ABC of Staying Healthy

Staying healthy requires a lot of thinking and self reflection to be successful. With a longer life expectancy of human beings as compared to pre-modern age, people have been more vigilant to think about and create ways to even extend the lives of everyone existing. Numerous mnemonics and acronyms have been developed as well by nutritionists and scientists to help people have a guide on how to stay healthy. One of these would be the ABC’s of staying healthy, a very simple, yet effective way of adding to the long list of patterns to keep healthy.

A Is For: Abstinence

“A” stands for abstinence. Many may be thinking that this seems like the same ABC tip for responsible sex. Though the keywords used in the ABC’s of staying healthy are similar except for the last one, the ideas are completely in a different context as this would specifically target more of a person’s lifestyle in everyday living.

Abstinence should be practiced by the person by removing foods that would not make them healthy in the process. Unless it is required such as a career that would limit the choice to either quit the job or to counter the effects with good health practices, abstinence on a great level is required of the person should he wish to start staying healthy and maintain his health. Abstinence should be the basis of any individual to serve as a disciplinary concept. Without
the discipline to know when to say No, it would prove difficult to stay away from the things that people have learned to love.

B Is For: Be Faithful

“B” stands for “Be Faithful”. Being faithful is being able to hold out and maintain focus on your objective of staying healthy. Though it is not a crime to bend the rules from time to time because of valid reasons, it may develop into a nasty habit of having an excuse for every single choice that should have been for staying healthy.

C Is For: Calisthenics

Calisthenics or exercise is and has always been part of any healthy program designed for the health conscious and the health seekers alike. Calisthenics does not necessarily mean the rigorous training that one sees in advertisements and magazines. Calisthenics are simple activities which would allow for movement and permit the proper flow of
blood to the different parts of the body for optimal oxygenation of the cells.

Calisthenics should be done everyday for at least 30 to 45 minutes which includes mainly aerobic exercise. Not only does daily calisthenics improve the cardiovascular flow of the body, it also adds up to the amount of calories to be burned for the day to maintain the desired body weight and fitness level.

The ABC’s of staying healthy is quite a simple concept for anyone to grasp should they wish to seek a better healthy state or maintain an already good one. It is ultimately a personal choice but one that should not be taken lightly after all you are only given one body and one life, why not live it to the healthiest you possibly can.

Source :http://drmommyhealthtips.com

Gems of SriLanka

Photo Source :www.wijayagems.lk

Sri Lanka, the island known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean lives up to its nickname as a hotbed for a variety of gems. Sri Lanka is home to 40 varieties of Gems out of 85 varieties available in the whole world. Gems of Sri Lanka have found there way to many a court all over the world since time immemorial. Solomon, the Biblical king, epitome of human wisdom had gems brought from Sri Lanka to woo the heart and win the hand of queen Sheba. There exists many a story of jewels from serandib (as Sri Lanka was known in the past) traveling into kingdoms of Cathay and Arabian Gulf. Various types of exquisite gems are found on this paradise isle. Precious stones from Ceylon are of high class; in them we find the maximum refraction and dispersion of light. Some of the gems found there have become famous under special names like 'Sinhalite', 'Ceylonite" etc.
Gems are most commonly found in the following areas of Sri Lanka such as Rathnapura (this town is about 100 km from Colombo), Ehaliyagoda, Balangoda, Kahawatte and etc. Gems are cut and polished to improve luster, which is an industry highly localized in above areas. Many a gem is exported to meet the demand for precious stones, and the rest are supplied to institutions that deal in making jewelry. Many a Gem of Ceylon is blessed with far superior attributes than other gems found elsewhere, throughout the world. The radiance, luminosity and other qualities that define the price of a precious stone, are found to be of the highest order.



photo Source :www.multigemssl.com

"Variety of gem material" that one can find in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) are listed below.

