Anti-Aging-Makeup.com

Pity the poor cucumber. The cucumber is perhaps the most underestimated vegetable. But no longer! The cucumber is chock full of nutrition and health benefits, and is a must for the healthy lifestyle. Check out some of these cucumber benefits, and then try out my own personal recipe: Salad Cucumber á La VinBar.

Health Benefits Of Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar

The cucumber is a vegetable that belongs to the same family as pumpkins, zucchinis and other squashes. It has a dark green skin, whitish or very light green flesh underneath. The two types of cucumbers are the slicing and pickling varieties. In general the pickling types are smaller than the slicing types, only about 2 to 4 inches in length. Most of us know some of the cucumber benefits, such as their cooling properties and that cucumbers are extremely good at relieving the eyes in the hot summer. However, they have many other health benefits as well. To know about them, read on.

Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar Vitamin Content

A 100 gram serving of the cucumbers found in Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar contains: Carbohydrates - 3.63 gm, Sugars - 1.67 gm, Dietary Fiber - 0.5 gm, Fat - 0.11 gm, Protein - 0.65 gm, Vitamin B1(Thiamin) - 0.027 mg, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 0.033 mg, Niacin (Vitamin B3) - 0.098 mg, Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - 0.259 mg, Vitamin B6 - 0.040 mg, Folate (Vitamin B9) - 7 mcg, Vitamin C - 2.8 mg, Calcium - 16 mg, Iron - 0.28 mg, Magnesium - 13 mg, Phosphorus - 24 mg, Potassium - 147 mg, Zinc 0.20 mg

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Cucumbers and Eating Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar

- Raw cucumber, when applied to the skin, can help reduce heat and inflammation.

- Cucumber is a diuretic which, when eaten, brings cooling and cleansing properties to the skin.

- Cucumber water is great for heartburn, sour stomach and can even ease ulcer pain. Here’s where you can find my cucumber water recipe.

- Put a slice of cucumber under your eyes to reduce that ugly puffiness.

- Daily consumption of Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar can help control cases of eczema, arthritis and gout.

- Good for stomach, chest and lung problems.

- Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar contains potassium which regulates blood pressure.

- Erepsin, a protein digesting enzyme, is found in Salad Cucumber á la Vinbar.

- Cucumber water and juice is said to promote hair growth, especially when it is added to the juice of carrot, lettuce and spinach.

- Cucumber water and juice, when mixed with carrot juice, is said to be good for rheumatic conditions caused by excessive uric acid in the body.

- Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar can prove to be beneficial for those suffering from diseases of the teeth and gums, especially in cases of pyorrhea.

- Being rich in minerals, Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar helps prevent nail splitting of the fingers and toes.

- Cucumber has been associated with healing properties in relation to diseases of the kidney, urinary tract, liver and pancreas.

- Those suffering from diabetes have been found to benefit from the consumption of cucumber/cucumber water and juice.

And now, the recipe you’ve been waiting for, Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar:

- 2 whole scrubbed unpeeled slicing cucumbers (preferably organic, of course) - 1/4 cup vinegar (white) - salt and pepper to taste - 1 tsp raw sugar (Remember, if it’s white, it ain’t right!)

Mix together, let them marinate for a little while, then voilá, you’ve got delicious Salad Cucumber á La Vinbar. It’s simple, but it’s succulent! For a delicious, cooling effect on a hot summer day, try adding some fresh dill or cilantro.

Salad Cucumber á la Vinbar is a nutritious, healthy and refreshing accent to any meal, while cucumber water is a delightfully refreshing drink on a hot summer day. Cucumber benefits are many, so it’s important to integrate this valuable vegetable into your eating routine. Salad Cucumber á la Vinbar is a delicious way to do just that. Healthy eating!

- Vince Barry

The human brain is a vital part of our biological system that helps us carry out our daily activities. The absence of mind power would make us unable to perform our physical functions. Without proper care however, the human brain is subject to deterioration over time, which often leads to memory loss and other memory problems. In order to prevent this from occurring, it is crucial for an individual to understand the importance of mind nutrition.

It has been well documented that the food you consume profoundly affects the functioning of your mind including your intelligence, concentration, attention span, emotional response, problem solving and mood swings. Hence, you should consume meals that contain optimum mind nutrition composed of balanced sugar (NO high-fructose corn syrup) which serves as the fuel of your mind, phospholipids that enhances your memory, essential fats, amino acids that serves as your brain messengers as well as vitamin and minerals which are intelligent nutrients that keep your brain in tune. While there are nutrients that could boost brain functions, there are also “anti-nutrients” that you should be aware of that could significantly cause the speedier deterioration of your brain, these includes refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, food allergens, damaged fats, toxic minerals, food chemicals like synthetic preservatives. Such anti-nutrients are contained in junk food, take-out meals as well as fried food.

