eating etiquette habits
TRANSCRIPT
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TABLE ETIQUETTES .......................................................................................................................... 3
HOW TO USE A KNIFE, FORK, AND SPOON .................................................................................. 6
HOW TO: IMPROVE YOUR TABLE MANNERS............................................................................ 15
HEALTH TIPS..................................................................................................................................... 18
MIND YOUR TABLE MANNERS INTERNATIONALLY! .............................................................. 19
NINE STEPS TO GOOD TABLE MANNERS FOR CHILDREN ..................................................... 27
ON LIGHTER SIDE : HOW TO BE POPULAR IN BARS............................................................... 28
HEALTHY EATING HABITS AT RESTAURANTS AND FAST FOODS ....................................... 32
10 TOTALLY UNHEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS TO AVOID .................................................. 34
FIVE FAST FOOD FIXES................................................................................................................... 38
WEIGHT PROBLEMS - FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW............................................................... 40
DON'T RUSH WEIGHT LOSS ........................................................................................................... 42
LOSE WEIGHT FOR HEALTH, NOT VANITY ............................................................................... 48
HEALTHY EATING TIPS - ACTION PLAN FOR LIFE.................................................................. 50
ENERGY NUTRITION ....................................................................................................................... 56
EAT FAT TO BURN FAT.................................................................................................................... 66
REAL MUSCLE REAL FAST! ........................................................................................................... 68
SENSIBLE DIET TIPS ........................................................................................................................ 71
EMOTIONAL EATING DUE TO STRESS ........................................................................................ 73
INCREASE YOUR METABOLISM THROUGH MOVEMENT....................................................... 74
FATAL DIET SUPPLEMENTS... CAN YOU TRUST THEM? ........................................................ 75
CALORIE BURN CHART .................................................................................................................. 76
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TABLE ETIQUETTES The Role of Manners?
There is not much call for a complete working knowledge of table manners in America today. Many families only gather all at once around the dinner table at holiday feasts, and most restaurants are too casual to require, or even to allow for, more than basic good table manners. If, having dropped his napkin, a diner at a bistro were to attempt to practice proper etiquette by signaling a member of the staff to bring a fresh one, he would probably have to do without a napkin at all. Try as he might to make eye contact and indicate the nature of the problem with a subtle wiggle of the eyebrow and downward flicker of the glance, he is likely to succeed only in causing his date to think he is making a play for the server. Although strict good manners forbid placing a used eating utensil back on the table, the server removing a plate on which a fork has quite properly been positioned "pointing at 11 o'clock" might just plop that item back where it started, making more of a clatter than if the diner had simply done it herself.
From time to time -- perhaps at an important business dinner, a romantic date at an expensive restaurant, or a first dinner with the family of the person who may be "the One" -- it is necessary to display a more
sophisticated knowledge of table etiquette. This is not difficult, once you have mastered the basics. Anyone armed with this core knowledge and the ability to adapt smoothly to the situation at hand will be able to handle even the most formal event. The goal is not, after all, to demonstrate utter mastery of the most arcane details of etiquette (which would be quite difficult considering the wide variations of customs in different cultures and from generation to generation), but rather to behave with graciousness and poise at the table.
Mastering the Basics
Much of the difficulty encountered in learning table manners derives from the struggle to master the ritual handling of the various tools involved. In order to display the right social veneer, it is necessary to sit at the table with elegant ease and wield the utensils with aplomb. The diner who leaves the napkin folded on his plate until it obstructs the placement of his appetizer plate reveals his lack of training. The dinner party guest who observes with dismay the array of flatware on either side of her plate, need only take the time to learn the simple secret to the plan. There are, of course, a few tips and pitfalls to be aware of, as well as the occasional surprising item you can eat with your hands.
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The Secret of the Formal Place Setting There is a general consensus among writers of etiquette manuals that too many people are afraid they will fail to choose the proper utensil for the appropriate stage of the meal. Book after book provides reassurance on this point: use the outermost utensil or utensils, as necessary, one set for each course, and you can't go wrong (unless the table has been improperly laid to start out with). For a formal place setting, you will receive exactly as much silverware as you will need, arranged in precisely the right order. Good etiquette requires you to assume (and this ought to ease most people's worries) that the host has correctly assigned each utensil to its task, rather than attempt to point out that a fish fork is improperly being supplied for your salad. As each course is finished, the silverware will be removed with the dish, leaving you with a clean slate, all ready for the next item to arrive. Common sense forbids arranging battalions of forks and knives at the sides of the plate, so on the extremely rare occasions that more than three or four courses are planned, new silverware will be brought to you after all of the original setting has been used.
Most people only gather around the dinner table for holiday feasts or on special occasions, and most restaurants are too casual to require such skills. Proper etiquette is essential for projecting success and savoir faire.
My goal for the upcoming weeks will not be to demonstrate utter mastery of the most arcane details of etiquette, but rather, to help you behave with graciousness and poise at the table. This will become handy in critical situations and could make a huge difference to your image.
Learning table manners can be a huge struggle, especially the difficult handling of the various utensils involved. Every move you make, from proper placement to the use of napkins, should be done confidently and elegantly. This crash course will be divided into four parts. First, we will see the formal place settings. Next we will see how to use the fork, knife and spoon. We will finish off with a few tips, pitfalls and what type of food can be eaten with your fingers.
You have probably faced a situation where you see an arsenal of cutlery and don't know how to use it. You should only receive as much silverware as you need. They will be arranged in precisely the right order. A simple tip is to watch people around you, and let them make the first move. The silverware will also be used in proper order, as the meal progresses. A little rule of thumb is to start off with the outer utensils and gradually use the utensils in the direction towards your plate.
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In this 1902 photograph from Mrs. Seely's Cook-Book (with Chapters on Domestic Servants, their Rights and Duties), the proper place setting shown is little different from the examples provided in Judith Martin's "Miss Manners" etiquette books, in spite of the fact that it is nearly a century old. The plate in this setting is known as a "service plate," and is never actually eaten from. It will either be removed when the first course is brought, or the dish will be set on top of it. A person faced with this array can expect to dine on:
Oysters, as appetizer
Use the small fork angled into the soupspoon at right. This is the one exception to the rule of placing forks to the left of the plate.
Soup
The soupspoon is commonly the only spoon provided for the initial place setting.
Salad
Note the thicker tine at the left of the fork, which strengthens the tool -- for right handed people -- for use in cutting large salad greens without having to resort to the knife.
Fish
Both a fork and a knife are provided for fish. Sometimes the fish knife has a silver blade, because fish, which is often served with lemon, reacts with the steel in old knife blades, causing an unpleasant taste (the invention of stainless steel in the 1920s made this problem obsolete). The fish fork is usually shorter than the meat fork.
Meat The inner fork and knife are provided for the meat course of the meal.
Dessert
In this case, the dessert utensils will be brought in with the dessert. However, you may encounter the dessert spoon -- and fork, if needed -- as part of the initial place setting. They would be placed horizontally over the plate and parallel to each other, with the bowl of the spoon pointing to the left and the tines of the fork pointing right. When coffee and tea are served, a teaspoon will be provided; it is brought in on the saucer.
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HOW TO USE A KNIFE, FORK, AND SPOON An Introduction
The rules that specify how knife, fork, and spoon must be used have evolved along with the forms of the utensils themselves. In general, these rules are explicitly intended to prevent the utensils from appearing threatening. Margaret Visser, in her book The Rituals of Dinner, points out that etiquette and the ritual it imposes helps to control the violence inherent in the preparation and serving of meals. Animals are slaughtered and consumed, the guest-host relationship is, in itself, a complicated interweaving of the imposition of obligation and suspension of hostility, and the ordinary table knife is related to actual weapons of war. Consequently, flatware is held delicately, carefully balanced on the prescribed fingers and guided by the fingertips. To hold any utensil in a fist or to manipulate it in such a way that is pointed at anyone would hint at potential danger, as would even setting it down in an inappropriate way.
Holding a Utensil
In general use, both spoon and fork are held horizontally by balancing them between the first knuckle of the middle finger and the tip of the index finger while the thumb steadies the handle. The knife is used with the tip of the index finger gently pressing out over the top of the blade to guide as you cut.
The Zig Zag Method
By American custom, which was brought about partly by the late introduction of the fork into the culture, all three utensils are intended for use primarily with the right hand, which is the more capable hand for most people. This leads to some complicated maneuvering when foods, such as meat, require the use of knife and fork to obtain a bite of manageable size. When this is the case, the fork is held in the left hand, turned so that the tines point downward, the better to hold the meat in place while the right hand operates the knife. After a bite-sized piece has been cut, the diner sets the knife down on the plate and transfers the fork to the right hand, so that it can be used to carry the newly cut morsel to the mouth. Emily Post calls this the "zig-zag" style.
European Style
The European, or "Continental," style of using knife and fork is somewhat more efficient, and its practice is also common in the United States, where left-handed children are no longer forced to learn to wield a fork with their right hands. According to this method, the fork is held continuously in the left hand and used for eating. When food must be cut, the fork is used
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exactly as in the American style, except that once the bite has been separated from the whole, it is conveyed directly to the mouth on the downward-facing fork. Regardless of which style is used to operate fork and knife, it is important never to cut more than one or two bites at one time.
Peas!
Another significant difference between the American and the Continental styles of using knife and fork is the American insistence that even the most awkward and contrary foods (peas being the traditional example) must be captured by the unaided fork. In Europe it is permitted to use the knife or a small bit of bread to ease a stubborn item onto the fork.
Once-Used Placement
There are numerous rules and prohibitions regarding the proper placement of eating utensils once they have been used. Essentially, used flatware must never be allowed to touch the surface of the table, where it might dirty the cloth. It is not proper to allow even the clean handle of a knife or fork to rest on the cloth while the other end lies on the plate. At the end of a course, a utensil must not be left in any dish that is not flat -- the soup bowl, for example, or a shrimp cocktail dish, a teacup or a parfait glass. All these items are usually presented with a plate underneath the bowl or cup, on which the utensil must be placed after use.
Placement in General
The positioning of knife and fork when not in use acts as a sort of semaphore, allowing the diner to indicate the degree to which he intends to pause in eating. Flatware should always be placed on the plate during pauses between bites. If this is to be a very short time, there is no set pattern. For longer waits, perhaps caused by a diverting twist in the table conversation, the diner places the fork on the left and knife on the right, so that they cross over the center of the plate. The diner preparing to pass his plate for a second helping places the fork and knife parallel to each other at the right side of the plate, so that there is room for the food. When the diner has finished, he signals this by setting the fork and knife parallel to each other, so they lie either horizontally across the center of the plate or are on the diagonal, with the handles pointing to the right. The cutting edge of the knife blade should face toward the diner (again, avoiding all possible aggressive implications), and the fork may be placed with the tines either up or down
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Before we begin, remember that these tips are for general use; more sophisticated techniques can be acquired, with time and experience. First, it is important to hold the spoon and fork horizontally by balancing them between the first knuckle of the middle finger and the tip of the index finger while the thumb steadies the handle. The knife on the other hand is used with the tip of the index finger leaning on the blade of the knife.
Do not apply too much pressure; simply use it as leverage and guidance, as you cut your food. Pretty simple up to now, just remember to look around if you forget what to do in a particular situation. Just stay calm and enjoy the meal. The following are two styles of using utensils, the Zigzag method (North American Style) and the European Style. I would suggest going with the European Style, it's more effective.
Normally, a utensil should be used with the same hand that you use to write. If you are right-handed, place the fork in your right hand. You should be able to eat and cut your food with the fork only (assuming you are at a fine restaurant where portions are usually small and the texture is soft). It might be very difficult to cut some types of foods, such as a big steak, so use your judgment when it comes to using a knife. This can lead to heavy maneuvering when foods, such as meats, require the use of both a knife and fork to obtain a bite of a manageable size. Simply take the fork in your left hand and turn the tines so that they point downwards. This will allow you to better hold the meat in place while the right hand operates the knife.
Once a bite-sized piece has been cut, set the knife down on the plate and transfer the fork to the right hand. Pick up the freshly cut piece of meat and carry it to your mouth. Indulge. Remember this method is strict; you cannot even use the knife for hard to mount foods such as peas, and the fork must pick up everything on its own. As you can see, this style is slightly difficult to master.
You can call it the European Style or the Continental Style. This method of using utensils is simply more efficient and less formal. Use common sense; if the occasion calls for a more formal technique use the American Style. According to the European Style, the fork will remain in the left hand and the knife in the right. When food is cut, the fork is used exactly as in the American Style, except that once a portion has been separated from the whole, it is conveyed directly to the mouth on the down-facing fork.
You don't have to put down the knife every time and transfer the fork over to the right hand. As you can see, the European method is more forgiving and allows
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you to use your knife in more situations. With the European technique, it is also permitted to use a little piece of bread to ease a stubborn item onto the fork. Here's a quick tip; whether you use the American Style or European Style, it's important to never cut more than one or two bites at a time.
Again many rules could be applied on the proper placement of utensils once in use. In order to simplify these rules, here are the basics. Essentially, used flatware should never touch the surface of the table. You wouldn't want to dirty the tablecloth, or get other material on the utensil. Make sure your fork and knife are well balanced on the plate when pausing for a drink. If the pause should last longer, make sure you place the fork on the left and the knife on the right, so that they crossover the center of the plate.
Be prepared not to leave any utensils in a non-flat dish when the busboy comes around to clear the table. The soup bowl, the shrimp cocktail, or the teacups are all presented with a plate underneath; therefore use them to place the used flatware. For those of you who want a second serving, place the knife and fork on the right side of the plate, so that there is room for the food. Finally, when you are finished, pair up the knife and the fork horizontally or diagonally in the plate. The cutting edge of the blade should be pointing towards you. As for the fork, it can be placed upwards or downwards.
Enjoy your dining experience and remember to always project a confident image, as it is one of the keys to success.
You have hopefully already learned how to hold the utensils throughout different courses of a formal dinner. Proper etiquette is more than knowing when and how to use utensils. A good start is to develop the habit of observing people around the table on the dining methods they use in the course of the evening. Learning from your surrounding environment can be very useful in many situations, including at a formal dinner. Here are more tools you could use to achieve a solid basic knowledge of proper table manners.
