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Share your Experience:with Vouch or Grouch!
Vouch
Or Grouch is Australia's first online business directory,
contributed to by members sharing their customer experience.
Visitors search the website (www.vouchorgrouch.com.au)
using tags (keywords) or business names for local businesses.
Viewing a business profile enables visitors to make
informed choices of the businesses they use by reading
comments left by previous customers.
"It's all about sharing your customer service experience
with the community", stated Mr. Harwood, the creator
of Vouch Or Grouch.
"There are so many websites that allow you to find businesses;
the problem though is that these sites don't inform
you of the quality of service the business delivers.
The key role of Vouch Or Grouch is to provide this information
to the community simply and efficiently".
A business may choose between a free or paid registration;
the amount of information displayed in the business
profile is determined by the registration level. Specially
designed cards are available to display at point of
sale to encourage customer interaction.
Vouch Or Grouch visitors may register as members in
order to publish their customer experiences. Members
may also add businesses to Vouch Or Grouch.
"Allowing members to add a business to the directory
empowers the community" said Mr Harwood. "It's a way
we can build the resource without restriction. If a
member wants to publish a comment about a business that
is not on the site, the member can simply add it."
Businesses that are initially listed by Vouch Or Grouch
members are eligible to be claimed by the business owner.
Vouch Or Grouch is set to become a fundamental point
of reference for customer service in Australia.
Attention business owners:
For the next 24hrs, Vouch Or Grouch is offering readers
of Naturally Happy the opportunity to list your business
at the paid registration level for free. Simply visit
the site and register using the free option. Then fill
in the form on the contact page stating the term "Naturally
Happy" and your listing will be upgraded at no charge.
Good Grief - a short lesson in Grief 101: with Vanessa
Finnigan!
If there's one thing I have learnt, it's that loss is
a part of life and also one of our biggest challenges.
I have processed a good deal of loss in my own personal
life and attended four funerals in the last year. In
addition, I have worked as a psychologist for over ten
years and helped people come to terms with a variety
of losses. Having this type of training and experience
however, is not always helpful when you are supporting
your own family through their bereavement.
Talking about death is still a dicey subject in our
culture. Often people are concerned about upsetting
the person who is grieving by even mentioning the word
death. As a result, phrases such as someone has "passed
away" or he has "lost his brother" are still quite commonly
used. Some eastern cultures are a lot more prepared
for death, with various teachings even advocating meditating
on dying as a daily practice. Other cultures have rituals
that involve witnessing the dead body being burnt or
various methods of setting the spirit free. These methods
seem to facilitate the processing of emotion and appear
to be more about confronting than avoiding issues around
death and dying.
Of course, there is no special formula or absolute right
or wrong way of dealing with loss. What affects one
person may not have as much impact on another. It's
a very personal experience and feelings can often come
in waves for the first few days or weeks. Elisabeth
Kubler-Ross, who died a few years ago, was an internationally
renowned psychiatrist of her time and "grief guru" who
pioneered the five stage model to help people through
different types of loss and bereavement. The five stages
include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
In reality, grieving is very individual and usually
more of a circular than a linear process. Some stages
may not be experienced by some people and other stages
may be revisited before full acceptance of the loss
is reached.
I also think there are certain gender differences when
it comes to grieving and dealing with emotions. When
my partner's mother unexpectedly died of a heart attack,
all my previous knowledge and experience was initially
a hindrance rather than helpful. I came to this realization:
my partner does not have to deal with things in the
way that I do, I am allowed to be human and it's probably
better to leave the 'helpers hat' off for awhile when
dealing with family members.
Here is a short lesson in 'Grief 101'. When your
partner is grieving, doing the following things may
well give you more grief:
1. Asking "How are you feeling?" Will usually be met
with: "How do you think?"
2. Offering to take some time off work to fluff up pillows,
and talk about ideas about reincarnation.
3. Launching into a talk on how to grieve and some of
the warning signals to look for including charting the
increases in swearing and pinning it to the fridge.
4. Removing all traces of chocolate, lollies or ice-cream
in an attempt to get them to start a diabetes prevention
or weight loss program, or just to reduce the sugar
ods .
5. Set phrases such as: just open up, feel free to talk,
share emotions, let it all out or have a good cry (because
it will make you feel better), will all be met with
the same degree of enthusiasm and resistance as a teenager
being asked to wash the dishes.
6. Doing a rubbish bin check and reporting on your ratio
of empty beer bottles to milk carton investigation.
7. Any repetitive mmm sounds after they have finished
talking.
