Worst Foods To Eat (Part 2)

Continuing in the thread of "bad eating," so far we have learned that there are MUCH better food choices out there that we could be making when it comes to feeding our bodies. Another prime example is ice cream. Ah, ice cream. What would summer days be without a nice pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream to finish off your dinner? For the sake of preserving my own sanity, I am not even going to bother listing how much FAT is in a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream. I will only suggest that a healthier alternative to ice cream is non-fat frozen yogurt. Depending on where you go to get it, you can't even tell the difference between good frozen yogurt and a pint of ice cream. If the idea of frozen yogurt doesn't sound appealing, then consider having a sorbet instead of ice cream. It's just as delicious without all of the fat!

Americans looooove their coffee, but at what cost? If you thought the price on a venti mocha was high, consider the price you'll end up paying in the long run when it comes to your health. For instance, did you know that in one 20oz cup of Starbucks Venti Caffè Mocha made with whole milk and topped with whipped cream that there are approximately 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat?! A healthier alternative would be to have a cup of tea, but for the die-hard coffee drinkers out there who absolutely HAVE to have that coffee, consider getting your next beverage made with skim milk and light whipped cream or no whipped cream at all. Or you can even downsize the cup.

Pasta is supposed to be good for you, right? It gives you a healthy dose of carbohydrates that you need to sustain you throughout the day, especially if you're an athlete or semi-athletic and are just burning carbs left and right. However, it can be bad for you if you overdo or overdress it. For instance, most people eat white, enriched pasta with some sort of elaborate cheese sauce on top. Now, this might taste great, but it is most certainly not healthy. A healthier choice would be whole wheat pasta with some sort of sauce that is homemade rather than store bought (remember our conversation about how a lot of store-bought items have extremely high quantities of sodium and other things that you can't even pronounce). An example of a simple type of sauce that I make simply consists of canned tomatoes with a little bit of fresh basil and onion added to it. If you prefer a cheese sauce, look for low fat cheese in the supermarket and use that to make a cheese sauce- there are plenty of low-fat, all natural cheese sauce recipes online that take no longer than a few minutes to make and are cost effective.

Remember, eating doesn't have to be bad for you; on the contrary, it should be a good thing. Just remember that when it comes to eating habits, you are in control of that ship; so whether you sink or sail is totally in your hands...or mouth, I should say!

BCBSNC and Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina

A Favorite Beet Relish Recipe

If you search enough you are likely to find a relish made that is suitable for just about every type of need. This need could range from hamburgers or hot dogs to the use of a relish as a side dish for greens or meats. Your relish could vary from mild or spicy or to the extremely hot kind which you would hardly be able to locate in your local department store.
 
It seems like every family has been handed down from one generation to the next some sort of cherished beet relish recipe. Beet relish serves as a great condiment and will generally go with just about any style of meal. I personally like to serve beet relish with some type of corned beef and cabbage meal. The relish tends to provide an interesting combination of unique flavors and although it can be canned it usually tastes its best when made several days in advance and used immediately. It addition to its flavor addition it provides for an extremely colorful additive to ones table setting.
 
There are frequently two types of beet root which is available, the long and the globe shaped. You can use either of these excellent beets for creating your own spicy relish. The following recipe is particularly good for use in those beet root crops which are readily available all year long in your local markets. Keep in mind however that these types of beet roots are usually tougher than the smaller and younger versions that are available during the early summer but they can still be used in your beet relish.
 
Another popular name for beet relish is Chrain. Many people find that they would rather use the freshest possible ingredients when making their chrain however when you are making your own you can cook your own fresh beets or if you so desire you can use canned beets.
 
When making this condiment you can adjust the amount of horseradish that you put into it up or down to satisfy your own personal preference. This particular recipe was a family favorite that was made during the Easter season and used on ham to spice up the flavor.
 
