What is it with DIETING?

What is it with DIETING?

Learning Hebrew Lessson 1

Mr. I-I-I's Blogsite: You Are More Beautiful Than This

Mr. I-I-I's Blogsite: You Are More Beautiful Than This

Lindamartinsmann's Blog

Lindamartinsmann's Blog: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Golden Spoon Yogurt (healthy, good for you! Dairy and low in calories)

Check out Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt today for a nice refreshing and healthy taste of something really good! Golden Spoon

Website design/Graphic Design

Check out this site and see what is available for you! Linda is best known for her talent in Photoshop CS4, Adobe Flash CS4, HTML, Dreamweaver CS4, JavaScript, and PHP! Check out what she has done!

LindaMartinsMann.com

Set the pace for your health NOW, with this!

Are you setting the pace for your health?

Exercise can be extremely uplifting! Marathon runners often talk about a "runner's high." Not only does working out help your physical body become stronger and more resilient, but it also has many pluses for your mind. Taking time out of your day to exercise gives you a chance to let go of your worries, calm your mind, and concentrate on one thing--which seems impossible to most moms! Running works for most people, as you can set the pace and distance to suit your skill level. Start slowly by doing a combination of stretching, walking, and light jogging. Then gradually work up to a routine that elevates your heart rate. Be careful not to start out too fast--it might lead to discouragement and muscle soreness that will make you never want to put on your running shoes again. Pretty soon you'll be able to intensify your workout to incorporate quicker paces and longer sessions. Endurance and setting a healthy pace are keys to long-term success.

I can feel the wind go by when I run. It feels good. 
It feels fast.  - Evelyn Ashford, American athlete

Storing up for the winters of life

One of Aesop's most famous fables is about an encounter between a grasshopper and some ants. All summer long the ants had been toiling away, saving up grain for the long winter. All the while the grasshopper merrily--yet foolishly--squandered his time without a care in the world, without making any provisions for the cold season to come. When winter came, the grasshopper found himself starving and begged the ants for food. They replied, "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supper-less to bed in the winter." While leisure time is important for rejuvenating an overworked mind, idleness is just a step away from foolishness. Think about the future that you deeply desire for yourself and your family. Chart and take wise steps towards it. There's nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses, as long as you keep moving along the path.

"Be wise in the use of time. The question in life is not 
how much time do we have. The question is what shall 
we do with it.   - Anna Robertson Brown, author"

What nature teaches us about silence

Too often we speak before we think and do not listen nearly as much as would benefit us. Today, examine situations where you might learn something by listening instead of talking. Some people can be challenging to relate to--a nosy mother-in-law, overbearing boss or co-worker, or simply your child wanting your attention. Instead of justifying your feelings or explaining your point of view, use effective yet concise words and then wait for a reply. Good leaders are always marked by being good listeners. When a friend needs to talk, resist the urge to give advice right away and just listen. We have an obligation to tame our tongues and give people the courtesy of being an attentive and engaged listener. Wouldn't you want the same respect? Everyone deserves to be heard. Give that thoughtfulness to someone this week.

Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear 
twice as much as we speak.   - Epictetus, philosopher

Exercises for your back!

Here are some exercises to do for your lower back. This came from Sparkpeople.com's very own Chris Downey!

Ouch! Avoiding the Aches and Pains
Ways to Save Your Body
  -- By Joe Downie, Certified Physical Fitness Instructor

Exercise beginners usually try to make up for lost time by going all out their first week. The result? Injury or intense soreness. Pain does not necessarily mean gain.

Many injuries occur at joints, where bones meet and provide motion. An enormous amount of stress and constant pressure are put on your joints, even from everyday activities, especially if you have added weight. Just as you wouldn’t expect your house to handle the wear and tear without strong beams, your body won’t handle the stress without stronger muscles. Lower back pain, hip pain, shin splints, shoulder injuries, knee pain, tight calves – all can be avoided with a warm-up and proper stretching, along with a little strength exercising.

The three areas most commonly plagued with pain are the lower back, knees and shoulders. Here’s how you can alleviate each with just a little strength training and stretching:

The Lower Back
We usually think of sitting as a relaxing experience, but the lower back feels like the ceiling is coming down with all the pressure being put on it. Lower back pain is often caused by muscular imbalance. The pursuit of a flat stomach can leave you with much stronger abdominals compared to lower back. In actuality, crunches, sit-ups and all of those abdominal exercises don’t burn very many calories.

Exercises that will help strengthen the lower back:

* Lumbar extension
* Lower back lift with Swiss ball
* Lunges with dumbbell press

Start out doing 1-2 exercises for 10-15 reps, two times a week.

