Swimthelanguage

If fat loss is your main fitness goal, keeping a diet journal is a must. If anything, it will dramatically raise your awareness of what you are actually eating on a daily basis.

Here are three more specific ways keeping a diet journal will speed up your fat loss efforts:

1. You’re probably not eating as ‘good’ as you think you are

There’s no better exercise than keeping a diet journal to expose your eating habits for what they actually are. For example, you could easily:
Be eating more processed carbs and crap than you think you are Not drinking as much water as you think you are Eating out more than you think you are Eating less fruits and veggies than you think you are

Write down what you’re eating for a few days and, if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know exactly where you’re at. Because you’re probably not eating as good as you think you are:)

2. You’ll get a ‘bird’s eye’ view of your true eating patterns – and can more easily identify obstacles in reaching your goals

A lot of folks have just a handful of obstacles that keep them from reaching their goals. Maybe you sabotage yourself at night by snacking on crap. Maybe you have trouble eating much of anything early in the day – and end up making bad choices later in the day. Maybe it’s a convenience issue – you have a busy schedule, and planning ahead is your big challenge.

3. You’re probably underestimating portion sizes

There’s simply no way you know what ‘correct’ portion sizes are unless you measure them periodically. For example:
Do you know what one tbsp of cream and/or sugar looks like? Do you actually know by ‘eyeballing it’ how much is three oz of deli turkey is? How much wine do you pour yourself when you have a glass?

Over the course of the days, weeks, and months, bigger-than-necessary portion sizes can add up… and keep you from reaching your fat loss goals.

Keeping a diet journal will, without a doubt, help you reach your fat loss goals faster. You’re probably not eating as good as you think you are, you likely don’t know your true eating patterns, and you’re probably underestimating portion sizes. Your diet Journal will help you correct these problems and get you on the fast track to reaching your fitness goals. Start keeping one today and see your progress accelerate!

It is important to take full advantage of the services from your service provider. Most insured individuals are not even aware of the additional services that go along with their current insurance policy. The majority of insured individuals believe that they only get what they pay for. But this isn’t the whole truth for most medical insurance plans. For most individuals that are insured, there are classes, information and a number of other great benefits that come with no additional costs within their insurance plan.

One of the most unknown benefits that come with most insurance plans are free classes. Wellness classes such as CPR or First Aid classes are covered through most insurance plans. This is beneficial to someone who may need to take this course for personal reasons or for professional reasons. These type of classes can turn out to be really expensive. Furthermore, with the state of today’s economy, many people can not afford to come out of pocket for classes. Knowing that your medical insurance plan covers certain classes can end up saving what’s in an individuals pocket.

Most individuals who are insured medically are also not aware or do not care to pay attention to the written information that may receive regularly from their insurance provider. It is important to stay informed! Reading member newsletters and other types of related written information can be viewed as the foundation for maintaining a healthy life. For example, a monthly newsletter from an individuals insurance provider can provide information regarding a certain medical problem that an individual experiences. That information may also provide research as to what can prevent the medical problem. If an individual openly refers to this message for relief, her medical problem may be cured. Other good resources can be found on the internet as well. There are countless resources for individuals that are medically insured.

It’s important to take health and wellness seriously. An individual should take their health and wellness as a priority. An example of an individual making their health and wellness a priority is by following preventative recommendations from a doctor or a medical insurance provider. A person should also look at other tools such as the internet and programs to help them get to their health goal.

Finally, most individuals are not aware of their flexible spending account. A flexible spending account is also known as a health savings account or a health reimbursement arrangement. Most individuals acquire this plan through their employer. A Flexible Spending Account works by depositing a similar or identical cost to what an individual spends for their healthcare costs. The individual has to remember to use the remaining money before January.

To get the most out of the money that you spend on your health insurance, an individual should pay attention to the free assistance that their medical insurance providers cover. Some of the most popular no cost features that most insurers provide are free classes, informational packets and newsletters. Moreover there are other available resources outside of medical insurers that benefit an insured individual. Flexible spending accounts plays an example of no cost resources.

Buying the right exercise equipment can be a challenging task if you aren’t sure what you are looking for. With a total body fitness machine, you can get all the workouts that you need in one machine, which is what makes them so great. When you’re shopping for equipment, you have to know exactly what you are buying and how much you can afford to spend. When you shop online, you can take the time to compare items and see everything that is out there for you to choose from.

You should always buy your total body fitness machine from a reputable dealer so that you know that you’re getting the best. Finding the right machines for total body workouts is going to take a little time, but all that you need to look at are the few different elements involved in purchasing the right machine so that you can get the workouts that you’ve been looking for. A machine that gives you a total body workout will take care of everything, including giving you equipment to work out your arms, abs, legs, chest, back, shoulders, and other muscles throughout your body so that you get the ultimate workout every time.

Total body fitness machine prices are a bit higher than what you might pay for a treadmill or another piece of equipment that only does single exercises for your body. However, when you consider that you are spending that money so that you can get fit and get the most from your workouts for less, you will definitely appreciate the investment. You might only spend a little more than you would spend on a different exercise machine but you’ll get plenty more usability and a variety of different exercises that you can do all on the same machine.

