Reading books may be a dying art, but you can’t avoid reading all together. With today’s society buzzing along at a rapid pace compared to the yesteryear of the good ole days, reading is a necessary skill to pull yourself ahead of the game. Unfortunately, many cannot read as well as they would like. This list of 100 resources to improve reading speed and comprehension can bring you “up to speed” with top speed readers.

1. Eyercize – A free online tool to help read quicker and absorb the material you scan.
2. The Literacy Web – A web site completely dedicated to literacy tools and reading comprehension strategies from the University of Connecticut.
3. Spreeder – A free tool to increase your reading speed.
4. Reading Programs Locator – Enter your ZIP code to search a database of reading programs across the U.S.
5. Study Guides and Strategies – A nice article database on reading faster and how to improve comprehension while reading difficult texts.
6. Speed Library – An online database of helpful knowledge on reading comprehension and memory improvement for students and adults.
7. Speed Reading Online – Tools and tricks to improve reading speed in adults.
8. Read Read Revolution – Free software to help improve reading speed line by line.
9. Speed Reading Talk – A blog all about speed reading from people who want to improve their readings skills and people who have improved their reading skills.
10. SQ3R: A Reading Technique – College Boards gives poor readers a big tip on how to recall what you’ve read. Read on and find out what it is.
11. Interlink Language Center – Lessons on how to improve reading skills and comprehension for free.
12. ELC Study Zone: Reading Exercises – A pile of reading exercises to improve reading speed and comprehension.
13. Learning Techniques: 10 Tips to Improve Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension – Speed reading expert Richard Feldman, Ph.D. of Columbia University shares ten vital tips on how to speed up your reading.
14. Reach Out Michigan – With an 11 point list to help you eliminate common causes of slower reading, this site will provide you with concrete tips to get your speed up.
15. Providence College – Reading Comprehension Tips and Speed Reading Strategies – Providence College’s Office of Academic Services lists tips on reading comprehension and a link for more assistance on speed reading.
16. Glenndale Community College – Reading Better and Faster – An article from Glenndale Community College by Dennis Doyle on reading faster and stopping bad reading habits.
17. Glenndale Community College – Self-Pacing Methods – Another helpful article by Dennis Doyle on strategic reading methods to help your read faster with more comprehension.
18. Speed Reading Specialist – Tips and activities on speed reading for all ages.
19. How to Improve Reading Comprehension – A handful of articles with tips on reading faster and better plus resourceful links to help your quest for more speed reading material.
20. Family Education – Top 10 Ways to Improve Reading Skills – An article by educators, Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts, describing ten tips to advance reading skills and comprehension.
21. Speed Reading eBook – A whole free e-book on speed reading. Enough said.
22. About.com – How to Improve Your Reading Speed – Esther Lombardi gives plenty of advice on how to hasten your reading without sacrificing your understanding of the words.
23. Scott Young Blog – An informative article on how to double your reading rate.
24. Scott Young Blog – A follow-up article on speed reading.
25. Pinny Cohen – Read Faster Instantly – An entrepreneur doles out advice on how to read through information quickly.
26. Reading Effectively Map – A graphic map on how to comprehend your reading faster.
27. Reading Soft.com’s Speed Reading Test – Take this speed reading test to see how fast you can currently read and if there’s room for improvement.
28. Magic Speed Reading – An index of speed reading articles, tips and lessons.
29. Neuro Gym – Two speed reading exercises that will put your reading skills to the test.
30. The English Department – A group of reading comprehension exercises for upper intermediate and advanced readers.
31. Study Habits – Speed Reading Test – Another free reading test to analyze your reading speed.
32. Mind Tools – Speed Reading – Speed reading information for career minded people that need the ability to scan through documents at faster speeds than leisure reading mode.
33. Speed Reading – How to Eliminate Subvocalization – Tips by Peter Sturo on how to eliminate subvocalization and improve your reading speed.
34. Study Hall – Tips for Improving Your Reading Speed – An article on building the ability to read faster. This article is based on college reading, but applies to nearly everyone trying to bring their reading skills up to speed.
35. Learning-Tech: Basic Speed Reading Techniques – An article on how to improve memory skills and boosting reading speeds through comprehension.
36. Psych Tests – Mind Tools on Speed Reading – A map and tools to help readers develop speed reading skills.
37. How to Speed Read Tips – Leon Edward writes on how to learn to speed read and overcome a slow reading pace.
