5 Tips For A Healthier Thanksgiving

5 Tips For A Healthier Thanksgiving
By: Randi Cestaro

In just a few short weeks we’ll gather together to give thanks for the unlimited good that surrounds us. You know what I mean: nature, prosperity, love, faith and an incredible planet that provides so much to us. Wouldn’t it be a shame to upset the balance of it all by overeating on the big day?

When it comes to gobbling up the goodies on turkey day, I encourage you to follow these suggestions for feasting:

Exercise at some point on the day of Thanksgiving
It’s very important that you exercise on Thanksgiving day. You may want to engage your family in going for a walk with you to enjoy the fresh air, the foliage, and time away from the kitchen so you can all just relax together.

And there’s another payoff: by exercising on this big day, you will eat less that night. And you will be more conscious of what you’re putting in your mouth.

Eat a protein-rich breakfast the day of Thanksgiving
Don’t fall into the trap of “Well, I am going to have a big dinner tonight so I will save my appetite for dinner”. That’s not correct and it won’t work. But, by having a protein- rich breakfast, you’ll stabilize your blood sugar levels, and that means fewer sugar cravings.

Drink at least 10 glasses of water during the day
By drinking at least 10 glasses of water today (starting as soon as you wake up), you will thoroughly and totally hydrate your body. That’s a good thing. Do it. This is another way to reduce sugar cravings because those in the know realize that often times, when your body appears to crave sugar, it’s because you are dehydrated. Who knew? But now you do, so drink up!

Portion control your plate
This is so crucial to not overstuffing your belly. Think of it as a secret mission to better health. When your hostess begins passing tempting trays of appetizers, grab a small plate. Don’t see one? Ask for one and use it. Placing appetizers on a plate assures that you take only the ones you really want and avoid adding unnecessary calories by trying everything in sight. And make sure the majority of items on that plate is lots of fresh vegetables. Yum!

Make a turkey and vegetable soup with the leftovers
So how did you do? At the end of the day you most likely have leftovers. Now what? By using the leftover turkey and vegetables, you can make a wonderful soup to nourish you. Soup gives your digestive system a break the next day. Just use a nice broth and add the turkey and veggies. Make some natural corn muffins and you’ve got a treat for everyone in your home.

Incorporating these healthy tips for Thanksgiving will free you of all the guilt that we normally put on ourselves when we eat too much. Make this the year that you truly enjoy the holiday season and remain healthy and happy.

All the best to you and yours this Thanksgiving day. I am grateful for your interest in this article and would love to hear how well you did in managing your Thanksgiving meal.

By: Randi Cestaro

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Social Engineering As Economic Policy

Social Engineering As Economic Policy

What we are witnessing today is not a failure of the free market. It is the failure of social engineering as economic policy. And it's a disaster of epic proportions.

Nobody's disputing that this disaster was precipitated by irresponsible lending practices, or that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were at the root of the whole debacle, though the ramifications have now spread far beyond them. What people are arguing about is the interpretation of the events that led us here, what should have been done differently, and what should be done to contain the fallout now that the pyramid scheme has blown up.

Hard core free market proponents, like me, will say that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were a mistake from the beginning. The government should have kept its nose out of the home mortgage industry, and not attempted to manipulate the market to enable people who couldn't afford houses to buy them. On the other hand, proponents of the "government is good" and "more is better" philosophy will say the problem was that there wasn't enough government manipulation. (Could there ever be?)

But, curiously, in 2005, when Alan Greenspan told Congress that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were "placing the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk,'' and the Senate Banking Committee proposed a reform bill requiring tighter regulation of those two entities, the Democrats opposed it, on a strict party line vote, crushing the bill before it got out of committee. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Christopher Dodd all voted against it. (John McCain, incidentally, was one of the co-sponsors of the bill.)

Huh? Democrats voting against more regulation? Republicans voting for it? One would expect Republicans to favor less regulation, as regulation is antithetical to a free market. But, in this case, it already wasn't a free market. A free market has its own natural checks and balances. Once the government has removed or impaired any of those natural checks and balances, the market loses its equilibrium and bad things can happen. What the Republicans were attempting to accomplish by proposing tighter regulations on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was to artificially restore the natural constraint that had been removed by shifting the risk from the lenders to the taxpayers.

