Month: July 2016

Kids Chores Chart-Preparing Your Children For Future Life

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Let me ask you three simple questions: Do you use kids chores chart in tracking your children?s accomplishments? Do you always ask your children to do their home work and other tasks? Even when you ask them, does it seem that those tasks will never get done?

If your answer is a ?No? to the first question and a ?Yes? to the second and third question, then I know how frustrating this can be. This scenario in your household can be brought to halt if you consider designing kids chores chart. This can be done by drafting a chart schedule of tasks to be performed by each child. Some examples include cleaning the bedroom, washing dishes, taking out the garbage or putting the laundry in the laundry room.

You should make sure that your kids adhere to it by putting a check mark on the kids chores chart whenever they accomplish a task. It is encouraging for you and your children to look at the chart at the end of every week to know what has been accomplished or not accomplished.

After a couple of months, sit down with each of your child to discuss issues. Nail down the discussion further by informing them the reward they?ll get after accomplishing their chores listed on the kids chart schedule. This makes them to aim at accomplishing each task as per the kids chores chart schedule.

The reward may be a fixed sum of money for each task accomplished or any kind of present. This decision is at your own discretion. But if you decide to reward them financially, then you?re obligated to ensure that the amount is appropriately spent. By doing so, you train them to be financially smart. As a rule of thumb, 50 cents per year of age works well as a reward. This means that an eight year old child would receive $4.00 each week when every chore on the list is accomplished. Again make sure not to give any of your kid this allowance if any task on the list is pending.

Go extra mile by creating a ”bank book” for each of your child’s allowance. Do this by putting each book into three individual money jars. This enables you and your children to do a simple auditing of knowing how much of their allowance has been spent, how much has been saved and how much has gone to help someone else somewhere who is needy.

At the end, you find that the kids chores chart schedule has helped to teach your children the value of earning and saving money. Also they?ll learn on how to accomplish tasks. This prepares them for future life when they are mature people.

Does the social status of friends and family influence the type of relationship you choose? Click the link to? read or share your opinions.

Support Where you Need it Most: the Benefits of Backrests

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Poor posture: the risks

Poor posture when sitting, whether for work, at home or in the car, can lead to hip, back and neck pain, joint stiffness, chronic fatigue, headaches, sleeping difficulties and weakened muscles. Your spine and the discs in your back may also become dis-aligned, which can cause permanent damage and the need for long-term physiotherapy.

A number of factors can contribute to poor posture without us even knowing it, such as sitting on chairs with no lower back support, perching on stools, slouching on sofas that are too soft to support us or positioning a driving seat too far from the wheel. But because we are less physically active today than we were 50 years ago, and much of our time at work is spent behind a desk, comfortable and supportive seating is crucial.

Achieving good posture

Needless to say there are numerous benefits to maintaining good posture when sitting. Movement becomes easier because your spine and joints are properly aligned, bones are protected against weakness and gradual deformity, your shape will improve and your muscles become less tense because they won?t need to work as hard to compensate for poor bone position.

Regular exercise is certainly helpful, as it strengthens your bones and helps to significantly minimise the risk of painful musculoskeletal problems, but when you?re sitting for long periods of time it?s vital that your back is supported correctly. An orthopaedic chair is a sound investment, and one that will be of enormous benefit to both your health and quality of life for years to come.

Proper support

The Posture Safe Backrest is ideal for this , as it provides constant support to the back, shoulders and upper arms, while carefully supporting your head at the same time. Its robust inner structure and flexible foam padding moulds itself to your body and readjusts every time you move, ensuring an end to poor posture and strain. The Backrest also features a headrest, a pliable foam lumbar cushion that moves up and down to provide support exactly where you need it, and armrests that cushion your arms from shoulder to wrist.

