A ten-year-old boy is told repeatedly that he is a “weakling” and a “girly man,” yelled at and teased in a tone of voice tinged with disgust and disdain. Is this bullying? What if it leads to a fist fight? How do you know when someone crosses the line between cruel teasing and bullying? Does emotional bullying have any “real” physical consequences? And perhaps, most importantly, if you are dealing with a true bully, what do you do about it? Let’s start by figuring out what bullying is and then move on to what the consequences are and the best ways to deal with it.

Bullying Defined

Bullying takes place when a one or more kids repeatedly harass, intimidate, hit, or ignore another youngster who is physically weaker, smaller or has a lower social status. Realize that adults can also engage in bullying, particularly what I call emotional bullying. However, today we’ll focus on young people.

Note that a single fistfight between two kids of similar size and social power is not bullying; neither is the occasional teasing.

Physical bullying is seen in both boys and girls, but it is more common among boys. Girls typically use emotional bullying more so than boys. Bullying can take a number of forms.

o Bullying can be physical (hitting, shoving, or taking money or belongings) or emotional (Causing fear by threats, insults and/or exclusion from conversations or activities).

o Boys tend to use physical intimidation (hitting or threatening to hit) as well as insults, and they often act one-on-one. Girls are more likely to bully in groups by using the silent treatment towards another girl or gossiping about her.

o Kids are often bullied through putdowns about their appearance, such as being teased about being different than other children or for the way they talk, dress, their size, their appearance and so on. Making fun of children’s religion or race occurs far less frequently. 1

Bullying begins in elementary school and is most common in middle school; it fades but not completely in high school. It usually occurs in school areas that are not well supervised by teachers or other adults, such as on playgrounds, lunch rooms, and bathrooms. Much of it takes place after school at a location known to students and unsupervised by adults. When I was in middle school, there was a Christmas tree farm where all fights took place. When I was a psych at a middle school, there was a dry creek bed nearby where fights took place. There is always a certain spot that is well known to the students where altercations occur. One way to prevent bullying is to be aware of this spot and police it regularly after school. And realize that the spot will move as soon as the adults become aware of it.

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intended to cause harm or distress, occurs repeatedly over time, and occurs in a relationship in which there is an imbalance of power or strength. Bullying can take many forms, including physical violence, teasing and name-calling, intimidation, and social exclusion. It can be related to hostile acts perpetrated against racial and ethnic minorities, gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual youth, and persons with disabilities.

Ninety percent of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of some form of bullying at some time in their past. Boys are typically more physically aggressive (physical bullying), whereas girls rely more on social exclusion, teasing, and cliques (verbal or emotional bullying). Bullying can also take the form of cyber communication, e.g., via email (cyber bullying). It is estimated that one in four boys who bully will have a criminal record by age 30.

Who are the bullies?

Children who regularly bully their peers tend to be impulsive, easily frustrated, dominant in personality, have difficulty conforming to rules, view violence positively and are more likely to have friends who are also bullies. Boys who bully are usually physically stronger than their peers.

Moreover, several risk factors have been associated with bullying, including individual, family, peer, school, and community factors. With respect to family factors, children are more likely to bully if there is a lack of warmth and parent involvement, lack of parental supervision, and harsh corporal discipline. Some research suggests a link between bullying behavior and child maltreatment. Also, schools that lack adequate adult supervision tend to have more instances of bullying.

Psychological research has debunked several myths associated with bullying, including one that states bullies are usually the most unpopular students in school. A 2000 study by psychologist Philip Rodkin, PhD, and colleagues involving fourth-through-sixth-grade boys found that highly aggressive boys may be among the most popular and socially connected children in elementary classrooms, as viewed by their fellow students and even their teachers. Another myth is that the tough and aggressive bullies are basically anxious and insecure individuals who use bullying as a means of compensating for poor self-esteem. Using a number of different methods including projective tests and stress hormones, Olweus concludes that there is no support for such a view. Most bullies had average or better than average self-esteem.

Who is being bullied?

Children who are bullied are often cautious, sensitive, insecure, socially isolated, and have difficulty asserting themselves among their peers. Boys who are bullied tend to be physically weaker than their peers. Children who have been victims of child abuse (neglect, physical, or sexual abuse) or who have disabilities are also more likely to be bullied by their peers.

How common is bullying?

In 2002, it was reported that 17 percent of students reported having been bullied “sometimes” or more frequently during the school term. About 19 percent reported bullying others “sometimes” or more often. And six percent reported both bullying and having been bullied. However, in a 2003 study from UCLA, it was reported that almost 50% of sixth graders in two Los Angeles-area public schools report being bullied by classmates during a five-day period.

New research from the Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education on 37 school shootings, including Columbine, found that almost three-quarters of student shooters felt bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others. In fact, several shooters reported experiencing long-term and severe bullying and harassment from their peers.

What’s more, roughly 45% of teachers report having bullied a student in their past. This comes from a 2006 study which defined bullying “using power to punish, manipulate, or disparage a student beyond what would be a reasonable disciplinary procedure.”