Tight hips can also cause back pain. Runners often times feel pain in their lower back from the tightening of their hips caused during a running motion.

Knees
Knee pain is usually the result of poor muscle strength in and around the knee. The hips, quadriceps (thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh) and calves help absorb pressure and relieve a lot of the pain and tension on the knee.

Simple body weight exercises will help improve strength in all areas of your lower body and increase your range of motion, including:

* Leg lifts
* Swiss ball squats
* Wall squats
* Forward lunges
* Lateral lunges
* Hamstring flexion with Swiss ball
* Squat with calf raise and dumbbell press
* Forward lunge with dumbbell press

Start out doing 1-2 exercises for 10-15 reps, two times a week.

Just as tight hips can cause pain in your lower back, tight hamstrings can cause pain in your knees. A proper cool down and stretch following your workout will also help increase your flexibility and prevent stiffness. See our Fitness Resource Center for ideas.

Shoulders
Shoulders can be a problem for many people, especially those who do a lot of overhead lifting. Check out the article on strengthening the shoulder.

Our bodies are very complex, but we actually have a lot of power to take care of the nagging aches and pains that can affect us. Take the time to incorporate these exercises into your fitness routine to help you lead a happier and healthier life.

It is never to late!

Parting with unforgiving ways

Consider the things in your life that you feel are irreversible or too embarrassing to touch upon. The path of least resistance is often the wrong choice, especially when admitting to someone else that you were wrong. Is there anyone in your life that you need to apologize to? Clearing up disagreements--no matter how far removed--frees both parties to move forward in a more healthy way. Not to mention it improves relationships of all kinds. Pride isn't something that is easy to part with, but being unforgiving can eat away at a friendship or marriage. Good relationships have boundless benefits, so work to make them the best they can be!

It's never too late--in fiction or in life--to revise

- Nancy Thayer, author

Hip Flexor & Extension

On this Monday afternoon, I want everyone to do this exercise to strengthen your legs and quads.

Hip Flexor & Extension

Bring out the best in others!

How can you bring out the best in others?

Everyone has hidden treasures of talent and undiscovered potential. Everyone has something substantial to contribute. Why are these valuables still buried beneath the surface? Why don't they shine through? Confidence may be an issue. By teaching someone a new skill, you can help build that confidence. People need someone to believe in them. They need to know that if they take that first step out of their comfort zone, someone will be supporting them all the way. With small words of encouragement, with just a little extra time, that someone could be you. In some cases, others may just be unaware of their true abilities and potential. If you've never tried to shoot an arrow, how do you know that you're not the next Olympic archer? Concentrate on bringing out the best in others, and you'll bring out the best in yourself. Then stand back and watch 'em go.

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share 
your riches but to reveal to him his own.

- Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman

An Exercise in Proper Breathing: Take a Good Breather

-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer
SparkPeople advertisers

Learn more
Proper breathing is an underestimated, but critical building block of good health. Slow, deep breathing gets rid of carbon dioxide waste and takes plenty of clean, fresh oxygen to your brain and muscles. More blood cells get the new, oxygen-rich air instead of the same old stale stuff. Experts estimate that proper breathing helps your body eliminate toxins 15 times faster than poor, shallow breathing. You'll not only be healthier, but you'll be able to perform better (mentally and physically) and, of course, be less stressed and more relaxed.

Here's an exercise that will help you get the full benefits of good breathing. The techniques in this exercise are ones you should try to develop in your normal breathing, and that could take practice. Try to take about 10 minutes, but it can happen in five by cutting the time for each step in half. Most of it can be done anywhere you need to relax or clear your head:

1. Get Ready (2 minutes) Make the room dark, or at least darker. Lie down flat on your back, or sit against a wall. Use a pillow for comfort. Make sure no part of your body is strained or supporting weight. Close your eyes. Just pay attention to your breathing for a minute or two. Don't try to change it, just notice how it feels. Imagine the fresh blood flowing through your body. Listen to your surroundings.
2. Stage I (2 minutes) Practice breathing in and out of your nose. Exhaling through the mouth is okay for quick relaxation, but for normal breathing, in and out the nose is best. Take long breaths, not deep breaths. Try not to force it, you shouldn't hear your breath coming in or out. You're drawing slow breaths, not gulping it or blowing it out. Feel the rhythm of your breathing.
3. Stage II (3 minutes) Good breathing is done through the lower torso, rather than the upper torso. Each breath should expand your belly, your lower back and ribs. Relax your shoulders and try not to breathe with your chest. Put your hands on your stomach and feel them rise and fall. If it's not working, push down gently with your hands for a few breaths and let go. Your stomach should start to move more freely. Relax your face, your neck, your cheeks, your jaw, your temples, even your tongue.
4. Stage III (3 minutes) Feel the good air entering your lungs and feel the stale air leaving your body. "In with the good, out with the bad" is definitely true here. Make your exhale as long as your inhale to make sure all the bad air is gone. Remember, long slow breaths. Most people take 12-16 breaths per minute. Ideally, it should be 8-10. Now try to make your exhale a little longer than your inhale for a while. Pause after your exhale without taking a breath. Focus on the stillness and on not forcing an inhale. Your body will breathe when it needs to.
5. Wake Up!!!

