How to start your aerobic training program:

Consider first setting your goals for sometime in the future; make sure they are realistic. Start easy, be kind to yourself. Many of us start out joining a gym and telling ourselves that now we will train every day! Six out of ten people going to gyms drop out in the first month. That’s a staggering 60% of the people. The numbers are just as high for those that buy exercise equipment and don’t use it. So you need several ingredients, not necessarily in order of importance, but because you want to be successful in your training.

1. Desire or motivation that is from who you are, not to get something.

2. Energy: This means you need to start thinking about eating better. No matter where you are with nutrition you can always improve (see nutrition for details). You need nutrients as well. Vitamins, power foods, high technology nutrition is available; you just need to make the effort. Without good fuel it’s hard to get the energy to train.

3. Set your goals within yourself and make them realistic. Remember, there is no cause and effect so you can’t cause health; you can only live it.

4. Make the time, create a loose schedule with alternatives, if need be.

5. Stick to it. Remember, consistency is more important than intensity.

6. Understand the basics of bio-mechanics, even for walking (posture, the muscles, the stretching, the meditation and imagery) to get the most from your efforts.

7. If you are in a family or a relationship, you need support and encouragement, not grief for leaving them alone so often. Get them to start with you (that’s really tough sometimes). It’s always easier if your partner is doing a similar program with you.

8. If you smoke, start making an effort to cut down, if that’s really what you want to do. If not, it will not make a huge difference so much as your attitude towards it will. Use coltsfoot, an herb you can buy in health food stores and smoke it. It will cleanse your lungs, and help you to get off tobacco. You will find the desire will slowly fade away as you get healthier. We don’t need to harp about it. JUST DO IT! QUIT.

9. If you eat more than a plate at a sitting, just start eating less, and limit snacks to fruit.

10. Maybe it’s some of the food you eat. Cut down on fats, sugar, liquor, canned food, and packaged food full of hidden fats and sugars. I’m sure you already know the stuff that doesn’t really help your body.

11. Eat more of the good stuff: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole foods, grains, etc.

12. Drink more water, read more books, and have more fun in your life. Why not?

Of course there is more, but this would be a great start. Remember that when you work holistically you have a better chance at success. You will be working on several levels of health at the same time.

A few days you make it, then you miss one, and eventually another. I know, and I’m a professional trainer, it happens to me. Life is always changing, that’s the beauty of it. That does not mean we give up; just go with the flow. Set some realistic goals, and know that you will miss some days. Make it up again, and don’t beat yourself up about it.

The majority of people drop out of their health programs primarily because it is very hard to get motivated. There are a few myths about motivation for working out — that knowledge will do it, or maybe we feel guilty because we are overweight — but the key is if you don’t have the energy none of that will matter. It’s really about metabolism. Once you get older if you don’t exercise, your own body will start to think you don’t need the hormones and energy. Basically, it starts to shut down. When you do exercise, it’s hard and your body feels like it’s really stressed. It’s not very pleasant, in fact, it hurts many times when you start to train.

To really increase the energy level and have your body and brain work with you, you need to take the nutrients to get your body working again. The food you eat needs to be better quality with more servings of natural fruits and vegetables. If you are eating junky food there is no way your body will be able to have more energy.

You need to consider antioxidants, vitamins, and some form of growth hormone like DHEA or Deer antler extract which is natural (IGF1 which is a pre-curser to HGH). Take care with Human Growth Hormon always consult your doctor. I personally don’t recomend HGH, because if you take it your body stops producing it, there are alternatives. You can’t take very much of this as it turns to testosterone and so you need to consult a doctor for medical advice. (see my web page for more information about this along with other nutrients). Most doctors don’t recommend very high doses of either of these nutrients, so get professional advice. A small amount can do wonders for the human body. These nutrients increase metabolism, build muscle, and help the body to become anabolic (for building and repair of tissue). This is important: to not be catabolic (destructive down cycle) any longer. If you can use these health products, they are the best.

The research necessary to take the vitamin and nutrient business to its highest level is being done with these products. Your success in a fitness program is dependent on your nutrition program.

The minimum goal for an aerobic activity is five times a week for over thirty minutes each session, and even up to sixty minutes if you are only going to walk. Five times a week, not three times as we have heard. That doesn’t mean it has to be all running or all walking. You can play tennis, golf, and walk briskly, or take a nice walk with the family. Families that train together, stay together. Play ball with the kids, for this to be effective and considered an aerobic activity, you need to do it over a half hour and get your heart rate up about 60 to 70% of your max. By then you start to burn some fat. As you increase this ability to burn some fat your brain says “Hey! This person is active. Let’s improve the metabolism.”

As you exercise you also decrease your appetite so you eat less. This is when your body will start to create more hormones, endorphins, and pain-reducing substances called antefolins, which will help you to feel better. Remember, you have to get over the hump before you feel good from exercise. Then weight is not a big problem and you will slowly and naturally level off to your natural weight. This all helps to reduce your stress as well as helping you to feel more successful and some enhanced self- esteem. Balancing your body this way also helps reduce the risk of heart disease as well as diabetes. It helps you create more of HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and reduces the LDL & VLDL, the bad cholesterol.

