1 Secret to a Relationship that Works

by chris on August 23, 2011

There are many things that make a relationship work, but one that stands out is this: Compliment.

Relationships, just like any living thing, needs nurturing and nourishment to grow and bloom and bear fruit. People who are in a relationship, such as dating couples, and most especially those who are married, need to understand not only the “why”, but most importantly the “how” – why it is important to take good care of the relationship and how to take good care of it!

Living things, including love, withers and die when left unattended. Thus, in order to keep love alive and the relationship growing, blooming, and blossoming, it’s imperative that the parties involved in the relationship nurture it by generously complimenting each other.

Compliment

The word compliment is an action word which means to give praises, to give or offer a kind word or an appreciative remark. Often, in relationships, as time progresses, complimenting each other becomes a rarity. This should not be the case. When a person is complimented, that persons feels appreciated; he feels better about himself. When this happens, he becomes a better person to be with – someone happier and more contended. The absence of a compliment makes a person feel unimportant and unappreciated and unloved. This makes him feel bad about himself, and everything begins to fall apart for this person – to the point that relationships are affected and in worst cases, destroyed.

This is the advice relationship experts recommend: look for the good in each other. If at your first try you can’t seem to find anything good or nice about the other person, try to look harder. Look beyond the imperfections. One relationship guru said to “look with a new eye” – then you will see something good. Here’s another tip: try to understand the other person by being on his shoes; look at things through his “eyes”. Have you heard about the movie Freaky Friday? If you haven’t, then maybe it’s time you try to borrow a copy of the movie and learn from it! I guarantee you’d learn something very important from it!

Focus on the good; criticize less. Give allowances for mistakes; remember that nobody is perfect. Say thank you even when the other person is just doing his responsibility to you. Take notice of the sweet smell of perfume; say he looks nice when he’s clean shaven. Little acts of kindness go a long way. Help each other when you can. Be polite; avoid sarcasm.

Again, be generous in complimenting in each other, and be honest about your compliments. Doing these small acts of kindness will help you grow together in your relationship, and it’ll make your love for each other grow stronger in time.

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Lose Weight Effectively One Step at a Time

by chris on August 18, 2011

The mere thought of losing weight can, at times, take its toll on people who are desperate to lose weight. Most often, even before actually dieting or doing the exercise, people stop and retreat, abandoning the effort to try to lose weight altogether. Well, there is a way to avoid this, and it’s not complicated. In fact, it’s very easy and perfectly doable. It’s doing things differently yet simply.

Let’s start by taking small steps, one at a time. For example, to start eating healthy and right, eat one fruit before you eat your full meal, and do this with your three (3) major meals every day.

Next, when you are hungry, eat a carrot stick, a celery stick, or a fruit instead of a cookie or a sandwich.

Another small step that you can take is drinking water before eating your meal. Health experts say drinking a glass of water before a meal helps make you feel fuller making you eat less.

Now the question is this: will all these “minor” changes do much in reducing your weight? Maybe not immediately; but ultimately, when this becomes a habit, it will lead to a slimmer and healthier you.

Here are other things you can also do aside from reducing your food intake and eating only the right kind of food.

1. Walk more. If you drive a car to work, park it at a distant so you’ll have the chance to walk

2. Tell your family and friends about your goal. If they know, it’ll be easier for you to beg off from parties and luncheon dates

3. Avoid leaving the house on an empty stomach. This is especially true if you’re going someplace where there’s food, like in malls or groceries. Eat at home first before you go anyplace. This will ensure that you eat the right kind of food and the right quantity.

4. Start avoiding soft drinks or sugar-loaded shakes and drinks. If you like something sweet to drink, try flavored water; the carbonated ones are tasty.

5. Take short walks in the evenings. If you have a pet dog, tag him or her along for your walk. You can also invite a friend to walk with you.

The small and simple things that you can do to lose weight without exerting too much effort are endless. You just have to be a little imaginative and creative. Just remember that even moving around can help burn those extra calories you have, so don’t be afraid to do some extra work like washing your car or mowing your lawn. Home chores are also in a way a form of exercise. However, they should not take the place of real exercise.

Take these small steps and ultimately, as you make a habit out of them, they’ll become natural and they’ll help you not only loose the extra weight, these new habits will make it possible for you to maintain your ideal weight.

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Exercise is very important for people of all ages. However, for seniors, it is not just important – it’s very important. This is mainly because seniors, due to age-related concerns, have a greater predisposition to live a sedentary lifestyle. Many seniors, for example, because of conditions such as arthritis or rheumatism, would prefer to just sit and do activities that do not require mobility. This is understandable since the pain that comes with arthritis and rheumatism are often described as sharp and agonizing, something that not many would be willing to feel or undergo, hence the preference to do away with any walking or moving around.

The decision, however, to limit activity does more harm than good, as they make the condition worse. According to medical experts, in cases concerning arthritis,moving the joints actually help ease or relieve joint pain. When people exercises, the muscles around the joints are strengthened, this in turn helps take the stress off the joints. Exercise also helps reduce joint stiffness, builds flexibility as well as endurance.

