Many seem to view St. Valentine’s Day as a recently commercialised occasion promoted by florists, gift services and chocolatiers and designed sell their wares by the truckload, when what we should really be focusing on is something that’s free – LOVE. The truth is this day of giving is actually a very old tradition indeed. So how did this day of romance really begin?

St. Valentine’s Day began as a public feast and celebration for one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus, all living around the first century AD. Nothing is reliably known of St. Valentine except his name and the fact that he died on February 14 on Via Flaminia in the north of Rome.

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. And whilst there are no surviving records to confirm what really happened, the stories that have been handed down by generation to generation have in them the very essence of romance, of a sort.

One legend contends that Valentinus was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men, deciding that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families Valentinus began perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

Another story suggests that Valentinus helped Christians escape torturous conditions in harsh Roman prisons.

Yet another fable tells of an imprisoned Valentinus sending the first “valentine” greeting himself after he healed and then fell in love with his jailor’s daughter Asterius, writing a letter to her before his execution and signing it “From your Valentine”.

In truth the stories of these three saints could in fact all be of the very same man. But regardless of the truth each of these tales have at their core a heroic, sympathetic and romantic man. That combined with a public feast in times of absolute famine would make this celebration a popular and welcomed one.

So much so that hundreds of years later, in the dark Middle Ages, Valentinus’s reputation would be the light (and the meal-ticket) that would see him become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

The day was first connected with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the custom of courting for love blossomed. By the 15th century, it had transformed into a chance for lovers to express their love for each other by bestowing flowers, chocolates and confectionery, and the giving of signed or anonymous greeting cards (known as “valentines”)

Today, officially Saint Valentine’s Day is a feast day in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine’s Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.

The day is also seen my many (sometimes illogically) as the perfect wedding date and there are some famous (or rther infamous) Valentine’s Day weddings including The Captain and Tennille, Elton John and Renate Blauel, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Jerry Garcia and Deborah Koons, and Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

Most of us can’t help but get caught up in the feel good romance of it all. Love is infectious, delightful and enjoyable. So no matter if you’re alone, or if you’re lucky enough to have someone special to share this day with,why not grab a Rom-Com movie, prepare something special (and slightly healthy) to eat and open a bottle of wine and celebrate one of the most wonderful emotions we can experience in life … that four letter word … L – O – V – E.

 

It’s good to be an Aussie. Believe me, I’ve travelled to dozens of countries, been asked to work in far of lands, but Australia is still the place I call home, and for good reason. In fact Rebecca Adams of the Readers Digest reports there are 5:

1. The People & Lifestyle

From the big cities to the small country towns, Aussies are ready to lend a hand during tough times or sit back and enjoy life with you when things are good.

2. The Beaches

Surrounded by beautiful beaches that stretch the coastlines from north to south and east to west, Australia is the perfect place for chasing an endless summer.

3. The Fauna

Where else in the world can you catch kangaroos hopping along the side of the road and koalas nestled up gum trees? Although Australia is home to some of the deadliest animals in the world (snakes, spiders, crocodiles and sharks), it’s also home to some of the most interesting not found elsewhere – including marsupials such as the wombat and more infamous animals such as the Australian dingo.

4. Nature’s Gifts

The Great Barrier Reef is just one of many natural wonders in Australia’s breathtaking landscape. Fraser Island, The Pinnacles, Uluru and The Kimberleys are just some of the jewels in our backyard.

5. Sport

Whether it’s summer or winter… whether you like to watch or play… there’s always plenty of sport going on. Adopting both European and American sports, as well as inventing our own, there’s a wide variety of sporting fun available for every size, age and skill.

Australia Day is also a day of Affirmations, when new citizens take the oath and of Acknowledgement when outstanding Australians are awarded. So Don’t let this Australia Day go to waste (or any day for that matter) – see how many of the top 5 reasons Australia is the ‘Luckiest Country’ you can incorporate into your day today. And if you’re struggling to come up with ideas or would like to know what’s going on in your town then check out the Australia Day website for more ideas.

View the original article here: http://www.readersdigest.com.au/reasons-why-australia-is-a-great-place-to-live?page=0

Do any of us even care about Australia day anymore? Or is it just another public holiday we’re grateful to have (or have come to exprect)? If you take a random selection of Aussie and asked them about the day I bet few of them would be able to articulate why we have the day off. So I’m beginning to wonder whether this public holiday really has lost it’s meaning.

