Fortunate Contest

Milk is a word that brings about impassioned arguments. Some defend cow’s milk like tigers; others demote it and do not give it a chance. You would think people are discussing a dangerous illegal drug.

To defend their position cow’s milk critics maintain that humans are the only mammals that consume milk in adult age. This has never convinced me, because except when we humans become aggressive, we do everything different from the animal kingdom.

In the first place we should keep in mind that milk is a food, and treat it as such. Before modern measurement methods broke down every nutritious substance to the smallest possible unit, people relied on traditional knowledge, real life experience, and their own body intelligence to decide if a food was healthful for them. Likewise mothers’ intuition regarding their children’s nourishment was accepted as the most natural thing on earth.

Don’t get me wrong, research is necessary and very useful, but it is not absolute. It has an incidental byproduct, which is that regarding nutrition too many consumers prefer to rely blindly on general recommendations, become lazy, and forget that an essential part of staying healthy is listening to their own body signals.

Most adults tolerate one glass of top quality or organic milk a day quite well. However, any amount of milk can cause stomachache if you insist on drinking more of it than your system can take. But isn’t it the same with all foods?

Cow’s milk is not the only good source of calcium, which seems to be the main worry. For example, dark green vegetables and the hiziki seaweed contain easily absorbable calcium. Real vegetarians need fifty per cent less calcium than those who eat meat every day.

If you love milk products, a reasonable compromise is drinking 8,5 ounces or 250 ml of warm cow’s milk a day, at the most, and the rest as fermented forms of milk like kefir. Or you can emulate Mediterranean who add some milk to their morning coffee and that’s it for the day.

Lactose Intolerance And Cow’s Milk Allergy

In the Bible milk is a recurrent symbol of abundance. Today milk flows everywhere, but many adults suffer from lactose intolerance, which is the inability to digest this milk sugar easily, because the body does not produce enough of an enzyme called lactase.

Cow’s milk allergy is not so widespread, but when it affects children mothers have to find a healthy milk substitute that gives them peace of mind. To avoid milk allergy symptoms those who are allergic to cow’s milk protein should avoid any contact to milk.

Mare’s milk can be an alternative for adults suffering from cow’s milk allergy, lactose intolerance, or soy milk allergy. Parents should seek the advice of a doctor. Mare’s milk is popular in northern European countries, but in North America it is still difficult to find a supplier.

Mare’s milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk. Its protein composition is closer to human milk than to cow’s milk. It has a lower fat content, vitamin A and four times more vitamin C. It contains magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorous and sodium. Mongolian have drank lots of fermented mare’s milk and used it fresh for their salty tea for centuries. This could explain how they survived with only a few vegetables in their diet.

The Belgian farmer who first sold me mare’s milk was really enthusiastic about it. He told me that he had suffered from severe candida for many years and that he had cured himself drinking 250 ml or 8,5 ounces of mare’s milk a day. For a year and a half he traveled all the way to the Netherlands to buy his precious mare’s milk. Finally he himself established a mare’s milk farm and he is now selling mare’s milk succesfully.

I did not have such digestive complaints, but I wanted to taste it. And so I drank a glass of mare’s milk every day for one month. Its texture is indeed thinner than cow’s milk, and it is sweeter and very light on the stomach.

In northern Europe mare’s milk is already a substitute for acne sufferers who prefer not to associate dairy and acne. Why not try mare’s milk if you have trouble digesting cow’s milk, acne breakouts, skin complaints, or simply to add more variety to your food?

About the Author

Nria Roig invites you to visit http://www.proactive-acne-treatments-and-solutions.com , where you can learn about a wealth of natural acne treatments and a collection of healthy skin solutions. For information on the Mediterranean diet from personal experience go to http://www.proactive-acne-treatments-and-solutions.com/acne-diets.html .
Copyright © Nria Roig. All rights reserved.

It’s Christmas time and everything is getting the decorative treatment: including brownies.