In a free market, the desire for profit is counterbalanced by the aversion to risk. If the risk incurred by an investment or loan outweighs the profit potential, it's not in the investor's/lender's best interest to participate, so the transaction doesn't occur. However, when the government removes the risk associated with a bad transaction, by assuming the risk itself, then the natural constraint of risk aversion that would apply in a truly free market is eliminated, and investors will take risks that would otherwise be unacceptable. That's what happened in the case of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The taxpayers assumed the risk, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made unsound investments.

In today's mortgage industry, mortgages are always packaged up and sold to aggregators, who sell them to bigger aggregators, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at the top of the pyramid as the granddaddies of all aggregators. Because Fannie and Freddie had no risk aversion, lenders further down the chain were free to take risks they wouldn't otherwise take, knowing the aggregators would buy up the high risk (subprime) mortgages anyway. This was intentional.

Affordable housing is a euphemism for making home loans available to people who would not qualify for a loan under a free market system. The reason someone would not qualify for a loan in the free market is because they present too high a risk. In other words, they can't afford to pay off the loan. Fannie and Freddie represented a wide scale experiment in social engineering. It was an attempt to use federal policy to "level the playing field" so anybody could "afford" to buy a home whether they could actually afford to pay for the home or not.

When the Republicans wanted to tighten the reins on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and preclude them from making excessively risky investments, it would have meant they could no longer fulfill the mission of making homes "affordable" to those who couldn't afford them. That's why the Democrats opposed the bill. And that's why we're where we are today.

The great experiment in social engineering has now failed. Dramatically. And, because the experiment was backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. taxpayer, it is our money, and our future, that is getting called in as collateral for this grand social experiment.

Anybody who blames this failure on the free market is either dishonest or naive. It was liberal social policy masquerading as economic policy that got us into this mess. If you want to see more of the same in the future, there are plenty of Democrats still in Congress. And there's one running for president, too.

By: NotYourDaddy

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Qualities in Being a Great Friend

Qualities in Being a Great Friend
By Jeanine Anderson

Are you the greatest friend you can be? What does being a great friend mean to you? In this article, I will give you great ways that will help you be the great friend you were meant to be.

We all have friends in our lives. Friends that we hang out with on weekends. Friends that we know through our children. Friends that we work with. Friends that have been life long. And friends that we tell everything to. Our secrets, deepest thoughts, our dreams, and even our frustrations. But what qualities make up a great friend? Here are some qualities that make up a great friend and then you can decide if you qualify as being a great friend.

First and foremost: The greatest quality of being a great friend is honesty. Honesty is something a lot of people take for granted. And if you can be honest with yourself first, then being honest with everyone else will come easy. Sometimes we think that if we just lie to save ourselves that it will get us out of an argument, or a sticky situation. However most likely that will come to bite you and you spend more time saying your sorry and making up excuses to why you lied in the first place. That's wasting to much negative energy. Honesty is still the best policy.

Second: Be YOU! So many people today are still trying to keep up with the Jones's. What's the point? Your friends love you for what's inside you, not the car you drive, or the home you live in, or the vacation spots you go to. Being yourself and loving yourself is the greatest thing you can do for you, and your friends. No one wants a friend that is half fake and half real. Friends will appreciate and respect you more if you are being you 100% of the time.

Third: Forgive your friends when they hurt you. Lets face it, we are not perfect. We all have bad days. We are all human. Being a great friend gives us the ability to know that when our friends hurt us they really don't know that they are doing it. And isn't that what being a great friend is all about,knowing that they can take their frustration out on you? When it's all said and done you are the one still standing there with open arms for comfort and advice. Forgive them even if they don't ask for forgiveness. The greatest thing about true friends is that we see beyond their imperfections, and love them anyway.

