Guests

by Elizabeth Mansur             

 I have been associated with Reflexology and have been certified by the International Institute of Reflexology for over a decade.  I have applied it on my clients for different ailments with great results.  I would like to share with you my experience in the ancient art of Reflexology and how it could help balance the body.  I learned the original Ingham method taught by Dwight C. Byers and inspired by his aunt Eunice Ingham.

 History

 I must allow those who are far more knowledgeable than myself to go into depth on the origins of the science of Reflexology.  I will have to add this small contribution to their search: Its origins evidently reached into ancient Egypt as evidenced by inscriptions found in a physician’s tomb called  (mastaba) in Egypt. On my trip to Egypt I saw hieroglyphics which showed Reflexology was used back in and got their translation when I visited Cairo with my husband a few years ago.  I had the aha moment right then.

Just what relationship Reflexology, as we know it today, has with the very ancient art of Oriental Pressure Therapy, and then of course, we read in the Bible of the traditions associated with the feet, that of washing them, etc could this be another historical hint?  

What is Reflexology? I remember memorizing this definition real well for my final exam.

“Reflexology is a science that deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the glands, organs and parts of the body.  Reflexology is a unique method of using the thumb and fingers on these reflex areas to relieve stress and tension , to improve blood supply and promote the unblocking of nerve impulses, to help nature achieve balance.”

 It reminded me of how a mechanic constantly is trying to fine tune a racing machine: he works on each part, constantly adjusting, tuning a screw here, twisting a knob there… until he is fully satisfied that the machine is in perfect running order so it will get the maximum results. This analogy can be applied or compared to our own body system. The healthy human body is an amazing machine with everything working in perfect order, balancing our glands, organs, nerves, chemicals, etc. If one of these components gets out of order then the effect is felt throughout the entire body system. You are out of tune. That is the basis for Reflexology.  I have worked on clients with that concept in mind for over 6 years. Many of them described to me on their next appointment the great effect it had on their health and wellbeing. Here is an example of a client name Richard Smith who became a friend of the family through our reflexology sessions.  He came to me complaining of swollen feet, discoloration and very dry skin. He had a stroke 2 years prior to our meeting.  His son is a famous celebrity chiropractor in Palm Springs, California.  He asked his dad to look for a Reflexologist in his area to help with his uncomfortable condition.  Richard came to my office wearing a slipper, even though it was kind of cold outside.  He said to me that he doesn’t buy shoes anymore and would love to be able to do that again.  I worked on him weekly for a month.  One day on a Friday afternoon, he unexpectedly walked into my office wearing his favorite shoes with a big smile on his face.  I must have tuned his kidneys, an organ that releases excess water (edemas) trapped in the body for a period of time, causing the blood vessels in the feet to restrict with no adequate circulation that caused the discoloration and the dryness Richard was experiencing.  Two months later, I wanted to release him from his weekly therapy, but Richard felt offended and unwanted.  Little did I know that he wanted to continue the therapy for other reasons as well, and that he started receiving other positive effects, that he admitted to me.  He started to get relief from his enlarged prostate and his chronic constipation.  Richard stayed a client of mine for over a year with a tune-up here and there.

I loved my job as a reflexologist, knowing that I shared the same principle with ancient Egyptians among other ancient cultures thousands of years ago.

To your health and wellness,

Elizabeth Mansur

Health & Wellness Coach

Wellnesssolutionsbydesign.com

By Hao Chen

To succeed and live a comfortable life, everyone needs constant motivation. This is because when people are motivated, they become more aggressive in achieving their goals and dreams in life. Experts say that though motivation from other people helps a lot, it is most appropriate if one starts with motivating him or herself. This is because if one knows the way to motivate him or herself, that person would be able to make decisions that would affect his or her life in the future.

In order to motivate one’s self, the early that needs to be done is by developing a positive outlook in life. This is fundamental because if one keeps an open and positive outlook towards life in the main, they will be in a position to overcome the commonplace struggle that would come en route. Also, if one has a positive outlook in life, he or she are able to turn failures into successes by seizing each opportunity that knock on the door.

