Weight-loss? Why can’t we do it? The two main reasons are simple: we eat too much, and we eat too much of the wrong food. Simple, right? Ah, but WHY do we eat the wrong food, and WHY do we eat too much? And why do we do it to the point it can even make us sick?

Ideally, you only eat when the body tells you you’re hungry. If we did only this, we’d be the perfect weight, and we wouldn’t be worried about weight-loss at all. However, frustration, sadness, irritation, boredom, anxiety, anger and insecurity are all additionalif somewhat hiddenspurs to snacking. Normally we are completely unaware of these hidden feelings, and just head for the fridge. ‘Mindful eating’ can really help us to lose weight. Mindful eating is the practice of paying attention to your urges, feelings and thoughts, and to the food’s appearance and taste, from moment to moment, can help foster an awareness of when and why these emotions arise, thereby sapping them of their power to control our lives according to Jan Chozen Bays, MD, in the book ‘Mindful Eating’.

And these eating patterns are deeply engrained in us-they are completely automated habits, and are as natural to us as the way we walk or stand. We’re quite comfortable with them, thank you very much, as we’ve lived with them our whole lives. So think about how difficult it is to go lose weight-that is, to try and replace a lifetime of eating habits-bad ones, but happy, comfortable habits nonetheless-with a whole new set of healthy eating habits. Changing these habits is probably one of the steepest challenges we could face, as neither the mind nor the body really wants to change from all that it has ever really known. That’s why it’s so difficult, and so stress-inducing. Ever notice how you feel when you start a diet? Grumpy, right? Just like the cigarette smoker trying to quit. Our habits are really not much different than a wild horse. We have to break these habits and tame our horse, just like a cowboy. And just like the horse, our habitual patterns of body and mind will try and resist. This is the approach we must take.

Try this simple mindful eating exercise to get your weight-loss kick-started: take a raisin, or a cherry, or some small bite-sized piece of fruit. Look at it. Just look at it. Notice its color, its texture. You might even mentally say to yourself, ‘Brown’ or ‘Red’ or ‘crinkly’, etc. You can use this mental noting for every step. Notice what you’re thinking. (You may well be thinking this is dumb, but that’s ok! Just note to yourself, ‘Thinking it’s dumb’) Notice what you’re feeling and especially try and notice any urges you might have, whatever that might be, whether it’s to give up, to rush the food into your mouth, etc.

Lift the food up to your mouth. Be aware of your hand moving. Notice the food entering your mouth. Don’t chew yet! See how the food feels on your lips and tongue. Do you taste it yet, even though you haven’t chewed? Notice that. Notice if you’re in a hurry. Be aware of any saliva building up in your mouth.

Now begin to chew. Notice how you chew. Do you favor one side? Keep noticing. It is especially critical to keep paying attention here. Notice the urge to swallow. Do you feel like you ‘have’ to swallow at a certain point in time, or after a certain number of chews? Try and chew the food until it is completely disintegrated, until it’s just a watery mush. Notice your thoughts, your feelings. How do you feel? Does it taste good? Are you aware that it tastes good? Did the feeling of it tasting good continue throughout, or did it stop at some point? Do you feel satisfied? Do you want more? There are no right or wrong answers. And it’s ok, and expected, that you’ll lose your attention and forget. Just come back to the awareness. This is the basis for the entire process and can be done for the whole meal, with whatever you are eating.

This is only the beginning of the mindful eating journey, the first step to losing weight permanently. When you start becoming aware of your harmful eating habits you can start replacing them with healthier ones. Do this exercise once a day, at just one meal, for as long as you can, and see what happens. See if things start to change for you, in both mind and body. Please email me if you have any questions.

God bless!

Vinbar

Vince Barry is a weight-loss, diet and fitness guru. “I believe weight-loss and fitness begins with the mind. Once we get the mind in order, we can get the body in shape. You CAN do it!” More of his work can be found at his website here Vince Barry

- Vince Barry

Most people don’t like to talk about their fear of vomiting, but if you can accept that you will be able to overcome this, look forward to eating once more, and enjoy social gatherings again, you’ll be greatly relieved.

Maybe you have a fear of vomiting and you don’t know what’s going on. You may have had this fear all your life and you may or may not know that there is a name for it. But you’re probably reading this article because you are looking for an Emetophobia Treatment. The diagnosis is clear, now what?

