Thursday, July 30, 2009

Do You Have a Support System?

There are many times in one's life that you need support. It starts when you are born. Some people grow and learn to move through life with more support than others but it is vital that everyone has a support system.
A support system can look very different to people. Support can be in the form of books, articles, money, or people. In times of need it is important to search for what gives you the most support. One of the main support systems that can be powerful is a support system full of people. It is ok to lean on people. People like to feel needed and they want to help.
There are certain events that happen in your life that will be beneficial to have a support system like, marriage, having a baby, divorce, and death. Who do you go for to help you through these times? Some ways to identify if someone is being supportive is to feel their heart. Many people want to protect you from your feelings of fear, pain, confusion, and loneliness. If someone is truly being supportive they will allow you to go through it. The only way you can move through these feelings is to deal with them.
Dealing with feelings around being a new parent or being in a new relationship can be very confusing. Some people are fearful or even sad as they are giving up a life they used to live to create a new one. If you are supporting someone going through some life changing event it is best to listen, be compassionate, find what it is they are in need of and then empower them to reach up and out and gain it. Life's events are full of growth opportunities if you are just pushing the feelings down or away they will only resurface. Feelings are our emotional guidance point. When you know what you feel you can move up into a better feeling place or if you are at the top of that point, learn to stay there.
Using a support system will help you gain clarity of your feelings. Support systems are not meant to take away what you are here to learn they are here to support. That is it. Just like anything in life you have to do the work. You have to learn to take what lessons are to be learned and release the rest. Your support systems assist you in that. It is your choice to have the feelings you are having. Yes, that is bold statement, but you do have a choice. The choice is dealing with what you feel, learn, take what is needed and release the rest. A beautiful life will emerge and you will have a support system to thank!
Remember, the people you use as a support system will also need you. If you learn how to move through the difficult times in your life with grace, you will be able to empower others to do the same. Being there for someone is a true gift and asking someone to be there for you is a great compliment! Learn what it is you are to be taking from the event, release the rest, and most of all be in full gratitude for the wonderful people in your life.
About Mary Owens International LLC
Mary Owens is your Connection Queen~ empowering you to connect with your true thoughts, feelings, values, and desires so you take the action needed to create the life of your dreams! Mary Owens received a Master's in Social Work from the University of Denver in 1997. She is a part of the Quantum Success Coaching Academy as an Empowerment/Life Law of Attraction Coach. She helps people go from where they are in their lives to where they want to be by using the laws of the universe. She coaches one on one with the great teacher and one of the stars of THE SECRET, Bob Proctor. She currently studies in group settings with James Ray who is also one of the stars of the movie. She has spent years studying the laws of the universe and how they play a part of our lives and relationships. For more

Best Work at Home Jobs - What Are They?

Through the years, we have depended on employment in a stable company to put food on the table. Society was trained to think that at a certain age, one has to earn their keep by means of applying for a good job - one that would require you to step out of the comforts of your own home and work to earn a living. But in today's modern environment, people are given more options that would match their working preferences.
Some people just like to work at home. They feel most productive and in control at their own house rather than in any other place. The issue of raising a family or merely to keep one's individuality are the main movers of the new century workforce. Some of the best work at home jobs have evolved from choosing to be an entrepreneur, developing products or services to sell, to virtually being employed. And though having your own business, might give you the benefit of becoming your own boss, some people prefer a more stable income than that. That's where virtual employment comes in.
The internet, being a powerful tool, has opened up ways for employers to hire individuals who prefer to work at home. Some of the best work at home jobs that involve the use of their own phone and internet connection are found in outsourcing websites dedicated to this cause. In addition, there are various skills and proficiencies to choose from, that you will never run out of options. Some of these include internet marketing, earning through a blog or website, becoming a virtual assistant, and web or graphic designing. When it comes to virtual employment, these sites will be able to help you transition

Why Most New Home Based Businesses Fail

Working from home can be challenging if you don't know what you do. Many people jump into this phenomenon without any investigation. They follow the crowds and the crowds says now is the time to work from home. Most of these people are looking for employment sooner than later and then discredit the "work from home" type of businesses, all this because they did not do any homework before they started.
Some are unfortunate and need to find an income because of unemployment and these people sometimes gets hurt by scams that promise an overnight success. Take it from me, if it sounds to good, just move on. Let your intuition guide you.
Well what ever your circumstances are, you need to answer a tough question, as this will determine the type of business you have to start.
Question:
Do you need an immediate income from your business or are you willing to plow back the income and grow your business?
I'm not here to tell you what you should do, but let's face reality, we all need to pay the bills. The overnight success does not exist, not on the Internet, neither in the normal brick and mortar business. Exceptions however do exist but it's not the rule.
For any type of business to start making money, you need a product, a customer base and some logistics. You might have the best product on earth but if nobody knows about it, you're dead. Even for Internet businesses it's the same, you might have a good product, but with the 15 million plus websites out there, it is tough to get a customer to buy your product.
Home base businesses fail because it all boils down to the following:
Marketing is King.
Without a good marketing program behind you, your business is dead before it actually started.
But, don't despair, its not that difficult and the internet gives you a low risk opportunity to start working from home and make a living for you and your family.
Read more about this and other home base business ideas.

Reviving the Art of Letter Writing

I came across an interesting article that discussed the relationship between how rich a person is and the number of friends they have. A 2004 Gallup pole indeed shows that people with a higher income have more friends, which speaks to the symbiotic relationship between money and friends. What has this got to do with the writing of thank you letters? Well, as the article progresses we are told that in order to increase financial fortune, it is worth the effort to increase friendships. It then goes onto say that one of the first and easiest ways to nurture a friendship is by writing thank you letters.

As an advocate of personal thank you letter writing, this is truly music to my ears. If writing letters is a dying art, writing thank you letters can feel like enforced drudgery. Yet a clever person can use thank you letters to her advantage.

Princess Diana was the People's Princess in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world. She had the talent to reach out to people from diverse backgrounds and make meaningful connections with them. How did she do this? She wrote thank you letters to everyone: from waiters and servers to security guards and drivers; to CEOs; to presidents. Everyone, no matter what their rank, received a thank you note from the princess--and then, in turn, became her personal supporter. What Princess Diana did was capitalize on the pleasure of receiving a personal thank you letter. Her letter writing practice, which paid tribute to the services of others, won her their loyalty and extended her reputation as a humanitarian. The effort needed to create thoughtful and personal letters was well rewarded.
What is needed to revive the art of letter writing, specifically thank you letters? I think we need to pay attention to Princess Diana and appreciate that a well-written thank you letter can express our fondest feelings and emotions. And the letter writer can benefit from the goodwill generated by the expression of simple yet honest sentiments.

Yes...they are well worth the effort to create! We may also need a little help in creating them in a way that is meaningful and personal. Help that allows us to share in the joy of sending thank you letters with little of the pain associated with writing them

I Like My Bra!

Now that I've hit a half century in my time here on this wonderful planet, I tend to look back over the years and compare the infamous "then and now" scenarios. This is called reflection and it's a good thing. Frankly, I wish more people would take the time to do it because I believe this is where we find common sense lurking behind the tree or hiding in the bushes. While common sense is becoming harder to find, I'm sure it still exists; it's just that there aren't that many people looking for it of late. For example, let's take Alice Paul's Equal Rights Amendment. In the late 60s and early 70s when this was being pushed throughout the country, women were publicly standing up and speaking their mind like never before. They got so excited; they were ripping off their bras and waving them in the air as if that somehow added emphasis to their words. I never understood that because I liked my bra. During these years I was an impressionable young girl, finding my way as most do in their tweens and teens. I didn't even know there a thing called inequality out there. I grew up in a house full of girls so it wasn't prevalent in my life. I never felt lesser than anyone else or that I couldn't be whatever I decided I wanted to be, but evidently, there was that sort of thing going on. I was exposed to a lot of this when I was a member of the local YWCA. Much of what the "hippies" were doing was being shown to us there through the various programs offered and leaders in charge. Because of my involvement with these programs, I was very much a part of this culture. I joined the cause of equal rights for women and participated in much to advance it in my grand state of Maine. After all, why shouldn't we get equal pay for the same position or be considered for the same jobs as men. Who cares if it's a woman or a man in the job as long as the job is done well? And, why can't a woman have a career and be a Mom? Who says our life has to be limiting? God didn't make us unequal; He just assigned one of us with the responsibility in the end and what is wrong with that? There is one that sits at the top of every organization, institution and culture on this planet, so why wouldn't there be one that sits at the top of each family, one that in the end, makes the tough decisions like any CEO or president? Back to the reason for this blog post. The equal rights for women's movement was all about treating women as equals in pay and position. It was good for a woman to have a career and move up the corporate ladder. Many brave women had the honorable privilege to be first in many areas such as corporate, entrepreneurial and political. These worlds, once dominated by men were being invaded by intelligent women everywhere and because of their courage; women in America today are the freest in the world. Being a mother and having a full time job was becoming the norm and we applauded those that took this path. I have walked this path, though not very successfully at times and had decided long ago that it was not for me. Working from home is what works best for me and that is where I stand today. I believe the equal rights movement was good for our country in many ways. A Woman can now make a career choice that's right for her, or she can choose to stay home and raise her children the way she chooses. This is a good thing.

The Best Programs to Help Single Moms

Life as a single mom can be tough. When push comes to shove, it helps to know there is assistance waiting for you. Whatever you need help with, there is probably a program to help single moms like you. Here are a few of the most basic options - depending upon the state in which you live, there might be others available to you.

