How to Be Charming

Charm is the art of having an attractive personality. This characteristic can only be achieved over a period of time. While everyone is born with differing amounts of natural charm, much can be acquired and honed through practice and patience. As with dancing, the more you practice, the better you will become. Effort and careful attention to the needs and desires of others will ensure that charm becomes a permanent part of your character.

Steps

1. Improve your posture. Good posture will give the impression of self confidence (even if you don’t feel that way on the inside). While walking, it is always important to maintain a relaxed yet definitive upright posture- spine long, shoulders back. Practicing in front of a mirror is great, also you could ask a friend or family member to help you adjust your stance. This may feel awkward or overpowering to you when you first practice it, but keep trying.

2. Relax the muscles in your face to the point where you have a natural, pleasant expression permanently engraved there. For some people, it helps to dwell on something or someone that makes them happy.

3. Make a connection. When your eyes come in contact with another person’s, nod and smile subtly with a subdued joy shining forth. Don’t worry about the other person’s reaction and don’t overdo it.

4. Remember people’s names when you meet them for the first time. This takes an enormous amount of effort for most people. Repeat the person’s name when stating your name to that person will help you to remember it better. For example: “Hi Jack, I’m Wendy.” Follow through with small talk and repeat the person’s name. Repeat it once more when you say goodbye. It’s not just about helping you to remember that person. The more you say a person’s name, the more that person will feel that you like them and the greater the chance they’ll warm up to you.

5. Be interested in people. If you meet a new acquaintance, for example a coworker, a classmate, a friend of a friend, etc. find out about their immediate family and interests. Be sure to ask after the names of family members and remember them. Also ask after their particular interests in life. These two topics will ensure much better small talk than just harping on about school or work. Most people don’t like to think about those things at social occasions unless they have to. Even if it is about networking, you should understand fully the worth of taking a break from talking shop. It is important to refrain from talking up about yourself. Be purely interested and impressed by the person with whom you are speaking.

6. Orient topics toward the audience. This means taking into account topics that interest those around you, even if you are not so keen on them. If you are in a sporty crowd, talk about last night’s game or the meteoric rise of a new team. If you are amongst a group of hobbyists, draw out their hobbies and make remarks related to fishing, knitting, mountain climbing, movies, etc. Nobody expects you to be an expert. It is your level of interest and willingness to engage in topics that makes you an interesting person to be around. Exercise an open mind. Let others do the explaining. If someone mistakenly thinks you know more about the topic, be genuine and simply say that your knowledge is limited but that you are hoping to learn more about it.

7. Praise others instead of gossiping. If you are talking with someone or you are talking in a group of people, and up pops the subject of another person in a positive or negative way, be the one to mention something you like about that person. Hearsay is the most powerful tool in gaining charm because it is always viewed as 100% sincere. It has the added benefit of creating trust in you – “Oh, s/he never has a bad word to say about anyone.” They know they and their reputation are safe with you.

8. Be honest. A lie is something you say for which there is some direct evidence somewhere out there that contradicts it. If you tell Mary that you like Jane and Billy that you don’t like Jane, Mary and Billy will talk and your reputation will be ruined. No one will believe a word you say.

9. Issue compliments generously, especially to raise others’ self esteem. Try to pick out something that you appreciate in any situation and verbally express that appreciation. If you like something or someone, find a creative way to say it and say it immediately. If you wait too long, it may be viewed as insincere and badly timed, especially if others have beaten you to it. If you notice that someone is putting a lot of effort into something, compliment it, even if you feel that there is room for improvement. If you notice that someone has changed something about themselves (haircut, manner of dress) notice it, and point out something you like about it. If you are asked directly, be charming and deflect the question with a very general compliment.

10. Be gracious in accepting compliments. Get out of the habit of assuming that the compliment is being given without genuine intent. Even when someone makes a compliment out of contempt, there is always a germ of jealous truth hiding in their own heart. Be effusive in accepting the compliment. Go beyond a mere “thank you” and enjoin this with “I’m really glad you like it” or “It is so incredibly kind of you to have noticed.” These are “compliments in return.” Avoid backhanding a compliment. There is nothing worse to a person complimenting than to receive the response “Oh well I wish I was as ______ as you/that situation.” That is tantamount to saying, “No, I am not what you are saying I am, and your judgment is wrong.”

11. Control your tone of voice. The tone of your voice is crucial. Most people feel insecure somewhere inside and have an inability to accept praise. For this very reason, when you praise, do it subtly and glibly. When you say, “you look nice today” it should be in the exact same tone that you would use to say “it’s a nice day.” Any variation from your normal tone will arouse suspicion about your sincerity. And since you will be trying hard to be a breezy, caring, happy personality, your eagerness will come across in both simple and complimentary talk. Practice giving compliments into a recorder and play it back. Does it sound sincere? Whether your praise is true or not, it must sound sincere! (It is, of course, far more effective when it genuinely is sincere.) Practice until you get it right.

Tips

· Always remain relaxed. You want to please other people but you do not worry about what they are thinking. If you do, it will be written all over your face and you will be perceived as a doormat or a people-pleaser – a person with a desperate need for others to like them. And remember, what people are thinking is rarely about you. It is generally about themselves and their to-do lists.

· The degree of charm that you possess depends on the creativity of your praise. Say something that is not immediately obvious and say it in a poetic way. It’s good to have some premeditated compliments and phrases but the most charming people are able to invent them on the spot. This way, you can be sure that you are not repeating it.

· Every so often you will have no choice but to express an opinion that few others hold (to adhere to the honesty policy). You must do it in a humorous way. Humor is the teaspoon of sugar that helps the medicine go down.

· Empathy is at the core of charm. If you can’t tell what makes people happy or unhappy, you have no way to assess whether you are saying the right or wrong thing.

· If you find it tricky to relax your face, start with your shoulders. Are they up near your ears? That’s a good sign you’re tense. Put them back in place, correct your posture, take in a deep breath and smile.

