lingerie tips

We all think it marriage never happen to me, but it can. For the people of Holly, Colorado, it did. What is it you ask? A tornado, the width of two football fields traveling at a speed of over 160 miles per hour. Now, you may live in an area where tornadoes marriages abroad unlikely but maybe there is a personal tornado brewing in your life. Or for you it is an earthquake, a hurricane, or a flood. Whatever your natural disaster is, are you ready for it? Are you ready for the way it is tearing up your life? Are you prepared to start over and rebuild?

It seems that it would be too early for tornado season to begin but after a tornado ripped through the town where I live in late March of last year, I believe anything is possible. I also believe that some things are meant to be, even bad things. How is it that even though it’s too early for tornado season, one hit? How is it that there was no warning? The National Weather Service didn’t even pick it up on their radar. How is it that only two people died when over 1/3 of the houses in the town were destroyed? Is it meant to be? Why? It is often hard to see because we do not know the universe’s master plan.

The devastation was unreal. What took 20 seconds for Mother Nature to do will take the people in my community years to fix. As I look out my front window at the empty lot that used to hold my closest neighbor’s home, I realize how lucky I am to be here. And I begin to ponder how it was that I was spared or that more people didn’t die in this tremendous tragedy? Then I wonder, was it a tragedy at all, or simply something to change our lives? Through this experience, we have seen people from all over come to our community to help with the disaster relief efforts. They have worked hard right beside us and they have donated their time and money to help people they don’t even know. When I see this, I know that this world really is good but sometimes, we have to clear the debris to be able to see it. We have to experience something that takes us back down to earth, back to basics to know what is really important.

As the tornado was passing by my house and all I could see was blackness, all I could hear was the loud rumble that sounded like a freight train roaring by and as I felt my home shake, I knew at that moment that the only things that really mattered was my family. All I cared about was that we were all together and safe. Then later as I walked through debris helping my fellow citizens sift through what was left of their lives, I thought about what else was important. What about the memories, the pictures, the keepsakes? The people seemed to keep repeating, “We have our lives.” They didn’t care about the house, they cared about the memories that it held. Many even joked that they had been meaning to get rid of a few things. The tornado had definitely done that for them.

Stop and take some time to think about what is important to you. If everything you had were gone tomorrow, what would you value the most to want to take with you? Then take the steps necessary to make that happen. Sift through what is cluttering up your life and make what is important a priority.

We don’t know when disaster is going to hit but if we live our lives expecting it and waiting for the worst, are we really living? Can we live in fear of the “what if”? We certainly can’t stop it or control it. What we can have is hope. Hope for what the future holds. Hope for mankind and the acts of kindness others display when we are hurting. Hope that life can get better. Hope that we can rebuild whatever dreams have been ripped away from up. Hope that we can rewrite our memories and create a new life while looking to the future.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of life coaching and how we can begin changing your life together, check out my website at http://www.lonetreecoach.com

Is it time that you set yourself on a diet? Not just any diet but a whole new lifestyle change? If so, then perhaps you fashion to forget the Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers type pre-packaged foods and set yourself on a course for perpetual low calorie living? Is that what you want to do now?

One thing that you need to know is that if you are worried about calories you need to switch to eating whole wheat breads, low fat milks and power down the fruits and vegetables. In fact you can eat unlimited vegetables and not get fat. May I suggest that you have for a snack a vegetable dip plate with perhaps;

• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Beats
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Celery

And for the dip do not use salad dressing, but rather use Virgin Olive Oil, a couple of tablespoons and sprinkle on top some spices like basil and garlic and Italian Seasoning instead. It is quite tasty and actually better than a Thousand Islands or Blue Cheese dressing. It is better for you and tastes better too.

When considering a designers blend up a fruit drink smoothie at home. Blenders are really inexpensive and you can get a killer blender for under $20.00 at Wal-Mart. There really is no excuse for you not to try these simple techniques and recipes to stay healthy, thin, happy and fit eating the low-calorie way.

