Do you ever feel like there isn't enough time in the day to take care of all the things you "need" to do? If so, how can you possibly fit in all the things you "want" to do? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to take a yoga class to help you relax and to have a personal trainer to help you tone up? Don't forget that you probably also should join a gym so that you can get your aerobic exercise as well. Add it all up and you'd probably pay out close to a thousand dollars a month just for all the classes not to mention the hours per week you'd have to put in to get maximum benefits from all of these activities. On top of all that, you probably would love an opportunity to meet other people and socialize without the kids once and a while. Who needs this scheduling headache? Certainly not you! It really does sound impossible, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Try martial arts: you'll pay for one class, and get all the above benefits plus more for just a few hours per week.
Whether you're a new or seasoned mom, training martial arts is the perfect activity. You'll relieve stress, gain confidence, improve your physical conditioning, and learn how to defend yourself and your family. Here's why it works:
Stress Relief: If you have kids, you probably have stress. You also probably already know that physical exercise can reduce your stress. What you probably don't know is that physical activity only reduces one part of stress – its physical effects. Martial arts go a step further and work to decrease not only your physical stress, but also your emotional stress. Since most exercise activities allow you to zone out and not concentrate on what you are doing, you're not allowing your mind to de-stress as much as it could. Activities that require you to concentrate on your movements and core strength give you full stress relief in one activity.
Confidence: You probably know as much as you possibly can about your kids from their clothing and shoe sizes to their exact height and weight. You can even recall exact details of their birth, every birthday and every milestone in between. What you probably don't have is the self-awareness created by training martial arts. In order to successfully train martial arts, you need to get and keep your mind and body in tune with one another. This helps you become very aware of your body and your abilities. This awareness also gives you added confidence to control and defend yourself. What's great for you as a mom is that you will be able to be calm and collected when your children challenge you because you'll have the confidence to handle the situation without losing your temper.
Physical Conditioning: When you train martial arts, you use your entire body – it's impossible to just use one muscle set at a time. You don't have to plan workouts to alternate between upper and lower body conditioning. You will get the maximum out of each training session because the exercises are always changing. Even better, regular physical activity will increase your energy to allow you to play with your kids. It also reduces your chances of suffering from heart disease, diabetes and obesity so that you'll be around for your children for a long, long time.
Self Defense: Finally, you won't be training for combat and fighting in martial arts, but you will have the ability to do so if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself or your children. This self-defense isn't always physical, either. The focus, concentration, awareness and confidence you'll gain from training martial arts will give you the skills you need to handle most situations whether you feel like your child is being treated unfairly by a teacher or disagree with some of the school board members.
Best of all, you won't get bored with martial arts because the only way to be successful in martial arts is to constantly change your exercise. It's better than following an exercise video three times a week or jogging on the treadmill as you mindlessly watch television. Plus, you'll often have to use different muscle groups to master new moves, so you're mind is always working while you exercise.
Martial arts can give you everything you need to be a great mom and a great person. Why not give it a try today?!
If you are interested in learning more about how martial arts can help your self confidence, please contact one of my three locations in Bellevue, Lynnwood or Kent, Washington at 800-508-6141or martialadvice@hotmail.com to set up a free 2 week trail orientation.
Sincerely,
Robert Jones
Master Instructor
6th Degree Black Belt
Owner, the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts
Mr. Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written two guides on how to pick a martial arts school. One for adults and one for parents wanting to pick the right school for their children. He can be reached at martialadvice@hotmail.com or at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts.
800-508-6141
Forty Million Americans Drinking Lead Contaminated Water
Copyright 2006 Linda Symonds
Learning disablities, reduced IQs, shortened attention span, hypertension and behavioral problems in children can be linked to drinking lead contaiminated water. Adults may suffer from high blood pressure, damage to the brain, nervous system, stomach and kidneys.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 40 million Americans consume lead contaminated water on a daily basis. The EPA also estimates that 480‚000 cases of learning disorders in children, and 560‚000 cases of hypertension in adults‚ occur each year in the United States as a result of lead contamination.
How does water become contaminated with lead? Lead is not normally found in water until it passes through pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead. Homes built before 1986 are likely to have lead pipes, fixtures or solder. Homes built after 1986 that contain "lead free" plumbing, are also at risk. "Lead free" plumbing may still contain up to 8 percent lead. Most common problems are with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures that can leach significant amounts of lead into the water. As the water sits in the pipes, lead leaches into the water, particularly into hot water, contaminating the water that is delivered from the faucet.
To find out if your water is contaminated with lead, testing can be done through a laboratory at a cost of between $20 and $100. Home test kits that test for lead and other contaminants are also available and typically cost less than $20. The home test kits are simple to use and, although not as accurate as laboratory testing, will provide reliable test results.
