Charm Jewelry: It’s Not Just For Kids

Create Heirlooms and Personalized Jewelry in Traditional or Italian Styles

History of Charm Bracelets

Charm bracelets have been popular from as early as 500 B.C., when Assyrians, Babylonians and even Persians wore charms which they associated with special powers. In recent years gold charms and silver charms are becoming popular once again.

Charm jewelry was also very popular during Victorian times in England, when charm bracelets were standard attire among fashionable women seeking spiritual protection and trendy jewelry. Queen Victoria was known to wear charm bracelets containing tiny pictures of family members.

Charm fashions did not become popular in the U.S. until the 1940s, when soldiers often collected gold and silver charms from cities they visited during the war.

Today charm jewelry is most often purchased as a keepsake; many charms are theme based, while others are sentimental in nature, often purchased as a souvenir of a trip or reminder of a special occasion. Charms are even passed down from generation to generation as family heirlooms, often given to children when younger.

Owners may add their own charms to bracelets over time, including those representing favorite places, hobbies and interests.

Italian Charm Bracelets

Italian charm bracelets are slightly different from traditional silver charms or gold charms. Most charm bracelets are fashioned with the charms dangling from a chain; Italian charm bracelets however, are made with the charms soldered to flat links that can be removed from a stretch bracelet. Charms can easily be switched on and off depending on the owners personal preference. Italian charm bracelets are a unique and fun twist on the standard charm bracelet because they are dynamic, fun to wear and trendy. Popular among the young and old alike, these link style charm bracelets are usually made of high quality, hypo-allergenic stainless steel. The actual charms may be fashioned from a variety of different materials including 14 or 18k gold.

Most charm bracelets come in standard sizes, small-medium-large. For Italian charm bracelets these sizes are categorized as follows:

• Small - includes 17 charm links
• Medium - contains 18 charm links
• Large - contains 19 charm links

Traditional Charm Bracelets

Traditional charm bracelets are made of a silver or gold chain with charms dangling. There are literally hundreds of different styles and themes to choose from when purchasing traditional charm jewelry. Some of the more common themes and styles of charm bracelets available include:

• Beach lover themes
• Victorian style charms
• Vintage charm jewelry
• Memoir or locket style charms
• Silver charms
• Gold charms
• Gemstone charms

Traditional charm bracelets make superb gifts. You can literally find a charm to represent almost any interest, hobby or theme. Sports, animals, travel, landscapes… you name it! In the world of charms, almost anything is possible. Many people enjoy receiving and exchanging charms as part of a hobby or friendship building. Others pass on charm jewelry as part of family traditions. Charm jewelry fashioned with lockets is most commonly the type used for family heirlooms. Perhaps the best facet of charm gifts is that they can be modified at any point in time to reflect a person’s changing interests and style preferences. Bracelets or chains can even be upgraded over time without losing the original charms.

Pricing

Silver charms and gold charms may run anywhere from $2 all the way up to $2000 depending on the materials the charm bracelets are made from. You can purchase chains or starter charm bracelets without any dangles for the $20 or less price range in most cases. Less expensive versions crafted of sterling silver with one charm can be purchased. The more expensive charms are usually gold charms crafted of 18k gold with diamonds and other precious gems embedded in the charm.

Italian charm bracelets $10 to $100 or more depending on the quality and the charms included. Their affordability makes them very popular among younger consumers, who are interested in investing in trendy jewelry that won’t break the bank.

Price will also vary depending on the number of charms that come pre-fashioned with a particular piece of jewelry. Keep in mind that with charm bracelets, you can start with as little as 1 charm or buy into a bracelet that has several charms pre-selected. The choices are literally endless when it comes to charm jewelry.

Building a Unique Charm Bracelet

Anyone can create their own unique charm bracelet, whether Italian style or traditional. If you can’t find something that exactly fits your needs and personality, why not create your own? Crafting individualized charm jewelry is increasingly popular among jewelry fans young and old alike. You can even create your own personalized family heirloom thanks to the versatility charm jewelry has to offer.

Before you begin you’ll need to decide whether you want an Italian style or traditional bracelet; remember that the traditional style holds charms that dangle, while the Italian version has charms that are embedded in chain links.