The effects of bullying

Bullying exerts long-term and short-term psychological effects on both bullies and their victims. Bullying behavior has been linked to other forms of antisocial behavior, such as vandalism, shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, fighting, and the use of drugs and alcohol.

Victims of bullying experience loneliness and often suffer humiliation, insecurity, loss of self-esteem, and thoughts of suicide. Furthermore, bullying can interfere with a student’s engagement and learning in school. The impact of frequent bullying often accompanies these victims into adulthood. A study done in 2003 found that emotional bullying such as repeated name-calling has as much of a damaging impact on well-being as being beat up. Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, states, “Bullying and particularly name calling can be degrading for adolescents. Posttraumatic stress is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a frightening event or ordeal in which physical harm occurred or was threatened, and research clearly suggests that it can be caused by bullying. It is important that peer victimization is taken seriously as symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety and depression are common amongst victims and have a negative impact on psychological health.”

As with smoking and drinking, youthful bullying can have serious long-term effects. Norwegian psychologist Dan Olweus, PhD, for example, reported in “Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do” (Blackwell, 1993) that 60 percent of boys who bully had at least one conviction by age 24, and 40 percent had three or more convictions.

Other studies found that about 20 percent of American middle school children say they bully others sometimes. Such youngsters tend to have multiple problems: They’re more likely to fight, steal, drink, smoke, carry weapons and drop out of school than non-bullies.

That said, recent research has exploded some common myths about bullies: in particular, that they’re isolated loners with low self-esteem. In fact, many bullies are reasonably popular and tend to have “henchmen” who aid their negative behaviors.

New and innovative research

A nationally representative study of 15,686 students in grades six through 10, published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 285, No. 16) is among the most recent to document the scope of bullying in U.S. schools. This study found that:

* Bullying occurs most frequently from sixth to eighth grade, with little variation between urban, suburban, town and rural areas.

* Males are more likely to be bullies and victims of bullying than females. Males are more likely to be physically bullied, while females are more likely to be verbally or psychologically bullied.

* Bullies and victims of bullying have difficulty adjusting to their environments, both socially and psychologically. Victims of bullying have greater difficulty making friends and are lonelier.

* Bullies are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol, and to be poorer students.

* Bully-victims–students who are both bullies and recipients of bullying–tend to experience social isolation, to do poorly in school and to engage in problem behaviors such as smoking and drinking.

In the past, bullying behavior was looked at in an either/or fashion – either you are a bully or you are a victim. However, some children report that they’re both a bully and a victim at different times.

Bully-victims experience higher levels of depression and anxiety than the bully-only group or the victim-only group. Those who fall into the bully-victim subgroup are more troubled in terms of internal problems. They carry a great deal of anger, fear and sadness within them and don’t have any tools to release it.

Studies have shown that, despite thinking they know how to identify bullies, teachers aren’t all that good at actually doing so. Administrators and teachers in schools overestimate their effectiveness in identifying and intervening in bullying situations.

This can have troubling implications. For example, to contain costs, some schools hold intervention programs in group settings. If bully-victims are in the group, they may cause problems for students who are solely victims. It’s more productive for bully-victims to be treated separately.

Mediation programs for bullies and victims are also problematic. Peer mediation may be appropriate in resolving conflict between students with equal power, but bullying is a type of victimization. Just as child abuse is a form of victimization between parties of unequal power, so too is bullying.

Solutions for bullying

Many anti-bullying programs don’t use research and are thus are likely to fail. Those that work off the myth that the root of bullying is low self-esteem may produce more confident bullies but they probably won’t have a significant effect on any bullying behavior.

What’s more, the common approach of grouping bullies together for group counseling tends to increases their bullying. You’ve just put them in a peer group of bullies who reinforce their destructive behaviors.

And conflict resolution or mediation–which assumes equal power between bullies and their victims–may retraumatize those who have been bullied. Pop treatments usually fail because they focus on only one aspect of the problem.

Bullying is a complex problem. There are multiple reasons for bullying. Successful programs take a holistic approach to preventing bullying. This means that they create new school norms for acceptable behavior, involving all facets of the school–students, parents and teachers, psychologists and more.

Global buffers to protect against bullying

Indeed, key to the success of any intervention is appropriate adult guidance and support, presenters agreed. Adults supervise their children about 40 percent less than they did 30 years ago, statistics show, and this and related phenomena have been correlated with problem behaviors. The trend, they added, occurs at a time when teens report wanting more parental attention and family time.

Research shows that parents can be effective interventionists. In a 2001 article, when parents learned to effectively communicate information on binge drinking to their pre-college teens, the young people returned from their first semester of college significantly less likely to drink than a control group.

Teaching your children emotional intelligence (EQ), or how to manage one’s emotions, results in less illicit drug use and far less physical violence. Those with lower EI had more substance abuse problems and more frequent fights.

The biggest challenge for teens is to develop the self-regulatory abilities implied by high EQ, and that adults can aid in that process. That’s why I’m always talking to you about how to identify your emotions, reminding you to breathe deeply, stressing the importance of journaling, prayer, exercise, yoga, meditation and so on. These are all ways to become more aware of your emotions, so you can in turn manage your emotions more effectively. It’s all about emotional intelligence folks.

