Doesn’t it seem like it was just yesterday that we were counting down to 2013 with excitement for a new year and the opportunity for a start fresh, especially in regards to our health and wellness. Now, after a long, harsh winter, spring is right around the corner. Spring is a welcomed time for renewal and new beginnings, more so when we have fallen short on our new year resolutions to lose weight, tone-up, and improve our health. Now the challenge is how can we make this season’s endeavor for better health and well being different and more successful than our previous attempts?

In our fast-paced, multi-tasking, ever-demanding society all things quick and easy are highly prized, from on-line shopping to meal preparation to accessing information and losing weight convenience is king, queen and better make up the rest of the court in order to keep us feeling happy and constantly moving forward. But there are some cases where quick and easy do not benefit you, namely your health. Expecting quick and easy methods to give you results is the wrong mentality for long-term success. Easy equals no effort. For example, how many health and fitness articles have you read that promised quick solutions for your areas of concern; you read the article, don’t act on the advice and tips provided then go on about your life. That’s because they are quick and easy solutions. They do not address the core of your obstacles or hold you accountable for investing any time or effort. The same is true for diets that consist of unrealistic regiments or meals through the mail but do not implement creating healthy habits so you have a foundation to maintain any progress you may accomplish.

The most sensible action to take right now is to get clear on your why and what. Aside from fitting into an outfit or looking good for an event or a season, why is it important for you to be at a healthy weight and in good health? What would it mean for you, your life and your family? Once you become clear about your why and what, commit to taking one step towards your goals and practice it all month, then add a new healthy habit each month. It can be to exercise regularly, eat more greens, cook at home more often but choose just one so you are able to maintain it and not feel overwhelmed. If after a couple of weeks into March you feel confident enough to work towards another healthy habit, by all means go for it.

The road to long-term success isn’t quick and easy, it’s slow and steady. Make spring 2013 the launch of your journey to improved health and well being.

Maripili Rodriguez is a certified personal trainer, certified holistic health counselor, and professionally trained chef. Maripili specializes in showing women how to maximize their metabolism using her signature 6 week  system that keeps your body burning calories 24/7 while enjoying the benefits of more energy, improved digestion, deeper, quality sleep, reduced cravings and a renewed connection to your body so you are empowered to lose weight and create a healthy body and life you love. http://fromdiettolifestyle.com/

Simple preparation for international travel can help alleviate fears and make you better prepared in case a medical emergency occurs. I like to break the preparation down to those things we can do before we leave and those things that will make us better prepared once we arrive at our destination.

Patients with Chronic Medical Conditions

Patients with chronic medical conditions are advised to schedule an appointment with their primary care physician a couple of weeks ahead of their departure. To avoid a flare-up of your condition, a last tune-up or adjustment in medications can make the difference between relaxing and enjoying your vacation and trying to hold on until you return. You can always cancel an appointment if it’s not necessary.

Invest in a Basic First Aid and CPR Course

Basic first aid and CPR training is a good idea at home and can be even more useful when away from home. Unfortunately, such training can be virtually absent in even the best resorts around the world. If your house staff or nannies are traveling with you, they too should be trained. If you are traveling with children and planning on using the local childcare service, obtain information about the first aid and CPR training they have in advance of your departure. This may be helpful in making your decision as to which resort is better for you.

Don’t Forget to Bring a Basic First Aid Kit

Basic first aid kits are generally advised. I like to start with a sampling of over-the-counter medications that you tend to use frequently. These may be difficult or at least bothersome to obtain at pharmacies abroad. First aid supplies such as waterproof bandages, simple antibiotic ointments, and blister dressings can be very handy. Burn creams and insect bite ointments can also be included, particularly if jellyfish might be found where you are headed. Liquid skin adhesives are challenging in even the most experienced hands and tend to be more trouble than they are worth. Steri-Strips, on the other hand, are relatively simple to use and can be remarkably effective.

If you take prescription medications, remember to carry them with you and take additional doses in case of travel delays (remember when volcanic ash disrupted European travel for weeks last year?). Lost medications can sometimes be replaced at pharmacies overseas if you carry a hard copy of the original prescription.

Traveling to an Exotic Destination

If an exotic destination is part of your travel, evaluation by a travel medicine specialist is also advised. The proper selection of immunizations and prophylactic medications can vary a great deal depending on such factors as time of year, altitude, and even the hotel or resort where you may be staying. Some immunizations, such as hepatitis A, require six weeks between the first and second dose. So, try to schedule an appointment at least two months in advance of your departure date. In a recent survey of travelers to a malaria endemic area (destinations that include Africa, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and parts of the Caribbean), less than half the people brought medications to prevent malaria.