Choosing Hair Styles For Lace Front Wigs

When you are choosing hair styles for your lace front wigs, be sure that you bear in mind the colors and styles that will most flatter you. Just as you should be sure to take a look at hair styles that look good on you, instead of on someone else. Just as you do before you get your hair cut, you should do the same when you are choosing wigs.
The main thing that you have to consider when you are looking for wig styles is the shape of your face. The shape of your face should always dictate your hairstyle. You may think that a hair style looks great on another person, such as a friend or a celebrity, but you have to take into account your own face shape style.
Everyone has a different face shape. There are those with oval shaped faces, square shaped faces, long faces, round faces and even heart shaped faces. Take a look in the mirror and decide which type of face shape that you have. The type of wig that you purchase should compliment your face shape.
There are two ways that you can purchase lace front wigs. One way is to purchase them is at a wig store or you can choose to buy them online. Many women prefer to purchase wigs online as they have more time to browse selections. The problem with purchasing wigs online is that you do not have the option of trying them on.
You can rectify this situation by trying out different hairstyles online at interactive sites. This can give you a good idea of how you will look in different styles as well as colors. Once you get used to wearing wigs, you may want to start to wear them all of the time and change your style to suit your mood or the clothes that you are wearing.
Using interactive sites can give you an idea of how you look in the lace front wigs that you choose. Once you see a style that looks attractive on you, you can then choose to buy a wig that is of that same style and color. This is the best way to try before you buy.
When you are buying wigs, you should have the same mindset that you have as when you are getting your hair styled. Do not go by what looks good on someone else, go by what looks good on you.
You can use an interactive website to find the style and color that you are looking for when it comes to choosing lace front wigs. Be sure to buy the accessories to take care of the wigs that are needed when you make your purchase.

How to Get Bigger Breasts With No Surgery

Breast size and weight are two issues women struggle with the most. Society has placed a great deal of emphasis on outward appearance. Differences in body types make us who we are. Some women feel uncomfortable with their weight or their bust size and that is perfectly natural. Confidence is a quality that makes us who we are. Many men say a confident woman is a sexy woman. When a woman isn't comfortable with her body, she doesn't display that air of confidence that attracts potential partners. Herbal remedies, hormone therapy and surgery are the three most popular ways to increase breast size and fullness.
Weight and Breast Size
Because of the amount of fatty tissue in the breast, when a woman loses weight she also loses some fullness in her bust. The opposite is generally true for a woman who gains weight. Unfortunately weight gain isn't the healthy way to increase bust size, and it doesn't always work as planned. Some women request hormone therapy as a more natural form of breast enhancement. Hormone levels have a great impact on breast size, shape and fullness. Hormone therapy often has other undesirable side effects that make it a less viable.
Surgical Breast Enhancement
Surgical enhancement is considered major surgery and should be considered very carefully. It is not covered by most major insurances because it is not considered a necessary surgery. Complications include infection, rupture and loss of sensation. About 16 percent of women who undergo surgery report complications. Of that 16 percent, 1 percent requires additional surgery to repair issues caused by the initial enhancement.
Natural Breast Enhancement
Sometimes surgery simply isn't the answer. Many women choose to use natural remedies in pill or cream form. Certain herbs have proven effective in their ability to increase the size and firmness of the breast. Used with consistency, herbal remedies provide very positive results. Herbs such as fenugreek are rich in substances that aid in the development of mammary glands. Fennel seed contains flavonoids that help repair and stimulate new tissue growth.
Other herbs such as black cohosh produce results similar to drugs used in hormone replacement therapy. Herbal remedies rarely produce harmful side effects. Even though they're considered a healthy alternative medicine, check with your doctor before using herbs to self treat. Always read the instructions printed on the bottle carefully. Even herbs run the risk of overdose, although it is a small risk.
Benefits of Natural Breast Enhancement
Unlike surgery, which is permanent whether good or bad, herbal enhancers are all natural and completely in your control. They allow you to control how many cup sizes you increase. Stop treatment when you feel you've reached the size you're comfortable with. Resume treatment at any time if you decide you want more fullness or even another cup size.
Remember, a confident woman is a sexy woman. When a woman looks and feels her best, she soars above the rest. The added benefits of herbal remedies allow a full-body transition, not just larger, fuller breasts. The results are permanent and newly formed tissue does not go away when you stop taking the supplement.
In addition to enhancing the size, shape and fullness of the breast, herbal remedies provide many more health benefits. Other benefits may include improved thyroid function, hormonal balancing, fewer menstrual problems and improved hair and nail growth. The overall benefits of natural breast enhancement as opposed to surgery are phenomenal.

The Best of Indian Foods

India is a big Asian country made up of different cities. Its food is as diverse as its many cities. The Indian cuisine is categorized into four categories namely the North Indian, East Indian, South Indian and West Indian cuisines.
Indian recipes and cooking always involves wide range of spices and herbs. These usually add or enhance the flavors during preparation. They also create aromatic flavors that Indians love. Most recipes are from the vegetables that grown around them.
Indian foods show the rich agricultural products of India. Other factors that affect cooking are the religious beliefs and culture of the locals. It is also largely influenced by other foods across Asia. In the same way, their foods have also influenced other cooking traditions across the world.
Indian foods are distinctly flavorful because of the generous use of spices and herbs. Of course their recipes will also involve their unique vegetables found only in their country.
There are also non-vegetarian parts of the Indian cuisine. It is juicy and made of very tender meat. The common ingredients used are eggs, chicken, fish and many other meats. They actually have many varieties of meat, fish and poultry dishes. They even serve some of these non-vegetarian dishes as snacks. The most common non-vegetarian dishes have butter chicken, tandoori tikkas, biryani and many more.
As mentioned earlier, vegetables have always been a part of and are integral to Indian cooking. They have great number of ways of serving Indian vegetarian foods. Most are hot and spicy. It has real exotic flavors that Indians would really love. The cooking techniques for this Indian recipe may include baking, frying and may other techniques. The most common vegetarian dishes in India are Navratan Korma and Shahi Paneer.
The northern regions of India have a dry climate. This is the main reason why the people here eat more bread. Their favorites are the Indian breads called the naan, roti and parathe. The naan is bread from a mixture of plain flour with a little yeast. This is soft and fluffly that people love to eat. The Indian roti is made from the whole wheat named atta. It is cooked on cast-iron griddle, tava or tandoor. The Parathas came from wheat flour and fried in oil. These are formed in layers and come in different flavors like garlic naan, methi roti and many more.
The trademark of the Indian snacks is mouthwatering. They make delicious snacks that no other could compare. You have to try their samosas and aloo tikki. The recipes of Indian snacks have been passed on from one generation to the other. They are characterized mainly by its crispiness and flavors. It can be easily prepared and great to go with coffee or tea.
The Indian desserts are also mouth watering recipes that can be very tempting to everyone's appetite. You can always say that your meal is incomplete without even one of their commonly known delicious desserts like kulfi, gajjar ka halwa or gulab jamun.
Eating Indian foods are always a gastronomic experience. They regard their cooking highly that if asked about them, their food is always likely to be mentioned. Many people like their food that in fact you will see many Indian restaurants in foreign countries. The kebabs and other Persian restaurants are derived from Indian cooking.

Vegetarian Indian Meal Ideas For Students

Cooking may be the last thing on many (uni) students' minds. The fresher's culture in particular provides ample persuasion in the form of L1 drinks, 7-stop bar crawls, clubbing, house parties and of course sleeping all of that off, in preference of freshly cooked food. It probably doesn't help that campus supermarkets are often expensive and probably not the best stocked (least so for Indian groceries). Some students may just not know how to cook.
There are so many reasons why cooking vegetarian Indian food at home is the way forwards
• You may find yourself homesick. Although you may have been bursting to get away from home, being at home does have its virtues; at least you get a good home cooked meal.
• If you live of junk food, you will gain weight!
• You may find the vegetarian options limiting, depending on where you have gone to university or you may simply yearn for Indian food which is perhaps harder to source, depending on where you are.
• A diet that's poor in nutritional value will leave you feeling tired and lacking lustre, you may find it hard to stay awake and concentrate in those lectures. Then of course there are the spots and greasy hair that may come as a result of a bad diet
• Cooking vegetarian Indian food in your student home will be a great way to impress people and make friends. The very first meal I cooked for my now husband was when I was a fresher; channa masala (and I used tinned chickpeas).
Here I give you 12 delectable, really easy and speedy recipe ideas for vegetarian Indian dishes. Whether you are a student or a concerned parent, these ideas are real winners. I will also give you an idea of the basic spices to keep in the cupboard (don't worry; they have quite a long shelf life!)
Curry out of a can
Tinned Legumes and pulses can be stored in the cupboard and it's really easy to whip up a curry with them. Try Butterbeans ; fry off onions , garlic, cumin, and a sprig of curry leaves in a couple of tablespoons of oil, add turmeric and salt, add chilli powder, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and half a can of coconut milk. Then grate in 10g of ginger. Mop it up with some bread...its heart-warming.
Sweet corn curry is a popular favourite. Using the same spices as the butterbean curry, but this time, minus the coconut milk and add a couple of dark red chopped tomatoes and a handful of ground nuts to the mix. It's very Moorish. You can create more or less gravy simply by adding water. I like it quite dry with some yogurt.
Chickpea curry is a classic. I like to add a few twists to it, like spinach wilted in at just before I take it off the heat, or maybe some shallow fried tofu, or soya mince. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of dried fenugreek leave to chickpea curries; some people recognise this as a general curry aroma. If you want to avoid any of the spice-adding decisions, you can buy channa masala spices in a box from Indian grocers.
Fresh quickie Curries
Yes, fresh Indian ingredients can be hard to source, but that doesn't mean to say we can't use widely available vegetables to make a curry. Here is a great one for detox; spinach, dill and fenugreek curry. It's so aromatic and easy on the tummy. It contains Iron and fibre. All you do is chop then up, fry off a large onion and couple of spring onions in cumin, mustard seeds and a little garlic and then and all of your ingredients with a couple of chopped tomatoes. Spice with coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and turmeric. Cook in on a low flame for about 15mins and then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of garam masala at the end.
Here is another cheat, inspired by a traditional Gujarati recipe. Potato curry in thick, rich gravy. Take a mixing bowl; add one can of chopped tomatoes, 70g of coarsely ground unsalted peanuts, 1/2 cup of gram flour, then add 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt and chilli powder to taste, 1 tsp each of coriander powder and cumin powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala and 1 1/2 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves. The next bit is magic, all you do, is fry off an onion in some cumin and a sprig of curry leaves and then add a couple of cloves of garlic. Then add about 700g of baby new potatoes and coat them in the oil. Then add the mixture of tomatoes, gram, peanuts and spices. Add water to cover, and cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily.
There are other simple ideas that can be made from readily available vegetables, such as cauliflower curry (don't add any water), aubergine, cabbage (again, no water), or a simple avial which is made with julienned vegetables with desiccated coconut and curry leaves. Although many recipes call for traditional vegetables like tindori, you can make this with carrots, courgettes, baby corn.
I love the versatility of aubergines. I have three varieties in my fridge at the moment and I got them all from my local supermarket (not an Indian one!). With the largest aubergine, I'm going to roast it, scoop out the flesh and mash it a little with a fork. I'm then going to fry off onions, garlic, green chillies and a then soften a couple of fresh tomatoes and add in just salt and turmeric and a squeeze of lemon. With the Japanese style aubergines, I'm just going to make two slits opposite directions upwards from the base and then use the thick potato recipe with the aubergines, just with a nice helping of coriander. With the baby aubergines, I am going to half and then roast them and then submerge them in spicy tomato gravy.
Using Pasta
Pasta is also really versatile and you can stock up on it. I've heard many people say that they could eat pasta every day of the week...but for that, you'd need lots of inspiration...including some Indian inspiration I reckon.
One of our family favourites is what I call 'samosa filling pasta'. A couple of medium potatoes chopped, 1/2 cup of peas, a small carrot, maybe 1/2 cup of sweet corn kernels and a very large onion make the basis of the mix, spiced in chilli powder, turmeric, curry leaves and cumin seeds and a squeeze of lemon. Simply add in your pasta and there you have a meal for at least 2-3. Sometimes, I add cheese on top, and funnily enough, it works.
You could try shallow frying some vegetables like 1/2 head of a small cauliflower, some sweet potato and a cup of peas and then adding a gram flour and yogurt mix (400g of yogurt and 2 tbsp of gram flour). Just add some curry powder and that's how easy it is.
Indian Sandwich Ideas
One of my favourite sandwich recipes requires investing in some chat masala. It's not hot, but it's punchy and brings life to salads and sandwiches. I really recommend a 3 layer sandwich. Peel a potato and then slice it thickly. Boil until cooked, drain and cool. Then use ingredients like a little chilli sauce, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes. If you have some coriander, grind together a couple of handfuls with a couple of chillies, a little lemon and salt and a tbsp of water. Spread this on the bread...it's amazing. This sandwich throws my mind to the streets of Mumbai...anyway...Layer the vegetables on toasted bread, sprinkling chat masala gently.
I'd love to know how you get on with these user-friendly recipes. I'd love to hear what you think.
Warmest wishes,
Deena Kakaya