This simple recipe for Holiday Mint Brownies is a fun way to turn ordinary brownies into an extraordinary festive treat. The flavors are wonderful with chocolate mint chips and cream cheese frosting. Plus, you can have fun decorating them with decorating gel and candies.

Best of all, these brownies are an easy holiday cookie recipe to make. Any brownie lover will enjoy these special holiday brownies.

Holiday Mint Brownies

• 1 1-pound 5 oz pkg fudge brownie mix
• cup mint flavored chocolate chips
• cup water
• cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 16 oz can cream cheese frosting (or vanilla frosting)
• 5 (.68 oz) tubes green decorating gel
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (84) cinnamon candies or small red decorator candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 13×9-inch pan with foil so edges extend over pan; grease bottom only of foil.

In large bowl, combine brownie mix, chocolate chips, water, oil and egg; beat 50 strokes with spoon. DO NOT UNDERMIX. Spread in greased foil-lined pan.

Bake for 31-33 minutes. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Frost brownies. Freeze 1 hour.

Remove brownies from pan by lifting foil; peel off foil. Cut brownies into squares or cut diagonally into diamond shapes.

Outline each brownie with green decorating gel. Place 3 red candies in the corner or middle of each brownie. Store in a single layer in covered container, in a cool place.

Makes 28 brownies.

About The Author

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday

Got a brownie craving? Satisfy it here

http://www.best-brownie-recipes.com

There is no refuting the fact that the triumph of an organisation comes down to the work undertaken by the workers, yet one catastrophe can quickly wipe out all your hard work and shrink the financial profits to zero. So, to stay away from such an occasion, you are recommended to insure your business, whether it is a SME or a huge corporation. Nonetheless, please consider that SMEs are a great deal more probable to require business insurance cover in today’s hard world. This is generally as smaller company owners will have put their total lives & pay packet into the organisation.

Some of the items usually covered by nearly every business insurance covers include: natural catastrophes, fires, mechanism or apparatus breakdown that shuts down the organisation, loss of income because of staff disregard and legal action brought against the company.

There are scores of insurance companies, which offer covers that include both protection for all important property & liability risks in one complete package. You can also select a separate policy. Such a policy cover is commonly referred to as a business owners’ policy (BOP). Bigger businesses may acquire a business-related policy.

BOPs comprise of property insurance for buildings and equipments belonging to the firm. If there is any loss of income due to disruption of processes & commerce because of accidents such as earthquakes, it can be protected under the Business Interruption policy. Acquire public liability with ease online today.

There are a number of specific liabilities, which protects the organisation’s legal liability for the harm it could inflict to others. It is the consequence your businesses failure to do the business operations. It can as well be the bodily injury or building damage caused due to imperfect items, faulty fittings and mistakes in services provided.

Although, BOPs don’t cover professional liability, vehicle insurance, employees’ reimbursement or health and disability insurance. In this instance separate policies are vital for professional services, commercial motor vehicles and employees. By and large, floods, earthquakes & terrorist attacks are not protected in the business policy. Always check before you buy!

Where does your time go? We all know we are busy, yet we feel behind and don’t get to do the things we really want to do.

Planning is the best time saver there is. At the beginning of the week jot down your goals that you want to accomplish, fun things you want to do, work that needs to be done, and appointments to keep. Then write out a loose schedule for the week ahead, balancing it out between work, family, home, self and your other roles.

You can choose to put your action items on daily to do lists or schedule them on a calendar like appointments. How you keep track of your things to do for the week, depends on how much structure you personally like or need.

When you plan, it is helpful to schedule things for twice as long as you expect them to take. That gives you extra time for those traffic jams, interruptions, and fun, spontaneous moments. I try to plan on leaving 10 minutes earlier than I have to, for all my appointments, in case of unexpected delays.