But it isn?t just when standing or sitting that we need to be aware of posture. Poor posture lying down can have a huge impact on sleep, too. Just as with sitting, incorrect posture can constrict your internal organs, and lead to conditions such as sleep apnoea, where an obstruction is caused to the upper airways during sleep. Tell-tale symptoms include heavy snoring and waking in the night, which in turn leads sufferers to feel drowsy and exhausted during the day.

Sound nights? sleep

Therefore, it?s equally important to support your body while sleeping. Physiotherapists recommend sleeping on your side or back and using a feather-stuffed pillow that won?t sag, but for many of us, the necessity to rest sitting up (due to factors such as illness, fragility or pregnancy) means we need extra support. Posture Safe also offer a Legrest, which works with the Backrest, similar to an adjustable bed, to raise and support the legs and hips to the height you require, ideal for relieving conditions such as varicose veins and swollen ankles, and ensuring total body support.

For more information see www.posturesafe.co.uk

Graham Baylis provides interesting articles on a whole host of subjects.

Discover how Your Elimination Channels Reduce Acne

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The kidney

The purpose of the two kidneys is to filter the water in your blood as the blood passes through the kidneys.? About 4 gallons of water are filtered every day but only around 3 pints are pulled out as urine.

Alcohol and sugar are the most damaging to the kidney since they kill kidney cells and weaken the kidney function.

Water is the major way the body keeps toxins from accumulating in the body and skin.? You need to drink plenty of clean water daily so the kidneys can remove toxins and excess nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the blood.

When you drink plenty of water, the skin does not have to act as a filter to filter out excess waste from the blood since it is been filter and excreted, as urine, by your kidney.

Water also is needed to keep your skin moist.? Water in the skin layers helps to protect the skin from bacteria and toxins that try to pass into your skin.

The more fresh juices you drink and the more fruit or vegetables you eat, the less water you need to drink.? All juices contain plenty of distilled water, which contributes to your daily water requirement.

Drinking sodas and other drinks that have sugar cannot be counted as water.

The Lungs

You have two large sacs that are called your lungs.? As you breathe in air, the lungs pull oxygen out of the air, which is captured by your blood, routed to your liver, moved into your heart and then moved into all parts of your body.

As you breathe out, waste and carbon dioxide are pushed out through your mouth.

Your cells use oxygen to create energy for you to live by.? You need energy for every movement your body does.? Oxygen is also used to neutralize toxins, waste and pathogen.? The more toxins, acid waste and pathogens you have in your body, the more oxygen is used up to neutralize them.? This means you will have less oxygen for cell, organ and other body functions.

If the other elimination channels are weak and overloaded, the lungs will also become overloaded trying to get rid of toxic waste the other channels cannot get rid of.

When your lungs become overloaded with toxins or become weak, more waste stays in the body, making your body more toxic, acidic and susceptible to disease and infections.? If you have kidney weakness, liver weakness, lung weakness mostly likely you will have skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, acne, and many other types of skin disorders.

Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is part of your immune system.? It consists of a series of tubes, large and small, that cover your entire body.? Through these tubes flows whitish liquid called lymph.? Since this system does not have a pump, the lymph is pushed through the tubes by your body’s movement or exercise.

Lymph liquid surrounds all of your body cells and is responsible for bringing nutrients to your cells from the blood and to move away toxins that come out of the cells.

Toxins and pathogens that are in your lymph liquid are moved into lymph nodes.? In the lymph nodes, this toxic matter is neutralized into harmless chemicals and then moved into the blood and are eliminated through the other channels of elimination.

The lymph liquid is composed of electrolyte minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium phosphorus, and chloride.? So strong lymph liquid is built when you eat fruits and vegetables.

When the lymph nodes become overwhelmed with toxic waste from the cells and the blood, they become inflamed and cannot keep the body free of toxic matter.

Excess toxic waste accumulates in the lymph liquid when your body does not have enough electrolyte minerals to neutralize this toxic acid waste.? Now, your body is a considered acid and will have a difficult time fighting infections wherever they occur, including your face.