Australia Day proclaimed on 26th January is the official national day of Australia. Formerly known as Anniversary Day, Foundation Day, or ANA Day until around 1890, it was declared a public holiday to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over New Holland (the former name for the eastern seaboard of Australia).

OK, so for all of you convicts out there (and you know who you are), whether you stole a loaf of bread (or did something worse) here’s your opportunity to thank your ancestors for being so naughty and getting shipped to this far off penal colony to do hard labour. And if (life me) you are the descendant of a free settler or two then it’s time to acknowledge the bravery (or stupidity) of travelling a few months in a leaky ship to get to the end of the earth, set up camp and try your luck at some new venture.

I am fortunate to have such a good knowledge of my ancestry. My father’s ancestors immigrated from Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the 1850’s (thanks to prompting from the Governor’s wife, Sophie LaTrobe) and settled in the Yarra Valley, running cattle and eventually establishing what is now known as St Huberts, Yering Station and Chateau Yering (so you know why I love my wine). Around this time I like to go visit the cemeteries where they lie, and give thanks to my great-grandfather Hubert and his brother Paul’s bravery, as well as Alice and Eleanore’s loyalty in standing by their husbands in what must have been trying times. Obviously I never knew my great grandparents, and my dad’s parents both passed before I was born (it was commonplace for de Castella men to marry very late in life). But despite this there is a rich history they have left behind which I can access, including their former homes, several photos, paintings and their manuscripts which all help me feel a little closer to them.

My mother’s ancestors were also free settlers, my grandmother Esther’s side immigrated from Scotland, but it was my orphaned grandfather, Bernard, who at age 19 immigrated in 1928 from Poplar, London with the Big brother program (and I’m not referring to the reality TV show). He came with little more than the shirt on his back, managed to find a room for rent in Richmond in Melbourne, and promptly fell in love with the landlord’s daughter, Esther, and asked her to marry him.  And I’m grateful Esther’s headstrong nature in refuting her father’s orders and marrying to create a life, a home and a family with Bernard. As one of the strongest women I’ve ever known it’s the reason I dedicate my book to her. The rest, as they say, is history. But as it’s my history it’s especially today that I give thanks for Bernard’s bravery in travelling so far at such a young age, to leave behind the few relatives he had and to start a new life. For without that bravery I would never be. They both had such a huge influence on my life, and who I became … and I miss them.

And so whilst you may feel this Saturday is nothing out of the ordinary, perhaps it’s time to take a moment to reflect on your own family history. Ask who influenced you to be who you have become. Think about the family rights and rituals that have become ‘the norm’ and made your family who they are. And remember loved ones who have passed, and celebrate with those who are still here.

Step 1: Define Your Major Life Goals

First, you’ll want to come up with a clear description of your life goals. All goals must conform to the SMART principles (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Oriented) otherwise they’ll be so vague that you won’t be able to know when you’ve achieved them and your subconscious will ‘give up’ on them.

Life goals don’t need to be limited to one – have as many as you want but don’t have so many that you get overwhelmed. I have 10 Life Goals which revolve around Income, Health, Property, Business, Strategy, Product Development, Education, Environment, IT and Spiritual.

If you have more goals than you feel comfortable with then work out whether any of them can be combined.

Write all your goals down and put them somewhere prominent on the wall, like your bathroom, and read them at least once a day.

Step 2: Break Your Goal into Major Milestones

These are the big steps you’ll take for this year that contribute to your overall goal. Again they need to be SMART and you need to write them all down clearly.

Some of my goals only have one major milestone. Some of them have eight. It all depends on the facets and complexity of that milestone and goal.

Step 3: Break Your Major Milestones into Tasks

For each Major Milestone ask yourself three questions.

1. What’s the first step I need to do next in achieving this milestone?

2. Is there a step before step one that’s required? If no, move to question 3. If yes then the answer becomes the new step 1.

3. Once I’ve achieved step 1, what’s the next thing I need to do to achieve this milestone

4. Once I’ve achieved step 2, what’s the next thing I need to do to achieve this milestone

Write each answer under the milestone heading in order to record your next 3 linear steps for each major milestone.

Step 4: Timeline Your Tasks

For each task as yourself these questions

1. When do I need to achieve this task in order to support my milestone and/or goal?

2. By what date can I realistically achieve this task and prepared to commit to it?

3. In order to achieve this result when do I need to start on this task?

Hopefully the answer to the first two questions is at least the same, or you’re prepared to achieve the task earlier than you ultimately need to in supporting your goal’s timelines. The third question is for step 5.

