Gallstone Remedy - How Gallstones Remedy Should Be Your First selection Before surgical operation

Thousands of habitancy crusade the internet each day trying to find a gallstone remedy. Yet, gallbladder extraction surgical operation is one of the most favorite surgeries in America (over 500,000 per year). Unfortunately, many habitancy listen to their doctor's guidance without researching the pros and cons of gallbladder removal. For instance,

Fact! Removing your gallbladder increases your risk of both bowel and colon cancers.

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Fact! Your gallbladder is an organ which is needed by the body. Therefore, most patients record diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea after surgery. It can lasts from weeks to years while your body readjusts to its missing organ.

The truth is that you should keep your gallbladder if at all possible. If you have a surgical operation scheduled, here are some tips for a gallstones remedy that could help you cancel your surgical operation by tomorrow.

A Gallstones Remedy that Works

It's splendid the lack of knowledge many traditional doctors have when it comes to gallstones. Most doctors believe that gallbladder extraction is the Only option when it comes to gallstones. And they couldn't be more wrong! But it isn't their fault, most healing schools only teach traditional procedures for gallstones like surgery, bile salt tablets, and sound wave therapy.

However, many traditional doctors are now recommending straightforward natural remedies to try before surgery. These doctors are often frowned upon in the healing society because surgical establishments are losing millions of dollars each year with fewer and fewer surgeries.

Here are some suggestions for passing your gallstones at home!

1. Begin your treatment by supplementing 2000 mg of Vitamin C daily. In studies, a tasteless insufficiency in all gallstone sufferers is Vitamin C. This vitamin (also called ascorbic acid) is cheap and available almost everywhere.

2. The second vitamin you should also supplement is Vitamin E. This vitamin has been shown to stop gallstone formation.

3. Fiber is your best friend if you suffer from this disease. Water soluble dietary fiber will simply flush most of your body (including your gallbladder). You should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (5-7 servings) each day.

4. Omega 3 Fish Oils have numerous benefits and one of them is helping to suck in fats and control cholesterol levels. Supplement this today.

5. Finally, you should also keep your body well hydrated. A good rule of thumb would be to drink at least 16 ounces (2 cups) of water for every 2 hours you are awake. You body and gallbladder need to be flushed immediately and water is a straightforward way.

Cancel Your Gallbladder surgical operation in 24 Hours

Gallstone Remedy - How Gallstones Remedy Should Be Your First selection Before surgical operation

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

How To Make A Fruit Tray Party dessert Pizza formula

This time of the year is full of all sorts of opportunities for celebrating the season. Moving house and friends during the holiday season does not have to be a Moving feat when you know how to make a fruit tray party sweetmeat pizza recipe. They are so easy to make, although it may look like you spent many hours creating it. Actually, you might even want to let the kids help you make some of the sweetmeat pizzas you make at home.

Dessert Pizza Recipes are Fun and Easy to Make

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Since sweetmeat pizza recipes are fun and easy to make, you can have them just about any time, whether you are Moving guests or serving your family. Someone else great thing about them is you can add or take away any fruits you might want to consist of on your fruit tray pizza. For instance, you might like to try including bananas, blueberries, cherries, peaches and so much more. Add your house beloved fruits and you will have created a masterpiece. You can even experiment by adding distinct flavors of toppings to this pizza if you like.

Recipe for Fruit Tray Party sweetmeat Pizza

What You Need

1 egg 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine 1/3 cup sugar 2 cups Bisquick mix 1 package whipped topping 8 ounce 1 package cream cheese 8 ounce 2/3 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring 1 cans mandarin oranges 1 can cut up pineapple rings 2 or 3 sliced kiwi fruit 1 pint sliced strawberries 1 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 Tablespoons cornstarch ½ cup sugar

How to Make It

Prepare pizza pan by lightly applying cooking spray and then set aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a medium to large size mixing bowl, you will add the egg and beat, then add the melted butter while mixing. Add the sugar and Bisquick mix and incorporate thoroughly.

Press this composition onto the prepared pizza pan and place in the oven to bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, but do not allow to burn. Once done, take off from oven and allow the crust to thoroughly cool.

Using a medium mixing bowl and electric mixer, you will add the whipped topping, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until well blended to get ready the pizza filling.

Spread the filling composition over the cooled pizza crust evenly, and then cover with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, kiwi, and strawberry slices by arranging the fruit in a ornamental swirl pattern.

Using a small saucepan on a medium heat, you will add the orange juice, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix them together well by stirring and cooking for about 4 to 5 minutes. take off from heat and drizzle this yummy topping over the fruit tray party sweetmeat pizza you are preparing.

You can serve this pizza as it is or you can place it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 or 5 hours before serving.

How To Make A Fruit Tray Party dessert Pizza formula

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Trapped On The Treadmill: Work-Life Balance

Workers suffering burnout are making mistakes. It's depressingly predictable: these mistakes cost money, compromise safety and may even put lives at risk. Work-life balance is a subject with broad points of view but Corporate America is finally responding to this demand. Actually it's been a matter of company survival. Corporations expecting employees to forego family time will not find the Ace Employee. Increased irritability means less production as more as more workers struggle to 'keep it all together'.

Smart companies are recognizing employee needs for work-life balance and are providing an environment that encourages that balance. Yet, limiting this to quick fixes like flexible working hours, or part time hours for working mothers is not dealing with the real reasons why people are feeling disillusioned with their working life. It has more to do with long hours, constant overtime, bullying bosses, and the continual cutbacks that keep many on a frayed tightrope.

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The core problem lies inside the minds of management -- obsessive drives, insane greed for money and power, ambition gone awry and a foolish disregard of anything void of short-term results. Even with limited changes, management still treats underlings like a herd of cows milking every ounce of effort possible. That's not about to change when it's driven by a 'winner takes all' ideology and contempt for those unable to keep up.

In a 2006 study, men were more likely to report depression, increased drinking and smoking, and suicidal thoughts. Women on the other hand were more likely to report anxiety, uncontrolled crying, migraines, sleeplessness and persistent petty ailments.

Patrick learned the hard way - at 40 he had risen to Senior Attorney for a small insurance company. His all-consuming job of 80-100 hours each week leaves his wife complaining that he was never home, and even when he is, he's useless. His children are in bed when he finally calls it a day, and often he sleeps in his clothes on top of the covers to get a head start the following morning at 5am.

Patrick admits he is spread too thin but if he doesn't run at breakneck speed, everything will overtake him - as if he's on a treadmill with no controls. He is gaining weight catching junk food on the run and drinking more to "unwind" as he puts it. But a long weekend with friends changed everything. Patrick was on the phone constantly and his wife felt more like she had joined their friends as a single. Vexed and defeated, she finally blurted out: "I'm done! I don't want to do this anymore".

Often a wakeup call follows a crisis. To save his marriage and family Patrick had to adopt a family-first policy. He laid his decision on the corporate table - no more weekends, home for dinner every night, no phone calls after 7pm! The silence was deafening.

Determined, he turned to the Internet and a new road to entrepreneurship. The dream of perfect harmony in work and home has worked for many who have chosen this road. Enjoyable, stress free and rewarding, they learned to love the risk factor because, as entrepreneurs they were able to see a direct benefit from the fruits of their own labor.

Entrepreneurs have a rosy view of their work-life balance because they love their boss. It's a big change from putting in 100 hours a week to please management by putting job first and everything else second, third or not at all. The new pioneers of this millennium will not be charging into the workplace as soon as they graduate. They will take their time and enjoy the trip. Ah well, the world doesn't need any more lawyers.

Congratulations Patrick, on getting fired.

2006 Esther Smith

Trapped On The Treadmill: Work-Life Balance

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Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox Explained!

If you go around, you will realize that there are so many diets fads in the market. One of those is the Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox which will permit the body to generally consume fluids throughout the process. Not like with the typical juice fasting, this detox diet would rely much on the consumption of fruits to attain the much craved for condition benefits, which comprise weight loss. Due to the fact that The Fruit Flush would only entail 3 shorts days, many people would admit that it is relatively easy to stick to the diet.

The understanding that the elimination of toxins can be done just by doing the permissible composition of foods, The Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox Diet would make use of a few contents of fruits in order to cleanse the body's assorted systems. Furthermore, this kind of diet will allow someone to efficiently lose excess weight for up to 9 pounds.

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Fruits have always been celebrated for the clear effects they offer the body with, not just in terms of detoxification but also with the general wellbeing of a person. Fruits are perfect source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Fruits also offer marvelous level of carbohydrates - those kinds with low glycemic index. Bear in mind that not all carbohydrates are similar when it comes to their consequent on the blood glucose level.

The plan will work this way:

Day 1: the Pre-flush

8:00 am - consume only protein shake
10:00 am - consume only protein shake
12:00 pm - consume only protein shake
2:00 pm - consume only protein shake
4:00 pm - consume only protein shake
6:00 pm - you can take 6 cups of vegetable salad together with 3-6 ounces of lean rukery or fish, anyone you wish to get.

Day 2: Fruit-flush

8:00 am - take 1 medium-sized banana
10:00 am - have a integrate of cups of strawberries
12:00 pm - consume 1 large apple
2:00 pm - consume 1 large mango
4:00 pm - take 2 small oranges
6:00 pm - you can eat up to 6 cups of vegetable salad together with protein shake

Day 3: Fruit-flush

8:00 am - have 2 cups grapes
10:00 am - get 2 medium-sized kiwis
12:00 pm - you can have 1 large pear
2:00 pm - go for 1 medium-sized banana
4:00 pm - take 1 large apple
6:00 pm - you can consume 6 cups of vegetable salad together with protein shake

Once you recognize facts better, you will realize that the Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox is great compared to other fad diets in the store that says to have the potential to eradicate poisonous substances within the body and at last promote weight loss. Well, it is true that this is easily healthier because it will allow the someone to consume fresh servings of fruits and vegetables and it will only last for a short span of 3 days. Because this will only last for three days, people will become more motivated to perfect it.

On the other hand, there are some reported untoward side effects involved. For one, a someone may feel hunger and fatigue because their caloric contents are very low to the point that some of them cannot achieve their daily activities.

Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox Explained!

