Eat Healthy Stay Healthy

There is an increasing awareness about maintaining health and wellness, and the best way to stay healthy is to eat healthy. There are three main factors, which helps us in developing a complete healthy body: good diet, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

Let us begin with diets and have a look on some healthy food groups, which we should consume. It is also essential to see the calorie-content of various foods as elevated calories in food results in health problems such as obesity and diabetes. Health experts believe that a healthy diet can lower the risks of number of life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, heart attack and osteoporosis. Hence, developing, managing and maintaining a good diet has become an essential part of our health routine.

And for doing this we should know the basic difference between a well-balanced diet and a nutritious diet. Although, most of us believe that a well-balanced diet and a nutritious diet are one and the same, in reality they are not!!! A nutritious diet would comprise of foods, which contain all the essential nutrients such as protein, vitamin, fats, carbohydrates and minerals. A well-balanced diet implies a diet that not only contains foods with all the essential nutrients, but also, in correct proportions and adequate amount. Even if you take all the essential nutrients through your daily foods, but if they are not in correct proportions or adequate amounts, you may still have to face the health problems. Therefore, instead of opting for just a nutritious diet, every health-conscious person should opt for a well-balanced diet.

The ingredients of a well-balanced diet differ according to the sex, age and physical fitness of an individual. An older adult may be unable to eat certain foods required to fulfill his/her nutritious requirements. However, a well-balanced diet can help an older adult to get the essential nutrients even through a sparse diet. For example, 100 grams of wheat and 100 grams of rice contain nearly 12 grams and 6.4 grams of protein, respectively. Similarly, 100 grams of ragi and 100 grams of rice contain 344 mg and 9 mg of calcium, respectively. Therefore, by planning a well-balanced diet we can give all the essentials nutrients even with the small amount of foods.

To derive all the essential nutrients from the foods, we shall always need to choose a variety of healthy foods. All the five essential nutrients can be derived, if a diet includes foods from the following groups:

· Green leafy vegetables

· Fresh or seasonal fruits

· Cereals and pulses

· Fish and meat products

· Dairy products such as curd, cheese etc.

Today, obesity and overweight are one of the major factors for life-threatening diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and diabetes. Obesity and overweight problems are essentially caused due to not eating correctly and consuming lot of calories. Calories are needed everyday by our body for proper metabolic functioning. However, over-consumption of calories can lead to various health problems. Daily calorie needs of an individual depend on various factors such as age, physical fitness, height and weight and body composition. Hence, you also need to be conscious about the foods, which are calorie rich. Take a look at following figures:

· 28 grams of butter = 200 calories

· 37 grams of potato chips = 200 calories

· 75 grams of burger = 200 calories

· 66 grams of hot dogs = 200 calories

· 385 grams of apples = 200 calories

· 357 grams of green peas = 200 calories

· 588 grams of broccoli = 200 calories

· 1425 grams of celery = 200 calories

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How To Become A successful Fashion Designer

If you are like me you live and breathe fashion. You are constantly inspired with so many new designs racing through your mind, so many you can't seem to get them all down quick enough at the pace they arrive. You constantly dream of the day your fashions will be on the fashion runway with the lights beaming brightly overhead, the cameras flashing everywhere and the audience being completely mesmerized by your incredible designs. You can't stop thinking of the day you will open a magazine or watch the Oscars and see a famous celebrity in one of your breathtaking designs. Your book shelf is stocked with fashion books and magazines, and you absolutely can't resist visiting textile stores to view all the latest fabrics, decorative beads, rhinestones and trims.
It's this ever present dream of being a successful fashion designer that has you work day and night on your designs in most cases for many years without pay and working a job to pay the pills which is brutal torture, when all you can think about is living and working in fashion.