A moderate exercise program always helps you sleep better. It enhances the digestion and the lymphatic systems (the cleanser of the body tissues). All this helps your body to work at the ultimate level. Remember, this is going to take time. Diets or any fast way will not last. We know now that when you diet or change anything too drastically your body goes into shock. Then the next time you eat, it holds on to it. You gain all the weight back, your body just needs to know you are not a couch patato.

So it’s best to not focus on the weight. When your body is operating at its optimal level, you will be at your correct weight eventually. It all depends on your body type, anyway. You could still be heavy and be incredibly fit and healthy. Isn’t that the purpose of all this?

A sample schedule for the beginner fitness enthusiast: Note you can replace walk for run- if you have been a runner, if not don’t start running unless you are prepared to find all your sore, and injured places coming to the surface.

Day One.

Take an easy twenty-minute walk at a nice brisk pace. (Walk ten minutes from your starting point and turn around.) Find a nice place to walk, away from lots of cars. If your neighborhood is good place well, great. If not, take the extra time to drive to a park, beach, pasture or the country. No sense huffing and puffing more carbon monoxide. (Living in Los Angeles is like smoking ten cigarettes every hour. Cherniscki). You need to be able to keep up a conversation. If you are in oxygen debt you won’t burn calories as well so take it easy at first. Upon returning, spend about ten or fifteen minutes stretching.

Consistency is more important than intensity. If you don’t do it regularly the brain thinks “well, this body doesn’t need much energy so we can store all these extra calories in the thighs or butt.” But if you start with some regular activity, just everyday stuff can contribute the message to the brain saying “hey we need more energy.” The brain begins to think this body is active and needs to increase the metabolism. Every two hours do something for at least ten minutes is another technique. Then your brain will take you to a higher metabolic level. As you increase your exercise program you will have more byproducts called free radicals. This is more reason for us to work with nutrition as well, because you need to increase the antioxidants to keep the body healthy from the free radicals.

Day Two

Just stretch for ten to fifteen minutes. If you are near water, maybe swim for ten to fifteen minutes. Or do a more easy walk if you are sore.

Day Three

Walk briskly for twenty-five minutes. Stretch for fifteen, or if you have it down, it could only take ten minutes to get a good stretch.

Day Four

Swim and stretch for at least twenty minutes and ten, respectively.

Day Five

You might miss one. . .Or walk maybe longer and easy or hard depending on how you feel.

Day Six

Walk a good deal faster for thirty minutes. If you feel tight walking, stop after you break into a light sweat and stretch for a few minutes. Regarding the legs and gluteus muscles. Then continue, finishing up with a good ten minute stretch.

Day Seven

If you didn’t miss one day, take an easy walk, swim or stretch, maybe do something with family or friends. If you got sore at all during the week, then rest and just stretch or swim. Note: I like to add crunchies to all my workouts, strengthen the abdominals is a good way to trim the belly.

Continue this program until you can walk thirty minutes without losing your breath at all. This can take two weeks for most people and up to four weeks for others. If it takes you longer, stay with twenty-five minutes for two months, and then move into the next level. If within two weeks your body serves you well, you can proceed with the next level.

We will have an easy day and then a hard day for the rest of the training. If you miss an easy day, don’t worry about it.

Continue on the following day with a brisk walk for thirty minutes. Now we will start to burn some fat. From now on, you workouts should last about forty-five minutes. So give yourself an hour to work it into your daily routine, if you don’t feel like training don’t know that you can do something easy.

As you get stronger, your easy days become more like your hard days when you first started. Walking can increase to five times per week within the first few months, depending on your body. You have to listen to it and pay attention. If you can get the advice from a certified personal trainer, please do. It never hurts to have more information. At this level it’s not as critical as it will be when we start the strengthening program using weights, running or strengthening exercises.

Six to Eight Weeks

Most bodies will start to enjoy working out from here on out. After six or eight weeks, start your strength-training program. Once again, listen to your body. If you don’t feel quite ready at six weeks, take eight. What’s the rush? You have your whole life ahead of you. At this point is when I recommend the use of a certified personal trainer.

You can go in either of two directions with this addition to your program, with various levels of intensity depending on your body and your abilities.

If you are able and willing to run for your particular goals, you may now start to run. Start with easy jogging for twenty minutes every other day, and weight training every other day. Running at this time should be at least three days a week, the same for weight training. There is some evidence, however, that we could get by with two days of weight training (solid whole body sessions) and still do okay. Include one day of rest. The day you rest could be a very easy workout, either stretching, swimming or family fun.