Parents must also be involved in their children’s lives and intervene in a supportive and empathetic nature if they believe their child or another child is being bullied. To help prevent bullying, parents should enforce clear and concise behavioral guidelines and reward children for positive, inclusive behavior. Furthermore, parents should seek assistance from the school’s principal, teachers, and counselors if concerns regarding their child’s or another child’s behavior arises.

Sometimes bullying is easy to spot–a child pushing another on the playground or shoving a classmate’s face into the water fountain. Other times bullying is less overt–children spreading rumors, teasing peers or excluding a classmate from games at recess. This veiled type of bullying–known as relational or covert aggression–can be harder for parents and teachers to see and prevent. What’s more, previous research suggests that relational aggression increases and intensifies as children get older and become more emotionally and socially sophisticated.

Studies report that the rates of aggression are rising in middle school girls. “It’s always been the case that we expect rates of aggression and delinquency to increase for boys, while girls were considered somewhat protected,” said Julia Graber, a UF psychologist who did the research. “In this study, it’s clear that the differences between girls and boys are diminishing.”

Unlike boys, girls in the study reported feeling increasing amounts of anger between sixth and seventh grades, she said. Both groups reported a decline in self-control.

The study of 1,229 students at 22 public and parochial schools in New York City found that the proportion of girls committing five or more aggressive acts in a month, such as “hitting someone” or “pushing or shoving someone on purpose” jumped from 64 percent to 81 percent between sixth and seventh grades. For boys, it rose from 69 percent to 78 percent.

“Girls’ entry into adolescence is generally thought of as a vulnerable time for depression, and studies tend to focus on girls’ emotional experiences with sadness and depressed moods,” Graber said. “What’s interesting about this study is that we see an increase in a different negative emotional experience, and that’s anger.”

Bullying among primary school age children has become recognized as an antecedent to more violent behavior in later grades. Statistics on violence in our country tell a grim story with a clear message. Some children learn how to dominate others by foul means rather than by fair, setting a pattern for how they will behave as adults (bullies). Other children are more easily dominated, suffer miserably, often in silence, and develop a victim mentality that they may be unable to over-come as adults (victims). Action is needed to end purposeful harassment, and bullying.

Signs that a child is being bullied

Children who are being bullied may be embarrassed to talk about what is going on. Parents (or other adults) may notice signs that point to bullying. Your child may:

o Have scrapes, bruises or other signs of physical injury.

o Come home from school without some belongings such as clothes, or money.

o Come home from school quite hungry, saying they lost his or her lunch.

o Develop ongoing physical problems, such as headaches or stomachaches.

o Have sleep disturbances and nightmares.

o Pretend to be sick or make other excuses to avoid school or other situations.

o Change their behavior, such as withdrawing, becoming sad, angry or aggressive.

o Cry often.

o Become more fearful when certain people or situations are mentioned.

o See a sudden drop in grades or have more difficulty learning new material.

o Talk about suicide as a way out.

How to help the child who is being bullied

The key to helping your child deal with bullying is to help him or her regain a sense of dignity and recover damaged self-esteem. To help ward off bullies, give your child these tips:

o Hold the anger (temporarily). It’s natural to want to get really angry with a bully, but that’s exactly the response the bully is aiming for. Not only will getting angry or aggressive not solve the problem, it will only make it worse. Bullies want to know they have control over your child’s emotions. Each time they get a reaction from your child, it adds fuel to the bully’s fire – getting angry just makes the bully feel more powerful. Remind your child that anyone that makes you angry has control over you. Help your child work at staying calm through deep breathing and turning their attention to more pleasant thoughts while being picked on.

o Never get physical or bully back. Emphasize that your child should never use physical force (like kicking, hitting, or pushing) to deal with a bully. Not only does that show anger, your child can never be sure what the bully will do in response. Tell your child that it’s best to hang out with others, stay safe, and get help from an adult.

o Act brave, walk away, and ignore the bully. Tell your child to look the bully in the eye and say something like, “I want you to stop right now.” Counsel your child to then walk away and ignore any further taunts. Encourage your child to “walk tall” and hold his or her head up high (using this type of body language sends a message that your child isn’t vulnerable). Bullies thrive on the reaction they get, and by walking away, or ignoring hurtful emails or instant messages, your child will be telling the bully that he or she just doesn’t care. Sooner or later, the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother your child.

o Use humor. If your child is in a situation in which he or she has to deal with a bully and can’t walk away with poise, tell him or her to use humor or give the bully a compliment to throw the bully off guard. However, tell your child not to use humor to make fun of the bully.

o Tell an adult. If your child is being bullied, emphasize that it’s very important to tell an adult. Teachers, principals, parents, and lunchroom personnel at school can all help to stop it. Studies show that schools where principals crack down on this type of behavior have less bullying.

o Talk about it. It may help your child to talk to a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend – anyone who can give your child the support he or she needs. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when your child is being bullied.