My weekly planning session usually takes less than thirty minutes. My planning session includes gathering my papers and going through the in-box to find action items as David Allen suggests in his book “Getting Things Done”. I also plan goals, next action items for my projects, plan a two hour time alone, plan family night, and plan a date with my husband. I schedule work, exercise, fun time, time with friends and family, volunteer work, and self-care time. Planning allows the important to take precedent over the urgent for once.

But, be flexible with your plan. Remember you are not a slave to your planner. It is there to serve you. If your time management system isn’t working, tweak it.

Here are some more time management tips:

1. Know what’s important to you. Figure out your values and your vision.
2. Start delegating to family members, co-workers, professionals, and teenagers needing extra money.
3. Learn to say no to what is not in your mission or your values.
4. Let go of perfectionism. Not everything has to be done perfectly and some things are out of your control.
5. Listen to audio tapes or mp3’s during your commute or household tasks.
6. Use a planner or PDA that includes a daily to do list, a weekly calendar, a monthly calendar, a listing of projects, telephone numbers and important information.
7. Empty out your planner of the clutter and junk. Put the little pieces of paper in an in-box to go through in your weekly planning session.
8. Keep your planner with you at all times.
9. Do not keep a bunch of calendars around. Use only one so everything is in one place.
10. Keep a master list of all the things you need to do, call, see, write, etc. Don’t use post-it notes all over. They seem to get lost.
11. Answer routine letters by answering them on the original. Photocopy your message for your own files then send off the original.
12. Cut down on TV time. Plan your TV time so you only watch the shows you really wanted to see. If you are watching, clean during commercials or sew while viewing.
13. Look at your schedule and lay out all the things you need for the next day, the night before.
14. Tidy your desk before you leave work so it will be clean for the next session.
15. Try to spend time on planning and important things so you are not always “putting out fires.”
16. Use a timer to keep you from spending too much time on one thing or to challenge you when you are cleaning.
17. Relax when you are relaxing and work when you are working.
18. Make goals and rewrite goals every few months, so you have a focus.
19. Clear the clutter from your desk.
20. Go through your files once a year to get rid of paper you no longer need. Saves space and time. Or go through a file each time you put something in it, to keep your files current.
21. Get rid of things that don’t work, especially pens. Save yourself some frustration.
22. Start with the worst item on your to do list. Everything else will be a piece of cake. You also won’t be thinking and dreading it while doing other tasks. Procrastination sucks out your energy.
23. Be sure to bring things to do like reading, writing a letter, paying bills etc., when you know you will have to wait someplace.
24. A couple of times a year, keep a time log. Jot down everything you do for a day or two. Then examine where your time does not match what is important to you.

It’s your life. If you don’t manage your time, other people will manage it for you.

© Beth Dargis 2004

Beth Dargis works with overwhelmed women to create saner, simpler lives. Are you in need of a break? Take the self-care quiz: http://www.encouragingcoach.com/projects-selfcare-quiz.htm

bethd@encouragingcoach.com

The term IVR is short for Interactive Voice Response, which is a telephony technology that allows interaction between callers and a phone system to acquire or enter information into a database. More and more companies are turning to IVR to help reduce the cost of common sales, service, collections, inquiry and support calls to and from their company.

Interactive Voice Response or IVR is one of the most common telephone functions in use across the business community and is capable of bringing remarkable benefits to your company. IVR systems allow 24 hour access to a company from its customers via its phone system. In today’s busy modern world, most callers expect on first contact with a company, to be handled via some kind of Auto Attendant or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. This method of call handling is generally accepted as long as the caller is given ample opportunity to opt out of the IVR system and be able to speak to a live agent.

IVR systems offer a cost effective and money saving way of handling customer calls twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The handling of routine phone requests for information can consume a substantial amount of company resources and ultimately money. Interactive Voice Response systems, tailored to a company’s requirements can provide much the same information as a live operator at a fraction of the cost both financially and resourcefully. To put things in their most simple form IVR systems let callers interact with your company via its telephone system.