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Corn Tortilla Recipes

Mexicans have their own version of pancakes, and these are called Tortillas made from cornmeal. The name was given by the Spanish conquistadors. Tortillas have become a staple in the diet of most Southern Americans. Traditionally, tortillas are grilled on a comal, an ceramics utensil. It is consumed like bread and is often filled or stuffed. Preparation tortillas from scratch can get legitimately laborious. Thankfully there are some already cooked or raw tortillas available in the market. But if you will insist on creating your own, there is already an available masa harina in the market and will cut the Preparation time to at least half. Tortilla can be served in many dissimilar ways: tacos or like a sandwich; enchiladas (stuffed, coated with sauce and baked); quesadillas or tortilla turnovers; or huevos rancheros similar to pancakes topped with tomato sauce and eggs.

A Tortilla can either be made from corn (tortilla de maize) or wheat (flour tortilla/tortilla de harina). This basic corn tortilla recipe needs:

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2 cups masa harina or plainly 1 pound fresh masa (ground corn) 1 1/2 cups of warm water

Form the dough by mixing the masa harina with the water. Knead for about a dinky while adding more water if necessary. Divide the dough into 12 balls, each about 1.5 inches in diameter. Press each ball using a tortilla press, in between two pieces of wax paper until very thin and about 5.5 to 6 inches in diameter. Cook each tortilla on a hot griddle or a comal, 30 seconds to a minute, each side. Prevent condensation by retention the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer lined with paper towels until they are ready to be served. Wheat flour can be replaced for corn flour. This kind of tortilla is generally used in the United States in development burritos.

Here is a tortilla recipe the Spanish are proud of. Spanish Tortilla or Spanish omelet is served at room temperature and needs the following to make it:

1/2 cup olive oil 2 pound baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, sliced into rings 6 eggs 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips 3 ounces chopped Spanish serrano ham 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Over medium low heat and in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Cook half of the potato slices in the oil, development it tender (fifteen to twenty minutes). When done, remove potatoes and place into a large bowl, leaving oil in the skillet. Cook the remaining potatoes in the oil until tender, and then add to the bowl. Set aside the large skillet with the remaining olive oil for use later. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Gently toss the potatoes.

In a skillet, heat the two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion rings until soft and golden brown. Set aside the onion rings on a plate, letting it cool. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, until smooth. Add the onions, roasted pepper and Serrano ham. Gently fold the potatoes.
Using the large skillet with used olive oil, pour the egg and potato mixture. Make sure the heat is low. Cook the egg combination until the sides have started to set and the lowest has turned golden brown. Using a large plate and a spatula, turn the omelet over and cook until the other side is done and the center has set in. Slide the tortilla on a serving plate. Allow the omelet to cool at room temperature. Cut into six wedges and you might want to decoration with parsley before serving.

If you want the easiest tortilla recipe then you might want to try development some Fresh Tortilla Triangles. The chips can be cooled and they will last for two days as long as they are stored in an airtight container. Needed are:

2 cups canola or other vegetable oil 8 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into quarters salt to taste.

Simply fry the tortilla triangles, 8 pieces at a time, in a 10-inch skillet (pre-heat oil to 370 degrees). The triangles are done when the sizzling stops and have turned golden brown on each side. remove from oil and drain on a wire rack set over a shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt immediately.

This last tortilla recipe is a sure winner and a delightful treat for diners. Black-Eyed Peas and Tortilla is a easy yet rich and mildly spiced to excite the taste buds. The ingredients are:

1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 15.5-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained 1/2 cup vegetable stock 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice salt and pepper to taste 4 12- inch flour tortillas

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in olive oil until tender. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper agreeing to your taste. Continue cooking until heated through. Serve after the filling is stuffed in the tortillas.

Tortillas are not boring at all. Spice it up with the recipes and you will legitimately enjoy this Mexican staple in many dissimilar ways!

Corn Tortilla Recipes

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

How To Make Tasty Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are a real popular type of seafood for many people who enjoy these easy but incredibly tasty patties. Crab cakes are also excellent for serving with fresh salads full of crunchy greens and vegetables along with a range of dressings.

If you are seeing for a good formula on how to make crab cakes that will not take long to prepare, select one that features canned crab meat or crab that is already flaked and in small pieces. You will definitely want to all the time use fresh breadcrumbs when production crab cakes as this helps the patties hold their shape better. Someone else trick to keeping your crab cakes nice and neat during the cooking process is to refrigerate the uncooked patties before baking.

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You may want to add extra ingredients to your crab cakes or vary the ones you use so the formula is a bit dissimilar each time it is prepared. Add bell peppers for some texture and color, and if you want your crab cakes to have a bit of heat to them add green or red chili peppers instead of bell peppers. You can also use white or green onions and diced pieces of celery.

Recipe for Tasty Crab Cakes

What You Need
2 cups fresh, white breadcrumbs 2 cups (about 12 ounces) fresh or canned crabmeat 1 large scallion, sliced thin 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon Old Bay or similar seafood seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 large egg 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, unseasoned 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

How to Make It

In a large bowl consolidate the fresh, white breadcrumbs with the crabmeat and mix together. Then add the sliced scallions, parsley, dill, seafood seasoning, and salt and pepper and mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice together until the compound is smooth. Drizzle over the crabmeat compound and stir together then form the crab compound into 6 patties using your hands.

Coat the patties in the dry breadcrumbs and place flat on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and coat Someone else baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and cook half of the crab cakes for about 3 minutes or until the bottom sides of the patties begin to turn golden. Remove the patties from the frying pan and place golden side up on the coated baking sheet.

Heat Someone else 2 teaspoons of oil and repeat the process with the remaining 3 patties.

Bake the patties fried side up on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottom sides also turn golden brown in color and they are completely heated.

Garnish the 6 crab cakes with sprigs of dill and lemon wedges and serve with tartar sauce.

How To Make Tasty Crab Cakes

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Race Words

A piece in the New York Times Week in Review section ("The Racial Politics of Speaking Well," by Lynette Clemetson) got me thinking about Joe Biden's gaff this past week.

Words. There was an exercise one of my professors in graduate school had us do involving words as sign and signifier -- heady linguistics bullshit -- which became very poignant for how I would view communication for the rest of my life. It's an exercise I used when I taught a basic writing class at a regional law school, and something I bring up at cocktail parties. It's something that relates to everything you say and see and read and hear every day, and relates terribly to this article -- mine and the New York Times one.

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My take on the exercise played out like this when I used it on my students. Always on the first day of class I would say, "ok, take out a piece of paper and a pencil." Diligently the students follow the instructions. "This does not need to be handed in. Now. Draw me a cup."

A few students always balk at the instruction with comments like, "but I'm no good at drawing." The quality of the illustration did not matter. What I was aiming at was their individual interpretation of a word as innocuous as "cup." In a class of 12 students I always found illustrations of at least seven different types of cups.

So imagine the variability in the interpretation of the a word such as "articulate."

Within the first few paragraphs of the Times article I was thinking to myself, "great, another liberal turn at bashing people who find articulate use of language important." Then I read further, and I started to think of the perception of that word, "articulate," that African Americans have to endure in our culture.

The argument in the article is that whites bat around the word "articulate" in such a callous manner when relating to blacks...conspicuously using the word specifically for black individuals when a similar use for a white individual would seem out of place.

I thought about this as I read along and thought, "god, this is so unfortunate that this type of definition of the use of a word needs such detail regarding its use and context." But think back to the cup exercise.

The reason I think about the exercise in context of the Time article is that I routinely use the word articulate to off-handedly compliment anybody. Absolutely anybody. Black. White. Rich. Poor. I'm constantly amazed to find articulate individuals. But when I use the word "articulate," I'm considering a person who has a truly magical grasp of language and communication.

I work hard at being articulate and am confident I fall short of my own aspirations on a daily basis. I am constantly amazed by people who have furthered their educations at reputable academic institutions and they are confused by multisyllabic words. I am equally amazed by those folks who have grown up with nothing, with no personal and socially available opportunities, yet they are voracious readers who are extremely articulate.

In reading the article I came to understand how the general use of the word articulate by liberal whites in describing blacks reaks of latent bigotry. I have to add, however, that this does not discount or disallow the use of the word by some, such as myself, in complimenting a person as arbitrarily as I would compliment a person on a great golf swing.

Few people are born with an inherent grasp of language; it's a learned behavior, and one that we can all improve. Language, however, to make a nod back to the linguistics background, is a reflection of culture. We can't expect everyone to use flawless grammar in their spoken words. In fact those who do appear stiff, and myopic.

We live through out perceptions of the world, and all of our perceptions are interpretations molded by our upbringing. I'm thankful, however, to have read this Times article, and to make sure that every word I use -- from articulate to cup and beyond -- is understood in the context of the people I believe to be my audience.

My cup, by the way, is a three-inch diameter, cylindrical, eight ounce, white ceramic cup with a simple, curved handle large enough to comfortably insert your index finger with room to spare.

Originally published at:
[http://bentspoon.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=26]

Race Words

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One Method on How to Flats Fish With Live Bait

Fishing season is among us again! There are several great charters in Pensacola to choose from; moreover, shouldn't you be able to catch fish on your own? I want everyone to be able to catch some fish this season. I have experience to show you the tackle and targeting methods to be a success. My knowledge is a great chance to have a good time and increase your knowledge of fishing for flats species.

Flats' fishing is best when you're targeting specific species such as: speckled trout, red fish, and flounder. The Emerald Coast is surrounded with areas with high potential, or even a sure hook-up with the targeted fish as mentioned before. I am going to write a list of instructions, so you can be successful while flats fishing.

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Now remember! Fishing for species with the right gear, with the right bait, at the right time, in the right place is the bottom-line for a successful trip. My advice provides valuable information such as: the right location during certain months of the year; the right hooks, line, leader, and sinkers. The correct time to be at those locations considering tides, currents, lunar, and temperatures. I will offer a high level of sophistication through professionalism and technology.

First, you will want to look for some great locations. The best way to spot great locations is by looking for areas with structure such as: oyster beds, debris, or reefs in shallow waters. Moreover, my favorite spots consist of grass beds and sandy areas scattered throughout the grass beds. We are not looking for just grass beds or just sandy bottoms; we are looking for areas with both mixed throughout the area. Red fish, speckled trout, and flounder are all ambush predators, and these areas provide that tactic for these targeted species.