38. WikiHow – A simple article on how to increase your reading speed without paying a lot of money for programs to help you.
39. TurboRead – Reading Speed Checks – A group of tests built to determine your level of reading and reading speed.
40. Speed Reading and Information Overload – Adam Harley discusses how to manage information overload and how to scan your way out of a mountain of words.
41. Proportional Reading – Free movies, free course and free tools to help you read faster and better.
42. Insider Reports – Reading Speed: Learn How To Improve Yours With Speed Reading Techniques – An informational article on what speed reading is and how to learn to master the technique.
43. You Tube -  Learn to Speed Read! – Watch and learn as Kris explains the principles of speed reading in this You Tube video.
44. Evaluating Speed Reading Software – If you determine you need speed reading software for practice, Adam Harley tells you how to get the best software for your buck.
45. Speed Reading vs Skimming – Another article by speed reader Adam Harley on the differences between skimming and speed reading.
46. Harper Studio: Students Can Learn To Read Faster – Dr. Martin Kutscher explains how parents can organize their children to read faster and do better in school.
47. Speed Reading Tactics – Does Speed Reading Software Work? – A thoughtful article on the value of speed reading software by Ed Caldwell.
48. Speed Reading Tactics – Taming and Transforming Subvocalization – Ed Caldwell explores how to eliminate the little voice in your head that keeps you from reading at a faster pace.
49. The Study Hall – Tips to improve reading speed complete with a weekly plan to help you practice what you learn.
50. Start With These Tips on How to Learn Speed Reading – William Temple describes some easy ways to learn to speed read without software.
51. Speed Reading Exercises – Some free speed reading exercises and a free subscription link to speed reading discussions.
52. eHow – How to Read Faster – A easy to understand, quick article on how to make yourself read faster.
53. Literacy Connections – A web site for reading teachers and a list of literacy resources on children’s literacy and adult literacy.
54. Literacy Directory – A directory to find literacy programs for adults and children in the U.S.
55. Read, Write, Think – Games and programs for young students to improve literacy and reading comprehension.
56. The Colorado Department of Education – Colorado’s Department of Education provides a directory of children’s literacy resources and libraries.
57. California Literacy Resources – A resource list for struggling adult readers in California to find help throughout the state.
58. Rhode Island Literacy Resources – Adult literacy program tools and news for Rhode Island residents.
59. Literacy Resources, Inc. – A non-profit literacy group aiming to help children improve reading skills throughout the nation. Check the PDF form to see If your child qualifies for literary help.
60. U.S. Department of Education: Reading Resources – Part of the No Child Left Behind program to help children develop better reading comprehension and language skills. A list of articles to help parents and educators assess reading problems in youth.
61. International Reading Association – An organization of literacy educators and promoters. The site has many resources and lesson plans available for parents, teachers and adults.
62. Learn How To Read Faster – A six step article on how to improve your reading speed and get results without extensive training or classes.
63. Business Know How: Improve Your Reading Speed – An article for business people who need to learn how to speed up their reading pace for the suit and tie life.
64. Read Fast Now – A web site full of articles and free resources to beef up your reading skills and comprehension.
65. Readabout’s Speed Reading Program – A nicely organized speed reading program with many featured articles on the subject as well.
66. Dartmouth’s Academic Skill Center – A free database for students as well as those who wish to improve reading and memorization skills. This particular article details how to read textbooks effectively, but it is advice that can be applied to the working world as well.
67. WHAKATE: Read Better, Read Less – A helpful article on achieving higher reading speeds while cutting down on the actual time it takes to read a piece of literature or document.
68. Time Magazine: Read Better & Faster – Trusted source of information, Time brings readers some interesting tips on how to improve life quality by learning to read faster and better.
69. Self Growth: Easy Tips for Faster Reading – Paul Scheele shares a handful of tips that make for faster reading and greater self-improvement.
70. ESL Gold – If you are learning English as a second language this web site is for you. It has content for many areas of English study, but this link takes you directly to an article on how to read faster and use this tool in everyday life.
71. The New York Times: Peripherals; A Program for Reading Faster, Better – This world-wide known newspaper uncovers the good, bad and the ugly in speed reading (and writing) help for consumers.