o Use the buddy system. Enlisting the help of friends or a group may help both your child and others stand up to bullies. The bully wants to be recognized and feel powerful, after all, so a lot of bullying takes part in the presence of peers. If the bully is picking on another child, tell your child to point out to the bully that his or her behavior is unacceptable and is no way to treat another person. This can work especially well in group situations (i.e., when a member of your child’s circle of friends starts to pick on or shun another member). Tell your child to make a plan to buddy up with a friend or two on the way to school, on the bus, in the hallways, or at recess or lunch – wherever your child thinks he or she might meet the bully. Tell your child to offer to do the same for a friend who’s having trouble with a bully. When one person speaks out against a bully, it gives others license to add their support and take a stand, too. o Develop more friendships by joining social organizations, clubs, or sports programs. Encourage regular play visits with other children at your home. Being in a group with other kids may help to build your child’s self-esteem and give your child a larger group of positive peers to spend time with and turn to.

Of course, you may have to intervene in persistent cases of bullying. That can involve walking to school with your child and talking to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or principal. Safety should be everyone’s concern. If you’ve tried the previous methods and still feel the need to speak to the bullying child’s parents, it’s best to do so within the context of the school, where a school official, such as a counselor, can mediate.

If your child is the bully

Learning that your child is a bully can be shocking. But it’s important to remain calm and avoid becoming defensive, as that can make a bad situation worse. You may have a greater impact if you express disappointment – not anger – to your child.

Because bullying often stems from unhappiness or insecurity, try to find out if something is bothering your child. Children who bully aren’t likely to confess to their behavior, but you’ll need to try to get your child to talk by asking some specific, hard-hitting questions, such as:

o How do you feel about yourself?

o How do you think things are going at school and at home?

o Are you being bullied?

o Do you get along with other kids at school?

o How do you treat other children?

o What do you think about being considered a bully?

o Why do you think you’re bullying?

o What might help you to stop bullying?

To get to the bottom of why your child is hurting others, you may also want to schedule an appointment to talk to your child’s school counselor or another mental health professional (your child’s doctor should be able to refer you to someone).

If you suspect that your child is a bully, it’s important to address the problem to try to mend your child’s mean ways. After all, bullying is violence, and it often leads to more antisocial and violent behavior as the bully grows up. In fact, as many as one out of four elementary school bullies have a criminal record by the time they’re 30.

Helping your child stop bullying

Although not all bullying stems from family problems, it’s a good idea to examine the behavior and personal interactions your child witnesses at home. If your child lives with taunting or name-calling from a sibling or from you or another parent, it could be prompting aggressive or hurtful behavior outside the home. What may seem like innocent teasing at home may actually model bullying behaviors. Children who are on the receiving end of it learn that bullying can translate into control over children they perceive as weak.

Constant teasing – whether it’s at home or at school – can also affect a child’s self-esteem. Children with low self-esteem can grow to feel emotionally insecure. They can also end up blaming others for their own shortcomings. Making others feel bad (bullying) can give them a sense of power.

Of course, there will be moments that warrant constructive criticism: for example, “I counted on you to put out the trash and because you forgot, we’ll all have to put up with that stench in the garage for a week.” But take care not to let your words slip into criticizing the person rather than the behavior: “You’re so lazy. I bet you just pretend to forget your chores, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty.” Focus on how the behavior is unacceptable, rather than the person. Home should be a safe haven, where children aren’t subjected to uncomfortable, harsh criticism from family and loved ones.

In addition to maintaining a positive home atmosphere, there are a number of ways you can encourage your child to give up bullying:

o Emphasize that bullying is a serious problem. Make sure your child understands you will not tolerate bullying and that bullying others will have consequences at home. For example, if your child is cyber bullying, take away the technologies he or she is using to torment others (i.e., computer, cell phone to text message or send pictures). Or instruct your child to use the Internet to research bullying and note strategies to reduce the behavior. Other examples of disciplinary action include restricting your child’s curfew if the bullying and/or teasing occur outside of the home; taking away privileges, but allowing the opportunity to earn them back; and requiring your child to do volunteer work to help those less fortunate.

o Teach your child to treat people who are different with respect and kindness. Teach your child to embrace, not ridicule, differences (i.e., race, religion, appearance, special needs, gender, economic status). Explain that everyone has rights and feelings.

o Find out if your child’s friends are also bullying. If so, seek a group intervention through your child’s principal, school counselor, and/or teachers.

o Set limits. Stop any show of aggression immediately and help your child find nonviolent ways to react.

o Observe your child interacting with others and praise appropriate behavior. Positive reinforcement is more powerful than negative discipline.

o Talk with school staff and ask how they can help your child change his or her bad behavior. Be sure to keep in close contact with the staff.

o Set realistic goals and don’t expect an immediate change. As your child learns to modify his or her behavior, assure your child that you still love him or her – it’s the behavior you don’t like.

Be aware that bullying also takes place between adults, as well as between adults and children. Anywhere there is a power imbalance; there is the risk of bullying. Athletic coaching is a fertile ground for bullying young athletes. As more is learned about bullying and the serious consequences of it, more and more zero tolerance policies will be adopted. Until then, stay aware of subtle cues of bullying in children. The first step is awareness. With greater awareness, bullying can be nipped in the bud.