Second, you will want the appropriate gear to fight these fish ashore, to you, or to your vessel. I recommend 3000 to 5000 series reel and rod. I recommend using a 12 to 15 pound braided line for your setup because it provides more fish due to its proven durability. Now, you should focus on tackle. The best method for catching fish in my opinion is to use live bait. I would grab some number one and two circle hooks, ¼ ounce through 1½ ounce egg weights. You will need some 20 pound test swivels. You will need a few types of fluorocarbon leader line such as: 15 pound, 20 pound, and 25 pound. These leaders will be used based on location. You should use lighter leader lines the clearer the conditions. You should use heavier leader lines the rougher the conditions and the type of area you're fishing such as: if you're fishing reefs, debris, or oyster beds. Then you should tie together the swivel to a 12-18 inch leader line, tie the hook on the end, put a sinker on your braided line, and connect your leader set up to your braided line. However, if the conditions are excellent, you can free line the bait without using a sinker in the setup as mentioned above.

Third, we need to have a few locations available to get live bait. I recommend live bait such as: shrimp or live finger mullet. I catch finger mullet with a cast net. You should grab a few dozen live shrimp because smaller fish such as: pin fish, croakers, and grunts will also eat them. Hook the shrimp at the end of their tails. The object is to let them swim around and seem natural.

Fourth, the best months are March to September. You will need to look at the lunar, tides and currents table or chart for that day. Certain internet sites offer them, but you will find out by experience that some are not correct. Once you find a reliable source here are some things to keep an eye out for. Fish like to eat while the currents are moving. Opinions differentiate on which tide is better the outgoing tide (ebb) or the incoming tide (flood). Through 25 years experience, I catch a lot of fish on a break of dawn, top of an outgoing tide situation. You will catch fish on both tides; although, you will be more productive during the first 4-6 hours of day light, and the last 3-5 hours of day light on a moving tide. Full moons will slow down your productivity too.

Last, you should get a local fishing regulations guide and go catch some fish!

As Andrew Brown stated, "There is nothing like hooking up with a 25" red fish, fighting the fish, and reeling that big one in." (A. Brown, Pensacola Resident) Reeling in a prize fish is very excited and easy when you follow these simple instructions.

THE RIGHT GEAR, THE RIGHT BAIT, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME, EQUALS SUCCESS!

One Method on How to Flats Fish With Live Bait

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Championship Bbq Ingredients - Rubs and Mop Sauce

If you ask the Bbq experts rubs and mop sauces are key to every Championship Bbq team. They have clear purposes in the smoking process to make the meat taste moist and delicious.

- Rub that meat

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The bbq rub is a must have ingredient for the bbq or smoking process. There are two key concepts to keep in mind when creating you own rub. The proportion of salt should be great sufficient to trigger osmosis and begin to draw the moisture from the outside of the meat, and the estimate of sugar should not be excessive because it will caramelize and burn during smoking and leave the meat with a bitter taste. Dry rubs are used to coat the meat and adds a flavorful crust to the meat.

Below are rub bases that you can create a unlikeness of to create your own dry rub.

- Mop that Sauce

Mop sauce is often referred to as a basting sauce, are vinegar or other based liquids that are applied to meats during the slow cooking process of traditional bbq, to keep the meats moist and add flavor. Mop sauce gets it's name from the tool that looks like a small kitchen mop used to apply the sauce. Most contentious bbq teams swear by their mops practically as much as they do their dry rubs.

Mop sauce safe the moisture level of your meat, mops will ordinarily consist of a vinegar or other liquid to replace some of the fat that is lost during the cooking process. It is all about maintaining moisture as well as adding great flavor.

Below are sauce bases that you can use to institute your own mop sauce.

Warm oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, orange juice, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until thick it should take about 15 minutes.

Championship Bbq Ingredients - Rubs and Mop Sauce

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Born Free Bottles - What You Need To Know

With increasing awareness of, and concern over, the chemicals we come into palpate with on a daily basis and the inherent long term negative health issues, it's no wonder that many parents are using Born Free bottles.

Born Free Bottles are 100% Bpa free. Bpa or Bisphenol - A is a chemical compound that is used in the maker of hard plastics such as baby bottles and food containers.

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There is mounting evidence that suggests not only can Bpa leach out of the plastic and into the food or drink in the bottles or containers, but long term exposure to the compound is suspected to cause developmental delays in children.

While the Fda hasn't taken any stance on the issue as of yet, Canada and many worried population have. The Born Free firm was founded by 3 implicated dads. Their full goods line is made with Bpa free plastics.

Not only are all Born Free products made entirely out of Bpa free plastics, this line of baby bottles comes with many other unique benefits for you and your baby.

Here are a few of them:

1. You can get plastic and glass bottles. And you can get either 5 ounce or 9 ounce wide mouth sizes. The wide mouth makes it much easier to clean the bottles.

2. You can use these bottles in conjunction with breast feeding.

3. They have separate flow rates for their nipples. You can get 5 separate levels; Level 1 is for newborns up to 3 months and it has a slow flow rate, level 2 is for 3 to 6 months and has a medium flow rate, level 3 is for 6 + months and has a fast flow, level 4 is also for 6 + months and has a Y cut and fast flow, and level 5 is for 3 months and up and has a variable flow rate - slow, medium and fast.

No matter what your baby's eating habits or age, there is a nipple that will make meal time more enjoyable and less frustrating for both of you.

4. Born Free bottles have a unique vent free, leak proof law that ensures the food, and not a lot of excess air, gets where it belongs, in your baby and not on your baby!

There are Born Free bottles and cups for every stage of your child's development. No matter what you need: bottles, nipples, sippy cups, sterilizers, etc., you can find it in the full line of safe and productive baby bottles and cups.

Born Free Bottles - What You Need To Know

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Picking the Right Friends From the Madding Crowd

As we go along our life, we constantly meet different kinds of people. We talk to them, share lunch together, or join them in regular activities like weekend badminton games or movie watching. They most likely have smiles on their faces when they are with us. But the main question is whether we would embrace them as real friends in the truest definition of the term or treat them as mere acquaintances only. Remember our parents, genuinely concerned about our well-being, would remind us over dinner to wisely choose the people we would associate with? Failure to discern who you mingle with will eventually lead you to trouble or worse a miserable life due to bad company.

Yet, how do we spot who are real friends among the crowd that we come across with in our daily grind. How do we find the people who will be there beside us and honestly look after our welfare? The bad news is there are no books that give answers to all questions regarding friendship. Nevertheless, the good news is experience stands as a good ally coupled with common sense and an ounce of gut feel.

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Know Thy Self First

Since what we are after are real true friends, we must understand that they are our extension. How many times have we heard the adage: birds of the same feathers flock together. Friends are our chosen family based on our standard emanating from our self-worth. To find real and true friends one first ought to have a notion of one-self. The individual necessarily has to acknowledge these innate prerequisites given about him:

He is important and has value - a person must know that no matter what his state in life is, he matters. His views, perspective in life and his whole being is of value. He deserves to be happy - there are no signs anywhere that tells one must be miserable. He deserves all the opportunities by which he can be happy and fulfilled.

If one has already known these basic intrinsic rights, then he can proceed smoothly in identifying the persons whom he can call true friends. By then, it is automatic that he has a notion or a glimpse of what his objectives in life are. Establishing this set of intrinsic rights of his being, he should by then established a good self-esteem and confidence. That he is a 'valuable cargo' as one popular author puts it.

When one knows his value in life then it will be easier for him to discern who his real and true friends are. Not knowing one's importance oftentimes is one of the reasons why an individual hangs out with the wrong set of people.

Signs of Who Your True Friends Are

Life is wonderful when you are with them. Life as it is, is sometimes hard and difficult. But once you are with this set of people your problems seem easy to bear and are given solution. Have you noticed that there are people who make you weak and strong? The former are people called energy vampires. They suck your emotional energy by making you miserable one way or the other. The latter are the positive oriented people who are bearer of light. With these people the difficult problems are easy to solve; the impossible problems take time to be given solution. Your perspective are respected and understood. It is of course not always true that you are right about your views and opinions. But with true friends who are after your welfare, what you say has value, respected and understood before given indirect alternative views. When everything you say is always debunked, then these set of people do not treat you as their equals. Better stay away from them lest they imbibe in you that you are worthless. They are more goal-oriented. When you want to achieve something in life, hanging out with this kind of people more or less makes you more focused on attaining your goals. These people talk about action and applying it to their plans. It is better if you hang with them since they understand fully well what is in your head than not. More than that, they can even give moral support to whatever you want to attain.
These are NOT your Friends

After hanging out with them, you are more miserable and problematic as before. Time spend with these set of people can be a wondrous kind of experience. You may have had a fine taste of fun. Life can even be construed as wonderful as you mingle with them. But once you are home, you find yourself in state of deeper misery. Your problems are not even solved but even become worse. Better stay out of these set of people; these people are what the cliché says as fair weathered friends. Sowing emotional poison is more of a rule during conversation. When the people you are with talk most of the time about other people and pass on to you harsh criticism and bad gossip about other people inside and outside your circle, you better avoid them like plague. These people suffer in great misery. And what do those experiencing misery are inclined to do? They want company. So they spread emotional poison.

The above list points out several things that you may consider when looking for true friends. You can add more to the list based from your experience. What is important is that you have a set of standard of who you can call as true friends.

Picking the Right Friends From the Madding Crowd

12 OUNCES EQUALS

The Unknown Rewards Of The Red Raspberry Leaf

When most think of Raspberry, they think of only the berries themselves. Yet the nutrition found in the Red Raspberry Leaf at least equals its fruit! Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is a special source of benefit to women.

First, many feel that PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) is caused by hormonal imbalance. The rise and then sudden drop in estrogen levels through a woman's cycle can cause a variety of symptoms, including cramps. Red raspberry leaf is one of several herbs that has been used for many years to alleviate or eliminate this problem. Red Raspberry is also an aid during pregnancy and birth. It is rich in Vitamins C, E, A, and some B complex. "Increased Vitamin A intake in the form of the carotenoids of red raspberry leaf can aid the women's immune system as well as facilitate healthy skin and bone development for the baby." In addition, it is rich in minerals such as potassium and phosphorus. As a source of water-soluble calcium, Raspberry not only aids in bone development of the baby but also provides a needed source of calcium for young girls.