Fourth: Be a Giving friend. And give with no expectations of anything else in return. It's one thing to give, and another to give with anticipation of something in return. Being a great friend is someone who will help without the other friend asking for it. Give a gift that comes from your heart and not your ego. So many times we give because we want a pat on the back for helping someone. When we give from the heart it will feel a thousand times better.

Fifth: Don't Judge your friends. Who are we to judge anyway? We all have skeletons in the closet. We may think we know everything there is to know about our friends, but do we really? Probably not. You may sit and wonder why your friend did this or that, but until we have walked in their shoes and know what is really going on behind closed doors, don't judge them. I'm sure you have done things that you would not really want everyone to know about. So give the same respect to those who you call friends.

In the end what makes up a great friend is what you put into your friendship. Being a true friend is not something that is part time. However it's being all of these qualities all of the time and not just when you feel like it.

Your friends will ultimately love you and respect you if you put these qualities to use and be the friend you are meant to be!

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Qualities-in-Being-a-Great-Friend&id=1683709

Clamato

Clamato
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clamato (a portmanteau of "clam" and "tomato") is a trademark of the Mott's company which denotes a drink made primarily of reconstituted tomato juice concentrate and reconstituted dried clam broth, with a dash of high fructose corn syrup, and USDA Red 40 to maintain a 'natural' tomato colour. It is also referred to colloquially as "clamato juice".

Mott's Clamato contains MSG. Clamato was produced in its current form beginning in 1966 by the Duffy-Mott company in Hamlin, New York, by two employees who wanted to create a New England type cocktail by combining tomato juice and clam broth with spices. They also named the new cocktail Mott's Clamato and secured the trademark for the new brand.

The Duffy Mott company began marketing Mott's Clamato as a refreshing New England style cocktail without alcohol. Mott's Clamato was discovered by a group of Canadian Foodservice Distributors in 1970, including Irving Glasnor from Vancouver, B.C., looking to use this unique cocktail in one of their favorite new cocktails in Canada called the Caesar. In 1969, a new Canadian Cocktail was created in Calgary, AB by Walter Chell who was the head bartender for the Calgary Inn (now the Westin Hotel). They were opening up a new restaurant called Marco's and the Bloody Caesar was created to celebrate the new opening.

The original recipe for the Caesar Cocktail began with tomato juice and clam broth mixed with Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. The glass was rimmed with celery salt and garnished with a stick of celery. Walter modelled this recipe after his favorite spaghetti sauce Spaghetti Con Vongole. Irving Glasnor began importing Mott's Clamato into Canada from the USA and started with 500 cases in 1970 for use in the Caesar Cocktail in bars throughout Alberta then across Western Canada.

He signed an agreement with the Duffy Mott company to produce and distribute Mott's Clamato across Canada. Today the Mott's Clamato Caesar is one of the top selling cocktails across Canada and is considered a true Canadian success story. The brand is now owned by Cadbury-Schweppes when Mott's was bought out in 1982.

Cocktail base

Clamato is a popular mixer for mass-market American and Canadian beer which is known in Canada and parts of the northern US as a Red Eye. The Caesar is commonly regarded as the national cocktail of Canada. The Caesar has become so popular that Mott's now markets multiple varieties of pre-mixed Caesars in 341 ml (12-ounce) bottles, in addition to non-alcoholic Caesar blends such as "extra spicy" and "all-dressed" (including Worcestershire, tabasco and horseradish) as a more convenient mixer.

The Caesar is Canada's most popular cocktail, with over 250 million selling every year. 82% of the Caesar-drinking households in Canada use Mott's Clamato as the base. In late 2007, Budweiser released Bud Chelada, a blend of Budweiser or Bud Light and clamato juice for national sale.

Generic tomato-clam beverages

The success of Clamato has led to the introduction of several imitation beverages, usually marketed as tomato-clam cocktail. The generic beverages are often considerably cheaper than Clamato and have cut into Mott's market share. Many people do not distinguish between Mott's product and those of its competitors and will refer to any tomato-clam beverage as clamato, thus threatening Mott's trademark with genericide.