For weight training we need to start just as easy. Many of us think that weight training will build large muscles. We see all these big bodybuilders, and although some of us admire the dedication it takes to build that kind of body, it is not necessarily true that weight training builds large muscles. It all depends on how you train, how much you train, and your age as well as the system of training. We know that by stressing any muscle naturally (exercises) or unnaturally (weights) we work with the law of irritation and adaptability to produce the result we want.

Basically, this means the body will adapt to irritation. Adapting can mean for size of muscle as well as for the functioning of the muscle. Adapting also can mean the heart and lungs adapting to more stress and improving the functioning of this system (aerobic conditioning). The irritation could be considered the stress exerted on the body (heart and lungs) by running or walking more and increasing time and duration. Then we consider strength in the muscles by more and more progressive exertion (making the body work progressively harder). This can be achieved by doing more and more pushups or other exercises. Using weight training for increasing strength, as well as burning more calories, we would have to build by lifting more times and more weight.

There is another way to use weight training to develop strength as well as endurance. This system works on the premise that using progressively more weight builds size and strength. Starting with more weight and then progressively reducing the weight with longer repetitions, we build endurance in the muscle instead of bulk. This is a good way to shape the body without building mass.

It’s widely known now that for older women weight or resistance training is beneficial to stave off osteoporosis.

Please note: This section is not to take the place of medical advice. I recommend that you speak to your doctor before undertaking any kind of exercise program, especially weight training. See a professional; it will be a good investment in your body.

see web pages http://www.molinamassage.com or http://www.betterbacksystems.com

Othon Molina Ph.d. c LMT has been involved in the health field as a manual therapist and personal trainer for over thirty five years. He has studied with some of the top doctors and healers of our times. His specialty is treating sports injuries, back problems, and teaching others how to improve their health or athletic competition using nutrition and fitness technologies.

One of his specialties is Kinesiology. He has been a runner all his life, and competed in many triathlons, 5k’s, 10k’s and marathons. Competing at an elite level gave him the experience to help train others. Recently he coached and worked with the female champion of the German team of triathletes.

Some of his clients include: Bob Hope, Jane Seymor, Essam Kashoggy, Jim Nabors, Tony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Carol Burnett, San Francisco Ballet, Allvin Alley Dance troupe, some of the top Olympic and international elite athletes, team doc and new trainer for the German professional triathletes. He also trains massage teams worldwide, as well as health professionals in Hawaii.

Aerobic Training – Updates

If you want to remedy snoring, you have to find the underlying cause. Snoring is not an affliction like the common cold, where you wake up one morning and you’ve just got it. It is something that normally arrives slowly over time. Most people can’t remember the day and date that their snoring started. It was sometime in my mid 30’s or some such vague description is the normal response to a question on its arrival.

The lifestyle approach to remedy your snoring, doesn’t treat it as a condition or a disease. But rather treats snoring as a symptom, or a warning, that the body is out of balance.

I like to think of snoring like the ground proximity alarm in a modern jet aircraft. (The one that goes “WOOP! WOOP! PULL UP! PULL UP!”, if the aircraft gets too close to the ground when it’s not supposed to). If you are a pilot, you’d prefer not to hear it. But if you did, you would be grateful for the warning before dire consequences arrived. I’m sure the warning siren must be very annoying when it is activated but a lot less painful than the alternative. Likewise snoring is annoying, but not responding to the warning may have more serious consequences.

The above example may seem extreme but the reality is there has been an enormous amount of research in recent years linking snoring to a range of serious conditions such as hypertension and coronary disease.

The human body is a truly amazing machine. It has the ability to self regulate a complex array of interacting chemical and electrical processes within fine tolerances. This ability of homeostasis means the body can keep the internal systems (e.g. blood pressure, body temperature, acid-base balance) in equilibrium despite changes in the external environment.

However if the body is subjected to persistent extreme conditions outside the normal bounds of function then it may not be able to rectify the situation without help. For instance if your body gets cold, it starts to shiver to maintain its core body temperature. But if your body is subjected to sub zero temperatures without any external heating then shivering alone will not be able to stop the inevitable deadly conclusion. But the act of shivering is, in itself, a warning for you to take some action; put some warmer clothes on for example.

Snoring can be set off by a number of different balance upsets such as your diet, your breathing, your stress levels, and your physical environment. If you systematically work through these factors two important things are going to happen. You’re eventually going to stop snoring and you’ll end up with a healthier body.

Once you start you may be pleasantly surprised, as often, a snoring solution doesn’t always require a big change in your lifestyle.

About The Author

Copyright © 2004 Kevin Meates

Kevin Meates writes for http://www.snoring-solutions-that-work.com where you can find a set of strategies for overcoming all types of snoring problems.

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: mailto:kmeates@snoring-solutions-that-work.com

A Lifestyle Approach to Remedy Snoring Information

When spring comes it is time for a liver cleanse. This is a good time to rejuvenate the liver for the coming year of work. One good way to cleanse the liver is to use herbal teas. They are easy to use and they provide a powerful punch to reawaken the liver.