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Red Raspberry leaf has for centuries been a valuable aid for women during and after child birth. It aids in the control of pain, the contraction of the uterus, and as a source of other vitamins and minerals- especially calcium- that help in the replacement of lost blood. During the weeks after birth Raspberry tea helps return the uterus to its normal size. Even post-menopausal women have found benefit from Raspberry tea both as an aid in improving uterine tone and as a natural source of calcium.

But Red Raspberry has health benefits beyond women's issues. The tannins in the leaf make it effective in soothing inflammation in the digestive tract and can alleviate diarrhea, especially in children. Red Raspberry may also be used orally to soothe throat or mouth irritations. Externally, its ability to constrict tissues has encouraged some to use the tea as a skin tightener or balm for irritated skin. "The leaf may also be combined with the powdered bark of slippery elm to make a poultice for application to the skin to treat wounds, burns, and scalds."

Preparation of Red Raspberry leaf tea is easy. Place one ounce of dried Raspberry leaves into a pint of boiling water (or half a pound per gallon) and simmer for ten minutes (though some recommend two to three hours to get maximum benefit from them). Drink the tea cold to soothe mouth or throat irritations.

The Unknown Rewards Of The Red Raspberry Leaf

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Does Caffeine Improve Sports Agility?

Athletes are always looking to gain an edge over others, legal or not. Popular methods today among athletes is creatine, protein shakes, and caffeine.

As a high school athlete, I was looking for an edge for a track meet. I did some reading and everything (very outdated) said caffeine wouldn't help sprinters. I didn't agree, figuring my reaction time should improve. On the way to a regional track meet, I stopped and got some coffee. I had never drank it before. And my drink was awful. I hated it, and I spilled it all over myself. What was meant to give me an advantage turned out to nearly eliminate me from the race from the burns!

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Products like Red Bull and Monster are being gulped down like it's water by many young athletes. How much caffeine is really in these products (per 8 ounces)? One night I couldn't sleep from probably too much caffeine, so I decided to research how much is in certain drinks.

Pepsi 25mg
Diet Pepsi 24 mg
Coke 25mg
Diet Coke 31 mg
Barqs Root Beer 15 mg
Mellow Yellow 31mg
Vault 46mg
Full throttle 72mg
Mt dew 37mg
Mt Dew Code Red 37mg
Amp 71 mg
Mt Dew MDX 47mg
Coffee (drip) 104-192mg
Red Bull 80mg
Monster ???(in a blend of other ingredients)
Vivarin (tablets) 200 mg

So does caffeine enhance performance? Here is a research abstract from late 2006:

Title: The effects of caffeine on athletic agility

JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH 20 (4): 851-854 NOV 2006

Abstract: Caffeine has been shown to improve sprint time, anaerobic power, and reaction time, all integral aspects of agility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an acute caffeine dose would enhance agility and anaerobic power. Sixteen subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind experiment and performed the proagility run and the 30-second Wingate test 60 minutes after ingestion of caffeine (6 mg.kg(-1)) or placebo. No significant change was observed in the proagility run after caffeine ingestion compared with placebo. Also, no significant change was observed in peak power, mean power, or percent power decrease. Agility is an integral component of athletic skill and any reasonable method for enhancing agility would benefit active individuals. However, results from this study indicate that a 6 mg.kg(-1) dose of caffeine does not impact agility as measured by the proagility run test or power output as measured by the 30-second Wingate test in recreationally active young adult males who are not habituated to caffeine.

Interpretation: First, a 70kg person (154 lbs) would have ingested 420 mg, or close to 5 Red Bulls! But for agility, there was no benefit. Bottom line, if you can't change direction, caffeine won't help!

But wait, isn't caffeine illegal in Olympic sports? In 2004, it was removed from the banned substance list. Why? Well it would take more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per millimeter in your urine to be considered illegal. That equals out to about 5-6 cups of coffee right before the event!
(click the link for the reference)
http://www.usms.org/fitness/articleofthemonth.php?a=131

BEWARE!!! Don't let caffeine be your answer for lack of sleep. You will crash, and still need sleep! I'll have more on the FAQs of sleep soon!

Does Caffeine Improve Sports Agility?

12 OUNCES EQUALS

How To Prevent Your Dirt Bike From Fouling Spark Plugs

Sick of having to replace the spark plug on your dirt bike almost every ride? Chances are, it's a fairly easy fix. But there can be several variables to the equation. Incorrect jetting is the number one cause of plug fouling, but we'll get a little deeper into what the most common causes could be and how you can fix them before spending a ton of cash on spark plugs.

No Air = No Combustion
First thing to do if your spark plug has been fouled is to check the air filter. If it's really dirty, that makes it difficult for air to get through to the engine, causing a rich condition. Either clean it thoroughly with some Air Filter Cleaner Spray, or buy a new filter. Before you put it back in the air-box, treat with some air filter oil or spray. BE CAREFUL, though, because adding too much oil can also clog up the filter, resulting in another fouled plug.

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What Mixture Are You Smoking?
(For 2-Strokes) While the gas/oil ration doesn't equate to what the jetting is, you can still foul plugs, or worse, if the mixture is wrong. Depending on your bike, it's best to look at your owner's manual for the correct ratio. For most 2-stroke motocross bikes, a ratio is 32:1 or 40:1, gas being 32 or 40, and oil being 1. For those that don't it, it means that for every 128 ounces (one gallon) of gas, you add 4 ounces of 2-stroke oil for a 32:1 ration, or just over 3 ounces for a 40:1 ratio.

If you have too much oil in the mixture (such as 12:1), then you will probably end up fouling the plug because it is more difficult to burn that much oil. Don't try to cut corners with the oil though, because it's very important for your dirt bike's engine. 2-stokes need the oil for lubrication on the cylinder walls, so if you don't have enough (or any for that matter) then the cylinder walls will run dry, causing it to overheat and seize the engine very quickly. So it's very important that you put in the right mixture pre-mix to your 2-stroke gas tank.

Also, 2-strokes have reeds that air and fuel go through into the cylinder, so if they are cracked or broken the bike will not run right. This could cause the plug to foul, so before you go out and buy anything expensive, make sure the reeds are still good.

Turn Up The Heat!
While this usually isn't the main problem, it could be that your spark plug isn't hot enough. Having a hotter spark will ignite the fuel stronger, leaving less residual gas/oil in the cylinder that could cause the plug to foul. This isn't the best choice, but I'd say it's safe to go one plug hotter than stock. Spark plug manufacturers aren't always the same, so make sure you find out how they rate them.

4-Strokes Foul Plugs Too...
Don't be fooled into thinking that only 2-strokes foul plugs. 4-Strokes, although it is not as common, do foul plugs. Like I mentioned before, improper jetting is the main reason why dirt bikes foul spark plugs. Almost every motocross bike comes rich from the factory (especially Honda 2-Strokes when they were being made). It's usually a pretty simple fix, but many riders are too lazy and would rather continue buying plugs instead of spending a few bucks a jets.

If you know for sure it's a jetting issue that's causing the fouling (you'll know this by looking at the plug, which I'll cover on how to read one in a future article), then the first thing you should do is go down a size or too on the main jet. Your goal is to get a crisp throttle response at any rpm. If you ride in the lower rpm range often, then you'll want to go down on the pilot jet and lean out the clip position (more in-depth on how to jet your bike in a future article). By leaning out your bike, your bike will not foul plugs as easily, allowing you to ride all day long.

You Can Always Just Ride Harder
If you want to go the easy route (well not really!), just ride the bike harder. Spark plugs usually foul at low rpms, so if you're wringing your bike out you shouldn't have any problem!

IF NOTHING ELSE WORKS!!!
If you've tried all of the above, then there's a chance your dirt bike will need an engine rebuild. A worn out piston can cause a rich condition, which results in the plug fouling. So if the top-end hasn't been rebuilt for a while, you'll want to do that. Not only can this solve your plug/jetting issues, but it may prevent a major engine failure in the near future because of worn out parts.

Good luck, and keep that bike running strong!

How To Prevent Your Dirt Bike From Fouling Spark Plugs

12 OUNCES EQUALS

US Economy - History Proves the US Dollar Will Fail

Throughout world history currencies have come and gone. In fact, absolutely no currencies from ancient history have survived and as time goes on, the length of time currencies survive and continue is getting shorter and shorter; the average life span of a currency to is currently 30 years.

The current U.S. dollar currency has been around for over 100 years. So the current U.S. currency has far surpassed the life expectancy of the average currency. However, some economists think that the U.S. currency started over again when the U.S. currency was taken off the gold standard in 1971.

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Prior to 1971 the U.S. dollar was backed by gold and now all the U.S. dollar is backed by is the "good faith and credit of the United States." And most people right now, with good reason, are questioning the "good faith and credit" of the U.S.

And just like the Weimer Republic, if the U.S. continues with its current fiscal policy of debasing the currency to pay for public works, social programs, and wars that it can't afford, if the U.S. continues to follow the same destructive path as the Weimer Republic, the U.S. will meet with the same outcome as the Weimer Republic.

At the beginning of World War I, Germany went off the gold standard and suspended the right of its citizens to redeem their currency (the mark) for gold and silver. Like all wars, World War I was a war of and by the printing press.

The number of marks in circulation in Germany quadrupled during the war. Prices, however, had not kept up with the inflation of the currency supply. So the effects of this inflation were not felt.

The reason for this peculiar phenomenon was because of times of uncertainty people have a tendency to save money. World War I was definitely a time of uncertainty. So even though the German government was pumping tons of currency into the system, no one was spending it---yet.

But by war's end, confidence flooded back along with the currency that had been on the sidelines, and the ravaging effects worked their way through the country as prices rose to catch up with the previous monetary inflation.

Just before the end of the war, the exchange rate between gold and the mark was about 100 marks per ounce. But by 1920 it was fluctuating between 1,000 and 2,000 marks per ounce. Retail prices shortly followed suit, rising 10 to 20 times.

Anyone who still had the savings they had accumulated during the war was accumulated the war was bewildered when they found it could only buy 10 percent or less of what it could just a year or two earlier.

Then, all through the rest of 1920 and the first half of 1921, inflation slowed, and on the surface the future was beginning to look a little brighter. The economy recovering, business and industrial production up.

But now there were war reparations to pay, so the government never stopped printing currency. In the summer of 1921 prices started rising and by July of 1922 prices had risen another 700 percent. This was the breaking point.