Accordingly, in order to improve brain function, eating natural food products partnered with regular exercise is always the best option. In fact, it has been well documented that fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals like antioxidants and anthocyanin, that enhance memory and other functions of the human brain. These phytochemicals are said to fight off free radicals in the body that contribute to the speedier process of aging among humans that is often accompanied by memory loss. Nonetheless, as free radicals provide unnecessary oxygen to our cells, they often cause the rise of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer and Cardiovascular diseases; hence, aside from aging phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables protects us from these deadly diseases. Well known memory food taking the form of vegetables and fruits includes spinach, egg plant, onion, cherries, soy, apples, grapes, broccoli and red beet among others.

Aside from vegetables and fruits, herbs are also known to help improve mental capacity. Current medical studies have concluded that the four herbal G’s, which are gingko, gotu kola, panax ginseng and Siberian ginseng exude substances that amplify concentration, alertness, aptitude and intelligence. These four herbs also contain substances that increase the activity of the neurotransmitters of the brain. Aside from the four G’s other forms of brain herbs include rosemary which is considered as the plant of memory, sage which is helpful in curing failing memory, and passion flower that is capable of reducing anxiety and soothing moods.

Another memory food that could be of help to the brain is fish. Fish has high levels of choline and omega-3 acids, which are said to be directly linked to aid the brain with its different activities. Choline which is a form of B-vitamin is known to have positive effects on the center of human brain memory called hippocampus. On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids usually found in fish oil are noted to help in the proper formation of the brain nerve cell membranes and membrane fluidity, thereby improving moods and mental behavior.

Food is essential and can be considered as the primary recipe for good health for the body and brain. As such, if you would like to maximize your potentials, it is suggested that you give emphasis on your mind nutrition by eating healthy and balanced meals. Always put in mind that a satisfied brain is your true wealth because it would ensure that you could properly carry out your physical and mental tasks for the years to come. If you are becoming forgetful, perhaps it’s about time that you change your diet, for if not your brain functions might deteriorate.

In order to properly take care of your brain, it is important that you provide it with the right mind nutrition. There are certain kinds of memory food in the form of vegetables and fruits that could enhance not only your memory but would also protect you from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. Brain herbs like rosemary and gingko could power up your brain power.

- Victor Fama

Brontophobia is a common fear that millions folks everywhere possess; the fear of lightning and thunder. For as long as this phobia has existed, people have been looking for ways to overcome it. Today, there are a number of treatment choices available. To help overcome this phobia, experts call for specific hypnotherapy techniques that are shown to work in relieving fears and phobias.

Those suffering from brontophobia have an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning. Loud, startling thunder and intense flashes of lightning can set off anxiety and panic attacks in brontophobia sufferers. Other signs include a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and a strong feeling of fear, which increases until a person becomes ill.

For many people, the fear of thunderstorms starts at a young age, when as kids, we hide under blankets during a serious storm. The phobia can be especially hard on children. Many scared children feel helpless during bad weather, and their parents often feel unable to relieve their phobia.

Despite its common occurrence in adolescents, the fear of storms can develop at any time, frequently after someone has an unpleasant experience such as getting an electrical shock, which reminds them of a lightning strike. A traumatic experience such as living through a hurricane may also create an intense fear of storms.

A person may come to link loud sounds, the feeling of discomfort, or shock with rainy days, which may lead to a phobia. This fear is so common that it’s even observed in some animals; for example, many pet owners notice that their pet dogs seem scared during lightning.

Brontophobia sufferers try to avoid hearing or seeing storms. They may experience anxiety during storm disasters such as tornadoes. This can threaten them if they cannot function under circumstances which calls for them to remain calm and respond rationally.

Brontophobia sufferers may despise storm season, often struggling in summer when thunderstorms are common. They might continually check weather conditions and act extra cautious during periods of inclement weather. To others, this behavior may seem obsessive and highly paranoid. People afflicted with the phobia may find this fear slowly taking over their lives.

A wide range of options are available for relieving brontophobia and other phobias. Popular ones include counseling, anti-anxiety medication, and hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy tends to offer safer, faster results and it is non-invasive, having no side effects. For these reasons and many more, hypnotherapy has become a widely used treatment.