Once you decide this you can decide on a starter chain bracelet. There are literally hundreds of different starter bracelets to choose from. Consider your personal preferences. Do you prefer the look of gold or silver? Perhaps you like a combination of both? You’ll also want to have an idea of what size starter bracelet you need. Often you can tell this by measuring your wrist. You can do this by taking your thumb and middle finger and wrapping around your wrist. If your two fingers just touch, you’ll probably need a medium. If they overlap, a small charm bracelet will work best for you. If your fingers do not touch, then you’ll likely need a large.

Once you have decided on a type of chain and sizing, you can begin selecting the perfect charms! Consider a theme, charms that represent personal interests, places you’d like to travel to, or hobbies.

Remember that charm bracelets are a fun and unique way of buying or making jewelry that expresses your style and personality in a unique way!

About The Author:
With more than 10 years professional experience, freelance writer Antigone Arthur has completed a number of informative articles providing valuable insight for consumers on such topics as charm bracelets, gold charms, and sterling silver charms.

Why Is It Fun To Go To The Bowling Alley?

According to new studies, people continue to remain bored out of their minds. No matter what exciting thing happens to be on the news, most people’s lives just aren’t that dynamic. Well, these particular people just need a shot in the arm. There is an entire world that most people forget about soon after they leave high school. The bowling alley is this world. While you might think of the bowling alley as something that is frequented by middle age plumbers and electricians, you might not be entirely incorrect. However, there has been a quiet, almost ‘underground’ return to bowling as a new semi-retro activity.

Here’s a few reasons why bowling has continued to remain a steadfastly popular sport over the years and why you should think about returning to the bowling alley.

1)The modern bowling alley. This isn’t your dad’s bowling alley anymore! While there are certain timeless elements to a bowling alley (for instance the pins, the shiny shirts, and semi-stylish shoes), a lot of bowling alleys have had their lanes refurbished, added all sorts of entertainment options, and you can even have a birthday party at some of them. Visit your local alley to see what they’ve got in store for you.

2)The exercise. Bowling isn’t all sitting down. Any serious bowler will tell you that bowling takes some effort to get that ball going down toward the pins. Your bowling skill might not take that many inches off your waistline, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. If you are watching a movie, there really isn’t that much interactivity with the screen. However, bowling takes some physical effort. Better to have more exercise than less.

3)The beer. Depending on the state in which you reside, your local bowling alley might have a bar that serves beer. This is clearly a benefit to anyone who likes to have some beer while bowling. We don’t condone this activity as beer can definitely lower your score by the end of the night.

Ryan Tenney is author of “Why The www.bowlingalleyinfo.com“>Bowling Alley Is Great Again.” Get your copy at www.bowlingalleyinfo.com.

Feel Those Feelings and Develop Emotional Intelligence

There is an old joke about a man who is walking home along the street in the early hours of a weekend and he sees another man, who is obviously very drunk, on his hands and knees, searching for something. “What are you looking for?” he asks the drunked man. “My house keys” the man replies. “Where did you drop them?” he asks. “Two streets away” he slurs. “Why aren’t you looking there then”, he asks, puzzled. “Because the light’s much better here.”

Now, during my initial training and learning, I was quite unsure about myself in many ways! Yes, even me, some may say that I have gone rather extremely the other direction now! I tried lots of the things I learned with self-hypnosis and different aspects of the standard NLP approaches to overcome this uncertainty and lack of confidence in my ability to do what I wanted to do, but none of them seemed to work for me. I still got the butterflies in my tummy and lacked a real sense of confidence, in fact I felt nervous about doing what I wanted to do (what if it all went wrong and I failed!!). I had spent some time fighting the anxious feeling, then one day I said to myself “Adam, just experience it, stop resisting it, stop fighting it; just feel it” and an amazing thing happened. I felt the nervous feeling, then it disappeared! I was shocked. All those previous months and years of fighting it, and all that I really needed to do was to feel it. I acknowledged it and stopped resisting.

Doing this is to heighten your own awareness of your own map of the world.

One of the presuppositions of NLP is ‘meet people at their map of the world’. This is a process of seeing things from their point of view or being aware of their experience and is a far depper discussion for another time. Now, I was fine at doing this with other people and my successful therapeutic consultancy is over the years has been solid proof to me of that, but before all that started, all those years ago, I suddenly realised that I had not been meeting myself at my map of the world. Whenever I felt feelings that I did not like, I would struggle, resist and fight them, and you know what they say: When you fight with yourself, someone always loses, and that someone is you. So I decided to stop fighting and resisting my feelings and instead to acknowledge them and start working with them.

