Sunday, July 22, 2007

Basketball Coaching Tips | 8 Tips to Planning A Ssuccessful Practice

The Basketball Coaching Tips below are designed to help coaches plan their practices more effectively. These eight tips are very simple and straightforward - yet they can have a tremendous impact on how well a coach plans their practice.

These tips should be followed and implemented by all basketball coaches - regardless of their experience or level of competition. By following these 8 basketball coaching tips, coaches are setting themselves and their players up for success, during practices and games!

1. Coaches should always plan their practices ahead of time. It is best to have a written practice schedule for the entire season. This makes it easier for the coach to stick to establish and stick to their game plan. At the very least, coaches should at least have their entire week planned out in advance.

2. Coaches should use the drills they are most familiar and comfortable with. They should be able to demonstrate these drills as well.

3. When running drills, players should always go at "game speed". They should also get as many repetitions as possible on each drill. By doing these two things, players will become more comfortable with the drills and skills being practiced. This translates into being able to perform them instinctively during game situations.

4. Coaches should only add new drills when the players have mastered the old ones. They should keep it simple and focus on the skills being taught. Players don't need to be overwhelmed with too many drills, this tends to confuse them.

5. Coaches should always teach and stress the importance of teamwork. The players must understand that the team comes before the individual. This is critical to the team's success! This one concept alone will help players become more well-rounded at every aspect of their game.

6. Coaches should discuss the team rules, regulations and policies with the players. Players should always know what is expected of them, and also what is unacceptable behavior or conduct. When a coach is upfront about the rules and consequences for breaking them, players are more likely to respect them.

7. Coaches should always be enthusiastic on and off the court. Players usually feed off of their coach's attitude and personality. If a coach is constantly enthusiastic about the game, this will have a tremendous impact on the players’ attitude and outlook as well.

8. Coaches must always remember that the players they are coaching are far more important than the game they are coaching. Coaches should put the best interest of their players before everything else. They must remember that this is just a game! Make it fun for the kids.

5 Tips to Get the Best Home Cinema For Your Budget

Time to get your own home cinema, you are finally decided. You go to the store and the salesperson start his pitch : you don't understand a single word other than that he's trying to sell you the "best home cinema ever available on earth".

You shouldn't venture in such unexplored places before preparing yourself. Know the vocabulary and you are sure to get the best home cinema FOR YOU.

Display

When it come to display, the option of taking a CRT TV is the least expensive and the most popular. Many experts agrees that this option offers the best picture quality. To get the best out of your scree, get a 28in. Opt also for a 16:9 flat screen.

We can't apply the "Smart Is Beautiful" rule here. Bigger screens are certainly better than smaller ones. There are even 40in available sets in the market. If you add to them an outstanding sound system,you'll be highly unproductive for the next years !
You can also consider an LCD TV. These can be very expensive. But will give you the best experience. The last two remaining options are plasma screens and projectors.

Plasma screen are highly desirable. They are beautiful, they blend with their environment and beautify your living room. But they can be very expensive. And they require the good equipment to go with it. You will need to buy the rights cables to get the best source without low-grading the image through analog conversion.

The DVD Player

There are all-in-one systems and then the separate home cinema systems. In this case, you will have to shop around for a DVD Player. Ensure that your DVD can read most of the disc format as there a dozen available formats in the market now. Be wary of very cheap DVD player as they can be lacking after-sales and services. Do your research, check magazines and the Internet before deciding. Don't be afraid to ask for demonstration in electronic stores.

DVD players are inexpensive these days, and you can get a brand DVD Player for a few hundreds. It's better to choose these brands DVD player over the cheap alternatives that came from China.

The Best Sound System

Here we come to the sound system. My advice if you are just starting is to get an All-in-one system for your home cinema. This choice will largely depend upon your budget. All-in-One systems offer good value for your money as you will get a sound decoder, an amplifier and speakers for a few hundreds.

If you choose to get each component alone, you need to remember that there are other factors that can dictate your decision. Look around in the room where you will be putting the system, can you put these large speakers and heavy subwoofer here ? Will it blend in the environment ? Then again, All-in-one system can't compare to separates components. Sound quality is noticeably better in the second case. Bose speakers for example are stylish, compact and blend with their surroundings.

Concerning The Speakers

You just need to know that you will need a centre speaker, two rears speakers and a subwoofer. Opt for the less imposing bookshelf variety if you need space.

Where To Buy your Home Cinema

First, start by checking the Internet to get an idea about the home cinema prices. Internet company have lower costs and will be able to sell you the gears for less. Don't forget to check stores around you to get demonstration and ask them if they have a website.

Whatever road you choose, keep looking around and ask for the advice of specialists until you find the ideal system.

Pinstripe Your Car - Basic Customization

Prior to the invention of the car, pin striping was being used as ornamental decoration on horse drawn buggies, coaches and carriages.

However, the use of pinstripes to customize cars began to appear on them during the middle of the 1950’s. Even though it seems that pin striping had in fact been appearing on cars prior to this time and the last American car to appear with pin striping on it straight from the factory was made by General Motors towards the end of the 1930’s. For many people who own muscle or sports cars today, customizing their vehicle is as important as actually owning and showing the vehicle off and pin striping seems to add those final finishing touches.

Normally pinstripes appear on a car using two colours, the first is used to help set off the body colour and then the second thinner line is used in a contrasting colour to make sure that the stripe actually stands out.

Nowadays, mechanical pin striping is the best method for applying stripes to larger vehicles such as trucks, vans or station wagons (RV’s). This system ensures that the stripes being laid down are of a constant width and allows you to focus more of your attention on getting the stripe placed correctly on the vehicles surface. This can be done using magnetic pin striping strips with a central groove which is designed to be used as a paint template. They are specifically designed to hold fast on to any steel surface and can also be used a guide line for your hand when actually doing the work.

Another way of pin striping a vehicle is to use stencil tape. You will soon find that there are several kinds of stencil tape available which are suitable for using when carrying out pin striping on a car. However, with this method you will need to use brushes and the purchasing of a pin striping brush is essential if you want the project to be a success. The benefit of this method is that you are able to apply different colour stripes to your vehicle without having to wait for the other stripes to dry.

The last method for pin striping is Freehand and this is certainly the most difficult and requires a lot of practice before it is mastered fully. However, it does allow the person carrying out the pin striping to have more freedom in relation to what they create on their vehicle. The best way any freehand pin striping newbie can do is lay a strip of masking tape about ¼ inch down from where the finished line will be and then use this as a visual guide when painting on your stripes. However, remember you should not use regular masking tape otherwise the pin striping paint will actually bleed under the edge you can purchase auto body masking tape from any reputable automobile supply shop/store.

At the end of the day it does not matter which method of pin striping you decide to use, just remember it is a great way of making your car look that little bit different from the rest. But it is like anything else, practice makes perfect and by having the best equipment as well to use will help also.

Learning How To Play Tennis

Anyone who is considering tennis training will be happy to know that there are plenty of ways to learn how to play the game. Every way from the tennis court to the internet, the video store and even the classroom will prove to be beneficial for those wanting to learn how to play the great game of tennis. Prices will vary depending on the type of training method that is chosen, but can often be quite affordable. This is especially true of those who opt for learning at home through the use of videos or internet lessons. A professional tennis trainer, however, will likely be the most expensive way to learn but will provide a hands-on experience that none of the aforementioned options can.