Dr. John Schinnerer

Educational Psychologist

If you are searching for foods that prevent cold sores, you are wise indeed. Nutrition is the most effective and natural way to eliminate cold sore outbreaks.

In this article you will learn about delicious foods that prevent cold sores. You will also discover foods that cause cold sores. Best of all, in about 2 minutes, you will know how best to balance the two for your personal needs. Check it out.

Cold sores are the visible result of the herpes virus replication process. The virus enters a cell on the surface of your face and forces that cell to create copies of itself. Then the original virus destroys the cell to release hoards of new virus. The open cold sore is the result of millions of cells in close proximity that have been destroyed like this.

Lysine and arginine are two amino acids much talked about in their relation to cold sores. Amino acids are small fractions of protein that your body needs everyday to stay in tiptop shape. To create new cold sore virus, the cell needs certain materials. One necessary building block for herpes virus replication is arginine.

Lysine has been proven very effective in treating and preventing cold sores. Lysine prevents cold sores mainly by replacing some of the arginine in your cells. If you have a higher lysine than arginine content in the cells, you are less likely to get cold sores.

Foods that prevent cold sores are rated by how high the ratio of lysine to arginine content. Most foods contain both lysine and arginine. If there is the same amount of both, the ratio is 1 to 1. If there is twice as much lysine as arginine, then the ratio is 2 to 1. This is an excellent ratio for preventing cold sores.

So the strategy here is to increase the ratio of lysine over arginine in your diet. For example: cheddar cheese, in one ounce or 28 grams, contains 588 milligrams of lysine and 267 milligrams of arginine. This is a ratio of lysine to arginine of 2.2 to 1. Excellent.

Here is a list of foods that prevent cold sores. Most meat, particularly beef, fish, turkey and chicken. Products such as eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk and other dairy products are also quite high in lysine and often offer a 2 to 1 ratio. Ricotta cheese is unusually high in lysine. Soy beans, soy products and brewers yeast will also provide you higher lysine intake.

SPECIAL NOTE. Flounder is very rich in lysine. Some people use flounder as a total cold sore treatment. When getting a cold sore, they will eat one pound, or 300 grams, of flounder. This provides 12 grams of lysine. Lysine from food is 200% to 400% more usable by the body than the lysine in supplements. You would have to take 50 lysine capsules, at least, to equal the flounder, which would be crazy. Your body knows the difference.

Here is a short list of foods that cause cold sores. These foods have high content of arginine to lysine. Most nuts, including peanuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Grains, such as wheat and oats. Seeds, such as sunflower and sesame, are arginine providers. Also avoid most beans, peas and lima beans. Most vegetables are higher in arginine than lysine, such as carrots, radishes, eggplant, and cabbage. Chocolate is high in arginine.

STOP. Before you give up right here, let me say two things in closing.

Do not hesitate to take lysine capsules just because this form of lysine is not as well absorbed. Many control outbreaks with the capsules alone. And do not let a special cold sore diet rule your life. You will find relief from cold sores and still enjoy life by testing and finding the balance and combinations that best suit your lifestyle. By taking lysine supplements, you can eat more of the high arginine foods, like chocolate.

It is all about balance. Yes, you can eat all foods you enjoy, as long as you combine them wisely with supplements and sufficient foods that prevent cold sores.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease that can cause a number of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetic retinopathy which can cause blindness, kidney failure, and poor circulation to the limbs which can cause amputations. The incidence of type 2 diabetes in the United States has doubled over the last 30 years. Diet, exercise, and weight management have all been shown to help to prevent type 2 diabetes, but exercise in particular can have an immediate impact on blood sugar levels and is a great way to prevent this disease and keep your heart and circulatory system strong.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data from 2007 estimating that 57 million Americans have prediabetes. It is estimated that more than1/3 of those born in 2000 will end up developing diabetes. We need a way to bring this trend down or we will drown in the healthcare costs associated with treating this disease and its complications.

Exercise is an effective tool for preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications. Exercise causes your muscle to be more sensitive to insulin, a hormone that moves glucose from your blood into your cells. As a result, exercise speeds the clearance of glucose out of the blood and into the muscles cells, which need glucose for energy during times of higher activity. Exercise also increases blood flow to muscles, thereby making more glucose available for the muscles to absorb. Another way the glucose in your blood can get into your cells is by an enzyme called AMP kinase. Exercise has been shown to increase the levels of this enzyme.

Strength training is especially important because when we move weights the main fuel our body uses is the glucose stored in the muscle. Also, increased muscle mass provides a larger storage area for glucose, so its larger size requires the body to take more glucose from the blood for energy.

An elliptical trainer is a particularly effective fitness machine to help prevent diabetes because of its ability to exercise multiple muscle groups. Moving the pedals exercises and strengthens the lower body muscles such as the glutes, thighs, calves and hamstrings. Your core muscles are worked as they stabilize your posture throughout the exercise. And if you elliptical trainer has moveable arms you can exercise your upper body as well, including your arms, chest, and back.

