When you see botanical extract listed on the ingredients label of your product, you automatically think of natural, good for you things coming from various plants. The thing a lot of people forget is that just because a plant extract is tossed into a product, that does not necessarily mean it is organic, nor does it mean the extract is always better than a synthetic ingredient.

Essentially, a botanical extract is a specific part of a plant that has beneficial properties and is carefully removed from the area of the plant; leaves, flower petals, etc., and is then often stabilized, joined with preserves, and had other unnatural things done to it. The simple fact is that the ingredient listing leaves these processes out. The ingredient is still in there, never mind what was done to it.

However, these processes are not necessarily bad for you. A few products may be entirely organic and not need a great deal of processes in order to get the desired results. With all the wonderful and useful plants out there, such as witch hazel, licorice, green tea, grape seed, lemon, sesame oil, and many others, you have to decide which you want on your skin.

There are equal amounts of usefulness for synthetic ingredients as much as their organic counterparts. After all, companies are not going to start using harmful plants in their products (unless of course, they manage to isolate a particular helpful part). It is important to remember that assuming all plants in nature are healthy and great for your body. Poison ivy anyone? There are just as many plants that can make you sick or severely irritate your skin as there are plants that can help it.

It is also important to note that just because a company has put a botanical extract of some kind into their products it does not mean that product is going to do wonders for your skin or hair. Instead, try reading up on botanicals and the different things they can do. This can help give you some insight into why a company has put particular extracts into a product and whether or not it will benefit you.

Different extracts have different uses. That is the great thing about botanical extracts, they have all sorts of possible uses and there are several that have been found to be particularly helpful, so do not write off botanical extracts just yet. You simply need to find products that use them to their fullest in order to get yourself the best benefit. Companies that toss them into products simply to be able to claim that it now has shea butter does not mean they are using a great deal of shea butter or that they are even using it to add to the product.

Various uses include some of the following extracts. Emollients, which are extra helpful to dry skin as a heavy duty moisturizer, can include extracts from marigolds, sesame oil, and avocado oil. Astringents help to close up pores and can include willow bark and witch hazel. Humectants help trap water to the skin and prevent more from escaping, and emulsifiers help to blend agents that normally separate like water and oil. A popular emulsifier is beeswax. Some extracts are simply used to help your skin feel cooler, more refreshed, and more relaxed, such as yarrow, meadowsweet, aloe vera, orange flower, and several more. Some botanical extracts also combine properties and can give you multiple uses.

Whatever botanicals you might find in your product, try to find out if they are there to help your skin, hair, or other beauty areas, or if they are there simply to make the product look a certain color or smell a certain way. You want a product that will get you the most use out of botanicals, that way even if there is a synthetic ingredient that does the same thing, you can go organic and get the same results.

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No, not conflict of interest…not conflict within your being…but conflict found in a story.

What exactly is conflict in a story? Simple…a problem/obstacle your main character needs to overcome by the end of the story. Think of it as your engine that drives your car forward. Without one your car remains idle, collecting dust in the driveway. Give your car a super booster engine and you’ll be coasting the streets with no worries. Well, until the police stop you.

In a story conflict moves your character through various situations he must overcome. This intrigues and pulls your reader deeper into the story, connecting with your character’s predicament. A character needs to have a hurdle tossed at them, makes for an intriguing situation to find out the outcome. Without an outcome, there is no magnetic charge with your reader.

Before writing your story and making up your character profile, ask yourself these questions:

1-What will be the main goal my character will face and need to overcome?
2-Who will be my target audience?

The second question is important because it will help to focus your words and subject matter to suit the appropriate audience. For stories aimed at children, your focus will need to adapt to a child’s view of the world around them. Most of the time the story is told through the character’s point of view aged a few years older than the intended audience. For example, if you aim your story for the 8 - 10 age group then setting a story for a twelve year old character would be best since kids always like to read and associate with kids a bit older than them.

What subject matter can you write about for this age group? Middle grade readers love mysteries, soft spooky tales ( no knife-wielding maniacs, head chopping, blood and core etc, more suspenseful and ‘goose-bumping tales like in the “Goosebumps” books), magical tales (Harry Potter), even teeny bopper stories like “The Babysitters Club” or “Sweet Valley High”. These latter ones are suitable for the Young Adult market, too.