And what broke was people's confidence in their economy and their currency. Having watched the purchasing power of their savings fall by 90 percent in 1919, they knew better this time around. They were smarter; they had been here before.

All at once, the entire country's attitude toward currency changed. People knew that if they held on to their currency for any period of time they'd get burned...the rising prices would wipe out their purchasing power.

Suddenly everybody started to spend their currency as soon as they got it. The currency became a hot potato, and no one wanted to hang on to it for a second.

The government was caught in a downward economic spiral. A point of no return had been passed. No matter how many marks the government printed, the value fell quicker than the new currency could enter into circulation. So the government had no choice but to keep printing more and more and more.

By late October and early November 1923, the German financial system was breaking down. A pair of shoes that cost 12 marks before the war now cost 30 trillion marks. A loaf of bread went from half a mark to 200 billion marks. A single egg went from 0.08 mark to 80 billion marks.

The German stock market went from 88 points at the end of the war to 26,890,000,000, but its purchasing value had fallen by more than 97 percent.

Only gold and silver outpaced inflation. The price of gold had gone from around 100 marks to 87 million marks per ounce, an 87 trillion percent increase in price. But it is not price, but value, that matters, and the purchasing power of gold and silver had gone up exponentially.

When Germany's hyperinflation finally came to an end in November 1923, the currency supply had grown from 29.2 billion marks at the beginning of 1919 to 497 quintillion marks (yes, that's a real number), an increase of the currency supply, however, had dropped 97.7 percent against gold.

The poor were so before the crisis, so they were the least affected. The rich, at least the smart ones, got a whole lot richer. But it was the middle-class that was hurt the most. In fact, it was all but obliterated.

But there were a few exceptions. Those who quickly adapted to a world they had never seen before, a world turned upside down, prospered. It didn't matter what class they came from, poor or middle-class, if they could adapt, and adapt well, they could become wealthy in a matter of months.

At this time, an entire city block of commercial real estate in Berlin could be purchased for just 25 ounces of gold (0). The reason for this was that those who held their wealth in the form of currency became poorer and poorer as they watched their purchasing power destroyed by the government.

On the flip side, those who held their wealth in the form of gold watched their purchasing power increase exponentially as they became wealthy by comparison.

Here is the important lesson: During financial upheaval, a bubble popping, a market crash, a depression, or a currency crisis, wealth is not destroyed. It is merely transferred.

Therefore, those who hold onto "real money" (gold and silver), instead of currency (the mark, dollar, etc.), will and have reaped the rewards many times over.

US Economy - History Proves the US Dollar Will Fail

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Did You Know Cherry Juice Stops Arthritis Pain Naturally?

For the past 5 years Tom Seymour woke up every day with terrible pain in his knees and heads. At first, Tom suffered through pain. Being a carpenter since he was 20 year old, he simply thought the pain was due all of the year hauling sheets of drywall and building house. Also, since he is only 40 years old didn't think about arthritis. However, after a recent visit to his doctor to talk about the pain, he was told some bad news. His doctor told him his joints were damaged due to all of the physical work he had done over the years. The doctor offered to prescribe some pain medication, but Tom didn't want to go on any sort of prescription.

It was by a stroke of luck that Tom was building a deck for a natural healing doctor that really turned his life around. After talking with the home about the deck, he made a comment about the pain in his knees. The doctor them told him about tart cherry juice and how it helps stop arthritis pain in its tracks. After drink cherry juice for a month Tom is amazed that he doesn't feel any pain. According to Tom, "At first I didn't believe it, but when I woke up for two weeks straight it was amazing. I feel like I am 20 years old again. I tell everyone about cherry juice."

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But what makes this fruit some beneficial in fighting arthritis pain? The answer is the presence of anthocyanins. The anthocyanins are the pigments that give the cherry its distinctive red color. According to Dr. Naire, lead cherry researcher at Michigan State Universty, the tart cherry offers 10 times the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin without any of the stomach issues. In addition, a research study conducted by the University of Vermont indicated that participants enjoyed less muscle pain due to drinking a tart cherry juice blend product. So not only does the cherry help to reduce joint pain but also muscle pain.

Here are some sources to get cherries to relief your joint pain and muscle pain.
Fresh Cherries: The fresh fruit is only available during a few short weeks during the summer harvest. You can get fresh cherries from The Rock Family Farm.

Cherry Juice: Traverse Bay Farms is an ideal source to get this liquid form of the cherry. Each ounce of cherry juice equals 100 cherries so it is a highly concentrate way to get the cherry. Also, unlike the fresh fruit, the cherry juice is available year round.

Cherry Capsules: This is the most convenient way to get the pain fighting ability of the tart cherry. The capsules are 5 times more powerful than the juice and you can get them year round. Check out Fruit Advantage for cherry capsules. They even offer free shipping.

So the next time you are looking for a natural cure for your arthritis pain, add some cherries to your diet.

Did You Know Cherry Juice Stops Arthritis Pain Naturally?

12 OUNCES EQUALS

Do We Eat to Live or Live to Eat?

This article is not intended to be the solution to each persons dietary needs. Consult your physician if you wish to change your nutrition intake and begin exercise. Some information contained in this article has been gathered through workshops of the American Diabetes Association.

Diets, Fads and Healthy Eating
The word diet has taken on a meaning other than what humans eat to fulfill nutritional requirements. The word diet has come to mean deprivation, and in some cases, it has come to connotate obesity, fads and weight loss via instant gratification.
Appallingly, for all of the Americans who say they are on diets, instances of type II diabetes, heart attack and stroke, obesity and general poor health are increasing each year.

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It is estimated that most Americans consume an astonishing two to three pounds of sugar each week, which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars are being processed into so many foods. Sources of these sugars are bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce and a plethora of microwave meals.
In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the USA from 26 pounds to 135 pounds of sugar per year! Prior to the 20th century, the average consumption was only 5 pounds per person per year.
(source: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm )

“Sugar consumption is off the charts,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Added sugars - found largely in junk foods such as soft drinks, cakes, and cookies - squeeze healthier foods out of the diet. That sugar now accounts for 16 percent of the calories consumed by the average American and 20 percent of teenagers’ calories.”
A government study found that in 1977-78 added sugars provided only 11 percent
of the average person’s calories.
(source: http://www.cspinet.org/new/sugar.htm )

Sugar is not the sole reason for the rise in type II diabetes across the globe. The rise in type II diabetes can be attributed to over eating, or eating larger portions of food at any one meal than are needed to produce energy. The consumption of carbohydrates in general, which include raw and refined sugar, is increasingly going up as more and more people rely on fast foods, prepared and packaged foods and sweets for their sustenance.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by some individuals without the use of insulin and other drugs. Making healthy food choices, reducing portion sizes and improving lifestyle are the first steps in controlling type II diabetes. The other factor for health as well as control of diabetes and weight loss is daily exercise. With exercise, good food choices and by losing only 8% of total body weight, many people with diabetes can avoid taking insulin and the family of drugs* available to control diabetes.

Reading Food Labels
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a policy of requiring food manufacturers to list the percentages of fats, carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals and other substances at least 15 years ago. While most of us can look at a label and chose a product based on its' claims of "Lower Fat" or "Sugar Free", few of us really understand how to read the labeling on food products, and how those facts relate to what our bodies need daily.
Food labels list their contents in grams. Most Americans can not, or do not know how, to convert those grams into serving information, and food manufacturers probably wouldn't want you to know how.
While this article does not claim expertise on this, or any subject, it does draw from information provided by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and various other sources. The ADA provides training, often free, to individuals who are diagnosed with diabetes. In the ADA workshops, registered nutritionists and nurses work with diabetics to help them control their diabetes, as well as lose weight and find the proper exercise limits for themselves.

Carbohydrates and Fiber
To lose weight, a woman is allowed 2 to 3 carbohydrate choices per meal. A man who wishes to lose weight is allowed 3 to 4 carb choices per meal. To maintain body weight, a woman can consume 3 to 4 carb choices per meal, while a man can easily consume 4 to 5 carb choices.
But, what is a "carb choice"? The following short table will illustrate how to read the labels on foods and convert the grams listed to carbohydrate choices.

1. Read a label to determine the serving size of a portion.
2. Find the total carbohydrate grams, which are usually listed for each serving.
3. Using the below guidelines, turn the 'grams' into 'choices'.

Carbohydrate Grams Carbohydrate Choices

0 - 5 0

6 - 10 1/2

11 - 20 1

21 - 25 1 1/2

26 - 35 2

36 - 40 2 1/2

41- 50 3

51 - 55 3 1/2

56 - 65 4

66 - 70 4 1/2

71 - 80 5

An example of how to determine carb choice per serving:

Serving size is 1/2 cup

Total carbohydrate is 16 grams per serving

Equals 1 carb choice.
("Carb Choice" table source: ADA )
While carbohydrate and fat consumption is a large part of controlling weight, fiber can be another factor that a person can use to reduce the impact of carbs. Fiber grams can be directly subtracted from carbohydrate grams if the fiber is more than 5 grams. If a serving of toasted muffin is 36 grams of carbs, but the fiber content is 17 grams, the total carb grams can be reduced to 19, or 1 carb choice.

What is a Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are any of various chemical compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, such as sugars, starches, and cellulose. They are also the most efficient means of delivering energy to the human body. Carbohydrates are stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen and in the blood as glucose. Carbohydrates are found predominantly in breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
The human body needs carbohydrates to produce the energy that keeps us healthy, and keeps all of our organs functioning at maximum and peak levels. As with all other food and energy giving substances, there are good carbs and less than good carbs. Carbohydrates that are found in vegetables and fruits also contain large amounts of fiber and are processed by the body at a more efficient rate.
The simplest carbohydrates are sugars, also classified by source as follows:
Table sugar: Sucrose
Milk sugar: Lactose
Fruit sugar: Fructose
Complex carbohydrates include the starches found in grain and cereals, and are classified as polysaccharides.
For diabetics, if the body does not have enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it produces, the body will not be able to use carbohydrates for energy the way it should. The result is blood sugar that is too high, or too low.

