Tuesday, March 28, 2006
All About The Pill
Birth control pills, or oral contraceptives (OCs), are commonly referred to as "the Pill." Among reversible birth control methods, the Pill is considered one of the most effective. A woman naturally produces two different hormones that regulate her ovulation and menstruation: estrogen and progesterone. Birth control pills contain synthetic hormones that are similar to these naturally occurring hormones. Combination pills contain an estrogen and a progestin and work in two ways:
The body is "tricked" into thinking it is pregnant. This prevents the release of an egg, or ovulation. Without an egg to be fertilized, a woman cannot become pregnant
The cervical mucus is thickened, making it difficult for sperm to travel toward the egg and fertilize it in case an egg is released.
The most recently developed combination birth control pills are referred to as "low dose," meaning that they have 0.035 mg of estrogen or less. Through the years, research has shown that the higher amounts of this hormone used in older birth control pills are not necessary to prevent pregnancy. As a result, the doses have gotten lower, but contraceptive effectiveness has stayed the same. With "perfect use," meaning that the pills are taken exactly as directed, low-dose combination pills are more than 99% effective. This means that fewer than one out of 100 women will become pregnant when they take the combination pill in a way that is consistent and correct. Since most low-dose combination pills have the same estrogen, called ethinyl estradiol, the main difference from one brand to another is the progestin.
The body is "tricked" into thinking it is pregnant. This prevents the release of an egg, or ovulation. Without an egg to be fertilized, a woman cannot become pregnant
The cervical mucus is thickened, making it difficult for sperm to travel toward the egg and fertilize it in case an egg is released.
The most recently developed combination birth control pills are referred to as "low dose," meaning that they have 0.035 mg of estrogen or less. Through the years, research has shown that the higher amounts of this hormone used in older birth control pills are not necessary to prevent pregnancy. As a result, the doses have gotten lower, but contraceptive effectiveness has stayed the same. With "perfect use," meaning that the pills are taken exactly as directed, low-dose combination pills are more than 99% effective. This means that fewer than one out of 100 women will become pregnant when they take the combination pill in a way that is consistent and correct. Since most low-dose combination pills have the same estrogen, called ethinyl estradiol, the main difference from one brand to another is the progestin.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Anti-Wrinkle Foods
Skin-smoothing foods:
prunes
apples
tea
green leafy vegetables
olive oil
nuts
beans
fish
prunes
apples
tea
green leafy vegetables
olive oil
nuts
beans
fish
Labels: anti-aging, nutrition, skincare
Eat to Prevent Aging....
Enjoy Lots of Flavonoid-rich Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes, and Whole Grains
One of the largest groups of phytonutrients, the flavonoids (the red, blue and purple pigments in plants), includes compounds such as:
Quercitin (onions, green tea, apples, cranberries, buckwheat, beans, such as black beans)
Gingerol (ginger)
Kaempferol (strawberries, cranberries, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage chives)
Resveratrol (grape skins, wine, peanuts)
Rutin (citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit; buckwheat, parsley, tomato, green tea) Hesperidin (citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit)
Catechins (green tea, grapes, apples, lentils, black-eyed peas)
Anthocyanins (many red, purple, or blue fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, purple cabbage, eggplant)
Isoflavones (soy, chickpeas, peanuts, and other legumes)
Coumestans (soy, peas, Brussels sprouts)
To make sure we provide our cells with a constant supply of flavonoids, these foods should be staples in any anti-aging plan.
The following trace minerals, and thus the foods in which they are concentrated, are also necessary since they are essential components of our antioxidant enzymes:
Zinc (crimini mushrooms, spinach, Swiss chard, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds)
Manganese (cloves, cinnamon, romaine lettuce, spinach, thyme, turmeric)
Copper (crimini mushrooms, blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, spinach, collard and mustard greens)
Selenium (crimini mushrooms, cod, shrimp, tuna, halibut, salmon, eggs, barley)
One of the largest groups of phytonutrients, the flavonoids (the red, blue and purple pigments in plants), includes compounds such as:
Quercitin (onions, green tea, apples, cranberries, buckwheat, beans, such as black beans)
Gingerol (ginger)
Kaempferol (strawberries, cranberries, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage chives)
Resveratrol (grape skins, wine, peanuts)
Rutin (citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit; buckwheat, parsley, tomato, green tea) Hesperidin (citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit)
Catechins (green tea, grapes, apples, lentils, black-eyed peas)
Anthocyanins (many red, purple, or blue fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, purple cabbage, eggplant)
Isoflavones (soy, chickpeas, peanuts, and other legumes)
Coumestans (soy, peas, Brussels sprouts)
To make sure we provide our cells with a constant supply of flavonoids, these foods should be staples in any anti-aging plan.
