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Understanding Fair Trade and Its Immense Global Benefits

By Guest Author on Monday, August 30th, 2010 | No Comments

You have probably heard the phrase “fair trade” attached to coffee, tea, home décor, or jewelry. You may have even seen a necklace with a fair trade label attached, or heard about fair trade coffee practices on the news. But what does fair trade mean—and why does it matter?

What is Fair Trade?

There are actually several definitions, but the premise is this: fair trade promotes and supports wages that are fair in the locale where goods are being made. It allows artisans and crafts people to earn a livable wage, often with fair trade associations exporting goods from developing countries to developed countries and returning 15 to 30 percent of the retail price of an item back to the artisan. Fair trade may also ensure safe working conditions for artisans, encourage whole communities by supporting sustainable business practices and providing skills training.

What Are Fair Trade Organizations?

Fair trade organizations may be local, national or international. They work to raise awareness about fair trade products and practices as well as coordinate the exporting, importing and distribution of fair trade goods. Many organizations are members of or certified by one of the larger national or international federations, which set standards for fair trade products and labeling to help consumers identify the standards.

Why Buy Fair Trade?

Buying fair trade products helps to promote and sustain the good working conditions and fair wages discussed above. For many people, it’s also a way to “vote with your dollar.” Because there are often social inequalities, unsafe working conditions and environmental destruction in developing countries, buying fair trade products helps to curb these negative outcomes. It also means you can enjoy handmade or naturally grown products.

Where to Buy Fair Trade?

Ask your favorite local retail stores if they carry these products. You can also find an immense variety of products online, including online marketplaces that offer many options. You can find more information about fair trade standards at the Fair Trade Federation or International Federation of Alternative Trade.

Nathan Joynt works with Gaiam Inc. A health and wellness media company advocating fair trade, online yoga and inspiring movies.

Relaxation Techniques to Relieve Your Stress and Anxiety

By Guest Author on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 | No Comments

Having a hard time dealing with the relentless stresses and anxieties that fill our daily lives?  Can’t sleep at night because one too many things are racing through your mind?  Are your stresses taking a toll on you physically, giving you headaches or backaches?  Having trouble sitting still because there are just too many things that need to get done?  Looking for affordable and easy ways to relieve that stress and anxiety without having to go out of your way and spend money you don’t have?  Try out these simple techniques and feel the stress and anxiety begin to melt away.

Deep Breathing

If you begin to feel overwhelmed by stress or are prone to experiencing anxiety attacks, this exercise is a great in-the-moment technique to focus your mind and lower your heart rate.  Focus fully on your breathing, making sure that you pull air deeply into your abdomen.  When you take in a full breath from your abdomen, your body receives much more oxygen than it would if you pulled the air in through your lungs.  And the more oxygen your body receives the less tense and anxious you will begin to feel.  Sit up, with your back straight, and with one hand on your chest and one on your stomach, breathe in through your nose.  You’ll know if you are doing this correctly if the hand on your stomach rises while the one on your chest remains still.  Exhale your breath through your mouth, and count slowly each time you exhale.

Muscle Tensing and Relaxing

This technique will help you recognize the first physical feeling of the muscular tension associated with stress and anxiety.  And once you are able to relax your body, your mind will quickly follow suit.  Get comfortable, taking off your shoes and getting into some loose fitting clothing.  You’ll want to start with some deep breathing exercises first, to ensure that you’re beginning to feel relaxed.  Start with your feet first, then follow this steps and move up the rest of your body.  Left foot first, tense all the muscles in your foot, squeezing as tightly as you can for a ten second count.  Then relax it and feel the tension easing.  Take a few seconds to familiarize yourself with this feeling, then refocus and do the same thing with your other foot.  Next, your legs, stomach, back, arms, neck, etc.  Most importantly, don’t forget to practice your deep breathing while you do this to maintain a regular breathing pattern.

Visualization and Guided Imagery

Much like meditation, this practice is designed to lower stress levels by having you imagine a serene scene that eases your mind.  Whether you’re at home and trying to sleep or on a break from a stressful day at work or with the kids, just close your eyes and let your imagination take hold.  See, hear, feel, taste, and smell a peaceful scene, whether it be a beach, a park, an open field.  Just let your imagination run wild in the serenity of the scene.