Step 5: Schedule Your Tasks

Put all the tasks, and the start dates from question 3 in order for earliest to latest to create your task schedule.

Step 6: Commit Time Daily

Review your task schedule every day and work on your list as per your commitment to yourself! It can sometimes feel like there’s a lot to get done so just focus on the next task at hand. And if you’re still overwhelmed then use the 10 Minute Rule: commit to spending just 10 minutes on the next task, after which if you’re not getting anywhere you can stop. But chances are you’ll be in the swing of things and will go full steam ahead!

Step 7. Review Your Task Progress Weekly

This is your checkpoint to keep you on track. Spend at least 30 minutes at the same time each week to review your progress and make any minor adjustments to your timelines or add new steps. If you keep shifting tasks timelines out then ask yourself why. Maybe it’s that you’re goals aren’t that important to you after all. But if you keep justifying it’s because you’ve had a busy week, or blaming someone else then that’s not on. It’s up to you to take responsibility for your actions and your outcomes. There’s no one to blame but you!

Step 8: Celebrate Wisely

It’s critical that you celebrate each task with something small (like a ‘high 5’ or 10 minute relaxation session) as long as it’s not going to take you off track from your goal. So if you want to lose weight then celebrating with a cup cake is not the answer.

For major milestones it’s important that you celebrate on a bigger scale – a new CD, DVD, going out somewhere special, etc. This will reinforce your subconscious recent behaviour of supporting your overall goals, and over time your goal achievement will continue to become less of a struggle because your subconscious will continue to support you.

There’s a caveat though – if you fail to celebrate then your subconscious will start working against you because it just wants to have fun and is not really that interested in helping you achieve your goals unless there’s something in it for them!

 

The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well in Australia, and in many other parts of the world. There seems to be a growing need for some to pull others down to their low depths in order to make themselves feel better. And in doing so it can change your happy bubbly mood in an instant to one of the dark doldrums and depression.

Wikipedia describes the tall poppy syndrome as “a populist, levelling, social attitude”. It is seen is society when those who make a real accomplishment are criticised or begrudged because their achievement distinguishes them above others. The achievement is often criticised as being ‘without merit’ or unimportant, and the person victimised.

The other day I happened to visit my recent Herald Sun article site to review the comments that had been left by readers. I was on a high that morning having reconnected with nature, and generally having a good and positive week. To my shock I saw two negative comments from very ill informed people. It rocked me to my core that people could be so misinformed and wilfully making damaging public comments that had absolutely no factual basis. I know that by putting myself out there I opened myself up to criticism and that I need to get less sensitised to this. But I am human. And it still hurts.

So in this day and age when we’re meant to stay positive, true to ourselves, how can we when there are so many negative people around us? I did some research and found there are some easy steps we can use to keep positive around negative people:

Prevention Techniques

Stop judging

Judging people is one of the most common learned behaviours and getting out of the habit takes time and vigilance. Check in with yourself for a moment and ask “am I judging this person?” If the answer is yes, then stop. This universe may have presented this person in your life for a reason. Be grateful for the opportunity to explore this gift.

Use a Little Empathy

Rather than escalating the situation with your suggested solution or correction, it can be more helpful to try a more empathetic approach. People who are upset or negative generally respond well to an understanding for their personal situation or point of view. Remember, though, this doesn’t mean you need to agree with them.

Be Positive

Sometimes easier said than done. But everyone has at least one redeeming quality, even if you don’t know them well. In the heat of a negative moment it can be difficult to find so look for something physical (great suit, nice shoes) to focus on to neutralise the negative energy.

Give Them A Compliment

OK, this may be the last thing you feel like doing but negative people tend to be negative about everything, including themselves. Giving them a compliment about that positive item you found above can completely change the tone of the conversation. They may be surprised at first, and may even try to reject or bush off your compliment, but if you persist you’ll be able to break through and you may even make their day.

Keep It Light

If the conversation is taking a turn for the worse, here’s your chance to practice your skills at turning it around. If a certain topic has got someone spouting negatives then change it completely and bring in a new topic to lighten the mood. Simple things like new movies, daily occurrences and common friends make for light conversation.

