It's Healthy to Laugh!

These babies are so cute!

Oh! don't you just laugh along with them! I do laugh every time I watch this video. Their laughter is sooo contagious.

 

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7 Tricks to a Speedier Metabolism

Hey, folks! Who likes to stay fat?!! Don’t be offended! So many of us all struggle with this devious unwanted guest or say, company called "over-weight" or "obesity". There are people in this planet earth paying fortunes each year to just keep their weight off and stay slim. So, I guess this is another booming industry called "help you keep your weight down"! This industry has all the fancy names as such as "weight loss programs, the biggest losers, slim body products, etc. Let me tell you…it all comes down to "metabolism". Metabolism is the process of which the body breaks down or converts food to produce energy. Our human metabolism differs from person to another. You could have high metabolism or low metabolism. P.S. your metabolism slows down with age so watch out!

Ok, now, if you have an average annoying and bad metabolism like mine, then you probably are one of those who are always on-the-hunt for weight loss programs/products or at least looking for natural ways to stay healthy. Otherwise, if you have the golden good metabolism like others, then bless your luck, you can consume a barrel of food per a day but still will not add an inch to your regular weight!! Oooo!...how we envy such born with high-metabolism competitors. Anyhow, as I strive to stay healthy & "keep the phat down, I came across this article. I hope you benefit from it too. You can

Article is originally By:

Lucy Danziger, the Editor-in-Chief of SELF magazine

Some people are lucky: They seem to be born with a naturally high metabolism and slender physique that requires little exercise and calorie counting to maintain. My mother, God bless her, is one such person. I am not! So it’s a good thing I love to run, bike and swim. But when SELF asked experts about the habits that slow metabolism, I was surprised by some of their answers—and guilty of a few no-no’s myself (see number 1...and 2...and...). Fortunately, these habits are also totally fixable. Start paying attention to them today, and you’ll become one of the lucky ones—or at least look like one—in no time!

1. Scrimping on shut-eye

 

Catching zzz’s may help you stay slim, reveals research presented at the annual American Thoracic Society meeting in San Diego. In the study of more than 68,000 women, those who slept seven hours weighed 5.5 pounds less than women who slept five hours or less. Pulling frequent all-nighters may slow your metabolism, impairing your body’s ability to utilize food and nutrients as energy so they get stored as fat instead, scientists say.

2. Stressing out

When you’re on edge, you’re likely to sleep less and eat more, which can affect your thyroid, a gland that produces hormones which regulate metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and more. If your thyroid’s not producing enough of those hormones, it can slow your metabolism and other body functions, leading to weight gain, depression and fatigue. Take time for yourself daily to keep both your thyroid and metabolism humming at optimal levels.

3. Skipping breakfast

People often tell me they hate breakfast foods; I tell them, find something you can eat within an hour of waking up! Missing a morning meal is the worst thing you can do. It slows metabolism and depletes your body of the fuel it needs to function optimally, explains celebrity nutritionist Joy Bauer, R.D. But what you eat matters as much as the fact that you eat something. Simple, unrefined carbohydrates—as in a breakfast muffin or pastry—signal the brain to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that brings on calm when you most want to be up and at ’em. Also, your body digests simple carbs quickly, sending blood sugar soaring and then plummeting, resulting in an energy crash. Try to start each day with a breakfast that contains at least 5 grams of protein, which activates the production of norepinephrine, a neurochemical that increase heart rate and alertness. The nutrient also digests slowly, so blood sugar and energy levels stay stable. Try an omelet made with 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup chopped broccoli, 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1 oz lowfat shredded cheese; it delivers an impressive 22 g protein per serving.

4. Staying seated

Get out of that chair! Staying on your feet revs metabolism and doubles your calorie burn during workdays, a study in Diabetes reports. Sitting for a few hours switches off enzymes that capture fat in the bloodstream, but standing up and getting active reignites them. Surrender your seat when possible (e.g., during phone calls) to start reaping benefits.

5. Eating junk food

I love a French cruller as much as the next gal, but it turns out doughnuts can be double diet trouble. Not only do sugary, fatty treats add calories and fat to your daily tally (a Dunkin’ Donuts cruller packs 250 calories and 20 g fat), but they can also encourage your body to store more fat. Junk food might stimulate a gene that encourages your body to store excess fat, causing you to gain weight over time, a study in The FASEB Journal reveals. (In the study, mice without the troublemaking gene had 45 percent lower body fat after eating a high-fat and high-sugar diet for 16 weeks compared to critters with the gene who ate the same diet.) Quell a sweet craving with berries or an orange: They’re high in vitamin C, a nutrient that can help you sizzle up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, suggests research from Arizona State University at Mesa.

