TGIF and Happy New Year

This Post - Thought for the Day
A great Blog to check out
Hangover Prevention
Just for Laughs


I know you are working on your New Year Resolutions. Everyone is - either on paper on just in their mind. Supposed to be more likely to actually happen if you write it down.
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Thought for today and tomorrow -

Select a few people to be particularly kind to today - those you were a little harsh with yesterday.

Norman Vincent Peale

If you are still feeling a little "harsh" today, this is a good time to forgive and forget. It is the forgetting part that may be a little hard. Try pretending this is the last time you will see that person. What memories do you want to keep alive in your mind?

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Just for laughs

THE FACTS OF LIFE

The 2 most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and
stupidity.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Money can't buy happiness...But it sure makes misery easier to
live with.

Nothing in the known universe travels faster than a bad check.

A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.

It has recently been discovered that research causes cancer in
rats.

Always remember to pillage BEFORE you burn.

If you are given an open-book exam, you will forget your book.

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that
nobody appreciates how difficult it was.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as
a warning to others.

Dave's Law: You can't fall off the floor.

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because
the average man can see better than he can think.

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence
on society.

Vital papers will demonstrate their vitality by moving from
where you left them to where you can't find them.

Law of Probability Dispersal: Whatever it is that hits the fan
will not be evenly distributed.

Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live
forever.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by
then your body and your fat are really good friends.

*****
Check out this blog for some insights that may help in your plans for 2006.

Dr.Mani says...: About Success & Scorecards

When I was in eighth grade in school, I received a gift. A plaque to keep on my desktop, or somewhere easily visible. It had a picture of Charlie Brown talking to Lucy.

Charlie says: 'Always remember - Money is NOT everything!'

And in the background, Lucy mutters under her breath: 'And also remember to make a lot of it before talking such nonsense!'

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If you are planning on having a few drinks to celebrate the New Year - a few tips to avoid the hangover the next morning.

Don't try to prevent a headache by taking painkillers (acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen) before going to bed. This can actually increase the time that alcohol is in your system. In addition, the liver can be dangerously stressed when acetaminophen is combined with excessive alcohol.

Drink two big glasses of water before you start your alcohol consumption. Then try very hard to drink two more before falling into bed. A hangover is primarily brain/body dehydration.

It is helpful to drink water between each alcoholic drink you have - but somehow that takes the fun out of the whole thing.

Sleeping it off - may be an old saying but really is true. Your body needs time to process out all the alcohol. Plan on sleeping late the next morning.

Don't Drink and Drive. A hangover may be painful - but causing death or a hospital stay for yourself, your family or a complete stranger is no way to start the new year.

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Talk to you again next year. I will be adding a little section on my progress in losing the 40 pounds I have gained in the last year and a half. Funny thing, 10 pound gain is easy to say I'll take care of it tomorrow. The tomorrows caught up with me. This next year I will be spending more time walking and less time sitting in front of the computer.

until next time - smile
Sharono

TGIF and Christmas Eve

Thought for the day -
Christmas Story -
Pet Safety Tips during the Holidays -
Politically Correct Holiday Greeting -
Tracking URL to Follow Santa tonight -

I started this yesterday and forgot to go back and send it.
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All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you."
Dr. Wayne Dyer

I find this quote to be the basis of all New Year's Resolutions. It is only myself I can change.
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Christmas story - what it is really all about

White Envelopes

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it, overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son, Kevin, who was 12 that year was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended, and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in the spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids, all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.

That's when the idea of his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way.

You see we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

Author Unknown

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The promised pet tips.

Gift pets should NOT be introduced to their new home and family during the holiday chaos. If you already have that pet ready for display tomorrow morning - you may want to be sure you have a quiet place for the pet to hide and rest.

This is a list of plants you want to be careful of if you are going to have pets and small children running around. Mistletoe, Holly, Lilies, Philodendron, Dieffenbachia, Elephant Ear, Eucalyptus, Spider Plants, Amaryllis, Pyracantha, Oleander, Boxwood and Jerusalem Cherry.

Pet Costumes - be sure you get all rubber bands, straps, ribbons and bows off and away from your pet. A rubber band left on a paw will cause circulation problems that could be very deadly.