If you choose to hire a tennis instructor, you will probably want to hire someone who has a lot of experience in either teaching or playing tennis. Or, if possible, find someone who has done both. During this training, you will begin to learn the various swings and in which situation each can be used. In the beginning, tennis may seem intimidating because of the physical activity that is involved, along with the need to have a very fast reaction to every situation. But, after a few lessons, you will be more familiar with the game and how to play it. Patience is the key to learning anything new and tennis is no different.

Even prior to hiring an instructor, some new tennis players may decide to learn some basics of the game before beginning the actual lessons. This can be accomplished by either purchasing books, videos or doing some research online. Either of these methods should provide an introduction to the game, the proper way to grip and swing the tennis racket, etc. With this information, any new tennis player will enter their learning phase with added confidence and will impress their instructor by how much they already know. Not to mention, anything that you can learn beforehand may end up saving you some money on the actual lessons.

With that being said, it’s important to know that there is nothing wrong with taking tennis lessons if you are a true beginner. Even if you have never held a tennis racket or held a tennis ball before, there is nothing to fear. Tennis instructors are there to help you to learn from scratch if that’s what you need. During your lessons, it will always be a good idea to have access to a tennis court and possibly even practice a little in between lessons.

Many tennis instructors work one-on-one with their students, while others prefer to educate to a group of individuals. Those who prefer to learn as much as possible, but without doing so with hands-on training may opt for online lessons. The only drawback is that this method does not provide actual practice, which can be sought separately by the learner. Friends and family can often provide valuable insight in helping one to learning how to play tennis without professional instruction.

Common Parasites in the Horse

Protecting your horse against parasites is part of good barn management. Whether you are the owner of single horse or make your living as a boarding stable, you should have a good parasite prevention plan in place. Deworming your horses at regular intervals will keep parasites at bay and will ensure your horse's maximum health and safety.

What are some of the more common nasties just itching to sponge off your equine friends? Check out these parasite profiles.

• Large Strongyles (Strongylus vulgaris and Strongylus edentatus). Otherwise known as bloodworms, large strongyles are an internal parasite known to be the most destructive and deadly of them all. Why are they so destructive? Well, as immature larvae migrate through the blood vessels, they destroy arterial walls, block or rupture blood vessels, impair circulation, and damage organ and tissues. Not exactly the most polite of guests, are they? Seriously, large strongyles are no joke! The havoc they wreak can result in colic, anemia, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, depression, and loss of appetite. How to prevent large strongyles from getting the best of your horse? Use a dewormer that treats both adult worms and the more destructive arterial larvae. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation, as many dewormers treat only the less dangerous adult worms.

• Small strongyles. Small stronglyles live and migrate within the intestinal tract. While they don't travel any further than this, they too can pack quite a punch. Small strongyles, if left undetected, can cause inflammation of the intestines, anorexia, weight loss, diarrhea, and colic. A good dewormer is your best defense.

• Ascarids (Parascaris equorum). Ascarids are also known by their more common name of roundworm. While ascarids are very dangerous parasites, they most often affect very young horse such as sucklings, weanlings, and yearlings. Ascarids in the migrating larval stages can damage a horse's lung and liver tissue. Some of the signs include lethargy, coughing, fever, pneumonia, and other infections and issues affecting the respiratory tract. Ascarids who reach the adult stage hang out in the small intestine, where they can cause problems like colic, ruptured gut, blockage, and death. They are dangerous nasties indeed, but can be easily prevented with a parasite protection program.

• Bots (Gastrophilus). How's this for weird? Bots are considered an internal parasite, and yet they live on the outside of a horse's body. Say what? Well, here's how it works. In its larval stage, the botfly lives in the horse's stomach and mouth. As it reaches maturity the bot leaves the internal environment and hangs out on the outside of the horse, where it creates more larvae to be ingested by the horse. At the very least, bots cause inflammation and sores in the mouth. They can also cause more serious problems like stomach irritation and ulceration and perforation of the stomach wall. In extreme cases, bots can block stomach outflow into the small intestine, causing colic and possibly death. Effectively ridding your horse's of bots requires a two-pronged approach. First, you'll need to treat the outside of your horses by removing bots with a special comb. Then you'll have to follow up by administering a dewormer.

• Pinworms. (Oxyuris equi). If your horse seems uncomfortable around the tail region-say there's a lot of itching and scratching going on-suspect pinworms. Pinworms live and mate in the horse's rectum, and cause such unpleasant issues as tail rubbing. Again, the right dewormer is all it takes to rid your horse of pinworms.

• Intestinal threadworms (Stronyloides westeri) Threadworms usually affect young horses. If your foal has diarrhea, lack of appetite, is losing weight or is not growing what you think is the right amount of hair, consider threadworms as a possible culprit. Since many dewormers don't effective treat threadworms, talk to your vet about a good course of action.

• Summer sores (Habronema and Draschia) If a fly deposits larvae in the open skin or a wound on the horse's body, the result is often summer sores. The larvae can cause conjunctivitis, nodules in the stomach wall, and gastritis.

Remember, there's no room at the inn for parasites! With good barn management, you can ensure that your horses remain parasite free.

The Families of NASCAR

There are many families who have been in NASCAR for a long time. There are two families, however, that stand out in it's history as having been influential in the sport.

The Frances and the Pettys are two families that have been a part of racing for several generations. They have played very different roles within the sport but have both helped it become what it is today.

"Big Bill" France, Sr. formed NASCAR in 1948. He ran a gas station, raced cars on the side, and dreamt of making racing a true sport with rules, regulations, and a governing body. Bill, Sr. successfully ran the nation's largest stock car association until he handed over the reigns to his son, Bill France, Jr., in 1972.

Bill, Jr. made the North American Stock Car Association into a national pastime with sound business decisions and a little luck. Brian France, third generation, took over the helm in 2003 and the sport has grown by leaps and bounds since then.

Brian has made some major changes, the Chase for the Cup being the most daring change, but all of the changes have served only to increase racing's popularity and widen its fan base. And the sport's popularity doesn't only extend to watching the races. People are buying NASCAR collectibles, NASCAR diecast, and NASCAR merchandise like never before.

The Petty dynasty began with Lee Petty who raced in the very first race ever organized by Bill France, Sr. It was actually his son, Richard "The King" Petty, who has made the Petty family well known to the public.

Richard Petty impresses fans with his gentle manner and his devotion to his family. Richard's son Kyle has proven himself on the track and is now the CEO of Petty Enterprises.

The careers and lives of Lee, Richard, and Kyle inspired Kyle's son Adam to follow in their footsteps. Adam Petty was a promising up and coming driver but in 2000, during a practice run, his car crashed into a wall and he was killed. Adam's legacy lives on through the charitable foundations created by his family in his memory.

The Pettys are loyal to NASCAR. Not only has it provided the Pettys with financial success but careers that they love and are proud of.

There are many more families who have impacted racing in their own ways. The France's and the Petty's longstanding presence in the sport has lent constancy and strength throughout the years. We hope these two families are around for generations to come.