Warnings

· Never argue. Remember if half of the people who hear your argument agree and half disagree, you have failed at being charming. What you say must be pleasing to 100% of the people who will hear it, whether they hear it directly from you or not.

. Be that as it may, remember that arguing is not the same as disagreeing. Feel free to express your opinion, but don’t attempt to dominate the person with whom you are chatting.

· Never laugh at your own jokes. That smacks of poor taste. The joke ought to stand alone. You can smile generously. And don’t worry if no one else laughs at your jokes. Sometimes people just don’t hear or understand a joke. It is as embarrassing for them to miss the punchline, and to have to own up to it, as it is for the person giving the joke seeking to wind up a jovial response.

· Never over-explain anything. To do this is to belabor a point. Unfortunately, it simply confirms a lack of self-esteem in that you do not trust that others have understood your point. In addition, it displays arrogance in that it demonstrates a feeling on your behalf that your listeners cannot think for themselves. People will listen to you when you cut out unnecessary explanations and force them to be active listeners. Trust that your listeners can put two and two together.

· Many people mistake arrogance for charm. In fact, arrogance is anti-charm. Charmers live to please others. Arrogant people live to please themselves. Arrogance only attracts insecure people while charm attracts everyone.

Things You’ll Need

· An open smile

· Empathy

· Confidence

· Self-esteem

· Honesty

· An arsenal of creative compliments

· The ability to invent creative compliments on the spot

How to Get Six Pack Abs

The simple 2 step process to gaining and maintaining a six pack abs is as follows: strengthen your abdominal muscles and lose body fat. The concept is simple, but putting it into action is not. It will take dedication, willpower, patience and time to get a six pack but in the end, the effort is well worth it.

Steps:

Build Muscle

1. Do Crunches. Lie on the floor (with or without a mat). Cross your arms in front of your chest(((Do not place both hands behind your head– Placing both hands behind your head can cause lower back problems in the long run as it places unnecessary stress on that part of your body from pulling on your head and neck.))) Another alternative to crossing your arms in front of your chest is to lightly place your finger tips behind your ears, without pulling on your neck or ears to help raise you off the floor. Draw in your abdomen to your spine while inhaling through your nose. Now raise your shoulders (upper torso) towards your knees, using strictly your abdominal muscles. It is very important not to lift your entire back off the floor, as this can cause back strain, and the extended movement does not help you develop six pack abs any faster. The most important part of the crunch is the initial flexing of your abs as you lift your shoulders off of the floor. As soon as you begin lifting off the floor exhale through your mouth, ending with a gasp once your shoulders are off the floor. Then pause for a second once you are at the top of the crunch and exhale the last bit of air from your diaphragm while flexing your abs. The proper breathing and flexing make all the difference. Now lower back down slowly and controlled while inhaling through your nose, just until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Do not let your head touch the ground and repeat.

2. Do Sit Ups. Lie on the floor, feet on the floor, knees up and hands behind your head or crossed on your chest. Sit all the way up, lifting your lower back off the floor along with your shoulder blades. Lower yourself down. Repeat. Once this becomes relatively easy for you (i.e. you can do a quite a bit with ease) start adding more challenges. Find an incline bench or do these on an exercise ball. Once you “graduate” from that, do weighted sit ups. Hold a weight on your chest while you do these. As these become easier, hold heavier and heavier weights. You might also try lifting your feet off the ground while doing the sit ups or alternating the leg in the air, like pretending to pedal while sitting up. If your hands are behind your head, bring your left knee up to touch your right elbow and then your right knee to the left elbow.

3.Do Leg Lifts. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands at your sides. Lift your legs straight up (not bending your knees at all) until they’re at a ninety degree angle (or close). Lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor. For more challenge there is equipment at most gyms that will allow you to raise yourself up using your arms as support and dangle your legs. You can perform leg lifts there too. If you’re using this piece of equipment, you can make it easier by just raising your knees to your chest. It’s more difficult to raise your legs to a horizontal position with your legs straight. This helps firm up the lower abdomen. If you’re truly a monster, try doing leg lifts with a medicine ball hanging from your feet. Or hang from a pull up bar and raise your legs in front of you all the way up to the bar. Still too easy?…

4. Do Jackknife Sit Ups. Lie down flat on the floor. Place your hands on the ground to your sides for balance; you can pick them up as you get used to the movement. Simultaneously raise your knees and torso so that your knees and face meet on an imaginary line extending from your pelvis to the ceiling. You should be able to kiss your knees at the top of the motion. Your legs will naturally fold bringing your feet towards your hips, much like a jackknife. Lie back down (i.e. “spread out”) and repeat. Place a weight between your feet when you think you can handle it. What’s that? More?

5. Do V-ups. Lie on the floor, legs straight out, hands on the floor but this time extended out over your head. Simultaneously raise legs and torso. Don’t bend your knees! What kind of V would it be if you bend your knees? Reach with your hands toward the raised feet. Touch your feet if possible (might require some flexibility). Relax, return to starting position and repeat. Add weight between feet to match your taste.

6. Static Hold and Side Statics. Put your body into the push-up position but with your elbows on the floor, and you whole body flat. This position is known as the static hold position and it trains your core (including your abs!!!) to hold the body in place(the real purpose of your abs). Hold this position for as long as possible, but you should be aiming to start off with at least 45 seconds, with seasoned ab workers known to achieve over 20minute static holds. To perform the side static hold, roll onto one side of your body and lift into the same position as before, but this time only one arm will be on the ground with the other arm pointed straight up the the air and your non weight bearing leg resting on your bottom leg. Once again, hold this for as long as possible Train Your Oblique Muscles. It’s not as important to work on your oblique muscles at first, but eventually you’ll want to start working these too. These are the muscles to either side of your stomach. There are multiple ways to do this and anything that includes twisting your torso against a resistance counts. There are twisting machines at gyms, you can twist while you do sit-ups, you can do side bends, you can twist side to side with a medicine ball in hand, etc. Be aware though, that many beginners tend to have weak obliques compared to their abs (it simply isn’t used as much in daily life) so go easy on the sides at first.