In the Mood For Latin & Caribbean Food?

If you are in the mood for something a little different for dinner, a Latin & Caribbean restaurant in Los Angeles will provide you with some exotic treats that must be experienced at least once in your lifetime. Los Angeles residents are fortunate to have so many restaurants in their backyard to sample and enjoy. You can literally have a different type of cuisine every day of the week and enjoy all of them thoroughly when you live in this wonderfully diverse part of the country.
Entertaining guests is a good chance to try out some Latin & Caribbean food or introduce a friend to this type of food. You can often find a good listing of restaurants in the local Los Angeles area by searching for restaurant guides online. You will find a listing of the available locations and in some cases a peek at the menu. This will give you the best opportunity to find a restaurant that you may have never tried before.
It's always a good idea to try new foods and step outside of your comfort zone to find delectable treats that might just become your favorite new foods. Sampling the foods of other cultures is also a wonderful way to become familiar with various parts of the world. If you are planning a trip to a Latin American or Caribbean country, trying out some of the food in your local Los Angeles restaurants can show you what you might expect on your holiday.
It might be helpful to read a few reviews of the local restaurants so that you can find one that meets your expectations. Read online reviews with a grain of salt. Just because someone had a bad experience in a restaurant does not mean that you will find the same problems. It could be that the restaurant had a bad night or that the person reviewing the restaurant is difficult to please. Of course, if you see frequent poor reviews, you might reconsider the Latin & Caribbean restaurant and choose another.
Frequent a few of the Latin & Caribbean restaurants in the area to find the one that you prefer. Some of these restaurants will be a formal or fine dining experience while others have a casual and relaxed atmosphere. Have a little fun with your research. It's the best way to find your favorite restaurants. You might end up in places that you don't care for once in a while, but you will also discover a few gems that will quickly become the place you go when you are in the mood for Latin & Caribbean food.
Frequenting the local restaurants in the Los Angeles area is a fun hobby to become involved with for the whole family. If you love good food and a pleasant atmosphere, this is right up your alley. You work hard for your money and when you head out to a restaurant, you want one that will give you consistent good food and great service.

I Love Italian Regional Cuisine - Pairing Piedmont Cuisine With Red Wine

Piedmont is home to some of Italy's finest red wines including Barolo which calls itself "The king of wines and the wine of kings." Piedmont was an integral part of the French Kingdom of Savoy whose capital was Turin, the present capital of Piedmont. Subsequently Turin became the capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia whose official name was Kingdom of Sardinia, Cyprus, and Jerusalem, Duchy of Savoy and Montferrat, Principality of Piedmont. With all these influences Piedmont it's no surprise that Piedmont is home to some great food.
Bagna Cauda (Anchovy and Garlic Dip) is a classic Piedmont dish, best enjoyed with Grissini, Turin breadsticks. Bagna Cauda is easy to make, but if you want to do it right, you have to keep it simmering. Enjoy this dish with a Barbera del Monferrato DOC or a Dolcetto d'Acqui DOC, both Piedmont wines.
If your budget is unlimited why not try Brasato al Barolo (Braised Beef with Barolo) that calls for a bottle of this noble wine for two pounds of top round beef? Marinate the mixture for 12-24 hours. For a real treat, lard the meat with pancetta, Italian bacon, before marinating. Obviously Barolo DOCG is the first choice for the wine pairing. Other good choices are the Taurasi DOCG from Campania at the southern end of Italy or the Valtellina Superiore DOCG from neighboring Lombardy. Don't tell anybody, but I would be tempted to cook the beef in one of these other wines and drink the Barolo.
Can you guess what is the special ingredient in Risotto al Barolo? Make sure to use high-quality Italian rice, extra-virgin olive oil, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. The best news is that for each cup and a half of rice you use only half a cup of Barolo. So there will be plenty wine left to accompany this king of risottos.
A less expensive pasta dish is Tajarin in Bianco con Tartufi (Tagliatelle in Butter with Truffles), unless you get carried away with the truffles. Purists make the pasta from scratch. Enjoy it with a Piedmont Barbera d'Alba DOC or a Tuscan Rosso di Montepulciano DOC.
My mouth just waters at the thought of a Lepre al Vino Rosso (Hare in Civet). The unskinned hare is supposed to hang by its back legs in a dark place for three days. I'm willing to take my chances on substituting rabbit for the hare. Among the many suggested wine pairings include Aglianico del Vulture DOC from the southern region of Basilicata (try to get one made from grapes grown in volcanic soil), Tuscany's Chianti Classico DOCG or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, or Abruzzo's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Termane DOCG. By the way, the latter two wines aren't even based on the same grape. Aren't Italian wines fun?
Have you ever had a sparkling red wine? You should. A fine choice is the Piedmont Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG also known as the Acqui DOCG. Enjoy it with Panetonne, a classic Italian Christmas cake, preferably one from The Piedmont.

Soul Food Recipes = Healthy Trend Continues

Soul food recipes has enjoyed a steady growth in interest over the summer months. More consumers are avoiding the heavy dishes of the past filled with fat, salt and calories and choosing lighter menu items. This trend grew after several reports from various health organizations stated traditional ingredients contained in soul food can cause health risk.
For example, such ingredients as fat back, ham hocks, deep-frying in animal fat (lard) as well as other items. These health organization did a good job of communicating these finding to the public. They've not only did a good job of reaching the public with their research but have offered alternatives. Many of those alternatives helped people who enjoyed these southern dishes to continue, but have required them to change some habits.
For example, consumers must eliminate cooking with animal fats and heavy oils. They contribute to medical ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. For healthier alternatives they suggest natural oils such as peanut oil, safflower, coconut or canola oil. These oils are lighter and have the least health dangers compared to other cooking oils.
People are getting the word, because sales of these oils have increased, despite rising prices. Another area suggested by most health organizations to increase the positive effects healthy soul food is to change cooking methods. Traditional soul food cooking meant deep-frying foods covered in lard or other heavy cooking oils.
Many organizations suggest pan frying in light oils or preferably cooking spray and sautéing or stir-frying. These methods are healthier, plus they help the food retain more vitamins. For example, there's a growing interest in stir -fried collard greens, turnip greens, and cabbage. These vegetables are staples of every soul food meal. Traditionally they're boiled in large amounts of water of up 2 hours. Doing this makes for tender and tasty greens. But the down-side to boiling the vegetables this long in water causes them to lose most of the valuable vitamins and nutrients .
That's why sautéing and stir-frying is much better. Why? Because they cook fast and tender, and the most important benefit is the valuable vitamins and nutrients retained from these cooking methods. Consumers continue to adapt their cooking and eating habits to these new findings. People are responding in larger numbers as they read more information on how to eat healthier and pay more attention to their diets. Health professionals (Doctors, Dieticians and Physical trainers) have also done an excellent job of suggesting these changes to their patients and clients.
Restaurants known for their traditional menus, have started to adapt to lighter menus, ingredients and cooking techniques to meet the growing demand for healthier soul food recipes.