TYPES OF CONFLICTS:

Here are some examples of conflicts in some books:

- the almighty tried and successful ‘good against evil’
Think Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs…yes, these fairy tales were using the ‘good against evil’ method if you sit down and think about it. The wolves in both fairy tales were intent on overcoming their ’so-they-thought’ weaker counterparts.

In the above examples, something stood in the protagonist’s way:

Harry tries to defeat Voldemort but problems and other antagonists along the way makes this quest difficult for him.

The Lord of the Rings finds Frodo’s quest to destroy the Ring but evil and dark forces stand in his way, too.

Luke Skywalker in Star Wars needs to defeat the new order of evil, and he, too, faces many obstacles and characters along the way.

In each of these examples, these obstacles (new smaller conflicts against the bigger goal they are after) causes a reader to continue reading to find out if he’ll be successful, how he will outsmart them, and what change will this cause in the main character. Along with these obstacles, throwing in some inner conflicts alongside the outer emotions helps to cast them more as three-dimensional beings, for example:

Luke Skywalker deals with the knowledge he has a sister somewhere out there. His inner being and emotions help to make him more sympathetic, which eventually bonds the reader to him. The same with Frodo; his world has been thrown for a loop when he takes on the quest of the Ring…along the way he begins to doubt if he, indeed, is the best man for this job. Also, he questions his will power to avoid succumbing to the dark forces once he has tasted the Ring’s power.

Another example to show you what ‘inner conflict’ means:

Let’s assume your book is based on a police officer who mistakenly shoots a young child while pursuing a suspect. It’s dark in the building and the kid jumped out of nowhere with a toy gun. The police officer is suspended while the case is being investigated.

INNER EMOTIONS:

How he deals and is dealt by his immediate peers
His struggle to remove the visions of the killing
The emotional turmoil as he waits for the investigation to conclude.
His dealings with the parents of the child he accidentally killed.

Throughout all of these emotions the one factor that will bind your reader to continue will be: How will he fare at the end of this book. The way you first portray this particular character in the beginning will be totally different by the end because of the various upsets he’s had to deal with. Show him as upbeat, nonchalant, no change at the end and you will lose your reader’s interest in the book and in you as an author.

Think of real life: if you had to go through a trauma as the officer in the example above, how would it change you? A writer needs to wear his character’s shoes and get inside his head to fully understand him. Write a story with a stick person and you get stale material. Write a story with powerful emotions and you have one interesting read.

THE ALMIGHTY ENDING

By the end of your book all inner and outer conflicts need to have reached a conclusion. Whether your character overcame or failed is not as important as making sure he tried to meet them head on. You cannot place a conflict (or foreshadow) without making sure by the end of the story some sort of a resolution was made. This is cheating a reader and they WILL notice, especially if one of those conflicts was the one he’s been hoping to see the outcome to.

Author’s Bio: Lea Schizas is founder and co-founder of two Writer’s Digest Top Writing Sites since 2004 and recipients of several Preditors and Editors awards, The MuseItUp Club and Apollo’s Lyre. She is the author of the Young Adult Fantasy novel “The Rock of Realm” and the upcoming paranormal/thriller “Doorman’s Creek”. She is also the editor and co-author of “The Muse On Writing” a writer’s reference book, and the fantasy novel “Aleatory’s Junction”.

This past October Lea Schizas along with Carolyn Howard-Johnson hosted the first annual Muse Online Writers Conference where over 1300 Attendees and Presenters took part.

For more information on Lea Schizas, link here:
http://leaschizaseditor.com

The benefits of using herbs and spices can speed up your weight loss efforts by quite a considerable amount. But how much do we know of its benefits.

We all know that herbs and spices are used with cooking to varying degrees, and of course the primary reason for doing so is to make food much more tasty and interesting.

However, you might be surprised at the considerable health benefits that can also be gained by using them.

I have been able to include a fair amount of information below about various herbs and spices which are known to particularly help to speed up weight loss. You should find that you will be able to purchase these herbs from any good Herbalist supplier.

