How to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight

Fitness experts agree that diet, exercise, and a positive attitude go a long way towards helping you achieve your ideal body weight. However, with all of the junk food within reach, most of us have forgotten how to eat healthy and lose weight

Breaking-up with Un-healthy Eating Habits

After losing 110 pounds, these are the tips and tricks Sharee Hansen learned on how to break-up with her un-healthy eating habits and adapt a healthy lifestyle of clean eating!

9 Super Effective Healthy Eating Tips

HEALTHY DIET

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

• Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of colour, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

• Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different colour vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

• Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? How much is a moderate amount?

That really depends on you and your overall eating habits. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you've hit your ideal weight. So try to think of moderation in terms of balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body. For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. More specifically, it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (unrefined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and more of the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables). But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love.

Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner–but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with an extra serving of fresh vegetables.

• Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or food

groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in

to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by

reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving

them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

• Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards, a slice of bread should be the size of a CD case, and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

             Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and

emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.

• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savouring

every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavours and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can

jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather

than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

• Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day—may help to regulate weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be high in fat and calories so are best avoided, anyway.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colourful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre.

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal—the brighter the better. Colourful, deeply coloured fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different colours provide

different benefits, so eat a variety. Aim for a minimum of five portions each day.

Some great choices include:

• Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.

• Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets.

• Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fibre, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on. The importance of getting vitamins from food—not pills

The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases. And while advertisements abound for supplements promising to deliver the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables in pill or powder form, research suggests that it’s just not the same.

A daily regimen of nutritional supplements is not going to have the same impact of eating right. That’s because the benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from a single vitamin or an isolated antioxidant. The health benefits of fruits and vegetables come from numerous vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals working together synergistically. They can’t be broken down into the sum of their parts or replicated in pill form.

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fibre sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes.

Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart. A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fibre, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy. Tips for eating more healthy carbs

• Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.

• Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multigrain, 100% wheat, or bran can be deceptive. Look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” at the beginning of the ingredient list. In the U.S., Canada, and some other countries, check for the Whole Grain Stamps that distinguish between partial whole grain and 100% whole grain.

• Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%. Avoid: Refined foods such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart, and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

• Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).

• Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn,soybean, flaxseed oils, and walnuts. Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

• Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.

• Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs.

A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily. Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu, and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

• Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.

• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are great choices.

• Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and veggie burgers for a change.

• Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Many people in the West eat too much protein. Try to

move away from protein being the centre of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables. Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans, or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as many other important functions. You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Good sources of calcium include:

• Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.

• Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

• Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt

If you succeed in planning your diet around fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.

Sugar

Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the solution. Often you

may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tips:

• Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.

•

Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth. How sugar is hidden on food labels Check food labels carefully. Sugar is often disguised using terms such as:

• cane sugar or maple syrup

• corn sweetener or corn syrup

• honey or molasses

• brown rice syrup

• crystallized or evaporated cane juice

• fruit juice concentrates, such as apple or pear

• maltodextrin (or dextrin)

• Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, or Sucrose

Salt

Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

• Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

• Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium.

• Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.

• Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, and pretzels.

• Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products.

• Try slowly reducing the salt in your diet to give your taste buds time to adjust.

Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.

Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go

through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to

mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food

choice.

Exercise: Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Some more tips and advices :

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following 5 recommendations with respect to both populations and individuals:

•

Eat roughly the same amount of calories that your body is using. A healthy weight is a balance between energy consumed and energy that is 'burnt off'.

• Increase consumption of plant foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.

• Limit intake of fats, namely saturated fats and trans fats and replace with healthier unsaturated fats.

• Limit the intake of granulated sugar. A 2003 report recommends less than 10% simple sugars.

• Limit salt / sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized.

Other recommendations include:

• Essential micronutrients such as vitamins and certain minerals.

• Avoiding directly poisonous (e.g. heavy metals) and carcinogenic (e.g. benzene) substances.

• Avoiding foods contaminated by human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, tapeworm eggs).

American Heart Association / World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research

The American Heart Association, World Cancer Research Fund, and American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a diet that consists mostly of unprocessed plant foods, with emphasis a wide range of whole grains, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables and fruits.

This healthy diet is replete with a wide range of various non-starchy vegetables and fruits, that provide different colors including red, green, yellow, white, purple, and orange. They note that tomato cooked with oil, allium vegetables like garlic, and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, provide some protection against cancer.

