New Year's Weight Loss: 6 Tips

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It is a time-honored tradition to make resolutions at this time of year. If your resolution is to lose weight - and keep it off, then keep reading! Here are six simple tips that will have you losing weight in a balanced and healthy way.


1. Lose weight with water.

Water is essential for everybody - it is also the key to losing weight. If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body has developed a pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra unwanted weight.
By drinking more water, you are not only flushing out toxins, you are also teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink at least 60 ounces of water (about 8 glasses) a day. Boil water and sliced lemons, and drink this throughout the day to help with fluid retention. If you are still not sold on the merits of water, try this on for size: water is a natural appetite suppressant.

2. Soup up your weight loss program.

A simple dietary change will have you shedding pounds: eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious, low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush waste from your body. People who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don't eat soup. Go for homemade soup whenever possible, as canned soups are loaded with salt and chemicals.

3. Eat early to keep weight off.

The human body follows a circadian rhythm, which means that the same foods eaten at breakfast and lunch are processed differently than when eaten at dinner. Studies show that when you eat your daily protein and fat at breakfast you tend to lose weight and have more energy; however, eating the same things at dinner tend to increase tendencies toward weight gain. I suggest that you eat your last meal of the day by 7 p.m.

4. Eat smaller meals, more frequently.

Follow an eating schedule with five little meals every day. Eating steadily through the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal. Make a low-fat trail mix from raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried plum, and apples and have it available at all times to avoid the tempting lure of high-calorie snacks.

5. Adopt a balanced approach to your diet.

Most of the fad diet programs out there nowadays are extreme in a few recommended foods, or else deprive the body of food altogether. This works in opposition to our metabolism and the results usually don't last, producing a yoyo effect that depresses your metabolic function - not to mention your self-esteem. We are natural beings that need a balance of nutrition from all sources.

Your diet should consist of a balance of organic sources of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Instead of white rice and pasta, opt for brown rice, bulgur, millet, or buckwheat.
Eat more green, chlorophyll-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, spinach, and asparagus. Eliminate candy, sugar, soda, and all simple sugars from your diet. Excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain. Also, keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat. Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods.

6. Walk off the weight.

The No. 1 cause of weight gain is inactivity. Physical activity is the key to speeding up your metabolism and burning excess calories. The best way to be physically active is to use your legs! Walk as often and as long as you can. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Step outside during your break at work and take a walk around your building. Consider joining a local hiking club. Try taking a walk 30 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the early evening.

I hope this article helps you shed some pounds and add on the years! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

(The above article is proven by Dr Mao)

Cheers!
-Pastaboy

Ended my post @ 12:53 AM

The Breakup Test: 5 Questions to Ask Before Giving 'Em the Boot (Hope It Helps) ^_^

Is it better to be the breaker-upper or the dumpee? With so much attention being paid to those poor people dumped every year, no one ever takes time to think about what it's like to be the dumper. Hardly an enviable position, the decision to break up with someone can breed feelings of guilt, paralysis and depression.

To alleviate some of this anxiety, here's a list of 5 questions to ask yourself before you give someone the boot.

Question 1: Has There Been a Major Change in My Life?

"Relocation, career change, an illness -- any of these factors can trigger problems in a relationship."

Relocation, career change, an illness -- any of these factors can trigger problems in a relationship. If you're stressed out about something, be it a job or family problem, it's all too tempting to generalize these feelings to include your partner. It's very easy to think that if you got out of this relationship you would feel better. In reality, you need to deal with the problem rather than blame it on your partner.

Question 2: What's My Happiness Ratio?

Being blissfully in love with your partner 24/7 is a wonderful concept in theory, but as we all know, real-world relationships rarely live up to these expectations. Many people assume that they have to be 100 percent satisfied with their partners in order to stick with them, but good luck ever finding this perfect scenario!A better strategy would be to adopt the 80 percent rule. Ask yourself:

"Am I satisfied with my partner 80 percent of the time or more?"

Am I satisfied with my partner 80 percent of the time or more? If the answer is yes, then you're working with pretty good odds. If the answer is no, you may want to consider moving on.

Question 3: Is He/She Abusive?

Abusive behavior comes in many forms. There's physical abuse where someone hits, slaps or shoves you. A verbally abusive partner degrades you with harsh words and insults. And the most difficult to identify and pinpoint: psychological abuse. This form of abuse can involve overly controlling behavior, emotional blackmail, and episodes of extreme jealousy. If your partner engages in any of the above behavior, don't just walk -- run from the relationship.

Question 4: Have I Expressed My Frustration?

Many of us think that if our partner was right for us, he/she would be able to understand our needs intuitively without us ever having to communicate. While it would be great if our partners could just read our minds, the truth is that few of us are telepathic.Good communication is required in every relationship. So before you give your partner their walking papers, make sure to discuss your doubts and concerns so they have a chance to make it up to you.

"So before you give your partner their walking papers, make sure to discuss your doubts and concerns so they have a chance to make it up to you."

Question 5: Am I Willing to Work at It?

Whatever your gripes or complaints, there's one factor that can make or break your union: your mutual desire to work on the relationship. If you're not both committed to improving your quality of life together, there's very little hope for the future.And remember, actions speak louder than words. If both of you make a concerted effort to work on the relationship and make the necessary changes that are required, there's really no reason to call it quits.