How to Use a Napkin Using the napkin at formal occasions, as with much else associated with etiquette, should be a delicate affair. It is meant only to be dabbed at the lips and should not get dirty in the process. It might seem that the napkin is provided precisely so that it can help the diner clean up any mess that might occur during the course of the meal. Of course, this was its original use, (once the tablecloth itself ceased to be used as a napkin), and at an informal occasion such as a
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barbeque, it still performs this service. But the more formal the event, the more vestigial the presence of the napkin, because the purpose of nearly every aspect of table manners is to preserve cleanliness and proper appearance. If all other elements of the meal are going well, there will be no danger of smudging the linen.
To Start
As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case. If your napkin falls on the floor during a very formal event, do not retrieve it. You should be able to signal a member of the serving staff that you need a fresh one.
To Finish
When you leave the table at the end of the meal, place your napkin loosely next to your plate. It should not be crumpled or twisted, which would reveal untidiness or nervousness, respectively; nor should it be folded, which might be seen as an implication that you think your hosts might reuse it without washing. The napkin must also not be left on the chair. There is a European superstition that a diner who leaves the napkin on his chair will never sit at that table again, but other, less supernatural, reasons are often cited for this: it might seem as if you have an inappropriately dirty napkin to hide -- or even that you are trying to run off with the table linens
Tips and Pitfalls Developing the habit of taking a moment to observe which starting method will be operative at an event can be very useful in preventing awkward mistakes. It will ensure, for example, that an agnostic guest never finds himself with laden fork pushed halfway into his mouth just as the host begins to say grace.
There are two common approaches to determining how to begin, and, whichever method is used, it should be followed at the start of each course of the meal. At smaller events, it is common to wait to take a bite until everyone at the table has received a serving and the hostess has begun eating. Sometimes a hostess may urge her guests to eat immediately upon receiving the food. This is especially true at larger events, where waiting for everyone would allow it to get cold. In this case, wait until one or two of the other guests are ready to begin as well, so that you are not the only person at the table who is eating.
Posture
("Elbows, elbows, if you're able -- keep your elbows off the table!") Proper posture at the table is very important. Sit up straight, with your arms held near your body. You should neither lean on the back of the chair nor bend forward to
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place the elbows on the table. It is permissible to lean forward slightly every now and then and press the elbows very lightly against the edge of the table, if it is obvious that you are not using them for support.
Eating Soup
Dip the spoon into the soup, moving it away from the body, until it is about two-thirds full, then sip the liquid (without slurping) from the side of the spoon (without inserting the whole bowl of the spoon into the mouth). The theory behind this is that a diner who scoops the spoon toward himself is more likely to slosh soup onto his lap, although it is difficult to imagine what sort of eater would stroke the spoon so forcefully through the liquid that he creates waves. It is perfectly fine to tilt the bowl slightly -- again away from the body -- to get the last spoonful or two of soup.
Eating Bouillon
It is not very well known, undoubtedly because it is no longer in fashion to serve it, that if you are given bouillon in a soup cup with a handle, you may pick up the cup and sip the broth directly from it, even if a soupspoon has been provided. If there are any bits of vegetables or meat in the bouillon, they should be eaten with the spoon before you begin sipping.
Finger Bowls
The finger bowl has hovered on the brink of obsolescence for over a century without entirely disappearing. This is probably why it provides the critical obstacle in the story of the man, either a foreigner or a bumpkin (depending on the teller), who is a guest at a formal dinner party. When a servant offers him a bowl of water at the end of the meal, he drinks it. The hostess presiding at the event is so poised and utterly well-mannered that, without skipping a beat, she drinks her bowl down, too, thus saving him the embarrassment of realizing the extent of his faux pas. This tale has reached almost the status of urban legend, and it is told in many variations. The hostess may be a family matriarch or someone very well-known, say Eleanor Roosevelt or Queen Victoria, but the finger bowl seems to be a constant.
Fortunately, the main difficulty lies in recognizing the finger bowl when you see it, which, at formal events, will be either before or after the dessert course. Often there is a slice of lemon floating in the water. Once you are presented with one, all you need to know is that you should delicately dip your fingertips in the water (no scrubbing), dry them off with your napkin (equally delicately), and set the bowl to the side of your plate.
Offering Food
Take note, when you are the host of a party, of the way you offer additional servings to your guests. Urging someone to "have another (or a second or third) helping" can be seen as an unpleasant insinuation that the guest has eaten too
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much. It is best to phrase each offer of food as if the dish has just been brought out for the first time.
"Please Pass the Salt"
The proper response to this very simple sounding request is to pick up both the salt and the pepper and to place them on the table within reach of the person next to you, who will do the same, and so on, until they reach the person who asked for them. They are not passed hand-to-hand, nor should anyone other than the original requester sprinkle her food when she has the shakers in her possession. The reason for this, as Judith Martin points out more than once, is that American etiquette is not about efficiency. Often, the most refined action is that which requires the greatest number of steps to carry it out (as in, for example, the zigzag method of handling a fork and knife).
Removing Inedible Items from the Mouth
The general rule for removing food from your mouth is that it should go out the same way it went in. Therefore, olive pits can be delicately dropped onto an open palm before putting them onto your plate, and a piece of bone discovered in a bite of chicken should be returned to the plate by way of the fork. Fish is an exception to the rule. It is fine to remove the tiny bones with your fingers, since they would be difficult to drop from your mouth onto the fork. And, of course, if what you have to spit out will be terrifically ugly -- an extremely fatty piece of meat that you simply can't bring yourself to swallow, for example -- it will be necessary to surreptitiously spit it into your napkin, so that you can keep it out of sight
Foods You Can Eat with Your Fingers Artichoke
The artichoke is actually the leaf-enclosed flower bud of a plant that is in the thistle family. It is usually served steamed with a dipping sauce. To eat it, pull a leaf off, dip it, scrape the flesh from the base of the leaf with your top teeth, and discard the leaf on the plate provided for that purpose. (Or you may encounter a special plate made with a central niche for the artichoke, a niche for a small bowl of sauce, and a sort of moat all around on which the leaves are to be discarded.) Continue eating the leaves until the prickly "choke" is revealed -- this is the point when it is clear you have a species of thistle in front of you. Switch to fork and knife, first to remove the choke, then to eat the heart and base.
Asparagus
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Asparagus may be eaten with the fingers as long as it is not covered with sauce or otherwise prepared so it is too mushy to pick up easily. Of course, it is also just fine to use a fork and knife to eat asparagus, even when it is perfectly al dente and sauce-free. But you might appreciate getting to act like a rebel without breaking any rules.
Bacon
When bacon is cooked until it is very crisp, and there is no danger of getting the fingers wet with grease, it is okay to pick it up to eat it. This is an instance of practicality winning out over decorum, since trying to cut a crisp piece of bacon usually results in crushing it into shards that are quite difficult to round up onto a fork.
Bread
Bread must always be broken, never cut with a knife. Tear off a piece that is no bigger than two bites worth and eat that before tearing off another. If butter is provided (and at formal events it customarily is not), butter the small piece just before eating it. There is an exception to this rule: if you are served a hot roll, it is permissible to tear (not cut) the whole roll lengthwise down the middle and place a pat of butter inside to melt.
Cookies
It is never necessary to try to eat the cookie that comes as a garnish to your dessert with a spoon. Unless it has fallen so far into the chocolate sauce that there isn't a clean corner by which to pick it up.
Corn on the Cob
It is unlikely that it will be served at a formal event, but if you encounter corn on the cob, it may be picked up and eaten. The approved method of doing so is to butter one or two rows at a time and to eat across the cob cleanly.
Chips, French Fries, Fried Chicken, and Hamburgers
All these items (which could also probably be classified as "fast foods") simply will not be served in a formal setting. Most are intended to be eaten with the hands, although a particularly messy hamburger could be approached with fork and knife, and steak fries (the thick-cut, less crispy variety) may be best eaten with a fork.
Hors d'Oeuvres, Canapés, Crudités
Almost everything that is served at a cocktail party or during a pre-meal cocktail hour is intended to be eaten with the fingers. Some of these foods make appearances at regular meals as well (although not often very formal ones). When they do, it is still permissible to use the fingers to eat them. This includes olives, pickles, nuts, deviled eggs, and chips.
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Sandwiches
The straightforward sandwich -- that is, any sandwich that is not open-faced, not too tall to fit in the mouth, not saturated with dripping sauces or loaded with mushy fillings -- is intended to be picked up and eaten. Otherwise use fork and knife.
Small Fruits and Berries on the Stem
If you are served strawberries with the hulls on, cherries with stems, or grapes in bunches, then it is okay to eat them with your fingers. Otherwise, as with all berries, the utensil of choice is a spoon. In the case of grapes, you may encounter a special scissors, to be used to cut off a small cluster from the bunch. If not, tear a portion from the whole, rather than plucking off single grapes, which leaves a cluster of unattractive bare stems on the serving platter.
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HOW TO: IMPROVE YOUR TABLE MANNERS Whether you're on a dinner date or at a business lunch, you have to show those you're with that you weren't raised in a barn. That said, make mom proud by brushing up on your table manners with these helpful tips.
Don't slouch
Mind your posture. Sit up straight and don't lean back on your chair, or too far forward. Keep your arms near your body and elbows off the table. Don't put your feet up on a chair, especially if someone else is in that chair.
Don't be messy
When you sit down, put the napkin on your lap and leave it there to catch any stray food. If you spill something, use your napkin to prevent anything from spilling onto other people sitting next to you, before you attempt to protect your own clothes. If you need to remove something from your food such as a stray piece of hair or an insect, do so subtly and place it under the edge of your plate.
Don't emit bodily noises
Avoid coughing and nose blowing. If you need to cough or sneeze, turn your head away from the table and cover your mouth with your napkin. An inappropriate burp or fart may get you high marks with your buddies, but it'll ruin the meal for anyone else.
Don't use your fingers
Try not to order anything that doesn't require the use of cutlery such as hamburgers, french fries and corn on the cob. Use a knife and fork for your food, and put your knife down before you start eating. Never use your fork to cut food.
Don't reach for food
Rather than reaching over someone for anything, simply ask someone to pass it to you. And, make sure to pass whatever's near you around the table as well. But only pass it if you're the closest person to the item. And when you pass the salt and pepper, they should always be passed around together.
Don't blow on your meal
Blowing on your food is only acceptable if you're five years old and the woman sitting across from you is your mother. Simply allow any hot food to cool down on its own before you eat it. And don't slurp.
Don't bite off more than you can chew
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You don't want to choke during a business lunch, literally or figuratively. So place small portions of food into your mouth and chew them thoroughly Chew with your mouth closed and don't make any noise.
Don't spray food when you speak
Don't drink or talk with your mouth full. The last thing you want is for bits of your meal to end up on your company's plate or face. Once food goes into your mouth, it shouldn't be seen again. If you need to spit a piece of food out, do it surreptitiously by using your napkin and pretending to wipe your mouth.
Don't pick your teeth
If you feel a particle of food stuck between your teeth, try to use your tongue to dislodge it. Or, take a sip of water and push the water through your teeth to remove the food (subtly of course). If these attempts fail, excuse yourself from the table, grab a toothpick, and do the heavy digging in the bathroom. And never scratch your body, pick your nose, or clean your ears, especially with your car keys.
Don't overindulge
Pace yourself with food and alcohol. Take your time eating and try to finish at the same time as your companions. And as for alcohol, don't drink more than others at the table or more than you can handle. The point is to impress people with your manners, not your drinking abilities.
Don't be a downer
Don't ruin a pleasant meal by bringing up polarizing topics like politics or religion. Conversation and conduct should be light and cheerful. Be good company, in a good mood. When in doubt, keep your mouth shut and listen. If you're on a date, let the girl ramble on about her job, family and friends.
Don't voice your displeasure
When faced with an entrée that tastes like low-grade horsemeat, don't blame the waitress -- she didn't cook it. Raising a big stink will make you look like a jerk. Simply ask for a different dish to replace it. But if you're eating at someone's house, just grin and bear it because saying anything would be rude.
Don't look like a slob
Dress appropriately for the occasion with clean, unwrinkled clothes in good repair. If you're wearing a hat, especially a baseball cap, remove it before you are seated. Don't chew gum or smoke at the table.
bon appetite
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Behaving like a gentleman can only help you with the ladies and your career. So put these tips to good use next time you're dining out. You're sure to impress your companions with your superior table manners.
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HEALTH TIPS Is it possible to drink too much water?
Yes, it is possible, although it's very rare. The medical term for it is hyponatremia; but it is most commonly referred to as water intoxication.
While it's necessary to replenish lost fluids after partaking in strenuous exercise, drinking nothing but water to replenish these fluids may cause sodium levels to fall below the healthy range over the long haul. Combined with extreme physical exertion, this can cause someone to have a seizure, which, in extreme cases, can last for days.
If you compete in extreme endurance races, replenish all of your lost fluids and minerals by consuming a quality sports drink, and eating healthy, balanced meals.
How many times should I chew my food?
Chewing at least 20 times per mouthful helps the digestion process, by enabling your saliva to properly break down food.
Properly chewed food that's well-coated with saliva travels down the esophagus with ease. This is important as dry food can stick to the walls of your esophagus, which can create problems when swallowing in the long run.
Upon reaching your stomach, well-coated food can be easily broken down by gastric acids that are released therein. This will help the body absorb all the nutrients more effectively.
Keep in mind that "under-chewed" food can cause bloating and flatulence
How does your body break down food?
Food moves through four major breakdown points in the digestive process. As aforementioned, saliva is the first line of assault. After that a series of successive internal systems absorb what you've eaten. They are:
The stomach; breaks down the food with gastric acids (this can take up to 4 hours) The liver and gallbladder; release bile to break down the food even further The small intestine; absorbs the nutrients into the bloodstream
In its entirety, the process can take up to 14 hours.