Hypnosis is successful as a form of stress-relief therapy and has long been used for this purpose. By starting with relaxation techniques, hypnosis helps tense, nervous phobia sufferers begin the process of recovery. When a person is feeling at ease, it is easier for hypnotherapy techniques to direct the unconscious into a fear-free line of thought.

Nearly all phobias are linked to negative triggers, which become connected to fear deep within the unconscious mind. For brontophobia sufferers, the rumble of thunder, the blinding flash of lightning, or even the smell of rain often provokes alarm. Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) work at the unconscious level of the mind to dissociate the sense of fear from these triggers to provide powerful fear relief. One of the most successful techniques is known as the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a form of hypnotherapy that is often used to treat phobia-related stress. Named for its developer, Dr. Milton Erickson, MD, this form of approach uses indirect suggestions embedded in conversation, metaphors, and stories to eliminate a phobia. Indirect suggestions work better than traditional post-hypnotic direct suggestions because people tend to question, resist, and reject commands. Those which indirectly communicate to the conscious mind are much better able to empower people to vanquish their fears.

Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP techniques have another benefit over traditional hypnosis programs because they are designed to work for any phobia. Thus, one program is appropriate for curing any phobia, or even multiple phobias if needed. Additionally, each program uses many different techniques to work for everybody.

For many, hypnosis is the perfect treatment option, which delivers quick and long-lasting results. Hiding in bed and feeling frightened is not the way a brontophobia sufferer should have to live. Using hypnotherapy and NLP techniques, virtually everyone can vanquish this irrational fear.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been treating irrational fears using Hypnosis since 1978. He offers phobia treatment hypnosis and NLP CDs plus a broad range of Hypnotherapy CDs for stress & depression related symptoms. Visit his website for free hypnosis downloads.

- Alan Densky

The goal of a spiritual path is to raise our awareness to the point of allowing us to directly perceive the spiritual dimension. To be spiritual means to recognize one’s own spiritual identity and recognize the transcendental essence of everything around us. Additionally, it means to realize that we are all parts and parcels of God and to respect each other in that regard. That is one of the objectives of Yoga. But how can we be certain that there even is a God?

This comes by a reawakening of our higher sense of awareness and the perception of our spiritual identity. It is through the process of yoga and following the path of Sanatana-dharma that we may reach this higher consciousness and comprehend exactly who we are. The Yoga-sutras of Patanjali comprise the essence of yoga practice. However, yoga itself is a deep, serious process, and there are a number of forms of yoga that can be practiced. There are four main types of yoga depending on the yoga positions. There is:

Jnana-yoga is the path of intellectual development and understanding the nature of reality.

Karma-yoga is the path of right action, detachment from the fruits of one’s deeds, and committing our activities to a higher, spiritual purpose. Astanga or Raja-yoga is the path of internal meditation and the achievement of higher states of consciousness through various practices. Bhakti-yoga is the path of raising our consciousness, and increasing our love and devotion for God and decreasing our attachment to aspects of the temporary material world.

There are additional forms of yoga, but they are usually considered branches of these four main paths.

However, in the earliest stages, yoga is, simply, a tool for controlling the flickering nature of the mind, and for promoting the growth of one’s finer traits and expanding one’s awareness from material to spiritual consciousness. It is taught that Yoga is the process of completely calming the activities of the mind, which include imagination, perceived knowledge, memory, sleep, and misconception. When these are stabilized, then it can be called yoga, which offers the chance for the practitioner to become fully aware of his own essential and fundamental nature. Yoga is the attempt to realign our Selves with the Supreme Self, God.

When you practice yoga you can feel the unwanted burdens of the mind melt away, such as discontent, envy, anxiety, anger, greed, hate, etc. Then other qualities like blissfulness, peacefulness, tranquility, and contentment will be felt. These are qualities sought by all and are among the many things that can be accomplished through yoga, at least on the basic level. As you make further progress, you may enter into the deeper levels of understanding and transcending the mind and gradually go so far as to realize your own spiritual identity and what your relationship is with the Absolute. Becoming free from material life and reclaiming one’s spiritual identity is the goal of all yoga.

But in spite of all these benefits, people often find it quite difficult to follow this path. This is simply due to the lack of motivation to exercise. But once you start performing Yoga on a regular basis, it can itself keep you motivated. The benefit of feeling motivated by Yoga practice is what makes Yoga unique among health maintenance programs. Yoga can become a lifestyle because there is no torture.