Evacuation Insurance

Evacuation insurance is recommended for all travelers. They are not all the same. Although some of the higher-end credit cards offer their accountholders access to such services, that does not necessarily mean that you are insured for the costs. You have access to the services, but there are a number of exclusion criteria which could leave you responsible for costs upwards of $100,000. Evacuation insurance can be purchased for a year or on a one-day basis. It’s important to have a close look at the fine print of such policies. Sports injuries, alcohol use, mental health, and pregnancy are some typical exclusions. If your illness or injury requires a lengthy hospitalization, the ability to return to a hospital near your hometown, referred to as “take me home,” is well worth having. Another important feature is whether or not your regular physician can speak on your behalf (i.e., essentially act as your medical guardian) regarding decisions involving your need for hospitalization and evacuation.

General Peace of Mind

Should you ever feel that you want additional peace of mind while you are traveling, you can hire a global emergency medicine company, which will give you 24/7 direct access to a highly qualified emergency medicine physician.

International travel, whether for business or pleasure, always has its exciting moments. Do your best to prepare yourself before you travel so that the exciting moments are about your vacation or a business deal and not about a medical emergency.

The Gentleman’s Gentleman speaks to the successful man on the go. The combination of etiquette tips to grooming tricks is enough to set any gentleman apart from the men around him.

A valuable pocket resource to avoid those awkward moments in social or business environments.

  Now Available on iTunes 

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We all have our own reasons to travel. For each of us it may be some combination of wanting to get away, needing to escape the day-to-day pressures of our lives, looking for a change of scene, or wanting a break from the routine. Some of us feel the need to experience the foreign or to explore the different. There are those who see the world as a book, and want to read every page. And many of us just want to learn as much as we can about the planet we live on and those with whom we share it.

A family will travel together for many of these same reasons. A family trip will allow family members to spend time together doing the things they enjoy. It can bring the family closer together through shared experience, and through the memories created which will sustain the family for decades. The shared experiences become the shared stories that are told again and again whenever the family is together in the future.

There is another level of shared experience that can be brought to family travel which has the potential to turn a trip into an important benchmark in the lives of all family members, and provide a critical foundation for the growth of the family and its legacy. That shared experience is what we call purposeful travel.

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In today’s economic climate, few things are certain: the number of products you’ll sell, the number of clients you’ll sign, and most importantly, the amount of profit your company will realize. However, it appears at least one thing remains constant: for business owners and executives, the advantages of private aviation far outweigh the negatives and may actually help to grow your business.

A recent study showed that as much as 95 percent of the nation’s top companies are users of private aviation (NEXA Advisors, Fall 2010). The same study also revealed that companies who use private aviation are able to manage their time, and therefore their businesses, more effectively. They’re able to win over clients from competitors because of the ability to meet face-to-face with their prospects, and retain existing customers due to the ability to quickly respond to their needs. This, in turn translates into increased revenue because of the flexibility and efficiency that private aviation affords its users.

Here are a few of the advantages:

1) Efficiency: A recent multi-national study found a strong correlation between growth in business travel and growth in economic productivity (Oxford Economics, 2009). It’s estimated that every dollar spent on business travel earns a return of about $12 in increased revenue to the traveler’s employer or company (Oxford Economics, 2009). With less time wasted on travel to and from the airport, security and baggage checkpoints, and connecting flights – in addition to the many other common commercial airline delays – more business is able to be conducted, and conducted more efficiently.

Executives are able to visit multiple clients in various states or locations in a single day, which is virtually impossible to do via commercial travel nowadays. They’re also able to do their work on board, as Wi-fi is becoming a “standard” on private aircraft; hold confidential meetings or presentations with associates; and arrive well-rested at private airports that are much closer to and from their final destination. In the U.S. alone, private aircraft users can access over 5,000 airports nationwide, as opposed to approximately only 600 airports that can be accessed by commercial airlines.

2) Confidentiality: If several members of a company are traveling as a group, all parties on board a private aircraft can speak freely to each other knowing there is virtually no risk of confidential or proprietary information leaking out to the competition. This same type of confidentiality is almost impossible to assure on a commercial flight option.