Learning About Mountain Bikes

At this article you will read what mountain biking is as well as how to get the information on various kinds of mountain bikes.

The most commonly used Mountain Bikes are:

Downhill Bikes:Most prominently used for competition in which one goes down the hill. So with that speed, bikes need to be with tough frames and with heavy-duty brakes such as disc or hydraulic brakes.

XC Bikes: This is another kind of bike which is highly used for competition in which one can go both down and climb hills. So its frame should be light but reasonably tough. Brakes used in this particular bike are v-brakes and light disc brakes.

Hybrid Bikes: This category of bikes is a good option for those who want to ride on both mountains and road.

These bikes either run on front suspension or on full suspension (which is a combination of both front and back suspensions). Various kinds of brakes employed in these bikes are:-

Rim Brakes: They are both light and powerful but their power decreases in muddy terrain where they become slippery.

Disc Brakes: They are light and powerful and are not affected by weather.

Hydraulic Brakes: They are very powerful and don't need much maintenance, but are expensive than other brakes.

Frame Materials: The bikes can be made of aluminum, steel or titanium. These are very important elements of the bike as their composition determines the weight, strength, responsiveness and life of the bike.

Size: Like conventional bikes, mountain bikes come in small, medium and large sizes. But different manufactures use different reference point of measurement therefore sizing is not always consistent.

Latest Trends:

All Mountain Bikes: The "All Mountain Bikes" are characterized by 5-6 inch (125-150 mm) rims to take on very rough conditions.

29er Bike: This uses 700cc-sized rims and is suited for tires of 2 inches (50mm) width or more, so that it is able to roll over the obstacles.

Single speed: This is a blend of simplicity with innovation in suspension design.

Some of the other trends include Stable Platform Value Suspension Technology. Here the compressor shim stack has been replaced with a pair of overlapping cups. It also employs VPP suspension designs to balance different forces thereby eliminating unwanted compression without limiting bump absorption.

Monday, July 16, 2007

100 Adsense Tips

1) AdSense Earning = Impression-count x Click-though-rate x Cost-per-click x smart-pricing-factor.
2) Impression count is basically referring to your traffic. It means the number of times AdSense block is displayed.
3) Click-through-rate (CTR) is ratio of clicks per impressions. It can range from 0.1% to 30%, but most commonly around 1% to 10%.
4) Cost-per-click (CPC) is the earning you get per click. While traditionally it refers to the amount advertisers pay for each click, it can also mean the amount publishers get for each click.
5) Smart-pricing is AdSense method to determine how valuable clicks from your site is worth. If clicks on your site doesn’t provide good value to advertisers, e.g. from visitors’ geo-location that seldom translate to sales, you will only get a fraction of the supposed CPC.6) Apply for AdSense account via blogger.com for faster approval.
7) Once you get your AdSense publisher code, you can put it any of your websites without requiring further approval.
8) Read and reread Google AdSense Program Policies and Terms and Conditions.
9) Don’t click on your own ads, or ask people to click, even if you are using proxies.
10) Don’t use click-bots.
11) Don’t encourage your visitors to click on ads.
12) Don’t put competitor contextual ads that look exactly like adsense on the same page as your AdSense, for example: Yahoo Publisher Network, Clicksor. Non-contextual ads are ok.
13) Don’t put your ads on objectionable material, e.g. adult sites, gambling sites, mp3, etc.
14) Basically, don’t cheat AdSense. Google will catch you, sooner or later.
15) Viewing your on website will not get you banned. Just make sure you don’t click on the ads.
16) However, repeatedly reload your page to jack up page impressions can get you banned.
17) When in doubt don’t hesitate to contact the AdSense team. They are very helpful.
18) Choose a high paying niche without too much competition.
19) You can try highest paying keywords from cwire.org, but know before-hand that you’ll face very fierce competitions.
20) Use Overture Bid Tool and Search Engine Keyword Tool to find suitable keyword.
21) Consider signing-up for AdWords and create a mini campaign. It can help you to understand the working of AdSense.
22) Target a specific audience. Get Google AdWords.
23) Put your targeted-keyword on Page Title.
24) Repeat the keywords in your content.25) Put emphasis around your keywords by using HTML tags.
26) Get domain name that contains your targeted keyword.
27) Submit your website to directories for inclusion, e.g. dmoz.org, yahoo directories
28) Submit your URL to search engines for crawling.
29) Create and submit your sitemaps to Google Sitemap (sitemap.xml) and Yahoo (urllist.txt)30) Google is not the only search engine. Optimize for different engines as well. You are very likely to face less competition than in Google.
31) Invest for original fresh content. Write or pay for contents regularly.
32) Use copyscape.com to find content theft. You invest for your content. Don’t let it be taken by unscrupulous webmasters.
33) Article marketing is one of the best way to deliver traffic to your site. Write and submit articles to article-submission sites. Include short summary and hyperlinks to your website in the author information box.
34) Don’t use objectionable methods to draw visitors to your site; buying traffics, spyware, hidden-texts, page cloaking etc will get your AdSense account terminated.
35) New visitors have higher chance to click on the ads than regular visitors, thus higher CTR (click-through rate).
36) Regular visitors have higher chance to recommend your site to others.
37) Search engines are where most of your new visitors come from. Learn a bit about Search Engine Optimization, or pay people to do it. Doing it yourself will save yourself from troubles created by not-so-honorable SEO (Search Engine Optimizer).
38) Don’t create mirrors. These are sites with different URLs but same contents. It hurts search engine ranking.
39) Its easier to create many websites with low earning than few websites with high earning.
40) Forum generally have high impressions count, but very low CTR.
41) CTR isn’t everything. If your CTR is high but gives low conversion rate for the advertiser site, it will trigger AdSense smart pricing.
42) Follow good design guidelines. Avoid the common design mistakes.
43) Help your visitors by creating easy navigation. You want your visitors to stay for as long as possible.
44) Use Google Analytics to see your website statistics. It can help you optimize your site.
45) Google AdSense Heatmap works. Just above your main content is the best position to put your AdSense block
46) Forum sites have different Forum AdSense Heatmap. Best positions for AdSense for forums are: on the left panel, after the first post, and just below the last post before the footer.
47) Forum is interactive medium. Be sensitive to your visitors concerns.
48) Try 300×250 medium rectangle, 336×280 large rectangle, or 160×600 wide skyscraper ad formats. These are the best performing AdSense ad formats.
49) Choose colors that blend with your content.
50) Wrap the AdSense block around your content.
51) dont put images next or above your AdSense block it can get you banned
52) Use channels to track the performance of different format, colors, and positions.
53) Opt in for both image ads and text ads. Google will choose better performing ads for you.
54) AdSense have both CPM (cost per thousand impressions) and CPC (cost per click) ads, and will choose the one it thinks can perform better.
55) Both image ads and text ads can be either CPM or CPC.
56) Put link unit ads. They can add to the bottom line.
57) Try Google Search unit. They provide value to your visitor while adding to your bottom line.
58) Put in lots of efforts in creating contents and promoting your website. AdSense is not a get-rich-quick scheme.
59) Clear low-value links from your site. You want your visitors to exit through the ads. Put only links that are really useful for the visitors.
60) Search “AdSense Tips” on Google. Most webmasters continuously try to optimize their AdSense and many are more than willing to share their result.
61) If you blog, Darren has some tips for you.
62) Inside AdSense is official AdSense blog, where you can find latest developments about AdSense.
63) You can get help of other AdSense pulishers at AdSense Help Group.
64) If you are serious about making money from AdSense, get Joel’s AdSense Secrets.
65) Don’t put too many ad blocks on your site. Find out the highest CTR block and remove the others. Few clicks on the 1$ ads are better than many clicks on the 3-cent-ads.
66) Experiment, experiment, and experiment. You can never stop trying for new ad format. Even if you think you can’t improve anymore, one slight change might increase your earning significantly.
67) Remove the “Advertise on this site” from your AdSense block until your site is big enough to attract real advertisers. This will help to clear off many MFA (made-for-adsense) sites. You can disable it from AdSense account setting.
68) Use AdSense Preview Tool to test the ads that will appear on your site. You can click on ads in the AdSense preview tool, as the advertisers are not charged from it.
69) AdSense uses geo-location to deliver advertisement. So, what you see on your site might not be what your visitors see. Use AdSense Preview Tool to view your AdSense advertisement displayed for visitors from other places.
70) Use AdSense Competitive Ads Filter to remove scrapper sites ads. Scrapper sites are sites without real content. They are either link farms, content theft, or meta search engine.
71) Use AdSense Competitive Ads Filter to remove irrelevant ads.
72) AdsBlackList.com have good list of URLs to block. Try it.
73) Try variations of AdSense colors, format, position on different pages to make it more unpredictable for your visitors.
74) Learn some CSS.
75) If you are putting multiple ads block on your website: put most clicked block to appear first in the HTML. Higher position in HTML = higher paying ads. You can do this using CSS.
76) Try to put contents on different subject topics. If it can draw visitors, write more on that topic.
77) If you have dynamic pages, use htaccess rewrite rule to make it appear as static, e.g. instead of http://www.website.com/?p=6.
78) Validate your site HTML and CSS.
79) Break your long articles to few short articles; this way the users are exposed to the ads for more times.
80) Keep each article focused on one topic.
81) Watch your statistics and pay attention to articles that bring in visitors.
82) Write more articles within the subject that attract visitors.
83) Web-savvy visitors are less inclined to click on ads.
84) Have patience. You need time to build the traffic, and to optimize it.
85) Think long-term. Analise what your visitors need, provide value and good experience to visitors.
86) Consider buying websites. If you do it right, you can get back your investment in a relatively short time.
87) Watch your AdSense earning. Notify AdSense Team if you find anything suspicious. Your competitors might try to sabotage your account, or your well-meaning friend keep on clicking on the ads thinking they are helping you.
88) Use Google AdSense section targeting to help AdSense deliver more relevant ads.
89) Use AdSense Alternate Ads in case if AdSense can’t find any relevant ads.
90) Use rotating color ads. It keeps your visitors from getting AdSense blind.
91) Try other contextual advertising networks too. Yahoo Publisher Network is still in beta and only available in U.S., or you can try Clicksor, Bidvertising, etc...
92) You can put your clickbank, amazon, or other affiliate links on the same page with AdSense. You can also put other advertising network, so long as it is not contextual ads. Try Chitika, and disable the contextual ads option.
93) If you don’t follow the Terms and Conditions, your AdSense account will be disabled and you’ll get banned for life.
94) If you didn’t do anything wrong and your AdSense account is disabled: write them a polite and professional email, be patient and be persistent. Offer them your server logs to prove your innocence.
95) Spread the links to your website: put it on your email signature, put comment on blogs, participate in your niche forums.
96) Promote your articles in social bookmarking sites: del.icio.us, digg, reddit are good start.
97) Provide Email a Friend option to visitors.
98) Familiarize yourself with AdSense earning report. It can help you determine where your money is from, and optimize accordingly.
99) Offer newsletters for visitors. It give you chance to get the visitors back regularly.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Healthy Cooking Techniques