IVR systems hugely reduce customer call handling costs, and can be introduced into your company environment in a number of ways. The most basic IVR systems simply allow you to record a message that is played when a customer presses the appropriate number on the phone keypad. The more advanced Interactive Voice Response systems allow callers to interact with a company on a much greater scale. For example you could set up an IVR to retrieve specific account information that is relayed to the caller through the implementation of text-to-speech recognition technology. This technology allows IVR systems to read specific information from a database and then relate that information back to the customer in spoken format.

Typical IVR - Interactive Voice Response System Applications

The potential applications of IVR systems are virtually endless. IVR systems can be used to automate a wide range of services and requests for information. By combining the input of a caller with tailor made scripts, IVR systems allow callers to call into a company or IVR hosting company using a touch-tone telephone, and then to interact with the system in real time. Below is a list of example IVR applications:

1. Automated account payment systems 2. Customer account information 3 Banking service for account balance transfer information 4 Customer market surveys 5 Emergency notifications 6 Virtual receptionists 7 Call centre automation 8 Order status and tracking 9 Package tracking 10 Virtual PBX’s 11 Voicemail services 12 Voice instant messaging 13 Bill reminder 14 Bill collection 15 Telesales 16 Virtual agents 17 Auto attendants 18 Call routing 19 Call recording solutions 20 Plus many, many more

Benefits of IVR Systems

1. Integrated Voice Response systems can be extremely beneficial to companies by cutting down on live call handling time, thus saving money and enabling staff to be free to concentrate on other business areas.

2. IVR systems can benefit callers by either allowing access to personalised information or, directing them to the right department or, by a combination of multiple input types and selections via menu choices involving telephone keypad input and speech recognition.

3. IVR systems allow callers to retrieve or access information quickly with or without additional human assistance.

4. Integrated Voice Response systems allow companies to easily expand their hours of business, without the need for live operators to be on hand. This allows callers to call at their convenience and still be able to carry out a multitude of tasks automatically.

5. Call queuing times to departments within a company can be drastically reduced. With IVR systems, calls can be transferred to appropriate departments through the menu selection process.

6. IVR systems allow company representatives to experience lower call volumes thorough the automation of repetitive tasks. This allows these representatives to manage their calls more efficiently and lets them to concentrate on more important issues.

7. Through the implementation of a good Integrated Voice Response System, companies may actually be able to expand their call capacity and respond to larger call volumes through the correct management and routing of all inbound calls, reducing the handling cost per call ratio.

8. For companies who accept payments via the telephone IVR systems can fully automate this task, allowing them to process transactions anytime of the day, any day of the week.

9. For when call volumes are high, IVR systems allow companies to highlight new products, updates or product information etc while a caller is on hold.

10.Companies are able to monitor call progress and transactions through the use of daily call activity reports.

Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) IVR or Hosted IVR The Choice Is Yours

CPE - This is equipment that is purchased or leased by a customer and is then located, hosted and maintained at the customers site. For most companies this is an expensive way of harnessing the power a good IVR system can bring to any business due to the initial cost of the hardware and installation work that would be required. For those companies that have the necessary funding for CPE there are of course benefits as well as drawbacks. CPE allows you to take full control of your IVR system and will also allow for future company expansion, though many hosted IVR solutions do allow for this also. The main drawback to CPE IVR systems is that you would need continuing technical support and maintenance either from your own internal staff or outsourced to the IVR system provider.

IVR Hosting - If a customer prefers not to host an IVR system on their premises, is restricted by location, lacks IT support or quite simply cannot withstand the initial financial outlay required for outright purchase then a remote IVR hosting solution that can be tailored to a company’s requirements could be the answer. This option is particularly attractive for small to medium sized businesses who wish to take advantage of a fully featured Interactive Voice Response system, with a vastly reduced initial capital outlay, as well as eradicating the need for system IT maintenance, and support.

Whichever form of IVR system you decide to implement, it is better to ask the advice of experts before you go ahead and purchase any hardware or sign any form of lease agreement. A good IVR systems provider or IVR hosting company will take the time to sit down with you and discuss your requirements in detail before helping you make a decision on what type of system you should opt for.