When you lymph system becomes weaken, it is unable to detoxify toxins and routes them into the blood where the liver is expected to clean the blood.

Keeping you lymph system strong is important for keeping your skin free of blemishes, skin disorders, eczema and acne.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist and write newsletters, articles, and ebooks on natural remedies.? For the past 10 years he has been teaching people when and why to use natural remedies.

Why Do You Need a Wireless Home Security Camera?

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Smartly, for the reason that those that are perplexed with respect to creating in the air his or her imagination, simply read this week? Although there are going to be several ways that as making your house protected and protective one another of unwanted a spotlight, i.e., of thieves plus second one unauthorized folks, environment rising a transistor abode security camera order might even as neatly be the overall perfect decision which you could ever make.?

Safety serves as the main worry as house owners these days plus who is guilty self for that. Considering the overall crime rates on the general upward thrust, any security live which you’re taking for the reason that your home would possibly just no longer feel smart enough. This can be where the general radio set abode security camera systems come back into play. These systems will be most wanted as assuring complete safety up of your place, return what may. The overall absolute best thing that you can perform serves as invest in.a radio set house security camera which works in the week motion sensors. The overall motion sensors help in detecting additional movement in additional house up of your house. By the time these motion sensors are going to be safely installed them all more than your home plus by the time these sensors are going to be related to the camera, you can be confident that you’ve successfully insured your house. Which?s because, this week the general event that these sensors pick out additional movement, they effectively send the overall signal to the general camera which are also set at the key points up of surveillance areas plus the overall camera simply dig up the jiffy by recording the entire event.?

Some other merit of the general hi-fi abode security cameras serves as that they don?t consume electricity such as the general way the stressed out security camera systems do. Which?s because these hi fi cameras don?t wish to have electricity since they operate with the overall facilitate from batteries. So, you?re also indirectly saving on the power costs. Plus the overall highest issue about these cameras serves as which they don?t consume too much voltage up of the general batteries. Security cameras continually be afflicted by the overall advantage to exert while proof during thefts plus second one criminal activities. The general footages which these cameras capture can be utilized to bring losing these criminals thus which they don?t commit such acts in future. That?s as a result of things might rise up when you might be in the week a holiday throughout the weekend and you come back to search out which there was a a break-in in your home. In this example, only such security cameras toil whilst evidence plus help you striking such criminals into jail.?

In case up of buying a receiver place of abode security camera, you would think that price can be a huge factor. Smartly, it serves as now not since the whole apparatus can cost you hardly around $fifty to $75. The present makes the receiver residence security camera probably the overall best deal which one could request allowing for respect to home surveillance systems. And the overall absolute best section serves as which the installation process infrequently removes about part an hour. Some other advantage may perhaps be that some from the receiver cameras will be thus tiny, that they will even fool the craftiest up of all of them the general thieves as far back as these cameras can nearly be hidden anywhere. Just some transistor place of abode security camera options also embody the night vision mode that makes it simply doable to record additional suspicious function throughout the overall night. Therefore, it is going without saying that wireless quarters security cameras revel in additional benefits than the general stressed out ones. These security systems will be much loved to guard your home, your assets and your loved ones of further danger whatsoever. Along with, stressed out cameras frequently offer somewhere else the thieves as presently as they see more wires anywhere. This is often one aspect where the radio set abode security cameras invariably capitalize upon.?

David Shea’s passion is to write on variety of subjects. Please visit his latest website at Wireless Driveway Alarm which contains the reviews and deals on Wireless Driveway Alarm and Wireless Door Alarm.

Elimination of Debt-Techniques for Rapid Debt Elimination

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Do mounting debts cause
restless nights and make your life stressful? ?Do you want to achieve the ultimate goal of
getting debt-free and break away from your car loan, mortgage, or credit card
repayments? Is it time for elimination of your credit card debt?

