid looking at them. Do what ever it takes to detach your self from the realm of the here and now. Remove yourself from our world governed by the second hand. Slip into recesses of your mind and tune out. While the cardio won't go away at least you can distract yourself. Cardio machines make cardio boring and boring cardio is hard to stick with. Take comfort in knowing that your body loves the attention of a good cardio workout.
Being bored is horrible. Being Bored is even worse when you know you have another 25 min left and the seconds crawl by like eons. So what gives. Why does cardio have to be so boring? I think it's a safety issue. In the real world if you go running or play soccer for example, you environment and all its inputs are constantly changing; you run by different scenery, you miss the shot on goal. These changing characteristics are what make the whole process fun. In the gym, however, since space is limited, you have to do your cardio rooted to one spot. Very little happens to your environment to elevate the boredom. Imagine though, if you could have all the excitement of a soccer game while sitting on a recumbent health cycle? At first you may think it's a great and fun idea. No more boring cardio! Think about it and it becomes a little terrifying. The sheer amount of stimuli hitting you from all angles, your mind would exhaust quickly and you would run the risk of injury (not to mention getting overwhelmed). That is why cardio machines are so boring. They design them to be boring so you don't hurt yourself. So when you climb up onto your favorite elliptical trainer, remember that its boring for a reason.
What can we do to make cardio more fun? Being new to the world of the gym I think I have some neat ideas to make cardio a more exciting activity. Ok that's a lie. I don't have any way to make cardio more exciting, but I do think there are some techniques to make the cardio experience pass more quickly, which, when you think about it, is the next best thing. I really try to distance my mind from my body. I try to unplug. I daydream, listen to loud music and think about my shopping list. For a whole week I designed a basement apartment for my house. It was quite the undertaking. Really focus on not thinking about time. Cover up the timer, know where the near by clocks are and avoid looking at them. Do what ever it takes to detach your self from the realm of the here and now. Remove yourself from our world governed by the second hand. Slip into recesses of your mind and tune out. While the cardio won't go away at least you can distract yourself. Cardio machines make cardio boring and boring cardio is hard to stick with. Take comfort in knowing that your body loves the attention of a good cardio workout.
The Moral of the Story is...Use Stories to Sell
Every story has an emotional response to elicit. When campers are sitting around a fire in the dark woods, they tell stories that generate fear and excitement; stories about psychotic killers with hooks for hands, and teenagers who pick up strange hitchhikers.
When women have lunch with their girlfriends, they tell amusing stories about their husbands and boyfriends to relate to each other. And when you tell a story on your website, in an article, or even in an ad, you are letting people know that, "this product, service, or business opportunity worked for other real live people, so it could work for you, too!"
People don't remember statistics, but they have a special storage compartment in their brains for stories. Stories are an innate part of human beings. As long as there have been people, there have been stories. They are a part of every culture that is or ever was, ranging from writing on walls, to oral traditions, to dramatic plays, to the modern novel. Stories capture our hearts and imaginations, so we tend to pay more attention to them than we would, say, hard-sell ads.
Consider how often you leave the room during commercials, as opposed to how often you leave during Friends or E.R. Maybe the difference is no more than the mode of presentation. If commercials were 30 minutes long and told a story, maybe we wouldn't lunge for the remote or leave the room when they came on.
I'm kidding about the 30 minute commercial, but I'm not kidding about using stories to sell. Let's talk about how you can use stories in your own copy to keep people's attention, build trust and credibility, and, most importantly, sell.
After reading a fair number of popular novels, you may begin to notice a pattern in how the protagonists of the story develop. Although you aren't writing a novel for your website, ad, or article, you can use this same process of development in your stories to help you sell.
Let's take a closer look at character development in popular writing and see what we can incorporate into our own stories, to increase sales and build credibility:
1. Remember the past--Whether you are relating your own story, or the story of someone who enjoyed success after doing business with you, give that person a past. In a novel, main characters don't appear out of nowhere. They have a past that begins before the circumstances of the novel. Similarly, when you tell a story in your copy, you need to let your readers know about your protagonist's past.
For an example, see Jim Daniels' story (http://bizweb2000.com) of how he built his Internet business. The story doesn't start with him at the moment his business took off. It starts with him working a miserable 9 to 5 job he hated. Then it moves to him working to build his Internet business.
Giving the protagonist of your story a past helps the reader to relate to that person, making them more three-dimensional and easier to believe in.
2. Generate empathy--You want your reader to feel what the protagonist is feeling. The information you convey must touch something in the reader, making him/her think, "I know just how that feels."
The more your reader can relate to the protagonist of the story, the more they will see their own lives paralleling that person's. For example, say you tell a story about the trials a woman with weight problems went through, how she felt about being overweight, and then tell how she was able to change her life with your weight loss supplements. If the story is told in a way that makes the reader recognize feelings similar to those of the overweight woman, they will be likely to buy the product.
3. Generate sympathy--This is a different task than generating empathy. When you feel things empathetically, you are feeling what someone else is feeling. When you feel sympathy, you feel concern or sorrow for someone else.
The purpose of generating sympathy is to get the reader more involved in the story. We all love conflict and turmoil, so the more there is, the more interested we are. If you tell a story about a woman whose husband died, leaving her with debt and four kids to take care of, we feel a great deal of sympathy for her. And just as we all rubber-neck at the scene of a horrible accident, we can't stop reading about someone one else's problems and trials.
4. Show how the protagonist changed--If you read an entire novel in which the main character never learned anything or changed in any way, you would shut the book thinking, "What was the point?"
If the person you tell a story about doesn't change for the better, the story won't do you any good. When you are using a story to sell or build credibility, it must always have a happy ending. And that happy ending must come about because of your product, service, or business opportunity.
Don't be afraid to tell your story every chance you get. If you don't tell your story, other people will. And they often won't get the details right.
I remember a woman who owned a big string of electronics stores in the Southwest. Everyone in town knew the story about her first arriving in the area, with only $300 in her pocket to start her first store.
One day I had a chance to ask the entrepreneur about this story. "Gosh no," she laughed. "I don't know where that story comes from. I started my business with a mountain of market research and plenty of investment money."
The moral of this story is, follow the character development patterns used by popular novelists. Using these techniques, writers keep people involved in a story for hundreds of pages. You will certainly be able to draw readers in and keep their attention for a few paragraphs.
When women have lunch with their girlfriends, they tell amusing stories about their husbands and boyfriends to relate to each other. And when you tell a story on your website, in an article, or even in an ad, you are letting people know that, "this product, service, or business opportunity worked for other real live people, so it could work for you, too!"
People don't remember statistics, but they have a special storage compartment in their brains for stories. Stories are an innate part of human beings. As long as there have been people, there have been stories. They are a part of every culture that is or ever was, ranging from writing on walls, to oral traditions, to dramatic plays, to the modern novel. Stories capture our hearts and imaginations, so we tend to pay more attention to them than we would, say, hard-sell ads.
Consider how often you leave the room during commercials, as opposed to how often you leave during Friends or E.R. Maybe the difference is no more than the mode of presentation. If commercials were 30 minutes long and told a story, maybe we wouldn't lunge for the remote or leave the room when they came on.
I'm kidding about the 30 minute commercial, but I'm not kidding about using stories to sell. Let's talk about how you can use stories in your own copy to keep people's attention, build trust and credibility, and, most importantly, sell.
After reading a fair number of popular novels, you may begin to notice a pattern in how the protagonists of the story develop. Although you aren't writing a novel for your website, ad, or article, you can use this same process of development in your stories to help you sell.
Let's take a closer look at character development in popular writing and see what we can incorporate into our own stories, to increase sales and build credibility:
1. Remember the past--Whether you are relating your own story, or the story of someone who enjoyed success after doing business with you, give that person a past. In a novel, main characters don't appear out of nowhere. They have a past that begins before the circumstances of the novel. Similarly, when you tell a story in your copy, you need to let your readers know about your protagonist's past.
For an example, see Jim Daniels' story (http://bizweb2000.com) of how he built his Internet business. The story doesn't start with him at the moment his business took off. It starts with him working a miserable 9 to 5 job he hated. Then it moves to him working to build his Internet business.
Giving the protagonist of your story a past helps the reader to relate to that person, making them more three-dimensional and easier to believe in.
2. Generate empathy--You want your reader to feel what the protagonist is feeling. The information you convey must touch something in the reader, making him/her think, "I know just how that feels."
The more your reader can relate to the protagonist of the story, the more they will see their own lives paralleling that person's. For example, say you tell a story about the trials a woman with weight problems went through, how she felt about being overweight, and then tell how she was able to change her life with your weight loss supplements. If the story is told in a way that makes the reader recognize feelings similar to those of the overweight woman, they will be likely to buy the product.
3. Generate sympathy--This is a different task than generating empathy. When you feel things empathetically, you are feeling what someone else is feeling. When you feel sympathy, you feel concern or sorrow for someone else.
The purpose of generating sympathy is to get the reader more involved in the story. We all love conflict and turmoil, so the more there is, the more interested we are. If you tell a story about a woman whose husband died, leaving her with debt and four kids to take care of, we feel a great deal of sympathy for her. And just as we all rubber-neck at the scene of a horrible accident, we can't stop reading about someone one else's problems and trials.
4. Show how the protagonist changed--If you read an entire novel in which the main character never learned anything or changed in any way, you would shut the book thinking, "What was the point?"
If the person you tell a story about doesn't change for the better, the story won't do you any good. When you are using a story to sell or build credibility, it must always have a happy ending. And that happy ending must come about because of your product, service, or business opportunity.
Don't be afraid to tell your story every chance you get. If you don't tell your story, other people will. And they often won't get the details right.
I remember a woman who owned a big string of electronics stores in the Southwest. Everyone in town knew the story about her first arriving in the area, with only $300 in her pocket to start her first store.
One day I had a chance to ask the entrepreneur about this story. "Gosh no," she laughed. "I don't know where that story comes from. I started my business with a mountain of market research and plenty of investment money."
The moral of this story is, follow the character development patterns used by popular novelists. Using these techniques, writers keep people involved in a story for hundreds of pages. You will certainly be able to draw readers in and keep their attention for a few paragraphs.