Soul Food Recipes = Healthy Trend Continues

Soul food recipes has enjoyed a steady growth in interest over the summer months. More consumers are avoiding the heavy dishes of the past filled with fat, salt and calories and choosing lighter menu items. This trend grew after several reports from various health organizations stated traditional ingredients contained in soul food can cause health risk.
For example, such ingredients as fat back, ham hocks, deep-frying in animal fat (lard) as well as other items. These health organization did a good job of communicating these finding to the public. They've not only did a good job of reaching the public with their research but have offered alternatives. Many of those alternatives helped people who enjoyed these southern dishes to continue, but have required them to change some habits.
For example, consumers must eliminate cooking with animal fats and heavy oils. They contribute to medical ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. For healthier alternatives they suggest natural oils such as peanut oil, safflower, coconut or canola oil. These oils are lighter and have the least health dangers compared to other cooking oils.
People are getting the word, because sales of these oils have increased, despite rising prices. Another area suggested by most health organizations to increase the positive effects healthy soul food is to change cooking methods. Traditional soul food cooking meant deep-frying foods covered in lard or other heavy cooking oils.
Many organizations suggest pan frying in light oils or preferably cooking spray and sautéing or stir-frying. These methods are healthier, plus they help the food retain more vitamins. For example, there's a growing interest in stir -fried collard greens, turnip greens, and cabbage. These vegetables are staples of every soul food meal. Traditionally they're boiled in large amounts of water of up 2 hours. Doing this makes for tender and tasty greens. But the down-side to boiling the vegetables this long in water causes them to lose most of the valuable vitamins and nutrients .
That's why sautéing and stir-frying is much better. Why? Because they cook fast and tender, and the most important benefit is the valuable vitamins and nutrients retained from these cooking methods. Consumers continue to adapt their cooking and eating habits to these new findings. People are responding in larger numbers as they read more information on how to eat healthier and pay more attention to their diets. Health professionals (Doctors, Dieticians and Physical trainers) have also done an excellent job of suggesting these changes to their patients and clients.
Restaurants known for their traditional menus, have started to adapt to lighter menus, ingredients and cooking techniques to meet the growing demand for healthier soul food recipes

The Michelin Guide

As an excellent chef you must strive to know the recipes of a variety of dishes. And if you wish to make a mark in the culinary world then you must aim to win a Michelin Star awarded by The Michelin Guide.
The Michelin Red Guide is a series of the annual guidebooks that is among the oldest and most popular European restaurant and hotel guides. They also publish green guides for tourism and travel as well.
The Michelin Red Guide holds more listings than any other guide, depending upon its extensive scheme of symbols to explain every establishment in just two lines. The hotels and restaurants are rated with a star and are listed with 3 specialties. The Michelin Guide does not charge for the entries and conducts anonymous inspections. The best thing about Michelin guide is that it claims to visit the listed establishments once in every 18 months on an average to ensure that a restaurant maintains its standard and keeps the rating updated.
The Michelin guide utilizes a scheme of symbols to recognize the best restaurants and hotels within the comfort and affordability of everybody. The rating that is granted to any college depends on the following criteria:
The product quality used by a restaurant or hotel
The excellence in cooking and flavor
The persona of the cuisine
The consistence between the visits
The worth for the money
The Michelin star awards are honored to the restaurants that offer finest food without considering the cuisine style. The stars account only for the food served on the plate. The ambiance and look of the hotel, its service is some factors do not play much importance in deciding the rank of the hotel.
The Michelin stars awarded to a hotel or restaurant mean the following:
* (One Star): A very good restaurant in its category
** (Two Stars): Worth a detour and excellent cooking
*** (Three Stars): Exceptional cuisine worth a visit
Michelin also publishes a green guide for every French region and many other cities, counties and countries outside France. The information within the Michelin Guide is also available in various languages. The guide includes an alphabetical description of the points of interest and background information. The Michelin Green Guide also uses the 3 star system similar to that of Michelin Red Guide:
*** (Three Stars): Worth a Visit
** (Two Stars): Worth a Detour
* (One Star): Interesting
The Michelin guide also identifies the restaurants and hotels without any Bib gourmands or stars. Such hotels are ranked entirely on "Forks and Knives Scale". The Fork and knives ranking that has been awarded to every restaurant recognized within the guide ranges from 1 to 5.
The restaurants, independent of its ratings can also become eligible for symbols apart from their listings. Coins are awarded to the restaurants that serve a Food at a particular price or less. Magnificent and interesting view of the restaurant is awarded with a red or black symbol and Grapes are awarded to the restaurants or hotels that serve a remarkable assortment of wines.
Winning the Michelin Star means a lot for every chef. Not only is his enthusiasm boosted but his reputation is also raised in the market once his restaurant is honored with Michelin stars. It is the biggest honor for any chef. Chefs from all around the world work their best to win stars and increase the popularity of their restaurant by winning a Michelin Star.

Butter - Spreading the Truth and Dispelling the Myths

The last decade or so has - much to the dismay of large food corporations nationwide - seen a sharp rise in the number of people taking more of an interest and active role in improving their diets and consequently raising their overall health and fitness levels.
It is clear that good health and well-being will continue to become even stronger a priority for more and more people in the future. This is worrisome to processed and manufactured foods companies, and has likely spurred what appears to be many seedy attempts of theirs to undermine and control the flow of accurate information passed around with regards to the effects of various natural foods and diets on our health, in an effort to portray their manufactured foods as being superior options, thus retaining or growing their profits.
The popular transition from butter to artificial alternatives is a particularly prominent illustration of this. We've been bombarded with news report after news report about various so-called scientific discoveries claiming a link between eating natural butters and an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and a myriad of other awful diseases. Supposedly, the saturated animal fats that make up natural butters are the root cause of many dangerous and life-threatening diseases, and should be cut of our diets as much as possible - replaced instead by "healthier" hydrogenated fats found in artificially manufactured spreads. But how much of this is the truth, and to what extent do these companies have an effect on the information we are exposed to being biased in their favor?
Bearing the aforementioned accusations in mind, you may well find it rather surprising that when Dr. Weston Price heavily researched natives diets in the 1930s, his findings were that butter (being a staple in their diets) actually had no noticeable negative health impact at all. These were some immensely healthy people.
In addition, statistics tell us that during the period between 1920 and 1960, the amount of butter consumed on a per-person per-year basis decreased from around 18 pounds per year to a mere 4. At the same time cases of heart disease were up drastically where previously cases had been very rare. It seems unfair to accuse butter as being detrimental to ones health when there is much evidence to the contrary, and evidence in support of the accusations is skewed.
The overwhelming majority of indications are that real butter has a positive health impact. There are many vitamins found in saturated animal fats which are integral to the strengthening of the immune system and the warding off of many diseases including the likes of cancer. Studies have shown that butter can have a positive effect on arthritis and can also lessen the risk of Osteoporosis, problems with the thyroid glands and can promote good gastrointestinal health

5 Benefits of Eating Raw Foods

Why would anyone want to change to Raw Foods when they can take pleasure in eating sweet cake, cookies, ice cream, salty chips, or other fatty foods loaded with flavor? A healthier lifestyle and plenty of energy is the reason why.
Just what is a raw foods diet? It's eating uncooked and unprocessed foods as a large percentage of the diet and most people prefer organic raw foods.
There is more than one type of raw foods diet. In some only fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are acceptable. Others may allow meat, fish and some dairy foods as a protein source. It's best if foods are eaten uncooked but foods that are cooked should be lightly heated. If food is heated above a certain high temperature valuable nutrients are destroyed and that would totally defeat the purpose.
People who choose to change to Raw Foods do so because of the benefits. Some may feel it's a sacrifice in the beginning but eventually when they are healthy and full of energy it no longer feels that way.
Here are 5 good reasons why you should make the switch: 1. Your body will be less prone to sickness due to a healthier immune system. 2. Contains live enzymes to aid in your digestion and improve metabolism. 3. You will be able to maintain a healthy body weight due to fewer calories consumed. 4. Healthy intestinal flora will improve your digestion. 5. You will be more energetic.
A change in any diet requires active awareness but there are several things you should be aware of if you decide to start eating raw foods as a primary part of your diet. - It requires considerably more time because you have to prepare meals from scratch. - If you like to eat out it will take discipline since most restaurants don't offer this dietary option. - At the start you may experience an increased appetite as your body adjust to the changes. - You may experience signs of detoxification such as headaches, nausea and other symptoms.
If you have any type of medical condition or you are pregnant you should consult your doctor first. Changing to raw foods can be a challenge but in the end the rewards should be very satisfying.

Get Money For Your Home Business

All too often people don't realize the importance of having adequate funding for their business ventures. When you are working on a new home business it is no different. Home business funding is available and you need to know how to get your hands on it.
Any new business will take sometime before it is profitable. Don't assume you will be in the out of the black in the first week. It may take some time. That is why before you quit your day job you should be keep working until your online home business really demands your full attention. This way your income and financial situation remains stable while you build it up.
Then next step is to truly determine what are the expenses you home-based venture will have. One of the best ways to determine potential business expenses is to talk with other business owners in a similar field. This will give you a ton of insight on how to cut costs and run things efficiently. Your goal should always be to cut costs and increase profits.
One of the costs that home business owners seems to forget is their time. What is your time worth? Keep track of the time you spend on your business. It is very easy to spend way too much time and even more time than necessary on your business. Don't spend more time than you have to on your business. Spend time with your families and spend time doing the things you love. The cost of missing out on these things can not be confined to a simple spreadsheet.
Home business financing is available but make sure you get only the amount you need and use it on things that will increase revenue and decrease costs. Working online from home can be a great experience when done right

Communication is a Key Element to Home Business Success

A key element of business success is to have good communication skills, and it is no different with a home business. Communication is how you grow your business whether online or off. The main difference is how you are communicating. With a home based business your main methods for communication are through writing. You want to ensure that your writing is about helping people not just a sales pitch.