Fats
When asked what makes a certain food taste good, most people will say that it is the salt (sodium) they like in a food, or the sweetness (carbohydrates), or the richness (fat content). Foods that lack sweetness, saltiness or fat content generally are not appealing to most people. It is too much of those things that make us fat or make us ill.
There are many sources for fat in foods, and there is "good" fat and "bad" fat. Many people who have had their cholesterol checked have been told that they need more "good" cholesterol and less "bad" cholesterol. What exactly does this mean?
Unsaturated fats are better choices than are saturated and trans-fats. It is a misconception that all saturated and trans-fats are manufactured or found in processed foods. Saturated and trans-fats are found in processed foods, but they also occur naturally in meats, dairy foods, and some nuts (coconut and palm oils). While unsaturated fats are mostly unprocessed, it is also a misconception that unsaturated fats are found only in healthy foods. Liquid and soft margarine are processed polyunsaturated fats. Following is a list of sources of fat.

Unsaturated Fats Saturated and Trans Fats
Vegetable Oils: Animal Fats in:

Monosaturated beef

olive oil pork

canola oil poultry

peanut oil Dairy Fats in:

Polyunsaturated milk

corn oil cheese

soybean oil butter

sunflower oil sour cream

coconut or palm oil Trans Fats:

cocoa butter margarine, shortening and processed foods

Nuts

Avocados

olives

Liquid Margarine

Soft margarine in tubs

Oil-based salad dressings

When chossing foods to improve your fat conscious diet, some basic rules are good to follow. Choose lean meats like grilled chicken and fish or roasted turkey. For beef or pork, try filet mignon, sirloin, loin chops or baked ham. Keep meat portions to the size of the palm of your hand, a deck of cards or a computer mouse. That will equal about 3 ounces. Choose meats that are baked, broiled, grilled or steamed without added sauces. Remove skin from poultry and trim visible fat from other meats. Omit added cheeses.
Consider serving or ordering condiments on the side. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, margarine and sour cream can all be brought to table separately, allowing you to add them at your discretion. Keep portion sizes small: salad dressing in an amount the size of the tip of your thumb is about 1 teaspoon. While a serving which is the size of a golf ball is equal to 2 tablespoons. When eating out, it is important to remember that vegetables in restaurants almost always have added fat. For weight loss, it is recommended that people not only be cautious with carbohydrates, but also follow basic guidelines for consumption of vegetables, meat and meat alternatives, and fats daily.

For women to lose weight For men to lose weight
Vegetables At least 3 At least 3
Meat/Alternatives 4 - 6 ounces 6 - 8 ounces
Fat 3 - 4 "choices" 4 - 5 "choices"
Fat caloric intake can be figured in the same manner as carb intake. The following chart shows the conversion for fat grams to fat choices, or servings.

Total Fat (in grams) # of Fat Servings (choices)

0 - 3 no fat servings

4 - 6 1 fat serving

7 - 8 1 1/2 fat servings

9 - 11 2 fat servings

12 - 13 2 1/2 fat servings

14 - 16 3 fat servings

17 - 18 3 1/2 fat servings

19 - 21 4 fat servings

22 - 23 4 1/2 fat servings

24 - 26 5 fat servings

27 - 28 5 1/2 fat servings

29 - 31 6 fat servings

Exercise
Daily exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy body and mind. People who exercise daily generally sleep better, feel better, have more stamina and increased
thought processes. Public school systems know this and for a time, meals which were healthy or provided essential elements for strong bodies and minds, were offered in schools for breakfast and lunch. Since the reduction of social services available to lower income neighborhood school districts, eating habits among school children (and staff) have worsened each year.
In the early 1960s President John Kennedy instituted a health regimen for public schools. Physical fitness in students was not only stressed, but also paid for and administrated by social service administrators within the US government. However, today these programs are met with lack of funding for the general student population, while athletic programs favoring those students with skill in one sport or another have been receiving funding.
Daily exercise regimens, especially for adults who are pressed for time can be boring or just plain difficult to accomplish. Each of us have physical activities that we find enjoyable. Some of us like to walk, others like to swim, while still others enjoy team sports such as basketball. All of these activities are good cardiovascular exercise and should be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. A simplified explanation for good, daily exercise is that if you can not hold conversation while engaged in exercise, you are working at it 'too hard'. However, if you can sing while exercising, you are not working hard enough.

Dining Out
We all like to dine out. Many of us find that with jobs, family and other activities, dining out is the only way we can find the time to eat. But what we eat and the places we chose to dine can make or break our health and satisfaction with what we eat.
The trend in dining out has been to offer more food for less money. However, anyone who shops knows that the less costly food is, the more often it contains ingredients which are less healthy. When eating out it is helpful to keep in mind your personal meal plans. As many restaurants offer menus online, it is a good idea to check to see if a particular restaurant offers meals that you consider healthful. When ordering from menus, keep your 'choice' numbers in mind; order leaner meats or alternatives, keep portions in correct ratio. A lovely trick many diabetics use is to ask for a 'to go" container at the same time their meal is delivered to the table.
It is then possible to put aside that portion of the meal which is 'too much' or not in their "choices".
Still, it is sometimes necessary to simply avoid establishments which do not offer good food sources. If you can not practice self control when confronted with french fries, then avoid places which serve them as a mainstay of the meal.
Self control is often the hardest thing to put into practice. Recently, a funny theory was made into a book addressing "How French Women Stay Thin". The idea behind this 'diet' is that one can eat anything, as long as one takes no more than 3 bites of everything. 3 bites of salad, 3 bites of vegetable, 3 bites of meat (or substitute), 3 bites of dessert. In theory this sounds like a great idea, and perhaps it is. However, what happens to the rest of the meal or serving after the 3 bites have been taken?

Eating Well and Not "Dieting"
Many fad diets have and do claim that a person can lose large amounts of weight by eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. In the short term, this generally is true. However, the long term results of eating a zero carb diet are detrimental to the overall and future health of a person. Quick weight loss may be gratifying, but it is not healthy and it is almost always followed by increased weight gain.
By making wise and informed food choices, a person can lose 2 to 3 pounds per month, without a risk to his or her internal organs, organ function and with a better chance of maintaining the weight loss.
Much is said about each of our 'carbon footprint' on this planet. Many of us attempt to live in a manner which decreases our dependancy on fossil fuels for delivering to us our daily needs. Increasingly, it is obvious that by controlling the amounts we eat, the foods we eat, and considering the source of our foods, we can also decrease our 'carbon footprint'.
A "diet" need not be a period of deprivation at the end of which we might fit into a coveted dress or pair of pants. A diet should be how we eat to live, not live to eat.
And a good diet can bring us pleasure as we enjoy the fruits of this planet all the while nourishing our bodies and spirits.

* "The family of drugs"; including, but not limited to Sulfonylureas, Secretagogues, and Biguanides.

"Do we Eat to Live, or Live to Eat?", © Copyright by L. Jody Kuchar, 2006.
Copyright is property of the above author. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited.

Do We Eat to Live or Live to Eat?

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Drinking Lots Of Water and Eating Carbs Have Been Secrets Revealed By Pro Athletes To Grow Taller

On your mark... get set... go! Whether you train for competitive sports, or work out for your own good health to grow taller or just for fun, what you eat and drink and when is part of your formula for athletic success. Good nutrition to grow taller can't replace training, effort, talent, and personal drive. But there's no question that what you eat and drink over time makes a difference when your goal is peak performance or your personal best effort for growing taller.

Whether competitive or recreational, physical activity to grow taller puts extra demands on your body. As an athlete, you use more energy, lose more body fluids, and put extra stress on your muscles, joints, and bones. Fortunately, your "training table" can increase your endurance and help prevent dehydration and injury. Most important, healthful eating helps you feel good and stay fit overall: the positive "mental edge!"

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To put in your best effort, you need the same nutrients as non-athletes use to grow taller: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. If you're highly active, you may need slightly more of some nutrients for growing taller and stronger bones.

What are the major differences in your nutrient needs? To replace fluid losses, athletes need more fluids to stay hydrated during high activity. And working muscles need more energy-supplying nutrients, especially carbohydrates.

Do you drink plenty of water without over drinking? Your physical endurance and strength depend on it!

When you're physically active, you lose fluids as sweat evaporates from your skin. As you breathe, often heavily, you exhale moisture, too. A 150-pound athlete can lose 1½ quarts, or 3 pounds, of fluid in just one hour. That equals six 8-ounce glasses of water. With heavy training, fluid loss can be higher. To avoid dehydration you need to replace the fluids you lose.

What are the required fluids for peak performance?What's the risk if you begin physical activity even slightly dehydrated, or lose too much fluid while you're active?

Even small losses of 1 percent of your body weight may hinder your physical performance, particularly during warm weather. Losing more than 1 percent is a known detriment. (That's about 2 or 3 pounds for a 150-pound person.) Dehydration can affect your strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity. How does fluid promote performance?

Taking extra vitamins or minerals to grow taller(beyond the Recommended Dietary Allowances) offers no added advantage to athletic performance?

Sports, nutrition is filled with misconceptions many products are actually just copies of the original and offer nothing else than fake vitamins all based on the drive for top height performance. As an athlete, are you tuned into the facts or the myths? For energy production and to grow taller at the peak of your capacities, fluids are part of an energy-production cycle. As part of blood, water helps carry oxygen and glucose to muscle cells. There, oxygen and glucose help produce energy. Blood removes waste by-products as muscle cells generate energy and passes them to urine. Fluid losses decrease blood volume; your heart must work harder to deliver enough oxygen to cells to grow taller.

For cooling down your system you should take a bath after your grow taller exercises.. Exercise generates heat as a by-product of energy production. Evaporation of sweat helps cool you down. As you move your body, your body's overall temperature goes up, and you sweat. As sweat evaporates, your skin and the blood just under your skin cool. Cooler blood that flows throughout your body helps protect you from overheating. If you don't replace fluids lost through perspiration, your body's fluid balance is thrown off a bigger problem as working muscles continue to generate more heat.

For transporting nutrients to grow taller in your blood, water is way helpful! Water in your bloodstream carries other nutrients for performance, including electrolytes, which help maintain body fluid balance. As a cushion. The water around your body's tissues and organs offers protection from all the jostles and jolts that go along with exercise. Protection from dehydration. Fluid loss-beyond the early stages of dehydration-increases your chances of heat injury, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Severe dehydration can be life-threatening.