Garcinia: (Garcinia cambogia) is sold primarily for enhancing weight loss and boosting the amount of lean muscle. Their major benefit is that it acts as an appetite suppressant and stops the body from storing fat.

Pysillium: (Plantago spp.) is known to help lower cholesterol, and another major benefit is that it also helps to prevent constipation but in order to achieve this you should drink plenty of water. It can help you to eat fewer calories and yet still feel really full because of the amount of fiber that it contains.

Siberian Gingsing: (Eleutherococcus senticosus) can help your body adapt to the stress of unaccustomed changes, and make you feel less tired even when you are doing simple exercises like walking for example.

Little Known Secrets In Your Larder

Cayenne: (also known as Capsicum, hot pepper, chili pepper, Tabasco pepper). The majority of us have cayenne in our larders and it can be found in many forms such as ground spices, teas, and would you believe it, topical creams. It is known for its antioxidant action, and greatly helps with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. Just a note of caution: It may act with anticoagulant drugs so you should consult your doctor. Excessive use may also irritate the intestinal tract.

Fennel: is native to the Mediterranean and is widely utilized throughout the world. You will find it in teas, capsules, tinctures and lozenges. It can be used to help with bloating, flatulence, mild digestive spasms, catarrh, and coughs. It also has antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and anti inflammatory properties. Just a note of caution: It can sometimes cause rare allergic skin and respiratory tract reactions and should also be avoided if you are pregnant.

Garlic: The downside of garlic is the odor which it leaves on your breath. It also help stimulate the immune system, and to help in fighting cancer. Other benefits include lowering cholesterol, fighting infections, and reducing blood pressure. Just a note of caution: It may interact with anticoagulant drugs, so do be sure to check with your doctor if in any doubt.

These are just a few of the herbs you can use in cooking, but do remember that there are many more, and the benefits in using them frequently can be quite remarkable.

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!

If you want your weight loss regime to work, you will have to perform ‘Strength training’ and there is just no getting around it. You must use this valuable tool not just for your weight loss goals but also for general health and well being.

We have been told to diet the excess fat from our bodies and throw in some fast walking to hasten the process. The trouble with this is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode with the body holding onto the fat and using precious lean muscle tissue for energy.

This would “Lower Your Metabolism” causing greater muscle loss and once the diet was broken the original fat would return and you would have greater chance of gaining even more fat creating an “A Vicious Cycle”.

Your body would become used to the diet and then you will reach a point where nothing was happening. What do we do now?

We try weight loss supplements, creams, massage, toning tables and drugs but these don’t work. There is a better way and it is “Strength Training”.

In many studies, it is a far superior method for weight loss. If you are not incorporating strength training into your weight loss program then you can look forward to disappointing results.

All that is required is one short strength-training workout a week done at home or in the gym and this will melt away more fat than you would have thought possible.

Fats, Figures and Cardio Work

We’ve already found out that you increase your resting metabolic rate by increasing the functional muscle on your body. You can now eat more calories due to this higher metabolic rate that means you won’t need to starve anymore to lose weight.

As far as Fats are concerned, they’re burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When exercise is done slowly too moderately for 20 to 30 minutes, then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.

Understanding that the loss of fat comes from fat cells all over the body not just from one or more specific areas can make fat reduction of a certain area generally possible.

Fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors is the best exercise for the purpose of fat loss. Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate for the allotted time.

You are going too hard if your cardio activities leave you panting or breathless. Your energy will be then coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Nutrition for Weight Loss

You should start losing weight by decreasing the amount of calories you eat per day to the weight loss amount. Check the mirror regularly to judge your progress and don’t go any lower.

Try to eat small frequent meals during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle and energy levels. And also try foods with vital vitamin and mineral compositions on a daily basis.

ve to perform ‘Strength training’ and there is just no getting around it.

It is absolutely imperative that during the course of a lifetime not only for your weight loss goals but also for general health and well being that you must use these valuable tool.

For years we have been told to diet the excess fat from our bodies and throw in some fast walking to hasten the process.

The trouble with this is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode with the body holding onto the fat and using precious lean muscle tissue for energy.