The prevalence of diabetes is on the rise and its complications threaten the quality of life for tens of millions of Americans. Exercise has been shown to have a significantly positive impact on blood glucose levels. A new or refurbished elliptical is a great fitness machine to prevent diabetes because of its ability to give work so many muscle groups simultaneously.

Planning on a ski vacation this year? Why not consider skiing green this time. With Earth getting hotter than usual due to global warming, ski resorts are mostly affected by this change. At present, they are now thinking of ways on how they can help to mitigate the problem.

The good news is, you too can do something to help reduce this problem. There are various ways that you can do to make it happen. You may think that your individual efforts aren’t enough to make a difference, but they do! So, here are some eco-friendly tips that you can do to help preserve our environment.

Ride smart for a greener trip

Instead of flying to other places for your ski trip, travel to ski resorts closer to your home. The good thing about this is you can pack other things like a cooler and enjoy your own food, drinks and snacks.

Also, if your friends and coworkers share the same interest as you do, you can carpool with them. But if you insist on flying to other destinations, you can also ask if the resort offers a shuttle service to and from the airport. This will allow you to save on gas instead of renting a car.

Choose greener ski resorts

Resorts are more aware now of the impacts of climate change and are now inclined towards pursuing a greener environment. In order to make greener choices, you may ask questions before you make a reservation. You can ask them questions such as:

What do they recycle?

Do they have a water conservation program?

Are their cleaning products eco-friendly?

Do their machines that help clear trails use bio-fuel?

Do they use wind power for energy needs?

Do they offer a shuttle service to and from the airport?

This will help them realize that their efforts in being an eco-friendly resort, really do matters. Also, compliment them on their efforts and encourage them to continue to maintain an eco-friendly facility.

Cross-country skiing? Why not!

You may also consider cross-country skiing this year. This can be done in many “local” places depending on the snowfall in your area. The good thing is, cross-country skiing burns more calories than resources, compared to downhill skiing.

Respect the environment

Every time tourists flock to ski resorts, it’s the environment that suffers due to the irresponsibility of the people. So be responsible with your trash every time you visit any ski resorts. Don’t throw your garbage everywhere. Use biodegradable products and reduce the use of plastic bags. Follow proper segregation and as much as possible, recycle.

With these simple tips, you will not only enjoy your ski vacation, you’ll also be able to help the planet from further devastation. So think green, go green, and support a greener ski vacation. Let’s continue to take care of this planet we call home.

Let us list down the important points that we need to look at in this discussion –

1. What does the client really want from the project? –

As a project manager you need to go behind the clients statements & find out what he is really looking for from this project. What is his vision for the project? This will throw up some hints on why he wants something to be done in a particular manner or what his idea is behind doing a certain piece of work. Do not hesitate to ask questions or even differ with him on some things.

2. Clarify the scope by involving all –

It is very important for all the stakeholders to sit together & create a proper WBS. By this I mean everybody from the contractor, client, sub-contractor, architects, consultants, & anybody who can influence the project. It does not matter if some are laymen like a local union or an elected representative. They maybe the ones who could come up with unforeseen requirements at some later stage.

It would be a good idea to put up the WBS on a large board on a wall so everybody can see what is being done. There should be a free & fair discussion to come out with all issues without fear or favour.

3. Create a detailed project cost estimate –

Once the scope is agreed & “bought into” develop a detailed estimate for this scope of work. Get everyone involved in this but let the contractor first create it & then throw it open for discussion. The detailed estimate & the discussion builds relationships as everything becomes transparent. Remember this does not change the pricing for the work as already accepted by the parties during award of the work.

The material costs in the estimate also give an idea to the client about the prices of materials & would act as a restraint when he thinks of demanding additional work.

4. Develop & get “buy in” on a formal project execution plan –

This is vital for smooth project progress. The Plan spells out the various Management plans such as Scope Management Plan, Schedule Management Plan & Management plans for Change Management etc. each of which sets out guidelines to define, manage & control that particular area.

The project Plan should also include a Risks Management Plan & Analysis to cater for handling project risks over the life of the project. This too should get the “buy in” of all the stakeholders

Information, is the most important term in business – it’s what you need to stay ahead. Using the global markets reports related to your business, you can assimilate all your resources and use them effectively.

Business experience might not be enough to propel your brand into the market, or a new one at that. Data also needs to be utilized in a way that it creates a constant flow of solutions. It&rsquo’s important to gain a better understanding of your buyer, competitor and market – or what it really takes to stay competitive. Without the right ideas, answers and information at your disposal, you could find yourself facing these issues:

Maintaining over-optimistic strategies:

Most entrepreneurs start out with and noble idea of where they want to take their brand and often get carried away. Exemplary planning, without adequate research to support it, could destroy your business entirely. This is because, in addition to developing a really good business idea, you have tested out its viability – preferably before you set up your business.

Research will help you to understand the level of customer expectations or type of needs they have. It identifies the right product testing tools you should be using and ways to factor in the feedback or results of these preliminary tests.