Here is a herbal formulation for the liver provided by Brigitte Mars (herbalist in Colorado) called “Puri-Tea” which consist of:

* Peppermint, red clover, fennel, licorice

* cleavers, dandelion, oregon grape root, burdock root

* butternut bark, chickweed, parsley root, nettles.

Another liver herbal tea is:

* Fennel Seed (1 part), Fenugreek (1 part)

* Flax Seed (1 part), Licorice Root (1/4 part)

* Burdock (1/4 part), Peppermint (1 part).

Here’s another herbal combination that is good for detoxifying and cleansing the liver:

* Yellow Dock root, Dandelion root, Licorice root

* Red sage, Sarsaparilla, Hyssop

* Pau de Arco, Milk Thistle Seed, Parsley leaf.

Here’s something else you can do for you liver. Buy an extract of Milk Thistle Seed. Then when you make the liver tea’s list here, add 2-3 full droppers of the Milk Thistle Seed extract to the tea. Here are the effects of some of the herbs listed above.

* fennel seed – white cell formation, acid/alkaline balancing

* peppermint – body cleanser and toner

* red clover – blood purifier

* licorice – adrenal stimulation

* cleavers – anti-infection

* dandelion – cleansing and strengthening

* oregon grape root – cleansing, building

* burdock root – purifying

* nettles – rich in minerals

* chickweed -

* fenugreek – helps to eliminate toxins and mucus

* yellow dock root – cleansing, white cell formation

* pau de arco – cleansing, white cell formation

* milk thistle seed – cleansing, building

You can make these teas yourself or look for a ready made one at a health food store. What I do is buy a 1/2 or 1 oz of each herb. Then I mix one full tablespoon of each herb into a mason jar. Shake it up and its ready to go.

Preparing the tea

Boil 1 1/4 cup of distilled water in a glass container. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of herbal mixture. Let tea sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink when it cools down a little.

Drink one cup of tea before breakfast and one before dinner for about 1-2 months.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter call “Natural Remedies Thatwork .com.” His most recent website which discusses more natural remedies is called: http://www.fatty-acid-remedies.for–you.info

Cleansing Liver Herbal Teas – Information

Branding: it’s a term that carries great weight in the world of advertising. Successful branding is best illustrated by the world’s most prominent corporations, but it’s no less important to the small business owner. Your Brand is your identity; it’s every single puzzle piece, fitted into the big picture of your company. From your name and logo to your business philosophy and corporate mission; from your advertising campaign message to your design elements; from your products and services; all that is owned, produced, stated, sold and marketed by your company falls under the broad heading of your Brand.

What exactly is a “brand?” The term probably originated at a time when when ours was a strictly agricultural society. Ranchers take a branding iron to their cattle, as a way to signify they OWN those cows. Likewise, modern corporations choose a logo to brand their name into the mind of the consumer. Every time you label an ad or website with your company logo; every time you take a political stance on behalf of your corporation, you’re putting your brand into effect. And if a brand indicates ownership, then it should be your ultimate mission to dominate, or own, your niche. Brand your company. Own the cow.

How do you determine your style of branding? Analyze your audience. Zero in on the group you’re trying to reach. Are they male, female, or both? What’s the age group and economical level? What are their spending habits, their values? How do they TALK? What are they concerned about? What do they think they NEED? Where will their focus be in six months? And most importantly, how does your marketable product fit into the scheme? If you never really get to know your audience, you can read all the marketing how-to strategies in the world, and it isn’t going to mean diddly-squat for your business. It isn’t going to help you build your brand.

What’s the next step? Always, always, always put yourself in their shoes. Jump right into their heads, if you can. Think of your audience during the business-plan conception process. How do they communicate? What do they find visually appealing? Are you marketing to senior citizens? Use bigger fonts, a nostalgic tone, and a morally forthright attitude. Is it the filthy, stinking rich whom you’re trying to attract? Save the Crazy Eddie shtick, because money is no object here. Every bit of energy used to promote your brand should be focused toward winning over your key customer.

There will be a time when you completely lose sight of who you’re trying to attract. This, in turn, dilutes the power of your brand. You’ll be in the middle of writing an ad, when suddenly your head is racing with potential buyer types. This happened to me once during my writing stint with a digital media company who sold Santa Claus greetings. In my sales letter, which went on for pages and pages, there was no limit to what Santa could do! He could praise tiny tots for using the potty. He could play matchmaker to a couple of young lovers. He could patch up an argument you had with Aunt Freida in Topeka. All of this was great, but it was really convoluting Who We Were as a company, and our Santa was becoming a Jack Frost of all trades. It was no good! So we went back to square one. And through simple words and a more narrow focus on our original audience of children, we finally captured the Magic of Christmas that we had originally intended to be Our Brand.

Reflect your brand in everything you do; from your website design, to your public relations, to how you go about selling your product. Once you’ve done this, the next step is to create Brand Awareness. This is achieved through consistency. You can dream up the most brilliant ad campaign on the planet, but if you’re not consistent about putting it in place, you’ll never establish brand recognizability.