Ignorance is Bliss

It may sound simple enough, but it can be really challenging to just ignore something negative. Saying ‘I understand’ or ‘understood’ is an easy way for them to feel they are being heard and enabling them to move on. It doesn’t mean you agree with them, just that you understand or comprehend what they are saying.

No Arguments

There’s just no point getting into a debate or argument with a negative person. You have no hope of changing their mind as they are so set on changing yours! Better not to engage in conversation on that topic, use the other techniques to turn the conversation around.

Have a Threesome

Preventing negative conversations in the first place can be easier in groups of three or more. And if it does get negative then the negative energy is likely to be more easily dispersed than a one on one conversation, enabling you to get more practice at turning the conversation around.

A Helping Hand

It’s true that a person’s cry for help can sometimes be disguised in their complaints. Asking simply “Are you okay?” or “Is there anything I can do to help you?” can sometimes resolve the negativity.

Leave

If all else fails, then leaving the conversation is probably the best option. Make an excuse like going to the bathroom or needing to make a call can sometimes be the easiest and best way to deal with the situation. If it’s a good friend then you may need to discuss the situation, and if they are truly a good friend then they will understand. It’s not healthy to spend too much time with people of situation that drain you – it’s one of the reasons I don’t listen to or read the news.

Recovery Techniques

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Sometimes the negative talk can end up being very personal and about you! If you are deluged in a sea of negative ‘feedback’ then it’s important not to take it too personally. Instead analyse briefly why this occurred. Often times the negativity is relayed purely due to your success, or talent, or due to jealousy.

Confide in a Friend

Sharing your experience with a special friend who will support you can often be the quickest way to recovery. But make sure it’s a good friend, and one who has positive energy.

Think Happy Thoughts

Getting yourself back on that horse after you’ve been pushed off can be difficult. Take a moment to combat negativity by thinking of happy moments in your life, or thinking about the big picture for your future. It’s sure to pick you pack up.

Go Internal

Often negative emotions can be dissipated through a brief period of internal meditation. Close your eyes if possible, focus on your breath and slow your breathing down. Go to your ‘happy place’ visually and see in detail every aspect of it – each leaf, each raindrop, each ray of light and focus on turning up the intensity with colour and sound. You are much less susceptible to negative energy when you are in that relaxing, contemplative alpha space.

Reconnect with Nature

Still having trouble getting over it? Then head somewhere lush and green, get your shoes and socks off, put your feel in contact with the earth (or grass), hug a tree if need be, and soak up natures energy. It’s there in abundance and waiting to rejuvenate and heal you.

Take Responsibility

In the end the only person who has control over the situation, how you perceive what’s going on and how you react is you. Recognise that you can change your approach and reaction to anything – it’s you that controls the feelings you have. Taking ultimate responsibility for everything that happens to you is the path to true happiness. Try it and see how your life changes.

 

This week I’ve been reading again Pete Jensen’s wonderful book “Lessons in Happiness”. In it he talks about the concept of a Green Prescription – that historically we spent 99.9% of our time connected with nature, and that perhaps in this bustling concrete jungle with which we have become so all-absorbed, the cure for most ailments could be as simple as reconnecting with nature for at least 10 minutes each day. So powerful is it that medicos in New Zealand have been making this prescription for years.

The gentle caress of the wind on your face, the warmth of the sun on your back, the cleansing fresh air in your lungs. I’m sure most of us have taken a walk in a garden, through the bush or along a sandy beach time enough to remember how good it felt during, and for a period afterwards. And the more intense your connection with nature (i.e. getting your shoes and socks off to really connect) the better you feel and the longer it lasts. Such is the power of nature. It has the ability to rejuvenate the body and the soul, and energise us to cope better with stress and disease.

With that in mind I meandered on my morning walk in Sydney today through Hyde Park and eventually to the Botanic Gardens. With my MP3 player blocking out the hum of distant city traffic and less distant leaf blowers, and with the sounds of Windham Hill I began strolling through the gardens, meandering with no particular place to go. I came across a nice green elevated area under hundred year old Moreton Bay Fig trees and this was when the words I’d read in Pete’s book came back to me.

Admiring the view over the harbour – the magnificent peaks of the Sydney Opera House to my left, the historic and battered Fort Dennison ahead and the lush green of Mrs Macquarie’s Chair to my right – I took off my shoes and socks and sat on the ground. The grass felt good in-between my fingers and toes as I leant back to feel the warmth of the dappled sunlight on my face.