Healthy cooking doesn't mean that you have to become a gourmet chef or invest in expensive cookware. You can use basic cooking techniques to prepare food in healthy ways. The methods described here best capture the flavor and retain the nutrients in your food without adding excessive amounts of fat or salt. Once you've mastered these techniques, use them often to prepare your favorite dishes.

Baking - Use this method to cook seafood, poultry, lean-meat, and vegetable and fruit pieces of the same size. Place food in a pan or dish surrounded by the hot, dry air of your oven. You may cook the food covered or uncovered. Baking generally doesn't require that you add fat to the food. In some cases, you may need to baste the food to keep it from drying out.

Braising - This method involves browning the ingredient first in a pan on top of the stove, and then slowly cooking it covered with a small quantity of liquid, such as water or broth. You can use the cooking liquid afterward to form a flavorful, nutrient-rich sauce.

Grilling and Broiling - Both of these cooking methods expose fairly thin pieces of food to direct heat. To grill outdoors, place the food on a grill rack above a bed of charcoal embers or gas-heated rocks. For smaller items such as chopped vegetables, use a long-handled grill basket, which prevents pieces from slipping through the rack. To broil indoors, place food on a broiler rack below a heat element. Both methods allow fat to drip away from the food.

Poaching - To poach foods, gently simmer ingredients in water or a flavorful liquid such as broth, vinegar or juice until they're cooked through and tender. The food retains its shape during cooking. For stove-top poaching, choose a covered pan that best fits the size and shape of the food so that you use a minimum amount of liquid.

Roasting - Like baking, but typically at higher temperatures, roasting uses an oven's dry heat to cook the food. You can roast foods on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. For poultry, seafood and meat, place a rack inside the roasting pan so that the fat in the food can drip away during cooking.

Sauté - This method quickly cooks relatively small or thin pieces of food. If you choose a good-quality nonstick pan, you can cook food without using fat. Depending on the recipe, use low-sodium broth, nonstick cooking spray or water in place of oil.

Steaming - One of the simplest cooking techniques to master is steaming food in a perforated basket suspended above simmering liquid. If you use a flavorful liquid or add seasonings to the water, you'll flavor the food as it cooks.

Stir-Fry - A traditional Asian method, stir-frying quickly cooks small, uniform-sized pieces of food while they're rapidly stirred in a wok or large nonstick frying pan. You need only a small amount of oil or nonstick cooking spray for this cooking method.

Using herbs and spices - Creating meals using spices and herbs is one of the best ways to add color, taste, and aroma to foods. Choose fresh herbs that look bright and aren't wilted, and add them toward the end of cooking. Add dried herbs in the earlier stages of cooking. When substituting dried for fresh, use about one-third the amount.

About Judo Uniforms

Since it was created in 1882 by Kano Jigoro of Japan, Judo has become one of the most popular martial arts in the world. It is quite a rigorous and physically demanding sport, appearing in several major international sports competitions. As a result, when partaking in judo training, it is important that a high quality judo uniform, or gi in Japanese, be worn to avoid tearing and damage.

Judo uniforms are generally constructed out of 100% cotton, bleached white. Cotton is the best choice for breathability. Care should be taken when laundering, as most judo uniforms are not pre-shrunken and will shrink up to a full size from excess heat. Therefore, washing in cool water and air drying is highly recommended to avoid shrinkage.