Candles - make very sure they are up high and very secure. Dog tails can easily knock over a candle and no place is safe from a leaping cat. Especially on Christmas day with all the activities and visitors, your pet may become agitated and excited and their behavior could easily upset a lighted candle.

Food - human food and drink is not fit for pets. The seasonings can easily upset animal digestive systems causing vomiting and diarrhea. Poultry bones, can and will splinter, and can do some major internal damage.

Chocolate is poison for most pets. I know I have told you the story of my dog that had no adverse reaction. Greasy gravy, seasoned green beans - think twice before giving them to your pets. If your dogs are like mine - they will eat anything. And cleaning the yard can become a worse choir than it already is. You may think you are doing them a favor giving them all those yummy table scrapes, but would you want someone to feed you something that caused diarrhea.

I know in my house the dogs get turkey - but carefully cleaned of all bones and make sure to remove the fat and skin.
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"Holiday Greeting (After the Lawyers are done...)."

"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all...and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choic

"(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)"

And to that I'll add: Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Peaceful Kwanza, and the very best wishes for a happy New Year.

******
Track Santa Live as he travels around the world Christmas Eve

http://www.noradsanta.org - the official NORAD Santa site

*******
until next time - smile
Sharono

Christmas Pet Gift

The best Christmas pet gift - safety

It is Christmas time and big dinners and scraps for the dogs and cats. Sometimes those tidbits are 'accidentally' dropped from the table. You don't want to ruin a great day with an emergency trip to the vet. Read on for expert advise on just what special treats your pets can tolerate."

http://www.answersforyourhealth.com/christmaspetgift.html

The H3N8 strain of dog flu is slowly spreading. It has now been found in pet dog kennels in New York. My Vet says he has heard it is in two other states as well. The symptoms are similar to Kennel Cough with the addition of high fever and nasal discharge. If you are traveling with your dogs this year, be aware of any symptoms they suddenly display. The incubation time is 2-5 days after exposure.

It is a treatable condition with good results but you will need to see your Vet. So - any nasal discharge, cough, loss of appetite or lack of activity - get that precious dog to the vet.

I'll have some more holiday pet safety tips tomorrow.

until next time - smile
Sharono

Santa Letter

Just a quick note. If you have children or grandchildren that would like a letter from Santa you can use this website to create a free personalized letter from Santa.

You put in your child's name, the name of a friend and toys the child has requested or likes. You can choose from both parents or one parent to be included. You also put in the name of the town they live in.

It may not have all the bells and whistles that the one you have to pay for has but it is good. The letter will be delivered by email and can be printed for saving in a scrapbook.

Personalized letter from Santa

Merry Christmas
Sharono

Holiday Weight Loss is Possible

Ok before we talk diet - Why did the rabbit cross the road? Answer is at the end.

The world is overweight, especially in the United States. Every year we seem to get fatter. And the rest of the world is rapidly catching up. It does indeed seem to be a case of feast or famine.

People who have put on a few extra pounds typically fall into one of two categories. They are either obsessed with dieting and losing weight or they act like they do not seem to care.

The first group will likely fail because of their unreasonable expectations, while the latter group thinks that weight loss and fitness are just too difficult, so they give up without even trying.

If you belong to either group, you need to put things into perspective. You will probably never develop a supermodel figure or bodybuilder physique. But the good thing is that you do not need to.

Fitness is not about hourglass figures or washboard abs. Just losing a few pounds can add years to your life and make those years much more enjoyable.

Excess weight can reduce your stamina, put stress on your joints, and even cause illnesses, such as heart disease or diabetes.

So start each day with the intention of eating better and getting just a little exercise. Do this one day at a time and you will find it to be much easier than you expected.

Now instead of waiting until January 1 to start a "new you", start now today because tomorrow will never come.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Start your day with a tall glass of cold water. Not only is it a great way to start the day, but you feel less hungry, so you will eat less. If your stomach absolutely rebels at the thought of downing a cold drink try sipping. Now my grandmother always had a cup of warm water. She would drink it as she walked around the house or the yard during warm weather. She said it got all her insides working.