The Dangers of Canine Parasites
When you get a puppy, one of the first things that you
need to do is make an appointment with the vet to get
your new family member his or her vaccinations. Along
with any recommended shots, your cuddly canine will
probably get a dose of a de-worming formula to rid
them of any internal parasites.
Hookworms
Some parasites can be very dangerous to your dog,
especially to puppies. For instance, a hookworm (about
1/8" in length) will adhere itself to the small intestine
and begin to suck the blood from your pet. It can cause
severe anemia, followed by circulatory collapse, severe
diarrhea, hemorrhaging, shock and finally death.
Puppies may receive hookworms through the mother's
placenta during the gestation period or through the
mother's milk when nursing. This is why it is very
important that new puppies receive a de-worming formula.
These parasites can also enter an adult dog quite
easily when your pet walks over soil that contains
any contaminated feces from other animals. In turn,
your dog then licks his or her paws and ingests the
hookworm larvae. Even without the paw licking the
larvae can burrow through the skin and into the dog.
Once inside, the larvae migrate to the small intestine
where they grow into adult hookworms, usually within
14 days.
A female hookworm will begin to lay eggs... 20,000 of
them per day! As you can see, it is vitally important
to have your favorite canine de-wormed should they
become infested with hookworms. If you see symptoms
such as diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or weight loss,
take your canine to the veterinarian immediately for
diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis is usually made
through a small stool sample. Treatment consists of
an oral or injected medication which kills the adult
hookworms, but not the larvae. This treatment needs
to be repeated again in 2 to 4 weeks to kill the larvae
that have emerged as adults. In cases of severe anemia,
your dog may require a blood transfusion.
Roundworms
Roundworms are another common parasite most often found
in puppies. The worms are usually heavy-bodied and
grow to about 6" in length.
Infection usually occurs as larvae that have lain dormant
in an adult female dog are reactivated when the female
dog becomes pregnant. The larvae begin to migrate through
the placenta to the liver of the fetus. They also will
migrate to the mammary glands of the mother, so that the
puppies can also become infected while nursing.
The time from roundworm larvae infection to the adult
stage is about 27 days. Most roundworms live about 4
months in the puppy and are usually expelled by the
natural immune system of the puppy before 6 months of
age.
So, if puppies naturally expel these parasites, how do
adult dogs end up with them? The adult dog ingests them
by eating some food supply that contain the larvae.
Tapeworms
Another very common worm is the tapeworm. This worm
lives in the intestines of both dogs and cats. The worm
is transmitted by fleas. When a dog or cat has fleas,
they will naturally ingest the tapeworm while grooming.
The tapeworm then makes its way to the intestine.
There are usually no noticeable symptoms for the most
part, although sometimes your dog may show some stomach
upsets, diarrhea or just seems somewhat lethargic. You
can often tell if your pet has tapeworms by finding
small, whitish worm segments that look like small grains
of rice under the tail of your pet or on its bedding.
Also, you dog may begin "scooting" their rear end along
the floor because of irritation. It takes approximately
three weeks from the time your dog ingests the flea
until you begin to see tapeworm segments.
Although not generally harmful to an animals health,
tapeworms are certainly something you'll want to rid
your dog of. One of the first treatments for tapeworms
is to begin a program of flea control treatment program
for your pet and the immediate environment of your house
and yard.
need to do is make an appointment with the vet to get
your new family member his or her vaccinations. Along
with any recommended shots, your cuddly canine will
probably get a dose of a de-worming formula to rid
them of any internal parasites.
Hookworms
Some parasites can be very dangerous to your dog,
especially to puppies. For instance, a hookworm (about
1/8" in length) will adhere itself to the small intestine
and begin to suck the blood from your pet. It can cause
severe anemia, followed by circulatory collapse, severe
diarrhea, hemorrhaging, shock and finally death.
Puppies may receive hookworms through the mother's
placenta during the gestation period or through the
mother's milk when nursing. This is why it is very
important that new puppies receive a de-worming formula.
These parasites can also enter an adult dog quite
easily when your pet walks over soil that contains
any contaminated feces from other animals. In turn,
your dog then licks his or her paws and ingests the
hookworm larvae. Even without the paw licking the
larvae can burrow through the skin and into the dog.
Once inside, the larvae migrate to the small intestine
where they grow into adult hookworms, usually within
14 days.
A female hookworm will begin to lay eggs... 20,000 of
them per day! As you can see, it is vitally important
to have your favorite canine de-wormed should they
become infested with hookworms. If you see symptoms
such as diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or weight loss,
take your canine to the veterinarian immediately for
diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis is usually made
through a small stool sample. Treatment consists of
an oral or injected medication which kills the adult
hookworms, but not the larvae. This treatment needs
to be repeated again in 2 to 4 weeks to kill the larvae
that have emerged as adults. In cases of severe anemia,
your dog may require a blood transfusion.
Roundworms
Roundworms are another common parasite most often found
in puppies. The worms are usually heavy-bodied and
grow to about 6" in length.
Infection usually occurs as larvae that have lain dormant
in an adult female dog are reactivated when the female
dog becomes pregnant. The larvae begin to migrate through
the placenta to the liver of the fetus. They also will
migrate to the mammary glands of the mother, so that the
puppies can also become infected while nursing.
The time from roundworm larvae infection to the adult
stage is about 27 days. Most roundworms live about 4
months in the puppy and are usually expelled by the
natural immune system of the puppy before 6 months of
age.
So, if puppies naturally expel these parasites, how do
adult dogs end up with them? The adult dog ingests them
by eating some food supply that contain the larvae.
Tapeworms
Another very common worm is the tapeworm. This worm
lives in the intestines of both dogs and cats. The worm
is transmitted by fleas. When a dog or cat has fleas,
they will naturally ingest the tapeworm while grooming.
The tapeworm then makes its way to the intestine.
There are usually no noticeable symptoms for the most
part, although sometimes your dog may show some stomach
upsets, diarrhea or just seems somewhat lethargic. You
can often tell if your pet has tapeworms by finding
small, whitish worm segments that look like small grains
of rice under the tail of your pet or on its bedding.
Also, you dog may begin "scooting" their rear end along
the floor because of irritation. It takes approximately
three weeks from the time your dog ingests the flea
until you begin to see tapeworm segments.
Although not generally harmful to an animals health,
tapeworms are certainly something you'll want to rid
your dog of. One of the first treatments for tapeworms
is to begin a program of flea control treatment program
for your pet and the immediate environment of your house
and yard.
Pit Bulls and Heartworms
It is surprising how many people are still confused about heartworms and the effects that a heartworm can have on
your pit bull dog.
First lets look at what heartworms are and how your dog can become infected.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes into the dog's blood stream. The immature heartworms called microfilaria
travel through the blood stream.
The microfilaria settle into the heart chambers and major pulmonary blood vessels. This causes a blockage of the
blood flow and pathological changes to the surrounding tissues.
This blockage happens when the larvae grow into adult worms. An adult female heartworm can grow up to fourteen
inches and can live as long as five years.
A female heartworm can produce thousands of microfilariae, which is transmitted into a mosquito when it bites an
infected dog, and subsequently injected into the next dog that that mosquito dines on.
What Are The Signs That A Dog May Have Heartworms?
Usually the first system is weight loss. The dogs' hair may become dull and brittle.
The infected dog also may tier easily.
A persistent coughs and or labored breathing.
In more progressed cases victims may vomit blood from ruptured lungs.
If the disease is not prevented or caught in time the result will be a slow painful death from congestive heart
failure.
What Do I Do If My Pit Bulls Is Infected?
Treatment is available but it can cost hundreds of dollars, and may be ineffective depending on the degree of
infestation.
The best defense against heartworms is routine checkups with your vet. Giving your dog heartworm medication once
a month easily prevents heartworms.
Warning: You Must Have Your Dog Tested For Heartworms Before Starting Heartworm Medication!
your pit bull dog.
First lets look at what heartworms are and how your dog can become infected.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes into the dog's blood stream. The immature heartworms called microfilaria
travel through the blood stream.
The microfilaria settle into the heart chambers and major pulmonary blood vessels. This causes a blockage of the
blood flow and pathological changes to the surrounding tissues.
This blockage happens when the larvae grow into adult worms. An adult female heartworm can grow up to fourteen
inches and can live as long as five years.
A female heartworm can produce thousands of microfilariae, which is transmitted into a mosquito when it bites an
infected dog, and subsequently injected into the next dog that that mosquito dines on.
What Are The Signs That A Dog May Have Heartworms?
Usually the first system is weight loss. The dogs' hair may become dull and brittle.
The infected dog also may tier easily.
A persistent coughs and or labored breathing.
In more progressed cases victims may vomit blood from ruptured lungs.
If the disease is not prevented or caught in time the result will be a slow painful death from congestive heart
failure.
What Do I Do If My Pit Bulls Is Infected?
Treatment is available but it can cost hundreds of dollars, and may be ineffective depending on the degree of
infestation.
The best defense against heartworms is routine checkups with your vet. Giving your dog heartworm medication once
a month easily prevents heartworms.
Warning: You Must Have Your Dog Tested For Heartworms Before Starting Heartworm Medication!
Keep Your Dog Smiling With Preventative Dog Dental Care
What should pet owners know about dog dental care and periodontal disease?
An important aspect of the good dog dental care is proper dental hygiene. One of the most common ailments treated by veterinarians is periodontal or gum disease. Gum disease is progressive. It starts out with the formation of plaque, a sticky bacterial film that forms in the mouth at the gum line. If not removed plaque will harden into tartar above and below the gum line. This build up causes the gums to become red and swollen, a condition known as gingivitis.
If gingivitis is left untreated it can lead to advanced gum disease. Red swollen gums will begin to recede as the infection travels down into the root of the tooth and the jawbone. Once the gums have receded the damage is irreversible and the gums will not grow back. This is known as periodontal disease and results in loss of bone and loss of teeth. At this advanced stage the bacteria from the oral infection may now enter the bloodstream. This can lead to more serious problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease. These conditions if left untreated can eventually become life threatening. These problems can also be prevented by implementing a good dog dental care routine.
Why should I routinely inspect my dog's mouth?