Avoiding collaborating over business ideas:

A business idea cannot come into play overnight. You have to invest the right amount of efforts in sharing it with partners, colleagues and even customers. This is where you will find the suggestions or opinions necessary, to improve on your idea or find new ones altogether.

That being said, it’s important to share your prototype or idea with trustworthy people. You also need to understand how to protect your ideas from being stolen or being used in unscrupulous ways.

Not understanding your customers or market:

The biggest danger of overlooking research is that you end up selling your product in the wrong markets. You wouldn’t even know how strong your competition is, leading to the untimely failure of your product.

To prevent this, you can use research reports to gain access to data on government laws, social norms for developing your own business networks. You can even get an understanding of the sector you are in to discover prevalent purchasing trends.

Bad or inadequate financial planning:

Business capital is important too. The reluctance to prepare yourself with the right amount of it and have contingency plans ready could lead to a lot of problems. It might even prevent you from taking an idea forward, even if happens to be a very viable one.

Capital is what will help your brand to survive and shows that your business has a future. This is one part of your business plan that will appeal to investors, should you choose to look for any. Research report data is what you can use to structure your financial objectives. It identifies damaging situations that could lead to a negative result such as inflation rates, political instability and ways to resolve them.

1. Number of slides

If you are making a Sales Presentation, I’d limit yourself to six slides. If you can’t sell yourself in six slides then you’ll never be able to sell yourself. Most sales books will tell you, that you’ve got about 5 minutes max to get a client’s attention.

After the six slides you might then want to get into individual benefits or product slides at the client’s request. Use PowerPoint Hyperlinks to get you from one part of the presentation to the next.

2. The Text

How Much Text?

The short answer is as little as possible…Generally if somebody can read the PowerPoint and understand the presentation without any further help, then it’s too much text. Many trainers talk of the use of slogans, but to define that a little more:

A recent study published in Genome Research found that a bacterium that has been associated with periodontal disease has also been detected in colon tumors. Scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute in October 2011 found an abnormally large number of “fusobacterium” in colorectal tumor (or colon cancer) samples. Fusobacterium is typically found in dental plaque and associated with gum disease or periodontal disease. This discovery of the bacteria found in both the mouth and the colon is the first time this type of microorganism has been found to play a role in colon cancer. It is an important finding because colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

DNA samples from normal colon tissue were compared with samples from colorectal cancer tissue. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer. It includes cancerous growths in both the colon and rectum. The tumor tissue contained large amounts of the fusobacterium. Scientists have been giving much more attention in the last ten years to the environment in which cancer cells live. In the case of colorectal cancer, the environment is heavily populated with the same bacteria found in the mouth. This particular bacterium is also associated with inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, which can put people at a higher risk of developing colon cancer.

The colon is a part of the digestive system prior to the waste material of the body being eliminated. Most colon cancer starts off as a polyp, although not all polyps are cancerous. A polyp is a growth that starts in the tissue lining. Left unchecked, a polyp may grow, become cancerous and metastasize to other parts of the body. One of the reasons this is the second leading cause of cancer deaths is that the colon is highly vascularized which leads to higher metastasis and growth rate. Also cells of the colon reproduce frequently or turn over very rapidly, unlike brain cells. This rapid growth also causes the cancer cells to grow faster. Effective prevention of colon cancer has always been diet high in fiber, early detection through colonoscopies and removal of polyps. It appears there may also be another weapon to add to this deterrence arsenal: prevention and treatment of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease and tooth decay are the most prevalent diseases on the planet earth. It is a chronic infectious inflammation of the teeth and gums. Although late stages of periodontal disease show signs, early stages do not. The signs of this gum disease are: bad breath that won’t go away, red or swollen gums, tender or bleeding gums, painful chewing, loose teeth, and sensitive teeth. Both periodontal disease and tooth decay (or gingivitis) is caused by bacteria. There are hundreds of different species of bacteria in the mouth. Fusobacterium is just one. The mouth is a dark, moist, acidic environment with a constant warm temperature and a steady supply of carbohydrates. These are ideal bacteria growing conditions – particularly in between teeth and under the gum line.

It has not yet been determined whether the fusobacterium found in colon cancer is essential for the cancer to grow or whether it just affords a favorable environment for the bacterium. In either case, it is suggested that those with periodontal disease run a higher risk of colon cancer. It is important to treat the gum disease and lower the fusobacterium in the mouth. It is becoming evident that periodontal disease is linked to many systemic diseases including heart disease, COPD, arthritis, diabetes, etc. Thus, periodontal disease not only affects the gums and teeth, it affects the whole body. Regular professional cleanings and diligent home oral care are essential in preventing and treating periodontal disease.

Rooibos is a plant, Aspalathus linearis, native to the West Cape province of South Africa. It is used to make a caffeine-free herbal tea, sometimes called Red Tea, which is often touted for its health benefits. In addition to its use as an herbal tea, rooibos has been used in creams, cosmetics, sunscreen, and other skin care products which are used topically (applied directly to the skin). A similar plant, honeybush, is related to rooibos and is also used to make a similar tea, often called bush tea.