72. ProductiveElearn.com: Speed Reading Tactics – Check out all the free literature and mini courses on speed reading, but unless you are prepared to pay and need extra help steer clear of the online courses.
73. About.com: Reading Tips and Strategies – A source for college students trying to improve reading efficiency and comprehension of large amounts of information. While this article is directed at students, the techniques will work for anyone with a lot of material to read and remember in a short period.
74. About.com: English as a Second Language – Kenneth Beare unloads heaps of helpful information on reading English as a second language. This article will uncover your reading style to make reading more natural.
75. About.com: Reading – Identifying Skill Requirement – Kenneth Beare identifies reading skills like skimming, scanning, extensive and intensive reading and how to reach intermediate reading skill levels.
76. About.com – Reading: Improve Your Comprehension and Efficiency – Take advice from a Ph.D. on how to how to survive reading long books for college, but you never know when these students reading tips can make your life easier outside of school.
77. About.com English as a Second Language – This informational snippet on scanning information can teach you how to narrow your focus to zoom in on information that is vital to your understanding on the information you’re reading.
78. About.com: English as a Second Language – After you’ve learned a conquered skimming and scanning and reading the English language better, try your hand at business English exercises to launch a more powerful career path.
79. About.com: Reading as a Second Language – A fun reading skills quiz to break up all the article reading on how to bump up your reading speed.
80. Top Ten Reviews- A 2009 speed reading software review of ten products to help you decide which product is worth your money to help you learn to read quickly.
81. Ace Reader – Take this free reading test to see where you stand. You can then download and try the free software trial that tracks your reading comprehension progress during reading speed exercises.
82. Top Ten Reviews – This article is helpful because it reviews each learning method of speed reading. See what experts recommend as the most helpful speed reading and comprehension exercises.
83. Daily Blog Tips: The Secret to Lightning-Fast Feed Reading – An article for online feed reading junkies on how to organize the feeds and master time spent reading the articles listed on your feed.
84. Sources of Insight – Experts comment on the truth about speed reading and how to take information and apply it to real life reading.
85. BlockReading.com – Free and online reading exercises to improve your vocabulary and reading speeds.
86. Speed Reading Secrets – Try the free lesson plan to read faster developed by a military pilot that could only read 156 words per minute before he trained himself with this program.
87. Speed Reading 4 Kids – Now that you are flying through the pages yourself, teach your kids how to read and study much faster and overcome reading disorders that can hinder your children’s ability to read.
88. eBooks – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Speed Reading – Download this eBook for quick references on how to speed read your way through any book or article. The book costs $16.95 to download. The free part? You get a preview.
89. Speed Reading Software – Try the free trial of Rocket Reader and test your skills with a free reading comprehension test.
90. TurboRead – Another speed reading software program with a free trial and informative articles on reading comprehension.
91. Ace Reader – Another recommended speed reading software kit to help improve reading ability.
92. Two Extremely Effective Speed Reading Exercises – Rin K Otori details two of the most effective reading exercises that will increase your reading speed with practice.
93. Rocket Reader – Try the award-winning software for ten full days without buying. Check out all the free tests and reading help articles too.
94. Literary Resources, Inc. – Michael Heggerty provides useful links and resources for phonetic awareness and advancement.
95. Best Speed Reading Course – A course designed to teach you how to read and comprehend faster. Try the mini-course for free by signing up with your e-mail address.
96. Speed Reader X – An online speed reading course to improve your reading comprehension. You can try the course risk free for 60 days, but payment in required for the courses upfront.
97. The Literacy Company – Speed reading software for all ages. Check out the articles posted at the bottom of the main page for free tips.
98. Nev n Dave – A list of ten tips to effectively read blogs quickly by reorganizing your RSS feed and other easy to fix methods to keep you focused on the important things in life other than blog reading.
99. To Done – If you love to read blogs, this article is for you. It explains how to effectively read blogs without wasting time.
100. The Learning Centre – A two-part article on how to read effectively and improve study and learning skills.