7. Other stuff Since it is, literally, the center of your body there are many other tricks you can use to train your abs, and some of the other movements will more or less involve your abs. Including every abdominal exercise in existence would make this article painfully long and new methods are being developed constantly. Now that you’ve made up your mind about a washboard mid-section, get creative! Find new ways to crunch, bend and twist in your daily life. Some possibilities include:

a. Use a stability ball. Do your crunches on the ball to introduce instability to your workout, which will improve your balance too. There are also lots of core exercises that can be done with a stability ball.

b. Duck and twist during your daily routine. Reach with your left hand to things on your right and visa versa. If you feel like turning around to face something, see if you can do it with keeping your hips in place and twisting at the waist (warning: awkward when talking to other people, use only against inanimate objects). While walking or standing, pretend that something is coming toward you and you have to duck to get out of the way. Do this as often as you are comfortable or at times when it won’t look weird. You can bend forward from the hips or, if you’re really into it, bend at the knees too and really “sink” out of the way.

Lose Fat

1. Lift Weights. The more muscle your body has, the more calories your body burns, even at rest. Many people are afraid of getting huge due to weight lifting. This is meaningless. You will NOT gain a lot of mass if you’re not taking in a lot of calories as well. Also keep in mind that most of the huge people you see on TV or in print achieve that state by going on high protein and high carb diets. They increase their calorie intake specifically to bulk up. So the fear of bulking up should NOT be a reason to not lift weights. As a rule of thumb, the larger the muscle the more energy it will burn to sustain itself. Therefore the most effective muscle groups to work for fat loss are large muscle groups: thighs and hamstrings, the back, and the chest. You can also lift your body weight without going to a gym, through pushups, situps, chinups, etc.

2. Do Cardio. No matter how muscular your abs are that six pack isn’t going to show if you cover it up with a layer of fat. Running, biking, swimming, stair climbing, jumping rope, tennis, volleyball, dancing, squash or any other activity that gets you moving and keeps you moving is a great way to burn fat. However, a cardio workout should be performed for at least 20 MINUTES to burn fat. Prior to this your body will simply run on it’s stored energy, which results in minimal fat loss. Cardio should always be done after your weight lifting workout. While lifting weights, you use stored, (carb) energy, thus, by doing cardio after weight training your body will have less stored energy to use and go straight into the fat storage for its energy use. The overall best way to shed fat fast is to do cardio(30 min minimum) right when you wake up. Your body will search for energy to use, when it finds nothing in your stomach, it will go directly to your fat storage for energy and the fat will burn up so fast!

Diet Tips

1. Keep Metabolism Steady. Eating one small meal (such as a potato, a salad, etc.) every three hours that you are awake will not speed up your metabolism, rather, it will keep it going. Your metabolism goes and slows with your food intake and eating something small every three hours will keep that metabolism burning calories and will help you lose weight.

2. Eat Smaller Dinners. Cut down on the size of your dinner. If you’re hungry, snack on fruits or other healthy, low calorie snacks. Large dinners tend to hurt a fat loss process because most people aren’t very active after dinner. This is the basis for advice along the lines of “don’t eat anything within X hours before going to bed”. The claim that your entire dinner is stored as fat isn’t entirely true (the process is more complicated than that) but the fact you don’t move after dinner is enough to hurt your cause. You can offset this by eating a larger lunch or snacking healthily before dinner. Fresh fruits or vegetables are excellent choices for curbing appetite not to mention other health benefits. A handful of nuts might do the same. Drink a large glass of water before sitting at the table.

3. Eat More Fiber. Most people don’t get enough fiber. The recommended amount is actually not that much if you eat a healthy diet. “Fibre foods” include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Other options are fibre supplements.

4. Eat Breakfast. Many people skip breakfast because they don’t have time for it. Keep this in mind: You don’t have time to skip breakfast, it’s simply too valuable to skip. The fact that skipping breakfast messes up your concentration and other mental functions is beyond the scope of this article. The harm of skipping breakfast from a weight loss perspective is it makes you eat a huge lunch since your body hasn’t had anything in the past 12 (or more) hours. When you eat a huge lunch you get that after meal drowsiness so now you’re both unproductive and inactive. Cereals don’t take much time to prepare and consume, and most of them are very healthy nowadays. If you are extremely pressed for time, consider grabbing a box of breakfast bars or a smoothie and throwing one in your bag when you leave for work or school. Some breakfast bars out there are also excellent sources of fiber.

5. Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently. This helps raise your metabolism too. It’s not easy to do though since it’s a relatively big change to most people’s routines. But it doesn’t have to be a full blown meal, simply eat often but less. A jar of nuts in the office will do just fine, grab a handful when you feel like it. Most fruits can last for a couple days without refrigeration, and if you have a refrigerator at the office, make use of it.

6. Drink More Water Everyday. Many places suggest 8 cups (2 L) of water a day. It sounds like an absurd amount of water, but actually, you can drink tea without sugar to make up some of the quota. In fact tea, especially green tea, rev up your “metabolism” (actually cause a temporary increase in calories burned). For fat loss purposes, consuming water instead of the other junk will keep you away from the carbs and curb your appetite. Needless to say there are many benefits of water. 70% of your body is made of it!

Tips

· Motivation is the key. Regardless of aim, having the right attitude towards your motivation is important. If your motivation source is purely the result, you will likely not last very long. It’s important to enjoy the exercise, the immediate and long term benefits and to incorporate enjoyable activities into your exercise routine. And remember, your significant other can also benefit from mutual exercise “activities”.

· It may help to use a record-keeper or plan book for your exercise program. Exercise journals are fantastic for this purpose because as you enter daily information in the journal, you’re putting together a complete record that can be referred back to in the future.