Kindiness Goes a Long Way

Spreading goodwill that can return to you

This quote can be read in a few ways, and all of them are worth thinking about. First, complimenting and encouraging others is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to be a positive force in someone's life. As long as you're sincere, repeating that encouragement as often as possible can have effects that far outweigh the effort. Countless people have exceeded their own expectations just because others believed in them. Second, giving positive feedback works even better if done publicly. Take those kind words and repeat them until everyone knows the great things that this person is doing. Third, we've all had kindnesses bestowed on us in word and deed. In return for that favor, it's up to us to repeat that generosity for someone else's benefit. However you read this quote, the point is that there's a kindness out there to be performed. And you're just the person to do it!

Blessed is he who speaks a kindness; thrice blessed is he 
who repeats it.
            -Arabian proverb

Start showing your Individuality

How do you show your individuality?

Voices screaming for originality surround us in today's culture. Problem is, most originality is happening just on the surface level, and is usually not original at all. People are so "original" now that tattoos--once symbols of rebellion and individual freedom--are now a tool of conformity. Sometimes, you can adopt someone else's value system without knowing it. When that happens, you dilute the one thing you have complete control over: your unique self. People who are truly individuals are ones who are true to themselves. They are self-made people, not composites of borrowed personalities and values. They created their own value system and gain strength by living within that system. These are the people who do more than shock; they leave long-lasting impressions.

Some people are carbon copies. Others make their own impression.

- Church billboard in Arizona

The Benefits of Deep Belly Breathing

Deep Belly Breathing

Feeling stressed in the middle of the day? Whether you're working away at the office or busy caring for your household, midday is the perfect time to try this meditative approach to breathing. You'll feel more energetic because deep belly breathing helps to release tension from the abdomen, where some say emotions are stored.

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Place on hand over your belly button and stack the opposite hand on top of it. Concentrate on feeling your belly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. If you feel extremely tense, press gently on your belly as you exhale. Think about relaxing your abdominal muscles to allow yourself to take deep breaths all the way into your belly.

Time Involved: As long as you want

Body Benefit: Soothed body & mind

from the benefits of SparkPeople

What is it with DIETING?

What is it with DIETING?

What is it with DIETING?

What is it with DIETING?

Motivate yourself to motivate others!

What do you do to motivate yourself?

Makes sense doesn't it? The secret to staying consistent with your goals is to stay motivated. That means finding ways to fire yourself up on a daily basis. Being inspired at a seminar, by reading a book, or while talking to a dynamic speaker is easy. But what happens when you're on your own? To follow through on that burst of motivation and reach the finish line, you need regular booster shots. Give yourself those little positive reminders that you have an important job to do and a good reason for doing it. What's pushing you? Surround yourself with visual, verbal, and physical "pep talks" that trigger that motive. It doesn't take long for dust to gather on your momentum, making your goals turn stale. A daily dose of motivation kicks off the dust before it can settle and gives you a fresh, clean start.

People often say that motivation doesn't last. 
Well, neither does bathing--that's why we recommend it daily. 
Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

A Strong Core 4 U: Do you complain a lot?

A Strong Core 4 U: Do you complain a lot?

Do you complain a lot?

Finding fault with everything you see

We all know people who just like to complain. It seems that no matter how good they have it, they're always spreading negative energy. Even the best, most painstaking listener can have trouble with someone who finds fault with everything around them. You can shine even in the worst situations if your character is strong. If you're starting to see the "dark side" too often and find yourself blaming your circumstances on other people, take another look. If you think a change of scenery will solve all your problems, think again. Change can be good. Moving on to new things can be an exciting chance to stretch yourself and break a rut. But it's important to start with yourself when you're finding things to improve. No matter where you live, work or play, the only constant is you. You can't escape yourself. Change on the outside will have no effect on your happiness or fulfillment unless you change on the inside, too.