Buying a total body workout machine is something that you need to check out carefully. For you, it might actually be more affordable or practical to lease exercise equipment and then send it back when you get into good shape. Some people enjoy owning machines for life, but if you have a short term need for a machine it makes more sense to lease. You can enjoy better products if you lease and you will also spend less money on your fitness in the long run. Whether you choose to buy or lease, a total body workout machine is a great investment.

Using your mind to heal your body seems like New Age hocus-pocus or the convoluted logic of a somewhat demented psychotherapist. But no, it’s not magic, but a scientifically proven fact that “You are what you think about.” So if you think you cannot heal heal your own body, you are absolutely correct!

Discard Negative Beliefs

Open your mind, and take a few minutes to dispel your negative beliefs about using your mind to heal your body. Remember that beliefs develop through constant thought repetition and are truths for you. Because many people subscribe to a belief does not necessarily make it a universal truth.

What Do You Have To Lose?

If you have a physical issue, what do you have to lose if you improve your mind body fitness level using simple guided imagery techniques? You CAN learn self-healing.

Even if you do not have a physical issue but are trying to cope with heightened levels of stress, you can use these techniques to quiet your mind and reduce stress levels. This IS healing, especially when you consider the long-term impact of stress.

Consider the teachings of an authority on using your mind to heal your body…

Self-Healing By Dr. Jerry Epstein

Author of the CD series called The Phoenix Process and the book Healing Visualizations, Creating Health Through Imagery,



Dr. Jerry Epstein, physician and teacher, has taught thousands of people to transform their lives through the their minds. His teaching uses mental imagery – also called guided imagery or visualization. Imagery has been used for thousands of years by healers and wisdom keepers of many cultures to heal the sick, to benefit the community, and connect to the Divine.

Life is full of misfortunes, accidents, and unpredictable, life changing events; which is why, we as the American people, are granted health care. However, to many, health care doesn’t seem to be fulfilling its purpose of caring and providing. If health care is supposed to support us, and be something each one of us has a right to, why is it the cause of 1.5 million bankruptcies each year, and unaffordable to half of the American people? And why is the middle class of America, the largest class, the ones struggling to pay off charges with insurance? In addition, where exactly are the outrageous charges coming from on the medical bills? And most importantly, how did this health care crisis happen to America, of all countries? These are just a few of the questions the American people are left to cope with.

What else is left to do when accidents strike without warning and a middle class family of four is left to pay off over $110,000 in medical bills? File bankruptcy – according to the U.S. Times, this seems to be the answer for most families. Take the Jackson family from Texas for example: while exiting a school bus, the Jackson’s daughter was struck by a car, leaving the family with an outrageous medical bill of $90,000. Within a few years the mother of the Jackson family needed both knees replaced at a price of $20,000. And most recently, the daughter got into another accident while driving. Before even receiving the charges, the family filed for bankruptcy.

Half of America doesn’t even have health insurance, and a lot of the families that do, are left helpless when bombarded with medical bills – especially the middle class families, like the Jackson’s. So how does this happen? How are those with health insurance still charged thousands? The truth lies behind the instability and inconsistency of the health care system. To elaborate, imagine a man without insurance comes into the emergency room with a broken hip to undergo surgery. He is charged $35,000. Since the man does not have insurance, his procedure will inevitably cost the hospital more money.

So where do they get this extra money? Well, say a second man comes into the same emergency room with a broken hip; however, this man has insurance. Unfortunately, since the man before him cost the hospital more money because he didn’t have insurance, the hospital will add on higher charges on the medical bill to the man with insurance to help pay off the extra expenses incurred from the previous patient. So if health care doesn’t protect you from high medical costs, what does it do? Apparently, if it doesn’t keep you healthy, it’ll at least keep you alive: according to the Urban Institute, over 27,000 deaths occur every year that are actually medically avoidable. Sadly, those 27,000 happened to have no health care. What ever happened to the Hippocratic Oath?

Along with the overwhelming medical bills, is the speculation of what, precisely, are the charges for? How is a ? mile ambulance ride equivalent to $1,800? Of course the first expense that would come to mind would be the medical aid given during the ride. But what happens when nothing is done – no medication, no tests, no nothing – and you’re still being charged thousands? A similar situation arose with a couple in Pennsylvania. When the couple found themselves in a horrific car accident, they were airlifted via helicopter to the nearest hospital – the ride was no longer than ten minutes long. The bill for the ride amounted to $18,000. However, when asked what exactly was done in the helicopter to medically aid the couple, the husband declared “nothing.” If no medical aid is given, other than the transportation, how do these charges add up? After doing a little research on different helicopter expenses, I found something that grabbed my attention: a ninety minute helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, and Las Vegas strip costs $248 per adult, according to allvegastours.com. So, for a helicopter ride that is an roughly eighty minutes less, using basically the same amount of fuel per mile, what is the $17,504 difference of charges routing from if no medication or medical procedures are used along the way? Unfortunately, even the couple who is held responsibly for these charges hasn’t gotten the answer either.