Although this can be simple, many individuals are still having difficulties in achieving this because of so many factors such as personality, upbringing, and ways of managing stress in addition to failure. Experts say that for one to develop a positive outlook in life, they must be able to look after a positive attitude first. Once positive attitude is set, it is easier to look things in an orderly way. For one to develop positive attitude, he/she must undergo self-reassessment to determine what are their strengths in addition to the weaknesses. Once all one have been identified, it are easier to turn the bad ones into good ones and there would likewise be greater chances of making the positive ones better.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Self-motivation is not a simple task. It would require so much self-assessment as well as constant reflection over one’s self, on their environment, the people that surround him and the overall condition of life that they is in. Experts say that once each one has been thoroughly assessed, it will be easier to pave the way for continuous self-motivation. The next are only just a few of steps that people do in order for them to motivate on their own regularly:

1. Start small. This is the easiest ways to commence with self-motivation. By starting small and simple, you are not putting overmuch pressure on yourself about the matters that you must do and what are you ever going to accomplished in a specific space of time. By starting small, you will be in a position to accomplish easier tasks and you can move on to bigger challenges ahead knowing that you have gone though the total process.

2. Gather all the “motivators” around you and keep them as you progress. “Motivators” refers to people or things that would keep one motivated. For starters, it is these very important because these will serve as a reminder on the items that they have to do and what do they aim for. These will in addition keep their drive and spark going in attaining continuous self-motivation.

3. Stay in good company. To achieve continuous self-motivation, it is fundamental for one to veer away from who have negative vibes. It is a must for somebody to find a good company of individuals who’re all enthusiastic, encouraging, and have a positive outlook in life so they would in some manner feel positive aura.

Today, I am going to be bold and talk openly about one area in our health that is the least mentioned “Constipation.” The nature of our society doesn’t allow us to discuss such a subject freely without feeling disgusted or embarrassed. We feel offended by it and rather suffer alone or keep that as a private and secret from family, friends and even our doctor.

In this segment I would like to be open and bring awareness about this important bodily function that can save our life. Constipation Body’s greatest enemy.
The word constipation is derived from the Latin word “consipatus,” which means “to press or crowd together, to pack, to cram.” The packed accumulation of metabolic waste in the bowel makes evacuation difficult; however, a state of constipation can also exist when movements of the bowel may seem to be normal, in spite of an accumulation of feces somewhere along the line in the colon!

The fact of the matter is that constipation is the number one affliction underlying nearly every ailment. It can be imputed to be the initial, primary cause of nearly every disturbance of the human system. The most prevalent ailment that afflicted civilized people is constipation. It is vital to stress that constipation affects the health of the colon, upon which the health of the body in its entirety depends.

How do we accumulate such matter of constipation? One is the consumption of devitalized and refined food which fail to nourish the organs responsible for evacuation of waste matter. The other, which is prevalent among young people, but much less among the older and more mature, is neglecting to stop everything we are doing when the urge to evacuate the bowels should drive us headlong into the bathroom. Nature is a strict task master; she gives one warning – sometimes two. Your obey – or else. The “or else” is the insidious path to constipation.

A Surgery Procedure….Canceled

I would like to share a story about my husband Joe and what had happened over ten years ago. Joe was having pains in his lower abdomen, so he decided to go to the doctor to have it checked. The doctor examined him and wasted no time telling him”we had better get you to the hospital, I suspect appendicitis” ( inflammation in the appendix.) Joe was confused and scared, but he normally followed doctor’s orders. While he was waiting for his turn for surgery, he decided to give me a call… we were not married at that time. Joe was aware about my knowledge and experience in the Holistic field.
One question lead to another and I find out that Joe’s last bowel movement was a week or so ago. I gave him 2 options, one is to get home and get that colon cleaned asap. or go through with the surgery and kiss his appendix goodbye. He chose to come home. After few enemas, drinking lots of liquids and rest, he recovered fully and got to keep his appendix for good. The appendix is our first sign of defense that takes on a great responsibility to keep our colon healthy, but it also needs our help and responsibility to never neglect the health of our colon.

My experience on the subject of constipation convinced me over and over that no treatment of a heavy impacted colon should be a treated by surgery first, rather, cleaning the colon, avoiding constipation, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water and moving the body often. There is no ailment, sickness or disease that will not respond to treatment quicker and more effective than giving the body a chance to heal itself with the proper nutrition and exercise.

Cheers to your well being!

Elizabeth Mansur
Health & Wellness Coach
wellnesssolutionsbydesign.com

By Mark Shpuntov 

I was always a piles kind of guy. Piles of books, piles of clothes, piles of everything imaginable!

I was adamant about using every space around me as efficiently as possible – by throwing my stuff all over it. This was my way of life for several years, and I was happy-go-lucky with it, until I started becoming aware of how it was affecting my life.