The following trace minerals, and thus the foods in which they are concentrated, are also necessary since they are essential components of our antioxidant enzymes:
Zinc (crimini mushrooms, spinach, Swiss chard, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds)
Manganese (cloves, cinnamon, romaine lettuce, spinach, thyme, turmeric)
Copper (crimini mushrooms, blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, spinach, collard and mustard greens)
Selenium (crimini mushrooms, cod, shrimp, tuna, halibut, salmon, eggs, barley)
Labels: anti-aging, health food, nutrition
What Are Those Numbers on Your Fruit?
From April's Food & Wine:
"[T]he sticker labels on fruit: The numbers tell you how the fruit was grown. Conventionally grown fruit has four digits; organically grown fruit has five and starts with a nine; genetically engineered has five numbers and starts with an eight."
"[T]he sticker labels on fruit: The numbers tell you how the fruit was grown. Conventionally grown fruit has four digits; organically grown fruit has five and starts with a nine; genetically engineered has five numbers and starts with an eight."
Friday, March 24, 2006
Love TV? or.....
Do you just know what you want to watch?
Check out http://www.tvhound.com/index.jsp you can find whatever show or movie you want or whatever celebrity you want to see and it lets you know what channel and time it's on!!
Cool stuff!
Check out http://www.tvhound.com/index.jsp you can find whatever show or movie you want or whatever celebrity you want to see and it lets you know what channel and time it's on!!
Cool stuff!
What You WILL Be Wearing this Spring
* Dresses -- in every style
* Belts, mostly wide leather, with some narrow fabrics and chains
* Halter ties on tops, dresses and swimsuits
* Chunky jewelry -- resin and wood bangles, layers and layers of beaded necklaces
* Platform and wedge shoes, studded; flats are still around.
* Large bags with prominent hardware, everything from hoops to carabiners
* Grecian is still strong in eveningwear
* Belts, mostly wide leather, with some narrow fabrics and chains
* Halter ties on tops, dresses and swimsuits
* Chunky jewelry -- resin and wood bangles, layers and layers of beaded necklaces
* Platform and wedge shoes, studded; flats are still around.
* Large bags with prominent hardware, everything from hoops to carabiners
* Grecian is still strong in eveningwear
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Jeans Rising
By Peg Tyre
Newsweek
March 27, 2006 issue - Mindy Stern, a life coach from Durango, Colo., likes the look of low-rise jeans. But the trim 34-year-old couldn't imagine leaving the house with her midsection exposed. And forget the so-called whale tail, when the top of a woman's thong is exposed in the back. "That's just tacky!" she says. For the past five years, though, low-rise jeans were just about the only style she could find. So Stern hung on to her well-worn favorites—purchased at Old Navy before waistlines plunged—and hoped for times to change.
Get out your credit card, Mindy. The denim tide is rising again. Stores around the country have begun stocking a new style of jeans, and the gap between the bellybutton and the belt is shrinking at last. Women who are too modest, too big—or maybe too tasteful—to wear pants that barely cover their pubic bone say they welcome the change. The new cut, called midrise, ends about two fingers below the navel and has a waistband that rests two thirds of the way between the hip and the smallest part of the waist. The Gap, which launched its own version of the midrise this season, called "Boy Cut," says they're already a hit. "They're flying off the shelves," reports Gap spokeswoman Kate Molinari. Levi's is introducing a new line of midrise jeans this fall.
Newsweek
March 27, 2006 issue - Mindy Stern, a life coach from Durango, Colo., likes the look of low-rise jeans. But the trim 34-year-old couldn't imagine leaving the house with her midsection exposed. And forget the so-called whale tail, when the top of a woman's thong is exposed in the back. "That's just tacky!" she says. For the past five years, though, low-rise jeans were just about the only style she could find. So Stern hung on to her well-worn favorites—purchased at Old Navy before waistlines plunged—and hoped for times to change.