3) Personal Safety Features: Unlike on commercial aircraft, executives traveling on private aircraft are acquainted with all parties on board, so they can be assured that there will be little to no chance of terrorist or questionable activities. Also, passengers on private aircraft are usually automatically defaulted to the aircraft general liability insurance policy of the chosen carrier, with the executives having the option to choose which level of ARG/US or Wyvern safety certification (i.e. Gold, Platinum, etc.) they prefer.

4) No “Loss” of Business: According to a recent study conducted by the Air Transport Association, the total cost to the U.S. economy in 2008 due to commercial airline flight delays was an estimated $18 billion, with a staggering $41 billion loss recorded for 2007. This includes losses to airlines, passengers, and the rest of the U.S. economy. In contrast, a recent study revealed that private aviation users generated more income through productivity and efficiency, outperforming non-users in earnings by 219 percent (NEXA Advisors, Fall 2010). It was also revealed that the average annual earnings growth was 434 percent higher for private aviation users than non-users (Business Jet Traveler, 10/1/10).

Clearly, there are no guarantees when it comes to establishing or growing a business. However, when given the opportunity to maximize productivity by eliminating the amount of wasted time waiting in lines, navigating through airport security, and/or flight delays, business executives have a distinct advantage in conducting business more efficiently – and delivering more value and benefit to their clients and shareholders – through the use of private aviation.

Dining in Style

Future Dates TBA
Whatever your operational environment–corporate, civic, academic, non-profit, or social–you’ll appreciate our comprehensive training courses and innovative methodology. Achieve remarkable results when you add world class etiquette and protocol to your business mix.

FCW Hospitality and Private Residence Consulting Inc will help you build stronger relationships with interactive etiquette and protocol seminars. Graceful dining habits are vital signposts to success in today’s very competitive business environment. How you lead and participate in mealtime discussions, evening entertainments, and other social gatherings identify you as a savvy, detail-oriented professional.

This session is ideal for individuals wishing to set themselves apart from the competition.

Children’s Etiquette Tips

New Date – Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 12-1pm (EDT)  
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As you embark on your new school year, this is an opportune time to consider providing your students with Etiquette classes this Fall. FCW Hospitality and Private Residence Consulting Inc, keeps younger participants on track with the highest level of attention to detail and other advanced learning classroom activities.

Click here to learn more and RSVP for the webinar.

Here are the handouts from the seminar:

• Protocol & Hospitality – Fiona Cameron-Williams
• Let’s Talk! Essential Communication Skills in Private Service – Bonnie Low-Kramen
• Technology & Social Media Tips – Vickie Sokol Evans

Are you able to access your computer network at work with your iPad? What about your iPhone or your laptop computer? This trend, known as bring-your-own-device or BYOD, is on the rise in the workplace. It makes sense: When companies encourage employees to bring their own devices to the office, these same companies don’t have to spend as much on desktop computers and other high-tech equipment.

The move also makes sense for workers. Employees will be more familiar with their own devices. And if they bring their own laptops and tablets to work, they can more easily transport their files, email messages and important documents back and forth from home to work.

The Risks of BYOD

But the BYOD movement does come with risks, risks that ComputerWorld columnist Darragh Delaney highlights in a recent column.

Delaney writes that IT security personnel are growing more concerned about the risks of letting employees use their own devices to access workplace networks. The greater the number of outside devices hooking into a network, the greater the risk that a network will fall victim to some sort of malware attack. After all, not all employees take the proper steps to protect their computing devices, especially when it comes to increasingly popular tablets.

Company Information at Risk

At the same time, when employees load sensitive workplace data onto their mobile devices, companies face an entirely new set of concerns. What if employees lose their mobile devices? There’s no guarantee that sensitive information won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Delaney writes that companies must properly educate their employees on how to use their mobile devices as safely as possible. Some companies might want to ban outside devices from their networks. That’s not entirely reasonable, though. Outside mobile devices help employees do more work more efficiently. Companies don’t want to limit the production of employees by refusing them access to the network with these devices.

The BYOD Trend

BYOD is a trend that isn’t going to fade away. Mobile devices are critical work tools for a growing number of employees. Companies, then, must make sure to educate these employees on how to safely connect them to the workplace network.

Read more on this topic at ComputerWorld

The secret is the guides

A trip to Beijing and Shanghai presents an opportunity to explore China’s fascinating history (Beijing) and to peer into its future (Shanghai). Perhaps more than any other destination, your choice of guides in China will determine how well you get to know the country and its people. Hiring a generic guide through a hotel concierge will not result in a meaningful experience.