2. Try to eat breakfast within an hour of getting up in the morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but you should not wait until you get really hungry or you may be inclined to eat too much. If you drink a pot of coffee for breakfast your stomach will be sloshing in fluid and you will not feel the need to eat. Big problem - you metabolism will not kick in until you put solid food into your stomach that requires digestion. So before you hit that second cup insert a banana or an apple.

3. Eat a lot of fresh fruit. They are an excellent source of nutrition and many contain the extra fiber that your body needs. The fiber will help move the more unhealthy food items from your system.

4. Do not forget the vegetables. Try to eat at least one salad every day. When you feel the urge to snack, try some celery or carrot sticks. Some people seem to have a phobia about veggies, but they really are good when you give them a chance. Have the salad dressing in a small container - on the side. Dip instead of drowned.

5. Control your sweet tooth. Sweet usually means sugar, which translates into calories. Holidays always have those extra yummy goodies sitting around. Family and neighbors bring cookies. You absolutely must make your famous pie. If you cannot limit yourself to just one piece, then add some exercise. Pay the price in movement rather than pounds.

6. Keep a food diary. Write down everything that you eat. At the end of the day, you may be surprised, even shocked by what you have written down. Don't show your diary to anyone else or you may be tempted to cheat and not write everything down.

7. Stay away from fried foods. Even if the oil is drained away, there is still a lot of hidden oil, which adds fat and calories.

8. Do not be a couch potato. There are several little things that you can do for exercise. Walking instead of driving. Bike riding. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you just stop for a moment and think about it, you can come up with dozens of ideas. Instead of saving time by taking everything in one trip - make those extra steps count. For instance - if you are taking all the clean laundry back to bed rooms - take only a few items and make several trips.

So start with small goals and find how much easier it gets every day. By the time New Year's day gets here you will already be into a new way of eating and exercising.

And let's face it, isn't that what you are looking for? Easy and do-able.

Oh I almost forgot - why did the rabbit cross the road? It was the chicken's day off.

If I don't manage to get another posting done - Have a Merry Christmas

until next time - smile
Sharono

Natural Health from AFYH 9 days to Christmas

RUDOLPH THE RED

A man and his wife are sitting at the kitchen table, which is
next to the window. The man's name is Rudolph, and since
he is Russian, people call him "Rudolph the Red." Rudolph
looked out the window and said to his wife, "Oh look honey,
it's raining outside." She looks out as well and says, "No, I
think that is snow." He looks at her and says, "Rudolph the
red knows rain dear."

****
I had a notice this morning from Aweber, the service that sends the notice of a new post. Yesterday one of my subscribers filed a complaint with AOL that I was spamming them. Now no one is on this list unless you filled in your name on a little form and then clicked on a confirmation link. If you don't want to hear from me - that is fine - I understand. BUT please do not file a complaint on me.

I had one person leave the list because the screen was too difficult to read - so I am trying a new font and size.

I am going through a pretty difficult time right now. My initial reaction to everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks is to just give up - throw in the towel - and go sulk somewhere quiet.

However, there is no place in my house where you can find quiet. I read a great post this morning that helped to put things into perspective. My problems are just financial not health. Please take a look at this inspiring blog. The Sizzling Edge: "When Life Turns Uphill, Just Keep Peddling"

Why do sewers stop up on Sunday just 2 weeks before Christmas? Good for the plumber but very purse emptying for Santa's elf.

I spent all of yesterday and last night working on my website.
Answers For Your Health
I took off my picture to make it load faster. I don't think anyone will miss it. I re-did the placement of advertising in the hopes of getting more clicks. That is my income and it has really been off lately.

I reorganized - the Articles page is gone and more main pages have been added such as Women's Health

I even finished up several new articles and posted them. I am back to working on a series of articles on blood pressure. Mine has sky-rocketed again.

I don't think there will be very many posts to this blog in the next couple of weeks due to the holidays and family visiting. I probably will send you the odd joke or two and most certainly my wishes for you to have a healthy and merry Christmas or the more politically correct Happy Holidays to cover everyone's particular celebration.

until next time - smile
Sharono

Holiday Stress and Odd and Ends

I just posted a 16 tips guide to avoiding Holiday Stress. Check it out at Holiday Stress.
It is rather long but you are welcome to print it out or save it to your hard drive.