If your answer is a resounding ?yes? to the above
questions, then you seriously need to take some extreme action to start on a
journey towards your financial freedom, and eliminate debt from your life? for
good.

?

Understand Accrued Interest

Let’s
compare two credit cards. One has an interest rate of six percent and a balance
of $5,000. Its minimum monthly payment is $35. The second credit card has an
interest rate of 22 percent and a balance of $3,000. This
credit card company may not need a minimum payment. Many consumers breathe a sigh of relief and skip payments
or send $10-25 a month.

Do
not be taken in by this – it is not a gift. The credit card with the higher
interest rate will continue to accrue interest over the length of the
repayment. If you skip payments or send a few dollars a month, your debt will
never decrease. In fact, it will grow.

?

Why
Unsecured Debt Should Be Attacked First

The first thing you have to address when it comes
to debt would be to eliminate unsecured debt. Why answer as to why you
need to eliminate unsecured debt varies, but the simple
fact is that most charge card debt destroys yourself the most. If you do
not eliminate unsecured debt, you will continue to fall further in debt.

One of the best ways to eliminate excessive unsecured debt is to seek the help
of a debt reduction consultant. These counselors can help eliminate unsecured
debt, as they negotiate with creditors to achieve a reduction in the amount
that you owe. In addition, your monthly payment will be reduced and the debt
collectors won?t harass you as much, if any.

?

However, there are two obstacles. First, your
credit will decline for a few years. Next, you may receive a lawsuit from your
creditors due to non-payment of your debt (creditors will only agree to settle
if you stop making payments). You may overcome these hindrances by utilizing a
debt elimination company that provides credit repair and attorney consultation.

?

If
you have not yet thought about elimination of your unsecured debt, it should be
your number one financial goal for the future.

Stop
wasting money by making minimum payments. See how our revolutionary debt negotiation program may get you out of debt fast and
safe!

One-Off Customer to Permanent Business

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Development of new client base is
always a weaker choice. If financial conditions vary, or a fresh competitor
steps into the market, there is a possibility that customers will turn to
competitors. To increase a business, a repeat customer is preferred than a one-off
customer. This fact has forced many businesses to focus less attention on developing
one-time customers.?

?

Renewable Income for One-Off Business:

?

Consider certain steps to get a
renewable source of income from a one-off customer. The following steps help to
access a renewable income:

?

Regular boost ups and check-ups:? The way a doctor asks for regular visit,
ask the customers to do so. A quarterly or half-yearly backyard updates of
scenery designers can force the customers to visit an art gallery regularly.
Yearly planning sessions can also enhance the business. As a wedding
planner, an individual can offer updates on an admiring basis. A birthday
and a party organizer can do the same things, to boost the business. Attract
one-time customers and change them into repeat clients. These techniques
do not guarantee a large income at once, but do helps to maintain a steady
flow of customers.

?

Creating products with replacements: Produce or sell products
that require replacements on a regular basis. A great source of renewable
income is the choice of consumables. Consider the case of inkjet printers,
its business can develop by selling replacement ink cartridges. Replacement
of products compels a one-time customer to become a regular customer and act
as a permanent source of income.?

?

Factors That Hold One-Off Customers:

?

Few businesses focus on serving
one-off customers, and therefore suffer losses in their venture. To succeed in a
business, a one-off customer has to become a regular customer.There are many business organizations,
which cater to one-off customers. However, most such organizations fail to
fulfill the needs of their one-off customers.?

?

Therefore, to retain such
clients, it is important to follow certain guidelines. Businesspersons need to
remind their one-off customers that only they are the ones, who offer all kinds
of products and support desired.

?

Another way to retain one-off
customers is to create new and modified products that are more interesting. The
newly designed products can attract old as well as new customers and enhance profits.
Keep regular contact with one-off customers through e-mails.

?

Establish a good rapport with
them. Get some ideas from clients end by inquiring what they want in their
products. Use mouth-to-mouth publicity to advertise the products. When one-off customers
hear praise of companies from which they have already sought a service, they
are bound to come back again to make a repeat purchase.