2 cups of coarsely shredded cooked beets
2 tablespoons of chopped red onion
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Add salt and pepper to taste
 
I generally start out by combining all the listed ingredients above into a small bowl and mixing well, after which I will chill for several hours before using. The recipe provided will supply about two cups of end product and when kept in a refrigerator it will last for up to one week.
 
Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish

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Recipes For Canning Hot and Mild Salsa

Most all salsa canning recipes are a mixture of low acid (peppers, onions, garlic) and high acid foods (tomatoes, vinegar, lime juice). It is important to have an overall high acid salsa mixture when using the water bath canning method. Otherwise the salsa could be susceptible to Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can result in a deadly salsa.

Selecting tomatoes

The ripeness and type of tomato affects the quality of the salsa. Starting with tomato paste made from Roma tomatoes will result in a thicker salsa. If your salsa is

Overly ripe tomatoes do not make for good canning and salsa. Using poor quality tomatoes can result in premature spoilage of the canned salsa. The salsa will not taste as well.

Selecting peppers

Only use high quality peppers or chilies in your salsa. Don't use over ripe or near spoiled peppers. The resulting salsa will be bad and may spoil in the canning jar.

Substituting of peppers is perfectly ok. You can replace hot peppers such as jalapeno with mild peppers like the Anaheim, Ancho, College, Colorado or Hungarian Yellow Wax peppers or any other mild peppers for a mild salsa. The hotter the pepper the hotter the salsa will be.

Do not increase or decrease the amount of peppers in the recipe. This will adversely affect the overall pH of the salsa and could allow the bad clostridium botulinum bacteria to grow in the canning jar.

Salsa Canning Recipe

Ingredients

8 Finely chopped jalapenos, remove the seeds and inner membrane for a mild salsa
1 Finely chopped habanero that has been deseeded and the membrane removed
4 1/2 pounds, by weight, of tomatoes
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 cup coarsely chopped bell pepper (green or any other color)
3 cloves minced garlic
1-2 5 ounce cans of tomato paste (depending on how thick you want your salsa to be)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pickling salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (for mild flavor, leave this out)
1/4 cup lime juice

Finely chop the jalapenos. For mild salsa, slice the jalapeno length wise and scoop out the seeds and the inner membrane using a spoon.

Prepare the fresh tomatoes by removing the skin. Remove the skin by dipping the tomato into boiling water and waiting until the skin splits. This usually takes between 30 and 60 seconds. Move the tomato into cold water and remove the skin.

In a large sauce pan combine all of the ingredients, except for the lime juice. Bring to a vigorous boil and then back the heat off until a gentle boil is reached. Cook for 30 minutes until the desired consistency is reached.

While the salsa is cooking sterilize the canning jars, lids, canning funnel and non metallic spatula. Keep the jars hot since they will be hot packed in a water bath at 140 degrees F.

Remove from the heat and add the lime juice.

Ladle the hot salsa into the canning jars leaving 1/2 inch head space per jar. Remove air pockets with the spatula. Using a paper towel dipped in hot water wipe the rim of each jar clean.

Put a lid on each jar and tighten the ring finger tight.

Process the jars for 20 minutes in a hot water bath. I use a hot water bath canner to process the canning jars since it has a wire basket that keeps the jars off of the bottom of the water canner and makes it easy to lift the jars out of the water bath after the processing time is over. Don't let the jars sit in the hot water longer than the recommended processing time as the salsa could spoil.

Place a towel on the counter top and set the jars on it to cool. Don't use a fan to cool the jars, the jars may break. Once cool, test the seal by pressing down on the lid. The lid should suck down and not pop back up. Move the jar of any lid that pops back up into the refrigerator and use up in the next two weeks.

Is it safe to reuse canning jar lid after it has been used once to seal a canning jar? Many home canners reuse the lids because they look ok and it saves them money on lids. How safe is this practice? What are the risks in reusing used canning lids?

Learn more on how to preserve your garden's bounty with my free canning and preserving mini course.

What Constitutes Eating Healthy Everyday?

What constitutes eating healthy everyday?

