Health Post: Food that Fights Fat:

I love munching on edamame as a snack. Turns out these little morsels of goodness are fat blockers. Soybeans contain lecithin, which help flush fat from your system rather than sticking on your thighs.



The next time you reach for a fruit, make it an orange, lemon, or grapefruit, all of which are rich in flavones. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate a diet rich in flavones had a lower increase in body fat over time.




Sweet Potatoes are low on Calories and high on antioxidants and electrolytes. They're also high in fiber, with a low glycemic index rating, keeping your body's blood sugar levels stable. Avoiding sugar highs and lows equals less cravings and gives your body time to burn off stored fats.

Girl Talk

New Study: Emotionally Smart Women Have Better Sex:
A recent study suggests that women who score high in emotional intelligence — meaning they are good at expressing feelings and empathizing with others — have more fun in bed as well.

It makes sense. If you're in touch with your feelings, can suss out how your partner feels, and express what you want — sex will be better than if you're closed off, have no clue what another person is feeling, and lack communication skills.
Professor Tim Spector of King's College in London asked more than 2,000 female twins between the ages of 18 and 83 about their sex lives, including how they rated their ability to have an orgasm. They were also asked to fill out a questionnaire that determined to what degree they were emotionally intelligent, or flourished in self expression, empathy and contentment.

Emotional intelligence also makes it easier, researchers say, for women to fantasize about sex, which is always a good thing. I wonder, though, if it's important for men to have emotional intelligence to be good in bed or to enjoy themselves more? Something tells me they might have fun no matter what...

Happiness is all that matters

We can be so caught up in the day to day commotion of our lives that it's rare we get a chance to step back and look at life as a whole. But psychiatrist George Vaillant has been doing that every day for the last 42 years as head of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

The study began in 1937 by following 268 Harvard male undergrads, who were deemed "well-adjusted" by the day's standards. It has followed the men through school, marriage, career, parenthood, divorce, illness, and — for half the participants — death.

What has Dr. Vaillant learned? "The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people." "Happiness is love" he says, "full stop."

Stop worrying about your current relationships, obsessing about your past, future, nothing matters but your own happiness, and what you do now to help change your life to make you have a more stable and happier future..

Always smile, and smile to others, it will make a big difference to you and to the person your smiling to..:)

I Have "Anemia"

I've always had anemia since College it started getting aggressive. Whenever I over work my body or I'm stressed out for any reason I get dizzy immediately and that's when I know I have to go see my Dr. I get a blood check and he finds out that my hemoglobin is low..
The Cure?
*Plenty of rest.
*Prescribed pills called (Ferglobin) which helps with the formation of my Red blood Cells.
*Eating the right foood (Alot of greens, veggies, red meats, Vitamin C)...Foods High with Iron.

Why Are Red Blood Cells Important for Us?
*RBD carries Oxygen to your body tissues.

What Are the Causes of Anemia?
Anemia can be caused by many things, but the three main bodily mechanisms that produce it are:

1.excessive destruction of RBCs
2.blood loss
2.inadequate production of RBCs
Among many other causes, anemia can result from inherited disorders, nutritional problems (such as an iron or vitamin deficiency.

It Sucks having it, but I try to avoid it as much as I can, by going to the gym, resting, and eating the right food.

xoxo-N

Will the Swine Flu Affect Your Travel Plans?

Swine Flu is continuing to spread to numerous healthy people, over 100 cases have been reported now in 11 US states. Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Britain, and Germany have also reported cases of swine flu sickness. In Mexico, 159 people have died and more than 1,300 are being tested for the infection.
This is extremely serious, as the World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to phase 5 (phase 6 is the highest level). Officials from the US, Japan, Britain, France, Canada, Israel, Australia, and other countries are discouraging nonessential travel to Mexico. Even Cuba and Argentina have suspended flights to and from Mexico, so with these recent travel restrictions... people becareful!

Naked Bike Ride

World naked Bike Rides happen all over the world, and no, it's not a way for nudists to get daily exercise. They are peaceful demonstrations whose main purpose is to bring awareness about the dangers and vulnerability faced by bikers on the road. It reminds automobile drivers that they need to share the street and pay more attention to their fellow two-wheelers. The Naked Bike Ride is also a protest against cars and the negative impact our dependency on oil-based fuels has on our planet. Riding naked brings attention to the act of bike riding and urges people to use environmentally friendly transportation instead.