The big change came when I started noticing that I was becoming lethargic, and losing my focus and motivation, whenever I tried to do any work at home. It was nice in a way, because it gave me a reason to escape to my favorite coffee shop, which was definitely a pleasure, not a hassle…

One day, I realized that I needed a proper space in my home to do my work. It seemed like I needed a home base, a bat cave, something cool that would make me feel awesome and inspired whenever I sat down to work. I quickly went out and bought a beautiful large executive-looking desk, and a luxurious leather chair to go with it. I added pictures, candles for meditation, and various peaceful, zen-like items.

It was a miracle! Forget procrastination! Forget not wanting to do any work!

I was UNSTOPPABLE!

I would use every excuse I could to sit in my nice leather chair, sip on my coffee, and look over my power desk. I loved it! Work became so enjoyable that even the nicest coffee shop lost some of its appeal for me. (Not all of it though… )

Think of your work space, whether at home or at the office. Does it make you WANT to be there? Does it INSPIRE you to work?

Clear the clutter in your environment, and the clutter in your head gets removed as well!

Have fun redecorating! 

Life is a tricky thing, it’s short, and yet it takes you most of it to figure out what it’s all about. The best thing I have found, is to constantly be on the lookout for new ideas, theories, and perspectives from other people.

In my quest to become my personal best, I found Hypnosis to be a surprisingly useful tool. I’ve had my doubts at first, but after giving it a try, I found that I could completely shape every aspect of myself and my life in a very easy way. I’m sure you can think of ways you’d like to improve your life too, habits to change, and personality traits to install. Believe me when I say, you have to give Hypnosis a try, it WILL change your life.

By Mary McNeil

Despite the fact that your clutter is obviously around you in the here and now, one of the reasons why having a good declutter session makes you feel great is because most clutter is anchored in the past. So as you exist with all these remnants of your past in your immediate surroundings, you are unconsciously holding yourself in that past. Which means that you’re stopping yourself from moving forward in a lighter persent and towards a freer future.

Most people’s clutter is a mixture of their ancient history, their middle past and their recently lived present. It can be most interesting to take a look at your own clutter and see if there’s a period of your life which you’re holding onto particularly strongly. There may not be – you may find that your clutter is a mishmash of past life stages and more recent procrastinations.

The reason why clutter accumulates in the way that it does is because most of it doesn’t actually start out as clutter at all. Think about your own clutter and you’ll probably realize that most of it started out as something useful, valuable, attractive, creative, supportive, positive…

As time passes, though, what happens is that those valuable and attractive items simply get out of date. Over the months and years they reach a point where they’re no longer useful or valuable to you. But instead of recognizing that fact, you hang onto them out of habit. Or just in case. Or for sentimental reasons.

Sentimentality around clutter most often occurs after the death of someone close. You inherit all sorts of items which, under happier circumstances, you would easily identify as clutter and dispose of. But there’s an emotional attachment to these particular items and to the past memories that they hold.

A coaching client of mine, living in a small house, inherited a large amount of family memorabilia when her father died. She kept it for a while, but didn’t really have either space or use for most it and felt guilty whenever she considered the possibility of not keeping it all. The moment of truth came when she realized that her dad would never have wished for her to be leading a heavy hearted existence full of clutter and obligation to old memories. She chose a couple of items that she wanted to keep, then contacted an auction house about the rest. She knew her dad would be proud that she was being decisive and getting on with her life.

It may be a painful truth, but in these circumstances, you are the one moving forward with your life and you need to choose what will serve you best as you do that. You most certainly do not have to discard all your happy memories in the decluttering process, but do make sure that you ditch the guilt!

Decluttering is never a one-off. However careful you are not to let obvious clutter into your life, there are always going to be some things that evolve into clutter over time. So if you want to be clutter free in the long term and you want to live your life in the here and now instead of letting your clutter drag you back into the past, there’s a really important skill you need to learn…

By developing an awareness that allows you to recognize when something that was once useful and valuable has evolved into clutter, you will be well on the path to clutter free success. The second step involves learning to thank that clutter warmly for its previous usefulness, and then to dispose of it with gratitude in your heart. In this way clutter is not the enemy, holding you back, it is simply a reminder that you are involved in the ongoing process of staying present in the present.

By John Furnem 

Hiking trips are an adventurous way to take a vacation or a little bit of time out to enjoy nature at its finest, up close. By taking a hiking trip you are also able to go to destinations that are remote or hard to get to, making your hiking trip an adventure that won’t easily be forgotten. Research the place that you are planning to visit on your hiking trip. Find out the best time of the year is to visit, as sometimes the weather conditions can be quite extreme at certain times of the year.

Although hiking on your own can seem like an exiting adventure, it is a lot safer to go hiking in a group. The more people who are along for the hike, the more likely it is you will all return home safely. If there is an accident or mishap along the way, there will be more people to assist. Before going on a hike, it is also a good idea to take part in a basic first aid course.