Once all the good parts of the breakdown have been absorbed, you're left with the refuse. This is the ugly part of the chain. The large intestine is the last stop for the remnants of your digestion; namely, converting it all into fecal matter. It
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can take between 10 to 12 hours before you "dispose" of it all.
MIND YOUR TABLE MANNERS INTERNATIONALLY! Rules of Eating Etiquette in Brazil
The concept of good manners varies a lot when we compare different cultures, values and ways of living. However, when we talk about the occidental part of the world, the differences are not so big. In my opinion, going to a restaurant in Brazil will rarely be an embarrassing situation. One good way to figure out the rules is to pay attention, in a discrete way, to the people who are eating close to you.
There are some basic and necessary rules of etiquette that Brazilians usually respect everyday. They are:
• Being on time is polite, but is not a strict rule in Brazil. Being late for up to 15 minutes probably will not make a Brazilian angry.
• When you go to a restaurant, be careful to greet the people who work at the place, and don't forget to greet the people who are already waiting for you at the table. It's not necessary to hug and kiss everybody if they are already seated.
• You can ask somebody about how the food is prepared and also about prices or tips if you are not sure about them.
• Before they start eating, Brazilians usually say "bom apetite" to their friends.
• You should never talk to another person while you still have some food in your mouth. Probably he or she is not interested in what is happening in it.
• Making noise while eating is also considered really rude. Avoid doing it.
• Be careful not to put your elbows on the table while eating. It is not terrible, but it can be considered a little bit rude by those people who are formal.
• Don't worry about the time. Usually people in Brazil stay seated for a long time, especially when they have interesting things to talk about.
• It's not necessary to talk in a really low voice because Latin people usually talk a little loudly. But please, don't exaggerate.
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• The tip is usually is 10% of the total of the bill. If you didn't appreciate the place, you can leave less than this.
• Finally, saying "thank you" and "bye" is always very well seen in Brazil.
Eating Politely in Italy
I think that everybody should have good manners when eating, and basic good manners probably do not differ very much form country to country. Here are some do's and don'ts on how to eat politely in Italy, but all these rules should be obvious from common sense.
• Don't speak with your mouth full; this is considered impolite.
• If you want to appear polite, you should remember not to put your elbow on the table.
• Don't ever touch your hair while seated at the table.
• Be careful not to use your fork when taking food from the dishes.
• For Italian people one thing is very important: don't eat spaghetti with a fork and a spoon, but only with the fork. If you use a spoon, people will immediately understand you are a foreigner and are not able to eat correctly.
Eating Etiquette in Germany
When traveling to a foreign country, you should ask for information about dining etiquette there. Knowing the general rules lets you enjoy your meal at any place. The eating etiquette in Germany is different, depending on which kind of event you are invited to or which restaurant you choose for eating.
If you are invitd to a great event, like a wedding or a very important business meeting, we are supposed to follow the formal rules of dining etiquette.
We put our napkin on our lap, folded once, opening to the front. We are supposed to sit up straight and never put our elbows on the table. We use the many glasses and silverware from the outside to the inside, according to the course that is served. Before and after drinking, we touch our mouth with the napkin. It is severely forbidden to make any noise while eating.
The etiquette for casual dining is not that strict. It's no problem to sit more relaxed and to put the elbows on the table. Of course, some basic rules need to be followed, for example, you should never bring your knife to your mouth, and you should put your silverware down while drinking.
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Eating Politely in Korea
Have you ever been in Korea. Koreans usually regard politeness as a very important thing. If you have a chance to go to Korea and eat, you have to know that there are many dos and don'ts.
Here are some of the basic and necessary rules of etiquette that Koreans usually respect every day:
• Be careful not to start to eat before other elderly people start. You might look very rude.
• Don't ever speak out loud with food in your mouth.
• Don't eat very fast. Remember to keep peace with other people.
• Always try not to make noise when you are chewing.
• You are not supposed to leave the table before the oldest person finishes his meal.
But you don't need to be scared. I think that the most important thing is to keep respect in mind. If you keep that in mind that it is important to show respect, you won't be regarded as rude.
In old times, having meals was the most important thing for a Korean.
In Korea, people still asks each other "Have you had lunch (or dinner)?" instead of "How are you?"
Chinese and Japanese use only chopsticks when eating rice. Somehow, Koreans use spoons.
When eating rice, lifting a rice bowl close to one's mouth is not considered mannered in Korea, while it is OK in China and in Japan.
A lot of Korean women don't like guys who eat rice little by little. They'll say about them, "The guy counts rice before he eats." Eat vigorously, and a lot
Good Manners are Important in Chile
If you want to have a great time eating in Chile, you shouldn't forget some etiquette rules. First, you shouldn't forget to raise your right elbow while you are eating. You have to remember that you can never speak while you have food in your mouth. Also, you have to eat with your mouth closed.
In Chile you have to cut the meat with the knife in the right hand, and then you have to change the fork from the right hand to the left hand to eat. Also, when
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you have a lot of forks, knifes and spoons on the table you have to use the knifes. It's the same with the spoons.
Table Manners in Venezuela
having good posture at the table and using each piece of silverware were always very important. "Sit up straight!" "Keep your elbows off the table!" are phrases that I'll never forget.
My mother also insisted that when you are eating soup, you should always dip the spoon into the soup until it is about two-thirds full, then sip the liquid and never put the whole spoon into your mouth.
Dining Etiquette in Venezuela
In Venezuela, there are some special rules of etiquette that people usually follow when they are dining. You need to keep in mind the following things:
• None of the guests should talk with just one person. The conversation should be with everybody. In addition, it should be related to topics interesting for both men and women.
• In a formal dinner, the guest is never served more than once. The only thing that can be served more than once is the dessert, the liquor, and the wind.
• It is not polite to refuse a plate. If you don't want something, just eat a small portion.
It is important to know to Set the Table
• The first plate (the appetizer) should always be served on a separate plate.
• The silverware should be placed in the same order that it will be used: the firstone much farther away from the plate and the last one much nearer the plate. The forks or the dessert spoons can be placed on the table when the dessert is served.
• The wine and water glasses are placed in front of the plate to the right of each guest. The water glass is on the left side. When we serve the coffee and liquors, we should bring the bottles and the glasses on a tray.
• Finally, as a sign of good taste, we usually offer the guests a little humid towel with water and lemon so they can clean their hands, even if they never get their fingers dirty during the meal. This should be done after the dessert is finished.
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But following these little rules, you will be successful at your dinner, as a guest or as a hostess
Eating Politely in Turkey
If you are in Turkey, you should learn dining etiquette before you come if you want to eat your meal in a polite way. It is better for you to learn such things as which knife is for which meat. In daily life, you need to remember these rules.
To have good manners in Turkey, first, you shouldn't speak while you are eating. You must keep your mouth closed while you are chewing.
In a restaurant, be sure not to ask the price before you begin your meal because it's rude. Always order your meal before your drink. While your orders are being cooked, then the waiter will have time to bring your drinks. We still have some special notions about eating chicken. For example, while you are eating chicken, you shouldn't use your fork and knife, and you can eat it with your fingers. This doesn't disturb anybody in a restaurant.
Although we have a lot of rules about eating, nowadays you can easily observe people, especially teenagers, eating without paying any attention to these rules. Since these kinds of people are cropping up in every restaurant, you can feel free about how you eat. Enjoy your meal!
Eating Etiquette in Japan
When you come to Japan, you'll need to learn some rules of etiquette for eating. They aren't difficult to learn.
If you eat something with people, you'll hear them say Itadaki-masu. This is said to show gratitude for the food you eat and to the person who prepared the food
You'll also hear people say gochiso-sama when they finish eating. This is also said to express thanks and to say the dishes were good.
You should start to eat your food only when everybody is seated at the table. We usually have a conversation at meals, but you shouldn't speak while you are eating.
When you have rice or soup, you should lift each bowl towards you to eat. I recommend you eat every dish which you choose because it shows your high regard for everything.
A DAMP TOWEL -
Just after you sit down at a table, you will receive a hot (or sometimes cold in the summer) damp, white towel called an o-shibori. In a restaurant it is wrapped in
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plastic or is often served on a small oblong tray especially made to place the o-shibori on. Use the towel to wipe your hands. In less formal situations, Japanese men often wash their faces with the towels, but it is best not to do this. Place the towel back on the tray. The o-shibori does not stay on the table throughout the meal and often, napkins are not supplied. It is advisable to keep tissue or a handkerchief with you at all times.
WORDS OF GRATITUDE -
The Japanese people always say a phrase before and after a meal. Although not a religious saying, it does have familiar connotations of giving thanks for food.
PRIOR TO EATING - ITA DA KI MASU
meaning - "I humbly receive." "May I begin?" "It looks/smells wonderful; I am beginning."
AFTER EATING - GO CHISO SAMA DESHITA
meaning - "Thank you", "It was a treat or a special meal", "Thank you (for paying)".
CHOPSTICKS -
Many restaurants use disposable wooden chopsticks that come wrapped in paper. Remove the chopsticks from the paper and separate into two sticks. Although you might see other Japanese people rub the two sticks together to remove any thin fragments of wood, it is best not to follow this practise as you might embarrass your host. Perhaps he or she has brought you to a restaurant where the quality of chopsticks is not very good. Pick up your food with the smaller pointed ends.
Lacquer or plastic chopsticks are also used in more formal situations and in the home. These are slippery and more difficult to handle, so take your time with the food. These kinds of chopsticks are placed on a special chopstick resting piece, which is where your chopsticks should always be placed when not in use.
As you would use a serving spoon in a Western setting, use the larger serving chopsticks that may accompany a dish. If there isn't one, you may use the clean top ends of your chopsticks. These ends never go into your mouth once you have decided to use the other ends to eat with.
SLURPING -
It is Japanese custom to make some slurping noises while eating foods such as noodles in soup. It is a sign of appreciation to your host or the cook. Soups are also slurped which makes it easier to eat hot foods.
DISHES -
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It is proper to lift small bowls of rice or soup to your mouth in order to eat. In a way, you are bringing the food closer to your mouth, thus lessening the chance of dropping something on the table. Once at your mouth, you may use your chopsticks to get solid things inside your mouth such as rice or the seaweed in miso soup.
A very small dish is used for soy sauce only, into which you might dip certain foods such as sushi or raw fish.
TOASTING -
It is quite common for the Japanese to toast, usually with beer or sake. It recognises a day's event or acknowledges good efforts. If you do not drink alcoholic beverages, it is quite acceptable to toast with orange juice or even green tea. The important point is that you share in a group celebration.
SMOKING -
Typically, Japanese businessmen entertain during the evening hours by drinking, eating, and smoking. It is not unusual to smoke and eat at the same time. In more formal situations, smoking might be refrained at the beginning of an event. At any rate you should not be openly alarmed with the degree of smoking. Cigar smoking is uncommon.
SOME DEFINITE "DON'TS" -
. Do not stick your chopsticks upright into your food, especially in your rice bowl as this is the way of offering rice to the dead.
. Do not grab your chopsticks in the palm of your hand as you would grab a stick. This is how a sword is handled.
. Do not pour soy sauce on your rice. You offend the chef. Other dishes are meant to flavour the rice as you eat. Rice is still considered a valued and precious item by elders.
. Do not blow your nose at the table.
. Do not play with food and try to figure out what's in a particular piece. The Japanese are generally sensitive about this and you insult your host or your superiors by being childish about the food being served to you. The way in which the food is arranged and presented is equally as important as the food itself
Table Manners for a Typical Evening Meal
1. Sit - the host will tell you where to sit, or you ask.
2. Wait for others to start eating. Many homes will pray first.
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3. Family style meal - food is passed to the right.
4. Try a little of everything - do not take a Lot of anything.
5. If you do not want something, just pass it on; you should not say anything. If they ask, say, "It looks good, but I think I won't have any thank you."
6. Keep the table and table-cloth as clean as possible. Do not put bones or anything on the table. Things that are not eaten should be put on your plate.
7. Do not spit anything out. If there is something in your mouth that you cannot swallow, quietly put it in your paper napkin and then go on (e.g. bones, seeds, etc.)
8. Do not talk with food in your mouth! Wait until you have swallowed everything before talking.
9. Burping - don't!! It is considered rude.
10. Slurping - don't!! Drinking soup or eating noodles - be quiet.
11. When food is passed to you say, "Thank You."
12. When you would like more of some food and it is not right in front of you, say, "Please pass the green beans."
13. Do not reach across the table or in front of someone to get something - that is rude. Ask them to pass it to you.
14. If you need to leave the table to go to the bathroom or do something, say, "Excuse me for a moment, please."
15. If your hostess wants to serve you but you don't want to eat it, say, "Thank you. It looks very good, but I'm not quite used to American food yet. Maybe next time, thanks."
16. Meals are to be slow, pleasant, leisurely times. Enjoy your food, but talk too.
17. Watch how fast others are eating. Try not to be too slow or too fast - keep up with their pace.
18. When you are finished eating, say "What a delicious meal! Thank you so much." Wait for all to be finished before leaving the table.
19. Do not touch your nose, hair or teeth at the table.
20. Toothpicks - are not usually on the table in a home. After the meal, go to the bathroom and clean your teeth if you need to. In restaurants, they are usually at the counter where you pay as you go out. Again, it is best to clean your teeth in the bathroom.
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NINE STEPS TO GOOD TABLE MANNERS FOR CHILDREN Whether it's dinner at a friend's house or a business meeting over lunch, we judge people based on their table manners. But what can you do if your kids are burping and slurping their way through dinner?
Dr. Alex Packer, psychologist and the author of How Rude! A Teenagers Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out, recommends these nine steps to set your child on the road to good etiquette:
1. Look for the good. Instead of pointing out all the things your child does wrong, point out what she does right. Say, "I was so proud of you when we went to the Joneses for dinner. It was wonderful the way you served yourself when the platter passed by."
2. Don't turn dinner into an unpleasant "lecture time." That will turn kids off not only to manners, but to dinner, and to you, too.
3. Check your own example. Don't show up for dinner in just your underwear unless you want your kids to do the same.
4. Don't label your child as a slob. Instead, point out the behavior in a neutral, practical way. For example: "It's a good idea to unfold your napkin so if food falls you won't stain your clothes."