Corundum - Blue Sapphires, Star Sapphires, Rubies, Star Rubies, Yellow Sapphires, Pink Sapphires, Padmadradcha, Orange Sapphires, White sapphires.
Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye, Alexandrite, Alexandrite Cat's Eye, Chrysoberyl.
Spinel Blue Spinel, Red Spinel, Purple Spinel.
Topaz White Topaz (When Treated Makes London Blue)
Zircon Green Zircon, Yellow Zircon, Brown Zircon, Colourless Zircon.
Garnet Rhodolite Garnet, Hessonite Garnet, Pyrope Garnet, Almandine Garnet.
Beryl Aquamarine, Heliodor.
Quartz Smoky Quartz, White Quartz, Amethyst Quartz Cat's Eye
Tourmaline Brown Tourmaline, Yellow Tourmaline (Green & Blue Rare)
Feldspar Moonstones


Also Andalusite, Kornerupine And A Variety Of Agates. And The Rare Gemstones; Sinhalite, Lolite, Indicolite, Fibrolite, Taaffeite, Ekanite And Star Spinel.

Source :http://www.triptosrilanka.com

Top 10 tips for reducing waste and saving energy

1) Turn off all office equipment when you're not using it - overnight, at weekends and during bank holidays.

A single computer and monitor left on 24 hours a day will cost over £50 a year. Switching it off out of hours and enabling standby features could reduce this to £15 a year each and prolong the lifespan of equipment. For a typical small office with 10 PCs, this could equate to savings of over £300 per year.



2) Turn off lights in empty rooms and replace bulbs with energy saving ones.

Lighting costs can be cut by as much as 15 per cent by simply turning off lights in rooms and corridors that aren't being used.



3) Reduce water consumption by turning off taps fully and fixing any drips.

A constantly dripping tap can waste 500,000 litres of water per year. This could cost your business about £400 per year.



4) Examine waste disposal costs and consider partnering with a nearby business to recycle your waste. Look at whether your waste could be turned into another business' raw materials.

Your business can save 4–5 per cent of its turnover by using waste minimisation techniques.


5) Keep heating at a constant level and ensure doors and windows are shut when using heating or air conditioning.

Your heating costs will go up by 8 per cent each time you increase the temperature by just one degree.



6) Ask your suppliers about take-back schemes for unused products.

You may be able to get your money back, or at least a portion of the cost.



7) Minimise the need for travel, and drive efficiently when travel is necessary.

A business with five company cars could save £5,300 per year through more efficient driving, leading to a reduction in fuel consumption and mileage repayment costs.

Real savings can be made on every vehicle used by reducing the load carried and good maintenance.



8) Invest in efficient equipment to help cut your energy, transport and water costs. Government support includes interest-free Energy Efficiency Loans and Enhanced Capital Allowances.



9) Use email where possible, set your PC to print double-sided and use refillable printer, fax and photocopier cartridges.

Your business can refill inkjet cartridges for about half the price of a new one.



10) Let your customers and suppliers know you're committed to reducing your environmental impact, and promote it through your marketing.

More than a third of consumers would favour a product that has been designed with either low environmental impact, minimal packaging or recyclability in mind.

Source :http://www.businesslink.gov.uk

15 Quick Fashion tips for Men

Graphical Source :whowhatwear.com

Here are 15 Quick Fashion tips:


1. Fit is King – The most dramatic improvement you can make in your style is to make sure everything fits. Most guys wear clothes that are too large. Make sure everything you wear is almost hugging the curves of your body - without being tight. Bad fit is an epidemic, cure yourself.

2. Keep it simple – You want a wardrobe that looks great on you but you don’t want to overdo it. For example, don’t wear more than three pieces of jewelry or more than three colors. Don’t dress like a rock star unless you’re in a band. If you want to be flashy, a simpler but stylish look would be sporting a black striped dress shirt with a white blazer, a dark pair of jeans, a white belt, and your favorite pair of shoes. You could also add a flashy watch or a simple accessory like an interesting necklace, but nothing more.