WHere am I going with all this then? If there is a feeling that you find unpleasant or that seems unhelpful or that you just plain don’t like, firstly, map out the feeling. This is just a process of identifying where in your body that feeling is, really locate that feeling in your body. Now think about what size it is, how it moves; I used to have a fluttering feeling in the pit of my tummy that as I reisted it more would spread into my chest and back down again. Really be aware of the feeling physiologically, even think about what temperature it is, you can even take it a step further and think about what colour it would be if it had one etc.

While most people profess to know what they are feeling, you would be amazed at how many people have not got in the slightest bit acquainted with the physical characteristics of the emotions they are experiencing, they just let them happen passively without really getting an awareness of them. Emotions are physical (they are chemicals and all sorts of other things too), so the first step is to map out that physicality.

Next up, accept the feeling. Become OK with the fact that you are feeling it. For more on how to accept things in your life, again, dig out the article from a previous edition of “Adam Up” that was all about that, it is there in the archive on my website.

Of course, this can be a bit of a struggle for some people, who will no doubt say “But I don’t want to feel it” or “I shouldn’t be feeling it.” I know some of you are thinking that.

So here is the thing: you are feeling it, and if you want to change the feelings quickly, the most expedient way to do it is to meet yourself at your map of the world and accept that presenting feeling that you are having. If you refuse to do this, then you are just resisting it or fighting it as I was doing back then. Then any attempt to change it will involve starting from where you aren’t, and that rarely works out well (as our tipsy man looking for his keys on the wrong street can attest to.)

Then, you find the positive intent. What is your body or your unconscious trying to tell you? Sometimes feelings have a message of some sort for us. Other times, they’re just sensations that our body has some purpose for feeling. What (if anything) is this feeling doing for you or trying to tell you?

Then; feel it. Just feel it. Be sure not to struggle or fight, just feel it. Remember to breathe too

You don’t have to do this for long, but it is really good to feel something. Even if it feels bad, the fact that you can feel it means that you are alive (woo-hoo!) and it also means that you are in touch with how you feel. These are both good things to be able to acknowledge and realise within yourself. Often, just accepting and realising a feeling is putting it in a vast different perspective.

The final part of this process is to then play with the feeling.

Increase the feeling’s intensity. The reduce it. If it was one colour, make it another, if it was moving in a certain direction, move it in another, if it was a certain size, enlarge it or make it smaller, basically, have a play with it and discover just how much influence you have over this feeling. I think you will be surprised when you realise just how much influcence you really do have.

One of the things you’ll begin to find as you start to experience is just how much it’s possible for you to get a handle on your feelings. You may well discover for yourself that feelings aren’t true or false. They don’t really mean anything. They are just sensations that you are experiencing in your body. If you resist them, they’ll be there for some time, but if you accept them, you can start to play with them and change them. Does this mean you’ll not have a bad feeling ever again? No. Feelings will come and feelings will go, but what it does mean is that you can start to have more and more of the sorts of feelings you want to have. I know that whatever you are wanting to do in life, you’ll be wanting to punctuate your life with more and more good feelings, am I right?

So, enjoy your day today and make sure that you are spreading some good feelings into your life.

Copyright 2005 Adam Eason. All rights Reserved.

Adam Eason is an author, consultant, trainer and motivational speaker in the fields of hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential. His website is filled with information, stimulating articles, resources and uniques products.

Adam’s bi-monthly free ezine is packed with modern, innovative psychological tips, techniques and strategies; all those who sign up receive an instantly downloadable, unique hypnosis session to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Putting A Stop To Food Cravings

Most of us don’t eat the perfect diet and we have struggles with food, same as everyone else. Having an awareness of this 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 quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy. We head to the 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, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood.

Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:

- If the food isn’t available, you can’t eat it! Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

- Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, lonely, or stressed? If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with the emotion that’s making you desire a certain food.

- Don’t beat yourself-up. There is always tomorrow. 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. When you “slip”, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control. Try to practice restraint most of the time,
Think moderation and not abstinence at all times!

- Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves, won’t cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is required. If you do not currently have a support network, start building one TODAY.

- Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

- Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of food hoping that your craving will go away, eat 100 to 200 calories of your “craved” food.

- Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt. Try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving.

- Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours. Try six smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious snacks.

- Understand that hunger cravings are oftentimes stress related; walk in the park, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, baths…all these stimulate regions of the brain that stimulate pleasure. Relaxation techniques may also work. Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences for comfort foods.

- Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate appetite. Drugs used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication, and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. You may be able to find an alternative that doesn’t send your cravings out of control.

- Distract Yourself. Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to your desire for food.

- Look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some “house cleaning.” Throw-out that unhealthy stuff and start shopping more wisely. Careful planning will go a long way for improving your chances of success.

Eat wisely, be happy, and live long!

Visit www.foddnutrition.com with host, Sintilia Miecevole to find information all about nutrition including supplements, guidelines, food guide pyramid, child care nutrition, food safety, and topics from A to Z. Be sure to visit www.foddnutrition.com for further information on nutrition.

Boosting Your Business With A Merchant Account

The great majority of business conducted online is processed with a credit card. Also, credit card sales tend to be four times larger than a sale completed any other way. Knowing that most people decide to use a credit card and spend more when doing so, it only makes sense to be able to accept credit card payments.

The first step to being able to accept credit card payments is getting a merchant account. A merchant account is a special type of bank account that is able to receive payments from credit card purchases. Along with your account you will also need a hardware or software solution to actually process the payments, but this doesn’t have to be supplied by the company providing your merchant account.

For online credit card processing there is one extra step, you also need a payment gateway. A payment gateway is a company that provides real time authorization of online transactions. When looking at gateways make sure that they are compatible with your site’s software and your financial institution. You may wish to research your gateway and financial institution options before signing up for any services.

When researching your merchant account providers you may be surprised at the number of options available to you. While there are a lot of options, selecting the best provider for you is easy to do by knowing a little about what each company offers and how much they charge for their services.

The first step should always be to seek a mentor. Do you know someone who currently is conducting a similar business? If so ask them who provides their merchant account and what their thoughts are on that provider as well as others that they may have tried. After asking around search the Internet for people’s opinions on merchant accounts. While opinions are not a good reason to base a decision, their accounting of the service they received and the ease of company to work with are valuable information to know.

After determining which companies will be the easiest to work with you can begin to narrow down your options by examining the services offered and history. A good merchant account provider should have extensive experience working with growing businesses. This experience will allow your merchant account provider to be able to set up your account faster, will ensure that they can expand their services as your company grows and requires more options and most importantly, has the experience required to actively combat fraud and charge backs.

Of course nothing is free, and your merchant account is no exception. The amount that you must pay will vary from company to company but the basics of your bill should be the same. If the company you are considering is charging more you may wish to seek another merchant account provider.

The biggest single cost is the set up costs. Your set up costs include your application fees, equipment costs and deposits. These fees tend to average about $275 but vary depending upon the options you have selected. For example, your start up costs will be much higher if you have decided to purchase your credit card processing equipment instead of leasing it. This may be an economically viable solution after adding up the amount of the deposit that will be required if you lease the equipment and the leasing fees for a year.

Another thing to keep in mind is the amount that your merchant account provider will be charging for each completed transaction. On average you will be charged 2.5% of the sale and there may be a few more annual fees. Be sure to very closely examine that amount you will be paying and what additional fees you may have to pay as each company will be different and the difference may save you a lot of money each year.

Starting and having a business grow is a very exciting time for any business owner. As you expand into new markets, such as online sales, you will find a plethora of new options and opportunities. After deciding to expand be sure to carefully consider your options in order to make your next step as smooth and cost effective as possible.

Generating Leads And Making Sales: Advice For Trade Show Exhibitors

Trade shows are one of the best ways to market your products or services and advertise your business to interested buyers. Even for successful companies, trade shows can increase sales and public exposure dramatically. Trade show booths allow businesses to directly connect with the people that purchase their products or services.

Though the reasons for exhibiting at a trade show are obvious, simply setting up a trade show booth is not enough if you really want to make the most of your expense and time. Generating leads and making sales are your priorities and your trade show booth - both the physical space and the display - can help you do this. When you are displaying a trade show booth, you want to project just the right image for your company; one that makes potential clients want to learn more after their first glance. Although people’s eyes should be drawn to your trade show booth, it shouldn’t be because it is simply flashier or louder than the others. Flashy or loud may be good for sales if your business is video games or music, but if your business is selling gourmet foods to restaurants you probably don’t want to advertise your booth with a flashing neon light or loud ear-splitting rap music. Your trade show booth should reflect your company’s brand and market, while still offering just that little extra effect that makes it stand out. This may sound difficult, but it really isn’t. It just takes a little pre-trade show planning.