Get out your credit card, Mindy. The denim tide is rising again. Stores around the country have begun stocking a new style of jeans, and the gap between the bellybutton and the belt is shrinking at last. Women who are too modest, too big—or maybe too tasteful—to wear pants that barely cover their pubic bone say they welcome the change. The new cut, called midrise, ends about two fingers below the navel and has a waistband that rests two thirds of the way between the hip and the smallest part of the waist. The Gap, which launched its own version of the midrise this season, called "Boy Cut," says they're already a hit. "They're flying off the shelves," reports Gap spokeswoman Kate Molinari. Levi's is introducing a new line of midrise jeans this fall.
Big companies buy small brands with big values
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — Consumers have shown they are willing to pay a premium for "natural" products from values-oriented companies that make them feel good, and big marketers want a piece of the profitable trend.
Colgate (CL) on Tuesday became the second multinational corporation in a week to buy a small company with a social responsibility message. It bought 84% of Tom's of Maine, the all-natural personal care brand based in Kennebunk, Maine, for $100 million.
Friday, French cosmetics giant L'Oreal bought London-based retailer The Body Shop, a personal care chain known for its avoidance of animal testing and its support for human and animal rights causes.
It's no wonder small brands with values messages are popular. They can turn commodity products into premium products. All-natural personal care products represent a $3 billion market that's growing 15% per year, according to Colgate.
Marian Salzman, a trendwatcher at ad agency JWT, New York, calls it the "Rise of Ethical Consumers" in her upcoming book, Next Now. "Good for you and good for the planet is the ultimate win-win," she says. "Being a consumer can make you feel selfish, but buying such brands can make you feel selfless."
The buyer's marketing challenge is to maintain the smaller brand's roots and cachet. "If you lose the edge of being of the community, then you are just a big brand," Salzman says.
Marketing expert Marc Gobé said the buyers aren't just after profits. The smaller companies "have a discipline of ethics they want to emulate in their own companies," said the CEO of marketing agency Desgrippes Gobé Group and author of Citizen Brand: 10 Commandments for Transforming Brands in a Consumer Democracy.
NEW YORK — Consumers have shown they are willing to pay a premium for "natural" products from values-oriented companies that make them feel good, and big marketers want a piece of the profitable trend.
Colgate (CL) on Tuesday became the second multinational corporation in a week to buy a small company with a social responsibility message. It bought 84% of Tom's of Maine, the all-natural personal care brand based in Kennebunk, Maine, for $100 million.
Friday, French cosmetics giant L'Oreal bought London-based retailer The Body Shop, a personal care chain known for its avoidance of animal testing and its support for human and animal rights causes.
It's no wonder small brands with values messages are popular. They can turn commodity products into premium products. All-natural personal care products represent a $3 billion market that's growing 15% per year, according to Colgate.
Marian Salzman, a trendwatcher at ad agency JWT, New York, calls it the "Rise of Ethical Consumers" in her upcoming book, Next Now. "Good for you and good for the planet is the ultimate win-win," she says. "Being a consumer can make you feel selfish, but buying such brands can make you feel selfless."
The buyer's marketing challenge is to maintain the smaller brand's roots and cachet. "If you lose the edge of being of the community, then you are just a big brand," Salzman says.
Marketing expert Marc Gobé said the buyers aren't just after profits. The smaller companies "have a discipline of ethics they want to emulate in their own companies," said the CEO of marketing agency Desgrippes Gobé Group and author of Citizen Brand: 10 Commandments for Transforming Brands in a Consumer Democracy.
Jeans Made for Muslim Prayer Take a Bow
March 22, 2006
Maria Sanminiatelli
ROME -- They're high around the waist, wide around the leg and have lots of pockets for holding watches, bracelets, glasses and other knickknacks.
A new line of jeans designed by a small company in northern Italy caters to Muslims seeking to stay comfortable while they pray.
"As far as we know we're the first, at least in Italy," said Luca Corradi, who designed Al Quds jeans.
The bagginess is to ensure the wearer avoids stiffness while bending down repeatedly during prayers. The pockets are for holding all the accessories Muslims have to take off while they worship. And the jeans have green seams -- because green is the sacred color of Islam.
Al Quds -- the Arabic name for Jerusalem -- has produced an initial 9,500 pairs that it sold to the French retailer Carrefour SA. The retailer has sold an initial batch of about 50 pairs of jeans at a low promotional price of $22.53 in its centers in Italy, company officials said. Corradi said the regular price would be $30.44.
Maria Sanminiatelli
ROME -- They're high around the waist, wide around the leg and have lots of pockets for holding watches, bracelets, glasses and other knickknacks.
A new line of jeans designed by a small company in northern Italy caters to Muslims seeking to stay comfortable while they pray.