Famous fashion designers come from all walks of life there is no one system to follow that will have you become the next famous fashion designer. Some have graduated from elite fashion schools and some have never attended fashion school. Some have undertaken a fashion internship with a fashion house and others have made their own designs in their basement. The only elements all these fashion designers have in common is they had an intense passion for fashion, were able to design fashions highly sought after and connected with someone who gave them the opportunity to break into the fashion industry. It is essential in becoming a successful fashion designer you get you and your designs out there as much as possible, as how will anyone know about your fashions if they can't see them?
In getting your fashions out there here are a few things you can do:
1. We are not usually good at everything some of us are great at designing clothes but lack the sewing and pattern making skills. It is here you can partner with someone who shares your passion for fashion and has the skills you lack. It is in the bringing together of different skills you can create a real product that can be showcased.
2. In having a fashion line of 14 outfits you can apply to your local fashion week. In the USA: New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco all have fashion weeks. These fashion weeks attract many editors, journalists and local socialites who will see your fashions and potentially give you the exposure you need to get known.
3. Many city night clubs hold fashion shows, find out what night clubs hold fashion shows and contact them as to how you can be apart of an up and coming show.

4. Locate fashion boutiques that cater to the fashions you design, first make a trip to the stores to look around, if you can see your clothes fitting in well with the store, find out who the owner is and ask if they would be willing to have some of your fashions offered for sale in their store. You will be amazed at how many store owners are willing to work with you. I walked around San Francisco in the Nob Hill district and had my fashions placed after visiting and discussing my product with four boutiques. In having your fashions displayed you will receive valuable insights as to whether or not your designs are in demand and if you need to change your designs to increase sales. It will also give you free exposure to the public. When your fashions do sell you can present this to investors who are more than willing to invest in your line, when you prove the existence of a strong demand for your fashions.

Become a Fashion Designer Without Going to Fashion School

The glitz and glamour of the fashion industry is more reachable than you think. Although high-profile personalities tend to make couture wear and high-fashion seem so difficult to own, this projection exists to make people think high-end clothing can never be recreated, when the truth is, sewing these clothes together is as easy as tying your shoelace.
Becoming a fashion designer might have been your dream, but the high costs of sending yourself to fashion school might have discouraged you to pursue that goal. Fortunately, with the boom of the internet, learning the fundamentals of fashion designing and sewing becomes easier to acquire online. Furthermore, you do not have to leave your home and comply with piles and piles of school requirements because you can learn whenever, wherever.

To become a successful designer for couture and casual wear, you need to have persistence and passion for fashion. You need to have a penchant for drawing, designing, and rebuilding new things from older sources. You need to be inventive and innovative at the same time since designs that do well in the fashion world are those that are fresh and striking.
Another important lesson you need to understand is sewing; basically, you need to know how to sew, cut clothes, and picking the write textiles. Try this activity: go through your closet and simply feel the cloth used on your dresses, shirts, jackets and coats. Spend as much time as you can to understand which textile would do well for shirts, dresses and pants.
There are books that tell aspiring fashion designers which cloth would go well for what type of clothing; if you have one, use this as a guide to help you with your designing, but if you don't, there are sewing handbooks that come with a guide to help you select the right textile for clothes.

The third and probably the most important thing you need to understand before becoming a fashion designer is sewing. You will be doing a lot of sewing to show customers what you have created lately. If you find work in a fashion house, you will have to create your clothes yourself and pitch your idea to your boss. If you become a freelance fashion designer, consequently, you need to show your work to your potential clients.

If you have always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer [http://webvolution.info/fshn/how-to-be-a-top-fashion-designer/] but do not have the resources, you can always start designing for your neighbors or local clients. As soon as you've gathered enough designs and resources, try pitching your work in major fashion hubs like Los Angeles and New York. More experience would mean a larger portfolio-that would also mean more profit!