When using email for communicating, you want to be professional, but at the same time you don't want to come across in a threatening or overbearing manner. You want to convey what your business is, but not be a sales pitch. A great method is to simply add a signature to the bottom of your emails that includes your name, company name and web site, and a quick description of what your business does. This method gets your message out, but you are not selling anything. The recipient has the option of following through with looking at your site.
Using messenger services is a good way to communicate with potential customers. It is a good idea to have an account with the bigger messenger companies (Yahoo, MSN, AIM, etc.) as it does limit or require your customer to open new accounts just to communicate with you. In today's age, most computers have at least one messenger service. The great thing about messenger services is it gives the customer direct contact with you in a non-threatening environment. Set up a common name and have it applicable to your business. Do not use a personal service, but have it just for business.

Skype is becoming a good way to communicate with your clients, they can set up appointments with you through email, then talk directly to you. It allows you to talk without giving out your personal information. Skype is a good to have as many people want to know that you are a real person, rather than a computer generated message.

The essence of business communication is the same, you need to be professional and approachable to your clients and customers. By integrating the three above methods into your home business, you are meeting the needs of both your personal life and business communication needs.

Save Your Family From Asbestos ExposureHow to Make a Free Family Tree TodayFairly Tales Come True

Homeowners Asbestos Prevention Guidelines:
- Do not remove or destruction asbestos material. - Consult asbestos professionals or the EPA pro difficult & confiscation in rank. - Don't dust, sweep or vacuum waste with the intention of could contain asbestos. - Don't proverb, sand, scrape or drill holes in asbestos equipment. - Don't aid abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip swell from asbestos carpet. Never aid a power stripper on a dry floor. - Don't sand or try to level asbestos carpet or its financial assistance. When asbestos carpet needs replacing, install extra floor casing ended it, When doable. - Don't track material with the intention of may possibly contain asbestos through the household, call an asbestos professionals or the EPA pro difficult & confiscation in rank.
The Federal law requires schools to identify asbestos-containing material in teach buildings and take appropriate proceedings to control relief of asbestos fibers. Befall aware. Guidelines pro appointing a qualified asbestos service provider:

- Check to think it over When the service provider is accredited by the Federal Government. - befall aware with the intention of approximately contractors could remove material incorrectly and still charge a significant fee. - Require references from the service provider and check them to think it over When the contractor's bring about is satisfactory. - Require the service provider to state his safety procedures in prose. - Consider hiring a certified asbestos consultant to assess safety procedures and oversee the performance of the service provider.
How must the homeowner renovate or remove asbestos?

For more in rank on asbestos identification and control activities, friend the Asbestos Coordinator in the EPA Regional Office pro your region, or your state or community shape specialty. How can asbestos content in equipment be single-minded?

When asbestos is supposed of being bestow in building equipment, it is valuable to be inflicted with the equipment tested by a qualified laboratory. Visual inspection lonely is not sufficient to identify the presence of asbestos. However, such difficult could not be right When the material is in skilled condition, in which justification it is preeminent to leave it in place. If the material is damaged, or will be disturbed all through habitual household activities or remodeling, it must be tested. What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a generic stretch, which describes a assemble of diverse, genuinely occurring, fibrous mineral deposits. These mineral deposits occur as bundles of strong, flexible fibers with the intention of are chemically inert, sort out not burn, and be inflicted with skilled insulating properties. Where is asbestos found in the family?

Asbestos has been used in a lot of products found in the family to give filling, strength, and fire protection. Inside 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) announced a phased forbid of asbestos products to be concluded by 1996. The generally ordinary items in the family with the intention of could contain asbestos are:

- Vinyl carpet - Duct wrapping on heating and air conditioning systems - Insulation on sweltering fill up pipes and boilers, especially in houses built from 1920 to 1972 - Some roofing, shingles, and siding - Ceiling and wall filling in approximately houses built or remodeled linking 1945 and 1978 - Sheet rock taping compounds and approximately ceiling equipment - Asbestos with the intention of has been sprayed on ceilings often has a spongy, "cottage cheese" advent with unconventional soft surfaces. The manufacturers can give in rank on the asbestos content of family products. A Certified Asbestos Consultant can be hired to determine whether or not asbestos is bestow and to produce advice in this area how to take trouble of it safely

How to Make a Free Family Tree TodayFairly Tales Come True

Creating a family tree is something that everybody may have done as a school project. Back then, elementary or high school teachers required students to cut pictures of their relatives and have them put the cut outs in a self - made family tree. It is often required to make the students more proud of their relatives and heritage.
Family trees are often composed of boxes. Those boxes are interconnected with each other to signify the relationship of one family member to another. For example, people who are married are often connected through a horizontal line. Parents and children on the other hand are commonly linked to each other with the use of a vertical or a diagonal line with an upward or downward orientation.
Technically, a three generation family tree is relatively easy to make. Why? Because it would only show you with your siblings, your parents with their brothers and sisters and the generation of your grand parents as well. So researching is not exactly hard. All you need to do is to sit down with your mom and your dad and perhaps have them supply you with the information that you need. However, this method of research may not be too effective if you are planning to go further than the third or fourth generation. For one, looking for a resource person may be quite difficult if most of them turn out to be elderly, forgetful or worse, deceased.
So what are you to do? Here are some resources that can help you start to make a free family tree of your own.
1. On Hand Documents It is always start with all the resources that are available right at your home. These resources can be documents like birth, death and residency certificates. These certificate can give you important data that can help you get started.
2. Public Documents If the mentioned documents are not readily available, you can always visit your local state house to check what kind of records they have about your ancestors. Just be warned though that doing the research this way can be tiresome and time consuming.
3. Genealogy Websites Using the Internet as a source can also be very helpful. By providing them with the salient information that they require, the may be able to come up with a list of your possible relatives in just minutes. All you need to do then is to check out the list of names to see which among those possible matches are your relatives. However, the services of these websites are not entirely free you should be ready to shell out some bucks for them.
Then again, if you are someone who are someone who loves to keep a personal touch to your family chart, you can always go for the first two research methods. If you are a novice at this and you do not know where to start, you can always get self - help ebooks like The Kitchen Table Genealogist that can teach you how to make a free family tree in no time.

Fairly Tales Come True

am a member of Reverse Phone number services as they have helped me in so many ways; verifying numbers on my phone bill, tracing numbers that are costing me a fortunate on minutes from tele-marketers, or finding out the location of potential clients that call. I have been so pleased, although I never knew the member benefits would make a fairy tale come true. One of the many member benefits of reverse phone detective is access to advanced people searches - like reuniting with classmates. Our ten year high school reunion was coming up, and I was really bored one day at work so I decided to take advantage of my member benefits and look up the captain, Jake, of the Football Team from my old high school days, for a sneak preview. I had the biggest crush on Jake, but what girl didn't?!

I always dreamed we would go to prom together, although we didn't. I was kind of a dorky, awkward girl in school, so obviously Jake didn't even know I existed, but like all of us, I grew up, and became a confident and successful lady. Anyway, I found Jake on there and made contact with him certain he wouldn't remember me. Well, to my surprise - he did, he was very nice, but treated me very buddy-buddy, like a friend - nothing more. We would talk here and there, and finally I asked him out for a drink, he said okay, but in a nice way made it clear that it was just 2 friends having a drink. We met at a local bar, and well, he had not changed a bit, what a hunk! He barley recognized me, and wouldn't stop telling me how great I looked all night! He asked me to be his date to our 10 year high school reunion! I guess fairy tales can come true! The advanced people search member benefit on reverse phone detective is worth the membership alone, not to mention all the other great futures they provide you with. Thanks to Reverse Phone number services I was the envy of all the girls at our reunion.

Sickingly Sweet

Shadows cascade against the walls of an alley. Two men are standing in the center. One hands over the cash, the other a pack of powder. Thus the sale of poison is completed, and another life dwindles down the drain of the steaming city.

Governments throughout the world condone these transactions and have declared a war on drugs. They have sentenced many kingpins and dealers to the pen and kept them there till their expiration date. What if these governments were involved the scheme? What if our own government was responsible for the poisoning of tens of millions of its citizens every day? What if our nation's citizens happily lined up in bright aisles to receive their daily doses?
This may sound like the plot of a best selling science fiction novel but it is happening all around us, from vending machines to supermarket shelves. Refined sugar is poison. The side effects of sugar include, but are not limited to a weakened immune system, tooth decay, poor behavior and cognition in children, increased stress, depression, deplenishment of important bodily nutrients, diabetes, chromium deficiency, and even cancer.

U.S. food manufacturers are aware of these complications, but are more interested in churning a profit than consumer health. As a consequence, they search for the cheapest manufacturing techniques and apply them. They have found pumping high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners into the food we eat cuts the cost of production. In turn, they zap it into foods not associated with sugar content.

The average American consumes corn as high fructose corn syrup more than any other form, according to the ABC 60 Minutes documentary "The Food Industry is Deceiving You". The documentary also stated, according to the department of agriculture if American's were to apply to a well balanced diet, nearly twice the acres of fruits and vegetables would have to be grown.
In fact, according to the documentary, the majority of the new food products that flood the market each year are packaged and are junk food. The majority of these products contain sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose or other sweeteners. "Fats and sugars get 3 times as many subsidies and fruits and vegetables."

The FDA often does not burst onto the scene unless there is a huge public backlash. As a matter of fact, it has shown a continual lax of enforcement on food companies for years. This has been apparent in the recent salmonella peanut butter outbreak. " Nutritionists nickname for the FDA is the Fraud and Death Administration." Susan Zimmer, Osteopathic Physician and Holistic Medicine Specialist said. The FDA has even been known to accept bribes from these companies if they will overlook them.