In this moment, reconnecting with nature, I felt an overwhelming peace, joy and tranquillity as well as a huge sense of gratitude for this wonderful planet and these beautiful gardens. This was connection at its best.

The funny thing about reconnecting with nature is that it has a flow on effect throughout your day. I find after revelling in the miracle of life I stop taking things for granted, I’m more appreciative of others and more willing to be of service. I’m less rushed, more patient and just downright happier.

I wish I could encourage each human on this planet to take 10 minutes of every morning to reconnect with nature and their sense of gratitude before reconnecting with the world. If we all did then I think we’d look at it through new eyes, with a clearer vision of how we can each contribute our unique and special gifts to our family, friends and our community.

“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast” – the oft misquoted line from William Congreve’s 1697 play “The Mourning Bride”. But in it lies the seed of an idea, that music can change the way that we feel.

Part of the reason is because our brain links certain tones with memories. And when we hear those tones again, we re-experience the mood or emotions that were linked with that original experience.

Further, the speed – or beats per minute – of music is very important. We have a natural tend to be in time with the music. So even though you may feel uncoordinated on the dance floor, odds on your body has already made some changes to co-align with the music, like an increased heartbeat and faster breathing. This is why Baroque music, with a pace of 60 beats per minute (the same as the heart at rest) is so relaxing.

It’s been proven by scientists that music can change your mood positively or negatively, depending on the type of music you listen to. It’s amazing to think that something so simple as music has the ability to change our emotional and physical status, whether we’re in a bad mood, good mood, or sad mood.

Have a think about what music relaxes you; what helps to alleviate stress; what songs do you find inspirational; and what music really gets you motivated?

 

Your Life As A Movie

In you think about the soundtracks to the top grossing movies (Avatar and Titanic), their tracks usually start with calming music with a low BPM, build up to a crescendo, and then reduce their beats down again. Action scenes have fast paced impactful music, and romantic scenes have soft gentle and slow music.

With that in mind, consider what the musical soundtrack to the movie that’s a day in your life would sound like.

In the morning do you wake with the radio blaring or an electronic “beep … beep … beep ….” that jolts you from your peaceful sleep and packs the heart full of adrenalin? Is it possible it would be better to be woken up by a more peaceful track that slowly gets louder until you wake?

When it comes to exercising, do you listen to the same old mid-paced tracks over and over again. How about listening to fast BPM music to get you working out at a higher intensity? And when relaxing before going to bed could you include a piece or two of music that inspires you and gets you thinking about new possibilities and achieving more in your life?

What changes could you make to your life’s Soundtrack that would improve it?

More imortantly, how can you use music going forward as a mood changer, to get you out of a rut, off the couch, and motivated to change your life? It could be as simple as putting on music that makes you happy when you’re feeling sad. Switching off the TV and putting on dancing music to clean the house by.  Listening to an action track like ‘ Eye of the Tiger’ or The theme from ‘Rocky’ when you’re angry or bored.

Finding the right music can turnabout your mood in an instant. But did you know that some music tracks can help you lose more weight than others?

 

Creating an Exercise Play List

A 2010 study published by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports discovered a direct correlation between fast-paced music and athletic performance. In fact what they discovered was that when music tempo slows, so does effort and heart rate. And when the music tempo rose the reverse occurred. As the researchers wrote, when “the music was played faster, the participants chose to accept, and even prefer, a greater degree of effort.” Sounds pretty simple, right? Well they also discovered that people enjoyed their workout more with higher tempo music.

So, it would seem that a great way to ensure a complete workout to help you lose weight is to put together a personalised Exercise Play List. Here’s how to do it.

1. Decide what BPM you want to start with (for your warm up) and what your maximum BPM will be.
2. Determine the BPM of your favourite tracks, and rank them in order. You can google the BPM or alternatively there is software to help you out. Both BPM Calculator (Windows) and BPM Assistant (Mac OS X) let you tap along with the song to calculate its BPM
3. Rank the songs in order of BMP (low to high) eliminating the ones outside your BPM range
4. Decide on the structure of your workout, BPM and length of warm up, BPM range and length of workout, BPM and length of cool down, length of stretch
5. Arrange your songs according to the structure
6. Listen and enjoy your workout!

