Hirst

The majority of people who start to workout have one goal in mind. They want to lose fat. Now, there are a number of options when beginning a workout program, but which of these will give you results the fastest.

When most people think of losing fat, they think that they need to head to the gym and only use the cardio machines and start burning calories. But I wouldn't recommend that.

First off there have been studies shown that extended periods of cardio may train your body to store fat better. You do not want this to happen. This does not mean you should ditch cardio, you just should not make it the focal point of your workout program.

When you are do cardio, there is research that has just shown you should do two shorter lengths cardio workouts to burn more fat. For instance, 30 minutes of cardio followed by 20 minutes of rest and then 30 minutes of cardio burns more fat than 60 minutes of cardio. This is because your body uses your fat for the beginning of your workout and then transitions to glucose from carbs in the later stages. You should try to do this 2 - 3 times per week.

The other point of your workout should be an interval strength circuit. This has many advantages. You build muscle, burn fat, and maximize your time spent at the gym. With interval strength training you get results faster if your goal is to lower body fat percentage.

A circuit will have you move from station to station with minimal rest (0 - 30 sec depending on your fitness level). You will alternate the body parts used in each station so that you do not work the same body part twice in a row. Your circuit should work the whole body ensuring legs, back, and core are not left out.

Do this 3 - 4 times per week and combine with cardio sessions and a high protein diet plan and you will shred your body fat.

Mike Head
Health and Fitness Business Expert
Get Fit in 90 Days

Real Estate Tips

Most "guru's" are currently spouting about how good real estate investments can be. I won't seek to reinforce their sales pitch, nor will I argue with it. Real Estate can be a great investment, but if you not careful it can also be a financial disaster. You may ask who I am to speak on real estate. Whilst not a multi-millionaire selling my next great book I can give you some practical advise of someone who rented out for over five years and explain the pitfalls and the success stories.

Important Lessons:-

1) Good Insurance:- number one is not an option - its a necessity. Ensure your asset is fully insure both normal house insurance and extras like tenant damage and loss of rental income. Given a disasterous tennant this can lessen the pain. Be WARN! Don't underinsure your house, if it burns down, particularly if there is any suspicion of arson the insurance company will do their own independant investigation and here is the real kicker - THEY WILL CHARGE YOU FOR THE PRIVALEGE - thats right, read the fine print, the insurance company before paying you out will minus their costs - i.e. $100,000 policy - $20,000 investigation means only $80,000 to you. Read the fine print, the insurance despite their ads is not your friend if a million dollar house and therefore a million dollars on the line, don't expect the insurance company to be happy to pay out, if they can find a way to slime out of the policy they probably will. An insurance policy is a contact make sure you read it. Make sure you chose an insurance policy not just on price but also on good reputation and on company strength. (Want more advice try Real Estate Underground - Click Here!)

2) A Bargin isn't always a bargin:- When purchasing a house remember to be very careful. Don't buy on emotion. Never buy without visiting it several times on different days and times. I know of a nice suburb that has nice houses with big yards, but the smell of the local slaughter house is enough to make you want to vomit. Remember you only become aware of such things by visiting the house personally. Go at least one time without the real estate agent, speak to the neighbours and ask if they like living there. When buying a fix it uper check how easy it is to fix up. Does it contain asbestos, lead paint or like harmful products that are going to cost you a fortune to remove? Would you like to live there? If you don't then don't expect others to. Remember whilst more expensive houses may cost more they tend to attract better class of tennants and less maintenance costs as well as higher rental returns. Remember there are always more houses out there it the buyer is stuck on a price thats no good for you, don't be afraid to walk away. Never buy a house on emotion! (Want to learn more on fixer upper fortunes then click Here!)