5. Approach manners as a game. One night a week, try to have a somewhat more formal dinner. Try dressing up, serve a special meal, and expect more formal manners. That will help improve your kids' social graces.
6. Let kids know that a manners offense doesn't exist if there's nobody there to see it. If you eat mashed potatoes with your fingers, and you're alone, or with a friend who has agreed to suspend that manner, it's not a violation.
7. Make kids part of the tradition. Invite guests over and let kids help serve hors d'oeuvres. This helps them indirectly learn about the manners that surround eating.
8. If you hear a burp, explain that in some cultures burping is a way of showing your appreciation, but here in America it's considered rude. If you were to do that in someone else's house, he might think you're a slob and may not want you to come back.
9. Try dining out once in a while. Fast food restaurants don't count; dining over Styrofoam doesn't bring out the best in manners. And you can't pull someone's chair out for her if it's bolted to the floor. Try a nice restaurant and allow kids to order their own food, and assist in paying the bill and figuring out the tip
And Dr. Packer says not to lose heart (or your cookies) if your kids' manners at home are atrocious. "Often these same kids exhibit exemplary behavior outside the house. If you're getting positive reports from outside the home, that's great. You can trust them."
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ON LIGHTER SIDE : HOW TO BE POPULAR IN BARS The best way to be the popular guy in a bar is by impressing those around you with cool tricks. You won't need any props, besides those you'd find in a bar of course. But you will appear to be blessed with magical powers, extraordinary intellect and even the ability to read minds.
These tricks are time-tested, sure-fire ways to win drinks, amuse your friends and impress women.
The instructions are pretty simple: read them, remember them and then reap the rewards.
Matchstick magic
Like any good bar bet, this one starts off sounding impossible: bet that you can toss a paper match into the air and make it land on its side.
Note: this won't work with wooden matches.
Invite your audience to try it first. Unless they know the trick, they'll never be able to make it work.
When they've finished embarrassing themselves, take over and nail it on the first try. Of course there's a secret: you bend the match slightly.
Bar Bet Bonus: The match still works so use it to light a lady's cigarette. If she's a non-smoker, then light it anyway and blow it out.
It's a race!
When you're out with the boys, bet that you can drink 3 pints of beer before someone else can down three 1-ounce shots. The thing is, they have to give you a one-beer head start and neither of you can touch the other person's glasses.
Drink your first beer. When you're done, place your empty glass upside down over one of your opponent's shots. Now you can finish your other 2 beers at your leisure -- they're not allowed to touch your glass so that third shot won't be finished until you remove your glass.
Bar Bet Bonus: The loser buys the next round so pull this trick off just before it's your turn.
Trading places
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This one requires a bit of work but the pay off is cool.
The bet is that you will switch drinks from one glass to the other. Here's how:
Ask the bartender to fill a shot glass with water and another with a thick liqueur.
Take the liqueur shot and cover it with your driver's license. Carefully turn it upside down, and put it on top of the water shot, so that your driver's license is between the two glasses.
Very gently pull on your driver's license to create a very small opening between the two glasses. Because of a combination of gravity and density, the heavier liqueur will flow into the lower glass, forcing the water to flow up into the top glass.
Bar Bet Bonus: Give the shot to a beautiful lady. If you're out with your friends, bet them that if you can pull this off, the next round's on them.
Mind reading
This works best with a small group of friends, strangers or beautiful women.
Ask the bartender for a pile of napkins, an ice bucket and a pen. The bet is that you're going to take a quick survey, and then read someone's mind to get the answer.
Your survey can be about anything: who'll win the Super Bowl or the Oscar, what their favorite color is, who they think the greatest rock and roll band is, or anything else you can come up with.
Write each answer on separate napkins and put them into the ice bucket. Ask one person to draw one napkin and show the answer to everyone. Then close your eyes, concentrate and tell them the answer.
But how will you know? It's easy -- you wrote the same answer on every napkin.
Bar Bet Bonus: This trick allows you to make eye contact with each lady you try this on.
bet the bar
With these bar bets, you can have some fun with the guys or impress women with your charm.
Try one or two of these bar bets the next time you're out and see what happens. You'll definitely have some laughs and who knows what else might happen. Good luck and have fun!
A Penny For Your Thoughts
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This is a great "mind-reading" trick. Give your "victim" a penny and a nickel, and ask them to put one in each hand without letting you see which coin is where. The trick is that you'll be able to tell which coin is in each hand by using the power of your mind.
Explain that they need to think about each coin so that you can read their mind. Ask your helper to multiply the value of the coin in their left hand by two without telling you the answer.
After a second's pause, ask them if they have the answer.
Then ask them to multiply the value of the coin in their right hand by 13, wait one second and ask if they have the answer.
The length of time it took them to come up with the answers to your questions will tell you which coin is in which hand. If your helper came up with both answers pretty quickly, the penny is in the left hand, (because 5 x 2 and 1 x 13 are easy to calculate). If it took a little longer to multiply by 13, then the nickel is in their right hand.
Bar Bet Bonus: It's another magical way to start a conversation with someone interesting.
Roman Math
This trick allows you to demonstrate your mastery of history, logic and math all at once.
Start with 16 matches arranged on a table like this:
I + II + III = IIII
(Use the matches to make the "+" and "=" signs).
The challenge is to move just one match to make this equation make sense. Bet your audience a drink that they can't solve it in 5 minutes.
The solution would have made perfect sense to the ancient Romans. It looks like this:
I + I + I + I = IIII
To do this, take just one of the matches in the II and place it across the middle match in the III.
Bar Bet Bonus: Even if someone figures this one out, you've just enjoyed a few minutes of mental stimulation with a stimulating audience of women.
3-D Thinking
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Start with 6 bottle caps or coasters and arrange them in a 'T' shape. Place 4 bottle caps in a straight line, and then place the other two caps on either side of the top cap.
The challenge is to make 2 rows of 4 caps each. However, you can only move one bottle cap.
When everyone's finished fumbling around, you can provide the very simple solution. Take the bottle cap from the bottom of your T-shape and place it on the bottle cap at the top.
Voila! You've made two rows of four.
Bar Bet Bonus: At a party, collecting bottle caps for this trick is a great way to meet people. Especially attractive, female people.
Mental Mover
You can do this trick with a cigarette or, in these increasingly non-smoking times, a straw.
Place the straw on the tabletop and explain how you will use your mind to push it away from yourself.
Bend over the straw and hold your hand over it, wiggling your fingers as you try to mentally "connect" with your target.
The real point of moving your fingers is to distract your audience because the trick is to slightly open your mouth and simply exhale. Even if you're not right on target, your exhalation will move across the flat surface of the table and accomplish your goal.
Bar Bet Bonus: If you're a smoker, you can win more free cigarettes this way. But the real bonus is taking the time to share the secret and passing on your wisdom.
have fun
So there you are -- four more fun ways to stump your friends, win free drinks and impress beautiful women. Good luck!
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HEALTHY EATING HABITS AT RESTAURANTS AND FAST FOODS Restaurant and fast food menus have a tendency to be high calorie and high fat, but if you follow our suggestions, you can maintain eating habits that are healthy at any restaurant or fast food.
BREAKFAST Choose these more healthy foods:
(1) Pancakes and waffles are low in calorie and fat if you skip the butter and use a half serving of syrup.
(2) Instead of eating eggs, request egg whites or egg substitute such as Egg Beaters. (3) Most restaurants will put half a daily allowance of fat in the form of butter on your toast. Order your toast dry and put 1 teaspoon of butter on yourself which adds only 40 calories or substitute jelly for butter. Good eating habits are easy with simple techniques like these.
(4) Oatmeal and cold cereal are healthy, nutritious and low calorie.
(5) Small fruit bowl make for an excellent breakfast side dish that's very healthy.
(6) Eating a lean slice of ham is good if you like meat for breakfast.
(7) Try eating Omelets made with egg substitute (Egg Beater) or egg whites and no cheese.
Foods to avoid: hot links, cheeses, sausages, regular muffins, coffee cake and too much butter.
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LUNCH and DINNER
It would be more healthy to eat a hamburger than a salad loaded with dressing. Two tablespoons of salad dressing has 130 calories and 13 grams of fat. The average person heaps six to eight tablespoons of dressing on their salad. Your harmless salad has turned into a 400-500 calories (50 grams of fat) bombshell. Use regular salad dressing sparingly or low fat dressing.
To maintain good eating habits, avoid taco salads. The salad itself is not bad, but unfortunately it comes loaded with fatty cheese, sour cream and guacamole sauce in a fried flour tortilla. Taco salads are equivalent in calories and fat to a double cheeseburger. Choose these more healthy foods:
(1) Grilled chicken sandwich with little or no mayonnaise. Substitute honey mustard sauce for regular mayonnaise if available.
(2) Sandwiches with mustard or low fat mayonnaise
(3) Fat free or baked potato chips
(4) Soups that are not cream based (avoid clam chowder and other cream based soups)
(5) Low fat yogurt or ice cream
(6) Diet soda
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10 TOTALLY UNHEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS TO AVOID Many women today are victims of seriously unhealthy eating behaviors. Ironically, many of them know their behavior is consequential, but would rather jeopardize their health to 'look good' than to try and follow a healthy eating regimen. In a nutshell, this type of ritualistic behavior is all about weight loss or weight maintenance. Most women will try every and any thing that seems like a short cut to achieve their success. These ladies are the ones who are not making a point of educating themselves about the safest and healthiest ways to reach their goals. Fortunately, these are also the easiest people to work with because you know they take their weight seriously and will commit to the right program. They only need the right path laid before them. However, because many women want results through the quickest means possible, they still end up taking steps backward before they move forward. Over the years, I have counseled a number of women and have noticed that many of them share the same unhealthy eating habits. I would like to point out that there are plenty eating behaviors that all women share, but I have chosen to address only these ten because of the self-destruction involved. I know for a fact that we all are related to someone who is guilty of least one of them. PLEASE, if it's you, let this serve as an eye opener and allow it to motivate you to make the changes necessary to become a healthier and smarter woman! It is also important to remind you that there are 6 essential nutrients that our bodies require for health, growth, maintenance and development. These are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. If we deprive ourselves of any one these nutrients, then we are jeopardizing not only our physical health, but our mental health as well, each through mal- nourishment. Any nutrition educator will tell you that your body needs these nutrients to maintain itself. A deficiency in any one of these life sustaining nutrients could be detrimental. My husband tells clients each day, "Your body needs essential fats, good protein and complex carbohydrates for energy, healing, health, existence AND fat loss or muscle building. Deplete yourself of any one of the three and you're heading for defeat." Another excellent nutritional educator that I recommend is Dr. Christine Northrup Ph D. Her recently revised book, "Women's Bodies, Women's Minds: The Connection" is an absolute masterpiece and includes information for all ages, especially for women over 40. Ladies, let's live a life filled with love, vitality and self fulfillment. The following ten habits are so easy to break..... 1. YOU'RE A CAFFEINE-A-HOLIC! If you feel that you can't function properly without your usual morning cup of brew or that you can't go a day without it at
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some point, then YOU are addicted to caffeine. Caffeine consumed in large amounts on a regular basis is one of the most unhealthy and harmful things that you can do to yourself! If you're unsure of whether or not you are addicted to caffeine, test yourself by trying to go without it for 3 days. If you find that you get a headache or that you are very fatigued, then yes, you are addicted to caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive substance that stimulates our central nervous system and in turn affects the function of important vital organs such as our heart, kidneys, and adrenals. Please, if you are abusing caffeine, make an effort to STOP immediately, or to at least cut back. If you have a cup of coffee and begin to get drowsy, LAY OFF FOR AT LEAST A WEEK! You are DESTROYING your adrenal glands! Caffeine can be consumed in a number of forms. Tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and even decaffeinated coffee contains small amounts of it. Reserve this drink for before a workout or other luxurious moments and limit yourself to 4 times a week but never before 12 noon or after 8 pm. 2. YOU EAT ONLY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! I can't tell you how many women I have encountered who are guilty of this. Eating only fruits and vegetables is not the way to go. In a nutshell, all you are doing is eating fibrous carbs and simple sugars thus depriving yourself of the essential nutrients found in protein, fats, and other complex carbohydrates. If this is you, I'll bet that most of the time, you are either hungry to the point where you are starving or you feel really bloated, gassy, and are emotionally irregular. If you continue, you will eventually end up with either an inflamed bowel, a serious ulcer, a tiresome physical appearance or a very slow metabolism. You need protein, essential fats and complex carbohydrates for optimal functioning. Fruit and vegetable foods are essential but they burn like paper towels in a coal stove. You need slow burning fuel that nourishes you. Do not limit yourself of fats and proteins. It's foolish. 3. YOU RESTRICT YOURSELF TO ONLY 1 MEAL A DAY! This is alarmingly common. We all know or have m et someone who is guilty of this. THIS IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTION. IF YOU ARE GUILTY, THEN STOP IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IN THE END IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOU FAT! Following this type of eating regimen can be very harmful to your health because again, you are depriving your body from many essential nutrients that can not possibly be consumed in only one meal a day (taking supplements or not). You are not getting the required minerals, essential fats and vitamins that your body needs to be healthy by only one or two food groups. There are 12. Further, your metabolism will slow right down because you are not giving your body enough calories to think straight. Thus, when you do increase the number of meals you ingest, you will end up putting weight on, especially if you're not exercising because the metabolism has quit. That's why you bloat. But if you eat more meals regularly, the bloating, and the body fat, will disappear
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4. YOU AVOID MEAT AT ALL COSTS! If this is you, ask yourself why is it that the majority of fit and lean people today eat meat? If you find that you can't answer this, then why are you depriving yourself of yet another essential nutrient? Because someone told you to? Please. Look at them too. Unless you are a die hard vegetarian or allergic to meat, there's no reason why you shouldn't be eating it. Besides, NO ONE is allergic to all meats, only some. And plants have lives too. Not eating meat because it had a heart beat is like saying our ancestors were wrong by doing it too. Let me make this abundantly clear, MEAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT OR BULGING WITH MUSCLE IF EATEN IN MODERATION! When cooked to your preference, a nice lean healthy cut of steak is actually good for you. If red meat isn't your thing, then try some other form of protein such as chicken breast, tuna, salmon, etc. It's all good! Experiment if you have to find the source of protein that works for you. Your bodies need protein for muscle growth, tissue repair and a beautiful healthy appearance. Yes, tofu and cottage cheese counts! 5. YOU ARE ADDICTED TO ASPARTAME! OK, I confess, I was guilty of this at one point also. Please pay special attention to this one because it has now been proven after an extensive amount of research that ASPARTAME can kill you. SO STOP RIGHT NOW! Most aspartame victims don't have a clue that aspartame may be the cause of their many ailments! Aspartame converts to dangerous byproducts that have no natural counter measures. A dieter's empty stomach accelerates these conversions and amplifies the damage. Components of aspartame go straight to the brain, and this damage causes headaches, mental confusion, blindness, seizures and faulty balance. Don't be fooled by sugar substitutes, they are detrimental to your health. If you must have some form of sweetness for taste, then try STEVIA, an all natural sugar substitute that you can get in either liquid or powder form. Otherwise, you just may go blind.