Beauty is Everywhere

As I look out into the world, I see so much to be grateful for. Surrounded by beauty, I am left in no doubt that we live in a spirit filled world that is becoming more authentic in the beauty that it is able to appreciate. For so long we have come to define beauty on a superficial level, but as we grow, so will our ability to appreciate beauty grow within us.
With this, understand that only can we recognize and appreciate what is truly beautiful when we have unified with the essence of our own beauty within ourselves. So many struggle to find the beauty in the world when they look outside. Fearful of what they will encounter, they see a world filled with anger, hostility and ugliness, and because this is what they see, this is what becomes real for them, and they continue to live as their self fulfilling prophecy would have it be.
Neglecting their own beauty, they have swallowed a nightmare pill which alters dramatically the world in which they see. Turning away from the spirit, they have chosen to embrace the ego, which sees things always in a distorted light. With power and strength to gain for itself, the ego is devoted not to searching for beauty, but to finding that which can build it up in the eyes of the world. Concerned with the physical world and pleasing those within it, it is not at all interested in the wisdom of the spirit.
Not wanting to be the protagonist in its own demise, the ego has a vested interest in keeping the true source of beauty from your eyes. Not wanting you to experience the awe that beauty inspires, it seeks to keep you in a state of boredom where you ask no questions of life. Asking no questions, you cease to interact with life, and you deprive yourself of the answers that God wants to give to you. This is what it means to be reactive to life, and to suffer in the process.
Called to be proactive, we do not grow in our experience of life, if we have closed ourselves off to what it seeks to teach us. Wanting to show us the beauty in the world and in ourselves, it is a willing teacher, but a teacher has no role to occupy without a student in attendance. This is why we must be open-minded in beauty's presence. With much to give, there is much to learn about the beauty of God which manifests itself in all things.
It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What this means to me is that each of us has the capacity to find beauty in different things. What some label beautiful, others might label ugly, and vice versa. But does it really matter what verdict is passed on whether something is pleasing to the eye or not? What matters absolutely is the seed of beauty to be found in all things that God has created. With the beauty of the creator pervading each of his creations, that beauty is definitely there to see. The question then becomes what is the quality of the vision of the observer?

Many are capable of seeing the beauty in all that surrounds them, but even more are not. Selective in what they ascribe the label 'beautiful' to, these people have chosen to honour the mind above the heart, which is all to discriminating. Seeing more than the mind is capable of seeing, the heart knows that it is futile to judge, because it realizes that judgment passed on that which appears in a diminished light is falsely condemned. Seeing only a portion of the whole, much is misunderstood; and embracing only a part, much is rejected as irrelevant. See in this, the dangerous game that we play when we choose to have the ego's eyes be the filter with which we view the world.
Seeing only fragments of beauty that it has contaminated through its own judgment, much is discarded, and even less honoured, for God cannot be seen by that which despises his presence. Wanting you not to see him, the ego will lead you to label as ugly, much that is beautiful in appearance and substance.
Intense in its loathing, the ego is not always rational in its judgment, and even in its certainty, it misses much to be appreciated. See in this how the ego's arrogance often leads it to abandon that which could otherwise serve it. Cursed in its blindness, it makes not for wise counsel to the one who searches for a deeper experience of life.
Wanting to experience love, one must consult the heart, being the centre of beauty inside the self. Being not separate from God, it is the gift that God has given us to enjoy the world. Blessed with much, we can find much joy when we look upon the world with spiritual eyes. Hindered not by that which are the ego's shortcomings, we can see the love behind the barriers, and the distinctions which make the miraculous commonplace.
Blessed in spirit, we must not take for granted that which is capable of teaching us who we truly are. Endowed with wisdom, all of God's creations are capable teachers, and assuming not a separate identity from him, they are models to be emulated. With this, learn that beauty is distorted as the separation is affected. So as you travel far from him, so will your ability to experience beauty diminish in strength.
Concerned primarily with attaching labels in the moment, what eludes you is the beauty inherent in entering the moment. To enter the moment, is to join with God in your heart, and see what he sees in the physical world. With all that he created being good, you are then able to see the love that pervades everything in the light of the spirit. Appreciating everything just as it is, you understand that it is enough and that the ego does not have to be invited to enhance what is complete in itself.
Complete, the gifts of God are holy in what they hold and what they deliver. Endowed with beauty, they bring to the lost man, much that is invaluable. Longing for God, those who are lost, suffer in their desperation. Convinced of their own ugliness, the memories of their eternal beauty slip into the past. But the past is not lost forever, for every illusion stands to be corrected, and as a partner with eternity, it will not fail to reveal itself in a touch that the moment has in store, for the child who sees clearly now, not yearning for more.
One of the most memorable times that I recall beauty touching me deeply was in Florence when I went to see Michelangelo's David. I had heard from many people how wonderful this classical piece of sculpture was, but hearing a second hand account doesn't really prepare you for the effect that it has on the soul, when you see it in person. To say that I was taken aback by its beauty would be an understatement. I was left absolutely speechless! To think that one man saw this masterpiece in that block of marble and saw it as his purpose to bring it to life for all to enjoy is awe inspiring to me.
But as I was standing there, just gazing up at the masterwork, I knew not the distraction of thought that attempted to persuade my mind to intellectualize how the work was brought to life. This allowed me to centre myself and let the profound beauty that emanated from the shiny white surface, move my spirit powerfully in the moment. And as I just allowed the moment to touch me, I felt for a moment just how Michelangelo must have felt with the chisel in his hand and the spirit in his heart, for as I am not alone with my pen, he was not alone with his tools, for with every incision had God's hand revealed itself so gently and lovingly.
All in all, I spent about an hour in the company of David, listening only to the silence which was my teacher. And as I meditated on what had greeted my senses, I felt a deep sense of appreciation begin to emerge, and as my eyes began to well up with tears, my constant companion placated my fears that I would miss something, a moment, which taught me who I am, not alone in war, but beautiful and fair.
To know Michelangelo must have been to be in the company of a great lover. Here was a man who made it his life's purpose to serve the world by making manifest in physical form, the love that he carried inside. How else can you explain it? To look into the eyes of David is to know without a shadow of a doubt that he was conceived in love, and because it was this love that filled Michelangelo's heart, the conception was inevitable.