The subject is further confused by the fact that in the United States and Latin America the product is labelled simply "Clamato" but in Canada the product is always labelled "Mott's Clamato".

Mott's has taken steps to protect its trademark, running print, radio and television advertisements which attempt to distinguish Mott's Clamato from generic tomato-clam beverages.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clamato

Theory of relativity

Theory of relativity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, refers specifically to two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, "relativity" can also refer to Galilean relativity.

The term "theory of relativity" was coined by Max Planck in 1908 to emphasize how special relativity (and later, general relativity) uses the principle of relativity.

Special Relativity

Special relativity is a theory of the structure of spacetime. It was introduced in Albert Einstein's 1905 paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies".

Special relativity is based on two postulates which are contradictory in classical mechanics:

1. The laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion relative to one another (Galileo's principle of relativity),
2. The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of the source of the light.

The resultant theory has many surprising consequences. Some of these are:

• Time dilation: Moving clocks are measured to tick more slowly than an observer's "stationary" clock.
• Length contraction: Objects are measured to be shortened in the direction that they are moving with respect to the observer.
• Relativity of simultaneity: two events that appear simultaneous to an observer A will not be simultaneous to an observer B if B is moving with respect to A.
• Mass-energy equivalence: E = mc², energy and mass are equivalent and transmutable.

The defining feature of special relativity is the replacement of the Galilean transformations of classical mechanics by the Lorentz transformations.

General relativity

General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Einstein in the years 1907–1915. The development of general relativity began with the equivalence principle, under which the states of accelerated motion and being at rest in a gravitational field (for example when standing on the surface of the Earth) are physically identical.

The upshot of this is that free fall is inertial motion: In other words an object in free fall is falling because that is how objects move when there is no force being exerted on them, instead of this being due to the force of gravity as is the case in classical mechanics.

This is incompatible with classical mechanics and special relativity because in those theories inertially moving objects cannot accelerate with respect to each other, but objects in free fall do so.

To resolve this difficulty Einstein first proposed that spacetime is curved. In 1915, he devised the Einstein field equations which relate the curvature of spacetime with the mass, energy, and momentum within it.

Some of the consequences of general relativity are:

• Time goes more slowly in higher gravitational fields. This is called gravitational time dilation.
• Orbits precess in a way unexpected in Newton's theory of gravity. (This has been observed in the orbit of Mercury and in binary pulsars).
• Even rays of light (which have zero mass) bend in the presence of a gravitational field.
• The Universe is expanding, and the far parts of it are moving away from us faster than the speed of light. This does not contradict the theory of special relativity, since it is space itself that is expanding.
• Frame-dragging, in which a rotating mass "drags along" the space time around it.

Technically, general relativity is a metric theory of gravitation whose defining feature is its use of the Einstein field equations. The solutions of the field equations are metric tensors which define the topology of the spacetime and how objects move inertially.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_relativity

Insomnia Treatment, Insomnia Causes And Symptoms

Insomnia Treatment, Insomnia Causes And Symptoms
By: Dave Patrick

As a twentieth century affliction, chronic sleeping disorders or insomnia, is more common now than ever. In the U.S alone, tens on millions of people suffer from this life debilitating affliction.

Insomnia Causes

As far as causes go, insomniacs are often plagued with a variety of problems and preoccupations. Some of them are related to physical pain or discomfort, which in turn will keep them awake at night. While others suffer from mental or emotional stresses or disorders.

Trying to sleep when your mind is racing at a hundred miles an hour is surely a recipe for insomnia. To some, the worry of an upcoming week of hard work or stressing over unpaid bills will be enough to keep them awake. To others, an unresolved issue between friendships or relationships can cause them to lie in bed wide eyed throughout the night.

Insomnia Symptoms

The classic symptoms of insomnia and sleeping disorders are; feeling tired, exhausted, and irritable upon getting up in the morning. Not feeling rested or feeling unable to make decisions or being able to concentrate for any length of time. The feelings of being 'thick headed' or punch drunk can be quite common also.