8. Burning lavender oil and playing soft soothing music
that features wind pipes and running water will either
lead to a toilet exodus or send them running out of
the house altogether.
9. Asking about their bowel movements or using the opportunity
to convert them to vegetarianism will generally be met
with more eye glazing.
10. Any talk about correlations between grieving and
reduced sex drive.
11. Suggesting that the neighbour's Ouija board could
be borrowed to talk to the spirits on the other side.
12. Keeping a log of hours of TV watched by your partner
and making references to watching sport on TV being
an avoidance tactic.
Although this is an exaggerated list of what not to
do, it is by no means any disrespect to people going
through the agony of loss. Spending time with our loved
ones, listening, being open and acknowledging their
own resources and differing ways of dealing with emotion
is what appears to be of most help.
Any ongoing difficulties with sleep, eating, managing
mood, libido, increases in drug an alcohol use, reduced
energy or behaviours that persist after a month are
worth while discussing and seeking additional help.
This could mean encouraging your loved one to talk to
a close family member, trusted friend, spiritual teacher,
doctor or counsellor.
A wise man once said: everything in moderation including
moderation. Some people 'go off the rails' for a few
days while they are grieving before they are ready to
come back to a lifestyle of moderation. For some people
it can be very cathartic to keep a daily journal or
have an artistic, nonverbal way of expressing deep emotion.
We can't however, save a person from their painful feelings,
in fact the pain is often what propels them into change
so that they can let go and become freer within themselves.
The old saying that 'time heals' is only true if people
actually work on the issues by confronting their biggest
fears and most painful emotions step by step.
How we chose to do this is part of the art of grieving.
Because we are all unique, yet share common ground we
can learn from each other and ideally, walk the path
together.
Vanessa
Finnigan is a Brisbane-based psychologist and published
writer. Vanessa's Clinic is located in Bulimba and can
be reached on 0422 538335 vfinnigan@hotmail.com
Every Womens Dream Come True: Check out The Shoppers
Haven Expo "4 U Women"!
FREE… Shoppers Haven Expo "4 U Women"
Find it all at one venue…one night for a great get together…
everything that women could want! Lifestyle Careers
Independence Party Fun Shopping
Shoppers Haven Expo is every woman's dream come true.
See over 25 party plans and other women's businesses
aimed at: stay at home mums looking to get into the
workforce; women currently working who dream of their
own business to work around family; and women who just
love to party. We have 3 of these fantastic events coming
up:
Mention
the Naturally Happy emagazine at the stand and receive
a FREE Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.
Sunshine Coast: Saturday 7 July - 6-9pm Maroochy
Community Hall, Millwell Rd, Maroochydore (behind Myers
carpark at the Sunshine Plaza).
Burpengary: Saturday 14 July - 6-9pm Burpengary
Community Hall, 111 Station Rd, Burpengary
Carina: Saturday 18 August - 6-9pm The Brisbane
Abruzzo Association (Italian Club) 150 Fursden Rd, Carina
Other places we will be exhibiting are:
The Queensland dates are as follows: 4 August 2007 -
Gold Coast, 18 August 2007 - Carina 25 August 2007 -
Toowoomba 8 September 2007 - Bundaberg, 15 September
2007 - Rockhampton, 13 October 2007- Mackay 27 October
2007- Townsville, 10 November 2007 - Cairns We will
be exhibiting in Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania and Perth
next year.
Who you can expect to see:
S.K.I.N. fresh beauty bar ENJO Tupperware Learning Ladder
Chocoholics Anonymous Living Silk Party Pets Flaschengeist-Ezygifts
Atiyah Arabian Perfume Oils House of Bollee Creative
Memories Dancing Crystals Pam Jennion - Paintings Partylite
Wicked Thoughts Isabeau Jewellery Mummy's Little Helpers
Phoenix Trading Intimo Lingerie Ashye - Inspiring Life
Butterflies and Bullfrogs Curves Gym Décor Deli Emma
Page Jewellery Shopping by Appointment Bean to Tea Stampin
Up Faye Purcell-Colour Design for Better Business Fashion
Parades Dancing Performances
Ladies enjoy a fantastic night out together and come
down for tea/coffee, cake, cheese platter, fashion parades
and lots of entertainment.
If you are a party plan consultant or know of anybody
who is and would like to participate in the Shoppers
Haven Expo or would like to know any further information:
Mention
Naturally Happy at the stand and receive a FREE Cosmetic
Ingredient Dictionary.