According the 2002 U.S. Census Bureau, the average American's consumes 45 teaspoons of sugar a day. " That adds up to a whopping 675 empty calories," Dr. Gott the Author of the column "Ask Dr. Gott," said. This opposes the nutritionist recommended 2 teaspoons a day. It is no wonder we have seen a dramatic increase in childhood obesity and learning disabilities in recent years. According to the 2002 U.S. Census bureau survey 65% of American are either overweight or obese. If something isn't done soon being thin and healthy will be an abnormality.
Thirty years ago our children snacked of cheese, crackers, fruits, and vegetables. Today's children gorge themselves on candy bars, soda pop, potato, chips, and gummy snacks. These foods are not only unhealthy; they verge on being dangerous. According to How the Food Industry is Deceiving you, you have to peddle your bike an hour to burn off the calories in a liter of soda and six hours to burn of the calories in a McDonalds value meal. "We have really changed the nature of what we call a snack," said Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition UNC at Chapel Hill.
High sugar foods are bad for you because the body digests them too quickly. " The bottom line is the faster your body digests your food the sooner you will be hungry again and the more you will eat in the long run," Dr. Gott said. He said when you eat sugar a rush of glucose rushes into you body the moment it is consumed. " When blood is flooded with sugar and glucose this way you experience a temporary sugar "High" caused by a spike in your blood sugar level," Gott said. " A short time after later, as the glucose leaves your system just as quickly as it entered it, you experience a "crash" which leaves you feeling fatigued and hungry as your body craves more fuel." The best foods to eat are complex sugars and fibers because the body digests them slowly, as a consequence you don't feel hungry as often.

Sugar is addictive, almost as addictive as cocaine. It is no wonder why so many people in this country cheat when they attempt to apply a low calorie diet. Often these addicts malnourished, due to sugar's replacement of the minerals in their body. This is often the case with Chocoholics. " Besides sugar, a chocoholics unknowingly also crave the magnesium in Chocolate." Zimmer said. She said that her job as a nutritionist is to help the patient find healthy ways of restoring chemical balance to their body.

According to Zimmer, there are things that people can use as alternative to sugar. "When I make apple pie I use bananas to sweeten it," She advised buying plain yogurt and mixing the fruit in yourself, because name brand yogurt companies pack sugar into flavored yogurt products. This goes to show that one can live healthy while partaking in some of life's sweetness, there are also many benefits to be had in avoiding sweets.

"If you do not indulge in sweets, sugars and processed foods, especially from and early age, you can eliminate any and all tooth decay" Dr Mercola, Osteopathic Physician, St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates, IL said. "There are many cultures throughout the world who avoid sugar and as a consequence are nearly cavity free." Zimmer said, as a parent, she makes sure she does not keep any sugar inside of her house

Play the 'Game of Life' With Feeling

Resistance and doubt stop the flow of everything you desire from coming to you. People look upon making changes in how they think, feel, and act as the hardest 'work' they've ever done in their lives. And when the process is approached with this attitude it really is super-hard 'work.'
Stop looking at it as 'work' right now!

When you focus your energy and attention on your desires and dreams make it a wonderful 'GAME' you are ALLOWED to play rather than thinking of it as 'work.' Once you begin to focus on this as the greatest 'game' you will ever play in life it takes on a whole new meaning.
'Work' creates resistance, playing a 'game' is great fun. This definitely is a serious game, the 'Game of Life,' but understand that anyone, anywhere can play. Just like any other game there are 'levels' of skill and competency. We all start out as 'rookies' in the beginning but as we study and practice our skill level increases and our life begins to change at the same time.


Michael Jordan didn't just walk out on the basketball court one day and join the Chicago Bulls. Derek Jeter didn't just show up at Yankee Stadium and say "I will play shortstop." Serena Williams didn't simply show up with her tennis racket and win Wimbledon a couple weeks ago.
These people all honed their skills at a game over the course of their lifetime. That's exactly what you need to do with the development of your 'inner self' for the rest of your life. Manifesting your desires and dreams into your life is not rocket science. It can be done by anyone. It's simply a matter of playing your 'game of life' with FEELING.

It's becoming 'passionate' about what you want in life. Instead of attempting to 'force' or 'will' your desires and dreams into your life begin to 'FEEL' them into your life. Your FEELINGS affect everything that happens in your life. They are more powerful than your thoughts. They connect directly with your subconscious mind with super intensity.

Your desires and dreams come into your mind only because they are attainable for you. If they were not they would never even appear in your thoughts. So whatever you can dream know you can achieve it. The Universe presents them to you because it wants to give them to you. All you have to do is stop the resistance and doubt and ALLOW them to come to you easlily and effortlessly. If you are not attracting your desires and dreams into your life you may be 'thinking' too much. You cannot 'think' your way to all your desires/dreams, BUT you can FEEL your way to them.

You may be focusing way too much on the 'how' of attracting your desires and dreams. It is NOT your job to worry about 'how.' The Universe will take care of that for you. You may also be focusing on the fact that they 'are not in your life yet.' This keeps your focus on what you don't have and pinches the flow of your vibrating energy and keeps them from coming to you.
Your job is to focus your thoughts on your desires and 'FEEL' them into your life. FEEL what it would be like to have all your desires and dreams in your life right now. FEEL the differences your desires and dreams will make in your life if you have them right now. FEEL how it will affect your family and friends when your desires manifest. FEEL what the rest of your life will be like.

Use this 'game plan' to manifest your desires and dreams with FEELINGS...
1.) Understand that no matter what your position in life is right now you are ALLOWED to have all desires and dreams your mind can imagine. When you form desires and dreams in your mind and use FEELINGS to shape them, the Universe then WANTS to give you these same desires and dreams. That's it's job and how it all works. The Universe manifests them THROUGH YOU.
2.) Imagine your desires and dreams are like a flower seed. You plant the seed in your mind, focus your energy and attention on it often, water it with consistent thought and FEELINGS, and the Universe will grow the seeds into beautiful flowers for you.

3.) Once you create detailed desires and dreams your job is to find the right 'vibrations' to 'match' what you want. Vibrations are created by your FEELINGS. In other words, it's your job to use your powerful imagination to align your FEELINGS of already experiencing your desires/dreams in your life, which then creates the right 'vibrations' that causes the Universe to bring you what you want.

4.) These 'vibrations' created by your FEELINGS will cause the Universe to bring the people, situations, circumstances, and events into your life to make your desires/dreams a reality.
5.) Understand that your FEELINGS create 'vibrational energy' that FLOWS. You're either creating good energy right now or bad energy right now. When you focus your FEELINGS on 'what-is' (how things are right now) you will attract more of the same. Shift to focusing your FEELINGS on 'what-will-be' and you begin aligning the good energy vibrations to bring you what you want.

6.) ALLOWING happens when you are NOT RESISTING. You are ALLOWING when your FEELINGS are focused on what you want with intense belief your are going to have it. Using your imagination to have what you want in your mind makes it real for the Universe to bring it into your physical world. Stay DETACHED from needing it, focus on how wonderful it will be to have it.

7.) If DOUBT attempts to creep into your mind immediately kick it out. Doubt pinches the alignment of your good energy vibrations. The more you kick doubt out of your mind the less it will appear and will eventually disappear.

8.) Know that the Universe has an infinite number of unseen ways to bring you and your desires together when you stay in a 'state of allowing.' When you CHOOSE to simply 'allow' you become less 'attached' to your desires and they will flow to you quicker. When you CHOOSE to simply 'allow' doubt and resistance fade away.

Get it out of your brain that creating your desires/dreams is 'work' and begin to make it a 'game' you are fortunate to play. Stop thinking so much about what you don't have and begin to FEEL, with your heart and soul, how it will be when you have everything you want. Use your powerful emotions and begin to intensely FEEL...CoachDoug
Doug Allan Dammeier is an award-winner writer and life coach living in the mountains of western Washington state. His FREE newsletter 'Change Your Life News' is read in all 50 U.S. states and in over 60 countries worldwide. You can sign up for this powerful free newsletter

Start Improving Your Life

If you're looking at improving your life, the improvements can come in many forms. First, one must analyze the areas of his or her life in which improvements can be made.

If you're an unhappy person then it would be wise to trace back to the roots of your discontent and begin formulating a plan for improving your life from them. For some people, they lack enough interaction with others and wish to be more engaged with their fellow man. For others, they need more isolation. Some folks are looking to lose weight or exercise more to tone their bodies, while others want more sleep, or to fight off an ailment. Others still want a promotion at work, or to reconcile with old/lost friends, or to meet the right person to spend the rest of their life with.

But more than likely, improving your life is some combination of these topics (and others). Look at what you want to improve once you've identified it/them, and begin brainstorming and consulting with others about how to go about it. Seek counsel from loved ones, go to a library or online and read up on those topics, or get professional assistance from someone with experience if time and money will allow it.

Whatever you do, make sure you're fair to yourself and that you don't compromise on your end goals. Don't aim to do too much too quickly, either. Set and record milestones to remind yourself of the progress you hope to make, and to provide perspective as you go for how far you've come. If your self improvement is weight loss, for example, take a picture of yourself the same day each week and write your weight on that picture, and after a few weeks go through your collection to see how far you've come. It's extra motivation that what you're doing is working!

Deep Voice Training - Tone Your Squeaky Voice!

Mickey Mouse became an icon speaking in that high-pitched, squeaky voice. But when a voice like that comes out of a man who is not doing voice-over work for cartoons, then your first reaction is to go for the mousetrap. A man with a high-pitched voice is unfortunately the butt of jokes. It's not fair, but that's just the way it is. Isaac Hayes gets the chicks, Mickey Mouse gets the cheese. But what exactly is the root cause behind high voices and what can be done about it? There are deep voice training techniques that you can do.

Let's consider how your voice works. We all know that the voice comes out of the larynx or voice box, which contains the vocal cords. Think of the voice box as being like a guitar. If you want to make the guitar sound higher, you tighten the strings; if you want a lower tone, you loosen the strings. Extending this analogy, the muscles of your larynx are like those guitar strings - when they are tense, then your voice becomes high-pitched.