There are three pieces to the judo uniform: the jacket, the belt, and the pants. The jacket is quilted with a thick pliable collar and wide sleeves. Two short splits are on either side of the hip, which are reinforced with extra cloth. The jacket is secured with a belt, coloured according to level, wrapped tightly around the body and knotted. The pants feature an elasticized drawstring waist with wide legs to allow for movement. In areas where there may be a lot of friction or stress from pulling, reinforcement at the seams and additional padding is vital to prevent damage. These include the shoulders, collar, knees, and crotch of the pants.

The cloth for gi's comes in a variety of weights and textures. For training purposes, judo uniforms are made out of single weave cloth. The appropriate weight for a Judoka (Judo practitioner) is measured in ounces or grams, and depends on their ability and age. Usually, beginners at a younger age opt for lighter weights while older advanced students and instructors choose heavier ones. Weights can vary from 7 ounces or 198.44 grams to 40.57 ounces or 1150 grams.

For competitions, double weave cloth is ideal for judo uniforms, making them thicker and heavier. Judo uniforms for competition use tend to be more durable, and as a result, much more expensive than single weave. While training judo uniforms come in white, competition level uniforms also come in blue.

Higher quality judo uniforms should not weigh down the practitioner and restrict their movement. They should fit loosely and comfortably on the body.

What are some general guidelines for healthy eating ?

  • Don't skip meals. Plan your daily meals and snacks. For healthy eating, if your weight is normal, enjoy three meals and two additional snacks if you're hungry in between mealtimes.
  • Learn simple ways to prepare food. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean complicated eating. Keep meal preparation easy, eat more raw foods such as salads and vegetable juices, and focus on the pleasure of eating healthy food rather than the calories.
  • Avoid eating more sugar. If you feel tired in the afternoon, reach for fruits, veggies or a high protein snack rather than sweets, which actually rob your body of energy.
  • Listen to your body. Stop eating when you feel full. This will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best.

Aerobic Breathing Exercise

There is only one way you can eat more and weigh less - by changing your metabolism; and there is only one way of changing your metabolism - by aerobic breathing. We all know that we have to become aerobic to burn body fat. But what is aerobic exercise? Most people think it is running around in the gym doing jazzercise, running, or jumping. The fact is, aerobic exercise means increasing oxygen to the body through breathing. We know that the aerobic part of all exercise comes in the breathing, not in the activity we are doing. Exercise and movement are tools to get us to change our breathing from a shallow type of breathing to deep diaphragmatic breathing. We want to increase the oxygen levels to the blood. Oxygen is a natural fat burner. Whoever said you had to run and move around to get aerobic? The movement and the exertion of the body is a tool to get us to breathe differently.

Best Gift For Fishing Fanatics

Why not purchase a packaged fishing trip that suits your needs? I have spent many hours arranging a fishing trip. Aside from taking my personal items and arranging my own transportation, I go with packages. Everything that I want has been ordered or arranged and when I arrive to cast that line, I don’t have to think about a thing.

Packages are designed to provide the fishing fanatic with every person’s situation and budget taken into consideration. There are many packages geared towards what you can afford. Packages often can include any or all of the accommodations and amenities you want. They are versatile and flexible to suit any fisherman’s idea of the “best gift I ever got”. Here are some examples of what packages may or may not offer.

Fishing packages can be for a half-day or full day. They can be tailored for fishing trips lasting up to seven days and more. Some may include lodging and meals. If you want to join your fishing fanatic, many packages are available for double occupancy. If you’re a single fisherman and want to go it alone, accommodations can be arranged for singles as well. Some packages won’t include charter fees or taxes. Some don’t include your transportation to the state or locale you are going to fish in so be sure to read everything that is offered in the package you choose.

Reputable people in the business of providing the ultimate fishing vacations or packages will offer this advice. A package is a better deal because you don’t have to provide all the stuff. Now, unless you just have to cart that favorite fishing pole onto the plane, fishing guide businesses will have all the fishing equipment you will need. A guide will also know the “fishing holes”.

Traveling to an unknown locale to go fishing can end up with you not having caught anything. Your package and guide will be able to get you to the right fishing spots at the best times. Most of all, professional fishing business owners will always advise that you research the company you are going to purchase a package from. Know whom you are dealing with. Check their references and ask if they have insurance. Once you have found the package and the company you want, get ready for your fishing fanatic to say, “That was the best fishing I’ve ever done.” Packages are a great gift because you want the fanatic to have the time of their lives but a time that had little stress. Isn’t that what fishing is all about?

A Little On The Side

Boring pony tails are a thing of the past. Try a little on the side and create a whole new look. The latest hair trend for those who have pony tail worthy hair is wearing your pony to one side. And no it's not because you have had one too many gin and tonics and couldn't get the pony straight, wear the side pony with confidence and show you are truly 2005 aware.

Avoid looking too 1980, by softening the form with soft shaggy shorter pieces of hair framing the face while at the same time allowing the pony tail to twist and curl around the back of your ear. Alternatively, wear it sleek and straight exposing just one detailed earring, similar to Liv Tyler at the Oscars.

The only question left unanswered is which is your best side?

Enjoy The Holday | with less stress

Leave Your Holiday stress Behind


Moderation, flexibility, and creativity: Consider these characteristics the keys to navigating your holidays with less stress.

Moderation: Instead of excess this season, live the mantra "all things in moderation." Think of moderate eating as enjoying the delightful, special fare of the season without overdoing it. Make Healthy Choice� part of your moderate eating plan. At home or at the office, a Healthy Choice meal is a perfect way to balance your nutrition—a great strategy for less stress.

Flexibility: Normal routines get dealt a blow this time of year. Flexibility is a must. Keeping a supply of Healthy Choice meals and soups on hand, ready when you are, allows you to be flexible without sacrificing good nutrition and great flavor. Simply reach for delicious Healthy Choice Complete Selections, such as Asiago Chicken Portobello, or a steaming bowl of Chicken & Dumplings soup. You won't miss a beat when schedules change.

Creativity: Creative solutions can reduce your stress by keeping your nutrition on track. Impromptu get-together at your house? No problem! Whip up some Caf� Selections Pizza, cut into bite-size snacks, and you're good to go. Afraid you'll be late for the holiday concert? No problem. Heat up a creative meal from our Caf� Selections line, and you're right on time.

Great Food On The Road : You can take it with you !

Implement these strategies to make great-tasting foods (packed with nutrition) part of your summer travels.


Bring Food with you

The best way to enjoy the foods you love is to bring them with you. Whether it’s a simple bag of snacks or a cooler full, bringing your own food is a practical solution.

Chill Out

Deli cheeses and meats (like Healthy Choice Roast Beef, Turkey, or Ham), teamed with a variety of breads or rolls, are wonderfully easy and flavorful options for packing. Keep perishable deli items cold by transporting them in an insulated cooler kept cold with ice or frozen gel packs. Pack the cooler immediately before leaving home with foods that have been kept chilled in the refrigerator or freezer. If you are also packing beverages, keep them in one chilled cooler and perishables in another. Transfer perishables to a refrigerator as soon as possible to ensure they stay uniformly cold.