John Elton
owns and operates a Best Penny Stocks Picks website to help
other investors with their stock decisions. He also operates a Home
Based Business earn money online site to help entrepreneurs gain experience
and wealth.

Different types of Indian traditional food

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Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines
in the world, it is known for its diversity, colorfulness and rich
aroma. There are countless varieties of food items in India that are
distinguished by region, language, caste and tribe. Although, today
India has embraced several foreign cuisines, majority of the Indians
throughout the country prefer to eat traditional food that their
ancestors ate since many years. Despite the diversity, there are certain
types of conventional Indian food that are widely prevalent in all
parts of the country, these foods are discussed below

?

???????? Flat Breads or Rotis:

In India there are different types of breads that
are a specialty food of a certain region. In Punjab the flatbreads made
of corn are unbelievably tasty and they are nutritious as well. These
flat and unleavened circles of bread look very similar to tortillas and
are a favorite Indian vegetarian food for many. Most people love to eat
flat breads with curries or a vegetable side dish, while some others
like it to be stuffed with vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and
potatoes that are marinated in various aromatic spices. The stuffed
flatbreads are a popular breakfast for people living in the northern and
western states of India.

????????? Chutney:

It would be quite safe to say India is a land of
chutneys. There are innumerable varieties of chutneys prepared in India.
It is a kind of salsa or a relish that is often served in small bowls
as accompaniments for snacks or even in full course meal. Depending on
the type of snack or the meal being served, chutney can be sweet, sour
or spicy. This traditional food item is made from a combination of ingredients like tamarind, mango, onions, mint leaves, tomatoes and pineapple.

????????? Dal:

Dal refers to different kinds of beans or lentils.
They are used extensively in Indian food. There are different kinds of
Dal dishes in India and they are made of innumerable combinations of
ingredients like vegetables, legumes, curry powder, mustard seeds, curry
leaves, coriander, potatoes, chickpeas and Indian brown butter, Ghee.
The popular Indian vegetarian food is usually eaten with steamed rice or
Indian breads. The combination of Dal and Rice is a staple diet in
almost all parts of India.

????????? Tea:

This has been the national beverage of India since 4th
century. It has been part of the Indian lifestyle since ages and it is
often taken as refreshment drink and is also served at all socializing
events.

????????? Curries:

Indian curries are world famous. Curry is a gravy or sauce that
is cooked with vegetables and various aromatic spices. The dish is made
with masala and other ingredients like tomatoes, onions, ginger and
garlic that add aroma and taste to it. All the ingredients are cooked
together with vegetables and the end result is a thick stew. There are
different types of curries and each state in India has its own specialty
curries that are made with the local ingredients. This Indian vegetarian food can be eaten with both rice and flatbreads.

I am veg. food lover & I like Cake, Donuts, Pizza & Ice-cream so
i am visiting regularly pizza shops & restaurants. I like to try
new veg dishes so I always try to visit new veg. restaurants. To know
more about Indian food restaurants

Know Exactly What Makes Your Clients Tick

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If you want to start attracting your ideal clients in droves,?it?s time to do some serious drilling-down to find out as much as you can about that target?s?critical problems.Without knowing their critical problems, challenges, issues and stumbling blocks, you simply won?t be as Client Attractive. The good news is, it?s relatively easy to find out everything you need to know about them.
Put yourself in their well-worn comfortable shoes,?completely, and then ask yourself these questions:

What is it that keeps them up at night worrying (as it relates to what you do)?If they were to ?pull their hair out? about something, what would it be?What is the biggest struggle they encounter on a daily basis?What is the biggest obstacle they deal with?What is their biggest money/time leak?What is the one goal that seems unattainable to them?If they wished they could learn how to do ONE thing and one thing only, what would that be?What is the biggest improvement they could make in their lives/business (as it relates to what you do)?And finally, what?would they do ANYTHING and pay (relatively) ANYTHING?to solve/get rid of/achieve?