By two or three years of age many pets start to show signs of oral disease. By implementing a home dog dental care routine you can assure that your dog's mouth stays healthy, clean and pain free. Start by routinely inspecting your dog's mouth. A healthy mouth will not smell offensive. The teeth will be clean and will not have any yellow or brown spots. The gums will be a healthy pink color and will hug the teeth.
What are the signs of gum disease in dogs?
Persistent bad breath, brownish deposits around the gum line, especially on back teeth, red swollen gums, loose teeth, painful and or bleeding gums are all indicators of oral disease. Although bad breath or "doggy breath" is the most obvious sign of a problem, many pet owners fail to recognize it as an indicator of dental problems until it's too late. As part of a good dog dental care routine check your dog's mouth at the slightest sign of a persistent offensive odor. Other indications can be decreased appetite and weight loss, a change in chewing habits, lethargy, and pawing of the mouth or the face.
What should I do if my dog's mouth shows signs of gum disease?
Dog dental care starts by checking your dog's mouth regularly. If you see any of these signs call your vet to schedule a dental exam. Your dog may just need a routine cleaning. The cleaning process is performed under general anesthesia. If the condition is minor, it's not much different than a dental cleaning that you or I would have done. Your dog's teeth will be scaled to remove tartar above and below the gum line and then they will be polished. Since your dog can't rinse and spit the mouth area will be flushed to clear it of any loosened debris.
If the condition is more serious your vet may need to administer an antibiotic to clear up any gum infection before cleaning your dog's teeth. Blood work will usually be taken so that your vet can determine if the infection has spread into the bloodstream. If the disease is in the advanced stages your vet may also need to extract some teeth. Whatever the outcome, your dog is sure to feel a lot better after receiving some much needed dog dental care.
Remember to regularly inspect your pet's mouth, schedule periodic dental check ups, and perform routine home dental care.
How important is home dog dental care?
Regular cleanings by your vet followed up by a home dental care program can help keep your dog's mouth healthy and disease free. Even if your dog's teeth are currently in good condition a preventative home dental care routine is essential to your dog's health. If not regularly removed, plaque and tartar build up can progress very quickly into full blown periodontal disease.
If you're new to dog dental care ask your vet to show you how to brush your dog's teeth. Also find out if there is anything else that your vet would recommend adding to your dog's preventative home dental care routine.
One recommendation is to entice your dog to chew. Daily chewing exercises will help remove food debris and prevent tartar build up. They're also great for relieving boredom and separation anxiety. So put your pet to work. Give your dog plenty of fun and yummy real bones, dental dog chew toys, and edible dog chews as part of your home dog dental care routine.
Do I need to brush my dog's teeth?
The most direct method of preventative dog dental care is brushing your dog's teeth regularly. Vets usually recommend that you brush your dog's teeth at least two times a week. If your dog is prone to dental disease you may need to do this more often.
What should I use to brush my dog's teeth?
If you have a young puppy introducing a tooth brushing routine will probably be much easier then if you have an adult dog. In either case start slow, keep the sessions short, and be very gentle while working in your dog's mouth. Use lots of praise and reassurance to reinforce good behavior. You will not want to give your dog treats during this task for obvious reasons.
Since a dog will swallow whatever you use never brush your dog's teeth with "people" toothpaste. This toothpaste is not formulated to be ingested and can upset your dog's stomach. It's also designed to foam which is not desirable when brushing a dog's teeth. So use a pet toothpaste formulated for dog dental care that does not require rinsing.
You will also need a pet toothbrush. There's a great triple sided pet toothbrush that will get the job done faster than a traditional style toothbrush. Or if you have a small dog you may want to try a pet finger toothbrush. Finger toothbrushes slip right onto your finger and are easily controlled to reach the common trouble spots up near the gum line. Add some specially formulated tartar removing toothpaste and you're all set. Dog toothpaste is even available in all-natural formulas and yummy flavors like chicken and vanilla.
If this is your dog's first toothbrush look for a pet dental care kit to get you started. These kits typically include a pet toothbrush, a tube of pet toothpaste and a pet finger toothbrush.
Pet dental wipes are great for use on dogs that resist brushing. These easy-to-use pet teeth cleaning pads help remove food debris and plaque, kill germs and help to control bad breath. If your dog will not allow you to use the toothbrush method try using dental wipes regularly as part of your dog's home dental care program.
You may also want to try to increase the amount of time your dog spends chewing on real bones, dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews.
This type of chewing helps remove food debris and prevents tartar build up. If your dog chews enough you may be able to reduce how often you need to manually brush your dog's teeth.
How do dog's in the wild keep their teeth clean and healthy?
Dogs in the wild are generally much more active than our domesticated pets because they must hunt for their food. They also spend much more time chewing and gnawing on fresh bones, which helps to keep their teeth clean and healthy.
Our domesticated dogs can spend a lot of time sleeping with their mouths closed while passing long period of time alone. It is commonly believed that the lack of fresh air circulating over the teeth and gums can encourage certain types of bacterial growth in the mouth. And since our pet dogs get their daily rations served to them in bowls it isn't necessary for them to spend much time chewing. Although gnawing on bones is how dogs in the wild keep their teeth free from food debris, bacterial accumulation and tartar buildup, our domesticated friends rarely spend as much time at such pursuits.
Encouraging your dog to chew will make a big difference in the effectiveness of your dog dental care routine. Real bones are nature's edible dog chews. But if you prefer not to give your dog real bones there are plenty of wonderful dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews that will get the job done.
Will real bones help keep clean my dog's teeth?
Give your dog some real bones - Nature's own edible dog chews. Most people don't provide their dog with quantities of real bones, so as to avoid the mess and unsanitary residue. It's great if you have an environment in which your dog can indulge in working on a fresh bone. But if not, you can buy some natural sterilized marrowbones. These hollow bones are also available pre-filled with tasty treats like beef, chicken, cheese, and granola.
If you get some unfilled bones you may want to try filling them with your dog's favorite treats. Try peanut butter, cheese or one of the yummy pre-made fillings available at pet shops and online stores.
If you would rather not give your dog real bones there are many enticing dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews available that will encourage your dog to chew.
Besides real bones what other types of dog chews will help keep my dog's teeth clean?
Traditional chew toys are still available and are just as popular as ever. But there are also a variety of very good dental chew toys, rope bone chew toys and edible dog chews designed to keep your dog engaged, with the added benefit of cleaning the teeth. These toys will entice your dog into playfully attending to the required dental hygiene. They can also keep your dog entertained and out of mischief during those times when you must leave your dog alone.
Rope Bone Chew Toys -Try a dental rope chew toy for great flossing action. As your dog happily chews on these toys the rope fibers clean between the teeth. Spray on some dog dental care spray or rub on a little flavored pet toothpaste to really enhance the cleaning action of this enticing dental chew toy. Check out a pet dental care spray & rope chew toy kit and get your dog dental care routine going today.
Dental Chew Toys - For long lasting chewing fun, and a great dental workout, get your dog a dental chew toy. Some brands are manufactured with grooves that make these dental toys real winners for cleaning your dog's teeth. Some dental chew toys can also be stuffed with your dog's favorite treats for hours of stimulating chewing. And for smaller dogs there are dental chew toys that not only have teeth cleaning grooves but also are combined with a rope chew. Just add some pet toothpaste to the dental grooves and your dogs will eagerly participate in their daily dog dental care routine.
Edible Dog Chews - Are you concerned about giving your dog rawhide chews because they can "ribbon" and cause your dog to choke? Many pet hops and online stores now carry a variety of composite chews. These all natural rawhide dog chews can't ribbon, are easy to digest and dogs love the baked in flavor. There is even an edible dog chew treat available that contains no animal by-products.
Dogs, like people, have different tastes and preferences. Choose whichever dental dog toy or dog chew treat that will keep your dog happily chewing his or her way to clean and healthy teeth and gums.
And remember that there are many convenient dog dental care products available that will help you to keep your dog's teeth and gums in great shape between regular visits to the vet and grooming salon. Unattended dental health problems cannot only distress your beloved pet, but can lead to serious conditions and ailments. Many of these problems can be prevented by implementing a regular home dog dental care routine.
An important aspect of the good dog dental care is proper dental hygiene. One of the most common ailments treated by veterinarians is periodontal or gum disease. Gum disease is progressive. It starts out with the formation of plaque, a sticky bacterial film that forms in the mouth at the gum line. If not removed plaque will harden into tartar above and below the gum line. This build up causes the gums to become red and swollen, a condition known as gingivitis.
If gingivitis is left untreated it can lead to advanced gum disease. Red swollen gums will begin to recede as the infection travels down into the root of the tooth and the jawbone. Once the gums have receded the damage is irreversible and the gums will not grow back. This is known as periodontal disease and results in loss of bone and loss of teeth. At this advanced stage the bacteria from the oral infection may now enter the bloodstream. This can lead to more serious problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease. These conditions if left untreated can eventually become life threatening. These problems can also be prevented by implementing a good dog dental care routine.
Why should I routinely inspect my dog's mouth?
By two or three years of age many pets start to show signs of oral disease. By implementing a home dog dental care routine you can assure that your dog's mouth stays healthy, clean and pain free. Start by routinely inspecting your dog's mouth. A healthy mouth will not smell offensive. The teeth will be clean and will not have any yellow or brown spots. The gums will be a healthy pink color and will hug the teeth.
What are the signs of gum disease in dogs?
Persistent bad breath, brownish deposits around the gum line, especially on back teeth, red swollen gums, loose teeth, painful and or bleeding gums are all indicators of oral disease. Although bad breath or "doggy breath" is the most obvious sign of a problem, many pet owners fail to recognize it as an indicator of dental problems until it's too late. As part of a good dog dental care routine check your dog's mouth at the slightest sign of a persistent offensive odor. Other indications can be decreased appetite and weight loss, a change in chewing habits, lethargy, and pawing of the mouth or the face.
What should I do if my dog's mouth shows signs of gum disease?
Dog dental care starts by checking your dog's mouth regularly. If you see any of these signs call your vet to schedule a dental exam. Your dog may just need a routine cleaning. The cleaning process is performed under general anesthesia. If the condition is minor, it's not much different than a dental cleaning that you or I would have done. Your dog's teeth will be scaled to remove tartar above and below the gum line and then they will be polished. Since your dog can't rinse and spit the mouth area will be flushed to clear it of any loosened debris.