Why do so many diets fail? Why do so many exercisers quit? Lack of motivation is usually the reason for diet and exercise failure. People already know they should eat better, exercise, walk more, and drink more water, but they must maintain their level of motivation without “burning out.”

In Yoga practice, positive energy flows throughout the classroom. Positive energy generates motivation to exercise and generates strong visions of success. The next step is to believe in the powerful visions of success, which form a mental picture. Some people are afraid to succeed. Maybe they inherently feel a lack of self-worth, but Yoga also works on improving this aspect of life. It is normal for people to feel apprehensive about change, but change is often one of the gateways to success.

We can say that consistency is the key as far as the benefits of yoga are concerned while we are in the process of learning yoga positions. We can’t benefit from yoga if we are not consistent with our routine. If we fail to do so, then it is very hard to derive positive results and yoga can’t be blamed for this. Another beneficial technology is hypnosis i.e. Hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis has proven to be very helpful in getting and keeping us motivated. Self-hypnosis is based on the formula of auto suggestion and visual imagery, and it works on deeper unconscious levels than one can imagine. Self hypnosis for motivation engages with your unconscious mind, and compels it to positively enhance your sense of self-image and self-perception.

Unknown to us, our unconscious is largely responsible for the way we think and react; if we train it to think along a different line, your subsequent behavior will change too. You will be motivated to understand the true potential that lies within us, and by using hypnotherapy techniques you can tap into that potential. Through positive affirmations such as “I can do it” along with powerful visual imagery, hypnosis CDs can recondition your mind into believing that everything is possible, and nothing is impossible. This means that yoga in conjunction with hypnosis can help us to move towards success more quickly.

Alan B. Densky, CH started his hypnotherapy practice in 1978. He offers a wide range of self-hypnosis CDs & DVDs for all aspects of self development, including hypnotherapy for exercise motivation.

- Alan Densky

You may not be aware of this, but your body needs two types of vitamins: fat soluble vitamins, A D E K, and all of the other types of vitamins, which are water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins dissolve in fat, and, as you can imagine, water soluble vitamins dissolve in water.

This post is about the benefits and sources of the fat soluble vitamins, the A D E K group, including the D3 Vitamin Benefits.

Fat soluble vitamins of the A D E K group can be stored in fat for a few days to up to six month. On the one hand, this means you won’t need fat soluble vitamins every day. On the other hand, over-consumption of fat soluble vitamins can lead to toxicity.

Benefits and Sources of Vitamin A Good for the eyes, and moistens the mucous membranes and skin. Anti-oxidant that fights tissue and cellular damage. Found in beef liver, egg yolk, cheddar cheese and fortified milk. Found as beta-carotene, which the body converts to A, in sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cantaloupe, apricots, (note the orange colors), broccoli, spinach and collard greens.

D2 and D3 Vitamin Benefits and Sources Both D2 and D3 Vitamins benefit and are needed by the human body. D2 and D3 Vitamin benefits include increased dieting success and better absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. Because of D3 vitamin benefits calcium absorption, it also benefits the bones and teeth, and helps prevent osteoporosis. There are also recent reports in vitamin D helping to prevent Parkinson’s disease; D3 vitamin benefits the brain as well.The main source of De3 Vitamins is via exposure of the skin to the sun. Our skin engages in photosynthesis to produce D3 Vitamins. We should ideally get about 10-15 minutes of non-sunscreen protected sun exposure twice a week to obtain maximum D3 vitamin benefits. D2 is found in milk and other dairy products. Vitamin E Sources and Benefits

Youthful skin is a benefit of vitamin E. Recent reports also show that dementia may be prevented by vitamin E. Like vitamin A, vitamin E is an anti-oxidant. Other benefits of vitamin E are to treat or prevent menstrual pain, low sperm count, eye irritation, cataracts, relief from muscle cramping, brain diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease and prostate and breast cancer. Vitamin E is found in high levels in cod liver oil, and also found in other oily fishes, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Non-fish sources include nuts such as almonds and sunflower seeds, safflower oil, sunflower oil and hazelnuts. In short, vitamin E is found in the oily fish and the oily nuts.

Sources and Benefits of Vitamin K Great for the pancreas, blood and bones. Vitamin K deficiency shows some similarities to diabetes, according to Japanese researchers. The best sources include collard greens, swiss chard and spinach. The next best sources are broccolli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, with olive oil, asparagus, okra, green beans and lentils next.