In this article we will look at the various parts of a diet which would constitute you eating healthy everyday. It is
important to remember that a sound diet is the cornerstone for us having good health and well being. The food we eat in our
diets are there to provide us with energy in order to keep us active throughout the day. Plus they will also provide us with
the nutrients that we need in order to maintain our health as well as being a source of enjoyment. In fact our diets can
help to enhance the quality of the life we lead both now and in the future.

But just what actually makes up a healthy diet that we can eat everyday.

1. Grain Products

We should eat between 5 to 12 servings of grain products each day and it is better if you choose to have whole grain or grain
enriched products more often in your diet. Below are some examples of what a serving of grain products can be made from.

1 slice of whole grain or whole wheat bread

3/4 Cup (175ml) Hot Cereal (porridge is a good example of this)

2. Vegetables and Fruits

How many times have you seen 5 a day which relates to us eating 5 healthy portions of fruit or vegetables each day. But in
fact you should be eating between at least 5 and 10 portions of these each day. It is better if you eat either dark green or
orange vegetables and orange fruit more often than most other forms of fruit and vegetables. Please find below some examples of what constitutes 1 serving of either fruit or vegetables in a healthy diet.

1 medium sized vegetable or fruit
1/2 Cup (125ml) Fresh, Frozen or Canned Vegetables or Fruit

3. Milk Products

Adults should have between 2 to 4 servings each day, whilst a pregnant or a woman who is breast feeding should have 3 to 4
servings. As for children those between the ages of 4 and 9 should have 2 to 3 and those between the ages of 10 and 16
should have between 3 and 4 servings each day. It is better if you choose to use lower fat milk products more often. An example of a good serving of milk products is as follows:-

1 cup (250ml) 1-2% milk
2 Slices (50g) of processed cheese
3/4 Cup (175ml) of Yogurt

4. Meat and Alternatives

This includes lean meats, poultry and fish as well as dried peas, beans and lentils are included in this food group and you
should try to eat between 2 and 3 servings each day. A example of a good serving of one of these foods is as follows:-

2 to 3oz's (50-100g) meat, fish or poultry

1/3-2/3 Can (50-100g) Canned Fish (for example tuna or sardines)

2 tbsp (30ml) Peanut Butter

So as long as you try to ensure that you include at least the number of servings suggested above then you should be eating healthy everyday from now on. Eating healthy good food and proper diet exercise [http://exerciselog.womenlifestyle.org] will make better lifestyle.

Bob raj is an author of [http://stopaging.womenlifestyle.org/] well, that eating the right diet should have right balance of food in the body.

Free Online Offers

Congratulations (insert e-mail here), you just won a
free gadget! Every time I see this kind of phrase, I say a
prayer for the canned meat industry. This kind of marketing
is ugly, and hurts more than just the reputation of the kind
people who would send it.

"Nothing in this world is free", echo's the voice of my
grandfather in my head. Sound familiar? Chances are pretty
good you may have said this very phrase to yourself, or
heard your own voice of wisdom echo in your head the very
second you read the title of this article.

With spammers bombarding our in boxes, and the "nothing is
free" reasoning passed down from generations of old, it is
easy to understand one's skepticism when considering a free
online offer. But folks, there's good news, and no, I didn't
save any money on car insurance.

Sometimes companies really do offer free products and
services online, and it isn't because they want to be nice
or just like to give things away. This is the equation:
(powerlessness of online marketing) + (large audience) =
free offer. The fact is, online advertisers almost have to
offer something for free to sell their main product.

Did you ever see a retailer offer a free cell phone if you
sign up for a plan at their physical store? If you go to the
store, you can touch the product, tinker with it, and try
out some of the features. The sales person is always helpful
in answering any questions you might have.

People who shop online can only see a picture, a written
description, and possibly a FAQ. When shopping at a store,
it is the product itself that gives the sense of urgency to
buy, coupled with a savvy sales person. Online it is that
tantalizing free offer or unbeatable deal that gets the
sale.