If the tone of your company is “fun, light and noncontroversial”, steer clear of anti-war demonstrations. If Arial is your font of choice, then don’t go switching it up mid-campaign and putting out affiliate program materials using Tahoma. If tongue-in-cheek humor is how you attract attention, don’t line your website borders with super-mushy personal ads. Ask yourself: will this resonate with my key customer? And use your logo and company tagline wherever possible-in your email correspondence, on your website, as your letterhead, on your business cards, in your advertising and on your product packaging. Remind people of who you are. Burn your brand into their minds.

To some extent, branding is following the herd… emulating respected companies that capture what you’d like to be known for. Still, a wise entrepreneur must never forget that today’s success story is tomorrow’s dot-com that went under. “What sold” for someone else may not work for your company. Just because Joe Baloney made millions selling with a bilingual circus clown doesn’t mean that will work for you… or that anyone’s even going to find it remotely interesting in six months. The market changes like the tide, depending on what direction society is going in. Where they were before, which way they’re headed, and wherever it’s likely they’ll end up… socially, economically, ethically, politically, culturally, intellectually, psychologically, philosophically.

How will you know that you’ve branded successfully? When people start listening to you. Not just hearing what you say, but letting you call the shots. You’ll know it when people start imitating you, too. You’ll start seeing knock-offs of your products and your company image. This may flatter you or it may annoy you, but when it happens, it’s your cue to lead the pack in a new direction. That’s how to stay on top of the Branding Game.

The day that you find yourself functioning as a real, live spokesman for a group of individuals, is the day you’ve achieved Brand Recognition. The day that you make the front page news headlines is the day you’ve become a household name. But a word to the wise: once your brand achieves true power, someone will try and take you down. Remind them that you own this cow.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. Use with permission.

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years’ industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys”R”Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

The Art of Successful Branding – Updates

Have you made the right choice? Before deciding to resign from your current position and move to a new employer, you should weigh up as objectively as possible all the relevant factors: remuneration, working environment, location, travel demands, training and development opportunities, promotional prospects, and your future bosses.

Consider also what impact a job with the new company would have on your resume. Once you have received and accepted a formal written commitment from your new employer, you should serve notice immediately.

It is important to behave in a professional manner throughout the resignation process. Your character and your personal integrity should never be in question. Be positive; be co-operative; and avoid recriminations.

State that you are leaving the company and hand in your letter of resignation at the same time.

Be prepared for a reaction. If your employer presses you for reasons, give brief and positive answers. Don’t argue or complain. Don’t allow yourself to be deflected from your purpose or drawn into a protracted discussion.

Do everything possible to establish a friendly tone and leave a good impression. State that you are leaving because your new employment offers you opportunities for advancement. Your decision is the result of careful consideration.

Your written resignation should be concise and definite. Do not go into details or give your reasons for leaving. If you have any grievances, don’t express them in the letter. Give no cause for animosity. Ask if there is anything you can do to ensure a smooth transition.

In the letter, state that you are leaving and when. Give as much notice as possible. Two weeks is generally acceptable, but check your contract or the company handbook.

Sample letter:

Dear ( )

I have decided to resign my position as (??..) at (company) effective (date) to take a position with (new employer). I greatly appreciate the opportunity that you and (the company) have given me to develop my skills and further my career.

I shall make every effort to ensure that the transition period goes smoothly for all concerned.

Yours sincerely

( )

Counter offer. Your decision was carefully thought out, so stick to it. Changing your mind makes you appear indecisive and creates a negative impression. It calls into question your long-term commitment and loyalty to your current employer.

During the period of notice, carry out your duties in a diligent and professional manner. Assure your boss that you will complete any outstanding task. If this is not possible, leave detailed instructions for your replacement. Check that all your records are in order. Inform your colleagues that you are leaving. When discussing things with them, resist the temptation to make disparaging comments about your present job or boast about your new one. Do your best to leave on good terms with everybody.

Exit Interview. Many companies expect their employees to attend an exit interview with the Human Resources Manager. If requested to do so, co-operate fully. Conduct yourself in a professional manner. Say only positive things about your employer and the company. Focus on accomplishments or learning experiences you had while employed there. Remember that anything you say is likely to be recorded in the personnel profile.

Visit the author’s website at: http://www.assignmentsplus.com

Gerard McLoughlin, author of ‘Four Minutes To Interview Success’, has contributed career-related articles to hundreds of recruitment companies, websites and publications throughout the world, including: USA Today, JobBankUSA.com, US-Recruiters.com, etc.

To receive FREE career tips on a regular basis, sign up today for The Assignments Plus Newsletter.

Handing in Your Resignation and Serving Notice Updates

There is one very important factor that you should consider with great care if you are willing to become a successful, profitable Forex trader. This ever important factor that must be always present in the trader’s portfolio, is the ability to read the charts.