D3 Vitamin Benefits and the A D E K Vitamin Group are critical to healthy blood, bone and brain function. Most Americans are not receiving enough of these fat soluble vitamins. Please make sure you increase your intake of these important vitamins. For more valuable nutrition information, visit me at Vince Barry.

- Vince Barry

Lots of people tend to use the terms “stress” and “anxiety” interchangeably, but they are actually two distinct conditions. Stress is a response to a stimulus, either internal or external. You may feel stress when you feel frustrated with something (like waiting in line behind a slow person) or when you are worried that you will not meet expectations (such as missing a deadline at work).

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a sense of nervousness and fear or even dread. It can be caused by negative expectations and thoughts, or as a response to stress. You may feel anxious virtually all of the time and not understand why, or your worry may be a response to something you are nervous about, like an upcoming exam.

Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain can cause generalized anxiety. Some research shows that anxiety can be brought on by genetics. In addition, anxiety can be induced environmentally, as when the child of a parent who is often anxious learns to be an anxious person by observing the parent. But frequently, the core cause of anxiety is simply the thoughts that a person is thinking!

Anxiety and stress are subjective conditions. Different people may experience stress during different situations, and different people may react to their anxiousness in very different ways. Symptoms of anxiety can range from the mild, such as tense muscles and sweaty hands, to the severe, such as vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and anxiety attacks.

Everyone feels some amount of anxiety from time to time. All of us have felt the dry mouth and “butterflies in the stomach” before a test or public speaking engagement. But when does it become harmful to your health? Studies have shown that prolonged anxiety can lead to sleep disorders, depression, relationship problems, and high blood pressure

For sufferers of long-term untreated anxiety, there may be detrimental health consequences that have yet to be fully examined. Many studies have found a link between chronic anxiety and a variety of serious health conditions including heart disease, thyroid disease, respiratory illness, arthritis, and cancer. Chronically anxious people may even be more likely to suffer a fatal cardiac attack.

If you experience what seems like an inappropriately high amount of anxiety relative to the circumstances, or if you feel anxious nearly every day, you may actually have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions characterized by an inability to function normally because of constant anxiety. Anxiety disorders are serious conditions that should be treated to reduce the risk of long-term effects.

Anxiety treatment has long been the subject of much discussion in the medical field. Some medical professionals believe that medication is the best treatment for chronic anxiety. Unfortunately, anti-anxiety medications often produce side effects that are just as bad or even worse than the initial condition.

There are plenty of natural ways to control negative emotional reactions. Exercise is an often overlooked option, but it is extremely effective. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural pain-killing and mood-boosting chemicals. With regular exercise, you may start to experience a decrease in negative emotional reactions to situations that would previously have made you feel quite anxious.

The most effective way to manage worry and tension is to control it from the inside out. Stress management and stress relief techniques are very valuable tools in managing day-to-day stress. These techniques can teach you to relax yourself and relieve your tension. You make a conscious effort to slow your breathing, release the tension, and maintain a peaceful state of mind. Meditation is a fantastic form of tension management in which you practice thoughtful relaxation and deep, calming breathing.

However, if you are looking for a proactive way to relieve yourself of anxiety, hypnotherapy is by far the most effective form of treatment. When a person undergoes hypnosis, their reactions and emotional responses to events are changed at their core. This allows them to cope with common anxiety-inducing triggers without the usual fear and nervousness.

Hypnosis can be performed by a licensed hypnotherapist in a series of regular treatments. More commonly today, hypnotherapy can be learned from self hypnosis programs which can be purchased in the form of DVDs, MP3s, or CDs for personal home use. No special skills are required to practice self hypnosis. All that you need is a way to play the hypnotherapy program and a quiet place where you can listen and relax.

Another very successful type of anxiety treatment is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. NLP is a form of therapy that helps you condition your mind and body to naturally react to situations in a more positive manner. You can consciously decide to remain calm instead of feeling anxious, and consequently, you always have control over your own emotions.

In summary, you can see that it is important to manage our negative emotional responses in order to stay healthy. Learning to cope with fear and nervousness may even extend your life. To treat chronic anxiety, the best treatment option to follow is to participate in hypnotherapy to change your reactions and attitudes at the core. Then, use stress management techniques as needed to remain calm in everyday situations.

Alan B. Densky is an NGH certified hypnotherapist. He offers a complete line of stress reduction hypnosis CDs, and advanced anxiety management CDs through his Neuro-VISION hypnosis website. You can visit his self hypnosis blog, and download a free MP3.

- Alan B. Densky, CH

Thanks to television, radio, and especially the Internet, we are all afflicted with an overload of information. And thanks to the pressures caused by the frantic lives we lead, our ability to focus our thought processes, understand information, and remember it later when needed has been smashed.