· If you feel you need to, ease into the changes in your lifestyle. Start eating breakfast. If you have difficulty with this, start with a couple glasses of water or a large cup of coffee right when you wake up. It’ll go down easy and prepare your stomach to get back to work. Cut the amount of dinners little by little. For the exercises, start slow and increase pace and/or repetitions as you are comfortable. Attempting lifestyle changes in a drastic, sudden manner can backfire. Do what you can but don’t sell yourself short.

· Make a photo diary of your body but don’t take pictures too often, maybe once a month. Don’t study your pictures intensely since you might not get motivated if you don’t see a difference. If you are consistent in your diet & exercise you should see changes monthly. Keep in mind that you won’t see changes in the mirror everyday since they will be very small improvements.

· Unless you are watching your weight for another reason, ignore the reading on the scale. You may be decreasing your body fat but your weight may stay the same (or even increase) as you build muscle. Muscle tissue is denser than fat so it will be heavier than the same volume of fat. Water weight can also vary your readings by a surprisingly large amount.

· Try to keep a steady eating routine. It will throw your body off if you skip a meal and starve yourself only to stuff your face later. Avoid such situations as much as possible.

· For added variety you may look into using a swiss ball and/or a medicine ball during your ab workout. Doing crunches on the swiss ball will improve your balance, or you may use it to get a little more flexion in your abs. The medicine ball has many different uses, the simplest one being added weight.

· If you are already skinny, but simply don’t have the abdominal muscle that you want, passively exercising while doing other things can help a great deal. If you spend a long time in a sitting position, try continuously clenching your stomach. Get in the habit of doing this for hours at a time and you may be surprised at its effectiveness.

Warnings

· This exercise regimen will only work for a select few individuals. For some people, this exercise advice will actually provide the opposite desired effects. For example, for people who have a few extra pounds around the belly and start this from scratch, they are actually more likely to look larger in the belly for a period of time since they are putting on muscle beneath their fat at first. You may want to begin for a significant period of time by doing more cardio to lose fat all over the body. Doing specific muscle exercises, unfortunately does not remove fat from that specific area of the body. Additionally, focusing solely on the abs can produce an imbalance in the body and may cause back problems where there were none before or exacerbate any existing problems
· As with any exercise program, consult your doctor before making major changes in your workout routine if you have medical problems. Increase loads slowly. Being eager is great but setting unrealistic goals isn’t going to help you in the long run.
· If you have a bad back be especially careful when doing abdominal exercises. You can injure it or aggravate any injuries you may have. Always stretch after warming up (a short jog or brisk walk is a good way to warm up)and after exercising.
· Don’t starve yourself. If you go hungry for an extended period of time your metabolism will slow down. The body, thinking that no food is available tries to make the best of what it has and goes into power-saving mode. Whilst on ‘power-saving’ mode, the body will supplement its carbohydrates (being burnt for energy) with the proteins in your muscles. What this means is that you are in fact eating back into that six pack just to try and make it show through.
· Fiber also acts like a mild laxative. Be careful if you eat a lot of fibre. It can also cause some gas if you’re not used to taking in so much fibre. If you increase your fibre dosage by a lot, increase your water intake too. Excessive fibre with little water can result in digestive problems.
· Habitual snacking on unhealthy foods is often done almost subconsciously. Many people do this and don’t realize how many calories they take in. They insist they eat very little (which is true during their major meals), but they don’t realize that their snacking is making them gain weight or stopping them from losing weight. Avoid buying high sugar snacks and instead buy healthy, low calorie snacks. A way to prevent unhealthy snacking is to write down everything you eat in a day. As you watch the list grow you will be inclined to put that donut down.
· Be wary of ab machines that you may see on TV. Many of these are in fact rip offs and you are more likely to stay motivated if you incorporate an ABS workout into a regular gym session(you are less likely to get sick of it). You can get a great ab workout just by using the floor. Remember that it’s not the exercise that will give you the six pack. It’s the combination of strength exercises and fat loss. Playing more athletic sports, weight lifting, and cardio exercises are a million times more effective for fat loss than using an exercise machine. If you feel you need to use those machines, a gym membership will likely suit you much better.
· Supplements can be useful, but they are just what they advertise themselves to be; supplements. There is no magic pill to make you lose weight with no work. There are some supplements out there that can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism or by helping you curb your appetite, but you still have to work. Most tend to be “snake oil” and will not really give you any results while costing you great deals of money. And remember, even if they DO help, all supplements still require the consumer to watch their diet and increase their exercise. A simple multivitamin or mineral pill is likely all that most people will need.
· Sit ups can be bad for your back. They have caused many lower back problems and are not recommended by most doctors. More and more K-12 schools are phasing sit ups out and switching to crunches. A good alternative to sit ups is to lay on your back, lift your feet in the air as high as you can reach them, and lift your butt off the floor instead. The best results come when you do them slow and tighten your abs (and even butt). When you lower your legs do not let your butt touch the ground completely, then repeat. This exercise conditions, tightens, and hardens all the same muscles as a sit up when used with crunches as well.
· Don’t use steroids or Human Growth Hormone (HGH) without the consultation of your doctor (several if possible). Be cautious about the use of any dietary supplements, even “just” the protein powders. Consult your doctor for a reputable sports doctor who can advise knowledgeably on such “help”.

Stay Safe….. Live Well…..

How to Stop a Nose Bleeding

While it can be scary to see blood coming out of the nose, staying calm is very important. If you follow the steps below, you should be able to successfully stop a nose bleed.

Steps

During the Nose Bleed

Thumbs Up Method
1. Stay calm, slowly taking deep breaths.
2. With your hand (same hand as the bleeding nostril,) make a ‘thumbs up’ sign.
3. Press your thumb against your nostril’s side, not so hard that it hurts, but firmly enough to flatten the nostril.
4. Stay still, leaning forward slightly.
5. Stay in place for 5-10 minutes, breathing normally.
6. Slowly release the pressure; it may feel a bit weird as the blood flows back into your nasal vessels.

