Fortunate Contest

1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you’re seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better - whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you’ll be throwing just the right amount of “wood” on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don’t shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

1. Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning
2. Eat a healthy breakfast
3. Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

Adrian Bryant is a Personal Trainer and creator of NowLoss: The World’s Best Weight Loss Program. Be sure to check out his web site at http://www.nowloss.com. Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University.

nowloss@cstone.net

Perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “danger zone” (the temperatures between 40 F and 140 F). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent food-borne illness from “bag” lunches.

1. Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home.

2. Transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, keep it cold. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 F).

3. Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated. This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham which are cured or contain preservatives.

4. At lunchtime, discard all used food packaging and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause food-borne illness.

5. Pack just the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunch. That way, there won’t be a problem about the storage or safety of leftovers.

6. It’s fine to prepare the food the night before and store the packed lunch in the refrigerator. Freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, for best quality don’t freeze sandwiches containing mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

7. Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but metal or plastic lunch boxes and paper bags can also be used. If using paper lunch bags, create layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. An ice source should be packed with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box.

8. Prepare cooked food, such as turkey, ham, chicken, and vegetable or pasta salads, ahead of time to allow for thorough chilling in the refrigerator. Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers for fast chilling and easier use. Keep cooked food refrigerated until time to leave home.

10. To keep lunches cold away from home, include a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box. Of course, if there’s a refrigerator available, store perishable items there upon arrival.

Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.

Terry Nicholls is the author of the eBook “Food Safety: Protecting Your Family From Food Poisoning”. For more tips like these, and to learn more about his book, visit his website at http://tinyurl.com/3fr2t

yourguides@cogeco.ca

(ARA) - Carmen Parmeter wanted to do something different this year for her birthday — so she called her granddaughter. The 83 year old wanted to throw a party for her friends, but needed some inspiration.

“She has a group of gals who meet to celebrate their birthdays every month,” says her granddaughter Macaille Mahoney. Most of the women all live in the same apartment complex and have been socializing for years.

Mahoney suggested something she thought her grandmother’s friends would enjoy: a party featuring menu items from Tastefully Simple, a gourmet food company that sells products through home taste-testing parties.

In a fun, social setting, guests have the opportunity to taste-test appetizers, soups, breads, main courses and desserts. A representative from the company is available to offer recipe and entertaining tips. It’s an easy and enjoyable way to entertain a group — especially those who appreciate good food.

Parmeter liked the idea, and enlisted her granddaughter’s help in setting up for the party. She had some doubts about whether she could prepare the food on her own.

“She wanted help making some of the products because she thought it would be difficult, but she ended up making everything — she did it all,” says Mahoney. “I brought over some paper plates, because she doesn’t drive, but that’s all I did.”

Parmeter was able to easily whip up a menu of dips, bread, soup and desserts with minimal effort. The items are designed to be ready-to-serve, or can be prepared by adding just two or three ingredients.

“Everybody who came thought the food was very good,” says Parmeter, who added that one of her neighbors is having the same kind of party next month.

One of the most popular items at the party was the Bountiful Beer Bread, which can be prepared in hundreds of different ways, simply by adding different ingredients. Here are a few ideas for your next gathering:

Corn Bread

Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread Mix

15 ounce-can creamed corn

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 375 F for 50 to 55 minutes. Makes 14 servings.

Bountiful Banana Bread

Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread Mix

12 ounces Sprite

1 cup mashed bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 tablespoons melted butter

Combine first 4 ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan, drizzle melted butter on top. Bake as directed on package.

Watermelon Bread

Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread Mix

12 ounces Mountain Dew Code Red

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients, pour into greased loaf pan. Bake as directed on Bountiful Beer Bread Mix package.

To find out how to order Tastefully Simple products and gift packs, or to host your own party, visit www.tastefullysimple.com or call toll free (866) 328-6673.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:

Courtesy of ARA Content

Q: Are you a success?

A: Its all in how you define the word!

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican Village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented Miguel, the Mexican, on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. Miguel replied that it took only a little while.

The banker then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. Miguel said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The banker then asked, But what do you do with the rest of your time?

Miguel said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The banker scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.

Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

Miguel asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”

To which the banker replied, “15-20 years.”

But what then, senor?