Think about this for a moment. As you sit there right now reading this article, information is entering your mind through your eyes. But you are also hearing sounds, sensing physical feelings like the force of your seat against your butt and back, the feeling of the clothing on your body, and the air temperature and movement on your skin. You are also in receipt of sensations through your nose in the form of aromas. And of course, you’re taking in information in the form of the different tastes on your lips.

And think about the emotional sensations that you are at the moment feeling? That’s also information that you’re presently processing. We reside in an information intensive world. Thanks to the Internet, almost everything and anything that a person could ever want to know is only a few mouse clicks away.

Recently I read an article that said that even in a serene and peaceful atmosphere, we are bombarded by sixty thousand stimuli per second. And that is occurring sixty seconds out of every minute, and sixty minutes out of every hour. And it goes on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, week in and week out for the length of our entire life.

And happens to be a big part of the crisis. We are all being subjected to “information overload.” And that makes it very tricky to memorize all of the information that we want to memorize or need to remember.

All too often, when we are reading, we realize that our eyes have been traversing the sentences on the page, while our conscious mind has been off somewhere else on a tangent. When we get to the bottom of the page, we realize that our eyes have seen the words, but we have no conscious recollection of what we’ve just read. That’s because our mind has been somewhere else worrying about a problem, or working out an assignment.

Today it is common to hear even young people state things like, “I’m having a senior moment.” No matter what your age, and whether you are a student, part of the labor, or a retired person, you know what I’m talking about. In our hectic world it is quite often extremely difficult to focus your attention.

SO WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS IS YOUR PROBLEM?

A. Your mind begins to meander as you study or read, and then suddenly you appreciate that you have no idea what you have read.

B. When you are in a social situation and new friends are introduced to you, you forget their names almost as quickly as you hear them.

C. You remember that you have a job to do in another room; but as soon as you start towards the other room you totally forget what that job is.

D. You are able to stay focused and absorb new information. But when you take an examination, “Test Anxiety” overcomes you and creates a mental block, and you aren’t able to remember the answers to the questions on the test that you really know.

The principal cause of a student’s lack of ability to focus their attention is that people are suffering from too much stress. And the principal cause of a mental block to recall is also stress. So it stands to reason that the more relaxed a person is, the better they will be able to focus their concentration, absorb information, and then be able to recall it at a later date.

Today, hypnosis and memory enhancement has become a hot topic. That’s to some extent because hypnotherapy is a superb instrument for triggering a relaxed state of being. As a matter of fact, the very essence of hypnosis is relaxation. And as the mind becomes peaceful, the capacity to keep the mind focused increases. Similarly, a tranquil mind enhances the capability to retain information, and recall it when it is needed.

Hypnotic memory improvement is a wonderful modality for getting rid of test anxiety and mental blocks. There are several hypnotic methods that can be used to program a student with the positive expectancy of relaxation, self-reliance, and success while taking exams.

Students can take a course on how to apply self-hypnosis easily and inexpensively in the privacy of their own home by ordering hypnotherapy CD’s. You can find more information on hypnosis to improve memory and recall in the Hypnosis Research Library located on my website.

Alan B. Densky, CH has specialized in the practice of hypnosis and NLP since 1978. He offers NLP CD’s for memory and recall enhancement. Visit his Neuro-VISION Self-Hypnosis site for free resources & MP3 downloads, and his Hypnosis Video Blog for tips & tricks.

- Alan B. Densky, CH

Facial tics are characterized by abrupt, seemingly involuntary muscle contractions of muscle groups in the face and neck region. These contractions are habitually repetitive in nature, and appear to have no valid reason. Most of the tics are overstated eye blinking, squinting, nose wrinkling, facial grimacing or even vocalizations such as grunting or throat clearing. Tics often show themselves during childhood, and most of the time resolve as a child ages. This is not always the situation, though, and many people continue to suffer from tics as they enter adulthood.

Tics often increase in rate of recurrence as an individual feels anxiety or discomfort. People who suffer from tics report they are often aware of a tic as it approaches. It’s often described as an overwhelming feeling of tension and the wish to perform the tic to eliminate the tension; somewhat akin to the approaching urge to yawn or sneeze which relieves the victim. Trying to control a tic can trigger anxiety, which can lead to the beginning of another tic. Tics are often described as being automatic but research and reports from victims indicates they are indeed voluntary motions that can be controlled by the sufferer.