Other reasons a company may offer a product for free is
availability. Take satellite TV for instance. To compete
with cable television, who already has lines hooked up to
almost every home in America, the satellite TV companies
need to make service readily available, and giving away a
free satellite TV system is a great online pitch.

In no way should you ever respond to one of these free
offers from an e-mail. While large companies do offer
products for free, in exchange for your purchase of service,
spammers are only after your wallet and may even steal your
identity. When looking for legitimate free online offer's,
always go to the source.

Here is a tip. Search Engines like MSN and Google have done
a bang up job of providing legitimate search results, but
when looking for a free online offer, leave out the word
free. Just search for the kind of service you are looking
for. When you find it, see if they have a free offer on that
page, and don't forget to make sure it comes from the
source.

Daymon Hoag is the founder of http://www.cheapest-service.com Cheapest Service where you can shop for http://www.cheapest-service.com/promotions.html Promotions - Promotional Offers - Best Deals Online

How to Maintain a Positive Attitude After Being Fired

You've just been fired from your job. You slaved away for so many years, only to be told you weren't needed anymore for what sounds like a made up reason, and you are living your worst nightmare. Not only that, but your boss felt the need to have you escorted out of the building like a criminal in front of former co-workers.

But because you are not a common criminal, you decided to deal with being fired gracefully, as you walk by everyone with a large box of your work related items.

Just how do you deal with being canned, fired, let go, downsized, from your job? You could work for yourself, so that you can do the hiring and firing. But you wanted to know; How to deal gracefully with being fired from your job:

1.Although you won't have millions of people watching you on TV, the American Idol contestants seem to have a pretty good handle on being fired by millions of people every week. And you don't have to sing a song while welling up inside at the same time. If an American Idol contestant can do it, so can you.

2. After walking out of work, it is time to hold your head high, while keeping your dignity. Go home and tell your loved ones, as the earth shaking news dawns on you. Let everyone hug you and tell you it will be all right. You've survived worse, so you can make it through this.

3. Usually people just want to stay home hiding from the world. But, you have to tell everyone you know, and do it in a positive way. Tell people you were downsized, or let go for company reasons, not for personal, you did something wrong reasons.

4. Tell the world you were let go from your job. Why? They can help you find a new job; It's called networking.

5. Try to remain positive. It could be, that you really hated your former job, and it showed. Could be that you did nothing wrong, and your boss just didn't like you. Look on the bright side, and think positive,strong thoughts!

6. Above all, do not burn your bridges. Talk in a positive manner about your former employer. You will need your former boss for a reference.

7. Move on and get a new, better job. Above all, don't sit around stewing and feeling sorry for yourself. Life will go on, and it may even get better. But, that's up to you.

8. "Don't worry, be happy." Turn your efforts towards looking for a new job, or going back to college to get a better job. Your former employer might call one day offering you a new job. If you burned your bridges with you former employer, then an old co-worker who is starting a new business will not want to hire you to work for him. Speak positively about your former employer and all of the workers.

9. When you leave your old employer, do not take anything with you that doesn't belong to you. They can peg you for stealing, and you can go to jail.

10. Try not to hang out with other former employees unless you are going to school together or starting a new business together, Talk will become negative, and people will feel sorry for themselves. Run with the winners!

It's not easy, but you can do it. Walk out of work with your head held high, and refrain from yelling obscenities at your former boss. Work on having a positive attitude everyday by reading self-help books, and by telling yourself you are strong, intelligent, and it will work out. Start practicing yoga which offers a good stretching workout, and also calms you down.

Thanks for reading another Kate Johns article. For more interesting lifestyle tips, go to KT1Writes.

Storytelling For Leaders - Ten Steps to Inspire Action

Do you remember watching the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing? It was compelling television - I found myself staying up later then I normally would to watch swimming, a sport that I typically wouldn't have much interest in. NBC said that its broadcast, featuring Michael Phelps's eighth gold medal win, was its most-viewed Saturday program in 18 years. From 11 to 11:30 p.m., when the Americans swam in their medal-winning medley relay, 39.9 million viewers were watching, according to Nielsen Media Research.