Finally, the last, but most important question is how did a problem like this happen to America? A recent study done by the Common Wealth Fund, shows that out of seven predominately wealthy, stable countries, the American people reported as being the unhappiest with their current health care system. One statistic for instance, was that 25% of American’s will actually forgo a doctor’s appointment because they believe the pricey costs from the visit and the prescriptions could be better spent on other immediate financial needs – such as paying off bills – rather than their own personal health. And yes, that 25% is a big number, considering all the other countries surveyed didn’t even make it into the double digit percentile.

How does something like this happen to a country that never settles for mediocrity? Take for example our military. When we’re threatened or weak, we spend tons of money to invest in more high quality weapons and protection. Schooling is another prime example – we have the top universities in the world, and we invest as much money as necessary into constantly improving them. If America is a country based on freedom, and equal rights for each individual, why haven’t we given those people we go to extreme lengths to protect, serve, and educate, their right to an available, affordable, healthy life?

Universal Health care is a type of government created system in which every citizen of a country is given access to various forms of medical care, even if they don’t have the resources to pay out of pocket. While the citizens may be able to pay for some services out of pocket, much of the money for Universal Health care will come through taxation or insurance. One of the first countries to institute this form of medical care successfully was Germany under Otto Von Bismarck. However, the very first Universal Healthcare program was created in Great Britain.

Some of the other countries which offer Universal Health care include Australia, France, and Italy. Virtually every industrialized nation currently offers some type of Universal Health care except for the United States. While the definition of Universal Health care largely remains the same, the actual structure of this system will vary from one country to another. The system also varies in terms of how much the government is involved. For example, while some nations allow private doctors to offer their services, other countries do not. In the United Kingdon, doctors can choose to offer services which are outside the government system, but Canada has more restrictions on their medical services.

It is important for readers to realize that Universal Health care is a very wide concept. There are a number of ways in which such a system can be utilized. However, the most basic factor in implementation involves the process of allowing all the citizens within a nation to be given access to health care for an affordable rate. Because implementing such a system requires a large amount of money, many governments tax their citizens in order to fund it. The government also decides how the care must be administered, and who is allowed to receive certain types of care. While many countries use taxation to fund this health care system, the patient may still be required to pay a relatively small fee as well.

Because the Universal Health care system has worked so well in many countries, some citizens and politicians in the United States have proposed the introduction of such a system in their own country. American proponents of Universal Health care are quick to point at the rising cost of commercial insurance as evidence that Universal Healthcare would work. Indeed, the cost of health insurance in the United States has become so high that millions of Americans go without health insurance each year, and should they become sick or injured, the cost of medical care could cause them to go into bankruptcy.

Proponents of Universal Health care argue that the utilization of their system would make it more affordable for all Americans to afford healthcare, and millions would not need to go without medical insurance. While the United States does not currently have a Universal Health care system, the government does provide health care for certain segments of the population, such as veterans, the disabled, senior citizens, or those currently serving in the military.

However, it is important to note that Universal Health care is not without its opponents. Those who oppose Univeral Health care often raise questions as to who would pay the most in taxes for such a system. These people argue that depending on the rate of taxes to be charged, many of the same people who currently can’t afford medical insurance would be hard pressed to pay taxes for a Universal Healthcare system. If the taxes are too high, they argue, then the rich would suffer the largest tax burden, but this is the very same group that is the least likely to need Universal Health care in the first place, since they can afford to pay for private health care.

Many high income American citizens are opposed to Universal Healthcare because they feel they will be forced to pay for something they personally don’t need. In addition to paying for their private medical insurance, they would then have to pay taxes for Universal Health care, a service they would not likely use. Opponents of Universal Health care also argue that there are Constitutional issues that come into play. They argue that the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution makes it clear that any powers not granted to the American government in the Constitution must be decided by the states.

Opponents therefore argue that the 10th Amendment demonstrates that only the U.S. states have the power to decide on the issue of Universal Health care, not the Federal government. However, proponents of Universal Health care counter this by saying that the system has worked successfully in other industrialized nations, and if it works there, it can work in the United States as well. One thing that is certain is that there are strong arguments on both sides of the fence, and only time will tell which side is correct. It should also be noted that about 15% of U.S. GDP goes toward health care payments, and this is the highest of any country on the planet.

It should also be noted that over 80% of the U.S. population already has some form of medical care, whether through their job, the government, or a private company. This has led some opponents of Universal Health care to claim that such a system isn’t needed, since only a small percentage of the U.S. population doesn’t have health insurance. However, proponents argue that while 80% of Americans may have some form of coverage, the 20% who don’t is too much. When you consider the fact that 20% of the U.S. population would be around 60 million people who don’t have coverage, it becomes hard to argue with this point.

It should also be noted that the cost of health care in the U.S. is one of the fastest growing phenomenons in recent history. In fact, the rising cost of healthcare is even rising faster than the general rate of inflation. From 2001 through 2007, the rate for family health insurance premiums rose by more than 70%, which is unprecedented. Aside from a government based program for Universal Health care, many cities and states in the U.S. are already in the process of implementing their own Universal Health care plans.