A tic can manifest as a simple tic, as in grunting, mouth twitches or facial grimaces or it can be more complex such as is often seen in Tourette syndrome. Simple tics are more common than complex tics, but they can be just as upsetting to the sufferer; while a facial tic does not cause physical pain to the sufferer, it often causes social problems or mental distress.

Especially children, can have a difficult time dealing with a tic because of mocking from other children, or teachers that don’t fully realize the difficult situation the child is in. While tics are often described as not being totally involuntary, control of a tic can be quite difficult to establish, especially in children. Children often do not establish the skills to identify a tic onset as well as an adult.

Adults can also face serious problems in their lives when dealing with a facial tic. Social problems are very common, and even when tics are generally controlled the adult can become quite exhausted by the continual need to identify the onset of and control the tic impulse. Adults and children alike may suffer from self-worth or self-esteem issues due to their continuous suffering from a disease that often causes them to become social outcasts.

Relieving a victim of the anxiety of a facial tic can change that person’s life. Self-esteem usually improves, and social anxiety is no longer a power holding an individual back from experiencing a meaningful life. In children, relieving a tic may let the child develop with less stress while he/sh has a happier childhood.

Over the years, many treatments for tics have been used with varying degrees of success. Psychotherapy or counseling can help reveal the emotional causes of a tic, and may help someone better understand how to resist the urge to give in to their tic. Mild sedatives and other forms of medication are sometimes successful in cases of simple tics. These medications often come saddled with unwanted side effects, so many people want alternative treatments.

Self-hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) methods have been created specifically for the purpose of overcoming tics. Since facial tics are not strictly unconscious in nature, these treatments aim to change the sufferer’s unconscious response to the onset of a tic episode such as throat clearing or facial grimacing. In many cases this can be accomplished by allowing the unconscious mind to avoid the tic’s onset. In some extreme cases, however, the victim’s response will be redirected to some innocuous portion of the body such as twitching a toe instead of facial muscles.

Facial tics can be an uncomfortable life-affecting malady. Children and adults alike can suffer a lot from the existence of a facial tic such as grunting, nose wrinkling, facial grimaces, mouth twitches, squinting or eye blinking. Eliminating a facial tic can prove very useful to the sufferer on an emotional level.

Although several treatments have been created to thwart facial tics, NLP and Hypnotherapy aim to utilize natural unconscious methods of redirecting the tic response. This type of treatment has great benefit over other methods such as counseling, which may not treat the tic behavior at all, or attempt to change the conscious feeling about tic behavior.

NLP and Hypnotherapy also do not suffer from the unwanted side effects of drugs. This beneficial method of treatment can also cut tension and concern in the victim’s life, thereby both reducing the impulse to form a tic and proving an advantage in everyday life. Due to these factors, NLP and Hypnotherapy are often the safest, most preferred methods of treatment for tic sufferers.

Alan B. Densky, CH offers facial twitch hypnotherapy CD’s as well as a broad variety of popular titles for all anxiety related symptoms. For pleasure and education visit his Free hypnotherapy video library at his Neuro-VISION self hypnosis website.

- Alan B. Densky, CH

If you’ve made the decision to lose weight - congratulations! For most, committing to their own well-being is the hardest part. But even with self-motivation, many people find they don’t know what exercises to perform for rapid weight loss.

There are three major sorts of exercise: aerobic exercise, such as biking or running; flexibility exercises, such as yoga and other forms of stretching; and strength training, like resistance exercises and weight lifting.

Aerobic and strength training will help you work off the most calories. Because losing weight is dependent on either taking in less calories or burning more, it is best to concentrate on these primarily to guarantee your self motivation remains as you drop pounds.

Generally, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is best. Build the duration and frequency as you go along.

But many people whose self-motivation has gotten them to begin an exercise for weight loss program ignore the importance of strength training. Aerobic exercise burns more calories at first, but lifting weights increases muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat. A pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day to function at rest; a pound of fat burns just two calories for the same function.

The fitness consensus used to believe that to “build” muscle, you should perform fewer reps (3-5) with heavier weights, and to simply “tone,” higher reps (12-15) at lower weights was best. But there’s no such thing as “toning.” Definition that results from what’s incorrectly called toning happens because you have lost the layer of fat covering muscle, making it more visible. The size of the muscle underneath depends on how vigorously you train.

You must “tear down” the muscle so it can rebuild itself afterward. In fact, you don’t create muscle while pumping iron but you do in the days after when the muscle is “resting.” The common guideline for strength training is beginning with three sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that leaves you almost incapable of executing the entire set. Then, rest for 30-60 seconds before attempting your next set.