I am adding a donation button to my blog. If you like the information I provide, please send a dollar or 2 or more. My husband is now retired and I need to make some money to help with the college expenses coming up next year. Thank you so very much to everyone who donates. I will be coming up with some good stuff for you in exchange.

Quote to think about

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Stuff ya gotta know-- this from my email


Many years ago, in Scotland , a new game was invented. It
was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF
entered into the English language.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were
Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coca-Cola was originally green.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work:
Alaska
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)
The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400
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The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour:
61,000
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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from
history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in
the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in
the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If
the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural
causes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th,
John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2,
but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat
name requested?
A. Obsession
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go
until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and
laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the
year?
A. Father's Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed
firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a
month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law
with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their
calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month . which
we know today as the honeymoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old
England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them
"Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."
It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into
the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill,
they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the
phrase inspired
by this practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow

A thought for the Holidays

"It is not the straining for great things that is most effective; it is the doing of the little things, the common duties, a little better and better."

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

If you are looking for a different way to improve your health check out this link.

this is a free download or you can listen on line.
http://www.sedona.com/FreeHolidayDownload.aspx?awid=4

Until next time - smile
Sharono

Planning on weight gain?

Most people spend more time planning Christmas than they do planning their lives.

This little quote really struck home for me. There is another one that mean the same thing - if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Most of us look at the losing weight, gaining muscle, getting in shape, eating right, getting healthy statements. Only trouble is we look at them in such a undefined space. We need to look at the individual meals yes, but how much better to look at the whole day or even the whole week. And while you are looking at the food you plan to eat, what exercises are you planning to do.

Do you have a plan for good health or just have a whimsical tomorrow attitude. Such a simple thing to plan to eat an apple every day and then follow through with the action of eating that apple. Set a time. Every day at 1:00 you will eat an apple. Actually, the best time to eat that apple is 30 minutes before you plan on having lunch.

All plans need to be flexible in case modifications are needed. A sudden lunch date can require a change to the evening meal. The Christmas visit to Grandma might have to be rescheduled because of weather. The cookies you plan on baking for gifts might have to be cancelled if you come down with the flu.

If you are late mailing your Christmas presents, you will have to make a choice - will they be late or extremely expensive to mail. Diet and exercise can one day present you with the same dilemma - too late and too expensive.

Check this out - portion size will be an issue for holiday eating.

NAASO, The Obesity Society: "The Effect of Increased Portion Size on Energy Intake is Sustained for 11 Days (139-OR; 8:30 a.m. PT)"

http://www.naaso.org/news/20051019.asp

I know, Christmas day must be a day of stuffing yourself. We have so many different things to eat that day, that even if you just took a spoonful, you would still be stuffed.

Oh, you have mailed those packages haven't you.

until next time - smile
Sharono

Invest in Health

Every day, time credits you with 86,400 seconds. You can choose to invest it or spend it.


Lets define invest and spend. Invest is something that has future value. Spend is something with immediate satisfaction and usually no long term return.

We invest in things like a house or stocks and we spend on shoes and clothes.

Every time you go to the grocery store you spend your money. How often do you invest in your health?

While you are spending your seconds in shopping, invest in the good products available to ensure your good health. If you are trying to turn back time in your body, you need to invest in fruits and vegetables and whole grains. You can turn any unhealthy situation into a healthy situation with your daily investment of time and healthy shopping.

When you are spending those seconds, invest a good portion of them in sleep and exercise. Those two things will pay dividends in your healthy longevity.

Don't forget to invest some of those seconds in laughter. The harder the laughter the more aerobic is the heart action. Laugh until your eyes water, you gasp for air and snort out your nose. Those 300 seconds will protect you from the next 3600 seconds of stress.

If you are in need of a good joke - check out the jokes pages I put up on my site. If you have a good joke you would like to add to these pages, please send it to me and I will put it up with your name.

until next time - smile
Sharono

Just talking to myself again

Have you noticed, really noticed that all the advertising for "cures" for diseases you probably never even heard about - all insinuate that you are just around the corner from getting this disease?