Since you are hiking, it will be necessary to carry everything needed for your adventure on your back. This will mean that the things that you take will be limited. Some of the things that you can’t do without are good quality hiking gear such as boots and waterproof, lightweight clothing to provide warmth and protection from the elements. Rope, tarp and sleeping bags will be necessary especially if you are camping out. These things will provide you with some of the necessities while hiking.

Make sure to bring along a first aid kit complete with sterile bandages, gauze and disinfectant. Other necessities such as water and food for the trip are essential. Matches will be needed to light a fire if you are planning on camping out on your hiking trip or if you get lost. Dehydrated food can be an ideal way to carry a fair amount of food without it taking up a lot of space or being too heavy to carry.

Hiking trips are not only a lot of fun they are also very beneficial to your health. Hiking will not only make you more fit, it will also help reduce stress and allow you plenty of thinking time. The feeling of challenging yourself will also be great for your mental health.

It is important to remember that, when hiking, you should bring all the necessary things needed. Think over what you need very carefully before taking your hiking trip. Notify family, neighbors or people of importance that you are going and when you are expected back from your hiking trip. If you are new to hiking, it may be a good idea to take some hiking safety classes before going out alone.

Don’t forget to take a camera so that, once you return home, you can share your adventures with friends and family. You will also have a long-term memento of how beautiful the countryside was on your hiking trip.

Many people I talk to have worries around finances and money.  Renee Daggett has some tips aimed at business to make life easy when dealing with the money aspect of business.  Although these are aimed at businesses many of them can be used for personal finances too.  Many of the less stressed people I have met treat their personal finances as if they were a business and by having systems in place reduce the worry potentially tied to money.

The information below about Renee comes directly from her website www.adminbooks.com

Renee Daggett – President, Administrative Bookkeeping

Certified QuickBooks Consultant with Intuit and The Sleeter Group, is the founder and President of Administrative Bookkeeping Co., Inc. She received a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in 1989.

Because education is important to her, Renee teaches QuickBooks classes for beginners and a QuickBooks class specifically for real estate investors and property managers. Born and raised in California and happily married since 1990, Renee is the mother of two sons. She lives her life with purpose and thrives on helping her clients do so as well.

Business Tips

• Keep all receipts.  Make copies of thermal receipts that fade over time

• Do not co-mingle personal and business expenses.  Make sure you have separate bank and credit card accounts for personal and business.  Credibility goes a long way in an audit.

• Meals are generally 50% deductible.  Make sure you document who you ate with and what business you discussed.  You must show intent to earn an income from the meal.  The only time meals are 100% deductible is if you ask employees to work overtime, coffee and water at the workplace, an occasional cocktail party or picnic or a holiday gift of food.   Having lunch or Starbucks by your self is not deductible!  Meals by yourself are not deductible unless you are traveling for business.

• Reconcile bank and credit card statements monthly.  This will reduce the chances of forgotten or transposition errors.  You can easily overstate or understate your income or expenses if you do not or leave un-cleared items in financial statements.

• The IRS has strict rules needed to substantiate expenses on the following categories: home office (regular & exclusive), business gifts, car & truck, travel, meals and entertainment.

• Business gifts are limited to $25 per person per year. If you and your spouse both give gifts, you are jointly limited to $25.  It does not matter whether you have separate businesses or an independent connection with the recipient.  Small gifts of $4 or less are not included in the $25 limit.  They can be imprinted items like pens or desk sets.  There is no limit if the gift is given to a corporation.

• All officer’s of a corporation must receive W-2 wages.  If an officer loans the company money, interest MUST be charged.  There must be a repayment plan written.

• Remember, tax laws change annually and they can be complex.  Always consult your CPA or Enrolled Agent for assistance, strategies and recommendations for your individual situation.

• Do not wait until the end of the year to enter all the income and expenses for your business.  If you do a little each month, tax season will not be stressful for you.  Also, having a “tax file folder” that you can put all your important documents in will help gather everything you need to take to your preparer.

• Keep a log book in each vehicle to record business miles.  Document date, beginning and ending odometer and the purpose of the trip.

• The following are NOT typically deductible: owners draw, credit card payments, dry cleaning costs, federal tax payments, clothing, or your morning coffee!  Seek advice.

• Collect any W-9’s from vendors.  Verify if you paid anyone over $600 that will require a 1099.  You will also need to send out a 1096. Call the IRS to get FREE forms: 1800-829-3676 (will take 2 weeks)

• Is your business a hobby?  The IRS can disallow any business losses if they think you are deducting activity that has elements of personal pleasure or recreation.  Ask yourself: how much time and effort do you spend in your business?  Do you have a written business plan?