There are several simple ways to protect against consuming lead contaminated water. Allowing the water to run from the tap for several minutes before using it will flush the lead contaminated water through the pipes and deliver cleaner water. Use only cold water for drinking and cooking since hot water leaches more lead from pipes and fixures. There are disadvantages to running the water before using it though; it's wasteful and children may not always follow the procedure or wait long enough before drinking the water.
Installing a water filter at the point of use, normally the kitchen faucet, will remove any lead from the water. Cost of a kitchen faucet water filter is under $30. Ongoing costs for replacement filter cartridges will vary with amount of water used and the life span of the filter, but will typically be less than $50 per year. Water filters are the most effective method of removing lead and other dangerous contaminants. When considering purchase of a water filter, be sure the filter is certified by NSF International to remove lead.
Boiling water before using it will not remove lead. In fact, as water boils, the lead becomes even more concentrated, increasing the level of contamination.
Most of us have lead that is already stored in our bodies from years of exposure. The human body excretes most of the lead we inject but it also stores a portion of it in our bones and teeth. Buildup of lead in a woman's body can pose a risk to the fetus during pregnancy. Lead can cross from the mother's body to the baby starting around the 12th week of pregnancy. Even low levels of lead can result in low birth weight and slowed development.
The EPA suggests that following a diet low in fat and high in calcium and iron, including dairy products and green vegetables will help reduce the amount of lead that our bodies absorb. If we eliminate the source of the lead going into our bodies and follow a healthy diet, some of the lead in our bodies will be excreted over time.
Herbal cleansing products on the market today claim to remove heavy metals, including lead, from our bodies. Although there is little scientific research into the benefits of herbal cleansing programs, many people use these products on the advice of naturopathic practitioners.
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Linda Symonds grew up on a small island in rural Canada where she developed a love of the natural world. Linda believes that the polluted and toxic environment that we live in poses significant risks to our health and the health of coming generations. For more information about the plight of our water supply visit http://www.thebestwaterfilters.com
Just say No
So what is weight loss really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about weight loss--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.
Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:
From the time you were a child, you might have been a people pleaser. You tried to ace your schoolwork in order to win your parent's approval…you practiced soccer for hours on end to win a vote of support from your coach…or you diligently practiced your piano chords in order to earn the gratitude of your music teacher. There's nothing wrong with aiming to please. It can make you a respected leader, a valued friend, a comforting mentor. However, it should be recognized that some food addictions begin with an inability to say no.
It might have begun with a Thanksgiving during your childhood when your mother asked if you wanted a second helping of mashed potatoes. Or a teacher at your elementary school might have given you a gold star if you cleaned your plate. You were probably taught that it is wrong to waste food and that a hearty appetite was a good thing. The problem is, such cues from your environment might have caused you to learn the wrong lessons when it came to food consumption.
In our society, many people have difficulty saying no. They want to be part of the crowd and they don't want to stand out for non-participation. They will do all they can to blend in and that leads them to say "yes" more times than they'd like to. In fact, the epidemic of alcohol and drug abuse may be due in part to the refusal of many people to say no.
Admitting that you have a problem over committing yourself is the first step to progress. It shows that you have a great deal of insight into your own problems with food and you want to change your bad habits and replace them with admirable ones. But this can be difficult, given the fact that so many families have a number of rituals involving food. Also, unlike cigarettes or marijuana, food is not considered inherently bad—nor should it be. However, you need to learn how to use food effectively.
Part of your training begins with learning the power of no or no thank you. You need to learn to assert yourself, to recognize that you do not have to go along in order to get along. You realize that you are doing yourself no favors by accepting extra helpings of pasta—in fact, you could be doing your body a great deal of harm. The key now is to do something about it.
What's the best way to undergo assertiveness training? One method you can use is role-playing. Practice saying no to extra servings with the help of a friend playing the role of adversary. In this pretend situation, you may feel more comfortable saying no. You will also learn that saying no isn't the end of the world; that you will not automatically lose friends by taking a negative stance.
Another trick you might use is making sure that you do not slouch while sitting at the table for your meals. Slouching indicates defeat—a belief that a situation is hopeless. With your head held high you will gain the confidence you need to say no and to mean it.
Yet another effective strategy is to keep a journal recording your thoughts after you've said no either to more food or to a commitment you just can't handle at this time. Putting your feelings in writing can be quite cathartic. It can also help you with problem-solving, enabling you to figure out ways that you can say no without hurting another person's feelings.
Something else you will need to learn is that it is not necessary for you to fulfill another person's expectations. In other words, whether your Aunt Mary thinks you're eating enough really doesn't matter. If you recognize that you are overweight, Aunt Mary's opinion shouldn't be taken into account. You must do what you think is best in order to take control of your eating. Assertiveness will not happen immediately. But, with practice, you can learn to say no like a pro. And you and your waistline will be better off as a result of what you've learned.
Knowing enough about weight loss to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about weight loss, you should have nothing to worry about.
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