To illustrate this principle, try humming with your head facing the floor and gradually move your head upwards. You'll notice that as your head moves upwards, your humming becomes higher.
Hence, to get rid of that squeaky voice, you need deep voice training that will address this tightness in the larynx. There are several well-known principles that many men have used to tone their voice with. It's amazing how much respect you immediately receive when people hear your booming voice

Deepen Your Voice - Learn How!

Do you feel like a prepubescent boy in a man's body? If you feel like Mickey Mouse has more chances at getting a date than you because of your squeaky voice, it is time to take control of the way your life is going. You do not have to deal with the way your voice sounds.

You can deepen your voice in just a few days. Yes, it can be done, but you have to be committed and driven enough to do it. Your voice is your passport to a better life. You will feel good both inside and out when you have broken out of the socially debilitating effects of being a grown man with a squeaky voice. There are specialized methods you can learn to achieve the tone you want.
If you want to draw the attention of girls, and if you can find the strength and determination to do something about your squeaky voice, then you can gain more respect and get what you want. Changing the timber of your voice doesn't require medication or surgery, either. There are certain exercises to deepen your voice that involve working out your neck muscles to condition your voice box, among several other methods. Within a few days of practicing these methods, you are able to take surprisingly excellent control of your voice. With your new-found modulated voice, you can get more of the attention that you have been craving all your life and the kind of treatment any decent person deserves.

Which Online Game Rental Service is the Best?

Let me start by saying that this is written by a gamer and as a gamer I consider a lot when comparing one online game rental service to another. Ironically, the same items are reviewed when comparing online game rental services to in-store ones. There are a few words that are held in higher regard by gamers like me than any other when it comes to nabbing video games, whether you get them online or in-store. Those words are; "selection", "availability", "accessibility" and "price" or SAAP. Let me break it down for you a bit further.

Selection:Though every aspect of SAAP is crucial for a successful online game rental service, selection holds a bit more weight than availability, accessibility or price. Companies need to be able to offer not only what is new but also the games that are not so new anymore that we still enjoy playing. You can pre-buy video games but why can't you pre-rent them? With online game rental services you can. Reserve a copy early and make sure you get the game the day it comes out without ever leaving your home.

Availability:Availability is pretty much worthless without selection, what good is it if they have 100 copies of polar bear bowling? Wherever you get your video games from you need them to have a good selection but what good is carrying the best games out there if they only have 1 copy of it? 1000 copies of a game for an online game rental service can be just as useless. Some of the more obscure online game rental servicesOnly have 1 distribution center and if you only have 1000 copies of a highly anticipated new release like Killzone 2 was or GTA4 than 1000 copies doesn't go very far when divided by an entire country of gamers.

Accessibility:This is probably the number one concern on a gamers mind when they are considering an online game rental service. We want our games when we want our games right? But the problem with that "today not tomorrow" philosophy is that you are relying on in-store game rental companies to supply you with the game you WANT when you want it and we all know from experience that 9 out of 10 times they cannot deliver. So you end up waiting much much longer to play the game you've been craving than 24 hours. Selection and availability are great no doubt about it. If in-store game rental companies like Blockbuster offered superior selection and availability than there would be no room in a gamers market for a single online game rental service. However, they do not, have not and most likely will not ever get it right.
Price:Price is price guys. Let's face it no rental service for video games is going to cost you or save you thousands of dollars each month and while it's important to save what you can why pay $3 dollars less to be frustrated. Now that is not to say that you have to pay more. Many of the best online game rental services can afford to give you the best deals and hence the best of SAAP available

Get Yourself Some Memory Foam Bedding

How is your sleep situation? Do you feel like you are completely comfortable and happy during your sleep? Do you ever feel any pain in your legs, neck, or back? If you do, you mind need to get a new mattress or add some new bedding to make your bed more comfortable.
The first step in trying to alleviate any sort of injury or pain from sleep is to make sure that you are sleeping on the right sort of mattress. How old

If you simply want a softer bed, you might look into memory foam bedding. Memory foam is a new, comfortable material that is extremely soft and very comfortable to sleep on. Anybody who has experienced this type of foam knows what true comfort is. You can buy bedding that is made out of this material as a quick fix to your sleeping issues.

Additionally, you might consider buying a whole new mattress. In this case, look for a memory foam mattress! You will sleep like a baby on this form fitting comfortable material. These mattresses, however, do cost a bit more than regular box spring mattresses. The reason why is that they are very comfortable, and worth the money!

Don't waste any more time sleeping on an uncomfortable surface. If you wish you had a better bed, look into new bedding or a new mattress. Your body will thank you for it.

Music CDs and DVDs in London For Gay Men

There are plenty of music stores in London, so what differentiates normal music stores from gay music shops in London. Gay music shops are shops that have friendly and knowledgeable staff, means no homophobic people to turn and say awkwardly "May I help you?'. Another thing that you might look for is knowledgeable staff that can give you tips and suggestions based on your taste.
Not all music stores in London can promise you this but many of them actually go out of their way to please you and help you in all ways they can.
Gay music shops in London
Browsing through rows and rows of music stores in London can be cheerfully exciting but also painfully exhausting. Some of the music stores in London that offer every possible compilation you want in the best deals ever are listed here:
Rough Trade
Ask anyone in Covent Garden, where Rough Trade is and you are lead to an independent shop tucked away in Neals Yard. It is one of the best independent music stores in London and if there is something you don't find at HMV, you are going to be lucky here. Rough Trade has offset a cult status with different kind of music lovers from gays to hippies and from punk rockers to soul music lovers frequenting them.
Revival Records
Rare singles album, US indie, labels like Matador, guitar based rock - you will find the rarest of compilations here. This shop in SoHo is something that most gay Londoners cannot resist. Their separate shop for soul and dance is a gay man's dream come true. If in London, looking for music shops, you just cannot miss this shop!
Sister Ray
Whether you are looking for cheap music CDs and DVDs or second hand stuff, you are going to get everything here. Their racks are neatly piled with alphabetically organized albums. From metal to trance, from new releases to single albums, your investigation though tiring will never let you down. This shop is located at Berwick Street, haven for film and music lovers.
Mister CD
This place is jam packed on weekends and most of their chart albums cost you not more than a tenner. Don't forget to check their basement, where you can get CDs for as low as a £1. Tourists, who are mostly men, frequent this place. Perhaps, this is the reason that you can catch some footie here, an unusual thing for a music store!
Some other music shops in London are Selectadisc and Music and Video Exchange. The latter has branches in Soho, Camden and Notting Hill. The ambience of this store is friendly. However, you need to beware as they have a wacky pricing policy and you just might spend more than you would a week later.
Some other music shops in London are Soul Brother (soul and reggae), Honest Jon's (reggae, hip hop soul and r' n 'b), Minus Zero (alternative and quirky), Resurrection Records (black metal industrial and goth) and BM Soho (dance music).
Benefits of online CD and DVD store
If you don't have time on your hand or you can't muster enough energy to check out overwhelming number of CDs and DVDs in local music stores, you can get everything you want online and save your time and energy as a plus.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Basic Computer Education - The Importance of Computer Education Centers

If you have not been in a coma for the past 10 years then you probably have a computer in your home. As the technology changes and improves everyday it is becoming almost impossible for you to accomplish any task without the help of a computer. With the rapid growth of the computer industry there is also a rapid growth for the need of qualified computer professionals and this article will talk about where you need to go to get some basic computer education.
A computer center is the place you should go for basic computer education and these centers teach you a variety of things. Computer centers teach those in all different forms of learning from beginners to advanced computing skilled professionals. Other computer centers focus on teaching their students a certain operating system or programming language which will eventually make them experts in that area.

The most general computer courses you can take will teach you some basic skills with the operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, or Unix. Other things that you will learn are some of the most used pieces of software such as Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, etc. The more advanced courses will cover topics such as graphic designing, system administration and network administration, security specialization, etc.

Like most schools computer education centers will vary in the size, teaching methods, and quality of the teaching. There are some centers that are only able to teach a few students while other schools are going to be able to teach hundreds. You should try to find a computer education center that provides you with basic computer education that is good quality while still having small classes. Just because the class is big does not mean it is the best quality plus you get less personalized attention from the teachers.

Another factor when you are looking for a place to get computer education you should find places that have been certified by the leading computer companies. If a computer education center has been certified by the leading companies in the computer world such as Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, etc. you should join those schools because those companies have given permission to those schools to teach products that have been released by them.

Basic Computer Education - The Importance of Computer Education Centers

If you have not been in a coma for the past 10 years then you probably have a computer in your home. As the technology changes and improves everyday it is becoming almost impossible for you to accomplish any task without the help of a computer. With the rapid growth of the computer industry there is also a rapid growth for the need of qualified computer professionals and this article will talk about where you need to go to get some basic computer education.
A computer center is the place you should go for basic computer education and these centers teach you a variety of things. Computer centers teach those in all different forms of learning from beginners to advanced computing skilled professionals. Other computer centers focus on teaching their students a certain operating system or programming language which will eventually make them experts in that area.
The most general computer courses you can take will teach you some basic skills with the operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, or Unix. Other things that you will learn are some of the most used pieces of software such as Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, etc. The more advanced courses will cover topics such as graphic designing, system administration and network administration, security specialization, etc.
Like most schools computer education centers will vary in the size, teaching methods, and quality of the teaching. There are some centers that are only able to teach a few students while other schools are going to be able to teach hundreds. You should try to find a computer education center that provides you with basic computer education that is good quality while still having small classes. Just because the class is big does not mean it is the best quality plus you get less personalized attention from the teachers.
Another factor when you are looking for a place to get computer education you should find places that have been certified by the leading computer companies. If a computer education center has been certified by the leading companies in the computer world such as Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, etc. you should join those schools because those companies have given permission to those schools to teach products that have been released by them.