It’s not something that people openly bring up or add into a conversation. Many people who are looking to cure emetophobia are embarrassed at their situation. They may SEEM like introverts because they hardly ever leave the house. And when in public, they may appear a little paranoid or insecure.

It’s not just the fear of vomiting that these people have, it’s also the fear of seeing someone else hurl. Even reading about it is a bit of a stretch, but it needs to be done in order for a person looking for ways of overcoming emetophobia to finally succeed.

You can’t exactly cure emetophobia because it isn’t a physical condition. It’s not a virus, like a cold or flu. It’s more of an emotional issue. And don’t feel like you’re alone. According to research studies, over six percent of the U.S. population has a fear of vomiting. It’s the seventh most common type of phobia, rating up there next to panic attacks and claustrophobia.

People often search outside the medical arena for emetophobia treatments. Because this problem isn’t physical, learning what first caused your symptoms is often the best place to start. Many people find the origin of the condition in their childhood history, after a severe case of the flu or an incident of food poisoning, or other horrible experience. Most of the time, the people who do experience emetophobia have these negative experiences when they are between six and ten years old.

Different types of emetophobia treatments may be used. Often, simply learning what started it, admitting that to yourself and being willing to manage the problem is a giant step toward resolution of the problem. Many inexpensive self-help books are available to help you overcome this problem, and they are much less costly than most medical treatments.

The fear of vomiting is not a pleasant subject, but the sooner you recognize that there are things you can do to help you enjoy eating again, and become more social, the better. Being trapped in your house for the rest of your life is a lonely prospect, and the longer you wait to start emetophobia treatment, the worse it will get.

The emetophobia recovery system is a step-by-step program for understanding and overcoming emetophobia. It works so well, it’s recommended by professional psychologists. Find it at: www.aHealthStop.com/emetophobia-treatment

- Mary O’Mally

Each of us have a lust for youthfulness which causes us to yearn for that special cream which grants us our wish, even blinding us to the truth of the product. However, in a new aspect of the present situation, an elder can look as good as a yearling!

The average elder may find his or herself inquiring in an investigation, “what may I consider to be an effective elixir for my curse of wrinkles?! Certainly there is a cream among these falsities which should rule over the lines on my face!”

Of course, the multitude of choices should be named the culprit. Those ghostly manufacturers seek new ways to trick the crowds, they do, and they succeed only in testing the patience of the elders. The Wise Ones know in their hearts that the only elixir which erases age is the Vitamin A cream, Retinol.

However, we also know that the official stamp of approval is slow in coming. In the meantime, we would not want to miss out on all the potential goodness contained in the multitude of wrinkle cream jars that almost daily hit the market!

The truth is, there are so many ingredients that, applied to the skin, may diminish the appearance of wrinkles that it is difficult to choose only one and claim it gives the final answer to our question - namely, what is the best anti wrinkle cream?

Besides the vitamin A based creams, it is generally considered that the best wrinkle cream of today is the cone that contains AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids), antioxidants (based on derivatives of vitamins A, C and E), coenzyme Q10, collagen or copper. The newest ingredient being touted as “magical” is the orchid extract. Of course, it is impossible to put all those ingredients together in one all-powerful cream for eradicating wrinkles.

All in all, the wisest move for an ordinary elder to make is to alternate magical elixirs with certain ingredients to remove the traces of age. If such action was taken, through the powers of time a dedicated elder might find a noticeable change. Peer aid on choosing ageless creams could be helpful, but isn’t always so due to the difference in skin types. Rather than seeking council from a loyal friend, a great elder should pay close mind to his or her own skin.

In the end, there really is no Lord of All Ageless Creams, but there is strength in multitude. For best effects, an elder should do heavy research and select a cream wisely, then continue to work magic with the elixir for at least three months. It has been said by great lords that the greatest cause for an elder’s ageless cream to be unsuccessful is the elder’s unwillingness to keep using the same cream.

Jen Hopkins has worked in the anti wrinkle skin care product industry for years. She maintains websites about skin wrinkle cream and anti wrinkle skin care. If you want to contact her, you can use the contact form at one of her sites.

- Jen Hopkins