This healthy diet is low in energy density, which may protect against weight gain and associated diseases. Finally, limiting consumption of sugary drinks, limiting energy rich foods, including “fast foods” and red meat, and avoiding processed meats improves health and longevity. Overall, researchers and medical policy conclude that this healthy diet can reduce the risk of chronic disease and cancer.

Harvard School of Public Health

The Nutrition Source of Harvard School of Public Health makes the following 10

recommendations for a healthy diet:

1. Choose good carbohydrates: whole grains (the less processed the better), vegetables, fruits and beans. Avoid white bread, white rice, and the like as well as pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly-processed food.

2. Pay attention to the protein package: good choices include fish, poultry, nuts, and beans. Try to avoid red meat.

3. Choose foods containing healthy fats. Plant oils, nuts, and fish are the best choices. Limit consumption of saturated fats, and avoid foods with trans fat.

4. Choose a fiber-filled diet which includes whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

5. Eat more vegetables and fruits—the more colorful and varied, the better.

6. Calcium is important, but milk is not its best source. Good sources of calcium are collards, bok choy, fortified soy milk, baked beans, and supplements which contain and calcium and vitamin D.

7. Water is the best source of liquid. Avoid sugary drinks, and limit intake of juices and milk. Coffee, tea, artificially-sweetened drinks, 100-percent fruit juices, low-fat milk and alcohol can fit into a healthy diet but are best consumed in moderation. Sports drinks are recommended only for people who exercise more than an hour at a stretch to

replace substances lost in sweat.

8. Limit salt intake. Choose more fresh foods, instead of processed ones.

9. Moderate alcohol drinking has health benefits, but is not recommended for everyone.

10. Daily multivitamin and extra vitamin D intake has potential health benefits.

Other than nutrition, the guide recommends frequent physical activity (exercise) and

maintaining a healthy body weight.

For specific conditions

In addition to dietary recommendations for the general population, there are many specific diets that have primarily been developed to promote better health in specific population groups, such as people with high blood pressure (as in low sodium diets or the more specific DASH diet), or people who are overweight or obese (in weight control diets). However, some of them may have more or less evidence for beneficial effects in normal people as well.

Hypertension

A low sodium diet is beneficial for people with high blood pressure. A Cochrane review

published in 2008 concluded that a long term (more than 4 weeks) low sodium diet in

Caucasians has a useful effect to reduce blood pressure, both in people with   hypertension and in people with normal blood pressure.

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a diet promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (part of the NIH, a United States government organization) to control hypertension. A major feature of the plan is limiting intake of sodium, and it also generally encourages the consumption of nuts, whole grains, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables while lowering the consumption of red meats, sweets, and sugar.

It is also "rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein". Evidence shows that the Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular outcomes.

Obesity

Weight control diets aim to maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Diets to promote weight loss are generally divided into four categories: low-fat, lowcarbohydrate, low-calorie, and very low calorie.

A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials found no difference between the main diet types (low calorie, low carbohydrate, and low fat), with a 2–4 kilogram weight loss in all studies. At two years, all calorie-reduced diet types cause equal weight loss irrespective of the macronutrients emphasized. Diet and possible reduced disease risk

There may be a relationship between lifestyle including food consumption and potentially lowering the risk of cancer or other chronic diseases. A healthy diet may consist mostly of whole plant foods, with limited consumption of energy-dense foods, red meat, alcoholic drinks and salt while reducing consumption of sugary drinks, and processed meat.

A healthy diet may contain non-starchy vegetables and fruits, including those with red, green, yellow, white, purple or orange pigments. Tomato cooked with oil, allium vegetables like garlic, and cruciferous  vegetables like cauliflower "probably" contain compounds which are under research for their possible anti-cancer activity.

A healthy diet is low in energy density, lowering caloric content, thereby possibly inhibiting weight gain and lowering risk against chronic diseases.

Unhealthy diets

An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including: high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. The WHO estimates that 2.7 million deaths are attributable to a diet low in fruit and vegetable very year. Globally it is estimated to cause about 19% of gastrointestinal cancer, 31% of ischaemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes, thus making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.

Fad diets

Fad diet usually refers to idiosyncratic diets and eating patterns. They are diets that claim to promote weight loss or treat obesity by various mechanisms, provide little to no scientific reasoning behind their purported health benefits, and have little or no proof to support them.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

10 Habits of Remarkably Charismatic People

Charisma isn't something you have. It's something you earn. Here's how.

shutterstock image

Some people instantly make us feel important. Some people instantly make us feel special. Some people light up a room just by walking in.