Shop European style

You don’t have to go to Europe to take advantage of this vacation strategy for great tasting food: daily shopping at a local grocery store, produce stand, or farmer’s market. Make time for a daily walk or bike ride to pick up a few standbys—whole grain bread, low-fat meats, milk, or yogurt perhaps—as well as some local products—such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Remember Fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids during travel is essential, especially during summer months when temperatures can soar. Bottled water is an ideal beverage to bring along. Remember, all beverages hydrate, so enjoy a variety of beverages, like flavored water, or iced tea. Many foods provide fluid too. Fruits, salads and soups, for example, are great sources of fluid.

<-----End----->

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Generation of BMW Car

Naming any car the very best one in the whole world is an exercise fraught with peril. In some contexts car "A" is perfect while car "B" is ludicrously inadequate, and in other situations it's exactly the opposite. The fastest cars usually can't carry your family to Disney World and minivans aren't likely to win many races. But virtually every esteemed commentator, media organization or drunken bar patron who's ever dared name one vehicle the best the planet has to offer has had BMW's 5 Series on the short list for consideration.

The 5 Series has, in its structure, form, performance and overall excellence, been the archetypical sport sedan for more than 30 years. It's the bogey against which every other sport sedan must be measured and the car that pushed BMW beyond the niche it secured with the much smaller 1600, 2002 and 3 Series. And every time BMW redesigns the 5 Series, it risks destroying all that.

Before the 5

In many ways the 5 Series development parallels that of the 3 series with both tracing their heritage to the "Neue Klasse" (New Class) midsize car that went on sale in the U.S. in 1962 as the 1500 four-door sedan. The New Class was the first modern BMW. It had state-of-the-art features like a unibody structure, MacPherson strut front and independent rear suspension and an 80-horsepower, SOHC 1.5-liter four in its nose. The wildly popular New Class did nothing less than save BMW.

Evolution of the New Class split, however, with the introduction of the 1600-2 two-door model in 1966. With a two-inch-shorter wheelbase, two fewer doors and less weight than other New Class models, the two-door model performed better even if it was slightly compromised in utility. When the two-door's engine grew to two liters in displacement during 1968, the model's name became "2002" and that evolutionary branch would eventually lead to the 3 Series.

Meanwhile the four-door New Class sedans continued in production with their four-cylinder engines also growing eventually to 2.0 liters and 100 hp in 1966's 2000 sedan. Then in 1968 BMW introduced their large sedan, powered by a new range of inline six-cylinder engines and sold as the 2500 when equipped with a 2.5-liter version of the six and the 2800 with a 2.8-liter displacement.

By the early 1970s, the New Class cars were obviously aging and the two-door 2002 was an established hit. It was time to replace the New Class four-doors, and BMW decided to make the replacement significantly larger than the 2002 to distinguish it in the marketplace and open a new niche for BMW. The trick would be doing that while not impinging on the niche established by the E21.

That successor would be the 5 Series.

Buying Your First Piano/Keyboard - Things You Should Know Before You Take a Decision

As you set out to buy your first keyboard instrument, you will encounter words like keyboards, digital piano, arranger keyboards, synthesizers, workstations etc. and you may not be very sure on how to proceed. Find out what may suit your need.

Why are the keyboard instruments known as home keyboards, arranger keyboards, synthesizers, workstations and so on and why do so many variations exist? To answer this question, you need to understand the growth of a keyboard player, the way he/she progresses.

  • Learning Stage – At this level, you will be more concerned about learning to play the instrument. The instrument you are most likely to buy will be one of the Casio CTK series or the lower models in the Yamaha PSR series. These are known as home keyboards because you intend to play them at home. They are also known as arranger keyboards because of the built-in musical styles. These keyboards have lot of features to keep you busy with your learning process for quite some time and are reasonably priced.
  • Performing Stage – At this level you will in all probability be playing for an audience and you will need professional sounds in your keyboard. The home keyboard which you had bought earlier will not be enough.
  • Performing Stage – At this level you will in all probability be playing for an audience and you will need professional sounds in your keyboard. The home keyboard which you had bought earlier will not be enough. You will need a professional arranger keyboard if you intend to play as a one man band or if you are not going to have any percussionist to accompany you. The professional arranger keyboards have such superior built in accompaniments and sounds that you can do a show all by yourself, if you can sing as well. If you have a proper band with a drummer, bassist and guitarist then you don’t need an arranger keyboard, a Synthesizer should do the job. Synthesizers do not have built in accompaniments but they have very good sounds. You can tweak most of the sounds and create new ones.
  • Composing and Arranging Stage – This is where you need things like workstations, samplers and synthesizers. In this stage you need lots of varied loops, sounds and effects. A single instrument called Workstation, which is a portable studio, may serve all your purpose but once you reach this stage your ears are constantly in the lookout for new sounds. And that is the reason you end up with additional gear called samplers and synthesizers in your studio. Of course, if you are getting paid for your work you should not mind spending on your gear. Conclusion – So you can see that the various keyboard instruments serve some purpose and they are needed at the various stages in a keyboard player’s career. Further, down the line if you get really serious about Keyboards, you will definitely end up owning multiple keyboards.

Easy Guide on How to Write a Song

There are may ways in which a song can be written, this is one of them.
Here are some basic steps :

Lyrics
Mostly all songs need lyrics. These can be either in a poem form, free form (no rhyme) or other. You can start by simply taking a phrase, a feeling, a situation, a general idea or belief and writing a poem about it. If you do write a poem I suggest keeping the same measure(number of syllables in a verse) throughout the poem. Now if you want a chorus (refrain), choose the most relevant part of the poem and make that your chorus. You can write the chorus separately, or you don’t have to have a chorus. But if you do have one, remember that the chorus must reflect the idea behind the song( that and, it has to be catchy).

Tune (or melodic backbone)
This can be done in two ways: - You first have the lyrics; you take a guitar (or a piano) and start playing a tune (a succession of note, arpeggios, or chords), then try to sing the lyrics along with the tune. - You have a good tune in your head; start playing it and then try singing different lyrics that come to mind.

No matter which one you pick, keep in mind that the lyrics and the tune have to represent each other, you must get the same feeling both from the lyrics and the tune. If the tune is soft, choose according lyrics (something regarding love, relaxation, world peace etc.)

Basic song structure
You now have a tune, and some lyrics. You have to decide a basic song structure for your song. This means you have to decide how you’re going to split the lyrics, chorus, intro, outro, solo. Here is a good song structure: small guitar intro, first verses, chorus, more verses, chorus, small chorus add-on, guitar solo, chorus, small outro. The intro and outro can be the same as the basic tune, or just the first part of the tune, but without lyrics. If your playing it on a guitar, it easier to change the chord after each verse.

