First there is the company wide bonus for achieving the customer service satisfaction goal; next is the reward for the most productive team member; the boss also recognizes the most efficient worker, the most enthusiastic assistant, and so forth.

Do you reward yourself for the things you did well?

Rewards don’t need to be excessive or over-the-top. Your personal rewards should be tied to your own realistic, achievable goals. You may wish to reward yourself for accomplished short term, mid term, and also long term goals. This system of rewards will permit you to stay on task, and to also see some direct positive results from your hard work.

It’s interesting that rewarding yourself will not only increase your personal morale, but it will actually have a positive effect on your time management. So I guess you could say that rewards are a valuable time management tool!

Time management demands a firm grasp of what you are doing with your time. By scheduling your leisure time (or reward time) you will keep yourself happy. At the same time, this combined schedule will remind you of the reward in store for the successful completion of the project, meeting of the deadline, or any other short term reward you may have chosen. In a way, this reward will be the dangling carrot in a world of office politics, next to impossible deadlines, and telephones ringing off the hook!

Rewards will also become highly effective time management tools when you consider how much harder this form of self motivation will make you work to accomplish your set goal. Goal setting in itself is a major component of effective time management, and it is easy to see how a desirable reward could be a great form of motivation.

Naturally, personal wastes of time are only part of the issue. Last but not least, proper planning of both work and fun time will allow you to have a healthy balance in your life. With a healthy balance, you will be able to manage your time effective and consistently.

My sister-in-law called today upset because the doctor told her she had perioral dermatitis. Sounds bad doesn’t it?

Let’s break it down and it won’t be so scary. First of all, dermatitis is simply an inflammation of the skin - usually in the form of some sort of rash. And perioral just means “around the mouth.”

So basically, she was diagnosed with a rash around her mouth. But then again, she already knew that! That’s why she made an appointment with the dermatologist to begin with.

Once I explained the meaning of her diagnosis to her, she just laughed. Why do they always make it sound so awful?

Here are a couple of other common types of dermatitis:

• Atopic eczema - This is the most common one and usually results from some type of internal irritant.
• Allergic contact - This is as the name sounds, when the skin comes in contact with something that it is allergic to causing inflammation and irritation to the skin.
• Irritant contact - This is usually caused by a certain chemical substance that causes the skin to become irritated.
• Infantile seborrhoeic eczema - Also known as cradle crap, this forms on the head and can spread very quickly.
• Gravitational - This particular type hits people in the legs, usually elderly people and is due to poor circulation.

Reaching any weight goal will require taking in less calories than you are working off. However, if you want to improve your health, you’ll have to incorporate a little more work into it than that. You should aim for optimum nutrition by eating meals that are full of nutrients. This is the key to getting a balanced diet.

Good nutrition is just giving your body what it needs on a daily basis. And, when you do that, you’ll be amazed at how well your body treats you. You’ll have more energy, you’ll maintain a healthy weight, your blood pressure and cholesterol will stay within the normal guidelines and you’ll just feel good overall.

The key is to know what to eat. I do my best to eat a whole food diet. That means no processed foods, fast foods or junk. I’ve eliminated refined sugar and eat only whole grains. I also stay away from red meat, but that’s another conversation. I eat a lot of fish (usually salmon) and chicken or turkey and fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you’d like to eat healthier you can start just by adding one of two servings of fresh fruit each day. Remember that canned fruit is usually swimming in a sugary liquid, so it’s not a substitute.

Once you manage to get some fruit into yourself on a daily basis, then start adding fresh vegetables and whole grains. When you start adding more whole foods, you’ll notice that you’re consuming a lot more fiber than your body is used to, so it’s a good idea to take it slow. Also remember to drink plenty of water or you may find that you get slightly constipated.

Give it a try for 30 days and then see how you feel. I think you’ll be amazed.

Acupuncture is a popular way to help treat many types of health problems. I don’t have any personal experience with it, but there are a lot of medical claims being made about its benefits. Here are some of the things I found while surfing around:

• Pain relief - Acupuncture is said to be quite effective in treating pain of all sorts. Endorphins are increased and create a feel good feeling.
• The immune system - Acupuncture may strengthen the immune system by making it more resilient and stronger. There is an increase in the white blood cells when acupuncture is used.
• Drug recovery - Acupuncture can help people who are addicted to drugs and trying to recovery from their addiction.
• Musculoskeletal disorders - Acupuncture may help with muscle disorders by decreasing tension and making muscles more flexible.
• Allergies - Acupuncture may be helpful for allergy sufferers by strengthening the immune system and lessening them.
• Stress - Acupuncture may relieve muscle stress (as discussed above)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Some say acupunture has a positive effect on CFS and depression.
• Menopause - Acupuncture may help balance hormones and bring relief from menopause symptoms.
• PMS and Menstrual discomfort - Acupuncture may reduce the symptoms of both health issues.