6. Falling into a workout rut

I hear it all the time: “I’ve almost reached my goal weight, but those last 5 (stubborn!) pounds just won’t come off.” Sound familiar? Weight loss can stall along the way partly because you get smaller. As you shrink, there is less of you to provide energy for, so you actually start to need fewer calories. These plateaus can last weeks, so rather than get frustrated, try new workouts or ways to eat healthy to keep your metabolism going strong and your body burning even more calories than before. 

7. Dodging the weight room

Although cardio sessions turn up the heat and burn big-time calories (which is why I run, bike or swim most mornings and still enjoy dessert!), lifting weights helps you build calorie-burning lean muscle, says Jeffrey Garber, M.D., author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Overcoming Thyroid Problems (McGraw-Hill). And with more lean muscle, you extend the burn to when you’re just sitting at your desk or in the car. Add weight-bearing exercises like planks, lunges, squats and tricep dips to your workouts three times a week, and you’ll see toning results like you’ve never experienced before!

For daily weight loss advice follow SELF on Facebook.

You can also find this blog on FanBox. Check it out & find more at http://posts.fanbox.com/8bjp6

A River Over a River!

Amazing Engneering!!

Even after you see it, it is still hard to believe!

A water Bridge in Germany! What a feat!

Six years, 500 million Euros, 918 meters long.......now this is engineering!

This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration... It amazes me to learn how engineering can produce such a magnificent work! Now my question is, will it withstand time and nature???

To all who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for you!

Question:

Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?

Answer:

It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water!

Why?

A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded!

Yep! How amazing a human brain is!
Want to learn more? see Europe’s Largest Water Bridge Opens
 

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MSN Video: Dog Owns the Dance Floor

Check out this great MSN Video: Dog Owns the Dance Floor

 

 

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Engineering!

Engineering is such a spectacular field! Almost every thing around us is a make of an engineering mind. With all the sophisticated mathematical calculations that have to be as accurate as your birth date when reporting your earnings to Uncle Sam!!, and when filing your tax returns!

Well, one thing I'm pretty sure of is, if that bridge I see'em working on and I should soon be crossing to wherever, is being built by some lousy... red-flag certificated!... and a math-dim engineer, then I’m sure better off using the old bridge on the other side of the city yeah! Because I know they are maintaining it properly with my tax payer money!! and who built it was a true engineer!!

Funny, though, I drive a car and I don’t even have a clue of how the tiniest parts in it function to make this thing get me where I’m going! I just get in, get out and the mechanic knows the rest!! Well, I guess, you might be just like me, unless you’re one of 'em engineering gigs!!

Hey another thing I know is that we all take things for granted! So we don’t see, even though we see! I mean just look at all the aerospace, bridges, roads, buildings, airplanes … around you, you name it! but do we even notice them? Mechanical, biochemical, civil, even agricultural engineering!! It just makes you wonder what a brain can do!

You need to take a breath. Stand and look around, just enjoy what you see. We human beings have gone sooo far!

Hey! Now, what interests you about engineering?

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Time Off!

It's FRIDAY again! …and another weekend is at the door! may be finally going to the beach before summer ends. How fun!!

Well, not exactly! The reality is that this is just a partial time off of work and whatever that is an obligation during "business days". Ever thought how when it's Friday then all sort of family, home duties, class assignments, and delayed "off work" responsibilities start to crawl into your schedule or planner? Actually, your brain gets busy scheduling them sometime before Friday even! Isn’t that right? SO! It’s not always that “all free-time” or “mind-free” weekend, which is what we all anticipate as it gets closer during the week! Unless you were a celebrity or one of those with healthy, fat accounts! So, how and when do we really get to enjoy a time off?

The good thing is that on the weekends, you get to choose what you want to do, or at least you have some liberty for that. Busy moms and dads …well, I guess not very much!

Yet you know that you need to have sometime for yourself; just to sit back, take a breath, relax and reflect on your life; may be come up with new resolutions or just gear yourself up. I mean we deserve to get some tiny bit of a free time too, for God’s sake!
It’s up to you how to create that, but trust me you need it.