3. Change the way you see casual - casual doesn’t have to be boring. Have fun with collared shirts, or take some inspiration from those who approach casual a bit differently.

4. Pay attention to your supporting pieces - Some sweaters are lean and others are big and chunky. The first rule of thumb is that your top and bottom halves need to match. If you’re wearing a big, chunky, rugged fisherman knit sweater, your bottom needs to be rugged, too. Don’t wear a fisherman’s sweater with a beautiful silk-and-wool suit pant. Instead, wear it with something as casual as cargoes or jeans, or dress it up with a Harris tweed blazer.

5. Never go shopping alone – You can never really trust the sales people because they usually work for commission. Read about shopping on a budget.

6. Stay at least a notch above - Don’t overdo it to a fault, but still take some risks. It’s always better to be a little bit overdressed than underdressed in a situation. All you have to do is think about where and who you’re going to be with and just step it up one notch. But make sure you’re not better dressed than someone who is more important in a certain setting, like you’re boss.


7. Never underestimate the power of details – The last thing on is usually the first thing noticed. So mind the details instead of throwing together the main parts of your outfit. “Details” can include a scarf, a subtle pocket square, to the way you tie your tie knot.

8. Invest in a good pair of shoes – If it’s one thing that women will notice, it’s your shoes. Especially how clean they are. It’s easy to wash and press the rest of your clothes to keep them looking new, but most guys disregard their shoes. Show you’re a man of taste by getting a nice pair of shoes and keeping them in pristine condition. It’s the fastest way to showing others that you take care of yourself.

9. Fashion Tees with logos – When you’re going around with a big logo on your shirt, you risk looking like a walking billboard.

10. Disregard trends – You shouldn’t wear something just because it’s “in” right now. Always build a versatile and timeless (or classic) wardrobe first, and then bring in your own twists with some of the new stuff. This one tip has saved me so much money.

11. Don’t be a sucker for brand names - Don’t be a Patrick Bateman. Before you decide to purchase an item, ask yourself if you are buying it because it’s “in style” or because it genuinely suits you. Ask yourself if you would buy the garment if it didn’t have a logo on it.

12. Stay away from clogs and Crocs - They look good on nobody. Enough said.

13. An undershirt is an undershirt - An undershirt is meant to be worn underneath your dress shirt or sweater to absorb the sweat, dirt, and body oils that we all inevitable secrete. This way you might be able to get away with not having to launder the shirt every time you wear it, and you shirt will be around for even longer. Please do not wear a wife beater, v-neck, or crew-neck undershirt by itself with jeans.

14. Upgrade your shave - Even if all the threads are gold, unkempt beard can be an instant attraction killer. Achieve that perfect shave by adding a shave brush & old-fashioned double-edged razor.

15. Experiment with style – The only way you’ll really learn, is if you go out there and try new things. If you make mistakes, life goes on. So many guys are afraid to express themselves through their style, don’t be one of them

Source:http://www.kinowear.com

BASIC TYPES OF INVESTMENTS - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

BASIC TYPES OF INVESTMENTS - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Are you new to investing? Then it is important that you know and understand the basic types of investments that are available to you.


The following financial instruments are the investment options generally available to you in the investments marketplace.

BASIC TYPES OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS



Savings Accounts

Savings accounts are a safe haven to store your emergency funds. They provide easy access to your money and are generally insured. If you or your family’s deposit accounts at one FDIC-insured bank or savings association total $100,000 or less, your funds are fully insured. The chief drawback of such accounts is that interest rates tend to be low since they offer a very high degree of safety.




CDs (Certificates of Deposit)

A CD is a special type of deposit account that typically offers a higher rate of interest than a regular savings account. Just like savings accounts, CDs are also insured up to $100,000. When you purchase a CD, you invest a fixed sum of money for fixed period of time. Usually, the longer the period, higher is the interest rate. There are penalties for early withdrawal.