With this, understand that love never leaves beauty unexpressed, for that is not love's way. And in the same way that love will never leave beauty unexpressed, so will it never leave the witnesses to that beauty untouched, for the heart that was inspired to bring the beauty to life, is in no way separate from the heart of the witness who has seen in that beauty a clear image of themself revealed.
See in this, how all embodiments of beauty carry a reflection that is not one dimensional. If you were to observe a rose, you would be moved by the beauty of that rose, but what has moved you is not limited to the petals, stem and thorns which make up that rose. What you receive from that rose is an experience of the beauty of nature which is in no way separate from all that the rose is, because nature is the essence of its being. And as it is with the rose, so it is with you, because nature is the very essence of who you are. As God has breathed life into the rose, so has God breathed life into you, and in it you get a glimpse of not only its glory, but your glory as well, which is a stranger not to the glory of God.
Endowed with all that is beautiful, do not doubt what is yours to give, and as you awake from your slumber, so will your brothers and sisters enjoy a more peaceful rest. Not tormented by their hideous nightmares, a new joy will emerge in the form of a dream that is not isolated in how it comes to bless them. As beauty multiplies, so does its visions, in the mind that has unified itself with the heart.

Taking Beer And Wine Can Actually Help Build Our Bones Stronger

The next time you have a drop too much, maybe you can try giving this excuse to your significant other half. I bet this is the best thing a man would like to read and know and a woman's worst nightmare. However, nothing can be further than the truth, the key towards stronger bones is through drinking beer and wine but in moderation.
A study published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition has offer suggestions that to keep your bones strong and healthy, drinking a beer or two or a glass of wine everyday can have a beneficial effect on your bones by boosting oestrogen levels. However, if you drink anything more or choose hard liquor instead of wine or beer, it will have the reverse effect and will actually weaken your bones instead of strengthening it.