Thanks for reading.

The palm phone is one that I am thinking of getting for myself. I was told by the salesman that it offers a full range of features. He told me there is a switch on the top of the phone which lets you turn the phone to silent. It is very small and the keys are tiny but I think I could get used to hitting them with my nails. I can also text message on this phone and think it would be good for a persons my age. He said that the software might be confusing but that he thought I could get used to it.

My brother had a palm phone and he loved it, but when he upgraded to a better phone he gave me his old one. To be truthful with you I did not like it very much, but when it is free and you don’t have anything else you don’t complain. The keys are so tiny that I have to use a pencil of my fingernails. The battery is awful and you cannot download ring tones so it has to be on vibrate. The good news is that I am working and will be able to buy myself a new one soon. I will be looking at the ones that can also take pictures.

Luz Ardiden is amongst the nicest skiing resorts for much play and relaxation with activities to suit everyone. Luz Ardiden is an awesome place which provides the vacationer golf, canyoning, horseback riding, events and numerous other things for the whole group to savor.

However when the early snow starts to cover the pines and mountains, and the ponds begin to freeze, Luz Ardiden transfers its costume from summer reds to a blanket of white. Luz Ardiden bristles with winter activities ” winter luge, snowshoeing and monoskiing.

Luz Ardiden has been called the no. 1 skiing area in France annually by snowboarding journals and eager skiers. A impressive 2400 m into the sky, it with 94 runs, the longest is 7 km. kilometers, and there is 455 kilometres of piste. There’s runs for novices and reasonable skiers, and 40 trails for snowboarding experts.

Luz Ardiden’s lifts can take 24000 snowboarders per hour thus there isn’t any wasting of fun time queuing to get skiing. You can select the bubble for a superior vista of the domain and the surrounding area. For the hungry tourist, there are several cafeterias that offer gluwein and soups, sandwiches or lavish meals. For more information why not visit www chamonix .com.

With elevating automobile insurance rates, thrifty people everywhere are looking for ways to get discounts on car insurance. And why not? If it can put cash in your pocket then go for it, right? Well, there are many ways to get discounts on car insurance. Try to check if you or your car is eligible for the following deductions but remember that these are general price reductions, you have to inquire with your insurance firm if they offer them.

Personal-Associated Discounts

Person-related deductions are ones that depend on the driver’s own personal situation, status and driving record.

Car-Related Price Reductions

The type of car you drive can be a huge factor in influencing the yearly cost of auto insurance. There are also extra features that you can add to your car to make it less costly to insure.

1. Car Air Bags. There are multiple types of airbags: front, rear, side-curtain, etc. The better you’re protected, the larger the car insurance discount you may be able to receive.
2. Anti-Lock Brakes System (ABS). Many cars on the road today are equipped with ABS. Many car insurance underwriters offer deductions if your car is furnished with this type of braking system and many states even require the insurance firm to do so.

Anti-Theft Devices. Any type of add-on to keep someone from breaking into or stealing your car can also provide you with lower auto insurance rates.

BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, is a medical term for a swollen prostate. This entails that the prostate gland, a gland which envelops the urethra and lies below the bladder, becomes larger this can compromise or block the stream of urine. The prostate enlarges as the years pass and can result in ailments such as micturition troubles, diminished urinary flow, and also a sense of not voiding the bladder completely after urination. Too frequent micturition during the night and inflammation of the urinary tract can also be caused by prostatic swelling. Prostate Gland Swelling - What Does that Mean?