For the sake of keeping it simple, let’s say that your business is selling candles wholesale to retail outlets. You want your trade show booth to let people know immediately what your business is all about and understand immediately why your business is unique and worth looking into. Remember, depending on the trade show there may be other businesses that sell the same thing you do, so just simply stating your business name and what you do will not be enough. You don’t want to be obnoxious, though, so having a hundred lit candles placed all over your booth would be too much. Don’t overwhelm potential clients - it will turn people away. A better idea would be to display your best candles around the booth, unlit, and then have professional brochures placed next to each type of candle that you are advertising. Offer coupons for large discounts or money-back guarantees on a first bulk-purchase - this shows that you have complete confidence in your product. And consider a giveaway like a tealight or other small candle so attendees can take your product with them. This encourages them to use your product and to contact you if they are interested.

Remember that it is your expertise and professional demeanor that people will remember the most, despite all of your display magic. Though the day may prove to be long, remember to sound fresh and excited when talking to each prospective client. Every interaction is a chance to make sales and generate leads. Practice your sales techniques in front of a mirror if you think that will help. Ask friends and colleagues what they think of your sales pitches, and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Most of all, with each potential client, project confidence. If you can show that you really believe and are excited about your product, your enthusiasm will be contagious.

A trade show is a good venue to generate sales leads and establish new business contacts. Making a sales presentation is easy - you know your product and can speak to its features and benefits. You likely have several different presentations depending on the audience, length of time you have to speak and the product you are showcasing. Use these presentations while you are meeting with prospective clients at your trade show booth and you will feel confident that you are providing them with the pertinent information they need about your company and products. Think of a trade show as a place where you can make many sales presentations all day long to a targeted audience of people attending the trade show. This is the best way to exude confidence and make sales.

Mat Kelly is the president of ExhibitDEAL, the Original Exhibit Wholesaler specializing in trade show booths. They provide 20, 10 and 8-foot pop-up displays as well as custom trade show displays - on the web at http://www.exhibitdeal.com/

The Skinny on the Metabolic Syndrome: Cutting the Fat

The overweight and obesity epidemic has fueled a dramatic rise in the prevalence of something doctors call the “Metabolic Syndrome”–the combination of abdominal obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and a particularly malignant form of high LDL (”bad”) cholesterol. Recently published statistics suggest that almost one half of adult Americans are overweight and one in four are obese.

This new syndrome is a lethal risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. The eleven year study by Kuopio found that middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome were about three times more likely to die of coronary artery disease than unaffected individuals, and twice the risk of stroke. This combination of risk factors is also vitally important for women, and several investigations have evaluated their effects on women’s health. The Framingham Heart Study found that diabetic women weighted more and hid higher blood pressure than non-diabetic women. In addition, their LDL (so-called “good” cholesterol) levels were lower than those of non-diabetic women. A Finnish study of newly diagnosed diabetic women determined likewise that they were more obese and had lower good cholesterol levels than non-diabetic women. Sixty percent of them were also taking medication for high blood pressure.

The common denominator for this syndrome is abdominal obesity. The Framingham Study found that as weight rises and falls, so too do blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Obesity leads to diabetes, and low good cholesterol. Dr. William Castelli, director of the study, ahs described this characteristic pattern of obesity: “When you put the ’spare tire on at the waist, you produce a different kind of LDL, much more atherogenic (causing atherosclerosis). You raise your blood pressure and increase your lipids (fats).” It is estimated that obese individuals develop diabetes at more than twice the rate of others.

Why are such seemingly different problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol grouped together? Because they are very much interrelated and there are similar or identical methods to prevent and/or control them.

What to do?

The best approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight has four basic components. None of them involves being on a diet:

1. Understand and modify your relationship with food. This will enable you to be in control, rather than being under the control of compulsive or rigid and unrealistic goals. According to author Dr. Janet Greeson, who has managed not to regain the 150 pounds she lost more than 18 years ago, “Diets are not really treating the person, and so if you focus on food as the problem, you are not successful. The problem is the feelings a person associates with food.”