If the condition is more serious your vet may need to administer an antibiotic to clear up any gum infection before cleaning your dog's teeth. Blood work will usually be taken so that your vet can determine if the infection has spread into the bloodstream. If the disease is in the advanced stages your vet may also need to extract some teeth. Whatever the outcome, your dog is sure to feel a lot better after receiving some much needed dog dental care.
Remember to regularly inspect your pet's mouth, schedule periodic dental check ups, and perform routine home dental care.
How important is home dog dental care?
Regular cleanings by your vet followed up by a home dental care program can help keep your dog's mouth healthy and disease free. Even if your dog's teeth are currently in good condition a preventative home dental care routine is essential to your dog's health. If not regularly removed, plaque and tartar build up can progress very quickly into full blown periodontal disease.
If you're new to dog dental care ask your vet to show you how to brush your dog's teeth. Also find out if there is anything else that your vet would recommend adding to your dog's preventative home dental care routine.
One recommendation is to entice your dog to chew. Daily chewing exercises will help remove food debris and prevent tartar build up. They're also great for relieving boredom and separation anxiety. So put your pet to work. Give your dog plenty of fun and yummy real bones, dental dog chew toys, and edible dog chews as part of your home dog dental care routine.
Do I need to brush my dog's teeth?
The most direct method of preventative dog dental care is brushing your dog's teeth regularly. Vets usually recommend that you brush your dog's teeth at least two times a week. If your dog is prone to dental disease you may need to do this more often.
What should I use to brush my dog's teeth?
If you have a young puppy introducing a tooth brushing routine will probably be much easier then if you have an adult dog. In either case start slow, keep the sessions short, and be very gentle while working in your dog's mouth. Use lots of praise and reassurance to reinforce good behavior. You will not want to give your dog treats during this task for obvious reasons.
Since a dog will swallow whatever you use never brush your dog's teeth with "people" toothpaste. This toothpaste is not formulated to be ingested and can upset your dog's stomach. It's also designed to foam which is not desirable when brushing a dog's teeth. So use a pet toothpaste formulated for dog dental care that does not require rinsing.
You will also need a pet toothbrush. There's a great triple sided pet toothbrush that will get the job done faster than a traditional style toothbrush. Or if you have a small dog you may want to try a pet finger toothbrush. Finger toothbrushes slip right onto your finger and are easily controlled to reach the common trouble spots up near the gum line. Add some specially formulated tartar removing toothpaste and you're all set. Dog toothpaste is even available in all-natural formulas and yummy flavors like chicken and vanilla.
If this is your dog's first toothbrush look for a pet dental care kit to get you started. These kits typically include a pet toothbrush, a tube of pet toothpaste and a pet finger toothbrush.
Pet dental wipes are great for use on dogs that resist brushing. These easy-to-use pet teeth cleaning pads help remove food debris and plaque, kill germs and help to control bad breath. If your dog will not allow you to use the toothbrush method try using dental wipes regularly as part of your dog's home dental care program.
You may also want to try to increase the amount of time your dog spends chewing on real bones, dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews.
This type of chewing helps remove food debris and prevents tartar build up. If your dog chews enough you may be able to reduce how often you need to manually brush your dog's teeth.
How do dog's in the wild keep their teeth clean and healthy?
Dogs in the wild are generally much more active than our domesticated pets because they must hunt for their food. They also spend much more time chewing and gnawing on fresh bones, which helps to keep their teeth clean and healthy.
Our domesticated dogs can spend a lot of time sleeping with their mouths closed while passing long period of time alone. It is commonly believed that the lack of fresh air circulating over the teeth and gums can encourage certain types of bacterial growth in the mouth. And since our pet dogs get their daily rations served to them in bowls it isn't necessary for them to spend much time chewing. Although gnawing on bones is how dogs in the wild keep their teeth free from food debris, bacterial accumulation and tartar buildup, our domesticated friends rarely spend as much time at such pursuits.
Encouraging your dog to chew will make a big difference in the effectiveness of your dog dental care routine. Real bones are nature's edible dog chews. But if you prefer not to give your dog real bones there are plenty of wonderful dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews that will get the job done.
Will real bones help keep clean my dog's teeth?
Give your dog some real bones - Nature's own edible dog chews. Most people don't provide their dog with quantities of real bones, so as to avoid the mess and unsanitary residue. It's great if you have an environment in which your dog can indulge in working on a fresh bone. But if not, you can buy some natural sterilized marrowbones. These hollow bones are also available pre-filled with tasty treats like beef, chicken, cheese, and granola.
If you get some unfilled bones you may want to try filling them with your dog's favorite treats. Try peanut butter, cheese or one of the yummy pre-made fillings available at pet shops and online stores.
If you would rather not give your dog real bones there are many enticing dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews available that will encourage your dog to chew.
Besides real bones what other types of dog chews will help keep my dog's teeth clean?
Traditional chew toys are still available and are just as popular as ever. But there are also a variety of very good dental chew toys, rope bone chew toys and edible dog chews designed to keep your dog engaged, with the added benefit of cleaning the teeth. These toys will entice your dog into playfully attending to the required dental hygiene. They can also keep your dog entertained and out of mischief during those times when you must leave your dog alone.
Rope Bone Chew Toys -Try a dental rope chew toy for great flossing action. As your dog happily chews on these toys the rope fibers clean between the teeth. Spray on some dog dental care spray or rub on a little flavored pet toothpaste to really enhance the cleaning action of this enticing dental chew toy. Check out a pet dental care spray & rope chew toy kit and get your dog dental care routine going today.
Dental Chew Toys - For long lasting chewing fun, and a great dental workout, get your dog a dental chew toy. Some brands are manufactured with grooves that make these dental toys real winners for cleaning your dog's teeth. Some dental chew toys can also be stuffed with your dog's favorite treats for hours of stimulating chewing. And for smaller dogs there are dental chew toys that not only have teeth cleaning grooves but also are combined with a rope chew. Just add some pet toothpaste to the dental grooves and your dogs will eagerly participate in their daily dog dental care routine.
Edible Dog Chews - Are you concerned about giving your dog rawhide chews because they can "ribbon" and cause your dog to choke? Many pet hops and online stores now carry a variety of composite chews. These all natural rawhide dog chews can't ribbon, are easy to digest and dogs love the baked in flavor. There is even an edible dog chew treat available that contains no animal by-products.
Dogs, like people, have different tastes and preferences. Choose whichever dental dog toy or dog chew treat that will keep your dog happily chewing his or her way to clean and healthy teeth and gums.
And remember that there are many convenient dog dental care products available that will help you to keep your dog's teeth and gums in great shape between regular visits to the vet and grooming salon. Unattended dental health problems cannot only distress your beloved pet, but can lead to serious conditions and ailments. Many of these problems can be prevented by implementing a regular home dog dental care routine.
Float a Horse's Teeth -- What Does that Mean and Why is it N
So what does it mean to float a horse's teeth? I'm sure you've heard this a time or two (if you haven't, sooner or later you will from another horse owner or from your vet), and if you're like me, you imagined for the longest time what this could possibly mean and wondered what it involved.
To float a horse's teeth certainly sounds funny, too.
Floating means to smooth or contour your horse's teeth with a file (called a "float"). Unlike your own teeth, your horse's teeth keep growing. At times, your horse's teeth may develop sharp edges, making it difficult for her to chew food, hold a bit, or simply have pain and discomfort inside her mouth.
An adult horse may have between 36-44 permanent teeth. And just like humans, your horse gets two sets of teeth in her lifetime. Your horse starts out with temporary baby teeth and by age five, will most likely have her full set of permanent teeth.
The horse's front teeth cut hay and grass, while the top and bottom cheek teeth grind the forage between the flat surfaces in a sideways motion. This grinding action breaks down the food into a pulp before swallowing which helps it to be digested better. If your horse is unable to grind down food all the way due to uneven teeth surfaces, the unchewed food will not be digested as well.
Most often, points develop on the upper cheek teeth toward the outside of the mouth next to your horse's cheek. And on the bottom cheek teeth toward the inside of the mouth next to your horse's tongue. These points can then cut into the cheek and tongue making your horse uncomfortable.
Though it may seem tedious and like a burden, you know having routine dentist check-ups contribute to the overall good health of your own teeth. Well, your horse is no different and deserves some of the same attention to her teeth as you give to yours. Confined horses or those that do not have the ability to graze all day are more prone to teeth overgrowth, as they are not naturally grinding their teeth all day to keep them smooth. Also, just like you, your horse can have other dental problems. A horse can have excessively worn teeth, loose or broken teeth, or infected gums.
One sign that your horse's teeth may need to be floated is if she is consistently dropping food from her mouth and you start seeing signs of weight loss. Your horse may also exhibit behavior like head-tossing or opening her mouth frequently.
Possible horse dental problem indicators:
* Drops food from her mouth
* Exhibits difficulty in chewing
* Excessive salivation
* Loss of weight
* Undigested food particles in manure
* Head-tossing
* Excessive bit chewing
* Resisting having the bridle put on
* Difficult handling while riding
* Mouth odor
* Blood in the mouth
* Face swelling
* Nasal discharge
Because horses are adaptable creatures, even if they are having discomfort, some do not show any signs of dental problems. So don't assume that if there are no symptoms, there are no problems.
Sharp teeth edges can hurt the inside of your horse's mouth causing pain and creating sores on her tongue or cheeks. Your horse may show resistance when riding due to added pain from the bit pressing against the sores.
The vet or equine dentist will carefully file all your horse's teeth that need smoothing to achieve a flat grinding surface between the upper and lower teeth. Having your horse's teeth floated is well worth it so she digests her food better, is in better spirits, and makes riding more enjoyable for you both.
How often floating is necessary varies quite a bit from one horse to another. Some horses seem to have slower-growing teeth and may require floating only once every several years while others may require floating every few months. Even if your horse does not require her teeth to be floated often, it is still a good idea to have her teeth and gums examined once a year.