Prostate swelling is considered one of the more common conditions of males in their sixties. Yearly tests are urged for each male over 50, irrespective of the occurence of any problems, for the maintenance of prostate health. Seek medical intervention at once if blood appears in the urine or you are unable to micturate. Surgery or the use of drugs are standard interventions for benign prostate hyperplasia. Nevertheless, erectile difficulties or incontinence may be experienced as a result of surgery. An alpha blocker and drugs to reduce the abnormal prostate gland may also be given for better prostate gland function, however, medicinal drugs frequently lead to unwanted results. So which choices are available? Problems with a Swollen Prostate? Natures’s Way to Achieve a Healthier Prostate Gland

To assist in the relief of the frequent symptoms brought on by an enlarged prostate and to further improved prostate gland health, several treatments are recommended. African pygeum cuts back swelling, bringing a reduction of any symptoms. The herb African Pygeum has been extensively prescribed for quite a few years in Europe as a therapy for improved prostate health, it is a product of anAfrican plant.

Dietetic changes such as reducing the intake of fat can help, and in addition excercising more often, frequency of ejaculations may alleviate the pressure in the prostate gland, it is also advisable to avoid remaining seate d for a long time. Prostate Gland associated problems are frequently worsened by the use of antihistamines and decongestants purchased over-the-counter, use these medications with care. Additional recommendations include to cut back on having anything to drink within a few hours of retiring for the night to cut down frequent urination overnight, the reduction of alcoholic drinks and drinking much less caffeinated beverages may also prove beneficial.

Moreover, there are other alternative formulae recommended for improved prostatic function — these are saw palmetto, Borago officinalis oil, the element selenium, and lycopene, which can be extracted from tomatoes. Be sure to check with your doctor prior to setting out on the natural treatment of an enlarged prostate gland.

Ah, coffee… a fantastic dark beverage that wakes us up in
the morning. For some of us, it keeps us up during the day,
or for late night study sessions. We drink it out of habit,
we drink it from addiction, we drink it for flavor; whatever
the reason, it is surely a popular beverage. So where did
this famed drink come from?

Coffee, for Americans, is three hundred years old. In the
East it was widespread at every level of society, since the
earlier era. The most notable dates point to around
800b.c. However, Homer, and according to Arabian tales speak
of a mysterious bitter black beverage with powers of
stimulation that could have been this drink.

About the year 1000, coffee was being used for medicinal
purposes. In 1400 a Yemeni goat herder observed his flock
eating reddish berries, then becoming excited and restless.
After relating his observations to a monk, they boiled
the berries and made a beverage that could disperse
sleep and weariness. No matter how it actually was
created, the fact remains that the coffee plant
started in Africa, in an Ethiopian region known as Kaffa.
From there it spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia, where it
became a part of daily life.

In the late 1500s coffee was a commodity, being sold in
Europe. However, due to an increasing demand for the new
beverage, and high taxes on shipping, there was
experimentation with growing the crops in various other
countries. Much later, around 1727 coffee growing started in
Northern Brazil. By the 20th century, various forms of
coffee were developed for the public.

Decaffeinated coffee was first founded in 1903 when
Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee importer, gave a batch of
damaged coffee beans to researchers. They developed the
process of taking the caffeine out of the beans without
losing any flavor. This was marketed in the 1920s.

Instant coffee was first mass produced from the invention of
George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in
Guatemala. While waiting for his wife one day to join him
outside for coffee, he observed on the spout of the silver
coffee urn, a fine powder, which looked to be the
condensation of the coffee vapors. This excited him and
led to his founding of soluble coffee.

In 1906 he started experiments and put his invention, Red E
Coffee, in the markets in 1909. Nestle’, in 1938, trying to
aid Brazil with their coffee surpluses created freeze-dried
coffee. Nescafe was started and first introduced into
Switzerland. Instant coffee became a fad after 1956 when
commercial television was the new craze.

And now in the US alone, 400 billion cups of coffee a year
are consumed. Coffee is one of the world’s largest
commodities, second only to oil. From a remote area in
Africa, to millions of shelves and homes worldwide, coffee
has became a fixture everywhere.

Irene D. Hope is the webmaster of

All Special Coffee

About the Author

Irene D. Hope is the webmaster of

All Special Coffee