Adding to the song
If you intend to play the song with a band you have to add to the song. Lets say you made your song tune on a acoustic guitar. You can include the following instrument to the sons: Bass: the most important thing about the bass is that it keeps a good rhythm and it also completes the frequency spectrum of the song (by the low pitched notes it plays). A good tip for the bass musical line is to mark the crossing between chords(arpeggios) by playing the fundamental note in that chord. - Electric guitar: there are a lot of things that an electric guitar can do in a song. It can help keep the rhythm, it can use special effect to add to the songs feel, it can play a good solo and so on. If you use a acoustic guitar as the base rhythm, don’t play the same chords on the electric guitar, it becomes too “full”. You can use fifth to sustain the tune. You can also play a nice simple tune that goes along with the main tune, but were the electric guitar excels is at solos.

- Drums: these are very important to a song, they are the ones who keep the beat of the song. You can have a full drum set, or just a couple of bongos. If your drummer is good, he’ll have no problem at getting the beat of the song. You can vary the percussion of a song a lot , so don’t hold back.

- Piano: this is a very good instrument to base your song on. As a secondary instrument, it can be used for background effects, and certain solo parts. But if you have based your song on an acoustic guitar there is so much a piano can do.

- Other instruments: there are many instruments that you can use to “complete” the sound of your song. Don’t hesitate to try new and exotic sounds.

Final form
After you tried all the instruments available, and all the variations you wanted, it’s time to set the final form of the song. If you’re in a band, agree to a common version for the song. Don’t forget, you’ll have to make compromises some times (that’s a part of being in a band). If you want to play it life, rehearse it a few times, just to be sure you all know how the song goes.

As a conclusion, you don’t have to have a license diploma as a musician to write a song. Just play what you like, be open minded and the songs will come to you. A song shouldn’t be written because you have to, a song should be written because you want to.

Here is example of a song :

Lyrics

I wrote a song on a Sunday morning,(C) (C) (C-G) I did it till my pen started moaning,(Am) (A) (A-E) I picked up a guitar and started to play,(F) (F) (F-C) I wrote my song and I did it my way.(G) (G) (G-D)

Chorus:

Be free, (C) (C) (C-G)

Let yourself be free

Rise to the challenge(G) (G) (G-D)

Of your own destiny.

Chorus add-on: Break the boundaries of society. I played my song in a thousand places(C) I brought smiles to a thousand faces(Am) I faced my fears and I got this far,(F) I am now a world famous rock star.(G)

-the symbols in the brackets are chords (you can choose a chord pattern by using “The Circle of Fifths”). You change the chord when the verse ends.

-A very simple bass line can be done by playing the fundamental of each chord when the verse begins. The bass can peed up the tempo where it is required.

-The electric guitar can play fifths ( C-G, A-E, F-C and G-D), can also vary the rhythm, can have a distorts effect on the chorus. It can do a simple solo (because it’s the C major scale, you don’t have any accidentals(#)) after the chorus add-on (you can use a pattern from “Musical Mode Pattern for Picking” article).

-The drums have a basic 4/4 beat which can be varied easily. Small drum breaks at the end of a verse and the begin of the chorus are a good idea, it tells the people listening that a chorus is coming.

Enjoy.






Friday, July 13, 2007

Top 10 Tips For Your Lens Camera

Many lens providers give a detailed booklet along with the lenses. Read the booklet thoroughly and understand what needs to be done. Remember, care for your contact is not standard. Different regimen.

Here are some tips for contact lens care :
  • Before handling your contact lens, wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap. rinse them well before drying your hands with a lint free towel. make sure that your hands are free from contaminants and dust at all never use cold cream cosmetics, face powder or lotions just before handling.
  • Never use your nails to handle your lens. Always ensure you use your finger tips. Keep your nails short and with no jagged ends.
  • After removal, your lens must be throughly cleaned, rinsed and disinfected. The solution used must be approved by the FDA and manufactured by reputable companies. Remember your eyes are irreplaceable so never compromise on the quality of the solutions. Ensure you clean your lens immediately after your remove them.
  • The contact lens care solution must be fresh, not expired and follow carefully the chemical system of sterilization. Discard any solution that is beyond the expiration date.
  • Do not use saliva or tap water for re-wetting. Saliva can spread infection while tap water has chlorine and other chemical that are harmful.
  • Rinse your lens case with solution recommended by your eye care professional and according to the manufactures guidelines. Use only solution intended for usage and never reuse your solutions.
  • Use fresh solution each time you place your lens in a storage case. Don't "top off". "Topping off" is adding a little more solution to the solution that is already in the case.
  • Never leave your lens exposed to air dust. When your are not using them, keep them immersed in the disinfecting solution and ensure that you close the storage case tightly to avoid any dust particles falling into the solution.
  • A new lens case should be used with each new bottle of solution for proper contact lens care.
  • Replace your contact as recommended by your eye care professional as well as the manufacture of the lens.
If you experience any problems with your vision, remove your lens and consult your eye care professional right away. Discomfort can be an early sign of a more serious complication, and early treatment can have a significant impact on overcoming problems associated with improper contact lens care.



Healthy Living

A Holistic Approach To Taking Care Of Yourself

Learning to take care of our health should begin when we are young. As we age, risks of health problems significantly increase. Educating ourselves about age-related diseases is an important first step to improve how we can live healthier.

Factor That Effect Weight

Bottom line: people who are overweight generally eat too much and exercise too little. Every function of the body from building cells to moving muscles requires energy. Energy is measured in calories, which are supplied by the foods we eat. The body burns the calories it needs for its immediate energy requirements, depending on
physical activity. Excess calories are stored in the body’s fat cells. An average woman needs about 2200
calories a day for her average metabolism.

Remember: one pound of fat = 3500 stored calories.

There are a number of physical factors that may effect weight gain:

  • Women tend to weigh more as they age. It is normal for people to be a little heavier as they grow older.
  • A small amount of weight gain does not pose a threat to a person’s health.
  • A woman might not lose all the weight she gained during pregnancy and with each pregnancy the weight can add up.
  • A woman may have a hard time losing weight because of her metabolism – how her body uses the energy from the foods she eats. People burn calories at different rates. Even if you do not overeat, you might still find it hard to lose weight and keep a healthy weight, if you do not exercise.
  • Low thyroid function
Take Control Of What You Eat And maintain a Healthy Weight

A sedentary and fast food environment makes it easy to be overweight. Slimming down is a difficult and time-consuming thing to do. However, there is no easy way around the medically proven fact that proper eating habits and moderate exercise are crucial to keeping your weight in a healthy range and your body physically and mentally fit.





Attaching Opticals To Your Camera Lens For

High Magnification Imaging Using Monoculars, Binoculars and Spotting Scopes

It can be shown that if a TTL (thru the lens viewing) camera lens is held up close to the eyepiece of most any optical device, such as a monocular, binocular, or spotting scope, one can see the subject in the eyepiece thru the view finder of the camera. You can also take a picture of what you see in the view finder by holding the camera close to the eye piece. This however becomes quite difficult when you have to hold the camera and the optical device at the same time while trying to focus and click the shutter.

The Lens To Eyepiece Connection

If you can hold your camera up to the eyepiece and take images this way, how can one hold the eyepiece of an optical device so that it will become an integral part of the camera lens?

"Three criteria are important. First, the method must be safe for both the optics of the camera and the microscope. If there is any possibility of scratching these, the adapter must prevent this unhappy event. Second, the method must be stable to prevent camera shake. Third, the adapter should block extraneous light from entering the camera from the gap between the lens and eyepiece"

Preferred Camera Type

Until the digital camera manufactures can design a hood for the camera monitor or a monitor that one can use to view subjects in daylight...the camera of choice has to be one that you can compose your images by viewing thru the lens.