Utilize all the free resources you can to improve your reading speed, but if all else fails there are some good reading programs and software listed to give you help and practice.

“Stress is Life, and Life is Stress”

We are all living in stressful, uncertain times, but it may be a surprise to you that the body has only one response to stress and that is to produce stress hormones.

This is true whether:

• You are being chased down the road by a man with an axe
• You owe the bank GBP750,000 pounds with no means to pay
• You are just about to go out in front of an audience of 40,000 people to sing
• You don’t eat correctly to balance your blood sugar levels

There is no time like the present to protect yourself from the effects of stress that can be caused by modern living, especially in the current climate.

Mark Killick of MK Nutrition can help you to better understand your body’s nutritional needs and how a nutritious diet could help to alleviate some of the symptoms caused by unwanted stress.

Stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) are secreted when our blood sugar drops too low, in order to allow the body to release sugar into the bloodstream to fulfil our energy requirements. The effect of this stress hormone induced release is to send our blood sugar levels sky high, and subsequently the body releases insulin to help transport sugar out of the blood vessels and into our cells.

With increased stress and poor eating habits we can initiate a rollercoaster effect of falling and rising blood sugar levels throughout the day, with the subsequent release of hormones to deal with this situation.

This can lead us to become resistant to the effects of insulin, which in turn can lead to chronic degenerative diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease.

Cortisol also promotes the storage of fat around the middle of the body, and unless we deal with the effects of stress, we can find it very difficult to lose that spare tyre!

MK Nutrition’s easy to follow nutritional programme can help you minimise hormonal release, enabling you to achieve and maintain ideal body composition, and reduce the risk of degenerative disease.

The Stress Cycle

Ongoing stress affects how the body produces hormones.

THE ALARM STAGE: The nervous system responds to stressors within seconds to shift the body into a fight or flight mode. Stress hormones are released from the adrenal glands to release sugar into the bloodstream.

THE RESISTANCE STAGE: Adaptation to sustained stress alters energy metabolism. Blood sugar levels are raised, muscle protein is broken down, and cortisol levels become elevated. The body becomes less sensitive to cortisol, and so more cortisol is produced. This leads to increases in insulin production, and we can become insulin resistant. More muscle protein is broken down and blood lipids increase, leading to fat accumulation around the middle. This can lead to increased cholesterol and blood pressure along with a tendency to obesity.

High cortisol levels suppress the immune system, which sets the stage for allergic responses, yeast overgrowth and chronic infections.

THE EXHAUSTION STAGE: The body’s ability to produce cortisol declines, leading to adrenal exhaustion. Excessive fatigue, reduced ability to concentrate, alcohol intolerance, headache, menstrual irregularities and low blood pressure are all symptoms of this stage. Too little cortisol allows the body to become inflamed. This stage promotes chronic inflammation, tissue damage and degenerative disease.

With nutritional intervention, and help with managing stress, you can achieve the RECOVERY STAGE, when your body is back in balance and you are able to cope well with the everyday things in life.

For more tips and advice visit the MK Nutrition’s website at http://www.mknutrition.co.uk

Nowadays one of the most popular problems we have to face is the loss of sleep.

People are unable to rest at night and this can lead to numberless problems, not only in health but in our everyday performances as well. It is well known that car accidents are sometimes produced by drivers who fell asleep, even for a moment. Tired people are more irritable, their capability of focusing to their work or studies is lessened and finally they become similar to machines, only do their work as a routine, without being able of clear thinking and decision making.

Yet there are several medical and less medical recommendations that, if followed, can help us regaining our strength and concentration through a good sleep.

1. The atmosphere of the room

It is very important to sleep in the appropriate conditions that help deep sleeping. First of all, it is well known that it is recommended not to have any electric equipment in the bedroom. Even the TV should be placed in the living room and not in the bedroom. The other most important thing is the temperature. If the room is too warm or too cold, you can not have a deep rest. It is recommended to keep the temperature between 60-65 degrees. Darkness and silence are also welcome in the bedroom. We could say, the most important is to create a relaxing atmosphere, where you feel comfortable and safe.