The banker laughed and said “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce a public listing and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions, senor? Then what?”

The banker said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings, where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

What is your definition of success and how are you getting there?

As the story of Miguel so eloquently illustrates, life success is so closely tied to our values and the way that we want to live our lives. We can easily lose direction and what is truly important to us by being drawn to what success means to other people, ideologies, or pop culture. Being clear on what success means to you and how you are working toward it is EVERYTHING!

Check Yourself

Take a moment to ponder the direction that your current choices are leading you in your life, career, relationships, and health.

Now, make sure you are clear that how you are living in relation to each area is how you ought to be living according to your personal values. You may need to first get clear about your values in each area. Hint: grab a pen and paper for this one.

Finally, identify one step you could take in each of the four areas that would bring you closer, or more fully into, what is truly successful in these areas.

Just as the investment banker believed that Miguel should live by the bankers definition of success, so do we often live our lives by a completely different definition of success than we truly ought.

A thoughtful check of your internal map and compass could start small changes that can take you to destinations as different as Wall Street is to a small fishing village in Mexico!

© 2004 by Dr. Robert A. Eubanks

Article URL: http://www.bridgetosolutions.com/pages/8/index.htm

Terms of use: This article may be published electronically or in print, as long as the byline at the end of the article is included without alteration.

Dr. Robert A. Eubanks is the founder of Bridge to Solutions Coaching. He coaches people around the country via telephone to improve organization, time management, goal setting and to create the best darn life possible! For a free 30 minute coaching session, e-mail bridgetosolutions@yahoo.com or visit www.bridgetosolutions.com.

Communications is a two way process of sending and receiving messages. The sharing of messages between human beings is complicated and far too often taken for granted. Generally what we do is talk. Let’s clear one thing up from the outset. Talking is not communicating. We can talk without communicating and to be honest with you, this seems to be the case in way too many relationships.

Understanding and improving communication patterns means learning not to take communication for granted. Admittedly, this is difficult because most people tend to be as unaware of their communication as their breathing. It is crucial that you begin to see that it is communication that creates relationships and it is most often communications breakdowns, either directly or indirectly, that lead ultimately to relationships demise.

Human relationships and communication are interpersonal, that is, between humans and the interpersonal communication of messages is a two-way process. Inherent in the two-way view of communication is the understanding that persons who communicate both send and receive messages and both are responsible for the message.

When communicating is understood as a dynamic process, it becomes clear that speakers need to express thinking and feeling messages as clearly and accurately as possible; listeners need to provide responses in order to clarify their perception of messages. Sometimes in relationships, persons will not share the same perceptions and there will be conflict. Conflict is inevitable because people are unique and different. It is important to avoid viewing conflict as something which is always bad because it is not; conflict can be healthy. It would probably be beneficial to manage conflict as opposed to eliminating it. Trying to get rid of it entirely may result in individuals erecting walls of separation. It is perfectly okay to just agree to disagree. Good conflict management skills can keep your relationship positive and may even strengthen it. Of course, the opposite is also true. Poor conflict management can destroy relationships.

I cannot begin to impress upon you how extremely important it is to develop good assertive communication skills. When you are assertive, you are emotionally honest because you express your thoughts and feelings in such a way that the other person feels valued and respected and also respects you. We must preserve the other’s ego strength. Failure to do so will ultimately lead to the diminishing of the relationship integrity. There is much truth in the axiom, “it is not what you say but how you say it.”

It always made me cringe when I counseled couples where one or both engaged in nonassertive communications. Nonassertive communications is dishonest and disparaging of one’s self because you deny your own thoughts and feelings. Nonassertive communication is an anathema to relationships because it is a situation where one feels hurt and inferior and angry while the other person feels superior. In situations like this, the negative thoughts and feelings do not go away, they build, fester and brew and may eventually be expressed in some form of misconduct.

Perhaps most debilitating of all is aggressive communications. Aggressive communications exist where one person expresses him or herself without regard for the other person or the relationship. It is the height of disrespect and non-caring.

Again (and I cannot repeat it too often), assertive communications is the way to go. It serves to preserve or build relationships of mutual respect even when the communicators have very different perspectives on what they are communicating about.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

A time honored Southern tradition, the infamous “Cat Head” biscuit has become as much an icon of southern cooking as fried chicken. Just say the words “Cat Head Biscuits” almost anywhere in the South and you will instantly conjure up memories childhood and of mouthwateringly delicious meals.