• Corporations are required to keep annual minutes.  Anyone can sue for any reason.  Do not be lazy in completing your minutes.  Keep your liability veil strong.

• Business plans are crucial if you are serious about your business.  They force you to focus on your business to achieve a destination.  S.C.O.R.E. will provide FREE evaluation of your business plan.

• Budgets are not a four letter word.  They allow you to know exactly what your costs are – do you know??  What are your break-even costs for your business??

• Being able to read and understand financial statements is huge to the success of your business.  If you are not sure what they mean, ASK and get informed.  You cannot make wise decisions if you do not know your financial position.

• Do you know how the IRS determines if a person is an employee or independent contractor??  Be careful on this.  You will be subject to the highest penalties and interest if they find that you should have been paying someone as an employee, rather a contractor. Do it right!!

• Be careful if you extend credit to your customers.  Make sure you’re your business will not fail due to their uncollectible invoices.

• Remember to take a physical inventory count on the last day of the year.

• Remember to write down your ending mileage on December 31^st each year.

• Shoeboxes are for shoes, not for business records.  It is important to have clean, easy way of tracking your income and expenses, those you owe money to and those who owe you money.  This is not a luxury, but a necessity in order to make good business decisions.

Rule one, of course, is to book in advance – 14 days is good – 21 days  better. Booking more than 30 days in advance gives you time to look for specials.

If you fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the fares are often less than weekend travel days of Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday especially after a big holiday weekend.  By coming home from Germany on Wednesday after New Years we saved $400 each on air fare and used that money to visit Munich for a few days.

Are you getting the best price available?  After finding your flight information, go to

Kayak.com, put in the exact same information, and watch Kayak spin through multiple combinations. My web site usually has the same prices as the low price for Kayak. JoansTravelAdventures.com

A great new web site for discount travel, especially international travel, Vayama.com

If you make an error, they are wonderful at helping you correct it.

I prefer the shortest travel times but two of my clients selected flights with 5 hour layovers in New York City. One took the A Train into Grand Central Station and had dinner; the other stayed in the airport meeting with her sister New Jersey for lunch.

We visited Sea World in Ft. Lauderdale on a long connection time, creating a vacation within a vacation.

Specials — If you find an incredible special, book it quickly.  I missed a $99 flight to New Hampshire because I wanted to check with my husband.

Work toward getting free flights with credit cards. Those opportunities are less than in the past, but still good.

The most amazing thing?  With 24 hours of travel time, you can be almost anywhere! What a miracle!

Joan Banks Stutes

408-806-7230

joan@joanstraveladventures.com

By Todd Maurice Hebert

Ginger was introduced to me at a very young age. My grandmother knew the power of ginger as did her mother before her. I am positive that if I was able to go back in time I would find that my ancestors started off with Wild Ginger which grows all over here in Vermont and is also medicinal but in smaller doses.

I remember every time I had a cold as a child my grandmother would brew up a cup of Ginger tea. I have to say it was not a pleasant experience but boy did it work. My grandmother who was Native American knew the herbs to use when sickness struck. She would make the ginger tea by boiling dried or fresh Ginger Root in water and adding a dabble of honey to help with the flavor. My grandmother has since passed on but as I am learning about herbalism I have come to realize that my grandmother was right.

Ginger is very powerful for colds and flu but what I have learned is that Ginger can also be used for other things. A few years back I was diagnosed with GERD a gastrointestinal disorder causing bloating and an upset stomach. I felt that I was always sick until I discovered that Ginger could be used to treat this illness. Ginger will help calm an upset stomach and will rid the body of toxins that cause such a thing. I cannot describe the difference this has made in my life. I no longer have to take chemicals (over the counter meds) such as Mylanta to calm my stomach.

Another great use I have found for Ginger is its heating ability. I have found that there are some cold people out there. I am not talking about rude people I am talking about people who are cold all the time. Ginger is a welcoming herb for these people. The heating power of Ginger brewed as a tea will warm them up and make them comfortable. Senior citizens are good candidates for the warming qualities of Ginger.

Well I have covered some of the great uses for Ginger. There are many more such as Ginger can be used to treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea, and heart conditions. I hope you will find that Ginger can be used to help you. It sure has helped me.

Colon Health the Key to a Vibrant Life

By Elizabeth Mansur

Pay attention to your body, be kind to it and make sure you provide it with the highest octane fuel  - it needs to function properly to last a life time.

 Elizabeth Mansur