The beauty of FOREX charts, as opposed to charts used for, say, daytrading stocks, is that they are pretty easy to interpret and use. They’re a reflection of a slower-moving, stable economy (the one of a country) compared to the future and daily drama of company reports, Wall street analysts and shareholder demands.

And, unlike stocks, currency charts rarely spend much time in tight trading ranges and have the tendency to develop strong trends (even though the FX market may be volatile, it’s more predictable). And, rather than tens of thousands of stocks to analyze, you only have a few mayor currencies to trade.

The most common types of price bars, used in FOREX trading, are the Bar Chart and the Candlestick chart:

Bars Charts – Price bars are a linear representation (a line)of a period of time. This enables the viewer to see a graphic representation summarizing the activity of a specific time frame. For example they can be one minute or five-minute time intervals depending on the system you are using. Each bar has similar characteristics and tells the viewer several important pieces of information. First, the highest point of the bar represents the highest price that was achieved during that time period. The lowest point of the bar represents the lowest price during the same period. Regular bars display a small dot on the left side of the bar which represents the opening price of the period and the small dot on the right side represents the closing price of the period.

Candlesticks – Japanese Candlesticks, or simply Candlesticks as they are now known, are used to represent the same information as Price bars. The only difference is that the difference between the open and close form the body of a box which is displayed with a color inside. A red color means that the close was lower than the open, and the blue color represents that the close was higher than the open. If the box has a line going up from the box it represents the high and is called the wick. If the box has a line going down from the box, it represents the low and is called the tail. Many interpretations can be made from these “candlesticks” and many books have been written on the art of interpreting these bars ( Visit: http://www.1-forex.com).

So, the main thing to keep in mind between the two types of price charts is this:

Candlestick charts are similar to bar charts in that the top tip of a vertical line represents the high and bottom tip represents the low. However, market activity between the OPEN and the CLOSE is represented differently by the use of candlestick bodies.

Because of their colored bodies, candles provide greater visual detail in their chart patterns than bar charts. Which is why many experts recommend you become intimately familiar with Candlestick charts.

Omar Vargas is a freelance writer with articles published in a number of places. You can learn more about Forex trading and its great advantages over other kind of business at this useful website: http://www.1-forex.com

The Meaning of FOREX Price Charts and How to Use Them – Information

John Grisham wrote a book called SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. Amazon.com reports: “John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25….”

My friend Dessa Byrd Reed, author of the poetry books THE BUTTERFLY TOUCH and SEVEN BRIDGES, prefers nontraditional holidays. She wrote in THE DESERT WOMAN that as a widow she often spends time with friends over the holidays, take trips, or simply goes out to eat on Christmas (not necessarily turkey). It’s easy to see why, especially if you grew up with traditional Christmas expectations of warmth, family, and usually, expressions of faith. Christmas is under attack in this country. I think it was my high school AP Government class that asked us about cases involving removing Nativity scenes from public places. At the risk of revealing my ripe old age of 32, that was in 1990.

First we had the trend of saying Xmas for Christmas. Then Christmas sales started way back before Halloween. Now, the holiday season is more about parties, overeating and drinking, and commercialism than expressing spirituality, in particular and especially the Christian faith.

The secularists don’t much like church, whether because of parents who used religion as an excuse for too-strict disciplines (or hatred and prejudice), drug trips in the ’60s, or fanaticism (never mind that Christ welcomed everyone). This secularist attitude got wonderful treatment in a recent episode of “Jack & Bobby” co-created by Brad Meltzer, bestselling author and a friend.

When we try to kick Christ out of a holiday named for Him, our society has a problem.

What’s been the result of using the euphemism “holiday” and banning the Nativity? Congress may not be making any law about the free expression of religion, but the elite brain trust is acting like the Church of England kicking out the Puritans. What’s the result? Clashes over religion. Holiday depression. Loneliness around the holidays, especially in nursing homes. Suicide.

What’s lost among the way? The spirit of giving. Warmth and compassion. Communion with family, friends and neighbors. And yes, that pesky expression of faith the secularists on the far left moan about. Ever notice that when it comes to their free expression of faith or lack thereof, they scream “racism” or “[fill in the blank] phobia” whenever Bill O’Reilly or anyone for that matter dares to pray or remind them that there is a God beyond their ideology? They accuse Christians of proselytizing but don’t hesitate to lecture on what is and what is not offensive today. President George Bush is mocked for his faith, and Senator John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, seems to have his usual difficulty sticking to a point on thorny social issues. No wonder the conventional wisdom was always not to discuss religion and politics, and for whatever God’s sake, don’t mix the two (even though it happens time and again), and let’s just all get along and sing carols at Christmas.

It seems that people are rebelling. The success of “Passion of the Christ,” the Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind Series, as well as “Joan of Arcadia,” “7th Heaven,” and “Touched by an Angel” indicates a movement in popular culture.

Instead of skipping Christmas, let’s take back Christmas in our homes and families. Unless your family members and friends are Orthodox Jews or Muslims, you can celebrate Christmas with them.