Pinching Method
1. Pinch your nose just below the bridge. There is a vein just below the nose bone that is the culprit in 99% of bloody noses. Pinching puts pressure on it, which arrests the bleeding and speeds the clotting process.
2. Find a bathroom as you continue pinching. Now that you have slowed the bleeding by pinching, you should find a bathroom where you can clean up once the bleeding has stopped.
3. Keep applying pressure for at least 5 minutes at a time. Don’t check to see if it is still bleeding over this period of time as it is important to keep continuous pressure. After this period of time let go briefly to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, give it another 5 minutes. (This is also a good time to quickly wash any blood off your hands and get a paper towel or toilet paper to pinch with so that blood gets on the paper and not your hand.) If it is, continue pinching. Don’t check every 30 seconds, as the key is constant pressure.

Pressure Method
1. Find the two very slight depressions on the back of the skull, approximately four finger-widths from the base of the skull (in line with the tops of the ears) and four finger-widths from the mid-line of the back of the skull. If you had eyes in the back of your head, this is where they would be.
2. Press the spots firmly, but gently, and if you have connected correctly, the bleeding should stop immediately. Keep up the pressure for about five minutes and then release. If the bleeding starts again, just repeat the process, but hold it longer: you may have to keep up the pressure for ten to fifteen minutes to stop it completely.

Upper Lip Method
1. Roll up a piece of gauze or tissue into a “cigar shape” approximately 2 inches long and a little thicker than a pencil. Folding it into a small, thick square also works well.
2. Wedge the tissue under your upper lip where it’s tight and close your lip over it.
3. Apply light pressure by compressing your lip over the wad. Tilt your head forward.

Chemical Method (Please make sure these ingredients are safe for you. No Responsibility)
1. Mix equal parts of lemon juice, vinegar and salt. You only need a little.
2. Wipe any blood from your nose with a paper towel or tissue.
3. Carefully smell the mixture, from about 4 inches away. The fumes should stop the bleeding quickly. Remember, if you get dizzy, stop smelling the mixture.

Afrin Method (Please make sure these ingredients are safe for you. No Responsibility)
1. Spray nose four times in the bleeding nostril(s) with a decongestant spray such as Afrin or Neo-Synephrine. Decongenstant sprays such as these contain oxymetazoline nasal which constrict blood vessels and stop bleeding within seconds.
2. Do not use oxymetazoline nasal for longer than 3 to 5 days. Longer use could cause damage to your nasal tissue and lead to chronic congestion. If your symptoms do not improve, see your doctor.

After the Nose Bleed
1. Do not clean out your nose after the bleeding has stopped.
2. Clean up everything else. Your hands, your face, the sink–anything you dropped blood on needs to be cleaned.
3. Moisturize. If you have chap stick, moisturizer or Neosporin on hand, put a little of that in your nose to help healing and prevent it from bleeding again. A thin coating of petroleum jelly is simple and can be helpful to prevent nosebleeds due to dry air. If you are prone to bloody noses, it is a good idea to do this every morning to prevent bleeding, especially in dry weather.
4. Put an extra paper towel in your pocket just in case it starts to bleed again. If it doesn’t start for the next hour, you should be in the clear.
5. Avoid doing anything to cause your nose to bleed. Don’t blow your nose, pick your nose, or bump it if at all possible. Nose bleeds can be caused by accidents, but are more commonly caused by dry conditions, causing the nasal membranes to dry out and crack. While we don’t feel this, the end result is obvious.

Tips

· There are as many superstitious ways to to stop a nose bleed as there are to cure hiccups. Some other folk remedies:

o For severe nose bleeds (lasting longer than 5 minutes) you may need to hold an ice pack to your nose. This will constrict blood vessels, slowing the flow of blood.
o Keep a set of metal keys in the freezer in a ziplock baggie, and when a nose bleed starts, take them out of the freezer and hold to the back of your neck until the bleeding stops.
o Take a junior “light” tampon and push it a little ways into the nostril. It will soak up all the blood and when you stop bleeding, you can gently pull it out. While tampons are not considered sterile, they are generally low in bacteria count.
o Tear off a piece of paper towel or tissue and roll or wad it up. Place it about 2 cm (3/4 inch) into the nostril. Leave in for about 15 minutes. This allows one to quickly and simply get back to what one is doing while the blood has time to clot.

§ Put a little hydrogen peroxide on the rolled-up tissue. Insert it into the bleeding nostril and apply pressure for 5 minutes. You will feel some heat and a lot of fizzing. The released oxygen will accelerate the clotting of the blood.

o You can also apply pressure to the hollows next to the spine directly where it joins the skull, as this helps to keep the sinuses clear.
o A folk method that sometimes works is to lift one of the sufferer’s legs, take off their shoe, and smack the bottom of their foot several times. While it sounds rather odd, it sometimes actually works.
o Take an ice pack (or get someone else to get you one) and place it on the back of the neck. One of the main arteries that leads to your nose runs through your neck and the cold from the ice pack will cause the artery to contract, lessening the blood flow to the nose.

· If you get a lot of nose bleeds, talk to your doctor about getting your nose cauterized. This can greatly reduce them if not stop them all together.

· Use a saline nose spray during allergy season if you get frequent nose bleeds during this time.

· Breathe through your mouth during the nosebleed. Don’t try to inhale through your nose, it won’t be fun. Exhaling through your nose will encourage the nosebleed. To keep your mouth from drying out, put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

· To prevent problems in the future, raise the humidity level in your living quarters by using a humidifier. Most nosebleeds occur when nasal blood vessels become dry and cracked.

· Breathe in through your nose and out your mouth..this will help the drying up process by not allowing moisture to pass through the nose.

· During the dry months try eating spinach or cauliflower every other day. The vitamin K is supposed to help clotting. Some other foods with vitamin K are lettuce and swiss chard.

Warnings

· The “Pinching Method” is the only generally accepted medical practice for stopping epistaxis (nosebleeds).

· It is not recommended that you tilt your head back while suffering a nose bleed (contrary to popular belief). This allows blood to flow into the esophagus and poses a choking hazard, as well as causing blood to collect in the stomach. Too much swallowed blood will cause emesis (vomiting). Tilt forward instead.