Born of humble beginnings, the “Cat Head Biscuit” was never anything fancy. Just a few simple ingredients, usually mixed and “patted” out by hand, these delicacies bring back wonderful memories like no other food can.

What makes a “Cat Head Biscuit” so special; it’s just a biscuit after all, right? I can’t honestly say why they are loved so much or why just the mention of the name sparks such comforting memories. Maybe it’s the thoughts of our mothers and grandmothers standing in hot kitchens, over wood burning stoves, lovingly preparing food for their families or maybe it’s that first bite fresh from the oven. This is the very definition of “Comfort Food”. From that first savory taste of butter as you bite through the crispy crust to the soft, warm inside; you know you are in for a real treat!

As in days gone by, the “Cat Head Biscuit” is enjoyed with almost every meal. In fact this versatile bread can easily be eaten in a different way with every meal or become a meal in itself.

Here are just a few ways to enjoy them:

Aside from the usual biscuit filled with various homemade jams and jellies, we sometimes eat them hot from the oven, filled with a generous amount of brown sugar and butter. The butter melts over the brown sugar and creates a breakfast food that no store-bought brown sugar and cinnamon toaster pastry can even touch. This is what my grandmother would fix me for breakfast as a child.

Split open or torn into small pieces and smothered with one of the delicious southern gravies such as Chocolate Gravy, Sausage Gravy, or one of the homemade fresh “Fruit Jams”.

Not much in the world of food is as good as a sandwich made out of a big ol’ “Cat Head Biscuit” with a large slice of a ripe, red tomato and a little salt or with a slice of pork tenderloin or ham.

“Cat Head” biscuits also make great desserts when served warm and covered with your favorite berries, ice cream, and whipped cream. This is also a very easy way to make a wonderful strawberry shortcake.

Another way I remember eating them was to cream butter and honey or butter and molasses together and spread over the hot biscuits.

The list goes on and on. Bake up a big ol’ batch for yourself and you will find that the “Cat Head Biscuit” is one of the most versatile and delicious foods ever to come out of your oven.

Cat Head Biscuits (as big as a cat’s head)

2 cups of flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
5 tablespoons of lard or shortening
About 1 cup of buttermilk

Sift the dry ingredients together and cut in the lard or shortening. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Pinch off about a lemon-sized ball of dough for each biscuit and pat out with your hands. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 450 degrees or until the tops are golden brown. Remove the biscuits form the oven and rub butter on the tops of the hot biscuits to coat.

© Copyright Joe Harris - http://www.cat-head-biscuits.com, All Rights Reserved

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Note: This article may be used freely as long as the “About The Author” resource box at the bottom of this article is included and links remain intact.
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About the Author

A Native Of The Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Joe Is Webmaster And Author Of The Critically Acclaimed “Cat Head Biscuits And Garlic Fried Chicken” Southern Country Cookbook Available At: http://www.cat-head-biscuits.com

The debate on ribs has ended in my home. After years of toil I have finally capitulated and agreed to make ribs the fool proof way every time. Consequently the neighbors, the kids, and family from out of town all place special requests for ribs.

To begin pre-heat your oven or BBQ to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If the heat reaches much above 250 degrees you run the considerable risk of your ribs drying out.

Next rub the ribs with your favorite dry rub and place them bone side up in a roasting pan. I have found that jarred dry rubs are well balanced with sweet and spice and make for a good tasting rib. If you have a particular preference mix up a batch of your own personal seasonings and store it in an air tight container with the rest of your spices. You will then always have your favorite rub on hand.

Allow the ribs to bake for 8 to 12 hours. The longer the ribs slow cook the better the final product tastes.

You can cut this time in half if need be and still have a great rib. Just try it out and see what works best for you and your family. Our house hold is usually up early and we easily have plenty of time to put the ribs in and have them ready for supper.

When the ribs are done separate them and roll them in your favorite BBQ sauce. This allows you to customize the ribs to the tastes in your family and quests. I always seem to end up with three batches of ribs, the spicy zip things up batch, the sweet and savory mellow batch, and the plain old don’t mess with perfection just leave my ribs dry batch.

About the Author

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com