No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer

Are you a good friend to yourself? Be one!

Are you a good friend to yourself?

If you met yourself, would you want to stick around and talk? Are you the kind of person others can be proud of? Hopefully you are, because that's who will be with you for your entire life. Your values and beliefs create a pretty good picture of what you want to see in the mirror. To be proud of yourself, do everything you can to make real life look like that vision. Find people that have the qualities you want and learn from them. Becoming a person you like gives you the confidence that you're someone worth being friends with. There's also a flip side to the friendship coin--you also need to cut yourself as much slack as you do your friends. You have friends because you see the good in them, not the flaws. You like them the way they are, warts and all. You enjoy their company and root for them to be happy and do their best. Look at yourself the same way. To be a good friend to yourself, accept your blemishes, while still pushing yourself to reach your full potential. Don't harp on your weaknesses. Take another look in the mirror and be kinder this time.

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because 
without it one cannot be friends with anyone else.

- Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights activist

Becoming the person you want to be

Take a look at your priorities and your goals. Where did they come from? Are they the products of soul-searching, self-analysis, and careful planning? Or are they a reaction to pressures from other people? Did you find them within yourself or within the pages of a magazine? The answers to these questions are important because they tell you if the person you're becoming is someone you want to be. Here's another way to look at a goal: do you want it, or do you just think you should want it? It's not easy to follow your own direction in life. But it's more possible than you may think. Question everything. Every priority in your life needs to justify why it's there. If you can't come up with a good reason that actually comes from YOU, maybe it doesn't belong.

To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

- EE Cummings, poet

The function of fat cells:

The function of fat cells is to store energy. See, if you eat the proper amounts of food, it gives your body lots of energy all day long. But if you eat too much food and don't burn it off, the excess calories from that food get stored in your fat cells making them larger and, in turn...make you larger. That's why if you're trying to lose weight...you must be consistent with your workouts and healthy eating!

Look always at the possibilities

Do you see possibilities or problems?

It's been said that some of the smartest people around would make lousy entrepreneurs. How can that be? The fact is, some people are so smart they can easily see all of the problems, roadblocks, and snafus that they'll need to overcome to succeed. They can think of all kinds of reasons why their idea won't work. This knowledge can overwhelm any thoughts of possibilities or dreams. When you think of your goals, do you focus on the positives of making it happen, or the negatives of potential barriers? To reach your goals, you gotta really want them. More importantly, you gotta really believe that you can do it. Think more about why you CAN make it happen instead of why you can't. No more excuses.

Yoga: A great form of exercise and relaxation

Yoga Body Bliss

A new study published by the University of California at Berkeley shows that women who practice yoga have better body images and less disordered eating patterns than women who take part in traditional aerobic exercises. Study participants filled out surveys about the type of exercise they performed, how often, and their feelings about their bodies.

Action Sparked: This particular study didn't put women into different exercise groups, so researchers can't be sure whether women who already felt good about their bodies tended to steer towards yoga, or if the yoga itself helped improve body image. However, yoga, a mind-body exercise, allows practitioners to tune into their bodies, emphasizing their strengths and abilities, not their size or appearance.

This focused practice is also a great stress-reliever. Yoga could help many individuals (not exclusively women) focus on the positives of their bodies, thus improving how you feel about your body, while helping improve flexibility, strength, and mental focus in the process.

Exercise Extra: Yoga is a great addition to a well-rounded fitness program. Yoga can help increase flexibility, reduce stress, and build endurance.

Join my website today for daily motivation and lots of fun exercises to do.

Web Developing

I have been taking this web developing class now since July of 2009. I am having so much fun in learning about designing web pages. I really feel like this is what I am meant to do! When I graduated high school, my major at Moorpark College was Graphic Design. I went away from due to the competition and my lack of confidence in my skills. Today, I am different though! I have more confidence in myself, so I feel as if NOW is the time for me to go that route. I am now ready to go forward with my artistic side and design web pages.

I have already learned, HTML, Photoshop CS4, Adobe Flash CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, JavaScript and PHP.

I have designed two websites:

simivalleyguidedogs.com

Right now, I am working on my own personal site and when that is complete, I will make that known to everyone.



Linda

Web Developer

I am an extremely creative web developer.  Need a web site, call on me and you will not be disappointed! I am certified in HTML, Photoshop CS4, Adobe Flash CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, JavaScript and soon, I will also be certified in PHP. Anyone who reads this blog contact me and you will receive a really creative website, full of color and very creative designs using Flash.

Contact Information: Linda Martins - Mann
Cell: (805) 501-5229