Meditation

This can be done at home when sitting, while walking to the office, or when taking the baby on an afternoon stroll through the park.  The point of this exercise is to focus your mind and relieve stress by mentally honing in on the now, as opposed to dwelling on the past or the future.  When sitting or laying in a quiet atmosphere, get comfortable and focus your mind on a phrase or word that you can keep repeating throughout your meditation session.  If you feel your mind being distracted by other thoughts, don’t fight them or judge them, just go through them and ease your mind back to the phrase of focus.  If you’re out walking, you can meditate by focusing on the act of walking, feeling the sensation of your feet hitting the ground or the wind against your face.  Hone in on each step and let your mind be filled by the feeling of walking.

Mindful Eating

Who’d have thought that eating could be something that helps ease stress and anxiety?  Whether it’s a small fiber bar or a full portioned meal, place full attention on the act of eating, without distractions such as television or reading.  Eat slowly and enjoy the flavors and textures of the food that you are consuming.  Usually, when you’re stressed or anxious, you tend to eat faster without thinking about what you’re eating.  Taking the time to enjoy the process will slow you down and ease your anxiety.

Michelle Abrams writes for a discount vouchers website where you can find Argos discount codes and Comet.co.uk discount vouchers.

Aromatherapy for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

By Guest Author on Thursday, August 19th, 2010 | No Comments

Feeling stressed out over bills, work, kids, school and just don’t how to ease your racing mind?  Exhausted by the end of the day but just can’t unwind enough to fall asleep?  Tired of paying out of your pockets for massages or trips to the spa to try and find a way to relax?

Looking for something affordable, convenient, and readily accessible to calm that worried mind?  Try aromatherapy on for size and immediately begin to feel the calming effects of this alternative form of natural medicine.  And the best part is, you never have to leave your home again to find that peace of mind, body, and soul.

Aromatherapy is a form of non-invasive, alternative medicine that harnesses the volatile materials of plants, called essential oils, to induce specific psychological and physiological responses from a person.  The essential oils can alter people’s moods, mind frames, and even influence a person’s health.  A person can choose to either inhale the aroma emitted from the essential plant oils or they can physically apply it on their body.

When inhaled into a person’s lungs, the aroma of the essential oils trigger the brain to react according to the type of oil inhaled, and the naturally occurring chemicals in the oil can even have a physical therapeutic effect.  Eucalyptus oil, for example, when inhaled is commonly known to ease congestion which can help you relax and fall asleep easier when you are sick or suffering from sinus infections or allergies.

When the essential oils are physically applied to a person’s body, the (again, naturally occurring and not man-made) chemicals are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream.  However, because the essential oils are more often than not in a concentrated form, you must take measure to dilute a small amount before you apply it on your skin.  Because it is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream, essential oils applied this way can help better and increase your physical health.

You can also use some types of essential oils or household cleaning and laundry.  Try washing your next load of dirty clothes with a small amount of lavender oil.  This can function as a sort of aromatherapy on the go.  Your clothes will absorb the aroma and when you where them, the scent will follow you wherever you go until it wears off, keeping you relaxed mind, body, and soul even as you go through the hustle and bustle of your daily routine.

Aromatherapy candles are also a great way to wind down and relax when at home and bed time approaches.  These types of candles are made with the essential oils and are usually made from all natural bees wax as opposed to the usual paraffin, scented candles.  Because they don’t emit carcinogens and toxins when they burn like normal candles, they are better suited to help you ease your mind, body, and soul.  You can choose an aroma specific to the physical and physiological reaction that you’re hoping to experience, and are often much cheaper than buying concentrated vials of essential oils.

Jamie Myers is a writer for luxury scented candles, where you can find an amazing assortment of high end brands at competitive prices.

Developing Healthy Eating and Exercise Habits

By Guest Author on Friday, August 13th, 2010 | No Comments

There are plenty of reasons to eat right and exercise.  You can lose weight, get in shape, and improve your overall health.  You can take back your life.  You can act your age (or younger).  You can set and reach goals.  And you can definitely look and feel better.  Besides all of that, improving your diet and implementing a routine of physical activity can help you to fight off illness and live a longer, happier life.  But while all of this sounds really great, the means to the end is not necessarily self-evident.  How do you eat right?  Which exercises will give you the results you want?  Where does a healthy lifestyle begin?  Here are a few helpful hints to get you on track with eating better and getting a move on.