One's inability to operate machinery or drive safely is seriously impaired as any split second decision making can become a problem. Double vision or blurred vision is not uncommon and in extreme cases, the world can seem to slow down around you.

Insomnia Treatments

Some of the tried and tested methods for helping alleviate the symptoms of insomnia work best. Avoid eating a heavy meal before bed, leave at least three hours between your last meal and bed time. Try taking a long hot bath; this can work wonders as your body is completely relaxed.

Always always avoid caffeine in its many forms, not just before bed time but throughout the entire day. If you are suffering from insomnia, leave off all drinks containing caffeine for the immediate future, tea, coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks etc. There are too many to mention here but you get the point.

Allow yourself as long as it takes, laying perfectly still, breathing slowly and gently, observing your whole body feeling more and more numb as the muscles give up the fight and relax. Getting yourself in a relaxed state before attempting to sleep is important. If you try and force yourself to go to sleep while you are still stressed then it stands to reason you’re in for a hard time.

By: Dave Patrick

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Health Solutions: Heart Health

Health Solutions: Heart Health

By: Dr Arien van der Merwe

We often say: my heart’s not in it anymore; my heart is sore; my heart is breaking. This is much more literal than we thought! In all cultures and religions, the experience of peace, love, healing and harmony are seated in the heart and thymus (responsible for immunity) region in the chest. Feelings of love also have a positive influence on the immune system, hormones and cognitive brain function.

Healing ideas for your heart

Ø Opening your heart to healing your physical body to release cell memories, optimise physical health and use the body to connect you to your mind, emotions and soul essence

• Identify body signals of severe stress: feel the pain, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, depression
• Breathing exercises to open the chest area, expand the lungs, increase oxygenation of cells: belly or diaphragmatic breathing, bellows breathing, alternate nostril breathing
• Progressive deep muscle relaxation
• Specific yoga exercises: head, neck and shoulder stretches and rotations; cobra pose; half locust pose; head-to-knee pose; forward bending pose; shoulder stand, even if you simply lift your feet onto the seat of a chair; chest extension or fish pose; spinal twist; sun salutation; dead man’s pose to end
• Work with arms – reaching out, drawing in with dance movements such as Nia technique, and slow, mindful movement like Tai ‘chi.
• Following a heart health eating plan
• Using heart health food supplements and herbal remedies

Ø Opening your heart to healing your emotions or feelings towards yourself and others

• Work on releasing past emotional injuries and hurts
• Forgiveness of self and others
• Work on relationships, release of sorrow, guilt, acceptance of self and others
• Anger management: learn how to acknowledge the intense energy of anger and allow it proper expression

Ø Opening your heart to healing your thoughts

• Use heart centered positive affirmations and directed visualisations to sense feelings of love, joy, peace and happiness within the heart. Also using the image of the sun, placing it in the heart and then allowing the moon to place itself over the heart. This allows for a balance of male and female energies within the heart.
• Go on a journey of self discovery: deeply ingrained unconscious patterns of behaviour that do not serve you any longer, through journaling, psychotherapy, free hand writing

Ø Opening your heart to connect to your soul

• Meditate regularly: mindfulness, witnessing, visualization meditations work well for the heart
• Releasing the shadow deep inside the unconscious mind through transpersonal and soul based psychotherapy
• Quiet time, soul reflection and contemplation

The most important nutrients and herbal remedies for heart health
• An antioxidant combination with enough vitamins A, E, C and minerals zinc, selenium, chromium
• High dosages (50-100mg each) of the B-complex vitamins B1, 3, 5, 6, choline, inositol; 50 microgram of B12 & biotin; 400 microgram of folic acid
• Magnesium and calcium in therapeutic quantities
• Co-enzyme Q10 in therapeutic quantities
• Hawthorn (Crateagus oxyacantha) berry in therapeutic quantities
• Essential fatty acids, especially omega 3 found in cold water fish
• Ginkgo biloba in therapeutic quantities
• Garlic – eat crushed garlic in your food – at least 3 cloves a day, with parsley for the smell, or take garlic capsules
• Phyto (plant) estrogens, e.g. soybeans, chick peas, lentils, linseed

