Self Help ebooks and audio programs to improve YOU and Your Life.

Some people are habitual dieters. This means that they are always looking for ways to shed the excess and unwanted pounds. Some people diet quite successfully. However, other people fall into common dieting traps that prevent them from losing the weight.

Here are some common mistakes that many people make when they are watching their weight.

Eating too many low-fat or low calorie foods:

If you are dieting, you often think that eating low-fat or low-calorie foods is the way to go. While it is certainly true that it is better to choose a low-fat food over a high-fat food, the mistake comes when you eat too many low-fat foods for the simple reason that they are low-fat. You have to remember that even low-fat foods add a big when it comes to calories. For example, if you are considering eating a chocolate chip cookie, you may have two choices, a low-fat cookie and a regular full fat cookie. One regular chocolate chip cookie may be 150 calories and 6 grams of fat and a low-fat cookie may very well be 150 calories and 2 grams of fat. This may lead you to believe that you can eat two or three of the low-fat cookies. But one look at the calories will tell you that eating three add up to 450 calories! The normal person that is dieting will aim for eating anywhere from 1200-2000 calories a day. You can see that 450 calories takes a big chunk out of your daily calorie allowance. If you plan on eating low fat foods, you should treat them as any other food and eat them in moderation.

Splurging or rewarding yourself with food:

Everyone, whether dieting or not, deserves an occasional treat here and there.

However, if you are serious about your weight loss, then you need to take a hard look at these little splurges that you may take. When dieting experts recommend that you splurge every now and then, that doesn’t mean every day or even once a week. Instead, it means that you should eat a small amount of your favorite food a couple of times a month. It also does not mean that you can eat an entire pepperoni pizza on your splurging days. One or two slices are all that you should have. Moderation is the key to any successful dieting program. Another common mistake that people make when they diet is to reward themselves with food. This does nothing for your diet. So if you are looking to reward yourself for a small victory in your weight, then consider buying yourself a new pair of shoes, getting a manicure or buying a new book. These types of rewards will not cause you to gain weight.

When you are serious about losing weight, then you need to stay focused and motivated. Understanding the common dieting traps will help you do this and will also help you lose the weight and keep it off.

You may want to check out our book ‘Stay Motivated during Your Diet”

have a great day and visit us again soon.
Sabine

We all want to save money -
How often do you think of the fact that by saving energy you also save money! And you help the environment – talking about one stone and many birds at the same time…

here a few snippets from our book : Simply Living Debt Free

Wash full loads of clothes and dishes.
When possible, do not run the dishwasher just for a few items. If you want to clean a stray dish a soap dispenser with a scrub brush attached is perfect for this purpose.
Hang clothes on the line instead of drying them.
This will dramatically cut down on the energy used, as you will not be running the dryer nearly is often. Additional Tip: Clothes dry fastest on a hot, dry, sunny day.
Shut down your computer, television, car, and miscellaneous devices.
Any computer or electronic item will use up the most energy, so it is important to shut it down at night or during other times when you are not using them.
Use compact florescent light bulbs.
You usually get more usage for these for the price, as they last quite a bit longer than traditional bulbs.
Use power strips, and surge protectors.
Any large device that you have such as a DVD player, television, or computer should be plugged into a box such as this. Using these devices can cut your bill as much as 30%.
Bath or short shower?
If you absolutely cannot be content with taking a five-minute or ten-minute shower then you should consider taking a bath instead. It will save you money. However, if you take a shorter shower it would use less water than filling your tub with bath water.

More energy saving tips can be found on local and national government websites. You can also call energy savings hotlines for further advice. Yopu can also check out the ebook Simply Living Debt Free

Who has not heard the words Feng shui? But what is it? how is it spelled correctly and most important of all: What can it do for me??

Most people have heard that Fung Shway ( this is actually how you pronounce it) has something to do with your furniture – the way you decorate your house and the placement of ornaments and plants around the living area.

But Feng Shui is much more than that. It has a lot to do with colours, engeries and last not least Feelings! Your own feelings and tasts come into it as well!

The ancient art of Fung shui ( another way of spelling it) can be quite daunting in its scientific approach – consultants can spend many hours measuring and calculating, however – you can go back to the basics, get an overview of the fundamental principals behind Feng Shui. relax, don’t get flustered and following yourown feelings in accordance with the Feng Shui principals.

Also, not many people realize you can take your very own Fung Shway remedies with you – just in case you have to stay overnight in a hotel room less than optimal in its lay out – simple little remedies like crystals or jewellry might be adequate to help you out.

Our ebook Feng Shui Decorating give a very comprehensive overview and gets you going on your way of bettering you life.

Experts say that depression is the second most common
illness among adults, with heart disease being the most common. People that
suffer from depression have a hard time dealing with daily life and may have
trouble forming or staying in relationships, holding a job, or even just going
outside.
Depression can affect anyone at any age and could come from any number of
causes. Depression can be brought on by a severe trauma in a person’s life that
they have trouble dealing with. Or depression can just appear seemingly out of
nowhere and with no obvious cause.
There are a lot of physical problems that are attributed to clinical depression. So
if you’re suffering from serious aches and pains and you’ve seen a doctor and the
doctor can’t find a physical reason for the pain, the cause might not be physical; it
might be mental. The cause might be clinical depression.
Depression is not the same for every person who suffers from it either. There are, in fact, many different types of depression.
Sometimes depression lasts for months or even years and sometimes it lasts only for a few weeks depending on what type of depression you have.

Depending on what kind of Depression a person has, the treatment will vary greatly – and lately it has come to the attention of ‘main stream medicine’ that alternative treatment works very well indeed in a lot of cases.
Our book on Depression gives an introduction on kinds of depression as well as different treatment, natural, ‘conventional’ and in more depth with Homeopathy – and it is as valuable to the sufferer of depression as to relatives and close friends.