2. Drinks

There are several drinks that are known for their energizing and stimulating effect, thanks to their ingredients. One of these ingredients is caffeine that stimulates the human mind and thus prevents us from falling asleep.

Another ingredient that may steal our sleep is the alcohol. Although its first effect upon the human body and brain is to make us sleepy, during the night its impact will be exactly the opposite. While we are asleep, our organs work hard to digest all the food we introduced. The hardest work remains for the liver that has to purify our blood. The harder the liver must work the less deep we can sleep.

The third stimulant that prevents our good night sleep is the nicotine. It is advised to avoid at least a smoke before going to bed, but of course it would be the best and the healthiest to quit smoking for good.

3. Physical exercises

It is not enough to keep your brain busy during the day, for a good sleep it is vital to be physically tired as well. It would be enough to walk every day about twenty minutes, to your office or back home, to the shop, or anywhere. Just to take some fresh air. If this can not be fulfilled, you should try to make several easy exercises in your home in the afternoon, or in the evening but not too near to bedtime. Also try walking the stairs instead of taking the lift.

4. Routine

It is thought that people who follow a daily routine, at least in the timing of going to bed and waking up, have less difficulties with falling asleep. It is known that people generally need seven to nine hours to sleep. You have to know the amount of time you need to be rested and make a special program and try to stick to that. You will find easier to fall asleep each night and won’t have to fight insomnia.

5. The role of the bed

The bed’s most important role in our life is to sleep in it. We should stick to this role and not try to do more and more things in the bed. It is not advised to watch TV from the bed, neither to read in the bed. It is also said that people should quit all their activities with at least 30 minutes before going to bed. The human body needs these thirty minutes to get in the mood of sleeping. If you give it this preparatory time, you will experience a deeper and more resting sleep.

6. Calming drinks

It differs from person to person what one finds calming before going to sleep but there are two kinds of drinks that usually help before sleeping. One of them is a glass of warm milk that contains calcium which is known for its calming effect. If milk does not work for you, you should try a cup of herbal tea. It is very important to choose the right kind of tea, because there are several types that stimulate the brain, but for example the chamomile, anise or lavender teas help you relax.

7. Relaxations

As mentioned above, relaxation is very important before sleeping. There are several practices to get yourself relaxed, it only takes some time before going to bed. One good example or tip is to take a warm but not too hot bath in the evening. The warm water relaxes all the muscles and clears the brain. A massage or any relaxing activity can also be helpful. You can have a nice long conversation with someone dear-not through the internet, but personally. Slow, soothing music can also help forgetting the day’s stress. Scents can also relax your body and mind as well.

If you practice some kind of meditation, it is welcome to be done before going to bed. It also helps you relax your muscles and your mind.

8. Predefined activities

It is recommended to have two or three things that you do each night before sleeping, to create a ritual before sleeping. It does not really matter what actions it would imply. It can be something very simple such as comb your hair, wash your teeth. If you keep this kind of ritual for long enough even the first action of the ritual will remind you of going to bed and sleeping.

9. No sleeping during the day

If you wish to sleep really deeply during the night, you have to resist the temptation of a little nap after lunch for example. As it was mentioned, you have to be tired in order to be able to sleep well. Of course sometimes a little nap can be benefic but you have to be careful, not to take too long naps during the day.

10. No eating before sleeping

Although, as in the case of the alcohol, after eating well, you may feel the need of a good sleep, it is not recommended to yield to this temptation during the day. In the evening another rule is applied. You should not eat too much before going to sleep. It is quite the same as with the alcohol. Your organism will have to work hard to digest all you ate, so you won’t be able to rest either. Of course there is one more aspect, that of foods containing stimulants. There are foods that may have similar effect before sleeping to drinking a cup of coffee before going to bed.

11. Health problems

If you have already tried out all the above mentioned tricks, tried to personalize them, but you had no visible results, maybe it is time to pay a visit to your doctor. There are physical disorders, illnesses that may cause insomnia, although usually it is generated by stress, unhealthy way of living and the lack of a program to stick to. If no tricks and tips can help you, maybe you should try some sleeping pills and the most important, try to find the real cause of your insomnia.