Rooibos is frequently marketed for its antioxidants, which are said to have similar cancer-preventing activity to the antioxidants in green tea and other tea. Honeybush is often studied alongside rooibos, and it is also known to contain antioxidants and is generally thought to have similar properties. Both of these plants show promise for preventing skin cancer, as well as other forms of cancer. This article surveys some of the recent scientific studies surrounding rooibos, honeybush, skin cancer, and cancer in general.

Can topical use of rooibos in skin care products prevent skin cancer?

There is fairly strong evidence from studies on mice that suggests the topical use of rooibos may be useful for preventing skin cancer. A study on mice, with its results published in 2005, found that extracts of rooibos, honeybush, and green tea strongly inhibited the formation of skin tumors, when the mice were exposed to a chemical known to cause skin tumors. All extracts showed strong effects, but green tea was found to be the most effective.

A more recent study exposed mice to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, in order to replicate the effect of sun radiation and sunburn, and studied the degree to which rooibos and honeybush prevented tumors. The study found that both rooibos and honeybush reduced the rate of tumor formation, and also greatly reduced the size of tumors that did form. These results suggest that rooibos and honeybush have benefits in terms of prevention of skin cancer, when included in skin care products and sunscreens.

Although these results are promising, human studies have not yet been conducted, and little is known about the possible dosing necessary to achieve concrete benefits in terms of prevention of skin cancer.

Can drinking rooibos tea prevent skin cancer or other cancers?

There is significant scientific evidence suggesting that antioxidants in rooibos tea could prevent cancer, although the effects of rooibos tea on skin cancer in particular have not been studied yet. Skin cancer is the result of long-term damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Although only topical use of rooibos has been studied for protecting against UV radiation, there is evidence that drinking rooibos tea can protect against another form of radiation, gamma rays.

Gamma rays are given off by some radioactive materials, and are one of the most damaging types of radiation, causing radiation sickness and cancer even when no visible burns are caused. Quite remarkably, a study on mice, feeding them rooibos tea, found that drinking rooibos tea resulted in significant protection against radiation damage caused by gamma rays. The study even identified a particular flavonoid, luteolin, which was found to explain this effect, through its action as an antioxidant. While it is not known whether these effects would translate to the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, and whether or not it would translate into prevention of skin cancer in humans drinking rooibos, it does show that rooibos contains potent antioxidants which have the potential to prevent cancer caused by some forms of radiation damage.

In conclusion:

Rooibos tea is a delicious, caffeine-free beverage which is safe for regular consumption. Although little is known about whether drinking rooibos tea could actually prevent skin cancer, there is evidence that doing so can protect against certain kinds of radiation damage. There is stronger scientific evidence that the topical use of rooibos in sunscreens and skin care products can prevent skin cancer. Rooibos tea also has health benefits beyond those mentioned in this article. Drinking moderate amounts of rooibos tea certainly cannot hurt, and is likely a very good idea.

If you wish to buy an old car it is vital that you should check its condition and you should also examine other relevant things that are related to it. It is vital that you should check if its odometer is in perfect condition or if it is rolled back at any point of time. If a car dealer sells a car whose odometer is broken or whose odometer is rolled back, then it is considered to be an illegal activity. This article will highlight on a few essential tips that you should consider in order to avoid odometer rollback deception to the best of your abilities.

You should request your car dealer to show you the title document of the particular car that you wish to purchase. You have to examine it closely and you have to check if its mileage seems to be obscured or if it is written in an inappropriate manner. Plus, you should check the exact date of issue of its title and you should be apprehensive if this type of vehicle is being sold immediately after it has been issued. Often it is seen that the new title of this type of vehicle is often issued in order to hide this type of incident in the best possible way.

The next step is to compare the exact mileage that is indicated on this type of device along with that indicated on the maintenance record of that particular car. Moreover, you should find out if the mileage that is written on the maintenance sticker on its door or in any other parts should be consistent with the one that is shown on this type of device.

You should also find out if all the numbers of this type of device are aligned in a proper way. It is vital that they should not get twisted or they should have gaps in between them whenever you hit on its dashboard with your own hand. If it has an analogue odometer, then it is vital that all the numbers remain in straight lines.

It is vital to remember that the digital odometer that is often used in this type of vehicle can only display numbers in the best possible way. However, if the particular car has this type of odometer and if it displays a symbol or any other sign, there is possibility that this device has been rolled back at some point of time.

You should find out the possible signs of wear and tear on mat, pedals for brake and other probable areas inside this kind of vehicle. If you find out that any of these items is replaced in recent times it is advisable that you should be alert and you should consider it as an example of odometer rollback fraud.

You should also check out the manual of the car dealer if the maintenance of this type of vehicle was listed or if the pages of this type of manual that might have shown high mileage were removed at some point of time.

If you think that this type of device has been rolled back at some point of time, then you should hire an experienced mechanic to check emission system, engine, suspension as well as the steering system for an excessive amount of damage. An expert mechanic should be able to tell if this type of device has been tampered or if it is broken at some point of time.