The study reveals the extend of the effect that alcohol can have on bone mineral density and it was larger than any other single nutrient tested, even for calcium. It is definitely not a case of vague outcomes but it is very clear cut on the extent that alcohol can have on bone mineral density.
The researchers found that the bone density (BMD) for men who had a glass or two of wine or beer daily had denser bones than non drinkers. For those who drank two or more glasses of hard liquor had considerably lower BMD than those men who drank up to two glasses of liquor on a daily basis.
One of the reason why beer can be a good source of nutrient for stronger bones is the presence of silicon. Silicon is a mineral that is increasingly rare in modern diet but is much needed for maintaining healthy bones. The silicon content found in beer is at the very minimum accountable for some of the bone building effects in men. For women, too few of them drank beer in the study to make a conclusion on how the mineral affected female bone density.
Why beer and wine are also better choices than liquor for people looking for an alcoholic drink is because beer and wine contain potentially beneficial plant substances such as resveratrol whereas for hard liquor, it has had most of its natural substances removed during its distillation processes.

 
I know most of you will be disturb in their mind right now. But the good news is that drinking is not that bad.It is actually bad when over take or drink to be drunk. Don't take too of it and i assure you it is not as bad as you think  Remember! Not too much!

Building A Strong Bones

An adult human being has 206 bones in the body. Mainly, bones consist of collagen fibers and an inorganic mineral in the form of small crystals. Living bone in the body contains between 10% and 20% of water. Of its dry mass, approximately 60-70% is bone mineral. The rest is collagen, which is the main fibrous protein in the body. The inorganic mineral calcium phosphate is found in the chemical arrangement termed calcium hydroxylapatite. This is the bone mineral that gives bones their rigidity.
Basically, the bone tissue is of two types - cortical and cancellous, which gives bone rigidity and a coral-like three-dimensional internal structure. Other types of tissue found in bones include marrow, endosteum, periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage.
Bone is an active tissue composed of different types of bone cells. Osteoblasts are involved in the creation and mineralization of bone; osteocytes and osteoclasts are involved in the re-absorption of bone tissue.
People lose bone mass or density as they age, especially women after menopause. The bones lose calcium and other minerals, causing bone loss. Bone loss can cause osteoporosis, where bones can become so thin that they break. Fractures from osteoporosis are a leading cause of disability. The good news: Osteoporosis isn't a natural part of aging. There's plenty we can do to keep our bones strong and healthy.
How to keep bones strong as we age -
Due to significant changes that affect adversely the health of bones with age, people have to take special precautions to prevent or slow down the process of changes.
Take nutrients for bones - Calcium is a crucial building block of bone tissue. Vitamin D helps body absorb and process calcium. Together, these two nutrients are the cornerstone of healthy bones. Milk and other dairy products are excellent natural sources of calcium. One can have adequate amounts of these by eating three servings of dairy products a day. Other good food sources of calcium include calcium-fortified orange juice, leafy green vegetables, and broccoli. Researchers believe that most people fall short on vitamin D, a critical nutrient. Older people are especially at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, the reason being that the body becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D as we age.