No matter what your sport is to grow taller, running, bicycling, swimming, tennis, even walking and golfing-or rigorous activity, drink enough fluid to avoid dehydration. Getting enough isn't always easy. Carry a water bottle in a bottle belt or fluid pack, especially if you have no available water source. Or find out where you can get fluids: store, water fountain, others; bring money. Rehydrating yourself after activity helps you recover faster, both physically and mentally.

Drink early and often-but don't drink too much. Drink fluids on schedule (every fifteen minutes during activity) even when you don't feel thirsty. Your thirst mechanism may not send thirst signals when you're exercising to grow taller. Thirst is a symptom of dehydration; drink fluids before that happens. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that wicks moisture, especially in warm weather. Be aware that fabrics that hold heat-such as tights, body suits, heavy gear-as well as helmets and other protective gear, won't let sweat evaporate.

Replace your water weight. Weigh yourself before and after a heavy workout. Your nude weight is the best thing to calculate if you really want to grow taller. Wear the same clothing when you weigh your body. Replace each pound of weight you lose with 3 cups of water, carbohydrate drink, or other fluid to bring your fluid balance back to normal. And plan to drink more before your active workout to grow taller next time. If you weigh more after exercise, you drank too much during activity; drink less while exercising to grow taller next time.

Make a point of drinking fluids at all times during the day-not just after your workout or competition. How much fluid is enough? Check the color of your urine. Dark-colored urine indicates dehydration. Drink more fluids, so your urine is pale and nearly colorless before exercising to grow taller again. Be especially careful if you exercise intensely in warm, humid weather. Consider how much hotter you feel on humid days. Sweat doesn't evaporate from your skin quickly, so you don't get the cooling benefits. That's why on humid days it's easier to get hyperthermia, or overheated, as you exercise to grow taller. Hyperthermia can lead to heat stroke, which can be fatal!

Be cautious about over drinking, especially during intense grow taller exercise when your kidneys can't excrete the excess. Called hyponatremia, or abnormally low blood sodium levels, extra water moves instead into body cells, including brain cells. The extra pressure affects vital functions, with potentially fatal outcomes.

What should you drink before, during, and after rigorous activities to grow taller? Try water, fruit juices, sports drinks, or other beverages. For workouts of less than thirty minutes of continuous activity and recreational walking, sports drinks, juices, and water are good choices for growing taller healthy. For fluid replacers for other sports, read on.

Cold water is a fine choice. Contrary to popular myth, drinking cold water during exercise doesn't cause stomach cramps for most athletes; stomach cramps may be caused by dehydration, not by drinking cold water. For outside activity in cold weather, drink water that's warm or at room temperature to help protect you from hypothermia, or low body temperature. Cool water, preferred by many exercisers, can enhance performance.

For activities to grow taller lasting longer than an hour, try sports drinks. If you're a long-distance runner or long-distance bicyclist, or involved in other endurance events (longer than ninety minutes), sports drinks may offer some performance benefits. New research shows a benefit for high-intensity activities to grow taller(perhaps sprinting or playing hockey) lasting thirty minutes or more.

If caffeine can boost your physical performance? Maybe-and maybe not. People react to caffeine in different ways. Caffeine does stimulate the central nervous system, so it may help you feel more alert and attentive. And it may enhance your performance.

For caffeine-sensitive athletes, caffeine may contribute in preventing anxiety and its symptoms. Although caffeine may have a mild diuretic effect that may not last long, non-caffeinated beverages are advised when rapid rehydration is needed to grow taller in good health, perhaps between tournament events. That's also an issue in hot weather and for endurance athletes.

If you enjoy coffee, tea, or soft drinks with caffeine, experiment during training, not competition. A single cup may help-or at least not hinder-your performance. But avoid caffeine tablets or several cups of caffeinated drinks. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limits caffeine concentration to no more than 15 micrograms per milliliter of urine. You likely won't reach this level from caffeine in food (equivalent to seventeen caffeinated, 12-ounce sodas). But athletes who consume three 200-mg caffeine tablets may exceed this limit. Beginning in 2004 the International Olympic Committee no longer prohibited caffeine but monitors caffeine content in urine instead.

If you're an endurance athlete, experiment with sports drinks and other fluids during practices and low-key competition. If the flavor of sports drinks encourages you to drink more fluids to grow taller in good health or if they give you a psychological boost then enjoy them, but don't overdo.

Alcoholic beverages can impair, not enhance, your physical performance. Consider the reasons to skip alcoholic drinks at least until after you replenish the fluids lost in your workout. For the endurance athlete trying to grow taller it has another effect: When you drink a beer, wine, or mixed drink, your liver works to detoxify and metabolize the alcohol. This process can interfere with the liver's job of forming extra blood glucose for prolonged physical activity. The possible result? Early fatigue.

Athletes: The only way to have enough energy for physical activities to grow taller is to consume enough energy. How much energy, or calories, should you consume per day? That's a very individual matter. A 200-pound body builder has very different needs than an 80-pound gymnast. A physical training program may use 500 to 3,000 or more calories daily a huge range.

The amount of energy for sports depends partly on your body composition, body weight, and level of fitness. Body size (consider a male football player and a female gymnast) also makes a big difference. When two people ski together at the same intensity, the person weighing more likely burns more calories.

Not surprisingly, some sports burn more energy than others. That's simply because they're more intense or their duration is longer and that may prove very beneficial for people trying to grow taller. Both a golf game and downhill skiing may last several hours. But skiing uses more energy since it's more physically demanding for larger muscle groups.

The harder, the longer, and the more often you work out, the more energy required for muscle work. Any activity to grow taller such as cycling, power walking, or swimming is a bigger energy burner if done more vigorously.

Nutrition for growing taller experts advise athletes to consume 5 to 10 grams of carbohydrate a day for every kilogram of body weight depending on their sport. For an athlete who weighs 120 pounds (55 kilograms), that's 275 to 550 grams of carbohydrate; for a 175-pound (80-kilogram) athlete, that's 400 to 800 grams of "carbs." While 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of weight daily is good for general training, some athletes, especially male endurance athletes, need 7 to 10 grams per kilogram body weight daily. Some elite athletes may need more to grow taller with big chunky and sexy muscles! (One pound equals 2.2 kilograms.)

To power up your grow taller training train working muscles, stored energy comes mostly from glycogen in muscle or the liver, and from blood sugar (or blood glucose). Glycogen is your body's storage form of carbohydrate. Depending on the intensity and the duration of exercise, fat and, for endurance athletes, even a small amount of protein supplies energy, too.

Along with training, a high-carbohydrate eating plan promotes overall fitness and offers a competitive edge in your growing taller process. With "carbs" (not fats or proteins) as the main fuel, you can maintain rigorous activities to grow taller longer. Carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and changed to blood sugar, or glucose. Some blood sugar, which is circulated in your bloodstream, is used immediately for energy. The rest is stored as muscle and liver glycogen, or it's converted to fat if excess calories are consumed. The more muscle glycogen you can store, the more you have to power physical activities to grow taller.

"Carbs" are an athlete's best energy source to grow taller. (Eat enough every day to keep your muscle and liver glycogen stores up.) Both starches and sugars supply energy and replenish your muscle glycogen.

What foods contain carbohydrates to grow taller? Starches come from cereals, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables, and legumes (beans and peas). Sugars (naturally occurring and added) are in fruit, fruit juice, milk, cookies, cakes, candy, and soft drinks, among other foods.

Drinking Lots Of Water and Eating Carbs Have Been Secrets Revealed By Pro Athletes To Grow Taller

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The Cost of Coffee

Calculating what the actual cost of a cup of coffee is ranks right up there with the principal mathematical challenges of quantum physics. You might not have even determined what the price of a cup of coffee that you brew at home certainly costs.

You don't buy the makings for your coffee by the cup. You buy a pound (we still say a "pound" of coffee even though that "pound" is now 13 ounces rather than 16 ounces) of coffee at your local supermarket. You take it home and store it, and then you make pots of coffee using the ground coffee, but you drink that coffee by the cup -- not by the pot or by the pound or even by the ounce.

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

So what is the real cost of a cup of coffee that you make at home? I have no idea, and you probably don't, either. The first observation is the kind and brand of coffee that you buy. Then you must consider the drive of the coffee that you brew (the stronger the coffee, the more coffee grounds must be used).

Next, you have to consider waste. How many cups out of a pot of coffee are drank, and how many end up being poured down the kitchen sink?

Wait a second, Mr. Math Genius -- that isn't all. Now you need to consider the cost of the fuel that was used to make the pot of coffee, and divide that by the amount of cups in the pot, and don't forget to include waste in the equation. How about the wear and tear on the coffee maker? Those things don't last forever, you know.

The fact is, we are probably going to drink that cup of morning coffee (and maybe a lot of others) no matter what the cost of it turns out to be. The truth is that the cost of the coffee that you buy at your local grocery store is going to vary from week to week, depending upon the supply-and-demand theory of economics. So just go pour yourself a cup of coffee and don't worry about it.

The Cost of Coffee

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Newborn Necessities - Gear & Supplies For a Baby's First Weeks

The task of shopping for your first baby can be exciting and overwhelming. It is hard to distinguish between the "wants" and the "needs" and extremely hard to stay focused on your first trip to Babies "R" Us.

Below you will find a list for baby gear, toys, feeding, & sleeping. I do not address what you will need for grooming, diapering or clothing; make sure you add these items to your list.

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Newborn Necessities:

Infant Car Seat: you will need a rear facing infant seat. I am a big fan of the Graco Snug Ride.

Diaper Bag: Invest in one that will last, is easy to clean, and easy to organize. Make it stylish, too. A Polka Dot Moon offers many hip choices.

Stroller: Some lifestyles call for a jogging stroller while many parents can get by with a simple umbrella stroller.

Carrier: You will have several options in this category and it is a very personal choice.
Most of my friends swear by the baby Bjorn front carrier, but many love using a sling, especially one with a fun pattern like the ones from Serena & Lily. Personally, I preferred the stroller and the infant carrier inserted in a stroller. As my babies got older, I found I had a lot of use for a frame backpack, but this should really not be on your "need' list as you will not use it right away. If this is your fist baby I suggest waiting until after the baby is born, take baby with you and try on several carries to find what you are comfortable using.

Toys: For the first weeks your baby will enjoy your face the most, but eventually your baby will like some variety. A rattle with bright colors, black white patterned books and anything with a variety of texture are all good choices.