After all, Judaism and Islam recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet. Every religion celebrates the spirit of giving, from Kabbalah to Hinduism. We all agree we have too much stuff, too much food (as our overweight society proves), too much alcohol, too little kindness, patience and respect. We all want connection, love, belonging, and a place in the manger.

Top ten tips for taking back Christmas:

1) Make homemade gifts. Skip the malls. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to give something from the heart.

2) Invite friends or relatives to dinner instead of trying to give expensive gifts that no one uses anyway.

3) Don’t roll your eyes when someone says, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” And for Goddess’ sake, don’t use the “men” part to launch an anti-male rant.

4) Whatever your faith, speak up and say that Christian-bashing (or bashing of any kind) offends you, especially around the Christmas season.

5) Get together with friends and family and make care packages for homeless shelters,nursing homes, etc. Make that your gift to each other.

6) Call those friends or relatives you usually avoid talking to. Hearing about your old college roommate’s third marriage might not thrill you, especially since you can’t get a word in edgewise, but it’s a good way to give of your time, something we all feel we don’t have enough of but make for friends anyway.

7) If you’re just dying to cook that turkey dinner but your parents or mother-in-law insist on doing it THEIR way, give in. This is not a “me me me” time.

Rent or watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Linus’ recitation of the Bible and the gang’s rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” could make even Scrooge smile. And even Lucy van Pelt admits, “Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice tree.”

9) Take quiet time to think, meditate, and yes, pray. Consider it the mental vacation to Tahiti you can’t take because the family has camped out at your house.

10) Appreciate your children’s gifts, especially the homemade macaroni ornaments. The first gift of Christmas was a child.

We’ve taken back our streets. We’ve taken back the night. Let’s all take back Christmas, and we won’t have to skip it. But if you do feel like skipping Christmas to restore your faith, do it. The gift of one less stressed grumpy person around the holidays is priceless.

Kristin Johnson is co-author of Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web site, www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com

Taking Back Christmas – Information

Imagine leaving a window open all winter long ? the heat loss, cold drafts, and wasted energy! Well if your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home!

These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause your heat pour out and the cold outside air pour in ? costing you higher heating bills, causing cold drafts, and wasting energy.

Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. We apply caulk and weatherstripping to these areas to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.

But what can you do about the three largest “holes” in your home ? the folding attic stair, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.

Attic Stairs:

Do you have a folding attic stairway in your house? When attic stairs are installed, a large hole (approximately 10 square feet!) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed. And what is installed to cover this opening? A thin, unsealed, un-insulated sheet of plywood!

Did you know that your attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors? In the winter, the attic space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot. And what is separating your conditioned house from your unconditioned attic? That thin sheet of plywood!

Often a gap can be observed around the perimeter of the door. Try this yourself: at night when it is dark, turn on the attic light and shut the attic stairway door – do you see any light coming through? These are gaps – which add up to a large opening where your heated/cooled air leaks out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year! This is like leaving a window open all year round!

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling.

Fireplaces:

Approximately 100 million homes in North America are constructed with wood or gas burning fireplaces. Unfortunately there are negative side effects that the fireplace brings to a home especially during the winter home-heating season. Fireplaces are energy losers!

Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing! One remarkable research study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating energy consumption by 30%!

A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter just due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces!

Why Does a Home With a Fireplace Have Higher Heating Bills? Hot air rises! Your heated air leaks out any exit it can find, and when your warm heated air is drawn out of your home, cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace is like a giant straw – sucking the heated air from your house. This is like leaving a window open all year round!

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. A fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after.

Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts:

Have you ever noticed that the room containing your clothes dryer is the coldest room in your house? Ever wonder why? Your clothes dryer is connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors. In the winter, cold air leaks in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house, while your heated air just pours right out!

Dryer vents use a sheet metal flapper to try to reduce this air leakage. This is very primitive technology that does not provide a positive seal to stop the air leakage. Compounding the problem is that over time, lint clogs the flapper valve causing it to stay open. This is like leaving a window open all year round!

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal! A dryer vent seal will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint, and moisture to escape.

If your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. At Battic Door, we have developed low-cost, green solutions to these and other energy-conservation related issues. For more information please visit our website www.batticdoor.com or send a S.A.S.E. to P.O. Box 15, Mansfield, MA 02048.

We manufacture and distribute low-cost, high-value, air-leakage control energy conservation products for the three largest intentional openings in the house – the fireplace, the clothes dryer exhaust duct, and the pull-down attic stair.

Our customers are homeowners, weatherization firms and programs, municipals, utilities and contractors. We also sell our product at a wholesale discount to distributors.

Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter – Overlooked Sources of Heat Loss in the Home – Updates

The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. That’s just one reason to invest in a portable dehumidifier. If you want to protect your walls, building foundations, furniture, electronics or even the strings on your piano, a portable dehumidifier can be just what you need.