We can't always define it, but some people have it: They're naturally charismatic.

Unfortunately, natural charisma quickly loses its impact. Familiarity breeds, well, familiarity.

But some people are remarkably charismatic: They build and maintain great relationships, consistently influence (in a good way) the people around them, consistently make people feel better about themselves--they're the kind of people everyone wants to be around...and wants to be.

Fortunately we can, because being remarkably charismatic isn't about our level of success or our presentation skills or how we dress or the image we project--it's about what we do.

Here are the 10 habits of remarkably charismatic people:

1. They listen way more than they talk.

Ask questions. Maintain eye contact. Smile. Frown. Nod. Respond--not so much verbally, but nonverbally.

That's all it takes to show the other person they're important.

Then when you do speak, don't offer advice unless you're asked. Listening shows you care a lot more than offering advice, because when you offer advice in most cases you make the conversation about you, not them.

Don't believe me? Who is "Here's what I would do..." about: you or the other person?

Only speak when you have something important to say--and always define importantas what matters to the other person, not to you.

2. They don't practice selective hearing.

Some people--I guarantee you know people like this--are incapable of hearing anything said by the people they feel are somehow beneath them.

Sure, you speak to them, but that particular falling tree doesn't make a sound in the forest, because there's no one actually listening.

Remarkably charismatic people listen closely to everyone, and they make all of us, regardless of our position or social status or "level," feel like we have something in common with them.

Because we do: We're all people.

3. They put their stuff away.

Don't check your phone. Don't glance at your monitor. Don't focus on anything else, even for a moment.

You can never connect with others if you're busy connecting with your stuff, too.

Give the gift of your full attention. That's a gift few people give. That gift alone will make others want to be around you and remember you.

4. They give before they receive--and often they never receive.

Never think about what you can get. Focus on what you can provide. Giving is the only way to establish a real connection and relationship.

Focus, even in part and even for a moment, on what you can get out of the other person, and you show that the only person who really matters is you.

5. They don't act self-important…

The only people who are impressed by your stuffy, pretentious, self-important self are other stuffy, pretentious, self-important people.

The rest of us aren't impressed. We're irritated, put off, and uncomfortable.

And we hate when you walk in the room.

6. …Because they realize other people are more important.

You already know what you know. You know your opinions. You know your perspectives and points of view.

That stuff isn't important, because it's already yours. You can't learn anything from yourself.

But you don't know what other people know, and everyone, no matter who they are, knows things you don't know.

That makes them a lot more important than you--because they're people you can learn from.

7. They shine the spotlight on others.

No one receives enough praise. No one. Tell people what they did well.

Wait, you say you don't know what they did well?

Shame on you--it's your job to know. It's your job to find out ahead of time.

Not only will people appreciate your praise, they'll appreciate the fact you care enough to pay attention to what they're doing.

Then they'll feel a little more accomplished and a lot more important.

8. They choose their words.

The words you use impact the attitude of others.

For example, you don't have to go to a meeting; you get to go meet with other people. You don't have to create a presentation for a new client; you get to share cool stuff with other people. You don't have to go to the gym; you get to work out and improve your health and fitness.

You don't have to interview job candidates; you get to select a great person to join your team.

We all want to associate with happy, enthusiastic, fulfilled people. The words you choose can help other people feel better about themselves--and make you feel better about yourself, too.

9. They don't discuss the failings of others...

Granted, we all like hearing a little gossip. We all like hearing a little dirt.

The problem is, we don't necessarily like--and we definitely don't respect--the people who dish that dirt.

Don't laugh at other people. When you do, the people around you wonder if you sometimes laugh at them.

10. ...But they readily admit their failings.

Incredibly successful people are often assumed to have charisma simply because they're successful. Their success seems to create a halo effect, almost like a glow.

Keyword is seem.

You don't have to be incredibly successful to be remarkably charismatic. Scratch the shiny surface, and many successful people have all the charisma of a rock.

But you do have to be incredibly genuine to be remarkably charismatic.

Be humble. Share your screwups. Admit your mistakes. Be the cautionary tale. And laugh at yourself.

While you should never laugh at other people, you should always laugh at yourself.

People won't laugh at you. People will laugh laugh with you.

They'll like you better for it--and they'll want to be around you a lot more.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-habits-of-remarkably-charismatic-people.html

Succeed with a Positive Attitude

Top 10 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Attitude

Having and maintaining a positive attitude is vital for success in life and business. Zig Ziglar gets it right when he says, "It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude." Sure you need skills, but you can learn skills - in fact a positive attitude will make it much more likely that you will learn the skills necessary to succeed. If you take two people with an equal skill set the person with the better attitude will win.