Homocystein:
- Have your homocystein (a sulphur containing amino acid) risk measured together with your regular lipid profile tests
- High levels mean high risk: accumulated homocystein damage the inner lining of the arteries, and encourages the formation of atherosclerosis
- A study done at Ohio State University in the USA, showed a link between high homocystein levels and an attitude of hostility and anger – finally science has caught up with the mind-soul-body link! The stress associated with hostility and anger may elevate homocystein levels, accelerating damage to the inside of the arterial walls (atherosclerosis)
- The treatment is cheap, simple and extremely effective:
i. 400 IU’s vitamin E
ii. 50mg vitamin B6
iii. 50 microgram B12
iv. 400 microgram folic acid
- These nutrients ensure the conversion of homocystein into beneficial antioxidants. People with a genetic tendency for high homocystein levels, often have a deficiency of these nutrients.

The heart’s language and Mediterranean countries

The countries around the Mediterranean Sea have a daily siesta time after their phyto (=plant) nutrient, fish and olive oil rich lunch as part of their cultural habit – this lowers stress levels by allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to re-balance the sympathetic or stress nervous system response. Soy based food forms the staple in Japan.

Heart centred meditation

Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair, in a quiet place, with soft pink candle light, rose quartz crystal and soothing music if you prefer. Hold your back straight, chin parallel to the floor, hands relaxed in your lap, eyes closed. Breathe deeply and slowly and feel yourself relaxing with each exhalation. Do this until you’re completely relaxed. In your mind’s eye, imagine a bright, healing light shining into your heart. The light becomes softer, changing to hues of pink or green, associated with feelings of love, peace, reassurance, forgiveness and acceptance. The light dissolves all tension from your heart and chest. Feel all heaviness, sadness, regret, pain and seriousness lift and release, leaving you light hearted and joyful. Feel your heart developing its own radiance as though an inner flame is being rekindled. Allow this light from inside your heart to spread to every part of you, into the far reaches of every cell, molecule, thought and emotion. Imagine yourself filled with this light’s purity and wonder; your body, mind, emotions and soul healed by the radiance inside your own heart. Sense this light spreading into your feet and eyes to illuminate your path with love. Repeat the positive affirmations: my heart is light and free; I am always being guided in love; my life is filled with love, laughter and infinite wisdom; my heart opens with love, peace and forgiveness. Bathe in love’s feelings and light for as long as you can. Then slowly become aware of your body, move your limbs, notice your breathing, experience the calm and peace inside. Gently come back to normal awareness.

Heart centred wellness is an example of energy medicine and science combining in a healing dance where fact, mystery, imagination and soul exploration create an aspect of wholeness

By: Dr Arien van der Merwe

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The Roadmap to Success

The Roadmap to Success
By Pauline Canas

The world we live in today is far different from yesterday. Our existence is not isolated from anything or anyone.

We are now a global community that affect each other and requires accountability, responsibility, sensibility, and the entire abilities one can muster to keep this world safe and sane.

The worldwide leaders although experienced need to be responsive to the woes of its own constituents.

It is interesting to note that people react to events in a similar fashion and that strong leadership and high ethical values make this world a safer place.

Behind all this global talk is our responsibility to nurture the very young. They are the future and therefore require our guidance if we even expect to have a better tomorrow.

There are tons of afflicted and abandoned children. Even parents who wish the best for their own children are not free from the dangers that are lurking just outside their home.

The prevalence of drugs and corruption are hard to break. The children of today need strong education to succeed in the end in order to offset problems or setbacks that are common in today's environment.

The roadmap to success is through preparation and discipline.

The setting of goals goes with preparation. One needs to be clear of the goals in order to obtain the desired outcome.

Discipline on the other hand is a tough one but having a strong desire to perform a task can be the factor that can help our children.

Therefore, we need to inspire our children in some way that is meaningful for them.

We are yet to discover the very talents that our children can produce if we only try and devote our time in creating a roadmap to their success

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Roadmap-to-Success&id=1634546