· During a severe nosebleed, don’t be surprised if blood starts dripping from the corner of your eye next to your nose. The lacrimal duct there is connected to the nasal sinuses and blood can flow out of it during a bad nosebleed. However, if you have a nosebleed that severe, you should probably be seen in an emergency room.

· Nose bleeds can be very dangerous. If you start to feel dizzy or light headed, call an ambulance immediately, you may have lost a dangerous amount of blood.

· After the nose has stopped bleeding, drink water to help the process of replacing lost blood.

· Limit movement while pinching because you may accidentally pull on delicate nose vessels, aggravating the nosebleed.

Stay Safe….. Live Well…..

How to Survive in the Woods–the Wild

Ever been on a hike admiring the wild flowers, gazing up at the tips of the trees–and suddenly found yourself completely alone and lost? What would happen to you if you couldn’t find your way back to safety? While being lost in the woods can be a frightening experience, surviving alone in the wild is generally a matter of common sense, patience, and wisely using the gifts that nature provides. All you need to survive for a few days is shelter, warmth, water, and food.

Steps

Plan ahead. Don’t just trek off into the wilderness, do some research first. There are a lot of resources regarding survival, both online and in libraries. Educate yourself about the flora and fauna of the area you are exploring. Knowledge of the local plants and animals can save your life! You might also want to purchase a survival manual to carry with you.

Make sure someone knows where you are going every time you go into the wilderness,and how long you intend to be gone. That way someone will realize that you are missing, quickly alert rescuers, and be able to tell them where to start looking for you.

Survive in the wilderness by being prepared. Basic survival tools such as a knife, a magnesium stone, some matches, some cord, a whistle, and a small pot can mean the difference between life and death. Even if you are only out on a day hike, be sure to bring the essentials.

Panic is more dangerous than almost anything else, because it interferes with your single best, most useful and versatile survival tool: your mind. The moment you realize that you are lost, before you do anything else, stop. Take a deep breath and stay calm. If you’re hanging from a rope halfway down a mountainside with a broken leg, remind yourself that people have survived exactly this situation.

Stand still and look around carefully!. Wherever you are will become your “point zero.” Find a way to mark it using a spare piece of clothing, a pile of rocks, a sheet of paper, or anything else easily visible from a distance.

Stay in one place, and you not only increase your chances of being found, you also increase your ability to survive by reducing the energy your body expends and the amount of water and food you will need. It is always best to hunker down and stay put. Chances are that someone will be looking for you, especially if you let someone know your plans.

Signal your location to maximize the odds that someone finds you. Make noise by whistling, shouting, singing, or banging rocks together. If you can, mark your location in such a way that it’s visible from the air. If you’re in a mountain meadow, make three piles of dark leaves or branches in a triangle. In sandy areas, make a large triangle in the sand. In a forest, you might want to prepare three small fires ready to ignite at a moment’s notice, with heaps of wet leaves nearby in order to make smoke. Three of anything in the wilderness is a standard distress signal.

Start scouting your area, carefully keeping track of your location. Be sure you can always find your way back to your “point zero” as you search for water, shelter, or your way home.

Find or create shelter. Without adequate shelter, you will be fully exposed to the elements and will risk hypothermia or heatstroke, depending on the weather. If you are not properly dressed for the conditions, finding shelter is all the more important. Luckily, the woods are filled with tools and resources to make both shelters and fires (for warmth, safety, and signaling purposes). Look for a fallen or leaning tree. Use brush or green branches (boughs) from trees to repel water, block wind, keep out snow, or create shade. Close in your shelter on as many sides as possible. Caves can be great, but be sure the cave is not already occupied by bears, large cats, snakes or other unfriendly animals; they know caves are good too, and they’ve been looking for good shelter for longer than you have. Also make sure it’s not going to collapse on you- this reduces your chances of survival considerably.

Find a good source of water. You can last up to three days without water, but by the end of the second day you’re not going to be in very good shape; find water before then. The best source of water is a spring, but the chances of finding one are slim. A running stream is your next best bet; the movement of the water reduces sediment. Be advised that drinking water from streams can lead to some sicknesses , but when you’re in a life-or-death situation, the risk of illness is a secondary consideration.

Get a good fire going–one with sufficient coals to stay hot for many hours–and make sure that you have plenty of extra dry wood. A good rule of thumb is to gather wood until you have enough to last the night, then gather three more piles of the same size, and you *might* have enough to get through the night. In the wilderness you should have access to dry wood in the under story of the forest. You can also use bark or dried dung. If you build a fire that is hot enough, you can also burn green wood, brush, or tree boughs to make a signaling fire (one that makes a lot of smoke). The best wood for maintaining a fire is dead wood that you pull off a standing tree. Regardless of what type of woods you are in, there will certainly be some dry wood available. Remember that a small fire is easier to keep burning than a big fire, though, because it requires less fuel. Once you have sufficient embers, keep the fire to a manageable size so you don’t spend too much time looking for fuel.

Find safe food. Just because you are starving and happen to see a beautiful mushroom growing out of a rotting log doesn’t mean that you should eat it. Make sure that you know food is safe before eating it. If there is anything that will lessen your ability to survive, it is being both lost and deathly ill. If you have a fire going, cook anything that you eat, just to be safe. If you are capable of bringing an animal down you might consider eating it as well. In addition, don’t be afraid to eat insects and other bugs. While it may be disgusting to eat a few grasshoppers, it might also be the difference between life and death. Also, a general rule of thumb is that you can eat insects less than an inch in length raw, but larger ones should be cooked. Make sure to remove the legs or other parts that look like they might hook you on the way down. As for berries: white and yellow berries are poisonous 90% of the time, blue and black berries are good to eat 90% of the time (however, deadly nightshade berries are dark blue or black and they taste sweet, but a couple can kill you fairly quickly), and red berries are a 50/50 shot. Aggregate berries (bumpy ones like raspberries, strawberries, etc.) are almost 100% good to eat. The only exception to that rule is a white berry that grows only in Alaska. Plus, it’s white (see the 90/10 rule). Starvation won’t be a big problem in the short term anyway, so focus on your water supply and consider fasting for this three day period.