3) Do it yourself:- Unless you have a huge portfolio of real estate under your control try to do it yourself and you will save alot more. If you engage a real esate agent to rent your house they will charge between 10%-15% of the rental income, in return you get very little. They will rent out the house, may inspect once or twice a year (some agents will charge extra for this privallege) and you don't have the choice of the tennants. Do it yourself and save the money. Pay a small fee to join online real estate black list - (this is a list that blacklists bad tennants) and you are in the same position as them. A real estate first goal is not to please you but to ensure they get their cut - this may mean they make decisions that are not in your best interest, but in theirs (e.g. they may get kick backs from their trademan and other relationships - in my case they repaired a hot water cyclinder without my permission - the cyclinder was less than a year old and still under warranty - thus I could of got it repaired for free, was I angry - you bet). Don't forget with agents its your house, if they are not keeping you satisfied, change agents. In regards to maintenance trademens are hugely expensive, whatever you can do yourself, do. For example, changing a tap washer is an easy thing to do, some plumbers charge $100 just to pay a visit. (Want to Buy and Sell Real Estate from home? Click Here! )

4) There is more than Rent. Remember to factor in the rise in real estate prices. You may be able to buy a cheap house in a country town, but if that town has shown no growth and is unlikely to grow then you will not be able to resell the house at the later stage for a much increased price. What creates regularly increasing house prices is even increasing demand. Be careful buying in places like a mining town or a town with one industry, mine resources are limited and one industry towns can turn into ghost towns overnight if the main factory closes. Play it safe buy in towns and cities where growth has been and will continue to be good. Therefore don't just consider the rate of return on investment in terms of rent, but also factor in capital growth. If there is likely to be little or no capital growth the rental returns need to be higher - if they aren't, forget it and keep looking. When a place is vacant charging too high a rent will ensure it takes weeks to fine a new tennant - every week it is unrented is costing you between $5-$10 a week in rent - (e.g. which is better renting a house for a year at $400 a week or $380 a week - if the fails to rent for four weeks at $400 even if you finally rent it at $400 you have lost out ($20 extra rent X 48 weeks - ($960) (4x$380= 1520)- if you'd rented it straight away at $380 a week - you would have been $560 better off for the year)

5) Good Tennants are worth keeping. If you have good tennants who are looking after the house, you don't alway have to keeping raising the rent every year with the general market increase - reward good tennants and increase your likihood of retaining them by giving them a discount on the market rate. If the tennant puts in a garden and trees and other landscaping, the capital value they are adding to your property may mean you should not hit them with the highest possible rent. Tennants who damage a house or fail to pay rent can cost a fortune. It normally takes 6 weeks or more to evict a non-paying tennant, that can mean a big loss, doubly so if you are paying the mortgage.

To go to the original site and working links, go to

rental-tips.blogspot.com

The Incas regarded coca as the divine plant mainly because of its property of imparting endurance, nevertheless its use was entwined with every aspect of life; the art, mythology, culture and economy of the Inca Empire.

Millions of Indians have chewed coca on a daily basis for many hundreds of years, yet never has a plant been so misrepresented and its use so controlled by prejudice and ignorance, including up to the present day. The Conquistadors considered it an idle and offensive habit to be prohibited, but it was soon seen that the Indians could not work without coca even when forced to do so.

The coca leaf has been sacred to Andean people since the dawn of pre-Colombian civilization. Doris Rivera Lenz, a renowned Andean Ceremonialist, healer, and Coca leaf Diviner, when asked about the source of the information she divines from them, she says:

"They give me such a powerful awareness it is as though an energy comes into me from just touching them. I invoke Mother Nature and the spirit of the coca, and with just seven leaves, the answer comes, as though through an open doorway."

Healing
An ancient method of diagnosing illness, still common in Peru, is to rub an egg over the body of the patient. Doris is gifted in this tradition and prescribes remedies which include medicinal herbs.

Much Andean wisdom is based on observation of nature, noting for example, that if the ducks go round in circles, there will be long rains, etc... Involvement with nature prevents the mind from becoming mechanical, can see that it is constantly nurturing us and helping us to grow.