Activity: A bouncy seat or swing will be the prefect solution to giving your baby a new view of the world. Fisher price makes a handy portable swing that works great for home and travel.

Bottle Feeding: You will need to start with 4 ounce bottles and change to the 8 ounce as your baby grows. You may want to invest in a variety of nipples until you find what your baby prefers. If your baby is formula fed it is helpful to have enough to get your through the first week home. Your doctor can advise you on how much this may be or you can use this guide: Multiple the baby's weight by 2.5 ounces of formula.

Breast Feeding: Nursing bras- 3 to 4, nursing pads, nipple cream and a breast pump. There are several options available: manual, personal, electric and hospital grade. Usually the biggest factor when making this purchase is budget.

Burp Cloths & Bibs: Purchase several of these and keep them close by: In the car, the diaper bag, stroller, nursery and kitchen.

Sleeping: Many parents are very eager to get the crib set up before the baby comes home from the hospital, but the truth is, most babies don't sleep in one for a few weeks. If you are going to start the baby in your room, a bassinet, Moses basket or co-sleeper will keep the baby close and safe. A moses basket is a great option if the baby will be sleeping in different rooms. It is easy to transport. As a safety precaution you should not transport the Moses basket with the baby inside.

Other Sleeping items include:

Crib & Mattress: Choose a mattress that is not too soft, a firm mattress helps prevent SIDS.

Fitted Crib Sheets: Have at least 3 on hand to make middle of the night changes much quicker and easier.

Waterproof liners: These help protect the mattress from accidents.

Swaddling Blankets: A blanket specifically designed for swaddling works much better than a receiving blanket. A well swaddled baby often equals a comfortably sleeping baby. Buy 2 to make laundry time easier.

Monitor: For many parents this item falls into the "want" category while others cannot live without it. If your house is not too large and you feel confident that you will easily hear your baby then you will probably not need a monitor. If the monitor will give you peace of mind, then it may be worth the cost.

Newborn Necessities - Gear & Supplies For a Baby's First Weeks

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100 Mental Training Success Tips Home Business Entrepreneurs Should Know and Do

A collection of success tips that I have gathered over many years of working with independent online business entrepreneurs. I have created a list of my 100 favourites that I personally follow to drive forward my online home business. I organised the tips into areas covering attitude and discipline, focus and visualisation, time and task management, income and lifestyle, knowledge and skills, personal growth and lifestyle, evaluating your activity, and giving and adding value.

ATTITUDE & DISCIPLINE

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1. Be persistent and give yourself time for momentum to kick in.

2. Make up in numbers what you lack in skills.

3. Celebrate success at every step.

4. Learn to manage the opinions - everyone has a right to have one - never make it personal.

5. You are not the message, you are the messenger.

6. Your family and friends may not understand the journey you are on.

7. Everything works when we work.

8. If you get overwhelmed and confused, go back to doing the basics.

9. Pass the three-part test - loyalty, work habits, consistency.

10. Have a warrior spirit. Set objectives and take action every day.

11. Make a commitment to any new activity. Succeeding at something is about taking not making a decision.

12. Being successful is the ability to continue with your plan long after the emotion and circumstances surrounding your original decision has passed.

13. Your confidence is what makes you attractive in the market place. People buy people they know, like and trust.

14. Avoid negative thinking and negative people that bring you down and steal your dreams.

15. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone.

16. Run to your fears. The place where your greatest fears live is also the place where your greatest growth lies. (Robin Sharma)

17. An ounce of action is worth a ton of ebooks.

18. All excuses are equal and none of them count.

FOCUS & VISUALISATION

19. Know what you want, why you want it, and when you want it by. Write it down, read it twice a day. Know the price and pay the price.

20. Visualise your destiny - 'see it' and plan it - be very specific about what success looks like and feels like, and do this for each and every milestone or goal you set.

21. If you think you can or think you can't, you will always be right. (Henry Ford)

22. Try to be solution focused.

23. Understand the true power of dreams and goals, they act like magnets pulling us forward and need to be strong enough to break away from the past pulling your back.

24. Only an idea has the power to spread.

25. The only thing you need to believe in is your own work ethic and how badly you want to succeed.

26. Keep your inner flame going with personal development and being active in the community.

27. Use positive language. Words, thoughts, actions, results. Pursue all your challenges and obstacles with a positive mental attitude.

28. Mental visualisation is all important to your longer term success. How you want to see yourself, how you hold yourself, your expectations - create a detailed set of images of who you want to be.

TIME & TASK MANAGEMENT

29. Get organised.

30. Consistency is far better than the occasional blitz.

31. Create a daily method of operation, discipline yourself and be accountable to yourself.

32. Everything works -but find a daily method of operation that works for you, around your personal situation and commitments.

33. Fill your time only with productive activities.

34. Set out your targets and work backwards so you know what needs to get done.

35. Develop a sense of urgency and get into massive action.

36. Remember that you, of all people, deserve your undivided attention.

37. Anyone or anything that tries to distract you from your mission and goals should not be tolerated.

38. Being busy is not the same as being productive. Don't be busy being poor, be busy adding value to your life.

39. Develop good time management. It's not the hours you put into your business, it's the business you put into your hours.

40. Lead flow is the source of your momentum and income growth. Don't over-worry on conversions until you have good lead flow into your business.

41. Support and encourage your team members, but don't be responsible for someone else's business. Balance motivating and guiding with encouraging independence.

INCOME & LIFESTYLE

42. Run your business, don't let it run you. Build a business on the vision of the life you want to live and start living it.

43. Get going fast, massive action equals massive results.

44. Remember that selling a 6 figure income opportunity isn't about the money, it's about a dream lifestyle free from debt free to work when you want, where you want, how you want

45. Only market products that earn you significant return on your investment of time and budget.

46. "Top Tier" Opportunities Attract "Top Tier" People That Are Smarter (And More Fun To Work With)

47. Identify the top five things you do in your business that generate 80% of the results.

48. Know your business numbers - your running costs and your bottom line.

49. Reinvest your earnings back into your marketing.

50. Promote, promote, promote - call to action, make offers, create demand.

51. Focus on the long-term residual income potential not the short-term earnings of your business.

52..Avoid discounting. People don't buy on price, they buy on value.

53. 80% of the world does what everyone else does and lead an ordinary, average life. Only 3% live extraordinary lives because they make extraordinary choices and do extraordinary things.

54. You are the person that sets the pace of your business. Make a decision on exactly what your goals are and develop the daily discipline to achieve them.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

55. Know your craft and be knowledgeable, committed, loyal and enthusiastic about the products you choose to market and the company.

56. Keep it simple, don't reinvent a proven formula.

57. If you get stuck, find ways to get out of the glue quickly to avoid negative impact.

58. Don't think about what you know, be curious about things you don't yet know.

59. If you have doubts, learn more about your company, your products, your business, your craft.

60. Better to personally act upon the information contained in two good books than to be able to quote from a hundred.

61. Build your business like you build a water pump. It takes some time to set up and you have to crank the handle, but then the water comes with just a light touch.

62. Marketing is not an exact science. It takes trial & error.

PERSONAL GROWTH & LEADERSHIP

63. Compete with yourself. Finish each month stronger than the one before so you feel and see you are growing.

64. Build trust and confidence in your community and with your audience.

65. Be a leader. Step up to the mark - get up, dress up and show up and give back.

66. Don't miss out on opportunities to experience extraordinary things. Go the 'extra' mile.

67. Leadership is a choice not a title. Take 100% responsibility. Blaim is drain, never complain. You have complete control over your future.

68. Teach only what you do. People do what you do not what you say.

69. Gather testimonials for your product, your team, you. A testimonial is a true story packaged in a powerful way so as to impact and influence others.

70. Get out from behind your PC sometimes. Shoot videos outside or go do some offline advertising

71. Develop a positive 'can-do' 'will-do' attitude fuelled by your desire to succeed.

72. Affirm your belief in yourself, every single day celebrate your achievements and breakthroughs.

73. Learn and adopt what successful people do. Master the fundamentals that are working before you modify, adapt and innovate.

74. Do the uncomfortable or difficult stuff first - ("Eat That Frog", Brian Tracy). It soon becomes comfortable and second nature.

75. Set a goal to become a millionaire, not for the money but for the person you will become (Jim Rohn)

76. Make the best of what you have but always be hungry for more.

EVALUATING YOUR ACTIVITY

77. Learn from what's not working and become a problem solver.

78. Leave your ego at the door.

79. Check your positioning - are your leads targeted, do they convert well.

80. Plan, Do, Review. Don't procrastinate, just get stuck in and take action. Ready, fire, aim.

81. Don't look to the magic bullet - multi-task, look for new opportunities, test and refine.

82. Monitor your results against your plan. Did you do the activity?

83. Qualify your prospects. Don't try to sell them, let them sell you. Questions are the answer.

84. Your results are your feedback. Blame no-one but yourself. You are where you are and how you are because of the decisions you have made over time.

85. If you're doing the activity, getting the numbers, you're energy and attitude is right, the it's usually something missing from your skill set. Communication.

86. If you fail to meet your expectations on any one day, don't drop the ball but work twice as hard the next. Don't get used to accepting dropping the ball. Get up tomorrow a little bit better.

87. It's easier to do the work than deal with the disappointment in yourself of not meeting your targets.

GIVING & ADDING VALUE

88. Create uniqueness & value in what you put out on the internet.

89. The market doesn't pay you on what you need, it pays on value. Those that help the most people make the most money.

90. If you want to double your income, you must double your value in the market place.

91. Stop making it about you, your business, and what you need to happen. Instead identify what others need most and how you can help others get more of what they want.

92. Focus on taking people to the next step in your sales & marketing funnel, not all the way in one leap.

93. Authenticity dramatically increases your results.

94. Pick up the phone to connect with your leads, new members and customers.

95. Form groups and communities to target interest and build relationships (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace,LinkedIn)

96. Learn how to flick the switch with people. Develop emotional intelligence. Find their pain points and show them the solution and get them thinking in a new direction.

97. Find people, sponsor them, work with them to keep them.

98. Be clear about your business processes, what to do at each step so you can take others through that process, lead by example.

99. Teach, validate, recognise and refresh your team.

100. Seek inspiration, but every day also be someone else' inspiration, it will feel amazing!

100 Mental Training Success Tips Home Business Entrepreneurs Should Know and Do

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