For example, it may go like this:

• 60 BPM – 5 minutes for stretching
• Range 80 increasing to 110 BPM – 10 mins for warm up
• Range 130 increasing to 160+ BPM – 30 mins for work out
• Range 110 decreasing to 80PM – 10 mins for cool down
• Range 60 BPM – 5 mins for stretching

Whilst it may be true that an apple a day helps to keep the doctor away, the old adage should  perhaps first have considered the benefits of bananas. They have a range of  health benefits that outweigh their apply counterparts that include more vitamins and nutrients. Following are the 18 health benefits of bananas you may not know about, that will also help you lose weight.

1. Natural Energy Booster

The average banana contains about 110 calories, so it makes a great portable snack on the run. or during that midday lull when you feel tired and sluggish. So next time,  instead of drinking caffeine or having a sugary snack, grab a banana to get an energy boost that lasts longer without the dramatic crash caused by caffeine or sugar.

2. Potassium Power

Potassium is an essential electrolyte that maintains fluid balances, assists with muscle function and the transmission of nerve impulses. For weight loss it’s also involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Bananas are rich in potassium which also helps the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain which is vital for optimal organ function, reducing strokes and regulating blood pressure and circulatory health. An average banana contains about 450 mg of potassium, or about 10% of your daily requirements.

3. Iron Awe

Iron is a necessary trace element found in nearly all living organisms, and in humans low levels can lead to anaemia, fatigue, memory loss and poor immunity. In weight loss it’s important to keep your iron levels up. Bananas also have a modest source of iron to help promote hemoglobin production so your blood can clot faster in case of a cut or serious injury.  An average banana contains about 0.4 mg of iron, or about 5% of your minimum daily requirements.

4. Vitamin C Champion

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant and essential nutrient used for metabolic reactions and to lessen oxidative stress. It’s also a natural antihistamine, it supports your immune system and is used to make collagen. Low levels of Vitamin C can lead to scurvy and difficulty losing weight. With an average banana containing around 10.3 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), or 15% of your minimum daily requirements, it also helps to effectively absorb the non-heme iron in fruits and vegetables as it contains properties that reduce ferric iron to a form the body more easily absorbs.

5. Vitamin B-6 Baby

Vitamin B-6 is your weight loss buddy as it helps convert stored carbohydrates and ingested proteins into usable forms. It’s also a co-enzyme used by other enzymes that are predominately involved in metabolism and so essential to weight loss. Low levels of B-6 can compromise your immune system and lead to anaemia. A small banana contains 0.5 mg of Vitamin B-6, or 38 percent of your minimum daily requirement.

6. Manganese Major

Manganese is important for weight loss because it activates enzymes that aid with the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and cholesterol. Without it the body can not properly use Vitamins C, B-1, H and Choline which help prevents diabetes. Low levels of manganese may lead to problems with glucose levels, poor bone growth, reduced fertility and potentially birth defects. An average banana contains about 0.3 mg of manganese, around 16% of your minimum daily requirement.

7. Fibre Friend

Fibre is a complex carbohydrate with little food value which is your best friend in weight loss. The great thing about fibre is that it fills you up, aids digestion and also keeps you regular. Eating lots of fibre also lowers your cholesterol and can help combat diabetes.  Bananas have a certain type of fiber that helps to restore and maintain regular bowel functions and so they are a better option than using laxatives that might have chemicals or other synthetic substances. An average banana contains around 2.3g of fibre, or 7% of your minimum daily requirement.

8. Improves Brain Power

Keeping sharp and alert is vital to staying on your weight loss goals. In a recent study of students, it was shown that the potassium from eating 3 bananas a day led to a boost in brainpower and alertness.

9. Spirit Lifter

We can all get down from time to time, but this is also the most dangerous time for those who are wanting to lose weight because we’re often driven to eat comfort foods when we’re down. Help combat it with a banana which contains the chemical called tryptophans – the same chemical that’s in turkey – it regulates your mood and helps the mind relax so you feel happier.

10. Hangover Cure

OK we all go on a bender from time to time, and a hangover can lead to craving for carbohydrates, fat and salt (perfect companions in nasty take out). Even if you haven’t been on a bender but are feeling the effects of a glass of wine bananas can help. It’s the variety of vitamins and minerals in bananas they naturally  replenish the body’s vitamins making them an ideal way to reduce the effects of a hangover.

11. Smoker’s Aid

Trying to quit but afraid of weight gain? Bananas can also help by calming the stomach, helping to restore the blood sugar levels to normal, and replenishing the body with B vitamins and other minerals that they contain. All this helps to reduce the physical and psychological effects of nicotine withdrawal.