2. Enjoy what you eat by becoming a conscious eater. This will help you select healthy and satisfying food, including some of your favorites, rather than limit you to rigid calorie-cutting and self-deprivation. Experiment. Become a student of your own behavior.

3. Exercise regularly. Physical activity is a powerful weapon in weight control for several reasons. It burns calories, it contributes to positive feelings and thus reduces the stresses and emotions that cause overeating, and it restores a consciousness of the body, which overweight people tend to lose. Exercise allows you to reclaim yourself physically and thereby strengthens you motivation to achieve and maintain healthy weight.

4. Create a support system. This can come from family, friends and/or a support group. Joining a structured weight loss program like Weight Watchers can be invaluable. Such a program provides you with a caring environment and people who both understand and share your struggle with overeating. They help you to become more honest about your eating habits and when you feel you may be slipping, they are there to help.

Remember: We are more than what we eat, but what we eat can help us to become less and therefore more of what we want to be.

Small Business Email Addresses: Get Creative With It

One of the great things about owning the domain name for your small business website is that you have the freedom to create any email address you want (provided it’s @yourdomainname, of course).

Tired of boring, old “info” or “sales” or “customerservice” or “joesmith” @yourcompany.com? Come up with something creative and memorable that also delivers a marketing message:

• fastsales@joesrealestate.com
• getanswers@janeslegal.com
• lookgreat@janesbeauty.com
• luxuryrides@joeslimo.com

Didn’t get the domain name you were coveting? Make up for it with your business email address. Let’s say you own a restaurant and want the domain name “greatfood.com”. Well, you can try to battle 1-800-Flowers for it, but you’d do better to find a domain name that is availablehopefully one with more brand appeal than “greatfood.com”and then create the email address greatfood@yourrestaurant.com.

Your business email address may not get as much exposure as your business website address, but it does get a LOT of exposure. And it should be displayed almost everywhere your website address and business phone number are displayed.

Of course, all that exposure will eventually lead to lots of spam. So, remember to create several email addresses that are targeted toward different aspects of your business communication to help cut down on and sift through the clutter. The creative email address you promote to the public in your advertisements does not have to be the same one you use to communicate with vendors and other business partners. And perhaps when you’re wearing your CEO hat, you may want to use something a little more conservative and official-sounding.

Keita Del Valle is the owner of Crafty Pixel, a Corona website design company which operates from Southern California’s Inland Empire. Her site is updated weekly with small business website news, tips, articles and opinions, including her Hollaback blog.

What’s Best For Losing Fat? Aerobic Exercise Vs Weight Training

Resistance is not Futile

We all know that to lose weight requires a combination of corrective eating & exercise…but if only it was that simple.

Within both “worlds” of dieting and exercise there are literally countless alternatives and conflicting theories that most people struggling to lose weight often get confused, disheartened, and unfortunately, usually just give up trying to find an approach to follow.

Focusing on exercise, in most gyms today, you will no doubt find numerous pieces of cardio or aerobic apparatus - stationary cycles, recumbent cycles, treadmills, and different types of stationary stair climbing machines being the most common, and if you are brave enough to go into a gym on any given Monday, you will also probably find endless queues of members lining up at each cardio machine station, waiting their turn to “burn off” the Weekend’s indulgences.

And here we have the “first “rule” of exercise-for-fat-loss - that to burn fat, requires an emphasis on endurance-type, cardio or aerobic exercise - i.e. a minimum of 20 minutes of continuous cardio activity. The “second rule” of fat burning is that we need to get into the ideal “fat burning zone” - approx 60%-70% of our MHR (Maximum Heart Rate - calculated by subtracting your age from the number 220) - and maintain this level for the duration of the cardio session.

Based on these two “rules”, most people trying to lose weight can be forgiven for thinking that to lose more weight, they must simply extend the duration of their exercise sessions - the logic being that if 20 minutes is good…45, 60, or even 90 minutes must surely be better? The longer the session, the more fat will be lost?

However, this is exactly the WRONG thinking…thinking that may not only lead to potential overuse injuries, but may also lead to slowing down of weight loss.