6. YOU LIVE ON SALADS! I once knew a lady that seriously thought she could live on salads and salads alone. Absolutely crazy! It's funny how so many people still think that eating salads is the only way to lose weight. I remember watching an episode of The Cosby Show once where Bill was told by his doctor that his cholesterol was high and that he had to watch what he ate. From then on, his wife fed him salads at every meal and the funny thing about it was that with any opportunity that he had to cheat, he would. It made a very humorous episode, but on a serious note, he was experiencing the need for REAL food because his body was, you guessed it, deprived of nutrients not possibly found in salads alone. Salads alone will not fill you up, nor will it keep the weight off. 7. YOU ABUSE SUPPLEMENTS! If you are one of the many that foolishly think that by taking additional vitamins alone or, calcium pills, fat burners, meal replacements etc. will make up for what you don't get through meals, then you
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are kidding yourself. This can be DANGEROUS to your health and even TOXIC. Taking an additional multivitamin will not make up for the nutrition to be gained from eating real food and most supplements are just CHEMICALS. Aside from the nutrients and minerals you receive from food and because it's almost impossible to meet all recommended doses through meals alone, you need supplements but you would still really only require the following 3 supplements. A multi vitamin, a liquid mineral and essential fatty acids. My wife will tell you that this is the key to optimal health and healthy weight maintenance too. "This is what you MUST HAVE to succeed, burn fat, build muscle, survive and if you use these three products daily, and in most cases, NOTHING MORE is needed. If you take a multi vitamin, it only addresses 20% of your body's needs. Fatty acids are 10%, but this is misleading as it is the 10% necessary for you to build muscle, burn fat and regulate hormones. And minerals are the other 70%. Skip your 2 tbs of minerals and you will realize what you are missing only after you have started supplementing with them."
8. YOU NEVER EAT BREAKFAST! At some point in our lives, I'm sure that may of you thought that this was also the answer to maintaining your weight. You probably thought it would allow you to have control over your appetite throughout the day. Not true. Not eating breakfast not only deprives you of the nutrients you need to kick start your body each morning but it also leads to the loss of muscle tissue. This in turn will leave you flabby and fat without much muscle tone. The body eats muscle tissue in search of lost nutrients when you are not providing it with sufficient amounts of food and to top it off your metabolism will slow right down again. Even if you start with just toast this week. Add a fruit next week. A yogurt the next. Build up slowly to doing the right thing if necessary. Work towards having a full breakfast. 9. YOU SKIP MEALS SO YOU CAN EAT MORE LATER! The only people I know that do this are over weight and usually uncomfortable in a bathing suit. You know the type, yes, the ones who wear t-shirts over their swim wear when they go on vacation. Some claim they do not over eat, but they are still out of shape even though they exercise daily. It's common, but just as common are people who refuse to accept this is what skipping meals will result in. Again, it only slows the metabolism down. Skip a meal and you set yourself back a day. Skip 4 meals and you are behind a half week. Do it 2 days in a row and you are allowing your friends to sit back and watch how fat you get.
10. YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH COUNTING CALORIES AND FAT GRAMS! The bottom line is that most women need at least 1800 calories a day. It is not as important as how many grams of fat you have, but whether or not you eat right at all.
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Don't limit your fat, but you shouldn't try to see how much you can ingest either. Shooting for 6 meals or snacks of 300 calories each a day and allowing 3 or four meals to contain 100 calories of good fats is probably going to do you more good than harm. I should know. Until I started having the right fats again, I lost my menstrual cycle for a full 2 years on a low fat diet. So if you are wasting time calculating fat grams and every little calorie ingested, DON'T! Just be sensible about it. The object is to eat ENOUGH, not to LIMIT yourself. As long as you follow the KNOW HOW 12 Food Group rules, you will always remain on top!
FIVE FAST FOOD FIXES Do you try to make healthy choices when you eat fast foods, opting for salads, grilled chicken and anything vegetable? Good for you - but do be careful, as you could be doing yourself a disservice with a "healthy" choice. It's sad that the best intentions can backfire like this, but a little knowledge will go a long way in protecting your waistline, so do read on! To make sure you are not getting more calories and fat than you realize, check out the following comparisons - the put your newfound knowledge into practice. 01. Veggie Wrap vs. Veggie Pizza The better of these two is the Veggie Pizza. A slice of Pizza Hut Veggie Lover's pizza has only 200 calories and 8 grams of fat. A Fields and Feta Wrap at Au Bon Pain has 560 calories and 17 grams of fat. In this case, a slice of vegetable pizza is a much better choice. Wraps often have gobs of cheese, lots of oily dressing and a wrapper bigger than a dinner plate. By comparison, a single slice of veggie pizza is a smaller, healthier quantity of the same types of food. Alternative choice: Order a wrap, but eat half and toss the rest. Better it goes in the waste can than on your waist! Or, look for wraps made with raw vegetable, one or two slices of cheese and mustard instead of mayonnaise or oil.
02. Hamburger vs. a Bowl of Chili This is a tough one. Most weight conscious people avoid hamburgers, but that isn't always necessary. You might be surprised to learn that a McDonald's hamburger, with 280 calories and 10 grams of fat, is a much better deal than an order of Taco John's Texas-Style Chili, with a whopping 380 calories and 22 grams of fat. But a small chili at Wendy's has only 210 calories and 7 grams of fat, so it is the best deal of all, especially since the beans give it 5 grams of healthy fiber. The lesson to be learned with chili is
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this: Do not assume all chili is low calorie. Most fast food chains have Web sites where you can check nutrition information. Of course, if you do choose chili, go easy on the cheese topping, or sour cream. They send the calorie and fat content through the roof.
03. Taco Salad vs. Taco
The taco is by far the best choice. Salad simply is not always synonymous with "skinny". A Taco Bell Salad with salsa has a staggering 850 calories and 52 grams of fat, while an order of Taco Supreme at Taco Bell, with basically the same ingredients, is a mere 210 calories and 14 grams of fat. In this case, portion size is the main factor. Almost half of the calories in the taco salad come from the super-sized taco shell it is served in. Take a good look at the ingredients before you choose that "low calorie" salad. 04. Grilled Chicken Salad vs. Grilled Chicken Sandwich While both choices have basically the same ingredients (lettuce, chicken, onions, tomatoes, and croutons/bread), the better of the two is the grilled chicken salad. However, many choose the salad over the sandwich thinking, mistakenly, that the bun will ruin their diet. However, bread is not the enemy. In fact, these items come out surprisingly similar in calories, though the salad wins by a nose. A McDonald's Chicken McGrill sandwich with mayonnaise has 450 calories and 18 grams of fat. A McDonald's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with one package of Caesar dressing and one package of croutons has 300 calories and 16.5 grams of fat. Beware: The theory that any salad is low calorie is totally false. The addition of croutons drenched in oil, gobs of salad dressing send calories and fat soaring. For example, the Grilled Chicken Caesar salad with 2 ounces of dressing at Chili's has 660 calories and 32 grams of fat. Tip: Never eat salad with the dressing mixed in. Keep dressing on the side and use the dip-spear-eat method: Dip your fork in and out of your dressing so a little bit clings to the tines. Then spear some salad and eat. By doing this, you will not eat all of your dressing, but you will enjoy the dressing's added flavor. 05. Ice Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt This one is easy, isn't it! Frozen yogurt is often lower in calories than regular ice cream, but the key here is not to eat too much. Depending upon the sugar content frozen yogurt can have enough calories to put a serious dent in anybody's weight control program. For example, two scoops of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yogurt contain 320 calories and 4 grams of fat. By comparison, two scoops of Ben and Jerry's Original Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream contain 460 calories and 22 grams of
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fat. So frozen yogurt saves you some calories and a lot of fat, but it still has enough calories to be a special- occasion only food. In ice cream and frozen yogurt shops, always ask what the calories are - don't' just assume they are all low in calories and fat. Be careful with the toppings, too. Piling on sprinkles, M & M's and candies can add loads of fat and calories
WEIGHT PROBLEMS - FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW Why are weight problems so hard to resolve? Here are some facts you may not know. Billions are spent on weight loss programs but the percentage of overweight people continues to climb. The number of overweight people increased dramatically during the last 40 years of the 20th Century
According to government studies, the following statistics reveal some startling facts about weight gain.
Overweight - 20 years of age and over - shows percent of population Year 1960-62 | 1971-74 | 1976-80 | 1988-94 | 1999-2000 US 44.8% 47.7% 47.4% 56.0% 64.5% SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. As you can see, the overweight problem in the United States has escalated. There are over four million-plus entries listed on Google.com for "Weight Loss." Do you know if any these entries have a real solution? We are hoping to help you out here, so you can determine for yourself what might work and might not before you buy another promise that may not address the underlying factors. Fact One
Acids build up in the body. A few contributing sources include processed foods, environmental pollution, chemical cleaners and cosmetics, polluted water, pesticides, and stress. An overload of acids in the body will act as a poison to it.
Definition: (from Random House Unabridged Dictionary) "Poison: 1. a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health. 2. something harmful or pernicious, as to happiness or well-being."
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"Pernicious: 1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie. 2. deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease." Fact Two
The body stores acid poisons in fat cells. This is what the body does in order to keep the acid poisons out of vital organs.
The body tends to hang on to the fat to keep the acid poisons from doing more damage in other areas of the body.
When the body can't store the acid poisons in the fat cells, they are stored in vital organs and/or excreted through the skin causing skin eruptions or rashes. Fact Three
The body uses a balancing mechanism to ensure high levels of acid poisons do not circulate in the blood stream. You can monitor the acid level by having a pH test done. (pH, meaning potential of hydrogen, refers to a scale showing how acid or alkaline something is, the more acid, the more hydrogen, the more alkaline, more oxygen is present). The blood of the body needs to be a pH of 7.365 which is slightly alkaline, and the rest of the body works to ensure this happens. A professional healthcare provider can monitor the blood pH to predict and control health issues. When the blood remains between 7.3 and 7.4 on a consistent basis, the body has the ability to adjust to a normal healthy state which includes ideal weight. The monitoring of pH to predict and control health issues is not widely practiced here in the United States. You can monitor your blood pH by testing the pH of your urine and saliva. There is a certain protocol to follow and it is a good alternative to testing the blood pH. When you get the urine and saliva pH to read 7.0 on a consistent basis your body will be able to readjust to it's appropriate or natural weight. Your cravings will change. Your life will change... for the better. Your body will be working against any weight loss program which is not geared to move the pH of internal systems into the appropriate balance. Detoxifying your body or ridding your body of these acid poisons is a major factor in weight loss.
Learn more about pH and how you can use it to control your own health and weight
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DON'T RUSH WEIGHT LOSS I know when you finally decide to lose weight you want it right then and there. You want to see the pounds come off as fast as possible. Unfortunately, the slower you lose the weight the better your chances are at keeping it off. First, you have to figure out how many calories you can eat in a day to maintain the weight you're at. You do this by keeping a journal of everything you eat in a day & the calories that each item you ate is worth. If you are gaining weight then you need to eat a little less. Once you figure out what you can eat & not gain any more this is your maintenance calorie count. Next, in order to lose some weight slowly take a look at your daily food journal & see where you can cut out 100 calories here or there. A lot of times this is real easy. You might drink a lot of soda each day. If you cut out one of those sodas right there is about 100 calories you save just in one day. You are doing great. A small sacrifice here & there is a lot better for you than cutting 1,000 calories at a time. If you just cut your calories down to 1000 calories or less your body will think you're starving & slow your metabolism down. This is called "starvation mode". Your body wants to maintain the weight you're at & it will actually slow your metabolism down. This will cause you not to lose the weight you so want to lose. DO NOT CUT YOUR CALORIE INTAKE DRASTICALLY DOWN!!! Try the daily food journal idea & just cut down on some areas that you think you could sacrifice. You will be amazed how easily you can cut 500 calories out of your daily calorie intake without being hungry. If you don't want to keep a daily food journal there is an easy to do formula on how to estimate what your daily calorie intake should be to maintain your weight later on in this Newsletter. Another thing you can do to lose weight without having to cut your calories is EXERCISE. Exercising just three days a week, 30 minutes each day, can burn about 1000-1500 calories each week. Wow, if you cut about 250 calories each day and workout 30 minutes 3 days a week imagine how much weight you can lose & not have to starve yourself. I bet you will notice a difference in your body in about three weeks. See, that's not overnight, but it's the healthy & the most effective way of losing weight.
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My point is not to rush losing weight. It just doesn't work. Cut your calories down, but not below 1200 calories, & start exercising. I guarantee your weight loss! Maybe not as quick as you were hoping, but you will lose weight!