"As far as we know we're the first, at least in Italy," said Luca Corradi, who designed Al Quds jeans.
The bagginess is to ensure the wearer avoids stiffness while bending down repeatedly during prayers. The pockets are for holding all the accessories Muslims have to take off while they worship. And the jeans have green seams -- because green is the sacred color of Islam.
Al Quds -- the Arabic name for Jerusalem -- has produced an initial 9,500 pairs that it sold to the French retailer Carrefour SA. The retailer has sold an initial batch of about 50 pairs of jeans at a low promotional price of $22.53 in its centers in Italy, company officials said. Corradi said the regular price would be $30.44.
Friday, March 17, 2006
ADIDAS SNEAKS INTO SOHO
Sneakerheads anticipating the spring arrival of Adidas’ AdiColor collection can get a preview starting this Saturday with the opening of its temporary showroom in Chinatown. There will be no products for sale, but visitors to the secret space can check out sneakers from the White Series as well as other color palettes. The project is so stealthy that visitors will only be provided an address to a front on Canal Street, where someone from Adidas will meet guests and direct them to the actual showroom location.
The showroom is part of a series of events surrounding the relaunch of AdiColor, which first bowed in 1983. Similar to the original line, apparel and footwear products in the White Series come with some sort of paint or marker so that wearers can customize the looks. The White Series is the first to launch, and will hit stores Saturday, while collections based around other color palettes will be available at retail in about two weeks. The collection also includes a series of sneakers designed by artist and designers, including Emilio Pucci, Peter Saville and Dark House Comics.
In addition, some stores took part developing custom styles to be sold only at their stores, and Adidas also has commissioned a series of artists to create short films, which will be available as podcasts. Also on Saturday, Adidas will host an event celebrating the White Series launch at the Adidas Original Store in SoHo with NYC artist Craig “KR” Costello as the creative headliner. KR will pre-customize 20 AdiColor white sneakers, which will be exclusively sold at the store, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/105046
The showroom is part of a series of events surrounding the relaunch of AdiColor, which first bowed in 1983. Similar to the original line, apparel and footwear products in the White Series come with some sort of paint or marker so that wearers can customize the looks. The White Series is the first to launch, and will hit stores Saturday, while collections based around other color palettes will be available at retail in about two weeks. The collection also includes a series of sneakers designed by artist and designers, including Emilio Pucci, Peter Saville and Dark House Comics.
In addition, some stores took part developing custom styles to be sold only at their stores, and Adidas also has commissioned a series of artists to create short films, which will be available as podcasts. Also on Saturday, Adidas will host an event celebrating the White Series launch at the Adidas Original Store in SoHo with NYC artist Craig “KR” Costello as the creative headliner. KR will pre-customize 20 AdiColor white sneakers, which will be exclusively sold at the store, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/105046
NOW FIDO GETS VITAMIN WATER
March 17, 2006 -- Bottled water that tastes like liver? Clearly, this stuff is for the dogs.
As if doggie yoga, massage and psychics aren't enough, a California company is selling a line of vitamin-enriched bottled waters for the inner health nut in your pooch.
The K9 Water Co. offers its nutrient-packed puppy pick-me-ups on the Internet for $7.50 a four-pack, in flavors sure to make pups bark for joy: Toilet Water (chicken), Gutter Water (beef), Puddle Water (liver) and Hose Water (lamb).
"Dogs often lose vitamins, just like humans do," declares company co-founder Don Magier.
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/61086.htm
Really?
As if doggie yoga, massage and psychics aren't enough, a California company is selling a line of vitamin-enriched bottled waters for the inner health nut in your pooch.
The K9 Water Co. offers its nutrient-packed puppy pick-me-ups on the Internet for $7.50 a four-pack, in flavors sure to make pups bark for joy: Toilet Water (chicken), Gutter Water (beef), Puddle Water (liver) and Hose Water (lamb).
"Dogs often lose vitamins, just like humans do," declares company co-founder Don Magier.
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/61086.htm
Really?
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Sprouts! Sprouts! Sprouts!
Sprouts are great to eat for everyday living and especially so in an emergency situation. It is exciting to know the seeds can be sprouted to give a rich source of these important nutrients. Sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C and also contain many good B vitamins. And you probably won't find a less expensive way to get these vitamins than from low calorie sprouts. Green leafy sprouts are also a good source of vitamin A. Sprouts are a good source of fiber, protein, and contain enzymes that aid digestion. In addition, sprouting destroys the seed's natural preservative enzymes that inhibit digestion.