Money Market Deposit Accounts

These accounts generally earn higher interest than savings accounts. They are very safe and provide easy access to your money. They are also insured by the FDIC. They offer many of the services that checking accounts offer, however, a limit is normally placed on the number of withdrawals or transfers you can make during a given period of time.



Stocks

When you buy stocks, you own a part of the company’s assets. If the company does well, you may receive periodic dividends and/or be able to sell your stock at a profit. If the company does poorly, the stock price may fall and you could lose some or all of the money you invested.



Bonds

A bond is a certificate of debt issued by the government or a company with a promise to pay a specified sum of money at a future date and carries interest at a fixed rate. Bond terms can range from a few months to 30 years. Bonds are tradable instruments and are generally considered a safer than stocks because bondholders are paid before stockholders if a company becomes bankrupt. Independent bond-rating agencies rate the likelihood that any given bond will default.



Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is generally a professionally managed pool of money from a group of investors. A mutual fund manager invests your funds in securities, including stocks and bonds, money market instruments or some combination of these, based upon the fund’s investment objectives. By investing in a mutual fund you can diversify, thereby, sharply reducing your risk. Most mutual funds charge fees. You often pay income tax on your profits.



Annuities

Annuities are contracts sold by an insurance company designed to provide payments to the holder at specified intervals, usually after retirement. Earnings cannot be withdrawn without penalty until a specified age and are taxed only at the time of withdrawal. Annuities are relatively safe, low-yielding investments. An annuity has a death benefit equivalent to the higher of the current value of the annuity or the amount the buyer has paid into it.

Source :http://www.moneyinstructor.com

Tips For Hair Care

The following are some basic hair care tips that you can use to improve the health and look of your hair.

General
A healthy lifestyle will mean healthier hair for you. Excessive stress, smoking, not exercising and not eating nutritiously are not healthy for your hair.

• Get enough sleep.

Hair Products (Gel, mouse, hair spary...)
• Avoid using hair styling products with alcohol which dries out hair.

• Avoid puting hair styling products directly on your scalp, if you put it on your scalp you'll clog the pores on your head.

Swimming
• Before entering a pool, wet your hair so your hair will soak up the initial water instead of the chlorinated water.

• When swimming where a cap to protect your hair from chlorinated water, if you choose not to wear a cap make sure you shampoo and condition your hair right after you are done swimming.

Drying
• Hot air can be damaging to your hair so when using a hair dryer use the cool setting.

• Don't leave the blowdryer in one spot for more than a few seconds, keep it moving and at a good distance away from your hair.

• To speed up the drying process, pat your hair dry with a towell and let the remaining moisture in your hair dry naturally.

• Gently use your fingers or a pick to untangle any knots while your hair is drying.

Combing/Brushing
• Use a brush whose bristles are made from natural animal hairs, it is softer and more flexible which means less damage will be done to your hair.

• Hair is most fragile when it is wet so avoid brushing or combing when it's wet, or else it will cause breakage, wait until your hair is almost completely dry before brushing it.

• Use brushes/combs with widely spaced bristles/teeth and smooth tips. Sharp tooth combs can damage your hair, cause split ends, and scratch your scalp.

• To keep your brushes and combs clean, wash them weekly using soap or shampoo.

• Comb your hair to remove any tangles before brushing it.

• Begin by combing your hair gently at the ends to get any tangles out and work your way up to the base of your hair.

• Always brush/comb with a downwards stroke.

• Avoid using plastic brushes/combs which create static electricity

• Shampooing and Conditioning
• Buy shampoos & conditioners that match your hair type, trial and error is the best way to find out what specific hair product is best for your hair.

• Shower with warm water, hot water can dry and/or irritate the scalp.

• It is important to wash your hair, shampooing removes dirt, dead skin cells, hair oils, any hair products you may put into your hair.

