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Meetings have become an inevitable part of doing business for almost every business owner. There are meetings with clients, meetings with employees and meetings with peers or associates.

Almost everyone has suffered through too many meetings that take up too much time and accomplish too little.

In fact, you may find that you yourself have now become numb to that fact that your meetings aren’t as good as they could be. And everywhere you look, it seems as if somebody has another idea about how to fix your meetings, and make them more focused, more productive, and – dare I say it? More fun!

So what can you do about it? Relax and keep reading, because you’re about to find the information that can help you maintain the status quo – a list of tips and ideas for meeting planning – the wrong way!

1. Schedule your meetings at bad times - (for example, how about setting up a “must attend” meeting late on Friday afternoon or right after lunch?)

2. Make sure your meetings all start late and run overtime - (and whenever possible, scheduling meetings when someone is up against a deadline, or on a tight schedule).

3. Maintain a consistent lack of focus on what topics will be covered – (don’t use an agenda).

4. Ensure there is a poor level of rapport in the group – (people don’t talk to each other, or they complain, or engage in other unsuitable behavior).

5. Don’t arrive at a decision - (find new ways to keep covering the same ground, or continue asking for input rather than creating a plan of action.)

6. Don’t use parliamentary procedures - (so that the correct methods for amending or making a motion, following the agenda and taking turns before speaking are not being followed).

7. Choose a poor location and environment for your meetings - (for example, trying to fit 15 people into a closet-sized room that doesn’t have windows or a proper ventilation system.)

8. Schedule meetings to go over routine topics - (instead of sending a memo or email.)

9. Don’t talk to your group, or make your meetings interactive - (talking “at” them, lecturing or going off on wild tangents.)

10. Never asking for feedback from participants, or allowing others to present ideas or get involved.

There you have it! Just follow those ten simple tips, and you’re guaranteed to instill fear, loathing and boredom into even the most intrepid of meeting participants!

When is the last time you ate cranberries? Was it with a turkey dinner? With all the research pointing to the amazing health benefits of this simple berry, shouldn’t cranberries be more than a once a year side dish?

How Cranberries Are Proving Their Strength:

The Cranberry Institute provides the results of studies and research that highlight the fantastic health benefits of the humble cranberry.

Cranberries have been used for thousands of years by Native Americans as a source of food and to extend the shelf life of dried meats. Colonial sailors also made use of the natural preservatives in cranberries (from benzoic acid) which allowed them to last through long sea voyages, and the high Vitamin C content which prevented scurvy.

Perhaps they were on to something since new research suggests that cranberries may prevent the adhesion of the e.coli bacteria - a common cause of food poisoning from contaminated meat - to the urinary tract. This ‘anti-adhesion’ effect may also help in preventing bacteria from causing stomach ulcers and gum disease.

Vitamin C is also a known powerful antioxidant and is being widely accepted as a means of combating the effects of free radicals in the body which can cause cancer, heart disease and other health problems. Antioxidants from cranberries are being researched for prevention of kidney stones and lowering cholesterol.

While many fruits contain antioxidants, according to research cranberries have more antioxidants than 19 commonly eaten fruits. With this news it makes sense to include cranberries into a balanced diet throughout the year.

How Can You Include Cranberries Into Your Diet?

Fresh, frozen or dried, cranberries can be eaten anytime of the year.

Adding dried cranberries to baking (such as scones, breads and cookies) is an easy way to enjoy their tart sweetness. Adding frozen cranberries to smoothies or soups can lend a mild tang to your creations. Fresh cranberries make excellent garnishes and dressings.

The easiest way to add cranberries to your diet is to drink cranberry juice. While sweetened juices have less antioxidants than unsweetened, the benefits of adding cranberry to your diet are still there. If you add unsweetened juice to sparkling water you can enjoy a refreshing spritzer.

While studies are still being conducted on the health benefits of cranberries there is no doubt that increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in your diet will lead to a healthier body. Choosing to use a variety of berries, citrus and other fruits will ensure you are giving your body everything it needs for optimum health.

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the positive benefits of retaining cord blood, and the need to invest time and money in stem cell research.

Cord Blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. Generally, cord blood is routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord at the time of birth, but now research has shown that the blood in the cord is a rich source of stem cells. This is very important as stem cells are the building blocks of the blood and the immune system.

It has become apparent that saving the cord blood in blood banks, could save the life of the donor, or members of their family from future diseases. This is possible because stem cells have the ability to differentiate into other types of cells in the body, and thus give rise to all the tissues, organs and systems in the body. By saving these stem cells, treatments can be developed for diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and Diabetes - to name but a few.

The stems cells in a child’s cord blood are genetically unique to the baby and its biological family. As a valuable biological resource, researchers can use these stems cells to investigate the potential for future applications, should the child or family develop health problems later in life. This has brought about the current trend for many parents to invest in their own ‘health insurance’ by storing the stem cells retained at birth in cord blood banks.

The process of storing the cord blood, involves drawing the blood from the umbilical cord, using either the syringe or bag collection method, after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. The blood is then tested to determine whether it meets eligibility standards. The red blood cells or plasma are removed as they will not be needed in transplantation. The blood is then stored in the cord blood unit - either in a vinyl or plastic bag in which it is frozen in liquid nitrogen.

There are two types of cord blood banks…

First, there are the family banks, which store the umbilical cord for one’s own family use.

Second, there are the public donor banks, which store the blood for unrelated or non-family use - this can be used for research and development of cures for many types of health problems.

Every parent has the option of saving their baby’s cord blood for their family use, however, only a small number of people become eligible to donate their baby’s cord blood stem cells.

There are three sources of stem cells in the body.

1 - Cells from bone marrow.

2 - Cells from peripheral blood (this is the blood that circulates through the body).

3 - Cells from umbilical cord blood.

The umbilical blood is significant for research because it differs from the other types of stem cells. Due to the structure of the stem cells in the cord blood, they are less likely to be rejected by the body when used in a transplant.
This allows for the use of the blood in patients other than the original donor and results in a higher rate of success.

Hopefully, some of the points above help to show the benefits and importance of retaining cord blood, and the need to invest time and money in stem cell research.