Different kinds of seeds you can sprout:
-Generally eaten raw: Alfalfa, radish, mung bean, sunflower, clover, cabbage.
-Generally cooked: Kidney, Pinto and other miscellaneous beans.
-Eaten raw or cooked: Lentils, Soy beans, green peas and wheat. (In addition, all the sprouts that are generally eaten raw can be easily cooked.)
-Alfalfa: Alfalfa, one of the most popular sprouts, is a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K and is rich in many minerals, as well as many enzymes needed for digestion.
-Radish sprouts are high in vitamin C and potassium and have a rich flavor.
-Wheat is high in Vitamins B, C, and E and has three times the vitamin E of dry wheat. Wheat also has many minerals.
-Mung Beans: These sprouts should be sprouted under pressure to produce long and juicy sprouts. Mung bean sprouts are an excellent source of protein, vitamin C, A and E, along with many minerals.
-Green Pea sprouts are rich in many of the B vitamins and vitamin C. Green pea sprouts make a rich addition to any green salad.
-Soybeans: An extremely rich source of protein and vitamins A, B, C and E. Soybeans are rich in minerals and lecithin. They can be sprouted under pressure like mung beans.
-Kidney beans, pinto beans and miscellaneous beans: They are a good source of vitamin C, many of the B vitamins and many minerals. Sprouting these beans also changes their indigestible carbohydrates to digestible carbohydrates thereby greatly reducing the intestinal gas they otherwise cause.
-Lentils: Rich in protein, vitamin C and the B vitamins. They have a mild ground pepper flavor.
-Buckwheat: Makes a great salad green. High in vitamins A, B, C and D.
-Sunflower: Rich in vitamins B, D, and E, many minerals, and Linoleic Acid, the W6 EFA.
Do Not eat tomato or potato sprouts as they are poisonous.
Different kinds of seeds you can sprout:
-Generally eaten raw: Alfalfa, radish, mung bean, sunflower, clover, cabbage.
-Generally cooked: Kidney, Pinto and other miscellaneous beans.
-Eaten raw or cooked: Lentils, Soy beans, green peas and wheat. (In addition, all the sprouts that are generally eaten raw can be easily cooked.)
-Alfalfa: Alfalfa, one of the most popular sprouts, is a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K and is rich in many minerals, as well as many enzymes needed for digestion.
-Radish sprouts are high in vitamin C and potassium and have a rich flavor.
-Wheat is high in Vitamins B, C, and E and has three times the vitamin E of dry wheat. Wheat also has many minerals.
-Mung Beans: These sprouts should be sprouted under pressure to produce long and juicy sprouts. Mung bean sprouts are an excellent source of protein, vitamin C, A and E, along with many minerals.
-Green Pea sprouts are rich in many of the B vitamins and vitamin C. Green pea sprouts make a rich addition to any green salad.
-Soybeans: An extremely rich source of protein and vitamins A, B, C and E. Soybeans are rich in minerals and lecithin. They can be sprouted under pressure like mung beans.
-Kidney beans, pinto beans and miscellaneous beans: They are a good source of vitamin C, many of the B vitamins and many minerals. Sprouting these beans also changes their indigestible carbohydrates to digestible carbohydrates thereby greatly reducing the intestinal gas they otherwise cause.
-Lentils: Rich in protein, vitamin C and the B vitamins. They have a mild ground pepper flavor.
-Buckwheat: Makes a great salad green. High in vitamins A, B, C and D.
-Sunflower: Rich in vitamins B, D, and E, many minerals, and Linoleic Acid, the W6 EFA.
Do Not eat tomato or potato sprouts as they are poisonous.
Labels: health food, nutrition, sprouts
Talk About a Niche!
In WWD today -
Feeling blue? Blogger Henry Wong certainly is. The 22-year-old online diarist has dreamed up what's billed as the first fashion blog devoted to denim.
Dubbed denimnews (denimnews.blogspot.com), Wong's six-month-old blog brings together the latest news from the denim industry from a variety of sources, provides bloggers with sales information and tips on the best buys around town, posts jobs in the denim industry and even offers denim tidbits such as where to buy pencils made from recycled denim.
"I wanted to create a depository for all the news I gather and read with regard to the denim industry," said Wong, who resides in New York and works for a denim manufacturing company. He declined to say which one, however. "I initially started the blog for my colleagues," he said.