Let me give you a personal example of why this works in helping you become more Client Attractive.?When I was simply a dime-a-dozen business coach helping everyone: ?corporate types, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and solo practitioners ?get better in business (I felt I had to do this in the beginning), I had a difficult time getting a hold on a marketing message that would fit ALL of them.

My message was weak and diluted.?Some clients wanted to work on time management, some on achieving sales goals, some on staffing issues, some on selling their music CDs, some on marketing and getting clients.

Although I was pretty good at coaching in these different capacities,?what I truly enjoyed the most and got the BEST results with was coaching the sole practitioner who needed more clients.?It came naturally, I could do it in my sleep and I had a ton of personal experience with it myself, having done it twice successfully, in less than eight months each time.

It?s not until I answered the above questions that I really got clear on who my best client was and how to help them.?This changed EVERYTHING for me. I was then able to steer all my marketing to that type of person and their problems. Client Attraction became a lot EASIER for me at that point because clients starting coming to me!

Your Assignment:

Answer every one of the following questions as if your business life depended on it. (Hint: it does.)

What is it that keeps them up at night worrying (as it relates to what you do)?If they were to ?pull their hair out? about something, what would it be?What is the biggest struggle they encounter on a daily basis?What is their biggest money/time leak?What is the biggest obstacle they deal with?What is the one goal that seems unattainable to them?If they wished they could learn how to do ONE thing and one thing only, what would that be?And finally, what?would they do ANYTHING and pay (relatively) ANYTHING?to solve/get rid of/achieve?

Once you answer these questions in depth, you?ll have a very clear direction of how to position yourself?in the marketplace and a way of speaking to your prospects that will have them saying, ?WOW, that?s EXACTLY what I need, I want to work with you!?

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

5 Common Misconceptions about GPS Devices

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When a technology becomes the ?IT? product of the holiday season, there?s bound to be some misinformation out there.? This year?s hot product is the consumer GPS ? and it can truly do some amazing things, including: provide directions with real-time turn-by-turn navigation, help you avoid traffic and even make hands-free cell phone calls with Bluetooth.? But there are also some things about GPS that just aren?t true.? Here?s a look at some of the biggest myths about GPS technology.

5 Most Common Misconceptions about GPS:

Myth #1:? The weather can affect your GPS

Fact:? Cloudy or rainy conditions have nothing to do with the performance of your GPS device.? Think about it like this:? airplanes using GPS devices to navigate through cloudy conditions thousands of times a day.? Last time we checked, the commercial aviation system was running without too many GPS-related problems.? Well, the same technology they use is found in your car?s GPS devices.? The only thing that can truly keep your GPS device from operating at peak performance are tall buildings, mountains and other large structures that may block it?s signal.Myth #2: The government can track you because of your GPS device

Fact:? It is true that some commercial grade GPS devices send out a signal about your whereabouts, the consumer GPS devices sold by Garmin, Magellan and other companies only receive information from satellite systems.? While this news will be no doubt disconcerting to conspiracy theorists, the rest of us can breathe a little easier knowing that our whereabouts are private.

Myth #3:? GPS devices mean you don?t have to watch the road

Fact:? Just because you have a helpful GPS device in your car doesn?t mean you should be any less vigilant as a driver.? It is important to watch the road and always pay attention to where you are in journey.? In fact, some directions provided by your GPS device may take you through areas in which you don?t want to travel.? It is always important to use these directions in conjunction with what you can see with your own eyes, and of course, common sense.

Myth #4:? GPS devices don?t work outside of a local area

Fact: The beauty of GPS devices for your car is that they work almost anywhere. That means you can take your family for a cross-country drive and the GPS will provide with information every step of your journey. In fact, many GPS devices can help you find local points-of-interest along the way including parks, museums, restaurants and more.