The ofrenda
An 'ofrenda' is the most important ceremony used by Andean Indians to relate with Mother Earth. The ofrenda is a symbol of reciprocity with nature and its purpose is to teach us to reproduce this attitude. Through it we speak back to nature saying we understand the message and concord.

The ofrenda which is also known in Spanish as a 'pago', is not a 'payment' to nature as the Conquistadores saw it, implying a sinister pact with nature spirits. Additionally, they accused the Indians of being miserly because they preferred to pay symbolically rather than with real money!

An ofrenda is an expression of gratitude, not of debt or obligation.
Neither is it selfish to want things for ourselves as some people see it even today. It is true that urban people in Peru have started to make ofrendas for reasons such as wanting their businesses to flourish, but good business can equally imply good health, and harmony to the community and for the natural world.

In an Andean community realities are closer to earth than they are in the city, it is more important that the cattle do not die than to have more private possessions. Hence in the country there is a better understanding of the shamanic meaning of the ceremony, the re-establishing of relationship to nature. This is why we need a little preparation so that an ofrenda can work for us too.

Pachacuti

We live in a time of the fulfilment of an ancient Inca prophecy. This is the time of the new Pachacuti, a great change bringing with it a new relating to the Earth (Pachamama). Each Pachacuti is a era of time about 500 years. The last Pachacuti occurred with the Conquest in the early 16th century, and the Qero (Inca) priests have been waiting ever since for the next era, when order would start to emerge from chaos. The current Pachacuti refers to the end of time as we understand it, the end or death of a way of thinking and a way of being. A new relationship with the living Earth, and an emergence into a golden age of peace. There are many indications that changes in human consciousness are taking place, yet there is still a long way to go. It is part of Doriss vision to show us traditional ways that we can re-engage with the sacredness of life and the Earth so we too can more fully participate in the new Pachacuti.

Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest at the dedicated centre located in the Mishana nature reserve. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA), and has published numerous articles about plant medicines. He was baptised into the Shipibo tribe of the Upper Amazon, and initiated into the lineage of the shamans of the Rio Napo. Howard is also an artist who's paintings have featured in major exhibitions in London and elsewhere. His artwork has also been featured on book covers.

His website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk
email contact: eagleswing@shamanism.co.uk

Claims About Alcohol Detox

Quality alcohol detox programs are hard to find. We hear claims all the time that if you come to our alcohol detox program, you can detox without any pain and uncomfortability. Come to our alcohol detox program and we will give you plenty of narcotics and you will feel no pain. Come to our alcohol detox and you will feel comfortable and find people just like you.

Alcohol Detox and The Truth

The truth is that no matter what alcohol detox you decide on, alcohol detox is an uncomfortable time. With the right medications and physician, you do not have to be in pain, but alcohol withdrawal is uncomfortable. As for meeting people just like you, try telling that to a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Many, if not most alcohol detox programs, do not have a sense of what challenges the GLBT population have. It is hard enough to make the decision to go to alcohol detox, but to go to a detox and have to face prejudice, homophobia and experience more shame, is not what alcohol detox and addiction treatment should be about.

What is a Gay Friendly Alcohol Detox?

A gay friendly alcohol detox or gay alcohol detox medically is no different than any other quality and effective alcohol detox programs. The real difference is found is the training and education the nursing, medical and clinical staff has received. Alcohol detox is tough enough, the staff in a gay friendly detox understands the issues associated with "coming out", internalized homophobia, the shame you have experienced and the feelings of isolation. The experience of "really" being accepted can make all the difference in your alcohol detox process.

If need help locating a gay friendly alcohol detox or gay friendly alcohol rehab, anywhere in the country, you can call the national alcohol detox helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX or go to the site www.gay-rehab.com

Jonathan is a partner in Lakeview Health Systems, a nationally recognized drug rehab and alcohol rehab. Lakeview also manages Freedom Rings, which is drug rehab and alcohol rehab for the GLBT population.