Another classic misconception within the world of exercise, is separating cardio activities from resistance or weight training. Most gym trainers or exercisers see the 2 disciplines as separate entities, believing that resistance training “works the muscles” and cardio training “works the heart & lungs and burns fat”. Hence the typical combination of weight training and low-intensity aerobic exercise being a popular approach prescribed for losing weight. It may be a popular approach - but it is certainly not the best or most effective approach.

One Set Of Muscles - 2 Different Tasks

First we need to understand one thing. Our bodies have a single muscular system. We do not have one set of muscles for aerobic or cardio work, and another, different set for resistance training. We have a single set of muscles that we use differently. So although we may think that a cardio workout focuses on our heart and lungs, it is the muscles (usually the legs) that are doing the primary work (the leg muscles contracting against a relatively light resistance for an extended period). Similarly, progressive resistance training done with sufficient intensity can place very high demands on the cardio system.

So it is important to not separate the “cardio” and “weights” when thinking about exercise. What is important though, is to look at the reason for exercising in the first place. This will then dictate which approach to exercise is best and most suitable. Most people exercise to control or lose weight. Some want to get into peak physical condition, others want to add muscle to their frames, and still others want to just maintain a good level of general fitness.

Once you have identified your exercise objectives and goals, you can then look at putting together a weekly exercise plan that meets these goals.

For this article, we’ll look at 2 alternatives…An approach for “Purely weight loss”; and an approach for “General fitness”. There are obviously many other options, but we will look at these in another article.

Purely Weight Loss

If your reason for exercising is purely to lose weight, then you need to rethink your approach completely.

The first and most important step to remember is this…..

Exercise is best used to prevent weight gain…a corrective eating plan is best used to initially lose weight.

Now, naturally there is merit in doing both at the same time, and we’ll discuss how to do this shortly. However, depending on how much weight you need to lose, an exercise program may place too much stress on the body in the early stages of a weight-loss program, especially if done at the same time as dieting. The reason for this is that the body responds to extreme physical changes as a stress. If you suddenly reduce your daily calorie intake, your body reacts as if it under stress and “holds on” to weight the same way it would if you suddenly moved to a very cold climate. Similarly, if you suddenly started an exercise program, the body perceives the change as a stress. It is wise then to start with a gradual corrective eating plan. Once this is in place, gradually begin an exercise program….EXCLUDING aerobic activity. The key reason for this is because as mentioned earlier, the body reacts to dieting as a stress, and “holds on” to its fat reserves. This is why when dieters begin a diet they feel that they have lost a lot of weight, however this initial weight loss is usually water. The body next “sacrifices” muscle tissue, burning muscle tissue and only then starts to utilize its fat reserves. By starting an exercise program with mild resistance training, you will preserve and strengthen your muscle mass encouraging the body to utilize its fat stores. Well-conditioned muscles are key to assisting in weight loss, as your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is largely determined by how much muscle you have. So to lose muscle will almost guarantee a slowing down of your metabolism.

The key is that the resistance program must be light initially and build progressively. Also, each session must work the full-body, initially with one light set per body part with sufficient rest between each rest. When starting out, a twice a week program is best, and this can increase to three times per week as fitness improves.

Once general fitness increases, the next step is to GRADUALLY increase the intensity level of each workout by gradually increasing the weight of each exercise, and also reducing the amount of rest between each set - the exercises can remain the same.

Suggested 10 Exercise Routine:

Leg Extensions

Leg Press

Hamstring Curls

Bench Press

Lat Pulldowns

Shoulder Press

Seated Row

Triceps Pushdowns

Biceps Curls

Stomach Crunches

When fitness and strength levels begin to improve (not sooner than 2-3 months), a cardio program can also be included to the weekly schedule to assist with fat loss, however, not the typical low-intensity/long duration aerobic approach.

The best route for cardio is to approach it as a resistance workout, and to think of “burst & rest” when doing cardio. To start off, only do a maximum of 15-20 minutes - no more than that - and alternate 2 minutes of low-intensity, with 30 secs of higher-intesnity.
As your fitness gradually improves, increase the intensity and gradually reduce the lower-intensity intervals - i.e. 1 minute lower-intensity, 1 minute higher-intensity, 20-30 secs recovery. Your total cardio session should not ever exceed 20-25 minutes, and ALWAYS increase intensity levels gradually - NEVER push yourself hard until you achieve a relatively higher level of conditioning. In terms of frequency, aim to do the cardio routine 2-3 times week, and not on the same day as the resistance routine.