What keeps us engaged is the drama of the competition. A drama that is skillfully created by the media, through the use of stories that build a more personal connection to the athletes, and the athlete's families. Beyond national pride, its the drama that make us care who wins and loses.

We don't just watch Michael Phelps win gold medals, we see the emotion of his mother as she wills him on to victory. We hear about the hardships of being a single mother. His achievement is truly amazing but it is made more compelling and memorable by the stories that are told around the competition.

Why is this relevant to leadership?

Because skilled leaders also know how to use drama or stories to connect with people in the same way. If you want an employee or colleague to change a behavior you need to do more then just instruct them to act differently. Telling them just doesn't work. Even logical persuasive arguments that clarify the benefits are often not enough.

Personal stories capture attention in a way that instructions, or logical arguments, do not. People relate to stories at an emotional level, lowering their resistance and connecting with the storyteller.

The top ten tips below will help you build storytelling into your leadership repertoire, to inspire others to action.

1. Engage your audience. To influence your audience you need to demonstrate that you understand their concerns and interests, while giving them reason to listen to you. One way of capturing their attention is to begin with a provocative question. Provocative, because the topic is of real interest to them and the answer is not obvious.

2. Use a story early. A story will have maximum impact at the beginning of your message. A good story builds connections with your audience at an emotional level, allowing you to engage their hearts as well as their minds.

3. Keep a log of stories. Your life experiences provide a rich tapestry of stories. Everyone has the right stories, but you need to capture them and use them. Keep a written log of experiences that created "aha" moments for you, either your own, or the experiences of others. Refer back to your notes when you are planning your next presentation.

4. Select a story for each audience. Pick a topic that your audience can identify with and is of interest to them. ie don't use a baseball story with a group of European business women. The ideal story should capture a struggle or predicament that parallels the situation that your audience faces. Remember your goal is to get them thinking and collaborating with you.

5. Be specific but don't ramble. Provide just enough detail to engage your listener. Details make a story interesting and allow a person to relate to what you are saying. Too much detail can cause a person to tune out.

6. Be authentic. You need to be believable. The real world is messy and unpredictable and people will learn as much from adversity and failure, potentially even more from failure then success. Don't restrict yourself to stories with happy endings. The truth is better than a made up story that makes your point but sounds canned and artificial.

7. Deliver your message with emotion. Deliver your message with candor. Revealing your own emotion will help build connections with others. Emotion is conveyed through your words but also with gestures, expressions and in the pitch, volume, tone and speed of your words. Think about your presentation style as well as the content of your message.

8. Engage all the senses. People think and learn differently. Some people will benefit from you painting a picture with the words or diagrams. Others can learn by listening to someone talk or by reading. Some need to experience a practical demonstration of the concept.

9. Use visual aids with care. Often people rely on a slide deck of small font text to tell their story. While visual aids do focus attention, use them sparingly. Less is more when it comes to PowerPoint slides. Remember a picture is worth a thousand words.

10. Practice and test your stories. Storytelling is a skill that takes time to develop. Practice, practice, practice. Make sure you test your story on a friendly crowd before you take it out for prime-time coverage.

By Doris Kovic, Business and Executive Coach of Leading Insight.

Leading Insight is a management consulting company, based in San Clemente, California. Its purpose is to provide services that help companies increase the effectiveness of their people, resulting in greater productivity and revenues. We provide a range of services from leadership coaching and team development, to visioning, business planning, and a variety of workshops on leadership and management.

Please visit Leading Insight at http://www.leadinginsight.com for more leadership articles.

Copyright 2009 Doris Kovic All rights reserved. You are free to use this article in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live website link. The attribution should read: By Doris Kovic, Business and Executive Coach of Leading Insight. San Clemente, CA. Please visit http://www.leadinginsight.com for more leadership articles.