Tips

You can survive several weeks without food, but only several days without water, and perhaps only hours without shelter. Keep your priorities straight.

If you’re not absolutely sure where you are and how to get back to familiar territory, don’t proclaim, “I think it’s this way.” The more you move once you realize you’re lost, the worse your chances are of finding your way back.

Consider taking a staff or walking stick with you. If you don’t have one, any staff-sized stick will do. The little mark it makes in the dirt will help you retrace your steps better than Hansel and Gretel.

It is safer not to go into the wilderness alone.

Bear dens are excellent shelters as they provide protection from the elements, but many times you’ll find that a bear will not welcome you into its home; unless it is eating you.

Most “survival knives” with big blades and hollow handles are not worth the money because the handle can break off easily, leaving you with a blade and a handle and no way to reattach them. A Swiss Army knife is a much better bet, especially since it has a spare blade if the main one breaks.

One of the most important survival tools is something that most people never consider: a cooking pot. Without a pot it is difficult to boil water and cook many foods. A pot guarantees that you are not drinking water filled with bacteria.

Machetes are not better than a Swiss army knife on long term hikes. When hiking long distances the extra weight adds up. Also Machetes does not carry as much functionality as a Swiss army knife. They should not be used for protection; bear mace and pepper-spray are much better. The chances that you will come up against an animal with no eyes is slim. Overall machetes are adapted for clearing brush and not much else and are bad choices for hiking.

Don’t rely upon modern technology like cell phones, GPS units, or radios to save you if you are lost. While technology can come in handy, relying upon a battery or a telephone signal is just asking for trouble.

If you don’t have a lighter or any matches, you will have to start the fire by hand. If you find enough tinder (small material, such as dry grass, feathers or bark shavings, that burns easily) you can usually use the energy from the sun to start a fire with a magnifying glass, a piece of broken glass, a cover to a watch or compass, or other clear, light-intensifying objects. You can even shape a lens out of ice. If you don’t have any such objects, you will have to start a fire with friction, which requires that you fashion a device that rubs wood and tinder together quite rapidly (see other articles on fire starting to learn more). Basically, just carry several types of fire with you whenever you’re in the wild: lighters, matches, and strikers (flint and steel). By far one of the best tools to start a fire is a magnesium stone. It’s a necessity to be included in your survival kit. A cheap and effective supplement to the magnesium stone is the lint that collects in your dryer. Dry lint can be carried in a ziplock bag, weighing almost nothing, and is exceptional tinder – the sparks from the flint part of your magnesium stone will catch in lint much quicker than other materials. You can also use pine sap to start a fire. This sap obviously seeps from pine trees and is very flammable, also remember during winter, do not build a fire directly under a tree or anything that might cause the snow to melt and drop down and put your fire out.

An important acronym to remember is “STOP” which stands for stop, think, observe, and plan.

Whenever you go out in the wilderness (for example, going on a hike), bring a whistle. 1 blow means “I’m lost”, 2 blows means “I’m coming” (if you hear someone else blow a whistle), and 3 blows means “This is an emergency” (if you are hurt).

At night, the worst that can happen is freezing to death. Bundle up. Cover yourself with leaves, twigs, whatever is there. To stay warm at night, heat rocks in the fire and then bury them. Sleep on top of the buried rocks. Make sure you bury them deep enough or you will burn yourself.

If you happen to have a reflective object on you (a mirror, a belt buckle, whatever), use it as a signal by facing it towards the sun. Contrary to popular belief, CDs DO NOT make good signaling devices, but are still better than nothing – a signal mirror is recommended instead. You can do the same at night with a flashlight.

If planning an extended trip into difficult or unfamiliar terrain, it is always a good idea to have a backup plan. Detailed maps/trail guides, extra food and water, and signaling devices such as a mirror, flare, or even (depending on the length and location of the trip) a satellite beacon (PLB) could save your life.

Rain, snow, or dew can be a good source of clean water. You can use anything from a cup to a piece of waterproof cloth to a large leaf to collect precipitation.

If you cannot stay where you are until someone finds you, do not pick a direction and start walking, even if you have a means of ensuring that you continue to go that direction. Instead, try to go either uphill or downhill. Going uphill offers a good chance that you will find a vantage point, which can help you get your bearings. If you go downhill, you will probably find water which you can follow downstream; in many cases, this will lead you to civilization. But don’t follow water downstream at night or in fog as it may go off a cliff.

Never, EVER go into the woods without a compass. Note which direction you enter the woods from, say, a straight road or trail and if you get disoriented just head back in the opposite direction from which you entered.

Warnings

Keep your fire contained! Ensure that there is no combustible material underneath your fireplace and enclose it completely with rocks or a berm made of sand. Put your fire out with copious amounts of water: saturate it, so that there is no possibility of even the tiniest spark remaining. You should be able to touch the extinguished coals with your bare hand. It’s one thing to be lost in the woods, but quite another to be surrounded by a forest fire caused by your negligence.

If you encounter snakes, leave them alone. Snakes bite because they are hungry or because they are threatened. We are too big to be seen as prey to most snakes, so they cannot eat us and do not regard humans as food. Stand still and the snake will go away. Attack it and it will retaliate. If one curls up in your kit, chivvy it out with a long stick and gently prod it away. If it comes in your direction, stand still. It doesn’t know that you are causing its discomfort and if you do not jump around, it will probably not even notice you. However, if you kill the snake you can enjoy eating it. Since you probably don’t know if it’s venomous or not, a good rule of thumb is to cut off the head, and then cut the same distance back from that point down the body. This will remove any poison glands if there are any.

