Breakfast: Kick Start Your Day

You must have heard that a good, healthy breakfast in the morning can keep you alert and active throughout the day. Children do better in school and our physical health improves as well, as it is a great way to start the day in a state of nurturing ourselves in a positive manner. But the vital question that begs to be asked is, “What exactly does this healthy breakfast consist of?” The following are some tried and tested suggestions.

Balance between fats, protein and carbohydrates is critical, so when choosing what to eat ensure your breakfast does not contain more than one element from among oil, sweets and fats—especially if you are trying to lose weight. When choosing a fat element, stick to nuts, almonds, flaxseeds or other food containing Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids also carry EFA that can help improve your mental alertness and even IQ.

Continue reading here.

Debt v. Equity Financing

When entrepreneurs begin to think about either going into business for themselves or taking their business to the next level, the financial and money concerns become the main challenge to address and/or overcome.

Debt and equity are the two main financing options from which most businesses can choose. Debt financing in simple terms means borrowing funds for the business for a fixed period of time at an interest rate pre-determined at the time of borrowing. Equity financing, on the other hand, refers to the capital raised for a company by selling common stock to individual or institutional investors. It leads to sharing of ownership in the business, depending on the amount invested. The following is a brief introduction to the advantages and disadvantages of both debt financing and equity financing.

Continue reading here.

EFT and the Law of Attraction

We have discussed previously how our limiting beliefs and emotional blocks prevent the law of attraction from working. Getting these beliefs and blocks out of our system, however, is something with which most of us get stuck. If you are in a similar situation as well, you may find EFT useful.

EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, is a simple yet effective healing process that can help you release negative beliefs and blocks from your system. The philosophy behind EFT is that our bodies contain pathways through which the life force energy flows; negative emotions create blocks in these pathways, thus interfering with free flow of the life force energy. EFT involves tapping on these pathways while focusing on the negative beliefs we want to release. I know this exercise sounds too simplistic to be effective, but it has managed to produce amazing results for many people who have tried it.

Continue reading here.

Plant Growth and Moon Phases

Even though as I am writing this we are nearing the end of the year, it is the time at which most gardeners begin to think about the upcoming year and what seeds they would like to plant in early spring. There are many cultures in different parts of the world that share common beliefs about the effect of moon phases on the growth of plants. Farmers in several remote rural areas still swear by moon phases. It is believed that the moon’s gravitational force, lunar light as well as the zodiac sign that the moon is in all play a crucial role in plant development.

To support that inner gardener in you, here are few of those lunar gardening/planting beliefs to help you prepare for your spring planting.

Continue reading here.

Tai Chi and Your Health

Tai Chi is a popular form of exercise based on the principles of martial arts. I personally do not practice Tai Chi, but I have always been intrigued by it. It has been recommended by a few health consultants for me to pick up, but like most people it is finding the time and energy to find space in my calendar. I hope one day to bring it up on my priority list. In my reading and interest level, I thought it would be interesting to share what I do know about Tai Chi with you in hopes that maybe through my writing and sharing I may one day get closer to embracing this practice.

What I have learned is that Tai Chi combines breathing and relaxation techniques with low-impact physical movements. Its roots can be traced to both the ancient Indian practice of yoga and a martial arts-like technique practiced by the Taoist monk Chang Sang Feng in ancient China.

Continue reading here.

Human Resources: Employee Engagement

Employees are the key differentiating factor in any organisation. After all, they are often the ones who are instrumental in giving an organization an edge over its competitors. It is therefore essential for HR departments to ensure employees stay fully committed and motivated while performing their responsibilities; in other words, they must use effective Employee Engagement strategies.

Five Categories of Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement is a measure of how emotionally attached employees are to their organization and how passionate they are about their job and responsibilities. According to HR Anexi’s survey, employees tend to fall into one of the following five categories in terms of their engagement.

Continue reading here.

Perfect Moment Monday: Season of Joy

My Perfect Moment for this week …

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. I am not sure if it is all the glittery lights hanging from roof tops, the increased level of “happiness” in people, or the idea of buying and wrapping gifts to give to loved ones and those who’ve made a difference. This past week was filled with moments of purely enjoying the season of giving.