Myth #5:? GPS devices are too expensive

Fact:? Of all the falsehoods out there about GPS devices, this one might be the most out of touch.? Currently, there are more inexpensive GPS devices out there that at any time in the technology?s history. Even the high end models from Tom Tom, Garmin and others are reasonably priced, and the ?basic? units (which are still packed with features) are affordable enough for almost any budget.

Mark Etinger is a business strategist at Ajax Union Marketing? Ajax Union specializes in Business Development and Internet Marketing

Just Say No to Carb Phobia

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I know some of you reading this may already be raising your defenses because you have lost weight by cutting your carb consumption. Let me first congratulate you on your weight loss, and secondly say that this is not an anti-Atkins or anti-South Beach piece. This article is simply meant to educate readers on the reality of carbohydrates, ?good? carb choices vs. ?bad? carb choices, what they do, why your body needs them, and how to make better nutrition choices than food company marketing efforts want you to.

The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates provide the body with its main source of fuel, glucose (blood sugar), which is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Any muscle contraction, whether during exercise, getting out of bed, or blinking an eye, is fueled primarily by glycogen. So, for those of you engaging in resistance training, this should immediately point out the fact that you need carbs for fuel in order to maximize your efforts in your resistance program. The next fact to understand is that your brain (which burns more calories than any organ in the body) and nervous system can only use glucose for energy. This is why, especially in the early or induction phases of carb restricted diets, dieters often feel sluggish and less alert than normal. By cutting out carbs, you are cutting off your brain?s main source of fuel.

Some of you are probably thinking, ?That?s exactly what I want, because now my body will need to burn fat for energy!? Yes and no. Yes, your body will burn some fat for energy; however it will also generate glucose by breaking down protein stores in the muscles, organs and other tissues. This will severely compromise tissue growth, repair, and maintenance, and as discussed in previous articles, slow down your metabolism. Certainly, that is not the result you are looking for.
As I said, this is not an anti-(insert your favorite low-carb guru here) piece. But, the truth is, carbohydrates are a nutrient, and a nutrient is defined as a ?substance that an organism must obtain from its surroundings for growth and the sustainment of life?. So, does it make sense to follow a program that calls for the wholesale abandonment of vital nutrient? Of course not. What is needed is an understanding of the difference between supportive, quality carbohydrates that provide essential nutrients and fuel, and overly processed and refined carbohydrates that provide empty calories and support fat storage.

What do I mean by overly processed and refined carbs? Think about white bread, donuts, muffins, pastries, white rice, candy, sugary breakfast cereals, white pasta, potato chips, crackers, soda. Foods like these digest very quickly and give your body a rapid spike in blood sugar, which, when fat loss is the goal, is something we want to avoid. After your body takes the blood sugar it needs to replenish muscle glycogen, whatever is left over from that spike will get stored as fat.

What makes supportive, quality carbs different? They digest more slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood sugar and providing a more even source of fuel. Look for breads and cereals made from whole grains, pasta made from whole wheat flour, brown rice instead of white rice, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, fruits in moderation and vegetables in abundance. Whole grain carbs will keep you feeling satisfied longer, and not looking to devour a bag of chips within an hour of eating your plain bagel.

So, the lesson is to not get taken over by carb phobia and fill your shopping cart up with all of the new low carb products. Just like in the early 80?s when the food manufacturers were frantically trying to come up with low fat versions of every product under the sun, they are doing the same now in order to sell more products, not because they are concerned with your health. Back then, consumers were tanking up on SnackWell cookies. They are low fat, so they must be okay right? Well, since the low fat boom of the 80?s, the obesity rate in this country has skyrocketed. That is not because the true culprit is now carbs. No, the reason is because junk food, whether low fat, low carb, or low whatever, is still junk food.

Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC.Dave can be reached at (603) 641-8297, via email at news@perfectfitonline.com, or through www.perfectfitonline.com