Benefits of Water-Based Exercises


Overall, exercise plays a major role in improving cardiovascular health, in increasing strength, and in slowing down loss of muscle mass that’s attributed to aging.

But there’s one exercise that tops almost every other form of exercise in terms of benefit, and this is water or aqua exercise. According to health and fitness experts, water-based activities/exercises or aqua aerobics provide significant benefits for older adults. These benefits include increasing metabolism. Aside from the physical benefits, there are also psychological and social benefits. For example, when people exercise regularly, it follows that they feel better about themselves. With increased feeling or sense of well-being, they become more sociable, happier, and more engaging. They are able to relate to other people and become active contributors in their families, groups, and societies.

Different Types of Water-Based Exercises

There are at least 5 different types of water-based exercises or aqua-aerobic exercises.

1. Water aerobics feature vertical exercises, much similar to regular exercises such as walking, running, dancing, jumping jacks, and kickboxing. Vertical exercises are better since the movements are done below the water’s surface where drag is greater.

2. Deep-water exercise is ideal for those undergoing rehabilitation because deep water provides a no-impact workout. It’s also considered an ideal high-intensity athletic workout. With the use of flotation devices such as belts, it’s easier to jog in the water, run, and do sit-ups.

3. Swimming laps are considered boring by many. However, swimming laps can be enhanced with the application of other routines that makes it more effective. For example, learning different strokes and practicing dives and turns can greatly enhance the exercise, allowing the burning of more calories.

4. Holistic workouts also do wonders when done in the water; holistic exercises such as Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates. Health and fitness experts say that when these exercises are done in waist-high water, they provide the following benefits: relaxation, relieves stiffness in the waist and rib areas, stretches the entire body, and strengthens arms and legs. Water’s support and the fluid movements of these exercises make them ideal during pregnancy and rehabilitation.

5. They’re called prescriptive workouts; exercise activities specially designed for people with arthritis. Prescriptive workouts relieve joint pain and stiffness as well as improve range of motion and flexibility. There are also prescriptive workouts that target other health conditions such as obesity, asthma, back problems, even pregnancy.

One thing to remember when contemplating on starting water exercises or any other form of exercise – see your doctor first. He will be the best person to tell you what type of exercise you need.

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Best Foods for Stronger Bones

by chris on August 10, 2011

It’s a fact that as a person ages, his bones becomes weaker and weaker. To fight this weakening, a good and well balanced diet is required; a diet that contains sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D.

What makes calcium and vitamin D important? They are essential because the body uses calcium for it to function properly, functions such as production of new bone cells.

A healthy diet ideal for stronger bones should contain leafy green vegetables. According to health experts, the best foods for healthy bones are cooked and raw green vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are very rich in calcium, and they also contain other nutrients and minerals such as vitamin K and potassium.

One of the best practices of healthy eating is never to skip breakfast.

For a healthy, bone friendly breakfast, here are foods that are very rich in calcium:

  • 1 cup of breakfast cereal that’s calcium-fortified contains 1000 mg of calcium;
  • 8 ounces of Soy milk that’s calcium-fortified contains 80 to 500 mg calcium;
  • 1 cup of nonfat Milk contains 300 mg of calcium;
  • 1 cup of Yogurt contains 300 to 400 mg of calcium;
  • 1 glass of Orange juice that’s calcium-fortified contains 200 to 340 mg of calcium.

For a healthy breakfast, if you like something aside from breakfast cereals, you can also make an egg omelet with salmon with a bit of cheddar cheese and sautéed greens. You can also make scrambled-egg stir-fry with sardines, Swiss cheese, and broccoli.

If you like soups and stews, by simply adding salmon, kale, or turnip greens, you can easily turn your favorite recipes into healthy mouth watering feasts.

For those who are thinking of a good menu for a calcium-rich food, try baked herring. It has been ranked top of the list as of calcium-rich food that’s easy to cook.

Do you know that calcium-rich foods are frequently high in vitamin D? Examples of these foods include sardines, salmon, and herring. Other foods that are rich in calcium include the following:

  • A 3 ounces canned sardine contains 320 mg of calcium;
  • An ounce of Swiss cheese contains 270 mg of calcium;
  • An ounce of Cheddar cheese contains 200 mg of calcium;
  • A 3 ounces canned salmon contains 200 mg calcium;
  • 1 cup of Turnip greens contains 200 mg of calcium;
  • 1 cup of cooked Kale contains 90 mg of calcium;
  • 1 cup of raw broccoli contains 90 mg of calcium

Keep your bones healthy and strong. Eat healthy!

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8 Ideal Foods for Weight Loss

by chris on August 8, 2011

What is the secret to losing weight? A lot has been said about this topic, and most of them include the following: eating the right kind of food; eating the correct quantity of the right kind of food; exercising regularly, reducing carb on the diet; eating less sugar; lowering fat in the diet; eating more fiber; avoiding soft drinks; drinking at least 8 glasses of water, and a lot more. These are all correct, and following any of these advises will definitely help reduce weight.