Basic Computer Education - The Importance of Computer Education Centers

If you have not been in a coma for the past 10 years then you probably have a computer in your home. As the technology changes and improves everyday it is becoming almost impossible for you to accomplish any task without the help of a computer. With the rapid growth of the computer industry there is also a rapid growth for the need of qualified computer professionals and this article will talk about where you need to go to get some basic computer education.
A computer center is the place you should go for basic computer education and these centers teach you a variety of things. Computer centers teach those in all different forms of learning from beginners to advanced computing skilled professionals. Other computer centers focus on teaching their students a certain operating system or programming language which will eventually make them experts in that area.
The most general computer courses you can take will teach you some basic skills with the operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, or Unix. Other things that you will learn are some of the most used pieces of software such as Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, etc. The more advanced courses will cover topics such as graphic designing, system administration and network administration, security specialization, etc.
Like most schools computer education centers will vary in the size, teaching methods, and quality of the teaching. There are some centers that are only able to teach a few students while other schools are going to be able to teach hundreds. You should try to find a computer education center that provides you with basic computer education that is good quality while still having small classes. Just because the class is big does not mean it is the best quality plus you get less personalized attention from the teachers.
Another factor when you are looking for a place to get computer education you should find places that have been certified by the leading computer companies. If a computer education center has been certified by the leading companies in the computer world such as Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, etc. you should join those schools because those companies have given permission to those schools to teach products that have been released by them.

Energy Drinks Can Be Dangerous If Overused

If there was one fundamental flaw with these drinks it would be that they are dangerous if you overuse them. Now I know that is not saying very much because almost anything can be dangerous if it is overused; candy bars, sodas, cheeseburgers and yes even some vitamins. So what makes this general knowledge so important when applied to energy drinks? It is simple. Energy drinks are widely marketed to people who kind of need to overuse them. People that are constantly under high physical and mental strain and need that energy boost throughout the day. Construction workers, food servers, architects, athletes, you name the job and the odds are that someone there, probably many people, will be looking for a second wind in a can.
Most energy drinks are by no means "good" for you. But like so many other things in life if you moderate it and give your body a chance to process it the negative effects should be nothing but rumors to you. The day you go down the road of drinking unhealthy energy drinks 2 or 3 times a day however is the day you run the risk of becoming a statistic. Do not run the risk of hurting your health by consuming large amounts of these unhealthy sources of energy.

Healthy Tips For Busy Moms

Being a mom is a wonderful, fulfilling and all consuming event. Just because you've become a parent, however, doesn't mean you don't deserve to look and feel your best! Remember despite becoming increasingly busy, you are still just as fabulous as you were before becoming a mom. Healthy habits are difficult to maintain in our fast-paced world because we expect every aspect of our lives to happen instantly. With all the technological resources we have at our finger tips we never have to wait for anything. One exception should be your health. Like it or not, waiting is what you have to do if you want to see changes in your health. There are so many changes you can make in your life that can help you get on the right track. I've written about some of my favorite ways to stay healthy, and I hope they work for you like they've worked for me.
1. Walking- This is one of the easiest activities you can do to get your health on the right path. Walk with a friend around your neighborhood, walk your dog to a local dog park, go on a walk with your kid(s) on a nature trail, or take your baby for a walk in a stroller. If you have the time I would suggest walking for an hour a day, but if you can only get out of the house a few times a week that's okay too. I was recently in Italy and every evening the locals would stroll the streets before dinner on what's call a passeggaiata (which is a slow walk). The entire family participates in these. Get your whole family to take a stroll before dinner. It will be a great way for everyone to bond, and you'll get some exercise!
2. Eat fiber- If you're really busy and just don't have a lot of time to snack all day, you should think about eating a fiber rich breakfast. My favorite thing to eat in the mornings is Quaker Oats Weight Control oatmeal. It's quick, easy, and they have different flavors. It has 6 grams of fiber, and, I kid-you-not, it keeps me satisfied for several hours! Now, I'm not telling you to starve yourself, so if your hungry go-ahead and eat some fruit. Another great benefit of fiber is that it lowers cholesterol and reduces your risk of heart disease.
3. Drink lots and lots of water- This is really important because you can't always distinguish between hunger and thirst cues. Keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day will prevent you from munching when you should be keeping hydrated. If you're not a big water drinker try Omega to Go. Just mix a packet in your water and you're ready to go! They taste terrific, and they're great for using in a water bottle.
4. Take the stairs- I know everyone has heard this before, but it's an excellent alternative if you can't make it to the gym everyday. If you work on the 50th floor, don't kill yourself hiking up all those steps. Instead, tell yourself you'll walk up or down 4 or 5 flight then take the elevator. Increase the number of flights you take by 1 every week or every two weeks. You'll forget that you're working out, and you'll have toned legs in no time!
5. Eat almonds- These are my absolute favorite in-between meal snack. Eating whole, raw almonds has many health benefits including lowering your cholesterol. Ignore the high calorie count and stick to about 2 ounces a day. Almonds are the perfect on-the-go snack. Just toss a handful or two in a bag and you're ready to go. Also try almond butter instead of peanut butter. It's delicious!
Stick to these small tips and you'll notice changes in yourself. From experience I've learned that once you start eating healthy and exercising a little, you'll love the way you feel so much you'll adopt new habits. You might notice that you choose healthier options in a restaurant as opposed to something you may have normally ordered. Don't give up because you deserve to feel like a goddess!
*Note: These are solely suggestions based on the author's personal opinion

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Types, Causes and Symptoms

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, also known as TOS, is a compression of the brachial plexus and subclavian artery and vein. The brachial plexus supplies the upper limb with both sensory and motor nerve fibres, and the subclavian artery supplies the blood supply. There are four areas where the plexus and artery may be compressed and in each instance, the symptoms will present differently.
The part of the brachial plexus most likely to be affected is the medial cord, which originates from nerve roots C8 to T1.
Symptoms of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome:
Due to involvement of the medial cord of the brachial plexus, the ulnar nerve is most impacted by this compression syndrome. Muscles affected will be the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris, the ulnar aspect of the Flexor Digitorum Profundus, as well as most intrinsic (small) muscles of the hand. As a result, there will be some weakness or altered sensation on the ulnar aspect of the forearm, the hand and little finger. Signs and symptoms will vary, however, depending on the location of the compression and the structure involved.
Compression of a nerve will result in pain, loss of sensation and in chronic cases, muscle wasting or weakness. (this is known as denervation atrophy) Compression of blood vessels (subclavian or axillary arteries, depending on site of compression), will result in pain, paleness of the skin supplied by the artery, possible cyanosis (blue coloring) and decreased skin temperature. Prolonged decrease of blood supply can result in trophic skin changes, emboli (blood clots) and gangrene. Compression of a vein will result in edema, and the blood is unable to be carried back to the heart and lungs.
There are 4 main areas where compression may occur:
1) The anterior and middle scalene, a.k.a. the interscalene triangle. The brachial plexus and subclavian artery pass through here, but it is the medial cord of the plexus, arising from the C8-T1 nerve roots, which is most likely to be affected. (*note: the scalenes are classified as secondary muscles of respiration because they attach to the ribs and contract during respiration)
2) Pectoralis minor - compression will occur between the pectoralis minor and its insertion on the coracoid process of the scapula. A person who presents with hyperkyphosis (rounded, slumped shoulders) may be more inclined to have compression here, especially when the muscle is stretched (for example, when they straighten up). The pectoralis minor, by attaching on ribs 1-8, may be affected by any respiratory disorder, leading to hypertonicity of the muscle and subsequent compression of the subclavian artery as it becomes the axillary artery when it passes deep to the clavicle.
3) Costoclavicular - compression occurs between the 1st rib and the clavicle. This is most likely to be a result of injury to the clavicle, such as a break or dislocation, and is prone to affect the vasculature (as the axillary vein becomes the subclavian vein)
4) Presence of a cervical rib - the presence of an extra rib is determined by an x-ray, and it interferes with the size of the interscalene triangle, therefore allowing less room for the plexus and vasculature.
The borders of the thoracic outlet are:
posteriorly (the back) the body of vertebrae T1 laterally the 1st rib bilaterally
anteriorly - manubrium of the sternum
Structures passing through the Thoracic Outlet
The brachial plexus, subclavian arteries and veins.The muscles involved in this syndrome are the anterior and middle scalenes, pectoralis minor and the subclavius.
Who is at risk for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome usually affects people whose posture tends to be very forward and slumping. Think of a person who sits at a desk all day, or who does a lot of work moving forward (or a massage therapist!). Others at risk may also have "military posture", extreme retraction of the shoulders which pulls the pectorialis minor tight over the plexus and artery, thus compressing it. Also at risk are people who have had a broken or dislocated clavicle, especially those with a more complicated or compounded break. Due to the attachment of the scalenes and pectoralis minor on the ribs, people who have a respiratory disorder and difficulty breathing often recruit these muscles, thus increasing the incidence of hypertonicity, and the presence of myofascial trigger points.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome or Raynaud's Disease?
The therapist, during the course of performing orthopedic tests for TOS, will look for a positive test of a decreased or absent pulse, as well as numbness and tingling or fatigue in the ulnar distribution of the forearm and hand. Raynaud's Disease presents similarly, but is a peripheral vascular disorder which occurs due to vasospasm and results in decreased circulation. For Raynaud's disease to be diagnosed, it must be followed closely by a physician for 2 years and manifest as decreased circulation and increased sensitivity of the arms and hands.
How can massage therapy be used to treat Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
Massage therapy can provide valuable assistance to someone suffering from TOS, either as a stand-alone treatment, or in conjunction with other modalities (i.e. physiotherapy or chiropractic).
Wherever the location of compression, the therapist will attempt to decrease hypertonicity and myofascial trigger points of the involved muscles as well as stretching. Manual lymph drainage can assist in the reduction of fluid build up post treatment. It will also be necessary to retrain the client concerning proper posture.After the treatment plan concludes, it would be wise to encourage the client to continue stretching, and also to schedule maintenance appointments to prevent a relapse.