12.  Menstrual Master

Getting your period can be an emotional time of the month that drives many of us to indulge in comfort foods. To help combat mood swings and instead of taking pills designed to reduce your menstrual pains, try the Vitamin B-6 in a banana to helps to regulate blood glucose level and help your overall mood.

13. Pregnancy Partner

Pregnancy is just cruel – first there are all those food cravings that can put extra weight on and then there’s the morning sickness to follow. Bananas with all their health giving properties can help to balance out food cravings and help to combat morning sickness due to their calming properties and their ability to help to replenish the body and restore a healthy blood glucose level.

14. Ulcers Away

Irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers can flair up when eating acidic food, forcing us to choose foods that may be high in a combination of simple carbohydrates, fats and sugar. High in fibre and low in acid bananas can help to reduce the irritation of the digestive system by leaving their protective coating around the inner walls thereby protecting them against the acidity that some foods can leave in the stomach. A natural way to promote intestinal health and neutralize acidity, they are also a natural antacid and a great way to combat heartburn.

 15. Mosquito Zapper

Want to exercise outside but fearful of being bitten by one of these nasties? If you forget to get our the mosquito repellent before hand then apparently the chemicals in banana if will help reduce the itching and swelling of a mosquito bite. Don’t throw the peel away, just rub the inside of it gently over the affected area.

16. Warts And All

Warts preventing you from going swimming or exercising to your full potential? It’s said that the outside of the banana peel also has healing properties against warts. Just place a price of banana peel against the wart and tape it to the affected area. Whilst in my trials it did show a reduction in wart size over time, I found Thuja was a much quicker and more effective natural method for wart control.

17. Bananas Don’t Make You Fat

This is an old wives tale and completely false – bananas are not the issue. Eating too much in general will cause you to gain body fat, even if you’re eating healthy foods such as bananas. With the average banana containing about 110 calories and 1.29 g of protein, .39 g of total fat, 26.95 g of carbohydrates, 3.1 g of fiber and 14.43 g of natural sugars in the form of sucrose, glucose and fructose it’s a balanced snack that aids in weight loss particularly as they are low-salt, low-fat and cholesterol-free and full of helpful minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber to aid weight loss.

 18. Nature’s Convenience

When we get hungry it becomes almost impossible not to grab the first thing available to eat – which is often junk food at the nearest take away outlet.  But there are better options. Bananas are portable, come in their own safe packaging,  don’t need refrigeration and they’re pretty yummy. What more could you ask for from a snack on the run? So it can be a good idea to carry one in your bag just in case you get caught – snacking on it is a safe way to will get you through and help you steer clear of take away and convenience foods that you may otherwise have indulged in.

As written for Adventures in Manifesting. Read the article here:

It’s true there’s literally hundreds of people out there telling you that if you imagine your future regularly enough, in enough detail that you’ll bring it into reality. It’s the plague of the book and show “The Secret” that has turned into a bandwagon on which so many wannabes have jumped.

But if so many ‘guarantee’ it works then why haven’t we all got what we want? Even if we imagine our futures daily, in microscopic detail to the backing track of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ or R.Kelly’s ‘I Believe’, why do things not change the way we need them to? And if all that’s not the answer to life, the universe and everything….then what is?

To unravel this conundrum, I’d like to share with you the story of a woman who back in 2004 was boxed into a career she didn’t want, earning wages she wished were higher, who dreamed of a nicer house and a European car, and who was also imprisoned in a body she hated – one that weighed more than 143kgs.

In 2005, at the suggestion of a mentor, she nervously wrote out two plans – one detailing how she wanted her life to be, and one detailing how she wanted her health to be. Her Life Plan also contained a radical change of residence and her top 12 travel destinations. Her Health Plan not only contained weight and body fat goals, but all the required support systems. And whilst these plans captured every detail in S-M-A-R-T format, they also contained her most heartfelt and deepest desires. Little did she know that by writing these plans she had started a chain of events that would change her life forever. And once the plans were finished they were shoved in a drawer, forgotten, never again to see the light of day again.

Fast forward 3 years and the woman had a new life – she had left her dead end job to take on a Managerial career in a global corporation, her salary almost doubling. She had rented out her suburban house and bought a large inner city apartment with city and garden views. She had sold her aging Ford which was replaced with a Renault that she loved driving, and she had visited over half of the travel destinations on her list. But the biggest change of all was her body – she had shed over 70kg – half her body weight – naturally, without surgery and without ‘dieting’.