• When shampooing, rinse your hair out before applying any shampoo to remove any dust, dirt, and any other foreign items, then apply the shampoo onto your scalp and massage it gently with your finger tips and work your way outwards. After you are done make sure that you thouroughly rinse out your hair to remove any shampoo residue that may be left. Shampoo residue may dry your scalp/hair and or attract dirt. It is recommended that you only lather once to avoid drying your hair out, if you have oily hair, lathering again may stimulate your oil glands to create even more oil than normal.

• You should wash your hair as often as you feel necessary to keep it clean, but a general rule is for oily hair you should wash it every day or every other day and for dry hair only wash it 2-3 times a week.

• Try rotating the shampoo and conditioner periodically, your hair responds differently to different products.

• Use a conditioner after shampooing, it'll moisturize your hair, give it extra protection, add shine, reduce static, and makes it easier to untangle.

• Use a leave in conditioner, it'll hydrate and protect your hair. A leave in conditioner on your hair is the equivalent of moisturizer on your face.

• When conditioning your hair, try to spread conditioner evenly through out your hair and leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing out your hair.

• Put the conditioner in at about an inch away from the scalp, the roots of your hair contain the most oils and usually don't need the extra conditioning.

• Be gentle when shampooing and conditioning, don't use excessive force rubbing your hair, remember hair is most vunerable when wet.

Source : http://www.haircareguide.com

10 tips for women to stay fit and healthy

Fitness for Women- Stay Fit and Healthy!

Here are 10 tips for women to stay fit and healthy:

1. Staying fit and healthy starts with a balanced diet. Know and monitor the right weight for your age. Consult your doctor to learn what food you should avoid and follow your eating discipline routines. If you are trying to lose some weight, foods with high calories should be omitted from your meals. Food with high fiber and low fat should be included a priority in your grocery list instead of red meat, sugars and fats.

2. Drink plenty of water. Drinking at least eight glasses of water everyday. This cleanses the body from impurities. It is also advised for lactating women to increase water intake to keep the body hydrated.

3. Take Vitamins and Supplements. Do not forget your Calcium supplement. Sufficient Calcium intake is beneficial for women of all ages. This has been proven to prevent having cramps and Pre-Menstrual Period (PMS) Symptoms. It also prevents Osteoporosis especially for menopausal women. Vitamin E boosts strong immune system. Women who undergo menopausal period should take Vitamin E-400 as it stops night sweats and hot flashes. Also, Vitamin E is said to be best in avoiding wrinkles when aging.

4. Quit smoking. If you are smoking, stop. It is also a big “NO” for pregnant women, as this will affect the health of the baby. Pregnant women who smoke may pass the harmful content of cigarettes to babies through the bloodstream. Recent studies have shown that women smokers are more prone to diseases than men smokers. Women who smoke have a high risk of getting breast cancer. Also limit your alcohol intake.

5. Incorporate exercises in your daily routine. Take a walk after work, use stairs instead of elevator or play with your kids when you are at home. Home exercises are also effective especially when you do not have time to go to the gym and would like to lose some weight. Yoga and Pilates are only a few of the many effective exercises you can do at home. Exercises help in limiting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

6. Avoid stress. Many women are prone to too much stress. Stress has been known as cause to many sicknesses. As much as possible take time to relax. Read a good book, hang out with friends and engage into sports. Pamper yourself by going to parlors or you can do some shopping. And do not forget to get enough sleep to revive your energy.

7. Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Wear hats when under the sun to protect your skin. Too much sun is bad for your skin. The skin is prone to cancer when exposed to too much sunlight. It also speeds up the aging of skin cells, which causes wrinkles to women.

8. Make sure to visit your dentist to keep that beautiful smile. Always have it cleaned to prevent cavities and bad breath.

9. Visit your Gynecologist. Women who are eighteen and above should have their Physical Examination annually especially for the Pap Smear test. Women who are forty and up should have their mammograms and the Breast self-exam is encouraged once puberty has been reached and should be a habit as they mature

10. Safe sex is strongly recommended. Use condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Source :http://healthnutritionwellness.com