The procedure the vet typically uses to float your horse's teeth is to first sedate your horse to make her relaxed. A special halter is put on with a rope thrown over a ceiling rafter or the equivalent in order to hold your horse's head up. A mouth speculum is used to keep your horse's mouth open. The vet will then either manually file your horse's teeth using a rasp in a back and forth motion to flatten the high points, or may use a power tool. The whole procedure is quick and painless - taking about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
If you're like me, you cringe at the thought of someone filing away on your teeth with a rasp. You can imagine the shooting pain from the nerves in your teeth. Personally, the dentist can't give me enough Novocain to make me feel comfortable before poking around or drilling in my mouth.
Unlike us, a horse's nerves end close to the gumline, so there is no nerve where the tooth is being worked on, and therefore does not feel any nerve pain. We humans should be so lucky.
To float a horse's teeth certainly sounds funny, too.
Floating means to smooth or contour your horse's teeth with a file (called a "float"). Unlike your own teeth, your horse's teeth keep growing. At times, your horse's teeth may develop sharp edges, making it difficult for her to chew food, hold a bit, or simply have pain and discomfort inside her mouth.
An adult horse may have between 36-44 permanent teeth. And just like humans, your horse gets two sets of teeth in her lifetime. Your horse starts out with temporary baby teeth and by age five, will most likely have her full set of permanent teeth.
The horse's front teeth cut hay and grass, while the top and bottom cheek teeth grind the forage between the flat surfaces in a sideways motion. This grinding action breaks down the food into a pulp before swallowing which helps it to be digested better. If your horse is unable to grind down food all the way due to uneven teeth surfaces, the unchewed food will not be digested as well.
Most often, points develop on the upper cheek teeth toward the outside of the mouth next to your horse's cheek. And on the bottom cheek teeth toward the inside of the mouth next to your horse's tongue. These points can then cut into the cheek and tongue making your horse uncomfortable.
Though it may seem tedious and like a burden, you know having routine dentist check-ups contribute to the overall good health of your own teeth. Well, your horse is no different and deserves some of the same attention to her teeth as you give to yours. Confined horses or those that do not have the ability to graze all day are more prone to teeth overgrowth, as they are not naturally grinding their teeth all day to keep them smooth. Also, just like you, your horse can have other dental problems. A horse can have excessively worn teeth, loose or broken teeth, or infected gums.
One sign that your horse's teeth may need to be floated is if she is consistently dropping food from her mouth and you start seeing signs of weight loss. Your horse may also exhibit behavior like head-tossing or opening her mouth frequently.
Possible horse dental problem indicators:
* Drops food from her mouth
* Exhibits difficulty in chewing
* Excessive salivation
* Loss of weight
* Undigested food particles in manure
* Head-tossing
* Excessive bit chewing
* Resisting having the bridle put on
* Difficult handling while riding
* Mouth odor
* Blood in the mouth
* Face swelling
* Nasal discharge
Because horses are adaptable creatures, even if they are having discomfort, some do not show any signs of dental problems. So don't assume that if there are no symptoms, there are no problems.
Sharp teeth edges can hurt the inside of your horse's mouth causing pain and creating sores on her tongue or cheeks. Your horse may show resistance when riding due to added pain from the bit pressing against the sores.
The vet or equine dentist will carefully file all your horse's teeth that need smoothing to achieve a flat grinding surface between the upper and lower teeth. Having your horse's teeth floated is well worth it so she digests her food better, is in better spirits, and makes riding more enjoyable for you both.
How often floating is necessary varies quite a bit from one horse to another. Some horses seem to have slower-growing teeth and may require floating only once every several years while others may require floating every few months. Even if your horse does not require her teeth to be floated often, it is still a good idea to have her teeth and gums examined once a year.
The procedure the vet typically uses to float your horse's teeth is to first sedate your horse to make her relaxed. A special halter is put on with a rope thrown over a ceiling rafter or the equivalent in order to hold your horse's head up. A mouth speculum is used to keep your horse's mouth open. The vet will then either manually file your horse's teeth using a rasp in a back and forth motion to flatten the high points, or may use a power tool. The whole procedure is quick and painless - taking about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
If you're like me, you cringe at the thought of someone filing away on your teeth with a rasp. You can imagine the shooting pain from the nerves in your teeth. Personally, the dentist can't give me enough Novocain to make me feel comfortable before poking around or drilling in my mouth.
Unlike us, a horse's nerves end close to the gumline, so there is no nerve where the tooth is being worked on, and therefore does not feel any nerve pain. We humans should be so lucky.
Feline Obesity
Does your cat polish your floor with his stomach as he walks? Is his food bowl bigger than your head? Do you grunt when you try to pick him up? Does he bounce when he lands on the floor? Do you spend more on his food bill than your own?
People see fat cats as subjects of humor. They make cartoons with cute captions, manipulate photos into amusing cards, and crack jokes about their rotund companions. As harmless as it seems, obesity in our feline companions is not a joke. The health risks are very real. For nearly 40% of American cats, their lives will be shortened by years due to this preventable problem.
All cat owners should know if their cat is obese, what problems are associated with obesity, what causes obesity, and how to fix the problem.
So how do I know if my cat is obese?
Obesity is commonly defined as being more than 20% above the ideal weight. How that ideal weight is determined, however, isn't always cut and dried. Unlike humans, who have Body Mass Index and other various charts to guide them, there isn't an established chart of acceptable weights for cats due to the large variations between the different breeds. A Maine Coon will be much heavier than a Siamese. For this reason, obesity in cats is determined using body condition scoring. Body condition scoring usually ranges from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal and 9 being grossly overweight.
So how can you tell if your cat's too fat? Feel his sides. Can you feel his ribs? A little fat covering is ideal. You should be able to feel his ribs if you put slight pressure on his sides, but you shouldn't be able to count them just by running your hand over his body. Look at him while you're standing above him. Can you see his waist? Yes, cats should have a waist. Look at him from the side. Do you see his tummy tucking in a bit? It shouldn't be wobbling around in the breeze (in neutered animals, a slight pouch of loose skin is normal).
For long-haired cats, it may be helpful to wet down their fur in the bathtub to judge their body condition. All that fur can give the illusion that the cat is much heavier than it really is, or provide a great excuse to the owner for why her cat looks fat.
(See the links following this article for an illustrated chart to help you.)
So He's Fat. Is It That Dangerous?
The short answer: YES.
The long answer: a list of known risks. Obese cats have a much higher risk of developing:
*diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)
*hepatic lipidosis / FLS (a form of liver disease)
*arthritis or other skeletal problems
*lower urinary tract disease ('cystitis')
*breathing difficulties
*heart failure
*renal disease
*problems with anesthetic
*surgical complications
But He Doesn't Eat THAT much...
Excess weight is all about eating more calories than the body needs. If your cat is neutered, he uses less calories. If he's a barn cat, he uses a lot more calories. The more active he is, the more calories he needs. Most of us have indoor cats that lay around much of the time. They're not using energy to stay warm; they're not hunting for their food. They don't need to have a big bowl of food laying around to munch on 24 hours a day.
When humans diet, it is often recommended to keep a food diary because we lose track of how much we're really eating. You can lose track of how much your cat is really eating if you free-feed dry and toss treats at him several times a day. Be more conscious of what you're feeding him and remember that an animal that weighs 12 pounds doesn't need to eat all that much. Nor will he think you don't love him anymore if you stop tossing him treats every time you think he's being cute. If you want to show him your love, play with him. Give him some catnip. Spend time interacting with him. Don't equate food with love.
Getting the Weight Off
If your cat is more than a little overweight, the first thing you need to do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. There are a few medical reasons for gross obesity that require veterinary care to fix. Barring a medical problem causing the condition, your vet should monitor your obese cat's health as you restrict calories. Strict dieting can be deadly to obese cats. Do not just drastically cut down on her food and hope the weight will melt off. Obese cats who are suddenly deprived of food are prone to Fatty Liver Syndrome, which can be fatal if untreated. Weight loss should be a gradual process - the natural result of a healthier diet and a more active life.
Most cats are not so grossly obese that they need medical care to supervise their weight loss. Most are simply the result of an unhealthy lifestyle where they consume too many calories, are too inactive, and eat the wrong kinds of food (pretty much just like overweight people). Addressing these problems will result in the weight gradually reducing to a healthy number. Try these tips.
*Buy premium food. Many inexpensive brands don't use quality ingredients and use far too many fillers. The nutrients are not as digestible, thus aren't bioavailable (they just pass right through the system). The cat eats more to compensate.
*Feed portioned meals at regular mealtimes. Cats will eat out of boredom, just like people. They may also compete for food in a multi-cat home. Feed the portion recommended on the food packaging, dividing into two or three feedings daily (barring any medical condition requiring a different feeding schedule). Separate your cats in your multiple-cat household if necessary. Leave the food down for 30-40 minutes, then take it up. You eat meals at mealtime. So can your cat.
*Feed wet food in addition to or instead of dry. Cats are meant to eat meat. Dry foods tend to have far too many carbohydrates (not very digestible) and not nearly enough water and protein. The wet food, high in protein and fat, satisfies the cat's hunger better and is used more efficiently by the body. If your cat likes wet food, feed the wet only. If she isn't all that crazy about it, give her half her calories as dry and half as wet. If you're just starting out, even a quarter of her calories coming from wet food is a start.
*Skip the treats. Food should not be equated with love. Once your cat is down to a healthy weight, an occasional treat is fine, but until then, try using praise, play time, catnip, and other rewards to show how much you enjoy your companion.
*Integrate activities other than eating into the routine. Your cat was made to be an active being - one that hunted for food, competed for territory, stayed safe from predators, stayed warm in the winter, cool in the summer, ranged for mates, and raised young. Now that cats are kept as indoor pets, they need activity to be provided for them. Get some interactive and automated toys for your cat. Play chase with her - get her to chase you from room to room by dragging a cat toy behind you. Get her a big cat tree and hide interesting things such as catnip pieces in it, especially towards the top where she needs to climb to get to. Plant a little container of cat grass and secure it to the top. Be creative, but get her thinking and moving. Playing with your cat reduces stress levels - for both of you!
Keep the Weight Off
Don't get lazy once your cat can actually jump onto the couch without effort. A healthy weight is all about lifestyle. Maintain the feeding regimen, don't start feeding a lot of extra treats, and keep up the activity levels. Spending a little time to get your cat to a healthy weight will help your cat live a longer, happier life.