So my friends, have you ever tried to do your self a favor and take a break?

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Letters to God!

I like to blog about things that matter to me. How interesting is this one!
Please check this out.

Letters to God, a Possibility Pictures Production

 

Description

Inspired by a true story, Letters to God is an intimate, moving and often-funny story about the galvanizing effect one child's belief can have on his family, friends and community.

Letters to God DVD and license certificate allows a church with membership of under 100 to show the movie an unlimited number of times for one year.

Features:

·         Letters to God DVD

·         License certificate

Benefits:

·         Reach unchurched individuals in your community

·         Enhance age-group ministry programs

·         Minister to families dealing with serious

 

Letters to God - DVD and Site License
http://www.lifeway.com/HomeView

 

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Grill Your Way to a Flat Belly!

I like to serf the net for info and fun. Here I came through this valuable information on Grill Your Way to a Flat Belly

Eat This, Not That!

by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

I used to look at a grill and see a hunk of steel with one function: burning the pink out of burgers. That’s it. Just backyard fast food. What I failed to realize is that before me was one of the greatest weight-loss tools on the planet.

The grill isn’t designed to cook meat; it's designed to cook food. To harness fire so you can sear, char, and caramelize any number of meats, vegetables, and fruits. A hot gridiron is a place where bland asparagus wilts into a backyard delicacy, homemade pizza crisps into an artesian flatbread, and ordinary fruit transforms into a gourmet dessert infused with the smoky signature of the grill. And what’s more, all of these foods are infinitely healthier than their pan-fried counterparts.

Dry heat—the kind that radiates off the grill—is the world’s healthiest cooking method. Throw the lid over the grates and your grill becomes a smoker, keeping moisture locked in while the steel slats create space for excess fats to drip out. If there’s a more flavorful way to lose weight, it’s yet to be discovered. That’s why we dedicated an entire chapter to expert grilling in our bestselling cookbook, Cook This, Not That!

If you want to cook yourself thin in just minutes, here are 15 quick, easy and delicious suggestions that burn belly fat fast. Think of these as the weight-loss recipes that will make your neighbors jealous.  

Flat-Belly Secret #1: Spicy HoneyMustard Pork Tenderloin
Combine equal parts Dijon and honey, plus a chopped chipotle pepper. Spread half over the surface of a pork tenderloin or chicken breast. Grill until firm, but still yielding, and brush with the other half of the sauce before serving.

Flat-Belly Secret #2: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Breast
Season a chicken breast with salt and pepper, wrap in thin slices of prosciutto, and grill over low heat until the prosciutto is crisp and the chicken breast is firm. Also works with a fillet of halibut.

Bonus tip: This dish strikes a perfect balance between big flavor and lean eating, but not all chicken is good for you. Check out #2 on our shocking new list of the 20 Worst Foods in America—the nutritional details will blow your mind (not to mention maybe an artery or two).

Flat-Belly Secret #3: Grilled Watermelon Salad
Cut watermelon into half-inch squares. Rub with olive oil and grill until lightly caramelized. Toss with arugula, goat cheese, more olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Flat-Belly Secret #4: Simple Grilled Shrimp
Mix plenty of olive oil with a few cloves of chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Marinate shrimp in half of the mixture for 20 minutes, and then grill over high heat for 2 minutes a side, brushing with the remaining garlic oil.

Flat-Belly Secret #5: Herb-Grilled Haloumi Cheese
Place a hunk of haloumi cheese (found at Whole Foods or in Greek markets) directly on the grill. Cook until lightly charred on the outside, about 2 minutes a side. Top with olive oil and fresh herbs and serve with toasted bread.

Bonus tip: Ever wonder how sexy celebrities build those amazing bodies? Learn the fast and proven nutrition and fitness secrets of America's hottest celebs among these Best Summer Bodies 2010 winners so that you can look YOUR best ever.

Flat-Belly Secret #6: Gridiron Pizza
Roll a ball of pizza dough (store-bought or homemade) into 12-inch rounds. Cook on a well-oiled grill until the crust is firm enough to handle. Top with tomato sauce or pesto and your choice of cheese and toppings. Return to the coolest part of the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese begins to melt.

Flat-Belly Secret #7: Chopped Summer Salad
Toss zucchini slices, eggplant planks, onion slices, and asparagus spears in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, then remove to a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Toss with cooked bow-tie pasta, plus olive oil, the juice of a lemon, and grated Parmesan.