Please call Tina - 1800 623 028 or 0438 505 544 or email
tina@skinfreshbeautybar.com
www.shoppershavenexpo.com.au
and www.skinfreshbeautybar.com
"Live life, love Life"
Heavier Middle-aged women at risk of Diabetes: National
Diabetes Week 8 - 14 July!
When
29-year-old North Lakes resident and Type 2 diabetic
Lindy Marsh was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome
(PCOS) last year, she decided to lose weight to curb
diabetes and infertility.
"When I couldn't get pregnant again, my husband and
I went through quite an ordeal to find out what was
wrong. I realised I needed to lose weight to control
my blood sugar levels," said Mrs Marsh.
"Last January I weighed over 130kg and tried to lose
weight but didn't have anyone to help and hold me accountable.
This January I decided it was time to take action by
joining North Lakes Healthy Inspirations with a goal
to weigh around 100kg by January 2008. Now I am well
on the way towards achieving my goal and have a long
list of reasons to stay motivated. I plan to manage
PCOS and diabetes, as well as prevent heart disease
which runs in my family, and show my 5-year-old daughter
that it's good to be exercising."
The home daycare mum was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes
that followed gestational diabetes five years ago. Now
she follows a healthy eating plan designed by Healthy
Inspirations' consulting dietitians to manage diabetes.
Healthy Inspirations manager Andrea Stockton said women
who have Type 2 diabetes and lose weight through exercise
often come off their medication. "Losing weight and
leading a healthier lifestyle has helped many Healthy
Inspirations members reduce their diabetes medication
and sometimes even completely reverse Type 2 diabetes."
"Insulin resistance is associated with PCOS and Healthy
Inspirations helps women like Lindy understand how eating
the right foods and losing weight can improve fertility
and manage diabetes," said Mrs Stockton.
New Australian research shows middle-aged women who
are overweight and don't change to healthier lifestyles
are at a much higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Those who are obese have more than 12 times the risk.
Researchers from the University of Queensland studied
more than 7,200 women aged 45 to 50 from 1996 to 2004
and examined changes to their body mass index, body
weight and the subsequent risk for diabetes. The results,
published in the June 2007 issue of the American magazine,
Diabetes Care, showed that women who were overweight
were at a much higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than those
who were in the normal weight range.
Women who lost some of their weight in the short-term
improved their chances of preventing diabetes. However,
the chances of avoiding the disease were much higher
in women who committed to long-term weight loss strategies.
Diabetes is the fastest growing non-infectious disease
in the world. For every person who has diabetes there
is another person who has it and doesn't know it yet,
according to Diabetes Australia.
Local women's weight loss and exercise centre, Healthy
Inspirations, is helping women prevent and manage Type
2 diabetes by promoting healthier lifestyle habits during
National Diabetes Week.
"If you are over 40, overweight and under-exercising,
research shows it's pretty likely you are going to experience
the most common form of diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, at
some stage," said Healthy Inspirations North Lakes manager
Andrea Stockton.
"The two risk factors most commonly linked to Type 2
diabetes are obesity and physical inactivity, both of
which are modifiable. Small lifestyle improvements can
make an enormous difference to the risk of Type 2 diabetes,
more so than many other health conditions."
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to many related health
conditions like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
and circulation problems. This in turn can damage nerves,
kidneys, feet, eyesight. If diagnosed early, diabetes
can be effectively managed and the risk of serious health
problems greatly reduced.
Knowing the link between higher body fat and diabetes,
the Healthy Inspirations centre is offering free body
composition reports to local women so they can dramatically
cut their chances of suffering Type 2 diabetes.
Women over 45 with a waist measurement over 82cm have
an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. If
your waist measures over 88cm then the risk is very
increased. Diabetes sufferers are almost three times
more likely to have high blood pressure, obesity or
elevated blood fats like cholesterol.
"A big waistline means high blood sugars because when
you eat carbohydrates and sugars they end up as glucose,"
explains Mrs Stockton. "Insulin opens the gate to let
glucose from your bloodstream into your muscles where
it can be used as energy. Being inactive causes the
gates that let sugar from the blood into the muscles
to become rusty which makes it harder for the gates
to open.
"Becoming more active has short and long-term benefits
for preventing Type 2 diabetes. Exercise instantly burns
sugar for fuel which reduces blood glucose levels. And
every time you exercise it makes your insulin work better
to minimise the risk of developing diabetes in the long
term," said Mrs Stockton.
"Unlike other 'miracle' weight loss solutions that are
impossible to maintain, Healthy Inspirations helps women
learn sensible healthy eating, exercise and relaxation
habits that last for life.