Unfortunately it is not always easy to stay positive and keep a good attitude. As things go wrong throughout your day, it is easy to let negative thoughts start to take over. Thankfully there are many things that you can do to help maintain a positive attitude. These are things that you can do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to make sure you keep your positive focus. 

1. Read Positive and Inspiring Books
   One of the best ways to maintain a positive attitude is by reading positive books. These books serve to encourage you, inspire you, and teach you. Reading requires that you sit still and focus, and by focusing on something positive it helps you to keep a positive mindset throughout the day. (My favorite books can be found here.)


2. Listen to Podcasts/CDS
   The advantage of listening to podcasts or compact disks is that you can listen on the go. You can listen to motivating podcasts while you clean your house, exercise, or on a flight. In your car, you can play encouraging compact disks that help you make better use of your commute. Listening to recordings from people like Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, or John Maxwell can both teach and inspire you. (My favorite podcastscan be found here.)


3. Wake up Early
   One of the best ways to help you maintain a positive attitude is to create the habit of waking up early. Waking up early allows you to get a head start on the day. You can prepare for work and start your day without feeling rushed. You can get a head start on important projects before the rest of the world is awake to interrupt you. You can spend time reading or in prayer or meditation. I start each day by listening to a 10 minute motivational podcast. (Bonus Article: Simple Ways to Burst Out of Bed.)


4. Exercise
   Very few things in life leverage your time as much as exercise. Obviously it makes a difference for your physical health, but it also has significant benefits to your mental health. Exercise is useful to combat depression and to improve overall positive mood. Further, if you exercise early in the morning you can go through your day knowing that you have already completed the most valuable activity you had to do! (Bonus article: How to Develop the Habit of Daily Exercise.)


5. Plan Your Week and Day
   Having a clear plan to your day and to your week can go a long way to helping you maintain a positive attitude. By knowing what you want to accomplish you will be able to focus on your important life priorities. A weekly plan allows you to match your long-term goals to your weekly accomplishments. Your daily plan allows you complete the activities you need to do so that you meet your weekly goals. (My weekly planning process can be found here.)


6. Understand that Things Won't Always Go as Planned
   If you plan and expect everything in life will go as you planned, you will be quickly disappointed. One of the keys to maintaining a positive attitude is to understand that things will go wrong. If you expect things to go wrong, you won't be phased when they do. So have a plan, but understand that things won't follow the plan. The plan allows you to adapt to what went wrong and move back towards what is important. (Bonus article: A Beautiful Method to Find Peace of Mind)


7. St. John's Wort and Griffonia Seed
   These two herbal supplements can have an important role to play in helping you maintain a positive attitude. Many people know about St. John's Wort as a natural supplement to help prevent or treat depression. St. John's Wort is really a mood stabilizer. Griffonia seed works to elevate positive mood. Together they are helpful in maintaining a positive mental attitude.


8. Get Spiritually Connected
   Naturally this one will look different for everyone, and this is simply an option to consider. If you are spiritually connected, you will have a positive outlook on life. This might mean prayer, meditation or reading Scripture. Set aside time each day to be connected spiritually.


9. Be Thankful
   Take some time and be thankful. Be thankful about what you have, who you are, and what your life is like. Think through all of the things that you can be thankful for. Even if you are in a tough time in life there are many things you have that you can be thankful for. You need to look for them and recognize them. The very act of focusing on what you are thankful for will help you maintain your positive attitude.(Bonus article: The Principle of Thankfulness)


10. Surround Yourself with Positive People
    The people around you have a big impact on you. They impact who you are, how much money you will make, and what you value. They also impact how you think. If you surround yourself with negative people you will be negative as well. You can't help it. Hearing negativity all day leads you to negativity. The opposite is also true. Surround yourself with positive people and you will be more positive.  http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/08/top-10-tips-for-maintaining-positive.html                Images are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Impossible is nothing Motivational Video

 Motivational Video reveals why Impossible is nothing....

Beautiful Quotes of Life

Beautiful Quotes of Life that we share in our daily life..

Get Inspired - Best Inspirational Quotes

Here is a video I made of best inspirational quotes. Hope they inspire you. The music is a piece by Bach played on guitar. 

GET INSPIRED - Never Give Up On Your Goals!