We all laugh when we hear the list of possible side effects of any given pill which are usually the symptoms we are trying to avoid.

I do a lot of research, reading hundreds of documents and looking at test results. My email is full of reports (actually ads for some product disguised as reports) from dozens of sources both asked for and unasked for.

There are days when I get really depressed by all the information which seems to indicate that we are all just a breath away from some horrible disease or disfunction.

It is a times like that when I must shake myself and remember that health is as much mind as body. If you are forever worrying about having a heart attack, then odds are you will eventually have one. Your mind is just fulfilling your expressed desire. Wait you exclaim - I don't want a heart attack. Then think health.

Of course you have to do the things that ensure good health. Eat right, exercise, challenge your brain, get enough sleep, and most important laugh every day.

It is not enough to think happy thoughts and then eat a loaf of bread a day. It is not enough to think happy healthy thoughts and sit on your butt all day.

We face challenges that were unknown to our parents and grandparents. The world changes and nothing will stop that. They did not have prepared foods that were made with fructose - corn syrup - a product that cannot tell your brain you are full and spawns fat cells at every bite.

Still I say think happy, think health. Tell your brain you are doing the health thing. Look forward to each new day and each new opportunity to improve or maintain your health.

I received this quote in my email today.

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.
Martha Washington 1732-1802, First American First Lady

I wonder if that is where President Lincoln got his saying - Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Therefore - I tell you - make up your mind that you are healthy and let your brain help you find the healthy directions you need to follow.

until next time - smile
Sharono

Answers For Your Health Survival Guide - Natural Supplements to Increase Level Testosterone

Answers For Your Health Survival Guide - Natural Supplements to Increase Level Testosterone

In doing my research for this series of articles, I noticed something significant.

Women need a little testosterone and men need a little estrogen. The important word here is LITTLE.

My next article is going to deal with flavanones and their ability to block aromatase action. That activity when we eat is what is responsible for the beer belly on men and the apple shape on women. Scientists are working hard to come up with a definitive solution -- I suspect because that will be the mother of all diet pills and insure wealth for many years to come.

Fatty food + Aromatase action = estrogen which is stored in fat cells. More fat cells are created to store the estrogen which causes more fat cells to store the estrogen which causes more fat cells -- You get the idea.

Until next time - smile and eat an apple.
Sharono

Testosterone

New articles on Men's Health this past week. That series started from a questions from a reader.

I need as much info as possible regarding the raising of testosterone levels without the use of hormone injections.The injections cause more problems than they solve.Are there options available to raise testosterone levels through nutrition or supplements?Thank you.


This was my email answer to him --

I can give you the names of the more common herbs -

Ginseng, Ginkgo, Sarsaparill - but the common feeling among doctors is that oral testosterone replacements lead to a aromatase enzyme reaction that turns it into estrogen which causes the brain to think you are already producing enough testosterone - not to mention putting on weight and liver and kidney damage. Saw Palmetto is supposed to cut down on the aromatase reaction. You might want to ask your doctor about using a gel or patch instead of the injections.

To boost your own production naturally you need to increase your Zinc, Manganese and Niacin (B3). Milk Thistle, brewer's yeast, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

To counteract the aromatase enzyme reaction you need to really get into the flavonoids - quercetin, hesperetin, chrysin.

Blue-green algae supplements and a glass of red wine would help. Eat lots of fresh cherries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, oranges, prunes, rose hips and pineapple.

I will be putting a series of articles up on my web site over the next couple of days to go deeper into this subject. I will drop you a note when they are published.

So check out Men's Health

The Seattle Times: Health: High-fructose corn syrup fueling obesity epidemic, doctors say

Check out this article. Then take a look at the labels on the boxes and cans in your kitchen.

You stop feeling full

Bray says the problem with HFCS is not only that it is sweeter than other forms of sugar, but also that it does not affect appetite. Fructose adds to overeating because it does not trigger chemical messengers that tell the brain the stomach is full and no longer hungry, like food and drinks that contain regular refined sugar do.