  1. Clean out your kitchen.  Get rid of the junk food!  You know what I’m talking about.  Toss the chips, the sodas, and anything that contains processed sugars, trans fats, and preservatives.  You’ll probably want to get rid of any items that are pre-packaged and exchange them for fresh foods instead.
  2. Try organic.  As you may or may not be aware, fresh produce often includes traces of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and so on that are administered to fruits and vegetables during the growing process (that can stick around even after careful washing), not to mention hormones and antibiotics injected into animals intended for consumption.  Experts claim that these small amounts of chemicals aren’t harmful, but over time, many of them build up in your body.  Rather than waiting to find out what kind of damage they might do, perhaps a better course would be to remove them from your diet by purchasing all-natural alternatives.
  3. Become a flexitarian.  If you haven’t heard of this, it’s basically vegetarianism for people who simply can’t give up meat.  It emphasizes healthy vegetarian fare, including fruits and vegetable, whole grains, nuts, and beans (plus animal products like dairy and eggs) but allows the inclusion of meats periodically (mainly lean protein like fish and chicken, but red meat can be included up to twice a week).  The nice thing about this diet is that it can be tailored for anyone, as long as the diet is “mostly” vegetarian.
  4. Join a gym.  If you don’t know what kind of exercise will appeal to you, try going to a local gym to find out.  They have tons of equipment, many offer a schedule of classes, and resident trainers can help you learn the benefits of each type of exercise as well as setting up a routine to keep you on track.
  5. Set a goal.  The best way to get yourself in gear with exercise is to set a goal so that you have something to work toward.  You can try to lose a certain amount of weight, lower your body mass index (BMI) so that you have more muscle and less fat, or train for a race (5K, 10K, marathon, triathlon…whatever strikes your fancy).  Just make sure that the target you aim for is realistic for you.  Nothing will derail you faster than the inability to reach some vast and unattainable objective.
  6. Find a program.  If you’re having a hard time getting started, you’ll be happy to know that you’re not alone.  In fact, so many people need help with their health that there are a number of programs specifically designed for that purpose.  So join up with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Curves, Bali, or any number of organizations that aim to help people learn to embrace a lifestyle that promotes health and fitness.

Dana Livingston is a writer for a culinary arts website where you can browse schools and the latest trends in the culinary arena.

Anti-Aging Supplements: Do They Really Work?

By Guest Author on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 | No Comments

In a society afraid of growing old (well, at least afraid of looking like they’re growing old), it’s no wonder that a vast amount of natural anti-aging supplements have spilled out into the market.  But the real question is, do they really work?  And if so, how?  What’s in these magic little pills that keep us looking forever young?  Have scientists really tapped into the waters trickling from the fountain of youth?  What are we really putting, ever so haphazardly, into our bodies?  Are there risks, side-effects not worth maintaining an ageless beauty?

It seems to go without saying that the best, and most inexpensive, way of staying healthy and feeling young is a strict routine of eating the right foods, getting plenty of exercise, and making sure to get an adequate amount of sleep.  If you do feel the urge to try any anti-aging supplement, make sure you inform your physician and seek their advice in filtering out the hoaxes from the tried and true fixes.

The mitochondria in our bodies cells are the sole proprietors of aging.  They produce and use the energy they need to function, and as time progresses, they eventually become damaged, and as they do, we begin to age.  Mitochondria cannot function without the coenzyme Q10, commonly referred to as CoQ10, and as we age, our bodies aren’t able to produce a sufficient enough amount of the coenzyme to keep our mitochondria from becoming damaged.  The most effective anti-aging supplements contain the CoQ10 needed that our bodies naturally become unable to produce.  Taking these supplements replenishes our bodies supply of the coenzyme and refurbishes our slowly damaging mitochondria, gradually slowing the external impact of aging.

Similarly, mitochondria also derive the energy needed to function from the amino acid acetyl-L carnitine, which basically helps the mitochondria produce the energy it uses.  Some natural anti-aging supplements contain this amino acid, which, like the coenzyme, replenishes our mitochondrial energy and slows the visual effects of aging.

Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is another effective and popular component of working anti-aging supplements.  DHEA is a hormone that our bodies use to fashion other hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone that our bodies naturally lose the ability to produce as we age.  Taking supplements with DHEA provides our body with the necessary levels of hormones needed to maintain a youthful appearance, which, again, we naturally lose the ability to do as we get older.

Because our bodies are complicated, complexly layered machines, it’s almost impossible to entirely stop the process of aging.  It’s not one process or one thing that causes us to age.  Even though we may be able to provide our bodies with the energy and hormones it needs and can no longer naturally produce, there is no real hard evidence to argue against or for the effectiveness of anti-aging supplements.  Nonetheless, it’s all relative.  What works for you will not work for the person next to you.  But supplying your aging body with the supplements it needs, but can no longer produce itself, to maintain energy levels and keep functioning will undoubtedly keep you feeling healthy, which might just translate into you beginning to feel slightly younger at heart.

Sarah Neilson is a writer for Medical Coding where you can browse medical coding schools and jobs.

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