For those wanting a deep understanding of China, the secret is to employ a number of specialist guides and academics in combination to educate you.

Design a trip around your personal interests and preferences

Letting your personal interests – rather than a concierge or guidebook ~ determine your activities can lead to very rewarding experiences in Beijing and Shanghai. For those interested in food, there are markets, gourmet restaurants, dinners in private homes, and cooking lessons with talented chefs. For those interested in fine art, there are museums, galleries, and opportunities to visit artists in their studios. Day trips can be arranged to panda sanctuaries, The Great Wall, and, of course, the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Army – all with special access to places not open to the public.

When you travel, you may prefer to stay and eat your meals in a villa or private residence. But Beijing and Shanghai are cities in which the best suites in the best hotels offer far more comfort and amenities than staying in a private residence. And both cities afford the visitor the opportunity to eat very well at both Asian and European restaurants – although the best European restaurants are the more luxurious.

The best time to go

The best times to visit both cities are April-May and September-October. Heat, humidity, and smog (Beijing) make both cities less than ideal summer destinations. Beijing is quite cold in the winter, while Shanghai is milder but still cold.

PRIVATE AVIATION
Private aviation is relatively new to China where the government has focused on developing commercial aviation in some respects at the expense of private. But the government’s current Five-Year Plan (its twelfth) contains a change of direction and a commitment to promote private aviation.

Both Beijing and Shanghai now have modern fixed base-operator facilities. Use the best of these – Jet Aviation in Beijing and Hawker Pacific in Shanghai. Both feature comfortable facilities as well as dedicated security channels which allow passengers and crew to complete immigration and customs formalities quickly. However, dedicated private jet catering companies have yet to emerge in either city.

At this time, private jets cannot take off at short notice or fly freely within China. Air space is controlled by the air force and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Permission from the latter is required to do just about anything. The process begins with obtaining a landing permit. Then each subsequent leg requires permission to take off, fly a particular airway route and land again. Your flight crew will need the appropriate visas for the duration of their time in the country. This process of obtaining permits and visas requires some advance planning. Starting the process at least three weeks before your trip should provide enough time.

MEDICAL CARE

Travel to China – particularly to large cities like Beijing and Shanghai – does not present medical risks greater than traveling to other countries in Asia. But it is a mistake to assume that should one of your family become sick or suffer an injury in China that your hotel doctor, or a hospital recommended by the hotel, will provide the level of medical care that you will want.

PERSONAL SECURITY

Because of the prevalence of hacking in China, travelers from other countries should not take their mobile phones or laptops with them when traveling to China. It’s not just your portable device which is at risk. It’s common practice for hackers in China to break into a traveler’s portable devices, and leapfrog from there to the networks with which the traveler connects – including those of the traveler’s company.

China prohibits travelers from entering the country with encrypted devices – unless they have permission from the government. The solution is to travel with loaner or rental devices, which should be wiped clean before leaving home and again after leaving China. On these devices, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the camera should be disabled. Removing the battery from your phone eliminates the possibility that its microphone can be turned on remotely. Copy and paste your password from a USB thumb drive. Never type a password directly into a device. Hackers in China are skilled at installing key-logging software on your laptop.

Points to remember when planning a family trip to China

Travel -
Your choice of guide will be the most important determinant of what you learn and what you get out of your trip to China. Select a combination of specialist guides ranging from western economists to local artists to insure that your family’s personal interests are the organizing structure of your itinerary.

Jets -
Limited infrastructure and a burdensome permit process make flying privately to China somewhat challenging. However, utilizing FBOS such as Jet Aviation in Beijing and Hawker Pacific in Shanghai will help ensure that your airport experience is optimal.

Medicine -
Prepare for your trip by planning for the medical problems that you can anticipate. You should not expect that you will make good decisions during an emergency, or receive good local advice or medical care in the event of an injury or illness. Bring the medicine and medical supplies that you will need, and know how you will replace them if they are lost or depleted.

Security -
Do not take your mobile phone or laptop with you to China. The solution is to travel with loaner devices which should be wiped clean before and after the trip. Never type a pass- word directly into a device while you’re in China.

Recommended reading:

“Socialism is Great!”: A Worker’s Memoir of the New China by Lijia Zhang
A memoir by a former Chinese factory worker who grew up in Nanjing, participated in the Tiananmen Square protest, and became an international journalist.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
Chang recounts the story of how three generations of women in her family fared in the political rnaelstrom of China during the 20th century.