I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” has always been a spiritual experience. One month after the movie came out, I (and the rest of the world) had watched it a total of six times. Everyone in the household had done the exact same thing. We were obsessed. In every way possible it stirs the heart and puts you on an emotional roller coaster that is far beyond any other movie. It called to my heart and I still feel it to this day.

My inspiration shoes the dish I played with this week is the movie “Braveheart.” My belief it that pies are best served rustic. Lots of pies can be clean cut and very uppity, but nothing is better than a grounded dish that reminds one of origins and countries built on old world traditions. So goes my Scottish Warrior Apple Custard Pie.

“Braveheart” is a movie primarily about the love of home and country. All the characters in the movie are fighting for the soil that they have put so much work and dreams into. The pie crust represents that element. While most pie crusts are made out of white flour, this one has wheat incorporated within it to represent the colors and essence of their very Earth. Also, instead of rolled out pastry we have pressed in the pan crust. We use our hands to mold the crust to the pan, as the Scottish peasants use their hands to till their Earth and feed their families.

Apples, (although not primarily Scottish) has always represented home life. Anything baked with apples brings you to that feeling of comfort. The cinnamon-sugar laced apples remind me of the essence of which William Wallace craves. It’s primarily the ability to build a home, be at peace, and have a family. In order to do this he must fight, that is why the apples are buried within the pie and not on the top. It is the idea he cherishes and keeps within himself in order to be a good leader.

Thick, creamy, and sweet the accessories represents the spirits of the said warriors. The custard is thick and well cooked on the outside but once you cut through that layer you get a sweet and rich flavor (as only the Scottish warriors are, softies on the inside with a rough shell on the outside).

Brave, rustic, and sweet on the inside this is exactly what a Scottish revolution ordered:

“Scottish Warrior Apple Custard Pie”*

Ingredients: 1 cup evaporated milk, 3 cups sliced and peeled granny smith apples, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup whole-wheat flour, 1 large egg, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup plus 1/6 cup sugar, ¼ cup plus 1/6 cup Splenda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ cup cold unsalted butter.

1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2) In a bowl sir the flours and salt, then cut in the butter until coarse crumbs show. Press on the bottom and up the sides of a nine inch pie pan. Arrange apples over the crust. In another bowl stir 1/6 cup sugar, 1/6 cup Splenda, and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk the evaporated milk, egg, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup Splenda until smooth. Then pour over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

4) Cut with a sword and enjoy like a warrior.

* Base of recipe from Taste of Home and I molded it from there.

Rachael Rizzo has been acting since she was nine years old. She uses her experience to write about what the things she loves mean to her (mostly movies and baking). She is twenty-three years old and resides in beautiful Oregon.

What you may not be aware of is that coffee is one of the worst drinks that you could possibly drink if you are a nervous person or you are under stress all the time and more specifically it can cause you to have anxiety or panic attacks.

Yes I know that you are probably already fully aware that coffee has caffeine in it unless you drink the decaffeinated kind. But did you know that event the decaffeinated coffee still has 2-4 mg of caffeine?

Heres the breakdown of caffeine content for common drinks and foods

• 8 oz cup of drip coffee has about 105-190 mg of caffeine in it
• 8 oz of brewed tea has 20-90 mg of caffeine
• 8 oz soft drinks has about 20-40 mg
• 8 oz of cocoa has up to 30 mg
• 1 oz milk chocolate has 1mg to 15mg of caffeine
• 1 oz dark chocolate has 5 mg to 35 mg of caffeine

Compare the above to over the counter pills that keep you awake

- Typical generic pills that keep you wake has about 100 mg of caffeine

- Vivarin has about 200mg of caffeine

So why should you know this?

Well since caffeine is a stimulant drug it affects the collection in your brain just like cocaine and heroin to manipulate dopamine production in your body.

The brain keeps sending signals using the neurotransmitters and tells the pituitary gland to release hormones that cause additional amounts adrenaline to be released into your bloodstream.

If your under a lot of stress or a nervous person by nature this can cause you to have a panic attack. If you already have been known to have panic and anxiety attacks this can easily, within minutes, cause you to have a panic attack.