People see fat cats as subjects of humor. They make cartoons with cute captions, manipulate photos into amusing cards, and crack jokes about their rotund companions. As harmless as it seems, obesity in our feline companions is not a joke. The health risks are very real. For nearly 40% of American cats, their lives will be shortened by years due to this preventable problem.
All cat owners should know if their cat is obese, what problems are associated with obesity, what causes obesity, and how to fix the problem.
So how do I know if my cat is obese?
Obesity is commonly defined as being more than 20% above the ideal weight. How that ideal weight is determined, however, isn't always cut and dried. Unlike humans, who have Body Mass Index and other various charts to guide them, there isn't an established chart of acceptable weights for cats due to the large variations between the different breeds. A Maine Coon will be much heavier than a Siamese. For this reason, obesity in cats is determined using body condition scoring. Body condition scoring usually ranges from 1 to 9, with 5 being ideal and 9 being grossly overweight.
So how can you tell if your cat's too fat? Feel his sides. Can you feel his ribs? A little fat covering is ideal. You should be able to feel his ribs if you put slight pressure on his sides, but you shouldn't be able to count them just by running your hand over his body. Look at him while you're standing above him. Can you see his waist? Yes, cats should have a waist. Look at him from the side. Do you see his tummy tucking in a bit? It shouldn't be wobbling around in the breeze (in neutered animals, a slight pouch of loose skin is normal).
For long-haired cats, it may be helpful to wet down their fur in the bathtub to judge their body condition. All that fur can give the illusion that the cat is much heavier than it really is, or provide a great excuse to the owner for why her cat looks fat.
(See the links following this article for an illustrated chart to help you.)
So He's Fat. Is It That Dangerous?
The short answer: YES.
The long answer: a list of known risks. Obese cats have a much higher risk of developing:
*diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)
*hepatic lipidosis / FLS (a form of liver disease)
*arthritis or other skeletal problems
*lower urinary tract disease ('cystitis')
*breathing difficulties
*heart failure
*renal disease
*problems with anesthetic
*surgical complications
But He Doesn't Eat THAT much...
Excess weight is all about eating more calories than the body needs. If your cat is neutered, he uses less calories. If he's a barn cat, he uses a lot more calories. The more active he is, the more calories he needs. Most of us have indoor cats that lay around much of the time. They're not using energy to stay warm; they're not hunting for their food. They don't need to have a big bowl of food laying around to munch on 24 hours a day.
When humans diet, it is often recommended to keep a food diary because we lose track of how much we're really eating. You can lose track of how much your cat is really eating if you free-feed dry and toss treats at him several times a day. Be more conscious of what you're feeding him and remember that an animal that weighs 12 pounds doesn't need to eat all that much. Nor will he think you don't love him anymore if you stop tossing him treats every time you think he's being cute. If you want to show him your love, play with him. Give him some catnip. Spend time interacting with him. Don't equate food with love.
Getting the Weight Off
If your cat is more than a little overweight, the first thing you need to do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. There are a few medical reasons for gross obesity that require veterinary care to fix. Barring a medical problem causing the condition, your vet should monitor your obese cat's health as you restrict calories. Strict dieting can be deadly to obese cats. Do not just drastically cut down on her food and hope the weight will melt off. Obese cats who are suddenly deprived of food are prone to Fatty Liver Syndrome, which can be fatal if untreated. Weight loss should be a gradual process - the natural result of a healthier diet and a more active life.
Most cats are not so grossly obese that they need medical care to supervise their weight loss. Most are simply the result of an unhealthy lifestyle where they consume too many calories, are too inactive, and eat the wrong kinds of food (pretty much just like overweight people). Addressing these problems will result in the weight gradually reducing to a healthy number. Try these tips.
*Buy premium food. Many inexpensive brands don't use quality ingredients and use far too many fillers. The nutrients are not as digestible, thus aren't bioavailable (they just pass right through the system). The cat eats more to compensate.
*Feed portioned meals at regular mealtimes. Cats will eat out of boredom, just like people. They may also compete for food in a multi-cat home. Feed the portion recommended on the food packaging, dividing into two or three feedings daily (barring any medical condition requiring a different feeding schedule). Separate your cats in your multiple-cat household if necessary. Leave the food down for 30-40 minutes, then take it up. You eat meals at mealtime. So can your cat.
*Feed wet food in addition to or instead of dry. Cats are meant to eat meat. Dry foods tend to have far too many carbohydrates (not very digestible) and not nearly enough water and protein. The wet food, high in protein and fat, satisfies the cat's hunger better and is used more efficiently by the body. If your cat likes wet food, feed the wet only. If she isn't all that crazy about it, give her half her calories as dry and half as wet. If you're just starting out, even a quarter of her calories coming from wet food is a start.
*Skip the treats. Food should not be equated with love. Once your cat is down to a healthy weight, an occasional treat is fine, but until then, try using praise, play time, catnip, and other rewards to show how much you enjoy your companion.
*Integrate activities other than eating into the routine. Your cat was made to be an active being - one that hunted for food, competed for territory, stayed safe from predators, stayed warm in the winter, cool in the summer, ranged for mates, and raised young. Now that cats are kept as indoor pets, they need activity to be provided for them. Get some interactive and automated toys for your cat. Play chase with her - get her to chase you from room to room by dragging a cat toy behind you. Get her a big cat tree and hide interesting things such as catnip pieces in it, especially towards the top where she needs to climb to get to. Plant a little container of cat grass and secure it to the top. Be creative, but get her thinking and moving. Playing with your cat reduces stress levels - for both of you!
Keep the Weight Off
Don't get lazy once your cat can actually jump onto the couch without effort. A healthy weight is all about lifestyle. Maintain the feeding regimen, don't start feeding a lot of extra treats, and keep up the activity levels. Spending a little time to get your cat to a healthy weight will help your cat live a longer, happier life.
Dogs and Heartworms
It is surprising how many people are still confused about heartworms and the effects that a heartworm can have on
your dog.
First lets look at what heartworms are and how your dog can become infected.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes into the dog's blood stream. The immature heartworms called microfilaria
travel through the blood stream.
The microfilaria settle into the heart chambers and major pulmonary blood vessels. This causes a blockage of the
blood flow and pathological changes to the surrounding tissues.
This blockage happens when the larvae grow into adult worms. An adult female heartworm can grow up to fourteen
inches and can live as long as five years.
A female heartworm can produce thousands of microfilariae, which is transmitted into a mosquito when it bites an
infected dog, and subsequently injected into the next dog that that mosquito dines on.
What Are The Signs That A Dog May Have Heartworms?
ØUsually the first system is weight loss. The dogs' hair may become dull and brittle.
ØThe infected dog also may tier easily.
ØA persistent coughs and or labored breathing.
ØIn more progressed cases victims may vomit blood from ruptured lungs.
If the disease is not prevented or caught in time the result will be a slow painful death from congestive heart
failure.
What Do I Do If My Dog Is Infected?
Treatment is available but it can cost hundreds of dollars, and may be ineffective depending on the degree of
infestation.
The best defense against heartworms is routine checkups with your vet. Giving your dog heartworm medication once
a month easily prevents heartworms.
Warning: You Must Have Your Dog Tested For Heartworms Before Starting Heartworm Medication!
your dog.
First lets look at what heartworms are and how your dog can become infected.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes into the dog's blood stream. The immature heartworms called microfilaria
travel through the blood stream.
The microfilaria settle into the heart chambers and major pulmonary blood vessels. This causes a blockage of the
blood flow and pathological changes to the surrounding tissues.
This blockage happens when the larvae grow into adult worms. An adult female heartworm can grow up to fourteen
inches and can live as long as five years.
A female heartworm can produce thousands of microfilariae, which is transmitted into a mosquito when it bites an
infected dog, and subsequently injected into the next dog that that mosquito dines on.
What Are The Signs That A Dog May Have Heartworms?
ØUsually the first system is weight loss. The dogs' hair may become dull and brittle.
ØThe infected dog also may tier easily.
ØA persistent coughs and or labored breathing.
ØIn more progressed cases victims may vomit blood from ruptured lungs.
If the disease is not prevented or caught in time the result will be a slow painful death from congestive heart
failure.
What Do I Do If My Dog Is Infected?
Treatment is available but it can cost hundreds of dollars, and may be ineffective depending on the degree of
infestation.
The best defense against heartworms is routine checkups with your vet. Giving your dog heartworm medication once
a month easily prevents heartworms.
Warning: You Must Have Your Dog Tested For Heartworms Before Starting Heartworm Medication!
Cockatiel Illnesses
Cockatiels are one of the most lovable pets in the world. They are a valuable treasure to the owner. Cockatiels, just like humans, need a lot of attention and care. Parrots as pets are delightful but they can become extremely moody and temperamental. This may also depend on its health and diet.
Good cockatiel care involves not only regulation of diet but also of hygiene and cleanliness. Cockatiels, like most of its cousins in the parrot kingdom, are prone to some typical illnesses. Unfortunately, many are fatal and result in death even before the malady is diagnosed. As a result, cockatiels should always be kept under close supervision.
A wise owner of cockatiels is one who is aware of common cockatiel illnesses so that he/she can at least try and help. Many maladies are airborne and they set in even before you realize. It is advisable to seek professional advice whenever you suspect a crisis.
Some of the common illnesses are:
Pacheco's Virus - It is easy to diagnose your cockatiel if Pacheco's Virus infects it. The bird needs to be administered a strong oral dose of Zovirax medication. Vaccines are easily available for this disease, but they can bring about tumors and carriers. Evidence shows that parrots are likely to die shortly after inoculation.
Polyomavirus - Polyomavirus largely attacks the young ones. This virus is again air-borne and complicated to control. Look for clinical warning signs like depression, delayed crop emptying, anorexia, diarrhea, regurgitation and weight loss in parrots.
Beak and Feather Syndrome - Spread by feather dust and dried feces, parrots infected with PBFDS show abnormal growth of new feathers. The new-fanged shafts look as if swollen and gnarled. Another type of PBFDS symptom that is quite prevalent is growth abnormality of the beak. There is currently no known cure for this disease.
