Lessons from Noah's Ark

It has been one of the wettest Julys on record, and many of us are looking forward to a more pleasant August. But, there are lessons that can be learned from dreary, rainy days.

Consider the following suggestions from Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Noah's Ark:

• Don't miss the boat.

• Remember that we are all in the same boat.

• Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

• Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, you may be asked to do something really big.

• Build your future on high ground.

• For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

• Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

• When you are stressed, float awhile.

• Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

Source: Inspirational Jokes

Lean Benefits of Chocolate

The Aztecs believed that chocolate was a gift from the gods. Today, it is one of the most commonly craved foods in North America.

High-quality dark chocolate contains flavanoids that can help lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain. It is also rich in magnesium, another important mineral in cardiovascular health.

In her book, Go Green Get Lean, Kate Geagan offers the following tips for anyone interested in getting the lean benefits of chocolate.

• Buy only good quality dark chocolate, containing at least 60% cocoa.

• Do not buy in bulk. It is better to buy single servings to keep a handle on portions.

• Have a 1-ounce serving after a meal, when you are already feeling full.

• If chocolate is a trigger food for you or if you have problems with portion control, avoid chocolate.

A Bit of Humour

A mother invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and asked her to say the blessing.

"I don't know what to say," the little girl replied.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say."

The daughter bowed her head. "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Source: The Power of Focus for Women, Fran Hewitt & Les Hewitt

The Right Juice

You will get more nutrition if you skip the juice and eat the whole fruit instead.

But, the right juice in the right amounts can be a viable alternative for anyone looking for a quick, easy, and reliable way to sneak in extra servings of fruits and vegetables. This is especially true when dealing with young children and adolescents.

Keep the following tips in mind when selecting the right juice for your household:

• Buy only 100% juice.
  

• Read the ingredient list carefully. Avoid added sweeteners like sugar, glucose-fructose, honey, molasses, or corn and other syrups. And, avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

• Stick with the top four: orange, grapefruit, prune, and pineapple. According to the Nutrition Action Healthletter, orange juice is by far the best. A glass of OJ has over a day's vitamin C. It also has more than 10% of a day's potassium which can help prevent high blood pressure. Be on the lookout for some orange juices (i.e. Tropicana) which contain added calcium.

• Buy in bulk if you can. This will cut down your costs and help you avoid the excessive packaging associated with single-serving bottles and juice boxes.

• Consider investing in a hand-pressed juicer and start squeezing the old-fashioned way. It's easy and the children love it.

Dieting on a Budget

Size matters.

There is a difference between portions and servings. A portion refers to the amount of food you eat at a given time. i.e. a plate of pasta or a bowl of ice cream. On the other hand, a serving is a specific amount of food with a defined nutrient range. Servings are usually expressed in terms of cups, teaspoons, or grams.

A portion of food on your plate can contain several servings. In her book, Go Green Get Lean, Kate Geagan, compared pasta servings in Italy to those in North America. In Italy, diners get about 2 cups of pasta in total (roughly 4 servings) while North Americans will have 5 to 8 cups of pasta (10 to 16 servings) at one time.

We need to retrain our eyes as to how much food is appropriate--we seem to have lost this skill.

Consider the following guidelines:

• A medium piece of fruit is the size of a woman's fist.

• Three ounces of meat, poultry or fish are the size of a deck of cards.

• Half a cup of pasta is the size of a computer mouse

• One ounce of cheese is the size of four dice.

• One tablespoon of peanut butter is the size of a postage stamp.

A Bit of Humour

Q. What did the yogi tell the door-to-door salesperson who came to his house selling vacuum cleaners?

A. Too many attachments.

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Q. Why did the yogi refuse anesthesia when having his wisdom teeth removed?

A. He wanted to transcend-dental-medication!

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Q. What do yoga meditation and an apple peeler have in common?

A. They both take you to the core.

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Q. How many yogis does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Into what?


Source: Yoga Jokes

The Latte Factor

We all have one and we don't always know it.

What is a latte factor? It is those items that we buy on a regular basis that are completely expendable and add very little to the quality of our lives. It could be a latte, cappuccino, DVD, chocolate bar, shoes, lottery tickets...

So how do you discover it? Start carrying a notebook with you and write down every single expenditure and withdrawal of money. That also includes every cheque you write and every card you swipe.

How long should you do this? Keep it up for a week, preferably for a month. Then, get out a calculator and take a total. Multiply this sum by either 52 or 12. That's what it costs to run your life.

Next, got through and highlight the essentials, i.e. mortgage, utilities, car loan, insurance...
And, take a close look at the remaining items such as clothes, magazines, snacks, DVDs...

You are now ready to make a decision about your spending habits. Do you really need to spend $3.25 at Tim Horton's each day of the work week? That easily adds up to over $800 a year. Take a few minutes and calculate the annual cost of your latte factor.

Remember, money talks and what it is saying speaks volumes about you and your lifestyle.