How To Get Slim With Healthy Eating Habits Many women want to be slim. Maybe you're one of them. Perhaps you're getting married soon and you want to fit into your wedding gown comfortably. Or perhaps you simply want to look (and feel) great in a swimsuit or bikini. Maybe you've just had a baby and want to get your pre-pregnancy figure back. Whatever your reason for wanting to be slim, there are some things you can do to become slim while staying healthy. If you are reading this article, chances are you want to know what those things are. Read on then, to find out. First thing is to assess your current eating habits. This is important because you need to know what's not working. If your current eating habits are keeping you overweight, and you want to be slim, it figures that you need to change those eating habits. If something is not working, change it. Assessing your current eating habits:
Keep a record of your eating habits for a week. The record should contain the following information:
What you are eating How much you're eating When you eat (note the times) ~ you want to know how far apart your meals and snacks are.
Why you're eating at those times ~ is it because you're hungry, or are you 'comfort eating'?
How you feel after eating ~ pleasantly satisfied or bloated and stuffed.
How many glasses of water you drink each day When you find out your current eating habits, you'll need to determine which habits are sabotaging your efforts to lose weight. Those are the ones you want to change.
Goal Setting:
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Determine what your weight goal is. Or you may prefer to monitor your progress in terms of your waistline or hip measurements. Whichever one suits you is best. Form a mental picture of yourself looking the way you want to look. Goals are more powerful and empowering when we visualize them. Hold that mental picture in your mind at all times.
NOTE: Eating healthily is not all there is to getting slim. You must become more physically active (read 'exercise') in addition to eating properly if you're to lose weight permanently. This article deals with the healthy eating part of that equation.
Action Plan
Now that you know what your ideal size is, you have a goal that you're working towards. You need to then determine a plan of action to help you achieve that goal.
To help you decide on the right plan, bear in mind that eating should be a pleasure. Ask yourself the following questions: Which nutritious foods do I enjoy eating ?
How soon after eating do I get hungry again? Most adults get hungry about 3 to 4 hours after eating a meal. Do I eat only when I'm hungry? Hint: You should.
How can I stay full? Drink lots of water. Scientists recommend between 6 and 8 glasses of water daily. Your body needs it, and it helps you stay full. With the answers to those questions in mind, form an action plan, and start a new daily record to help you keep track of your progress. This new record should contain the same columns as your initial current habits record. This way you can monitor each improvement and celebrate accordingly. When deciding on which actions to take, you need to refer back to your initial assessment of your current eating habits. Decide which habits are preventing you from losing weight. Write down alternative habits that you want to cultivate, which will help you get slim. These new habits you want to form are now your 'targets' - milestones on your ay to your ideal body shape and size.
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Taking Action
To form healthy eating habits, start with small changes. Don't make too many changes at once. Set yourself main targets, such as 'I will drink 8 glasses of water each day', then set smaller targets to help you reach each main target. Using the example above, a small target could be 'I will drink an extra glass of water after each meal'. When you break down your targets, they don't seem so daunting. They seem easily achievable, so you feel encouraged to stick to them.
Decide on the foods you will be eating regularly. Make sure they're foods you enjoy.
Eat small portions, about 5 or 6 times each day, instead of three large meals. This helps keep your metabolic rate high, and helps you lose weight naturally. How to stay motivated to continue eating healthily
1. Believe that you can do it, and accept responsibility for your health and for the way your body looks. 2. Reward yourself each time you successfully complete a small target. Celebrate each small success - don't wait until you've lost tons of weight before you reward yourself. Make the journey enjoyable by treating yourself each time you make progress. 3. Keep in mind what you hope to achieve - remind yourself of how lovely and healthy your body is becoming each day as a result of your new eating habits. Remember, each small step in the right direction is bringing you closer to your main target. With a clear goal in mind, a feasible action plan and tips to help you stay motivated, you should find it easy to form habits that keep you slim and healthy at the same time.
4 Secrets to A Flat Stomach Do you want a flat stomach? I don't know a person who doesn't! People spend millions, if not billions of dollars, each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are
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about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there. There's the ab do-it, the ab rock-it, the ab roller, the ab dolly, and so many more. You would think that with all of these amazing new products that most people would be walking around with that nice, lean mid-section they've always wanted. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Most, if not all of these products, will do little or nothing to flatten your stomach. And that's because these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abs. In order to be successful at thinning your waistline you must have a basic under standing of how the ab muscles function and how your body burns fat. The first thing that needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle. Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Muscle is made up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement. Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat. That's what happens to most people. So if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. We all have a flat stomach; it's just some of oar's are covered by excess fat. The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid- section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel). 1. You must do some form of progressive strength training The primary function of the ab muscle is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups. If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises: 1-1 forward flexion exercises
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(crunch, sit-up, etc.) 1-2 side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.) 1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.) The abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them harder each time. 2. Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism Cardio workouts are important because they CAN, if done correctly, increase your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated metabolism. Plus, you are more likely to burn off some excess body fat. Below is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing, etc.). Warm up at easy pace 2-5 minutes ~ Perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible) ~ perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath)~ Repeat this process 6-10 times ~ Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes 3. Stable blood sugar is the key And most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning away that excess body fat and keeping it off! To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; like every 2-3 hours. The key is to give your body only what it needs at that time. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only feed it once or twice a day? Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.). Many people are too hung up on how much fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn't matter where they come from. If there's extra- where's it going? Yup, you guessed it- body fat! This is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just doesn't have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to make healthy choices whenever possible, but don't feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it is guaranteed to be stored as fat. 4. Get the help of a professional Unfortunately, most people don't know enough about the human body, nutrition, or effective exercise to meet their
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health and fitness goals. Ask yourself this one question, "Am I happy with my current progress or condition?" If you're not, you should consider getting the help of a qualified personal fitness professional. Don't depend on the information you get from magazines or from your local gym/ health club. A qualified fitness professional can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, and in less time than you would imagine. If you are serious about your health and fitness goals, and you are ready for that flat stomach, I recommend you start implementing the 4 strategies listed in this article
LOSE WEIGHT FOR HEALTH, NOT VANITY Let's go over a few pertinent facts in regards to obesity. Many people think that if someone is over weight they may have a metabolic disorder such as a thyroid disorder. However, in most cases this is not true. There are some cases where this is true - see a doctor to rule this out. but the sad facts are that most obese and/or over weight people are simply eating too much for their nutritional needs. On the other hand, there are people who naturally burn more fat. They have a great metabolism. Sounds pretty unfair, I know, but it is the truth. People with this genetic ability simply burn off calories as fast as they consume them, but it is more common to simply store excess calories as fat. This characteristic does have a genetic base.
Fad diets may cause an initial weight loss, but the problem begins when one attempts to maintain their weight. In most cases when one finishes a fad diet, they will put the weight back on. When this occurs you have begun a process that is very detrimental to your weight loss efforts. You will lose lean muscle mass as you lose weight, but when you regain the weight, you will replace the lost muscle mass with fat thereby decreasing your calorie burning ability even more so. Muscle burns fat around the clock. Another reason to avoid fad diets is they can be very restrictive and one can easily become bored with it. To incorporate better eating habits, there are some general rules you can follow to help in your weight loss efforts. The first thing you need to accept in your quest to lose weight is that the best way is slowly. You need to focus on eating in such a way that in time the improved eating habits will allow you the ability to reach a desirable weight that can be maintained indefinitely. Some of the things you can do to improve your diet are as follows:
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1. Increase exercise. Not always easy, but necessary if you are to be successful at losing weight in a healthy and manageable manner.
2. Avoid what is commonly known as "empty" calories such as excess sugar and alcohol.
3. Try to watch your portion size. Slowly reduce it and train yourself to think twice before taking that second helping.
4. Try to focus more on low calorie foods such as vegetables, salads and fruits.
5. Support. It can be so beneficial to join either a support group, or have a family member be there for you to support and encourage your efforts and whom you can talk to when you blunder or are having difficulties.
6. Include a large variety of foods in your diet. This will help prevent the monotony of eating the same foods, which can become very discouraging in time.
7. Do your best to give up fried foods. This is this the only thing I would ever suggest one give up permanently because of the dangers to your health. Fried foods can dramatically be coined as a killer to your health and to your weight loss efforts.
8. When beginning a new diet please seek your doctor's advice and approval. If you give the above suggestions credence and practice them faithfully but still are having difficulty losing weight, you may need nutritional intervention. A doctor can often give you some dietary counsel.
America and Western Europe have a ridiculous and harmful preoccupation with body image and an obsession with being slim. A hundred years ago a plump woman was considered the more attractive, as was a portly man. Today the tables have been turned and frankly, the attitude one hundred years ago was realistic and much healthier mentally and physically. Keep in mind that we come in all different shapes and sizes. Do not focus on a stick thin model as what you think you should look like. More often than not these stick thin people are not healthy and may very well suffer consequences later in life due to starving themselves. Strive to look like no one but you.
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HEALTHY EATING TIPS - ACTION PLAN FOR LIFE
Millions of people make a resolution to lose weight and stop over eating after New Years. Thousands join health clubs and many more try desperate weight loss gimmicks to shed holiday pounds. Unfortunately, many people quit after the first week or two and maintain the weight gained from the holiday.
Well there's a better way. We offer healthy eating tips to help you keep the weight off. The problem is that most people think of weight loss as a temporary endeavor instead of a life long action plan. Any worthy thing in life requires effort and effort requires action on our part. Losing weight will not happen by taking some type of miracle solution" but requires "real" action from us.
Design an action plan for 6 months to a year of healthy eating and exercise. Several months into your action plan will change your habits for a lifetime so that you can continue to lose weight after 6 months. Contrary to popular belief, YOU are the most qualified person to create a diet and fitness plan because you know your eating habits better than anyone else. What goes into this action plan?
35 ONE-MINUTE WEIGHT LOSS SECRETS All you need is a minute to start shedding pounds! Here are dozens of successful strategies to cut calories and burn more fat that take 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine -- and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun losing weight, these can maximize your efforts and speed results! 1. Mix a juice spritzer.
Combine your favorite juice (half of your usual amount) with plain or sparkling water. You can cut up to 85 calories per glass -- and lose 5 pounds or more a year.
2. Pick up the cordless.
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Burn calories while you talk: Do the laundry (68 calories), set the table (85 calories) or water plants (102 calories). (Values based on a 150-pound person and half an hour of activity.)
3. Pop a piece of gum.
Researchers recently discovered that chewing sugar-free gum all day increases your metabolic rate by about 20%. That could burn off more than 10 pounds a year.
4. Pay cash for treats.
Anytime someone offers you goodies and you accept, put $1.00 aside. Then give the money to your kids. When you literally pay for treats, you're more likely to say, "No thanks." 5. Study the wrapper.
At a quick glance, that candy bar appears to contain 220 calories. But a closer look may reveal that it (or a bottle of juice, bag of crackers or bag of nuts) provides two or more servings -- which more than doubles those calories. 6. Sip green tea before you walk.
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)
7. Ditch diet shakes.
The calorie savings are only temporary; you just eat more later. 8. Pack a lunch.
Dining out more than five times a week may make you eat nearly 300 calories more a day than if you dine out less frequently. 9. Dip your bread.
Use olive oil in place of butter; it's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter. 10. Sprinkle flax on your cereal.
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High-fiber, ground flaxseed can help curb your appetite and eliminate calories. Add it to yogurt or muffin and bread mixes. Available in health food stores. 11. Dress with this.
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp horseradish
Mix together. It makes for a tasty salad dressing with only 20 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. 12. Schedule a blood test.
About 1 in every 12 women (most of whom don't know it) has an under- active thyroid, which can slow down her metabolism. 13. Supersize your H2O.
Buy the big bottle when it comes to good-for-you stuff such as water. 14. Trick your tastebuds.
Sucking on a menthol/eucalyptus cough drop can stop cravings instantly. 15. Spice up your meals.
Adding hot chile pepper (or capsaicin) to food may help you stop eating sooner
16. Pour a white cocktail.
Like water, low-fat milk's volume fills your stomach, but it also contains carbohydrates, so you eat less.
17. Chunk your salad.
Chop carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, zucchini or other veggies instead of shredding or slicing. It takes more effort to munch bigger pieces, so you'll do more chewing and eat less during the main course.
18. Call a friend.
Fill loneliness with talk -- not cookies.
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19. Log your food.
Writing down what you eat can help you stay in control because you're more accountable. No need to record it perfectly or review what you wrote: The benefit is in the writing itself.
20. Fidget.
You can burn up to 700 calories a day!
21. Retire the remotes.
You could easily burn 200 extra calories a day if you stop using the TV/VCR remote, garage door opener, electric can opener, riding mower and other laborsaving devices. 22. Spray -- don't drizzle.
Use an olive oil sprayer such as MISTO to add flavor to salads, chicken, fish, or pasta, without all the calories. A 2-second spray evenly distributes about 1/2 teaspoon of oil, compared to the 2 or 3 teaspoons you might get when pouring. That'll save you up to 100 calories per use.
23. Buy small.
The bigger the package, the more you're likely to eat -- up to 44% more, according to one study
24. Break into a jog.
If you already jog, speed up to a sprint. These brief intervals allow you to cover more distance and burn more calories -- without lengthening your workout. The increased impact will also help make your bones stronger. 25. Measure before cooking.
It's easy to overeat pasta, but not if you cook the right amount at the start. For a perfect portion, keep a quarter near your spaghetti. Its diameter is exactly the size of the 2-ounce stack (about 200 calories) that you should serve per person. Or buy a dry-pasta measurer sold in gourmet cooking stores. 26. Rent a spooky movie.
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You're less likely to eat when you're fearful, but more likely when you're angry or happy. 27. Reflect on your choices.
Looking at yourself in a mirror while you eat may help you consume 22 to 32% less. 28. Drop and do 10.
Before you pry open that tub of ice cream, do 10 situps or pushups. Doing something physical can put you back in touch with your body and your goals. 29. Take a whiff.
When you really want those fresh-baked cookies, try this: Indulge in the smell for 30 seconds. Then place a small piece on the tip of your tongue for another 30 seconds. Savoring the smell and taste can help you stop at just one cookie. 30. Have chunky soup.
People who ate soup containing large vegetable pieces reported feeling fuller and ate 20% less during lunch than those who had a pureed soup made of the same ingredients. 31. Blot the fat.