Depending on how much caffeine you ingest will pretty much determine the intensity and duration if an business were to occur.

Also for those of you who drink caffeine after a morning of drinking alcohol for your hangover, this can be a double whammy and really make you susceptible to lapse into a panic attack.

I’ve drank caffeine the morning after drinking several times in the past before I realized what devastating affects that it can have on me as a person with panic disorder. My heart will skyrocket and start skipping beats (PVC’s) to make me feel as if I’m having a heart attack as well as have intense feelings of immanent death as adrenaline surges through my body.

Its an extremely frightening experience and if you’ve never had a panic attack before, caffeine can easily cause this to happen to you at some point in your life.

I’ve suffered from severe panic attack disorder for nearly 30 years. Stop living in fear each day like I was. Get my free tips that can avoid and stop your panic attacks forever. Go to my blog How To Stop Your Panic Attacks

Many of us are aware of the health benefits that certain foods, such as spinach and sweet potatoes, provide our bodies with. However, researchers are constantly marriage different food products in order to find foods with the most health and nutritional value. A few surprisingly healthy foods include tea, dark chocolate, and fatty fish.

Tea is one of the most beneficial beverages available today. Many people know that tea is rich in antioxidants and is beneficial for the heart. However, there are currently other studies under investigation which speculate that tea may be beneficial in reducing chances of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. So, the first question you may have is what kind of tea is the best and how much should I be drinking? Any tea that comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis is healthy for your body. It can black, green or white tea. What you want to do is boil some water and make a strong cup of tea. Iced tea as well as bottled tea is not truly as rich and healthy as hot brewed tea. Iced tea is usually diluted and bottled tea loses its potency over time. So the best thing to do is to brew your own cup of strong tea.

Another surprisingly healthy food is dark chocolate. It has been said that the antioxidants found in dark chocolate may aid in reducing high blood pressure. The chocolate has to be at least seventy percent cocoa in order to qualify as a part of a healthy diet. However, it is also important to remember that dark chocolate is a dessert and it contains plenty of saturated fat and sugar, so it is important to limit yourself to just a small portion daily.

The last addition to the healthy food list is fatty fish. Trout, herring, tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega- 3 fatty acids are known to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots and reduce the chances of a marriage attack. However, it is important not to eat these foods fried. Be sure that you grill or broil your fish in order to gain its most beneficial nutrients.

These foods are not only healthy but also delicious, so why not give them a try and feel better about your diet.

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition.
Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies, diet pills, and hoodia gordonii.

Are you diabetic but crave candy? One the the biggest adjustments for me when I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic was, in a word–Candy! As business those who are familiar with my website and writings know, sweets are my weakness. I could skip the meal just to get to the dessert table and it would not bother me one bit. I soon found that “sugar-free” candy cost quite a bit more than regular candy and sometimes it wasn’t very good. That’s not to say all “sugar-free” candy isn’t good, some of it is downright delicious–and expensive. So I started working with some of my favorite candy recipes and have come up with some good alternatives. Below are a couple of my favorites to share with you.

STRAWBERRY FUDGE BALLS

1 pkg (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened

6 oz sugar-free chocolate pieces, melted

3/4 cup sugar-free cookies ie vanilla wafers or shortbread, crushed into crumbs

1/4 cup sugar-free strawberry preserves, seedless or strained

finely chopped plain almonds and/or cocoa powder for rolling

Combine the melted chocolate with the softened cream cheese and mix until blended. Stir in cookie crumbs and preserves. Chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator and shape into 1-inch sized balls. Roll balls in the crushed almonds and/or cocoa.

TEXAS COW PATTY CANDY

1 stick butter

2 cups Equal Sugar-Lite

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a 2-qt saucepan, combine butter, Equal, cocoa and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture begins to boil. Boil for a full two minutes, stirring often. Remove mixture from the heat and add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is melting. collection the oats and stir until all the oats are covered. Drop by a teaspoon onto waxed paper or lightly buttered cookie sheets. Allow to cool fully so candy will set.

For more of Linda’s recipes, writings and diabetic information go to http://www.diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com