Don’t be disappointed if you’re unable to complete all of the reps on every set. In fact, use that to determine when to add weight. If you’re finishing each set without any muscle strain, you will want to add weight.

Self motivation helped you to begin, but most have a difficult time sustaining the pace. It helps to know that the source of our motivations is a belief. Think about it: If you did not believe the gnawing sensation in your stomach meant you were hungry, you would not feel motivated to eat.

Understanding what ideas motivate you is necessary to weight loss, because when you feel powerfully motivated, you will exercise consistently. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a form of hypnosis. And there are NLP techniques that can create exercise motivation because, over time, desire to exercise for weight loss alone probably will not be enough to keep you working out. Hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can help.

Your initial task is identifying the most important things in your life. We call these things your highly valued criteria. Highly valued criteria are usually intangibles: money would not be highly valued criteria, but the fun, freedom or security that money can provide would be.

Next, determine what you need to believe to feel motivated to exercise. It’s necessary to keep in mind that logic has nothing to do with belief. Things don’t have to be logical to believe them. You may realize you already have a belief that opposes this new idea. That is okay.

While understanding what motivates us is important, hypnosis exercise motivation therapy can put these ideas to work by ensuring self motivation persists. Hypnosis for motivation does this by changing the computer codes in your brain, so you believe ideas that motivate you.

Belief systems are based in our unconscious, which is like a computer. Computers don’t have any capability to reason. The input controls the output. The techniques used in hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can make you believe nearly anything, as long as you’re willing to believe.

You begin by making an image in your mind that illustrates something you already believe, such as, “I love my children.” Then you learn to calibrate the elements or ‘Submodalities’ of that mental belief picture.

Next, you make a mental movie that illustrates your motivational idea. Let’s say your motivational idea is, “If I exercise, then I will look great and my marriage will get better.” Then you learn how to adjust the Submodalities of this mental image to correspond with the Submodalities in your calibrated belief picture. On the other hand, if a belief is holding you back, the same technique can change that belief to doubt.

Hypnosis for motivation that incorporates NLP can provide you with something of an internal personal motivator. Using an exercise hypnosis motivation program ensures that the passion you started with persists until reaching your objective, and then helps you maintain that objective.

Alan B. Densky, CH has specialized in all aspects of self hypnosis weight loss, including motivation psychology CDs since 1978. Visit his Neuro-VISION hypnotherapy website and enjoy Free hypnosis newsletters, videos, and articles.

- Alan B. Densky, CH

The South Beach Diet Information You Want To Know

The South Beach Diet as you know, has become incredibly successful after the weight loss and recipe book by similar name was put to print, released and picked up momentum in inner circles as dieting success ‘before’s and after’s’ were quietly discussed and raved about. The book, in question, The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss. I’d however suggest buying it used since, because of the diet book’s popularity (2nd best selling diet book in the United States in the last 10 years - 2006) there have been massive printings, which results in new and used copies for literally, less than one dollar, hardcover included.

The doctor now famous and behind the diet book is a cardiologist from as you might suspect, Florida, (as in ‘South Beach’) named Arthur Agatston. He created the diet plan after creating a system for his patients out of necessity, not able to find something suitable that emphasized “good carbs” and “good fats”. Commonly confused with the Atkins Diet, a completely different monster that pushes the philosophy of a low carbohydrate (low carb) diet, the South Beach Diet instead encourages eliminating the bad carbs and bad fats, while replacing each with good carbs and good fats.

Good carbs are defined as (according to Doctor Arthur Agatston) being high in fiber or good fat, and have a low glycemic index, which basically means those types of foods are digested and absorbed at a much slower rate in your body. Also recommended is eating fiber or good fat whenever good carbs are eaten in order to slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates. Good fats are defined as polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated fats, versus the bad fats being saturated fats or trans fat.

The South Beach Diet is not meant to be a short term dieting solution. It is not a one week or one month quick fix answer to shed enough pounds to be able to fit into a new summer bikini. It was created for the long haul.

Tapping into tell it to you straight and healthy insight about the healthy living you want to adopt, is not rocket science. No matter your interest: from water conservation at home to what foods to eat to boost energy and shed pounds, you name it. Deciding to have a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult, or at all life altering if you don’t want it to be, nor must you have to forgo all the tastes, living like a rock star lifestyle and adventure you have grown to love as much of the time, is the misconception.

- Robert McMackey