When we are specific, we harness the power of our dreams and set forces into action that empower us to achieve our goals. We then know exactly what it is we are shooting for. I hope this short video encourages you to "Press On" and never give up on yourself and your goals.

VIDEO MEDITATION - STRESS RELIEF IN 10 MINUTES FLAT

You CAN relieve stress temporarily within 10 minutes that can last for many hours.The principles behind this meditation video are simple and based upon decades of research by arguably the world's top medical doctor that specialises in meditative practices, Dr Herbert Benson, who heads the Mind Body Institute in Massachusetts, USA, and author of over 30 books, including The Relaxation Response.

You see, it's been proven that the human brain can only ever think of one thing at a time, and if we focus on one peaceful thought for around ten minutes to the exclusion of all other thought (sometimes called 'mindfulness'), then the brain actually gets a rest. (It doesn't rest when we're asleep because it's working to sort out the previous day.)

Stress Management Tips - 10 Reliable Ways to Relieve Stress

Every human, man or woman, is having diseases both physically and mentally. Physical diseases can be cured by taking medicines whereas the mental diseases are not so. It serves well if one is aware of the stress management tips enabling him/her to reducing stress and feels relaxed. Only a few are wise enough to know the techniques and ways to relieve stress. Anyhow there are specially trained experts to help for the needed.

Mentally affected persons are different from mentally distorted persons. Some sorrowful events and over work for mind are to affect mental health of a person. But a stress with mental tension is mostly due to own making burden instilled to the brain consequently leading to mental health disorders. So, one should know the under mentioned stress management tips to be free from distorting vibrations in the mind.

1. Planning daily activities:It is always good to have a plan of action before to carry out. Any activity with a preplan is well done giving good results as anticipated. It is to say that there is a pleasure to the individual once the goal is achieved as expected. The pleasant result definitely relaxes the mind to proceed further without stress.

2. Don't be in a hurry burry: There are some persons to be always in hectic and hurrying. It is indeed to spoil the rod than to spare for better results. Such persons whether at home or at office spoil their name with bad results in hurried activities. The worst is to say that the individual is thrown to stress and strain. So, it is needless to be hurried in anything if wisely thought.

3. Positive thinking: To think wisely may be easier with some individuals but it is not a positive thinking. It implies indeed hoping to achieve the goal as envisaged. Optimistic thought is indeed another incentive to see the work done in time and yielding fine results where there is no place for anxiety and panic attacks. Thinking negatively should as far as possible be avoided.

4. Taking healthy diet: Taking nutritious and healthy diet is also one of the stress management programs felt as important as anything else for maintaining health. It serves more when the diet is taken in time with limit as required to the body to provide calories. Irregular diets habits as and when getting an opportunity to fill the stomach creating indigestion problems which in turn making the individual to suffer with mental tension should be avoided.

5. Mild physical exercises: Physical exercises keep the body fit and a little rest gives freshness to body and mind. It would be a new experience to feel better with mild exercises without straining much.

6. Relaxed walking or outing: Whether men or women tired with week through office work and bounded domestic work need rest at least one day at home. Instead of being lazy at home, it is good to spend the holiday with a short picnic to a very nearby place like park or sites for relaxed walking exercise. This will keep the mind pleasant and freed from all stress and tension.

7. Yoga and breathing exercises: Yoga for stress management is of two types. One is to keep the body at various static positions making the internal parts flexible accordingly and keeping them alert and active. The other is to keep the mind at an absolutely calm status of tranquility. Yoga is to keep the mind relaxed. Breathing exercise regulates blood circulation and makes you feel relaxed. Both yoga and breathing exercise guided by a trained master are best suggested for coping with stress.

8. Divert your mind to mild music: When you are tired with work, physical or mental, tune your mind to hear mild and melodious music which id no doubt one of the relaxation techniques for stress. Soft music is always recommended for reducing stress due to tension in the workplace.

9. Anger stress management: Anger is the first enemy for increasing the stress with any person which is almost treated as an anxiety panic disorder. It is advising to all those are easily susceptible to stress to avoid getting angry for each and everything.

10. Develop a give and take mind: It is a good psychological process of feeling pleased by giving first something to your friends and feel pleased with a few other things receiving from them. It is one of the reliable ways to relieve stress.

Knowing simply what is stress management and how to manage stress cannot serve the purpose of reducing stress but practicing alone the above suggested stress management tips when in need will certainly help as ways to manage stress.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Stress-Management-Tips---10-Reliable-Ways-to-Relieve-Stress&id=1595387

Images are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net