This would “Lower Your Metabolism” causing greater muscle loss and once the diet was broken the original fat would return and you would have greater chance of gaining even more fat creating a

“A Vicious Cycle”

Eventually, your body would become used to the diet and then you will reach a point where nothing was happening. So what do you do now?

Try weight loss supplements, creams, massage, toning tables, and drugs. You should know by now that these don’t work. There is a better way and it is

“Strength Training”

Many studies are showing that Strength Training is a far superior method for weight loss. (Ladies, you won’t bulk up by using weights, you don’t have the testosterone to get big and muscular, so don’t worry).

If you are not incorporating strength training into your weight loss program then you can look forward to disappointing results.

The days of strength training three to five days a week in the gym, an hour at a time are long gone. That just doesn’t work as a plateau is reached after three to four weeks and nothing you do will get you off it.

All that is required is one short strength-training workout a week done at home or in the gym and this will melt away more fat than you would have thought possible.

Fats, Figures and Cardio Work

We’ve already found out that by increasing the functional muscle on your body, you increase your resting metabolic rate.

Due to this higher metabolic rate you can now eat more calories, which means that you won’t need to starve anymore to lose weight.

In a sense, fewer calories have to be cut back from our daily intake of food and successful dieting (provided that you eat the right foods) will become more likely.

As far as Fats are concerned, they’re burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When exercise is done slowly to moderately for 20 to 30 minutes, then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.

It’s important to understand that the loss of fat comes from fat cells all over the body, not just from one or more specific areas. Therefore, fat reduction of a certain area is not generally possible.

The best exercise for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate for the allotted time.

If your cardio activities leave you panting or breathless you are going too hard. Your energy will be then coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Nutrition For Weight Loss

By decreasing the amount of calories you eat per day to the weight loss amount, you should start losing weight. Don’t go any lower and check the mirror regularly to judge your progress.

If you don’t have an accurate idea of how many calories you are consuming a day, how will you know whether you’re overeating or not?

So go ahead and try to eat small frequent meals during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle and energy levels. Also try to consume foods with vital vitamin and mineral compositions on a daily basis.

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!

A number of people who are becoming obese are increasing as years go by. Products and programs that offer weight loss solutions have emerged in the market today due to this trend.

People tend to resort to these products that can help them lose weight, safe, fast, and easy since losing weight has become tiresome and frustration to most people. Are these quick weight loss products effective to permanent and healthy weight loss?

WEIGHING DISADVANTAGES OVER ADVANTAGES

Believing that weight loss products today are safe to use because they are often based in natural and organic ingredients, most obese or morbidly obese people take these to lose weight quickly. Although using these products, might be convenient, hassle-free, and easy, its effectivity and safety are not always determined or guaranteed.

People who are thinking of having quick weight loss and fad diets should think twice before they try taking in any product or engaging into diets. It is because it can be harmful and can severely damage a person’s body. It may bring about greater health problems in the future aside from creating a “yo-yo syndrome” or inconstant weight losing patterns.

It cannot permanently help you achieve long-term goals of losing weight although quick weight loss diets can help you achieve your short term goals. Choosing gradual weight loss can provide you professional help and can provide you proven eating choices and patterns that can help you develop the discipline you need in order to lose weight in the run. You can also learn specific diet recommendations that are suited for your needs if you opt not to engage in quick weight loss alternatives.

Based on numerous health researches, quick weight loss-achieved through improper diet-overemphasizes a particular food type. Aside from violating the basic principle of good nutrition, quick weight loss diets also breaks the second significant rule that is enjoyable eating.

THE BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT

Experts advise that quick weight loss greatly affects a person’s total well-being. It can even result to more serious health risks if a wrong product is taken. Authorities in the health and nutrition world advice people who would want to lose weight to stick to the best way of losing unwanted fats and that is to eat balanced diet.

Eating a balanced diet can help the reduction of weight greatly. Coupled with regular physical activities or exercises that improves cardiovascular health, there’s no way that you cannot lose weight in time.

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!

Having a child changes both your priorities and perspective in life. Where you once sought to find what was best for you, the focus suddenly shifts on your little one after birth. You want to do the best you can to protect your baby with good skin care and provide them a safe place to grow. This is where organic skin care for your baby represents such a terrific option.