Flat-Belly Secret #8: Spicy Shucked Oysters
Shuck a dozen oysters. Top with softened butter mixed with lemon and Tabasco. Place the shells directly on the grill and cook until the butter begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes.

Flat-Belly Secret #9: Curry-Seasoned Chicken
Mix curry powder with softened butter. Stuff under the skin of chicken breast and thighs and grill until lightly charred and cooked all the way through.

Flat-Belly Secret #10: Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwich
Marinate a chicken breast in teriyaki sauce for half an hour. Stick it on a hot grill, and when it’s nearly cooked, melt a slice of Swiss overtop. Serve it on a whole-wheat bun with pickled jalapenos, rings of red onion, and a grilled slice of pineapple. 

Flat-Belly Secret #11: Tri-Tip Steak
Rub a tri-tip steak with salt, pepper, garlic, salt, onion powder, and cayenne. Grill over medium heat until lightly charred on the outside and pink throughout, about 10 minutes per side.

Bonus tip: Wash down these meals with anything from our comprehensive list of the Best Beers in America—and nothing from this utterly shocking list of the 20 Worst Drinks in America. (Drink any from the latter list, even as a weekly treat, and you could be adding an extra pound or two of belly fat a month!)

Flat-Belly Secret #12: Grilled Strawberry Shortcake
Mix together sliced strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Set it aside. Throw a slice of angel food cake directly on the grill, and when it’s toasted and caramelized, remove it and scoop the strawberry-balsamic mix on top. Garnish with a scoop of whipped cream.

Flat-Belly Secret #13: Grilled Pineapple Sundae
Grill slices of pineapple until nicely caramelized. Top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.

Flat-Belly Secret #14: Grilled Apricots
Halve or pit an apricot or peach, and then cook flat side down until softened, about 5 minutes. Top each slice with a big scoop of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon walnuts, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Flat-Belly Secret #15: Chicken TacosRub chicken breasts with garlic, lime juice, and cumin. Grill until firm and serve sliced into warm tortillas with grilled onions and guacamole.

And get daily food and nutrition secrets with your FREE weekly Cook This, Not That! and Eat This, Not That! newsletters. It'll be like having your own personal weight-loss coach and nutritionist at your fingertips 24 hours a day!

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FOLLOW DAVE ZINCZENKO ON TWITTER and get FREE live-better secrets every day!
 

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Life

I love sunsets, who doesn't? This actually makes me think about life...What makes life matter to you?

We all love life, seriously! But what exactly is that thing that we are all chasing after in life? I mean, we all have different aspirations and dreams. Some come true and some never even see the light!! BUT in you and me, there must be something greater than just these tangible or never lasting things that we all experience and die for!! May be it is relationships, or the joy of seeing the outcomes of a hard work, may be it's the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in someone else’s life. May be just having a happy family is life for you! Or how about just being able to feed your pet and take it out for a walk means the world for you!!!

Well, there got to be something specific that you and me are looking for. The funny thing is that there are other people out there who might be living just for the sake of living! They are out here ... and life goes on!!

* Have you ever thought about what makes life genuine to you?
 

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World Cup 2010

Uganda is one of the most beautiful places in Africa with its nature and wildlife. BUT some people just can't enjoy beauty nor let others enjoy it!

What happened to people? what will make a sound-mined human being to blow off a premise where huge numbers of other human beings are innocently sitting around  and watching soccer? July 2010 Kampala attacks were such a disguise to our humanity. The Kampala attacks on July 11, 2010 are reported to be suicide bombings carried out against crowds of people who were watching a screening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup's final match during the World Cup season at two locations in Kampala, Uganda. The vicious attacks left 74 dead and 70 injured. This massacre was all over the news, the media; televisions, radio broadcasts, internet, etc. I guess this is what those crooks and sick-minded terrorists wanted as a way for fame!!

Uganda's last day of world cup blast was such an insult to humanity. I mean, this globally shared event is supposed to end with nice memories about how it went!! Of course, except for those whining for their teams' loss! Well, now 2010 World Cup memories would for centuries be remembered in association with a gruesome attack against....who?... mere sport lovers, civilians!! What a joke, I don't even see the point those attackers are trying to make, whoever they are, but they just showed us how vicious they are.

What do you think about the bombing of Uganda? Is it ok to kill innocent people in the name of a religion or personal belief? Please share your thoughts with us...

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