"The key to lasting weight loss is a combined approach
that includes a personalised healthy eating plan, fun
exercise circuit, weekly relaxation session in a massage
chair, and one-on-one support three times a week with
a lifestyle consultant," said Mrs Stockton.
People with Type 2 diabetes should exercise at least
three days a week, with no more than two consecutive
'non-active' days, according to the International Diabetes
Institute.
Research shows Australia is suffering from a diabetes
epidemic with 275 new cases every day and 11 adults
diagnosed every hour. An estimated 600 people go from
being overweight to obese every day, and 30 to 40 per
cent of obese people will develop diabetes, according
to the International Diabetes Institute.
For more information, call in to Healthy Inspirations
at North Lakes Medical Centre, North Lakes Drive (adjacent
to Westfield Nth Lakes) or phone 3491 3966
Kenmore
3878 5222, Mitchelton 3355 1149, Mount Gravatt 3420
4233, North Lakes 3491 3966, Helensvale 5580 6600 and
Elanora 5534 4666
http://www.healthyinspirations.com.au/
Amazing Introductory Offers:For
Natural Health, Fitness & Beauty Businesses!
Check
out these great offers from South East Qld's finest
health and beauty businesses! - simply click the link
and fill out the contact form,
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Nourishedmagazine.com.au:
Everything in Moderation..Recipe for Disaster!
Everything in Moderation..Recipe for Disaster by Colleen
Huber
How many times have you heard "everything in moderation"?
Usually it's used in defence for poor eating habits
and often it ends the conversation. But can we trust
this old adage? Colleen Huber, author for Mercola.com
and Naturopathic Doctor says n. MORE...
Brought
to you by
www.nourishedmagazine.com.au
Short
and Sweet:Eggplant,Basil, and Bocconcini!
Ingredients
1
tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 onion,
diced 1x 700ml bottle tomato passata* salt and freshly
ground black pepper, to taste 500g packet spirali pasta
1/4 cup grated Australian parmesan 1 x 200g tub Australian
milk cherry bocconcini 100g char-grilled eggplant slices,
cut into strips 100g pitted black olives 1/2 cup fresh
basil leaves, torn extra virgin olive oil, for serving
Method
1. Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until softened.
Add passata, simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente,
toss with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. 3. To serve,
divide pasta between serving plates and top with eggplant,
olives, torn bocconcini and basil leaves. Drizzle with
olive oil and black pepper.
Handy
Hints * Passata also known as sugo, is an Italian tomato
cooking sauce, found in supermarkets and delicatessens.
Tip:
To make this meal even faster, use a pre-prepared tomato
pasta sauce. Char-grilled eggplant slices can be purchased
from supermarkets and delicatessens.
Brought
to you by
www.dairyaustralia.com.au
Laughter
is the best medicine!
How
Smart Is Your Right Foot? This is so funny that it will
boggle your mind. And, you will keep trying it at least
50 more times to see if you can outsmart your foot.
But you can't!!!
1.
While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off
the floor and make clockwise circles with it.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the
air with your right hand ... Your foot will change direction!!!
I told you so ... And there is nothing you can do about
it. Make sure you pass this on to your friends ... They
won't be able to believe it either!!!
Quote
of the week!
"I've
never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of
mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation." --
Mike Todd, film producer
For
a Good Cause: Why Support the Free Hugs Campaign!
Free
hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann,
A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger
to brighten up their lives. In this age of social disconnectivity
and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs
campaign became phenomenal. As this symbol of human
hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered
the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness
is the true spirit of humanity come together in what
can only be described as awe inspiring. In the Spirit
of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and
HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one
person
http://www.freehugscampaign.org/
BACK
ISSUES OF NATURALLY HAPPY
In
the next issue of "Naturally Happy"
- Camp
Eden !
- Salon
70 !
- Groves
Natural Therapies!
- Brisbane
Live well clinic!
- Introductory
Offers!
- nourished.com.au!
- Short
and sweet!
If
this link doesn't work please email info@myhealthspecials.com.au
My
Health Specials provides this information for your personal
education and enrichment. Information provided should
not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem
or disease. Nor should the information replace the advice
of your health care practitioner. Always seek professional
advice if suffering an illness. My
Health Specials Pty Ltd and all parties involved in
the conception, production, ongoing maintenance and
operation of Naturally Happy accept no liability and
no responsibility for any damage whatsoever arising
from or in connection to your use or operation of the
website or information contained in this e-magazine.
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