Have a closer look and check out Beating Depression with Homeopathy- or you can subscribe to our Free Newsletter and get more information on Wellbeing, Health and Diet in general.

Does the holiday season fill your heart with joy or do you go into a panic attack just thinking about the damage that it will do to your budget? If the holiday season has become something that you dread, it’s time to take control and put things into perspective. With mass consumerism and the pressure to spend during this time of year, it can be incredibly easy to throw caution to the wind and rack up a huge credit card bill that will come back to haunt you in the new year. This year, propose to approach the holiday season with your good sense intact. Here are some helpful hints on how to avoid the debt of the holiday season and enjoy a stress-free holiday.
Prepare a plan in advance of the holiday season
Take that old Boy Scout adage to heart when it comes to preparing yourself for the holiday season: be prepared. When the first strains of Christmas Carols come into earshot, grab a pen and sheet of paper and get ready to make a plan. You can try planning early, but it can be easy to forget about your fail-proof holiday season budgeting plan if you draft it in July. Around Thanksgiving, take a good hard look at your current financial template and figure out how much you can afford to spend on gifts, food, entertainment, travel and other seasonal expenses without going into the red. Make a list of everyone you plan on giving a gift to, including co-workers, the mail carrier, etc. It’s time to prioritize: who do you anticipate you will be spending more on? Write everyone’s name on a sheet of paper and put a figure next to their name. Add up all the numbers to make sure that your total figure is not beyond your budget.
Stick, stick, stick to your budget
You can make as many lists as you want but they won’t mean much if you don’t stick to a budget. It can be very tempting to overspend, especially if you happen to come upon the “perfect” gift for your wife, husband, girlfriend, boss, best friend, etc. No matter how perfect the gift may be, don’t buy it unless you can afford it. You won’t be doing your friends, family members and other loved ones any favors by getting into debt. Taking your budget plan to the store as you shop is an easy way to remind yourself not to overspend. Cross off names from your list after buying the corresponding gift or present. If you are buying many gifts, it can be very easy to overspend simply by buying too many presents and losing track of what you have purchased already.
Propose a cap on holiday spending
Chances are that you are not the only one in your family or circle of friends who overspends during the holiday season. If you are serious about spending within your means, discuss openly your concerns with friends and family members. Let them know that you will be setting a cap on your holiday setting, and that your friends and family members may want to consider reciprocating. If possible, get your family to agree on a spending cap. This will help ensure a financially healthy and low-stress holiday season for all your loved ones.
Make your own gifts
A lot of people appreciate the warmth and unique beauty of handmade gifts. If you are lucky enough to have friends and family members who favor handmade items over store bought presents, the holiday season can not only be a great time to save money but a wonderful opportunity to let your talents shine. Are you an expert syrup maker? Do you love to make candles or soaps in your spare time? These can make wonderful and low-cost presents.
Have a look our debt free living book might just be what you a re looking for

Does the holiday season fill your heart with joy or do you go into a panic attack ?
Are you just thinking about the damage that it will do to your budget?
If the holiday season has become something that you dread, it’s time to take control and put things into perspective. With mass consumerism and the pressure to spend during this time of year, it can be incredibly easy to throw caution to the wind and rack up a huge credit card bill that will come back to haunt you in the new year. This year, propose to approach the holiday season with your good sense intact. Here are some helpful hints on how to avoid the debt of the holiday season and enjoy a stress-free holiday.
Prepare a plan in advance of the holiday season
Take that old Boy Scout adage to heart when it comes to preparing yourself for the holiday season: be prepared.
When the first strains of Christmas Carols come into earshot, grab a pen and sheet of paper and get ready to make a plan. You can try planning early, but it can be easy to forget about your fail-proof holiday season budgeting plan if you draft it in July. Around Thanksgiving, take a good hard look at your current financial template and figure out how much you can afford to spend on gifts, food, entertainment, travel and other seasonal expenses without going into the red. Make a list of everyone you plan on giving a gift to, including co-workers, the mail carrier, etc. It’s time to prioritize: who do you anticipate you will be spending more on? Write everyone’s name on a sheet of paper and put a figure next to their name. Add up all the numbers to make sure that your total figure is not beyond your budget.
Stick, stick, stick to your budget
You can make as many lists as you want but they won’t mean much if you don’t stick to a budget. It can be very tempting to overspend, especially if you happen to come upon the “perfect” gift for your wife, husband, girlfriend, boss, best friend, etc. No matter how perfect the gift may be, don’t buy it unless you can afford it. You won’t be doing your friends, family members and other loved ones any favors by getting into debt. Taking your budget plan to the store as you shop is an easy way to remind yourself not to overspend. Cross off names from your list after buying the corresponding gift or present. If you are buying many gifts, it can be very easy to overspend simply by buying too many presents and losing track of what you have purchased already.
Propose a cap on holiday spending
Chances are that you are not the only one in your family or circle of friends who overspends during the holiday season. If you are serious about spending within your means, discuss openly your concerns with friends and family members. Let them know that you will be setting a cap on your holiday setting, and that your friends and family members may want to consider reciprocating. If possible, get your family to agree on a spending cap. This will help ensure a financially healthy and low-stress holiday season for all your loved ones.
Make your own gifts
A lot of people appreciate the warmth and unique beauty of handmade gifts. If you are lucky enough to have friends and family members who favor handmade items over store bought presents, the holiday season can not only be a great time to save money but a wonderful opportunity to let your talents shine. Are you an expert syrup maker? Do you love to make candles or soaps in your spare time? These can make wonderful and low-cost presents.