Wasting Disease - A highly contagious disease Wasting Disease is not as fast in opening out as Pacheco's. Wasting Diseases are hard to reckon since they lie dormant for years, until hosts are on a move. Studies on parrot show Wasting Diseases have a severe effect on nervous systems extended to all of the major organs, triggering seizures, paralysis, and tremors, and also heart attacks. There is no known medication available for Wasting Disease, but changing the food patterns of the parrots by including easily digestible diet supplements may prolong the life of a victim.
Papilloma - Appearing primarily in the throat or vent areas, papilloma is caused by a virus infection similar to warts. It grows large enough to block the vent, making it difficult or even impossible for the host to defecate. Parrots diagnosed of Papilloma can be cured after successful laser surgery.
Psittacosis - Psittacosis is another most dreaded bacterial infection that commonly occurs in the cockatiels and is transmitted via feather dust and dried feces.
E-coli - This bacterium is not so lethal if it is acknowledged and treated at initial stages. In fact, when cockatiels are diagnosed of having Ecoli their droppings usually have the appearance of diarrhea, giving out strong odor.
Gout - Calcification of the kidneys among the parrots is common especially among the babies who are aged 4-8 weeks. In such cases, victims rarely survive. Initially they show regurgitating and slight dehydration after feedings. In addition, babies who appear slightly smaller than their regular sizes, with protruding neck bone have the largest possibility of incurring Gout.
Runny Nose or Nasal Discharge - The most common of all nasal discharge is laxity of Vitamin-A in cockatiels. This deficiency can be corrected by increasing the food quantities that are rich in vitamins and mineral contents especially.
Good cockatiel care involves not only regulation of diet but also of hygiene and cleanliness. Cockatiels, like most of its cousins in the parrot kingdom, are prone to some typical illnesses. Unfortunately, many are fatal and result in death even before the malady is diagnosed. As a result, cockatiels should always be kept under close supervision.
A wise owner of cockatiels is one who is aware of common cockatiel illnesses so that he/she can at least try and help. Many maladies are airborne and they set in even before you realize. It is advisable to seek professional advice whenever you suspect a crisis.
Some of the common illnesses are:
Pacheco's Virus - It is easy to diagnose your cockatiel if Pacheco's Virus infects it. The bird needs to be administered a strong oral dose of Zovirax medication. Vaccines are easily available for this disease, but they can bring about tumors and carriers. Evidence shows that parrots are likely to die shortly after inoculation.
Polyomavirus - Polyomavirus largely attacks the young ones. This virus is again air-borne and complicated to control. Look for clinical warning signs like depression, delayed crop emptying, anorexia, diarrhea, regurgitation and weight loss in parrots.
Beak and Feather Syndrome - Spread by feather dust and dried feces, parrots infected with PBFDS show abnormal growth of new feathers. The new-fanged shafts look as if swollen and gnarled. Another type of PBFDS symptom that is quite prevalent is growth abnormality of the beak. There is currently no known cure for this disease.
Wasting Disease - A highly contagious disease Wasting Disease is not as fast in opening out as Pacheco's. Wasting Diseases are hard to reckon since they lie dormant for years, until hosts are on a move. Studies on parrot show Wasting Diseases have a severe effect on nervous systems extended to all of the major organs, triggering seizures, paralysis, and tremors, and also heart attacks. There is no known medication available for Wasting Disease, but changing the food patterns of the parrots by including easily digestible diet supplements may prolong the life of a victim.
Papilloma - Appearing primarily in the throat or vent areas, papilloma is caused by a virus infection similar to warts. It grows large enough to block the vent, making it difficult or even impossible for the host to defecate. Parrots diagnosed of Papilloma can be cured after successful laser surgery.
Psittacosis - Psittacosis is another most dreaded bacterial infection that commonly occurs in the cockatiels and is transmitted via feather dust and dried feces.
E-coli - This bacterium is not so lethal if it is acknowledged and treated at initial stages. In fact, when cockatiels are diagnosed of having Ecoli their droppings usually have the appearance of diarrhea, giving out strong odor.
Gout - Calcification of the kidneys among the parrots is common especially among the babies who are aged 4-8 weeks. In such cases, victims rarely survive. Initially they show regurgitating and slight dehydration after feedings. In addition, babies who appear slightly smaller than their regular sizes, with protruding neck bone have the largest possibility of incurring Gout.
Runny Nose or Nasal Discharge - The most common of all nasal discharge is laxity of Vitamin-A in cockatiels. This deficiency can be corrected by increasing the food quantities that are rich in vitamins and mineral contents especially.
Why Are We Overweight?
Why are we overweight? This question has been asked many times and we all have different answers. The most common is because we eat too much, especially junk food, and exercise less. It is easy to say, I will lose weight and keep it off. Reality is that when we eat more calories than we can use for energy, our bodies store fat. The issue is whether we are seriously committed to change our lifestyle, adopt healthier habits and exercise more. After we gain weight, we find difficulty losing it. There is hope. Increasing our fat burning metabolism will help us lose weight.
Most people have tried many diets, such as quick weight loss diets with the hope of loosing that unwanted fat, yet failed to keep the weight off. Why? Because quick diets are not the answer. Think for a moment, we did not gain all that weight in one week, but gradually, right? Therefore, we can lose that unwanted fat gradually and keep the weight off. This is why it is so hard to lose fat and to stay slim with those quick weight loss diets. Some of these diets are so extreme that leave you feeling hungry, weak, and the end is that instead of promoting a healthy eating habit to lose weight, you end up cheating and eating until you satisfy those cravings.
Back to our original question, why are we overweight? People are overweight for different reasons: eating too much, lack of exercise, slow fat burning metabolism, retaining water, eating too late, eating unconsciously while watching TV, eating the wrong foods. We tend to eat for emotional reasons too, as we relate food as calming our nerves. Sound familiar? Sure, we feel fine while eating, but is this the answer to calm our nerves? No. Definitely not. Anxiety can drive us to eat more and see food as an ideal comfort.
How to resolve the overweight issue?
First, we recommend you take a conscious decision of examining your eating habits and consult a physician to check your health before starting any nutritional program and exercise plan.
Second, keep a daily record of what you eat, drink at least 8 glasses of water, have green tea to increase your metabolism, consume lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, avoid junk food and heavy sugary products.
Third, learn to say no when friends or family members offer you second or third servings.
Fourth, keep a firm decision and a positive attitude to lose that unwanted weight, visualize the new you.
Fifth, contact friends who will encourage you to lose weight and motivate you when feeling down. There is always someone ready to keep you motivated.
Whenever you feel eating for anxiety, think twice. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, "am I really hungry or is just an emotional excuse?" Instead of eating impulsively, try to drink water or have a cup of green tea, go out for a walk, or contact one of your friends for motivation.
Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special.
Most people have tried many diets, such as quick weight loss diets with the hope of loosing that unwanted fat, yet failed to keep the weight off. Why? Because quick diets are not the answer. Think for a moment, we did not gain all that weight in one week, but gradually, right? Therefore, we can lose that unwanted fat gradually and keep the weight off. This is why it is so hard to lose fat and to stay slim with those quick weight loss diets. Some of these diets are so extreme that leave you feeling hungry, weak, and the end is that instead of promoting a healthy eating habit to lose weight, you end up cheating and eating until you satisfy those cravings.
Back to our original question, why are we overweight? People are overweight for different reasons: eating too much, lack of exercise, slow fat burning metabolism, retaining water, eating too late, eating unconsciously while watching TV, eating the wrong foods. We tend to eat for emotional reasons too, as we relate food as calming our nerves. Sound familiar? Sure, we feel fine while eating, but is this the answer to calm our nerves? No. Definitely not. Anxiety can drive us to eat more and see food as an ideal comfort.
How to resolve the overweight issue?
First, we recommend you take a conscious decision of examining your eating habits and consult a physician to check your health before starting any nutritional program and exercise plan.
Second, keep a daily record of what you eat, drink at least 8 glasses of water, have green tea to increase your metabolism, consume lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, avoid junk food and heavy sugary products.
Third, learn to say no when friends or family members offer you second or third servings.
Fourth, keep a firm decision and a positive attitude to lose that unwanted weight, visualize the new you.
Fifth, contact friends who will encourage you to lose weight and motivate you when feeling down. There is always someone ready to keep you motivated.
Whenever you feel eating for anxiety, think twice. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, "am I really hungry or is just an emotional excuse?" Instead of eating impulsively, try to drink water or have a cup of green tea, go out for a walk, or contact one of your friends for motivation.
Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special.
Interviews With Successful Ezine Publishers - Renee Kennedy
Renee Kennedy is the editor of The NutriCounter Update, a light-hearted ezine that provides one fresh article on a topic related to weight loss, diet, nutrition and weight management.
KH: How important has publishing an ezine been to your business?
RK: I think that it's important to attract and maintain customers in every way that you can. I always think of the "Rule of 7." It takes about 7 impressions before a customer will buy. I don't know where this rule came from, but it sure seems to be true.
The more ways that you can reach people, the more likely you are to sell to them. Having an ezine is just one way to advertise and let people know that your products or services exist. It is also one of the most inexpensive ways to reach customers and potential customers.
KH: How long have you been running an ezine and how many subscribers do you have?
RK: I ran a marketing ezine for my own business for 4 years. For the last six months, I've been the editor of a health ezine called "NutriCounter Update." The health ezine now has over 6,000 subscribers.
KH: Can you tell me more about the "NutriCounter?" What does it do? Who does it benefit?
RK: The NutriCounter is a nutritional calculator that helps people keep track of their nutritional intake. People can use it for any type of diet including diets for weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and heart disease.
Good health is always contingent on a healthy diet and the NutriCounter can help people monitor their diet and let them know when they've exceeded or met their individual nutritional goals for the day.
KH: Do you write and use your own articles to promote your ezine? How valuable has writing articles been in promoting your ezine?
RK: Yes, we write one original article each month for our monthly publication. It's valuable to get and keep subscribers ... but it's also an excellent way to spread our URL around.
Once we've written an article and published it in the newsletter, we send the article out to several Free Content lists and sites. These articles always get picked up by several sites or ezines. We use an author's resource box to direct readers back to our site.
KH: What methods do you use to promote your products or services within your ezine?