When many think of organic beauty markets, they think of the many anti aging skin care regimens they see on television or the acne skin care they see teens using. There is more to organic beauty, though, than anti aging skin care and acne skin care. Organic beauty can also be for your baby.

There are many ways in which parents unintentionally harm their babies every day. For example, the simple act of using baby powder to keep your child clean can actually pose a cancer risk later in life. The main ingredient in most baby powders is talc, which many studies have shown to be a carcinogen.

There are, though, organic skin care product lines which include powders that are not dangerous.
You can avoid similar concerns just by switching to organic skin care for your baby. These natural beauty product lines work in two ways to give your baby wonderful skin protection that is also safe.

First, organic skin product lines are perfect for sensitive skin. Ingredients in natural beauty product lines such as aloe vera, shea butter, and vitamin E are botanicals that contain no chemicals or dyes. This leaves the skin of your baby feeling soft and smooth, without risk of damage.

Secondly, organic skin care can serve to calm a restless baby. Certain organic beauty product lines are blended with scented chamomile oils to induce sleep and provide ultimate comfort. This method of natural skin care is certain to take a load off your mind when your baby is soothed to sleep by the ingredients in the natural skin care product you have chosen.

We all want the best skin care for our babies, and organic skin care products are just one simple way to achieving this goal. You can find organic beauty products at your local drug store or online. Be sure to get the best skin care product for you baby. Consult with your family doctor to find the best skin care product that will not harm their tender skin.

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Yoga can be put to good use for taking off excess pounds through the power of creating a state of mental and physical well being. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and when combined with a calorie reduction can help to speed up your weight loss is the basic tenets of Yoga. It also increases your metabolism by increasing the caloric burning process. Using more calories than you take in is all the basis of weight loss. It will allow you to increase your ability to concentrate and focus.

What regulates your metabolism is your thyroid. Thyroid is responsible for the chemical processes that transform food into energy. A series of twisting poses are used in Yoga to help you to stimulate the work flow of the internal organs. This will cause your metabolism to increase. This can also burn more calories which will eventually cause you to have a lower body weight. Another side effect is that it will help to improve your circulation and increase your energy level.

Helping to stimulate the metabolism is combining the various back bends with the forward bends. The poses that affect the neck region can be helpful in stimulating the thyroid if the weight problem is caused by a hormonal imbalance. Camel, rabbit, plow, bridge and head stand are the poses that will help the most. Going quickly between the various poses can help to accelerate the weight loss. You should beware though that those seriously overweight may find some of these poses extremely difficult and should start slowly with the easier poses and add others as they become more confident in the easier ones.

To increase muscle strengthening, you can use standing poses such as the warrior. These will help to create higher endurance. These can also increase your caloric usage.

What is best with all Yoga practices is a gradual approach. The long term effects on your weight loss regime will become evident and even more so the inner peace and general well feeling that Yoga will promote within you.

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!

When you are on a weight loss diet, you may be unknowingly, while cutting down on the calories be also cutting down on essential nutrients

What Are These Nutrients?

- Calcium
- Fibre
- Magnesium
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin D

Calcium is essential for the proper functioning of Muscles, Bones, Teeth, Hair and Nails etc. It could be called the beauty mineral. It also helps to keep the heart beating normally. It can also help with your Weight Loss Diet.

The Institute of Medicine says that the older we get the more we need Calcium.

- 19 - 50 years old need to take 1000 mgs per day
- 51 - upwards need to take 1200 mgs per day

Fibre is needed to keep your Intestines in good working order. It will keep your Bowels regular and also help you maintain overall good health. If you are on a Weight Loss Diet, it is very filling and is found in foods with less Calories so that it is important for weight loss.

Men and Women need different amounts of Fibre each day:

- Men 19 - 50 years = 38 grams, 51 and older 30 grams
- Women 19 - 50 years = 25 grams, 51 and older 21 grams.

Magnesium is essential for many of your body’s day to day running. To name a few:

- Bone strength
- Boosts the Immune System
- Normalizes Muscle, Nerve and Heart function.