You can dab off about a teaspoon of oil -- or 40 calories and 4.5 grams of fat -- from two slices of pizza.
32. Skip "light" foods.
The weight of food -- not just the fat and calories -- is what fills you up. Eat less and still feel satisfied with low-calorie heavyweights such as oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cooked spinach, collard greens, and broccoli. 33. Order fish.
Varieties rich in omega-3 fatty acids-- tuna, mackerel, cod, and salmon -- may help you drop pounds by improving fat metabolism. Overweight people who ate a reduced-calorie diet that included fish every day lost about 20% more weight than those on a fish-free diet.
34. Post inspiration.
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To keep yourself on track, place quotes in strategic spots where you might need some motivation: on the fridge, TV, dashboard, or computer. Some suggestions: "You've come too far to take orders from a cookie." "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." 35. Drink, drink, drink.
Dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3%. At a weight of 150 pounds, that would be about 45 fewer calories burned a day -- which could mean 5 extra pounds a year.
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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
ENERGY NUTRITION It is common knowledge by now that we are not just made of flesh, bone and blood but that we also have an "energy body" - a total system of complex organs, pathways, lines of communication and exchange which is essential to our well being.
For at least 6000 years, healers in every community around the World have been making changes to the energy body which results in healing to the physical body. One of the most widely known methods to do this is acupuncture which has even been accepted by the Western scientific establishments as having incontrovertible benefits.
The fields of Energy Psychology and Meridian Energy Therapies have been developing other and more user friendly approaches to stimulating, repairing and re-balancing the energy body, resulting in wonderful improvements for mind, body and spirit.
So, there we have an "energy body" which can be damaged by circumstance and trauma, re-aligned by the practice of Chi Kung and Yoga, healed with Reiki and Acupuncture.
Now, we must ask a very important question, namely:
"What does this Energy Body NEED in order to function fully, function successfully, to have a fully active immune system which it needs to have just as well as the physical body?"
And the first answer to this central question which goes beyond healing and into prevention is:
The Energy Body needs a balanced flow of *Energy Nutrients* throughout all its many systems as the first requirement to be able to support us at all.
What Is Energy Nutrition?
There are all manners of energies coming in to the energy body at all times. We live in a veritable "Ocean of Energy" which is generated by literally *everything* - from the ground beneath to the radiation from the sun, the moon and
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the stars; every living being exudes vast quantities of energies all the time on a very wide bandwidth and this includes people, animals, plants, insects.
Human beings are probably the only species on this planet who have the ability to actively and consciously "shield" themselves from certain types of energy and actually are able to reject energies that exist, and may very well be most beneficial to them.
This is specifically achieved by the mechanism of "thought" or "intention".
Intention & Energy
A very common saying is, "Where intention goes, energy flows."
Although we cannot move a rock by staring at it, we can indeed influence energetic realities with intention. This is because intention and thought and energy are *of the same realm* and structurally designed to work with one another.
This process is natural and in action all the time; humans sometimes turn deliberately to trying to shape energetic realities with their intention, for example in the act of prayer, spell casting, making a wish, or the more modern versions of affirmations, goal setting, visualization and so forth.
What has been forgotten and this is proving to be perhaps one of the most major causes for ill health and unhappiness amidst a well fed, well sheltered and well supported population in the First World today, is that our intention is interfering with energy exchanges ALL THE TIME.
This is entirely unconscious; "energy awareness" is restricted to the few in our societies who make an effort to find out more about energy healing, come into contact with the powers of the energy system because of ill health or because they are studying martial arts perhaps.
Energy Reversals or "Saying NO To Healing"
In Energy Therapies there exists the concept of a "reversal". Simply put, it means that a part of the energy system has gone into reverse and works *against* the
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rest of the system, much like an engine that has been switched over to run backwards instead of forwards.
Most often, this becomes apparent when there was a major trauma which caused such an occurrence. On the simplest level, it could be said that any time we say, "No!" to something, this is a command - a direct command! - to a part of the energy system to stop and go into reverse. These reversals in the energy system express themselves always in something seemingly being stuck and unmovable - an injury that simply will not heal, no matter how much ointment and bandages are applied; a psychological reaction that simply won't recede, no matter how much therapy and healing is given.
The Energy Therapists talk about "specific" and "massive" reversals, for indeed there are people who show in their bodies that they have said, "No." to healing.
Many more people show in their behaviours, their bodies, their real lives absolute evidence that they must have said, "No." to prosperity, to happiness, to success, to loosing weight, to living without an addictive substance - these are the people who endlessly and desperately try *everything* to overcome their problems but their problems remain, no matter what the treatment, no matter if it is successful with everyone else who has undergone it, no matter how precarious or even life threatening their situation is becoming.
The power of intention and decision over the behaviour and activities in the Energy Body is simply extraordinary.
A simple decision, once it has occurred as a by-product of trauma or experience, will remain untouchable and out of view for an entire lifetime, causing endless suffering and misery - in the Quantum spaces of energy, time is no healer at all and something that happened perhaps 75 years ago is as red raw and as "now" as it ever was.
However, in the Quantum spaces of energy, there also resides the possibility of even the most extensive trauma being healed right now, in an instant, but for the asking. Please note that this does not mean instant healing on the *physical* because we are talking about the Energy Body here; yet it is clear that when the Energy Body functions as it should, the physical body will be supported in its
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own self healing endeavours from the ground up and true healing has a chance to take place.
Particularly the "reversals" are of prime importance in Energy Nutrition, because it is in the simple act of saying, "No." to an incoming energy, a barrier is created to that energy which keeps it out of the system - a malnutrition situation cannot help but ensue.
All You Need Is Love ...
It has been said by every great prophet, every great religious leader, across time and space of humanity, that love is the greatest healer and that the energy of love creates healing miracles.
There are, indeed, hundreds if not thousands of scientific studies conducted all around the First World to the effect of human attention - which is a precursor for human love - on healing, well being, symptom alleviation. One of the most famous of these had nursing staff withholding attention from newborn babies in an orphanage in the 1950s, yet giving these babies all the physical caretaking and food they could only require.
The babies began to fade and when they began to die, the experiment was abandoned as the staff refused to go on any further.
Attention energy relieves measurably the symptoms of every disease, every illness. It "makes people more intelligent", calmer, more sociable, more resourceful. It helps them live longer, even if this attention energy is provided by non- human species such as dogs, cats and monkeys, even birds as studies conducted with the effects of having pet animals in old people's homes and geriatric wards attest to.
Attention energy is an *essential nutrient* for the energy body and when people don't get this energy, they fade away, go mad and they may even die.
With the population density of the First World, how can it be that this vital life energy seems in such short supply?
The answer is simple and profoundly sad. This energy is NOT in short supply; rather the problem lies in the fact that individual humans do not receive and process it correctly. Indeed, the ability to receive and process attention energy from other humans is probably the most likely and directly
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related factor that decides on any given person's health and happiness throughout their lifetimes.
Shields To Joy & Ecstasy
When a man goes up to a woman in a bar, looks her in the eye and says, "You are very beautiful.", what kind of response on the energetic level would you expect to see if energy exchanges could be made visible by a special video camera? Would this energy travel across to the woman, be openly received, taken into her many systems, moving through these systems as the energetic equivalent of a digestion takes place, powering and re-charging all manner of sub-systems in it's travel, and then smoothly flow out to leave the lady in question vibrant, happy and glowing? Clearly, the answer to this is a resounding NO.
Indeed, the lady in the bar may have put her shields up before the man even got close enough to send his message to her. Her reaction to the energetic wave traveling towards her would most likely be more shields still, as she thinks, "He only wants X from me, he doesn't know me, he's lying, I don't like him, he looks ugly, etc." ... and many more thoughts of the same kind, all of which create an impenetrable barrier to what could otherwise have been a highly nourishing energy exchange.
This strong example was chosen to illustrate a basic point about energy exchanges in humans. It also brings up the most common objections to "taking energies into the system" - would this not be a disaster? Would the lady in the bar not end with AIDs *if* she didn't have all her shields to keep these energies at bay?
The answer to this is that such considerations are clearly coming from a very different place and NOT from considering the Energy Body and it's requirements.
Allowing the energy from the compliment to pass into her system, through and out and as a result, feeling better, more nourished, more powerful, more *energised* does NOT lead to our lady in the bar becoming stupid all of a sudden - quite in the contrary. Someone with a balanced, energised system tends to experience great mental clarity, not to mention *emotional stability* which clearly, is a
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good place to make decisions about what courses of action might be for the best.
Human & Other Energies
One of the reasons that people in the First World often turn to pets for energy suppliers is that the barriers against love, affection and attention from other people are not in place and the energies can flow freely. There is, of course, the other side of the coin. Animals do not have barriers as a rule to *incoming* energies and they will actually accept attention *from* humans who are bursting to give these - but cannot find any fellow human recipients for their energies, only barriers upon barriers where their contributions bounce out flatly too.
But of course, there are other energies that are not received, to which we have said, "NO!" at some point and which are no longer available for the essential nutrition and widely varied energy diets our Energy Bodies require for full functioning.
Weather is a good example of this. Storms, rainy weather and cold weathers are *tremendous* energy providers - if one would open up to this. Current group consensus in the First World, however, is that anything other than a sunny, warm day with a cloudless sky is "bad weather" and must be avoided, bemoaned, and shielded against in every way possible.
The very act of saying "NO!" to "bad weather" in and of itself reverses and disables parts of the energy system and this leads to people who hold these views to becoming more acutely affected by cold or rainy weather in return - with mental depression or psychosomatic flare-ups, for example. There are many other naturally existing energies that are blocked by individuals. Many people have strong colour preferences - someone might say, "Orange is not my colour." or, "I don't like the colour orange." which is the equivalent of saying, "NO! to orange."
Thus instructed, the energy body deflects that particular vibration and we are very literally, in scurvy conditions.
It is important to note that the processes which have been described in this article are not an addition or a new invention, but simply represent an observation about
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naturally occurring exchanges in reality.
It is impossible to repair a person's self esteem, for example, who hold it to be the truth that they are worthless, with counter-examples or by sending them (telling them, showing them, demonstrating to them) that this is a false decision IF this person is INCAPABLE of receiving the energies associated with this sentiment. Thus it is possible that the most beautiful model on Earth is in tears because she is convinced that she is ugly; the most beloved person who has innumerable family members and friends who all care deeply about them is entirely convinced that "No-body loves me."; and the most talented and gifted people can state with absolute conviction that, "I am worthless."
It needs to be clearly understood that it is not the *meanings* of such words or phrases which will heal and put a great many things to rights, but the *energies* these words and phrases contain and carry.
These energies go to the Energy Body and there, fulfill tasks of repair, of healing, of renewal. In doing so, they correct at the underlying energetic level what is wrong which then becomes reflected in psychological and physiological changes too.
In the case of psychological changes, as a person "takes readings" of their internal energetic landscapes, this translates directly into self concept understandings and realities. The Essential Flow Of Energies
If we go back to the example of the lady in the bar, who was told, "You are beautiful." we will remember also the resistance to let such energies into ones system for fear that they might be believed and thus, become a reality. Many of the human energy exchanges suffer from this false understanding, namely that if one was to open oneself and accept such incoming energy or information, one would necessarily *become* that in turn. This is the fear and misunderstanding about energy exchanges of the "You are beautiful" kind just as well as about energy exchanges of the "You are ugly" kind - either
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way, it must not be "believed" because that would be a very bad thing. It is of the essence to really understand that energy exchanges have absolutely nothing to do with believing something, thinking one is something or another as a result. Indeed, a catastrophe for many people is that at one point, someone might have said something positive which on that occasion actually *did* enter the energy system. It felt so good that they attempted to *hold on* to the energy involved to keep feeling like that for longer. This causes the most severe forms of disturbances in the Energy Body as it instantly blocks the channels designed to transport this kind of information - no further energy can come in from other sources in the future. Also, as the energy is not passing through the system as it should, behind the blockage lie veritable wastelands of empty channels and the energy organs they were meant to supply, causing severe disturbances which will firstly manifest in emotions and if they go on for long enough, physiological sensations, pain and then actual illness. This process is also in action with forms of energy that were stopped halfway through the system as they were being perceived as damaging, and energies that never get to enter the system at all because they are being blocked off before they get into the central Energy Body at all. Re-Learning To Process Energy Correctly
We are indeed, energy beings in an Ocean of Energies.
All we find in the Universe, all life on Earth and that includes human beings is *structurally designed* to process the flow of energies and to take part in the vast, vast cycles of life.
Energy needs to flow to be naturally correct and doing as it is designed to do. What we need to do in order to move closer to what is called The Even Flow of natural balance, is not learn something new, but to re-learn to correctly use the systems we were given.
We all have the ability to block energy and we have used this to our own disadvantage as a species for many
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thousands of years at least.
By definition, we all also have the ability to remove these blockages that were simply a side effect of living in a culture that seems blind to the Oceans of Energy. We all have Energy Bodies, and within these Energy Bodies the channels and systems exist to truly feast in the Oceans of Energy.
What it takes to make this happen successfully, and easily, is firstly and foremostly to pay attention to how energy exchanges work and manifest "in the real World". Energy manifestations are simply everywhere and once one starts to open ones awareness of such straightforward examples as energy exchanges which exist between humans, and between a single human and their environment, a great many things become very clear and obvious that never made any sense at all.
Energy nutrition, i.e. the understanding and realization that our energy bodies have absolutely nutritional needs, is one of the aspects of this.
Further, even a base insight into this extraordinary realm will very quickly reveal which kinds of energies are missing, sorely needed, in desperately short supply in a person's body. It is simply amazing how many previously insoluble problems become not only understood as to how they structurally function, but also how easy it is to find "energetic solutions" to what were in essence, always "energetic problems" in the first place - and thus could not be solved from other places and with physical/mental approaches at all. Addictions, weight problems, identity problems and replacement activities of all kinds begin to make sense at last when viewed from the Energy perspective - here are people trying to use physical means to compensate for an injury, deficiency, disturbance in their energy systems which is absolutely and structurally doomed to failure. In Conclusion
A wider understanding and experientially based exploration
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of the human energy body is of the essence if we wish to solve human mind/body problems that have been out of reach entirely for as many as 2000 years or more. It is not suggested that caring for the energy body take precedence over care for the physical body. What is suggested, however, is that there are many aspects of human health and well being that simply cannot be solved AT ALL from any other place or using any other means. The human energy body exists. It is real and many hold it to be the very foundation of *all* physiological functioning in the long term.