RK: The "Editor's Remarks" section of the newsletter is the most powerful section. That is the section that everyone reads if they are going to read anything. So, if we have an important offering, we always endorse it in the Editor's Remarks section. We've used many different ways to get people to buy.
Some examples are:
-- contests
-- buy one get one free or buy one get one at a reduced price
-- coupons
-- discounts (i.e., 10% discount only by clicking on this link).
KH: How do you go about preparing your ezine for publication?
RK: First, we research and write an article - trying to keep it between 800 to 1000 words. While that's going on, I write the Editor's Remarks section which will usually revolve around the article topic. Then I put the content into a premade template. I edit the whole ezine about 3-5 times. Then I send it off to our Associate Editor for editing. Finally, the Editor in Chief gets to edit it. It goes through at least three sets of eyes before it gets sent out.
KH: Any advice to future ezine publishers? Things to look out for or things to concentrate on when publishing an ezine?
RK: Provide original content specific to a niche group - don't try to be everything to everyone, concentrate on providing information that you're an expert on.
Be personable and reach out to your audience. If you can touch the audience you will have a high retention rate. People don't just want information, they want to know who's talking to them, they want the information to get a little personal.
Examine the ezines that you stay subscribed to. Ask yourself why you like those particular ezines or newsletters. In other words, read a lot - don't get wrapped up in your own stuff, get out there and see what other people are doing.
KH: How important has publishing an ezine been to your business?
RK: I think that it's important to attract and maintain customers in every way that you can. I always think of the "Rule of 7." It takes about 7 impressions before a customer will buy. I don't know where this rule came from, but it sure seems to be true.
The more ways that you can reach people, the more likely you are to sell to them. Having an ezine is just one way to advertise and let people know that your products or services exist. It is also one of the most inexpensive ways to reach customers and potential customers.
KH: How long have you been running an ezine and how many subscribers do you have?
RK: I ran a marketing ezine for my own business for 4 years. For the last six months, I've been the editor of a health ezine called "NutriCounter Update." The health ezine now has over 6,000 subscribers.
KH: Can you tell me more about the "NutriCounter?" What does it do? Who does it benefit?
RK: The NutriCounter is a nutritional calculator that helps people keep track of their nutritional intake. People can use it for any type of diet including diets for weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and heart disease.
Good health is always contingent on a healthy diet and the NutriCounter can help people monitor their diet and let them know when they've exceeded or met their individual nutritional goals for the day.
KH: Do you write and use your own articles to promote your ezine? How valuable has writing articles been in promoting your ezine?
RK: Yes, we write one original article each month for our monthly publication. It's valuable to get and keep subscribers ... but it's also an excellent way to spread our URL around.
Once we've written an article and published it in the newsletter, we send the article out to several Free Content lists and sites. These articles always get picked up by several sites or ezines. We use an author's resource box to direct readers back to our site.
KH: What methods do you use to promote your products or services within your ezine?
RK: The "Editor's Remarks" section of the newsletter is the most powerful section. That is the section that everyone reads if they are going to read anything. So, if we have an important offering, we always endorse it in the Editor's Remarks section. We've used many different ways to get people to buy.
Some examples are:
-- contests
-- buy one get one free or buy one get one at a reduced price
-- coupons
-- discounts (i.e., 10% discount only by clicking on this link).
KH: How do you go about preparing your ezine for publication?
RK: First, we research and write an article - trying to keep it between 800 to 1000 words. While that's going on, I write the Editor's Remarks section which will usually revolve around the article topic. Then I put the content into a premade template. I edit the whole ezine about 3-5 times. Then I send it off to our Associate Editor for editing. Finally, the Editor in Chief gets to edit it. It goes through at least three sets of eyes before it gets sent out.
KH: Any advice to future ezine publishers? Things to look out for or things to concentrate on when publishing an ezine?
RK: Provide original content specific to a niche group - don't try to be everything to everyone, concentrate on providing information that you're an expert on.
Be personable and reach out to your audience. If you can touch the audience you will have a high retention rate. People don't just want information, they want to know who's talking to them, they want the information to get a little personal.
Examine the ezines that you stay subscribed to. Ask yourself why you like those particular ezines or newsletters. In other words, read a lot - don't get wrapped up in your own stuff, get out there and see what other people are doing.
Hoodia Gordonii is your solution to weight loss
Overweight and obesity are actual problems for the American population, but much more for women who are trying to look better.
Close to 60 million Americans are overweight or obese, but the problem is more relevant into the minorities. Acording to the Obesity Research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hispanic population was the most overweighted in the ethnic groups in 2000. Estimations reach to more than 20 million people.
Hoodia Diet is the solution for safe weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii contains a natural active ingredient, P57, which has only recently been identified. The P57 works as an appetite suppressant.
Taking Hoodia Diet Tablets when you are hungry alleviates the feeling of hunger and so makes you less likely to snack between meals due to hunger.
The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus has been used by the San indigenous people of South Africa for hundreds of years as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher.
Extracts from this succulent have shown in clinical trials on obese subjects to reduce caloric intake by 30% to 40%. Significant weight loss has resulted from such a drop in caloric intake.
Therefore, Hoodia is one of the best and most powerful natural appetite suppressant available, if used in conjunction with any diet. Hoodia will help you to stop snacking between meals. It will also help you to reduce the amount that you eat at meal times.
Dieting is not easy, you need to make your mind up that you are going to choose a diet plan that appeals to you and use Hoodia Diet Tablets to help you stick to your diet by reducing your daily calorie intake.
Some users of Hoodia simply take the tablets 3 times a day, one hour before normal meal times, and this will allow them to eat less at each meal, so reducing daily calorie intake.
Others find a low carb or low fat diet and take Hoodia Diet Tablets to stop them feeling hungry between these meals.
Close to 60 million Americans are overweight or obese, but the problem is more relevant into the minorities. Acording to the Obesity Research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hispanic population was the most overweighted in the ethnic groups in 2000. Estimations reach to more than 20 million people.
Hoodia Diet is the solution for safe weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii contains a natural active ingredient, P57, which has only recently been identified. The P57 works as an appetite suppressant.
Taking Hoodia Diet Tablets when you are hungry alleviates the feeling of hunger and so makes you less likely to snack between meals due to hunger.
The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus has been used by the San indigenous people of South Africa for hundreds of years as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher.
Extracts from this succulent have shown in clinical trials on obese subjects to reduce caloric intake by 30% to 40%. Significant weight loss has resulted from such a drop in caloric intake.
Therefore, Hoodia is one of the best and most powerful natural appetite suppressant available, if used in conjunction with any diet. Hoodia will help you to stop snacking between meals. It will also help you to reduce the amount that you eat at meal times.
Dieting is not easy, you need to make your mind up that you are going to choose a diet plan that appeals to you and use Hoodia Diet Tablets to help you stick to your diet by reducing your daily calorie intake.
Some users of Hoodia simply take the tablets 3 times a day, one hour before normal meal times, and this will allow them to eat less at each meal, so reducing daily calorie intake.
Others find a low carb or low fat diet and take Hoodia Diet Tablets to stop them feeling hungry between these meals.
7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Change Immediately
People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe
me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising...you're instantly
bombarded with the latest diet schemes and "Hollywood" food
fads.
Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to
control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence.
The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care
treatments is staggering...Americans alone spend around $114
billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing
weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before...
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or
obese...up about eight percent from earlier estimates.
- Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine
million are overweight...triple the rate in 1980!
- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.
For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy
lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer
calories to sustain our normal body weight.
Think about it for a moment...
Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact,
it's usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in
the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our
favorite snack. Whether it's television, computers, remote
controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer
calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal
routine have disappeared...activities like climbing stairs,
pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.
And please do not misunderstand me...I appreciate comfortable
living just as much as the next person. But, here is the
problem...
With all of our modern day conveniences and "cushy" style of
living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for
our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich
and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of
the following examples comparing what we eat "today" vs the
1970's (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):
- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of
them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption
has jumped 45 percent since the 1970's, from 138 pounds of grains
per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat
flour is consumed as whole wheat.
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but
only because French fries and potato chips are included as
vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our
"produce" choices.
- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our
cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source
of saturated fat in our diets.
- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the
loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so
that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did
back in the 1970's.
- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than
milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice
that of pop.
- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable
oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has
increased 32 percent.
- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding
waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are
consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day,
about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is
found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In
1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11
percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has
ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as
much as 20 percent for American teenagers!
Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and
nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and
eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it's
"OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and
that larger serving portions equate to better value.
It's time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and
time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide
TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a
normal part of our life!
We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits...
slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and
activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life.
And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so
be patient as you work toward your goal!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising...you're instantly
bombarded with the latest diet schemes and "Hollywood" food
fads.
Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to
control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence.
The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care
treatments is staggering...Americans alone spend around $114
billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing
weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before...
- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or
obese...up about eight percent from earlier estimates.
- Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine
million are overweight...triple the rate in 1980!
- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.
For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy
lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer
calories to sustain our normal body weight.
Think about it for a moment...
Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact,
it's usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in
the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our
favorite snack. Whether it's television, computers, remote
controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer
calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal
routine have disappeared...activities like climbing stairs,
pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.
And please do not misunderstand me...I appreciate comfortable
living just as much as the next person. But, here is the
problem...
With all of our modern day conveniences and "cushy" style of
living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for
our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich
and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of
the following examples comparing what we eat "today" vs the
1970's (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):
- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of
them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption
has jumped 45 percent since the 1970's, from 138 pounds of grains
per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat
flour is consumed as whole wheat.
- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but
only because French fries and potato chips are included as
vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our
"produce" choices.
- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our
cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source
of saturated fat in our diets.
- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the
loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so
that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did
back in the 1970's.
- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than
milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice
that of pop.
- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable
oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has
increased 32 percent.
- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding
waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are
consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day,
about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is
found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In
1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11
percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has
ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as
much as 20 percent for American teenagers!
Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and
nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and
eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it's
"OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and
that larger serving portions equate to better value.
It's time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and
time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide
TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a
normal part of our life!
We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits...
slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and
activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life.
And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so
be patient as you work toward your goal!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
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