Chewing leather is bad advice for most modern, chemical-tanned leathers! Great way to poison yourself with chromium and other toxic chemicals! Besides, do you really want to trade your only real foot protection for a couple of calories? Protect your shoes so you can take a hike to look for nutrition!

Things You’ll Need

Whistle
String
Optional but Helpful Materials: map of the area, water purifying tablets, spare cloths, magnifying glass (for fire), compass!, basic First Aid kit, cotton balls in a bag with Vaseline on them (this is not only for chapped lips, but as an ointment for cuts and sunburn relief, but most importantly, when you tear the cotton balls, and mix them well the the vasoline, it is a very flamable material, which will burn smoothly and long, which is great for making torches and starting fires!).
15 feet of rope.
Universal tool.

How to verify the purity of Honey

How to verify the purity of Honey

Fake and impure honeys have become commonplace in the market today, despite many people’s preference for 100% bees’ honey. The problem with this is, unfortunately, fake and impure honey can be passed off as pure very easily. When viewed on the shelf, it is very hard to pick out what is pure, and what is not. There are, however, a few ways to figure this out.
Check the label. You would be amazed at how many people neglect to look closely at the label of food products before buying them, and then are dismayed to find they bought something they really didn’t want. Check around the brand name, and the ingredients list (if there is one) for a mention of additives. The company should be required to list them if you are shopping in certain countries. If there are no mentions of additives, buy the honey.
Taste the honey. If it seems off, and yet the label claims it is pure, there are a few simple tests you can run to check the purity of the honey.

o The dissolving test.

* Get a glass of water. This and a tablespoon of honey are all you need for the first test.

* Empty the honey into the water. If the honey is impure, it will dissolve in the water- the most common additive to honey is syrup of jaggery, which dissolves. If it is pure, the honey will stick together and sink as a solid lump to the bottom of the glass.

* This test can also be completed by mixing equal parts honey and methylated spirits (denatured alcohol). Pure honey will settle to the bottom. Impure honey is more likely to remain dissolved and make the solution milky.

o The flame test.

* Get a lighter and a candle with a cotton wick. This test is better if you don’t have as much honey to spare.

* Dip the cotton wick of the candle into a bit of the honey, and shake off the excess.

* Attempt to light the wick. If it burns, then it is completely pure honey. If it refuses to burn, then the presence of water is not allowing the wick to burn. (If there is only a very small amount of honey on the wick, though, it might still burn. It will produce a crackling sound, and it would be best to blow out the wick and try it again this time using more honey.)

o The absorption test.

* Pour a few drops of honey on blotting paper and observe whether or not it is absorbed. If it’s absorbed, the honey’s not pure.

* If you don’t have blotting paper, pour a little bit of honey on a white cloth, then wash the cloth. If there is any stain left by the honey, it is probably not pure.

o The spiral test when pouring

* When poured very slowly honey will flow as a spiral in a clockwise direction. This is because the honey molecule is non-symmetrical with a right-hand bias which causes the stream of honey to spin.

Hybrid Vehicle-What is a Hybrid Vehicle

A hybrid vehicle (HV) is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power or fuel sources such as:

An on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fueled power source for vehicle propulsion
Human or sail powered bicycle with battery assist
A sail boat with electric power[1]
The term most commonly refers to Hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) which includes internal combustion engines and electric motors (generally powered by electric batteries or other rechargeable energy storage system -RESS-).
History
One of the earliest hybrid vehicles were simply boats with both sails and oars, such as the Greek/Phoenician trireme warships. These used a sail for traveling with the wind, and the oars for when there was insufficient wind, or in circumstances that the sail was unfavorable (such as naval combat, in the case of the triremes).

Hybrid types by engines

Hybrid-electric petroleum vehicles
When the term hybrid vehicle is used, it most often refers to a Hybrid electric vehicle. These encompass such vehicles as the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda Insight and others. A petroleum-electric hybrid most commonly uses internal combustion engines (generally gasoline or Diesel engines, powered by a variety of fuels) and electric batteries to power electric motors. There are many types of petroleum-electric hybrid drivetrains from Full hybrid to Mild hybrid which offer varying advantages and disadvantages Hybrid fuel (dual mode)
In addition to vehicles that use two or more different devices for propulsion, some also consider vehicles that use distinct energy input types (“fuels”) using the same tank and engine to be hybrids, although to avoid confusion with hybrids as described above and to use correctly the terms, these are described as dual mode vehicles:
Some electric trolleybuses can switch between an on board diesel engine and overhead electrical power depending on conditions. In principle, this could be combined with a battery subsystem to create a true plug-in hybrid trolleybus, although as of 2006, no such design seems to have been announced.
Flexible-fuel vehicles can use a mixture of input fuels (petroleum and biofuels) in one tank — typically gasoline and bioethanol or biobutanol, though diesel-biodiesel vehicles would also qualify. Liquified petroleum gas and natural gas are very different from each other and cannot be used in the same tanks, so it would be impossible to build an (LPG-NG) flexible fuel system.
Some vehicles have been modified to use another fuel source if it is available, such as cars modified to run on autogas (LPG) and diesels modified to run on waste vegetable oil that has not been processed into bio-diesel.
Power-assist mechanisms for bicycles and other human-powered vehicles are also included.
A Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) is an emerging type of automobile which can use traditional liquid combustibles and electricity as fuels. Such vehicles could reduce fossil fuel consumption, pollution, and operating costs. If equipped with vehicle to grid technology they could also help stabilize the electric grid by acting as load balance devices. By reducing the amount of liquid fuel required they could also help biofuels meet a larger portion of our fuel demands.

Continuously Recharged Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Given suitable infrastructure, BEVs can be recharged while the user drives. The BEV establishes contact with an electrified rail, plate or overhead wires on the highway via an attached conducting wheel or other similar mechanism (see Conduit current collection). The BEV’s batteries are recharged by this process – on the highway – and can then be used normally on other roads.
This provides the advantage of virtually unrestricted highway range. Since most destinations are within 100 km of a major highway, this reduces the need for expensive battery systems.