The topic of "Energy Nutrition" is one of the most exciting avenues of exploration to make true, lasting changes in any individual's health, happiness and levels of satisfaction and achievement in their lifetime, that has been discovered in many years.
We might just find that, after all, we really do live in a Universe of total abundance that really does supply everything we need and more beside, and that's it there for everyone - simply for the taking.
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EAT FAT TO BURN FAT For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low fat (some no fat) diets and the funny thing is we have gotten progressively fatter and less healthy. Who ever said low fat diets were healthy, and more importantly, why does eating less fat mean you'll be less fat? In attempt to keep this easy to understand, as most of what you read and hear is complicated, confusing, and contradictory, I'm going to be direct, to the point, and explain things in a way that most people can understand. Where to start??? Well, I've done some research on this and have found very little science to back up the claims that eating less fat will keep you trim. I have also found many examples that totally dismiss this idea. For example, the French eat significantly more fat than we do here in the US while there obesity AND disease and illness rates are quite a bit lower.
Another example is the Alaskan Eskimos. They consume as much as 70% of their calories from fat (whale blubber and fish) and they have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world ~ until they come to the US and eat like us!
Before I cover other examples I'd like to talk about some the reasons why the "low fat diet" is not only making us fatter, but also killing people faster than you can imagine! Does that shock you? If so, do I have news for you!
Ok... here are just a few reasons:
Eating less fat means you have to eat more protein or carbs and most people end up eating more carbs (and the wrong type!) Dietary fat is very slow burning in the body so when you replace the fat with faster burning carbs you tend to feel less energetic, risk burning muscle tissue, and wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormones because your energy levels
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(blood sugar) are like a roller coaster.
Dietary fats supply some of the best, and most stable sources of energy. So if you want to feel good all day long, you need to make sure you are getting enough fats, and the right types. I'll touch on which types to avoid and which to include in your diet later in this article. The human body needs fat just to function properly, let alone optimal health.
Certain amounts of fat are necessary for proper hormone production. If hormone production is off so will your metabolism be. Hormones regulate many things in the body including your ability to build and maintain muscle tissue, which is responsible for a large portion of your energy expenditure. In simple terms, muscle burns calories 24 hours a day and if you eat a low fat or no fat diet you will have a hard time building and maintaining muscle. Here are some facts:
Obesity increased from 14% of the American population in 1960 to over 22% by 1980 the Harvard Nurse's Health Study which ran well over 10 years found that not only did low fat diets not decrease the risk of heart disease but also that saturated fat wasn't so bad after all, and that too little was just as harmful So to sum things up...
If you want to lose weight and be healthy - DON'T eat a low- fat diet! You would have to be absolutely insane to after learning the truth about dietary fats. If you have doubts or questions please do some research and you will be amazed at what you will find out. In the meantime, go eat some healthy fats!
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REAL MUSCLE REAL FAST! Adding muscle seems to be a mystery to most, yet if you pick up a copy of any fitness or bodybuilding magazine and you'll almost always see a headline like this: "Gain 15 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks." If it were so easy you'd have millions of muscle-heads running around. Even though building muscle tissue can be a challenge, I'm going to outline some very specific principles that can pack on the muscle faster than you can throw away that copy of "Muscle and Fiction"! Before we get started though I want to clarify a few points. 1. The ridiculous claims made by most fitness and bodybuilding magazines are only there to get you to buy that issue ~ nothing more!
2. If you are serious about strength training you need to be reading books and NOT cheesy fitness magazines Ok... here we go.
In order to add muscle tissue you must force the body to add it. Your body won't just add a pound of muscle just because you followed a 3-set workout that you read about in Muscle + Fitness. You need to give the body a reason to make improvements ~ in this case add muscle tissue. You have to provide what I call a "stimulus". This can be done in many ways and I'll address a few in just a moment. Basically, you need to force the body to add muscle by subjecting it to levels of stress it is not used to. Some methods are more obvious than others but all can work. Here are a few examples of how this can be done effectively. First, the basic and common methods:
1. Increase weight or resistance
2. Perform more repetitions
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3. Perform more sets
4. Move the resistance slower
5. Rest less between sets and exercises
Now for the more advanced methods:
1. Pre-exhaust (perform an isolation exercise first and immediately continue with no rest on a compound movement. ex. chest flye and then chest press)
2. Static holds (hold the resistance in the hardest position of the range of motion. ex. the top position during a leg extension)
3. Partial reps in weak range (perform a portion of the rep where you are weakest. ex. the top half of a rep of leg extensions) 4. Strip-set (after a warm-up set, perform 3 sets back to back with no rest while starting with the heaviest weight possible and each time strip off some weight to allow you to continue)
5. 1 ~ reps (perform one full rep and then on the second rep only perform half the normal range of motion and then return to starting position to begin the next rep. ex. one full rep of lat pulldowns, pull second rep all the way down, resist weight back up but only half way and then pull back down)
These are just a few examples of methods of increasing intensity to ensure progress. The key point to remember is that whatever you do it must be progressive in order for it to elicit a physical change. This is even more critical for those looking to add muscle size. Although this article is geared towards individuals who are interested in gaining muscle size, the principles can also be used for individuals who want to build strength, increase metabolism, or tighten and tone muscles.
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Here are some general recommendations for different goals~
If your goal is to tighten and tone muscles:
Focus on increasing reps, decreasing rest, and changing exercises frequently
Train each muscle group twice per week Perform fewer sets of many different exercises (1-2 sets per exercise)
If your goal is to increase strength and power:
Focus on increasing weight Train each muscle group once every 7-10 days Perform multiple sets of each exercise (2-5 sets per exercise) If your goal is to increase muscle size:
Focus on shocking muscles by changing variables frequently (exercises, set and rep schemes, rest time, etc) Train each muscle group on a variable schedule (experiment by training a muscle group 3 times a week and then once every ten days)
Perform multiple sets for a while and then perform single sets for a week or two.
Some final reminders:
The recommendations above are general and of course would need to be adapted and adjusted for your personal goals and experience. For those of you who are advanced and may be thinking there's no way you can build strength by training once every 10 days I challenge you to try it for at least 4 weeks, or those of you who think that you need to stick to the same basic movements like bench to build size I challenge you to try shocking the muscles by changing the exercises you perform each week for 4 weeks, and those of you with little experience I hope that you'll throw away the fitness magazines and learn what really works
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SENSIBLE DIET TIPS Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat. Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth. If you're about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only half a bite and throw the other half away. When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. Set attainable goals. Don't say, "I want to lose 50 pounds." Say, "I want to lose 5 pounds a month." Get enough sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that "full feeling." Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even with just one other person.
Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the "Y" or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.
If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you don't want to throw it away, freeze it. If you're a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up. If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat - - everything - including what you taste when you cook. If you monitor what you eat, you can't go off your diet.
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Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make dining an event. Eat from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.
Don't shop when you're hungry. You'll only buy more fattening food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages. Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It's a good sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.
Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.
The "Real" Reason for Over Eating We eat for many different reasons but not always for the right reason. Most people choose food purely based on taste, and that's fine because food was meant for enjoyment. However, if we make food decisions based on taste alone, without regard to nutrition or healthy eating habits, then gaining weight is inevitable. Changing your eating habit demands considering the nutritional value as well as the amount of calorie and fat.
Healthy eating habit is formed by eating foods that are low in fat. Learn to read labels so you can make good decisions based on healthy eating habits. Every packaged food product has a label that will tell you the nutritional value, calorie and fat content.
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As you gain experience reading labels, you won’t be fooled by clever and deceptive marketing techniques used to get more of your money. Healthy eating habit comes by education.
Foods that have the words "light" on the package can still have a high amount of fat and calories. "Fat-free" does not mean you can eat all you want just because it has no fat. Many fat free foods are loaded with sugar and are high in calories.
Eating habit remain the same as we grow from childhood to adulthood. If you were raised on sugar and high fat foods, chances are good that you still eat the same today. Unfortunately, our metabolism tends to slow down as we age and many adults get the "middle age spread" by their mid thirties. The amount of fat keeps building as we get older unless the cycle is broken by good eating habits or exercise, preferably both
EMOTIONAL EATING DUE TO STRESS Don't let bad eating habits ruin your diet - There is a better way
Just when you're sticking to a healthy diet plan, along comes a situation that puts you in a emotional eating tailspin. Suddenly, you find yourself eating a piece of chocolate cake or that extra helping at dinner. Sound familiar?
This is known as a food craving and has nothing to do with hunger. Real hunger is biological and food craving is emotional. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to stop cravings and everybody responds differently. Below are a few tips to help you deal with those sudden stress related cravings. (1) Emotional Eating and Evaluation - Stay in touch with your emotion and be ready to deal with food cravings anytime you're upset. Everyone deals with problems and situations that will cause emotional turmoil and therefore, impulsive eating. Many times you can avoid giving in by anticipating the urge. (2) Substitute Lower Calorie Snacks - It's very important to establish good eating habits without resorting to impulsive snacking or binging, but occasionally there will be situations that will trigger a craving. Instead of giving in to your favorite high calorie treat, try snacking on lower calorie snacks; such as:
Ritz / Kellog’s whole wheat crackers
Fat free chips
1 cup of low fat chili
Meal replacement shake (Slim Fast)
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Low fat ice cream
Non fat / sugar free yogurt
Light microwave popcorn
The above snack may not be the most nutritious but it's better than eating a cheesecake or half of a Sara Lee cream pie. The snacks make a good substitute for the fattening stuff when emotional eating and those awful cravings start haunting you. (3) Give In - If you have established a good track record of eating healthy and seldom (once a week) eat sweets or tempting junk food, then GIVE IN. YES ...... give in. If you have a very strong craving for a particular food, then don't eat a substitute. Rid yourself of the temptation by eating the treat you crave. This way you satisfy the craving without eating a lot of other foods along with the food that you crave.
An excellent way to guard against emotional eating is to have a good diet plan that allows you plenty of flexibility.
INCREASE YOUR METABOLISM THROUGH MOVEMENT Have you ever thought about the amount of time spent sitting? Most of our waking hours are spent driving, working (desk job), lunch or watching television at home. Many people spend 75% of their waking hours sitting down. Is there any question why losing weight is so difficult? Increase your Metabolism by Challenging yourself to move more.
Moving burns more calories than sitting. That's why exercise is so important. Your body will only burn a certain amount of calories per day. If most of your day is spent in the chair, your metabolism will be slower.
If you work within walking distance, leave the car at home and walk. Make time to exercise each day. When you shop, walk around the mall. Many people walk several miles a day in large shopping malls. In areas where winter is cold and harsh, walk several miles in the mall where it's enclosed, safe and friendly. During lunch break, eat at the mall and take a half hour walk.
Little things add up. Instead of fighting for the closest parking space, park further away and walk. Use stairs instead of the elevator. If possible, leave your desk every 30 minutes and walk a few minutes around the building.
The point is to keep moving as much as possible each day. Simple things increase your activity level and therefore your metabolism. Incorporate daily
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exercise and follow a sensible diet. No pill or herb will make this happen for you. In a society where all the modern conveniences are right at our finger tips, we must look for ways to increase activity level so that our body will work harder resulting in a higher metabolism.
Each day strive to burn 500 to 600 more calories than you take in. That's how the body loses weight. Moving will increase activity level which helps burn calories. Once this becomes a lifestyle, you not only lose weight but keep it off. No quick fixes for the well informed.
FATAL DIET SUPPLEMENTS... CAN YOU TRUST THEM? One of the biggest fraud in the weight loss industry are herbal companies that pedal their diet supplements, many have proven to be fatal. These companies claim their product will do everything from increasing your metabolism to melting fat while you sleep.
There is no "real" scientific evidence to back up these claims and the United States FDA (Federal Drug Administration) strongly urges consumers to beware of these products. Please visit http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wgtloss.html
Because diet supplements fall under the dietary supplements category, they don't get the same level of rigorous testing and approval required by most drugs. The best advice we can give ... Buyer beware.
Most of herbal products that claim easy weight loss use the herb Ephedrine or Ma Huang which is an amphetamine like substance that affects the central nervous system and speeds up the body. The side effects from these diet supplements are nervousness, increase anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and in some cases, even fatal. The FDA is considering that manufactures of these products put a warning on the label should dosage exceed 8 mg.
After conducting hundreds of correspondences with people using herbal supplements to lose weight, our conclusion is that these supplements are a waste of time and money. Few people lost appreciable weight, and those who did, soon gained it backed. Many quit using the products only after a few days because of terrible side effects.
If you're considering any weight loss supplements, read the label and keep in mind that 99.9% of these products are a waste of money. If they contain Ephepdrine or Ma hung (the herbal equivalent of "speed"), then you are putting your health at risk.
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CALORIE BURN CHART Use the chart below to calculate the amount of calories you burn for various physical activities. The chart uses a 30 minute activity period but you can adjust the calorie up or down in proportion to your activity level. Activities include everything from walking to volleyball.
For example, if you take a fast walk at 4 mph for 15 minutes and you weigh 200 pounds, divide the chart value, 246 in this case, by half to get a calorie burn of 123.
Calorie Burn for 30 Minutes.
Activity 150 lbs 200 lbs 250 lbs
Walking (2 mph) 102 138 174
Walking (4mph) 186 246 306
Running (5mph) 322 429 534
Running (7mph) 423 561 696
Badminton 162 225 282
Basketball 210 282 351
Cycling (5mph) 150 201 249
Cycling (13mph) 318 426 534
Dancing 125 165 207
Badminton 270 351 432
Squash 270 351 432
Swimming 115 153 192
Tennis 204 276 345
Volleyball 162 225 486