So how did all this come to be real?

Fortunately I’m in a unique position to tell you how … because … well … that woman is me. Over the years I’ve thought and analysed how I managed to change, or rather, redesign my life. And the truth is, for the most part, it was completely unconscious. Since then I’ve learned that there’s a part of the brain that not only drives us toward, but also decides on what we want, often without consideration for what we may consciously desire. This explains why some people repeatedly attract and select the sort of partner they are trying to avoid.

Funny thing about the brain is that this programming cannot be consciously over-ridden; rather it has to be changed. So in writing my plans I followed a process that allowed me to link the deepest desires of my subconscious to my conscious choices, and by focussing on them I infused them with a relentless passion, cementing it all together in a document to make it real. And by doing this my daily choices became unconscious and automatic, making it easy to achieve everything I wanted.

Did I know it was going to work? No way.

If back in 2005 you’d said to me all this was going to happen I’d have said you were lying.

But I’m so glad it did.

 

As written for SophistiCareer:  http://sophisticareer.com.au/half-the-woman-i-was-how-i-lost-70kg-naturally-part-3/

With my diet and exercise education in full swing, and my new regime producing some great results I still had a niggling feeling that something was still missing. This ‘something’ would give me the edge and change my life forever. This third and very crucial step was to get my spirit right.

I’m not talking religion here – far from it. I’m talking about dealing with all that stuff going on in-between your ears. Without it I knew I would slip back into old behaviours and patterns, and the weight would return with a vengeance.

I began to research how much the subconscious contributed to my weight. It turned out – a lot. The more I researched, the more I realised that dealing with my unresolved issues was going to be the answer to keeping the weight off for life. In fact I estimate that at least 50% of long-term weight loss success can be attributed to having the right mindset.

But I also learned it’s almost impossible to get the right mindset without some help. And, wanting to ensure my new mindset stuck, I decided to multiply my chances fourfold: by reprogramming my subconscious, dealing with my past, cleaning out my life as well as rewarding myself.

Reprogramming the subconscious is not as weird or scary as one might think. Marketers and advertisers have been doing it for decades without us even knowing. I decided that, quite frankly, I would rather be in control of what went into my head. So I began by listening to weight loss hypnosis CDs and I even saw a hypnotherapist. My results got better as I found it easier to stick to my eating and exercise programs.

To deal with my past I attended counselling sessions, training courses as well as a clearing practitioner. Sometimes issues would be resolved quickly, other times it took a few sessions. Sometimes there were tears, other times heartfelt joy and laughter. But it felt good to get rid of old baggage and discard it like an old out-dated overcoat that should never be worn again. And guess what? My results improved again.

I started clearing out the rest of my life – writing overdue letters and cards, rectifying promises I’d made but never fulfilled. I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards, my wardrobe and even the garage shed. I got things fixed that weren’t working or I threw them away. I returned things I’d borrowed and got back things I’d lent. I paid all my bills on time, and tidied up my finances. I not only did a complete spring clean of my surroundings, I clean swept my entire life.

I became a ‘to do list’ convert, ticking things off as I did them, and adding several more items to the bottom. But after a while, and some consistent persistent action, the never ending list began to get shorter. With each completed task I felt a sense of achievement, and renewed enthusiasm. I never got bored because I always had a long list to follow, and I got more done – lots more. And as a by-product I also seemed to start reaching some long terms goals I never thought possible: a new career, car and house (I kept the same husband though!)

I celebrated – often. I set goals for my weight loss: small goals were rewarded with a new CD or DVD; larger goals included treats like a new hair style, a facial and teeth whitening. Two of my major milestones were rewarded with hot air ballooning over the Yarra Valley and flying a glider. All the things I wanted to do, or never had the courage to – I set them as goal rewards – and did them.

The rest, as they say, is history. I’ve kept the weight off now for more than 7 years. Losing 70kg of ‘excess baggage’ has given me health, happiness and a newfound sense of freedom I could never otherwise have known. It took time to implement all three steps into my life and it was difficult at first to get my mind, body and spirit right. But I persisted and once I had aligned my mind, body and spirit it became easier to achieve my goals.

So no matter how far away your goals may seem right now, all you need is the courage to take the first step, and to find the commitment to keep moving forward. If I’ve done it, you can too!