Your needs on a daily basis are:

- Men 19 - 30 years = 400 milligrams, 31 and older 420 milligrams
- Women 19 - 30 years = 310 milligrams, 31 and older = 320 milligrams.

Some Magnesium rich foods are:

- Whole Grains
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Beans - Black or White
- Soy as a Protein instead of meat.

Vitamin E is found in fatty foods, such as nuts, seeds and oils. If you are on a Weight Loss Diet you will be avoiding fatty foods mistakenly believing that you are helping yourself to lose weight. But it is needed to fight pollutants that your body is being bombarded with every day.

What Can You Eat To Ensure You Get Enough Vitamin E?

- Sunflower Seeds
- Almonds

Vitamin D

What Have These People Got In Common?

- People with dark skin
- People who avoid the sun
- Older adults

They all may have a deficiency of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. It is manufactured in the skin by being exposed to sunlight. As you get older, your need for this increases because even with sufficient sunlight, your body may not be able to manufacture enough of it.

Unfortunately, Vitamin D cannot be found in food, instead it is in Nutritional Supplements and is recommended.

By all means if you are on a Weight Loss Diet, eat foods with fewer calories but do take care not to miss out on the essential nutrients that your body needs.

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!

A key component for success in Direct Sales is holding appointments, which produce income. Businesses need to initiate appointments and yours is no exception. The most common sabotage is the mistaken choice to “pre-judge” or decide for a person why they “would” or “would not” want your service. Usually this is to protect ourselves against rejection. We do not want to feel the rejection of a person’s “no” or “no, not now” response.

Have you ever heard the expression “feel the fear, but do it anyway?” Well, that is what you must do! If you do not ask, you are sure to get a “no.” However, if you ask, you risk a “yes” response. Results are definitely in the asking.

Consider each of the following elements:

1. Take inventory and make a comprehensive list of each person you know. Pretend you are getting married. Whom would you invite? Why leave anyone out?!

2. Gain a clear picture of your goal. What are you working towards right now? Is it an achievement? A prize? A deadline? A challenge? A promotion?

3. What is in it for your potential customer? What is the win/win? What do you have to offer unconditionally? Are there strings attached? Are you giving more than you are asking for? What do you have to offer and why would she want to invest time with you?

Now, use the above elements to write your phone script.

It is natural to feel intimidated by the phone at first. Great things can happen if you stretch yourself and dive in. With each appointment, your confidence and phone skills will improve. Confidence grows with experience. The only way to master a skill is to do it!

You have your list of names. You know what to say. Now you must PICK UP THE PHONE AND MAKE CALLS!

Are you ready for success? MAKE YOUR LIST and follow through. Remember, those out there doing it are constantly proving those who say it cannot be done wrong. Choose Success by taking action NOW!

Nicki Keohohou is a Co-Founder of http://www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA so unique. Listen to three motivating and informative free teleseminars by visiting http://www.mydswa.org/tele_class.asp

Most of us are “regular” people. We don’t eat the perfect diet all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone else. But having an awareness of this fact and knowing a little bit about our health and food nutrition can help when it comes to making wise decisions.

Many people struggle with food “cravings.” Studies tell us that it’s fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times, quite often at around bedtime. Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy? We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide, clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related that are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow.

Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:

- If the food isn’t available, you can’t eat it! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

- Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food craving. Try to deal with the triggers in the best way you can.

- Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn’t seem to help. Call a friend, make good use of your support network and share your feelings with someone.

- Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to crave things.

- Never give-up. Think moderation and not abstinence at all times!

- Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves won’t cut it!

- Exercise. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

- Use moderation. Eat 100 to 200 calories of your “craved” food.

- Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. Try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving.

- Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours.

- Understand that hunger craving are oftentimes stress related. Practice other ways to treat chronic stress. Relaxation techniques may work by reducing the psychological drives on stress output, which can be the root causes of stress.

- Beware of certain medications.

- Distract Yourself. Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings subside.

- One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some general “house cleaning.”

If You Like This Article, then you might also like my other must-read Weight Loss Articles at http://www.MyWeightLossNewsletter.com/ - See You There!