Continue reading here.

Christmas and Fuel Plans

The holiday season is now in full swing, and for those of us who love to bake and/or cook, you know this is the season in which you are in your glory. For the rest of us, we are challenged not to overindulge or partake in all the food lovingly shared with us by those in our lives. Whether it is home-baked goods brought into the office or sweets offered while visiting, the temptation is all around. I think for most people this is NOT the season for crash diets, restricted food intake or any other thoughts about reducing our weight; but it is the season for reasonable moderation and a daily check-in with your fuel plans.

If you are in the midst of manifesting a more appropriate physical body weight, then let’s take a few minutes to examine what it means to approach the notion of weight loss during the holiday season and how you still need to understand how weight loss needs to be a gradual process. Any technique or fuel plan (Remember, we changed the reference from “diet” to “fuel.”) that promises near-instant results is usually either a sham or extremely harmful for your health. During this season it can be even more challenging; therefore, your chances…

Continue reading here.

Social Networking and Business Expansion

Most sales and marketing articles these days will tell you to take advantage of social networking sites in order to expand your business. While this advice is great, an important question that remains unanswered in most How-To articles is just how can you use social networking websites to your advantage? The answer lies in understanding social networking etiquette and is something I personally continue to revisit to refine my own approaches as an individual in business and for my overall business.

We all know social networking websites are an excellent way to make new contacts and keep in touch with old ones. However, most people tend get put off if you use the medium to blatantly promote a product or service. A social networking marketing campaign therefore has to be carefully drafted so it doesn’t look like you are on the site only to serve your business interests. This becomes a fine balancing act, and as a business owner I need to know when enough is enough or when I need to push through. If you are uncertain where that fine line is for you and your business, then consulting with a social networking expert is a great place to begin.

Continue reading here.

Napoleon Hill

All of us yearn for success. We all want to be rich and fulfill our ambitions, but very few of us know what road map to follow in order to reach that coveted destination. Napoleon Hill not only discovered this road map, but he also shared it through his books and seminars.

Napoleon Hill (Oct. 26, 1883-Nov. 8, 1970) was perhaps among the first American author to write about the intricate connection between one’s personal beliefs and success. He explained how having a firm set of beliefs and values was an essential component of success, while negative emotions like fear, selfishness, anger, etc., only bred failure. His book Think and Grow Rich, in which he discusses his own observations and secrets about success, is the one of the best-selling books of all time.

Continue reading here.

Perfect Moment Monday: On Track for the Holidays

My Perfect Moment for this week involved taking my son on the Oregon Holiday Express train. He was over the moon with excitement as we were walking up to the steam train.

A good friend of mine organized a group of us to go, and it was one of the best mornings this year—at least, that is what my son would say if you asked. We know he likes Thomas the Train and enjoys playing with his train set, but we definitely knew Saturday morning just how much he liked trains.

Continue reading here.

Sixth Chakra and Intuition

According to yogic philosophy, the sixth chakra (or the third eye, as it is commonly called) connects us to our higher self. Our intuitive powers are based on whether or not this chakra is functioning properly. In simple terms, if the third eye chakra is blocked or restricted, our intuitive voice gets muffled.

To balance this chakra you can use yogic, crystal therapy, hypnosis, aroma therapy, simple meditation techniques and/or positive affirmations.

Continue reading here.

Decoding Stem Cell Treatments

We’ve all heard about the "miracle" of stem cells and we all are aware of the controversy behind these treatments. We have been told and for some believe and know it is the future of medicine. We are even aware of how the treatment has given hope to several suffering from life threatening diseases like leukaemia, cancer and blood disorders. But what exactly does this treatment entail? How many claims about the treatment’s potential are actually true? Well, here are some facts that may help you gain a better understanding of stem cell treatments.

We’ve all been touched by someone who has gone through the painful journey of cancer and as such I encourage you to be conducting your own reading and research to allow you to come to your own conclusion with regard to your personal view of stem cell treatments. This article is just one perspective based on one person’s research and it’s intention is to provide you a glimpse at some of the facts that are out there.

Continue reading here.