Experts recommend across the board 1, 000 mg of calcium a day for most adults and 1, 200 mg/day for women after menopause and men after 70. Normally, adults need at least 600 IU of vitamin D per day for bone health, whereas adults 70 years and older need 800 IU of vitamin D a day to prevent falls and fractures.
Besides these two essential nutrients, bones also require protein, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Unfortunately, the diets of many older people fall short on some of these nutrients. So, even if they're getting calcium and vitamin D, they're still losing bone.
Avoid highly processed food - Processing robs some foods of their natural nutrients. Even when vitamins or minerals are added, processed foods usually lack the full array of nutrients found in natural foods.
Choose whole foods - Choose foods with whole grains, which are far richer in nutrients linked to bone health. Look at the ingredient panel of breads, cereals, and other products made with grain. The first ingredient should be a whole grain.
Go for variety of foods - If you're cooking for yourself, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. You are likely to miss out on the variety that ensures a healthy diet. Try a new grain, such as bulgur or quinoa. Choose vegetables from across the spectrum of colors, from leafy greens to red sweet peppers. Nutritionists say that a colorful diet will help ensure a balance of nutrients necessary for good bone health.
Plan a regular schedule of exercise - Bones are living tissue like muscles and so they respond to exercise as well. Young women and men, who exercise regularly, generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) than those who do not. For most people, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life, after which people begin to lose bone. As a matter of fact, exercise stimulates bone formation, when bone put under moderate stress responds by building density. Depending on your age and workout regimen, it can either increase or maintain bone-mass density.
The best exercise for bones is the weight bearing kind that works against gravity. Some examples of weight bearing exercises are weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis and dancing. Some of exercises fail to exercise all parts of the body like walking will only strengthen muscles and bones of the lower part. And, therefore, a holistic plan of exercise should include working out all parts of the body. So, working out with weight-training machines, free weights, or resistance bands, as well as doing exercises that use your body weight as resistance, for example sit-ups and push-ups, or yoga will all build bone density.
It is advisable to begin exercising when one is young to build and maintain bone strength and mass. A suitable plan of exercise is also recommended, if you are at a high risk of fracture especially if you are over 70 or have broken bones easily in the past, to keep fit safely without causing further fractures. But this category of people should begin working out under the supervisions of an expert. A word of caution for those, who have not participated in any kind of exercise for a long time, is to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise schedule. After getting a green signal, they should approach an expert, who is well versed with all aspects of exercise, in order to take help in formulating a suitable exercise plan.

Limit caffeine - Having too much caffeine can decrease the amount of calcium you absorb. Adults should aim for no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (about 2-3 cups of coffee per day). Pregnant and breastfeeding women should have no more than 300mg caffeine per day.
Limit alcohol - Drinking alcohol can contribute to bone loss. If you drink, have no more than 2-3 drinks per day. Have no more than 15 drinks a week if you are a man and no more than 10 drinks a week if you are a woman.
Quit smoking - If you smoke, you may have faster bone loss and a higher risk of bone fractures than non-smokers.
The bottom line -
It is well evident that we all lose bone density with age, variability of which depends on our lifestyle. Our food and exercise habits greatly influence the health of bones. By eating foods rich in nutrients, avoiding processed foods, consuming whole and variety of foods, limiting intake of alcohol and caffeine, quitting smoking, and by doing regular exercise, we can halt or slow down the process of loss of bone density, occurring with age.

What Teens Want Parents to Understand

Remember when you were young and how it felt being hassled by your parents? Remember how you used to think your parents never understood you and that they were old and uninformed? Well, now that we are in that position, as parents of teenagers, we need to remember what we want from our parents.
Let's look at the perspective of teenagers during this phase of their lives and what they think of us.
1. Teens want to be able to decide things for themselves and be able to separate from their parent's rule. It's only natural and is an important step towards independence and autonomy. Even though we prefer to shelter them and keep them from getting hurt, they need to make mistakes, just as we did. For parents, it's essential that we let our teens develop their own identity and be able to solve problems using their own wits, knowledge and common sense.
2. Teens want to experiment and push to the limit. As a parent, you need to pick and choose your battles, saving your biggest objections for the really important things, like drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex. Other things like clothes, make-up, music, etc, may not be worth hassling over and causing a strain on the relationship.
3. Teens are more competent than we assume. Imagine how it feels to have your body tell you that you are an adult and yet your parents are still calling you a child and treating you as such. Teens want to be heard and respected and it is up to us to allow them to excel. Recognize their talents ie: computer savvy, cooking skills, art work, etc. and utilize those skills within the dynamic of the household. Let teens feel like they are contributing to the family and that their responsibilities are meaningful.
4. Teens want their parents to know that words hurt and that it is hard to forget. Be careful of what you say to your kids and how you say it. Parents need to understand that, like us, our kids have feelings too.
Everyone in the family is competing for your time. They should never be competing for importance. The key is to convey that your teens are significant and that you are enjoying the journey with them. You do that by listening without judgment and understanding with much empathy. As with everything else, this phase will be over and your relationship will be that much stronger.

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