Although Wong targets industry specialists, he also caters to readers he describes as "denim heads" — die-hard denim divas who wear raw denim for months without washing it."I'm using denimnews as a testing ground to get different denim specialists under one roof with their passion for denim as the common factor," he said. Until then, Wong is somewhat of a lone ranger. "There is no competition because there is no revenue," Wong said. "I'm the only denim blog, it's very lonely right now."
Feeling blue? Blogger Henry Wong certainly is. The 22-year-old online diarist has dreamed up what's billed as the first fashion blog devoted to denim.
Dubbed denimnews (denimnews.blogspot.com), Wong's six-month-old blog brings together the latest news from the denim industry from a variety of sources, provides bloggers with sales information and tips on the best buys around town, posts jobs in the denim industry and even offers denim tidbits such as where to buy pencils made from recycled denim.
"I wanted to create a depository for all the news I gather and read with regard to the denim industry," said Wong, who resides in New York and works for a denim manufacturing company. He declined to say which one, however. "I initially started the blog for my colleagues," he said.
Although Wong targets industry specialists, he also caters to readers he describes as "denim heads" — die-hard denim divas who wear raw denim for months without washing it."I'm using denimnews as a testing ground to get different denim specialists under one roof with their passion for denim as the common factor," he said. Until then, Wong is somewhat of a lone ranger. "There is no competition because there is no revenue," Wong said. "I'm the only denim blog, it's very lonely right now."
such problems...
At Barneys, we cannot keep $2,000 handbags in stock," he said.
C'MON, GET HAPPY
Here are four happiness tips from Lecturer Tal Ben-Shahar:
Feel your pain. We're all under a lot of pressure to be happy - but we need to allow ourselves to feel pain and sadness, too. "Paradoxically, when you allow yourself to feel negative emotions, you're likely to be happier in the long run," he says.
Keep a gratitude journal. These can be big things (like "I'm grateful for my family") and small things (like "I'm grateful for that nice meal I had today.") "When we focus on the positive, we stop taking our lives for granted, and we become happier."
Sweat it out. Working out can do wonders for your zen. In fact, a recent study at Duke University showed working out for 30 minutes three times a week is equivalent to popping Zoloft.
Accept life as a roller coaster. Optimistic people have ups and downs like everyone else, Ben-Shahar says. "The difference is that happy people realize that if they're sad, they'll get over it," he says. "There's a misconception that being happy means being on a high and having positive moods all the time. That's not what happiness is. If you're happy, you have a life - overall - that you find both meaningful and pleasurable."
Feel your pain. We're all under a lot of pressure to be happy - but we need to allow ourselves to feel pain and sadness, too. "Paradoxically, when you allow yourself to feel negative emotions, you're likely to be happier in the long run," he says.
Keep a gratitude journal. These can be big things (like "I'm grateful for my family") and small things (like "I'm grateful for that nice meal I had today.") "When we focus on the positive, we stop taking our lives for granted, and we become happier."
Sweat it out. Working out can do wonders for your zen. In fact, a recent study at Duke University showed working out for 30 minutes three times a week is equivalent to popping Zoloft.
Accept life as a roller coaster. Optimistic people have ups and downs like everyone else, Ben-Shahar says. "The difference is that happy people realize that if they're sad, they'll get over it," he says. "There's a misconception that being happy means being on a high and having positive moods all the time. That's not what happiness is. If you're happy, you have a life - overall - that you find both meaningful and pleasurable."
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
March 1, 2006--Consumers are now more concerned than ever with the health and nutrition of the foods they eat, according to research on the away-from-home dining habits and nutritional preferences of more than 5,000 Americans.
According to ARAMARK's (NYSE:RMK - News) Nutritional DiningStyles(TM) Research, first presented in October 2005 to scientists at the NAASO Obesity Summit, "Health Consciousness" now ranks as the fourth most influential dining out motivation, up from number five in 2004. In addition, 41 percent of respondents would like to see nutritional information printed on menus.
More information on the Nutritional DiningStyles(TM) Research, including an online calculator where consumers can find their own dining style and receive dietary tips, is available at www.diningstyle.com.
According to ARAMARK's (NYSE:RMK - News) Nutritional DiningStyles(TM) Research, first presented in October 2005 to scientists at the NAASO Obesity Summit, "Health Consciousness" now ranks as the fourth most influential dining out motivation, up from number five in 2004. In addition, 41 percent of respondents would like to see nutritional information printed on menus.
More information on the Nutritional DiningStyles(TM) Research, including an online calculator where consumers can find their own dining style and receive dietary tips, is available at www.diningstyle.com.