There are a growing number of camera accessory suppliers on the Internet that are starting to help resolve this problem by designing hoods that attach to the tripod threads in the bottom of the camera or are held on by velcro strips attached to the sides of the monitor.


Thursday, July 12, 2007

Your Eye's Need Nutrition, Too

Recently there's been a lot of interest in an antioxidant called lutein. Why all this interest? Because researchers feel lutein may help protect cells from damage. Lutein also has the ability to filter out some of the damaging rays of the sun.

  • Lutein is present in the eye, in both the lens and the macular region. But lutein has its highest concentration in the macula lutea - the eye tissues responsible for central vision.
  • Since the body does not make lutein, you can only obtain it from the foods you eat. Studies have shown that the amount of lutein in the macula can be changed based on the level of lutein in the diet. So you should be sure to eat foods that contain lutein every day. Good sources include dark green, leafy vegetables and citrus fruits as oranges and tangerines. For a few more sources of lutein, see the chart below.
  • Although precise connections have not yet been clearly made between lutein and eye health, ongoing studies should help to reveal more about this vital substance. In the meantime, why not eat foods high in lutein? After all, they contain lots of other great nutrients as well!
FOODS THAT GIVE YOU LUTEIN

Kale

Tangerines

Spinach

Marinara Sauce

Broccoli

Tangerine juice

Corn

Carrots

Romaine lettuce

Celery

Peas

Tomatoes, cooked


End --->

What is healthy diet for women ?

Women require more calcium and iron than men do, but what constitutes a healthy diet for a women depends a great deal on where she is in the life cycle, the amount of exercise she gets, whether she is pregnant or lactating, and other lifestyle factors.

Measuring Your Results

Research shows that 50 minutes of jazzercise burns 250 calories. If you run for five miles, you burn 450 calories. If you were to do this program for the same amount of time (you don't do it for 50 minutes, but for comparison's sake), it would burn 3,500 calories. These are document result. Do you know what 3,500 calories is ? One pound of fat ! There is nothing I know of that will burn one pound of fat and in 50 minutes. The whole idea is not just to burn body fat, but to lose body fat and inches at the same time. This program not just about losing weight. This program is not about food. Most everyone talks about eating less and weighing less. I tell my clients to forget the scale. Throw it out the window. all of you think that if you lose 20 pounds you are going to look good and be fit, that your stomach will be nice and flat, your things tight, your rear and lifted and your waist small. Whatever gave you that idea ? You are going to be flabby and that doesn't look good either. What we really wants is to be fit. We just care about size in this program. There are only five areas we measure : waist, upper abs, lower abs, hips and things. You measure yourself wit a base-line measurement, and than every week you chart your loss week by week so you ca see how much you are losing and where. You can't look 20 when you are 55, but you can skim ten years off the way you look and definitely more than that off the way you fell. The result of this program give you more like a dancer's body limber, lean and flexible. As we get older, we lose our range of motion, and we can't bend, move, and stretch. We need more agility as we get older, more flexibility.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Refreshing Treats To Help You Coll Off 2

Fruit Skewers
Fresh fruit is a summertime staple. For a new way to enjoy this old classic, try skewering generous us chunks of your favorite fruit on kabob sticks. Create colorful, luscious combinations using pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and kiwi. To make this treat unique, freeze the fruit kabobs before serving grill them in the backyard for a BBQ-appropriate dessert. For a healthy snack that's a bit more decadent, try drizzling melted dark chocolate (which is rich in antioxidants) oner your fruit kabob.

Ice-Cold H2O (with Delicious Twist)
Nutritionists are quick to remind us about the benefits of drinking water. And if you plan to spend lots of time outdoors, it's important to keep yourself hydrated. If plan water seems to passe for the exciting summer ahead, give your aqua attitude by adding fresh fruit. Instead of putting lemon slices in your water, try adding slice of orange, lime, or even pomegranate. This is a fresh, natural way to flavor your water that doesn't involve added sugar or preservatives.

Refreshing Treats To Help You Coll Off

The lazy days of summer am upon me. This years, try these refreshing treats to help you wake up ( and cool off). It doesn't take exotic ingredients or tons of time to create healthy summertime snacks. The next time you are relaxing outside with family or planning a barbeque with friends and neighbors, keep these quick, refreshing recipes in mind.

Sherbet Seven-Layer Cake
If you are in the mood for something frozen, try satisfying your sweet tooth with all-natural sherbet. If you crave cake, try low-calorie angel food cake. If you want both, this no-stress recipe is perfect for you. Simply slice an angel food cake into three, four, or five layers (depending on your preference ), spread softened sherbet between each layer of cake, and then place the cake in the freezer for an hour. You can get creative with this recipe by using different flavors of sherbet and garnishing the cake with your favorite fresh fruits.


Fitness

Step up your fitness routine with these walking workouts

For a free, easy, and convenient workout, you can't beat walking. Walking is easy on your body-no high-impact strain on muscles and joints. It's easy on your wallet. All you need is a decent pair of shoes, an open space, and a half half-hour or so each day. Bet of all, you can get real result simply by putting one foot in front of the other. According to the American heart Association. a basic walking program can help reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, lower your blood pressure, and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Get started
You can make walking a part of your exercise program today by following these recommendations from my experiment.
  • warm up first, and don't forget to stretch.
  • Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. Gym shoes made for walking are best.
  • Start with a five-minutes stroll and gradually increase your distance.
  • Walk a comfortable pace.
  • Swing your arms naturally for maximum circulatoin.
  • Keep track of your progress.
Now step it up
Once you've started a walking program, you can up the benefits by adding variety. Try one of the following activities for a bigger fitness boost-plus a little something different to help maintain your interest and enjoyment.

Do some intervals :
After you warm up walk, pick up the pace and walk as fast as you can for a short interval. Make sure your increase only your pace-the number of steps you take per minute, not your stride (how far you extend your leg for each step). Walk briskly for a few minutes than slow to your normal pace for s few minutes. keep alternating until you're ready to cool down.

Trek uphill :
switch your route a couple of days a week to one that includes a few hills. or set your treadmill on an incline. be sure to take it easy at first, so that your muscles, particularly your quadriceps and calves, can adjust to the increased demands of walking uphill.

Go off road :
Hiking offers the chance to enjoy some lovely scenery as well as different terrain to challenge your muscles. For the most part, hiking is just live walking. of course, it helps to wear the right kind of footwear, and it's always wise to bring a friend, for safety and good company.

Walk in reverse :
Walking backward is an easy way to add variety and work new muscle combinations. Your best bet is to reverse-walk on a treadmill. if you want to try walking backward outside, do it with a partner (or "spotter") who can keep going in the right direction.

Try Nordic :
Tis new walking workout is gaining popularity in the your country. Nordic walking is a lot like cross-country skiing, only without the skis, using specially designed poles to help you along. Nordic walking is said to expend more energy and work the upper body along with the legs. Look for Nordic walking equipment at your local sporting goods store and ask one of the experts there to tell you more.