Portable dehumidifiers work on the same physical principles as those of full-size units: cold air holds less water than warm air. All dehumidifiers draw in humid air from the room, cool the air so that the water falls into a reservoir bucket, warms the dried air back up to room temperature, and releases the dried air back out into the room.

The size of the fan, along with the power of the fan motor, determines how large a room your unit can dehumidify. Most dehumidifiers use blade-type fans, but some of the larger units boast the more efficient, squirrel cage-type fans, similar to those used in furnaces.

The advantages to portable units over full-size models are numerous. First and foremost, portables use less energy ? sometimes as little as half the energy of a full-size unit. This will save you a bundle on your next electric bill. Second, they are easier to move. Most people can pick up a 29-pound portable unit and move it from room to room, depending on where you need it most.

Best of all, portable dehumidifiers are almost as thorough as larger units. The square footage of air dehumidification, as well as the size of the reservoir, average as high as some of the mid-range full-size machines.

One downside to portables is that, because the components are packed more tightly, the compressor will tend to frost up and spread to other components. As a result, some manufacturers have included a frost warning light. When it goes off, you will know that the compressor needs to be defrosted.

Dehumidifiers Info provides detailed information about basement, home, small, portable, and closet dehumidifiers, plus dehumidifier reviews, and more. Dehumidifiers Info is the sister site of Humidifiers Web.

A Guide to Portable Dehumidifiers Information

Here, Cratchet, what do you think you’re doing?

Uh, er, leaving sir.

Leaving? It’s 5 minutes to the hour. Shall I dock your pay accordingly.

Uh, er, no sir.

No sir? Well it’s back to work for you then, and be quick about it. And I don’t expect your mind to be off home before your body gets out the door either, what?

Uh, er, no sir.

Quite.

Will you be doing anything for Christmas, sir?

Christmas, Schmissmiss.

Uh, er, what sir?

Schmi, schmish. Smiss.

Are you okay, sir?

Schmee, smaa, ooh.

Mr. Scrooge, sir? Mr. Scrooge? Mr. Scroo?.

***********************************************************************

Oooohhh. Ooooooooooooooh!

What? Who? What? Oh!

EEEIIIIII am the Ghooooost of Expeeeected Surprises.

What? What? Again? Not again. Oh please, spirit, not again. Please no.

EEEIIIIII visited yoooooou laaaast year, Scroooooooooooooge.

Oh, yes, spirit, that you did. That you did. Ooooooooh, and here I forgot!

FOOOOORGOOOOOT!!!!!

Oh, please spirit. Not so loud. Not again. Not again.

Why am I heeere again, Scrooooooooge? Why again?

Uh, uh, because I forgot the very thing that comes around every year. I forgot, yet again, Spirit. Silly me. Oh, silly silly me. I’m a bad man, spirit. Please have mercy. Oh please.

What is the Deeeeefinition of Expeeeected, Scrooooooge?

Um, of course, yes, I know this, why it’s something known in advance. Yes. Known in advance, spirit. Something you can see coming. It’s clear. It’s clear now, spirit. Foresight. Advanced knowledge.

And yet you are caught unprepaaaaaared again this year, Scroooooooge!!

I am, good spirit. I am wholly unprepared. I didn’t see you coming either, I fear. Stupid, silly man that I am. Oh spirit. Please. What is to become of me?

Yoooooouuuuuuu knoooooow.

Oooooh. Not that spirit. Anything but that.

Yeeees. Scroooge. Revise yoooooour buuuuuudgettt.

My, my budget, spirit? But I have a budget.

Muuuuuussssst yooooou beeee reminded agaaaaain? Yooooou have a moooonthleeey budget, Scroooooge. Buuut you have nooooo alloooocation foor annual expeeeennnssses.

I forgot, spirit. I forgot.

Eveerrrry year yooooou have nooooo money fooooor Christmaaaaas. Noooo money foooooor birthdaaaaay gifts, noooooo money foooooor caaarriage insurance, noooo caaaash for property taaaaxes.

No spirit. Never a penny. Never a pound. Never a schekel I fear. I’m tapped out and credit cards haven’t been invented yet!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Never meeeention credit caaards, Scrooooooooge!

Sorry, spirit.

The Ghoooost of Future Expeeeeected Surprises is beset with credit caaaaard nightmaaaaares! Yoooooou don’t waaaant a visit from hiiim.

No spirit, no. Not him. I’ve learned my lesson spirit. I have. I know I have. I will budget for annual expenses from now on. No longer will Ebenezer Scroooge be surprised by the expected. Caught without cash for things he knew, and always knew, were coming…yet again.

Caaaaash fooooor Christmaaaaaaas gifts too, Scroooooooooooge?

Wa, uh, ee, well, uh?

About The Author

Rick Hoogendoorn has been in the financial services industry in Victoria, BC since 1991. Happy Holidays from Cheri Crause & Associates Inc.

The Ghost of Expected Surprises – Updates