Every year people die because of skin cancer, but many deaths could be avoided if the cancer is found early enough. The biggest obstacle to overcoming skin cancer is finding it and having it treated.

You should check your body often to see if there are any changes or suspicious looking areas that have presented themselves. If you see anything abnormal you should consult your doctor and have it checked out.

It’s amazing that up to 95% of skin cancers are curable if detected early enough. There are different types of skin cancer and you should be aware that some are much more dangerous than others.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer and the least dangerous. It can be spotted as a lump or a scaly type of skin disorder. It can grow slowly and be fatal if not treated but if found early enough it is curable.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a much more serious type of cancer as is a malignant type of cancer which is the most serious type of cancer. Every year over 700 people die from this type of cancer. The main cause of this cancer is as simple as a sunburn, so be very careful about exposure to the skin as it can prove to be deadly.

You can find more info on skin cancer here:

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/skin-cancer/skcancer.htm

If you scroll down the page about half way, there are some pictures of skin cancer also.

When asked the question “How are you feeling?” most people will answer, “I’m fine.” But truthfully, deep down inside most people are really feeling confused, disappointed or frustrated.

Here are a couple of things you can do to help alleviate those types of feelings:

• Feed your creativity. Immerse yourself in gardening, painting, craftwork or drawing and enjoy the creativity you possess.
• Listen to your thoughts. Visually challenge thoughts that are counterproductive by writing them on paper.
• Speak kindly, but honestly with everyone.
• Experience the vitality of life. Give your body freedom of movement in dance, games like Twister or sports. Learn a new physical skill such as CPR or self defense.

Here are 5 nutritional powerhouse foods:

1. Oranges - packed with vitamin C, potassium, B6 and B12. Vitamin C is commonly know to help prevent and cure the common cold and helps aid in iron absorption. Vitamin B6 aids your metabolism as well as other vital bodily functions.

2. Salmon - Salmon and other oily fish such as sardines, herring and trout are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D and B vitamin. These vitamins are known to support your immune and reproductive systems.

3. Carrots - Carrots provide carotenoids (like beta carotene) and are all a good source of Vitamin A, calcium and vitamin C. The best way to eat them is fresh since cooking destroys most of the nutrition.

4. Spinach - Folic Acid is abundant in spinach. This is important for women of child bearing age since folic acid can reduce the risk of birth defects in newborns. Spinach also contains vitamins A, C and E. You’ll get the most nutrition if you eat it raw.

5. Broccoli - Broccoli is full of cruciferous compounds, which have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. It also contains Vitamins K, A, C, calcium and fiber.

If you’re tired of trying this diet program and then that one, stop and take time to learn the lbasics on what diet, nutrition and weight loss are all about.

You can start your education with the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) website: http://www.mypyramid.gov. You’ll want to check out the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and their physical activity level assessment tool. These two guides can give you a pretty clear picture of where you are right now.

The Food Pyramid is basic outline of the foods you should eat every day and is based on the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It will show you that your diet needs to be varied - there are many different food groups that you should be eating for your body to get the necessary calories and nutrients it needs to be healthy.

The physical assessment tool will give you an idea of how much activity you should have in your day. It might be more than you think.

Once you’ve done your research and have a plan, go ahead and get started. You’ll feel better right away.

Here’s a recipe for guacamole that uses cottage cheese to reduce the amount of avocado needed. Even though avocados are full of healthy fats, they also have a high calorie count.

Ingredients:

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut in chunks
1 tomato, peeled and chopped

Instructions:

In a blender or food processor mix onion, salt, lime juice, cottage cheese, garlic, cayenne pepper, and avocado. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and gently fold in the chopped tomato.

Cover with plastic wrap allowing the plastic to actually touch the entire surface of the guacamole. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve. If storing for more than 2 hours, keep the avocado pit in the bowl to help the guacomole stay fresh looking.

Best served with reduced fat, baked tortilla chips, carrot sticks or celery.