Interesting huh?
I wonder what we can do here in Kuwait to help those stupid bikers and stupid 3agads with their stupid cars to takecare while driving cuz they might not just hurt themselves but hurt the ones around them!

And with our 50 degres weather here in Kuwait I can faint if I chose to ride a bike to my way to work, on the other hand with the crowd, it might get me there faster:P (Ofcourse with the right accessories with me).

xoxo-N

Blueberries Battle Belly Fat

Long considered a super food, another benefit of blueberries was discovered in a University of Michigan lab. New research found a diet rich in blueberries may help diminish belly fat.
Even after they are frozen, blueberries maintain most of their nutritional benefits. The antioxidants found in the berries, which create their rich hue as well, are not affected by freezing. Frozen blueberries will lose a bit, less than 20 percent, of their vitamin E content as well as a bit of beta carotene. This means you can add blueberries to your diet all year, be they fresh or frozen. Remember though, the darker the berry the more antioxidants it will provide.

xoxo-N

5 McDonalds Menu Items Under 300 Calories

When on the road or in a rush, grabbing a quick meal is sometimes unavoidable. So if you find yourself having to stop into a McDonald's, here are five menu options under 300 calories. ;)
*Hamburger
This hamburger made with a 100 percent beef patty, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard all on a toasted bun contains 250 calories. Add a slice of American cheese and the total becomes 300 calories.
*Chicken McNuggets:
A six-piece order of Chicken McNuggets contains 280 calories. That works out to about 46 calories per nugget, but doesn't include the dipping sauce. Barbeque, honey, or sweet 'n sour sauce adds an additional 50 calories per container.
*French Fries
A small order of fries contains 230 calories. If you up your order to a size medium, the calorie amount jumps to 380. Yikes!
*Salad With Grilled Chicken
You have two salad options under 300 calories. The Bacon Ranch Salad With Grilled Chicken contains 260 calories. The Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken contains less at 220 calories. Neither includes the salad dressing, though. Tack on 100 calories for Newman's Own Creamy Southwest dressing, 190 calories for Creamy Caesar, 40 for Lowfat Balsamic Vinaigrette, 60 for Lowfat Italian, and 170 calories for Ranch dressing.
* Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
For breakfast, a snack, or dessert, enjoy a Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait made with blueberries, strawberries, creamy lowfat yogurt, and granola topping for just 160 calories.

Yummmy!! I don't think we have that Kinda salad in our Menu yet! but we do have other salad selections which can do the trick, (The tuna salad is good). As for the Fruit 'n Yogurt sure does look DELICIOUS! I'm a fan of strawberry Yogurt esp in the mornings, and just out of the blue trick to make you guys eat less during lunch, have a yogurt any kind you like before having lunch an hour or half an hour before your meal..it will make you eat less!

So go and Have a Happy Meal!

xoxo-N

Physical Activity helps Relieve Stress

By now, you should know that exercise does your body good. But did you also know that virtually any form of exercise can decrease the production of stress hormones and counteract your body's natural stress response? It's true. The same regular exercise routine that helps prevent disease and builds muscle can also help you better manage stress.

How does exercise reduce stress?
Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your steps every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.

*It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner's high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.

*It's meditation in movement. After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's dilemmas and irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.

*It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. This can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

Very true points, bored from regular routine? Stressed from life in general? Depressed?
*YOU, my friend should start going to the nearest gym near you, I personally like AL Corniche club, after finishing my workout I feel refreshed and energized..Feeling stressed out? Painful muscles? Then don't worry you can always book a massage at their Spa, with many kinds of massage therapies to choose from, everything you need you'll get at Al Corniche Club, so don't wait join the gym, or try our special relaxing Spa for your special comfort.

*If you get bored from your everyday workout you can always set up an appointment with your trainer and he/she can recommend new funner workouts depending on what you want to achieve at the end of the day.
Also, there are many classes to choose from if you'd rather workout with a group for even better results. Not to mention YOGA classes that are also one of the best stress relievers.

*Make your workout part of your everyday life, and don't think of it as a task rather think of the upcoming outcome, and think of your Health and body fitness and hopefully you'll ACHIEVE once you put your heart and mind into it.

Hope I motivated some of you out there.
Good luck and Peace.

xoxo-N