Naturally, the results of your training will be largely determined by your eating program - if you ignore your diet, the program outlined above will not produce ideal results.

General Fitness

For those who are just “out of shape” and are just keen to maintain a general level of all-round fitness, it’s best to aim to make exercise sessions as multi- faceted as possible, to aim to cover most areas of fitness in a single workout. For those looking to maintain a general level of fitness, time spent exercising should be as economical as possible - to get maximum exercise value out of each session.

Ideally, each session should include an element of cardio training, strength training and general conditioning, and should not take too long in duration.

Circuit training is the answer here - and most gyms have at least one, if not two varieties of circuits. Circuit training - done correctly - can be a very demanding form of exercise as by definition, it combines both resistance and cardio training aspects.

The key lies in HOW to use the circuit properly to gain maximum benefits.

Most circuits have a timer buzzer (and colored light system) that in most cases buzzes to signal when to move from one exercise station to the next. There is also 10-15 second gap to allow for setting up/adjusting each station before the next buzzer goes to signal when to commence the set.

Most trainers tend to approach circuit training with a very low-intensity approach, taking full advantage of the time allowed between sets, and also using very light resistance on the machines

To improve general fitness levels, it is better to use challenging resistance levels, and also limit the rest period between each station. When the buzzer goes to change exercise stations, it is better to move quickly and start the set immediately, before the buzzer goes off that signals the START of the set. Then perform the set and only react to the buzzer that signals the END of the set, again, moving swiftly to the next station and commencing immediately. Also, keep resistance levels at a level that is challenging and aim to do 12-15 reps at a slow pace (as opposed to the usual high-rep approach associated with cicuit training). If your gym has different circuits, then alternate the circuit, but ensure that you apply the same approach to each circuit. Remember, aim to keep rest periods between exercise stations as short as possible, and use controlled form on the resistance machines, going for challenging resistance that allows a maximum of 15 reps. If you can do more reps within the allowed time, then the resistance is too light.

After doing the circuit, end off with 2 supersets of pushups & chin-ups, performing maximum reps (i.e. 1 set of pushups, immediately followed by 1 set of chin-ups - rest and then repeat), and then cool off with some light stretching.

This routine will provide a solid cardio base of general fitness and good strength levels and will ensure an above-average level of allround conditioning.

Ted has been dedicated to Health and “Wellness Revolution” for 20 years and has written a fast-selling e-book “The Total Diet Solution” . Visit Ted’s website http://www.total-diet.com and download the first chapter of his e-book FREE!

In Marketing You Need To Focus On The Benefits

In this marketing article I discuss the most important element of marketing - turning features into powerful benefits. If you want to increase sales, you must focus on the benefits of your product or service, not the features.

So what is a benefit compared to a feature?

A benefit explains how a product or service will help a person. If I buy this product, how will it make my life better? Will it save me money? Will it make me feel better about myself? Will it make my life easier? Benefits are very powerful sales tools because people buy products and services for an end result.

A feature explains a fact about what a product does such as a specification. For example, the new ZMX car has anti-lock brakes. That is a fact about the car - it has anti-lock brakes. The problem with only listing a feature is that a feature does not explain why it is helpful - how it benefits a person. Why would you want a car with anti-lock brakes? The answer to that question is the benefit. Anti-lock brakes are much safer because they keep your tires from locking up and skidding so you do not lose control of your car. Therefore, if you drive a car that has anti-lock brakes, you are less likely to be in an accident. The benefit is the positive end result. In your marketing, it is that positive end result that you want to focus on.

Here is another example. XYZ Car Company has developed a new car that gets 100 miles per gallon. The feature is that the car gets 100 miles per gallon. But what is the benefit? Why would a person want a car that gets 100 miles per gallon? The benefit is that you will save a fortune on buying fuel.

If you want to improve your marketing and increase sales, you absolutely must focus on the benefits of your product or service. Whenever you say what your product does (a feature), ask yourself, “how will that feature help my customer? What is the benefit of that feature?”

Peter Geisheker is the President & CEO of The Geisheker Group, Inc., a marketing firm that specializes in developing strategic marketing programs for small and medium-size businesses. For more information, please visit www.geisheker.com or call 920-884-9041.