Cheers!
-Pastaboy

Ended my post @ 12:38 AM

Bride dies during marriage's first dance

DAVIE, Fla. - Kim Sjostrom wanted a real-life version of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which played in the background as friends fixed her hair and makeup before her own marriage ceremony.

But less than an hour after she and Teddy Efkarpides were wed, Sjostrom crumpled in her husband's arms during a Greek song that means "Love Me."

At 36, Sjostrom was dead from heart disease.

The wedding had became a project at Davie Elementary School, where Sjostrom taught first grade. Fellow teachers provided the wedding gown, the flowers and decorations. One of them, an ordained minister, performed the ceremony.

"It was perfect for her," said Dominic Church, the minister friend.

Sjostrom carried blue and white flowers during the ceremony — the colors of the Greek flag — as she exchanged vows with Efkarpides, a 43-year-old carpenter and Navy veteran. They had met three years to the day before the Jan. 19 wedding.

During the couple's first dance, Sjostrom complained of being lightheaded. Efkarpides thought his wife, a diabetic, needed sugar, but she collapsed.

Wedding guests, paramedics and doctors at a nearby hospital were unable to revive her.

She had a previous cardiac episode in her 20s and was a poster child — literally — for juvenile diabetes, relatives and friends said. Efkarpides recalled seeing the poster featuring her on New York subways.

He consoles himself by reading a list of "101 Reasons Why I Love You" that Sjostrom gave him their first Christmas together. "Number 1. You make me smile."

No. 98 is especially difficult: "You're the one I want to grow old with."

Ended my post @ 12:11 AM

There is a young couple who got married for a few years, the wife, Susan, who is a successful career women and the husband, Mark, who is a high ranking officer in the Air-Force. One day, Susan was feeling uncomfortable with her eyes and the next moment, her vision went off and was very shocked. Knowing her situation, Mark brought her to the doctor immediately to check what has actually happen to her. After several checkups, the doctor then realize that they made a mistake during her past checkup as previously she had some visual problems. Because of improper treatment, it causes her to lose her sight. As this incident was a sudden for her, a successful women end up becoming blind, she couldn’t take it but to lock herself in the room shouting and throwing her temper to everyone that were around her, including her Mark. Mark did not give up on her but continuously encouraging and giving her all his support.

Until one day, the wife finally simmers down and told Mark that she wants to go back to work. Mark fetched her to and fro from work everyday and make sure tat she reaches her office safely before he headed to his workplace. The journey between Susan’s workplace to the military side where Mark is working at is way too far apart and it is pretty tiring for him to do this forever. Mark thinks that Susan has to stand up on her own and try to go to her workplace herself instead on relying so much on him.

Though this thinking came into his mind, but he does not dare to tell her because he’s afraid that imaginations will run wild in Susan’s thinking due to the sudden incident which had already shocked her life. But he finds that Susan should actually accept this and be much more stronger than she used to be, so one day, he sit beside her and tell her that she have to get up on her own and be strong and start to travel to work herself instead of relying too much on him. When Susan heard this, she got so agitated and she scolded him, saying that he does not care for her and love her anymore. When Mark hears those words, he got so upset and depressed, just like hundreds or thousands of sharp edges sword had just pierce through his heart. But nonetheless, Mark does not let her words affect him that much and continue support her and give her the helping hand that she needs. So Mark told her that he will company her to take bus from their home to her workplace before heading to work.

For the two solid weeks, Mark, wearing his uniform, held her wife safely and carefully, waiting for the bus, boarding the bus and company her all the way to her office and ensures tat she reaches her workplace safely. He also introduce the bus captain to his wife, seeking help from the bus captain to tell her where to alight and what to do n stuff when on bus and also teaching her how to make full use of her other four senses.

Finally one day, Susan hugged Mark tightly with tears flowing down her cheek, thank him for everything he did and told him that she's ready to get to work on her on
Though the journey was long, Susan doesn’t give up but constantly trying her best to get to work on her own. As time goes by, Susan is getting used to it and is able to travel on own safely. She was so happy and starts gaining back all her confidence. It’s been a week plus and everything seems to be going on smoothly for her.

So one day while she’s boarding the bus which she always takes to work, the bus captain suddenly says:
"You're sure a blessed and lucky lady."

Susan was rather curious who is he actually talking to, so she decides to reply back:
“Why is the lady lucky?”

"There's a very fine and young handsome looking guy, wearing an Air-Force uniform, always stand at the opposite side of the road/ bus-stop. He will ensure that this lady will board the right bus number and make sure that she board it carefully, then after he saw her boarded the bus safely, and look at the bus drives off, he will then give a ‘fly-kiss’ to the lady and salute to her before he went off."
The bus captain replied.

When Susan heard it, tears flows down her cheek continuously and she finally realize that for this past one week, Mark had been looking upon her like an angel looking by her side, ensuring her safety before going to work. She got so touched and felt so bad and sorry for those mean things that she had said to Mark previously. And from then on, she realizes that she was the luckiest and blessed wife/ women in the entire world.

Moral of the story:
Love is not a word that comes out from the mouth, but an unconditional love that is expressed by actions from one to another…

Cheers!
-Pastaboy

Ended my post @ 9:35 PM