Focusing on the right kinds of food, here’s a list of 8 best or ideal foods for losing weight. Reasons why they are considered best are also given.

1. Apples

A regular apple contains only more or less 80 calories each, but they are ideal for those who are dieting because they very filling because of its fiber and water content. One apple has about 4 grams of fiber.

2. Avocados

Avocados are very healthy because of the monounsaturated fats they contain which helps slow down the rate at which the stomach empties. Avocados are loaded with Vitamin E, potassium, and folate. Numerous research studies have shown that foods rich with these nutrients are more filling than others.

3. Lentils and Beans

Lentils and beans are very high in protein; approximately 7 grams for every half a cup. They are also high in complex carbohydrates which take longer to break down in the stomach. This results to a longer lasting feeling of being satiated, of being full.

4. Eggs

An egg may be very small, and it contains only about 70 calories, but it delivers more or less 6 grams of protein.

This is backed by a study conducted on women with two controlled groups: one group ate eggs for breakfast and another group ate bagels for breakfast. Both the eggs and bagels contained equal number of calories. The study found that women who ate eggs for breakfast lost more weight than those who had bagels. The result suggested that it is probably because the protein in the eggs kept the hunger of the women in check.

5. Low-Fat Greek Yogurt

A 6 ounce low-fat Greek yogurt contains 17 grams of protein. This is practically enough to curve hunger.

6. Soup

Soup is ideal food for those who are serious about losing weight or maintaining weight. This is because researches have shown that foods containing a lot of water, just like soup, can keep a person feeling full. For more healthy and filling soups, try adding fiber-rich vegetables into your broth-based soup.

7. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is also very good for weight loss. This is especially true with steel-cut oats which gives 4 grams of fiber for every half a cup of serving. The instant type gives less, at least 3 grams of fiber for half a cup of oats. Moreover, half a cup of oatmeal provides 4 to 7 grams of protein. If you add milk to the oatmeal, that’s another additional protein. Adding fruits into oatmeal can make it more healthy, fruits such as blueberries which gives 4 grams of fiber per cup.

8. Nuts

Nuts contain the perfect combination of protein, fiber, and fat. However, consumption of nuts must be kept at a minimum because consuming too much can also cause health risks as they contain high calories. Ideal quantity is an ounce or less per day.

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Enjoy Activities On Board

If you can afford it, vacationing aboard a cruise ship may be one of the best experiences you will ever have. But how will you know which cruise ship to choose?

Here are two (2) of the best cruise ships which are highly recommended by other seniors who have tried vacationing on them.

#1 Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises

All of Crystal Cruise ships are highly recommended. One outstanding feature that Crystal Cruise lines offer is their Enrichment Program which is considered excellent by many passengers.

Crystal Cruise lines are famous for their sophistication because onboard, men wear tuxedoes on special social nights. They are also known as six-star ships which symbolizes superb and excellent service and amenities.

Crystal Cruise Lines has all the amazing big-ship facilities that include a range of lounges such as cigar bar, coffee/wine bar, disco, piano bar, nightclub, show lounge, casino, and cinema. The three ships under Crystal Cruises also offer gourmet cuisine which includes low-carb and low-fat foods for those with special dietary requirements. They also have themed teas and two other alternative restaurants for those who want something different.

The best that Crystal Cruises have to offer are their enrichment programs, conducted in specialized classroom facilities. They also offer various interesting courses such as learning how to play the piano through the Yamaha keyboard lessons and also the famous Berlitz language lessons. The good news? All these for free!

Then they offer more! They’re called special “extras”. For example, if you want to dance but have nobody to dance with, there are in-house social hosts who can dance with you during their entertainment nights. Crystal Serenity also boasts of their spa facility, considered one of the best and largest spa facilities on board a cruise ship.

So if you ever want to book in this cruise, be prepared to dress appropriately. Bring as many evening dresses as you can and enjoy the sophisticated ambiance onboard Crystal Cruises!

#2 Celebrity Cruises

If you’re traveling on a strict budget, then this cruise line is best for you. Celebrity cruises are well known for their excellent cuisine and good service.

Celebrity Cruises

Moreover, the Millennium-class AquaSpa is for free, so you can really enjoy these relaxing waters for free. Celebrity also offers interesting Enrichment Programs for patrons to actively participate in as well as an option to listen to celebrity lecturers.

Music lovers will love the ship’s music library and an exhibit or display of multi-million dollar art collections. They also have a sushi cafe and a few other alternative restaurants for those who want to experience something new.

The secret to an enjoyable vacation is choosing the best that meets your needs and requirements. If you want something grand, something that will create in you lasting memories, then try a cruise with any of these two cruise lines. Going on a cruise may be a little on the expensive side, but it’s all going to be worth it. Get your vacation of a lifetime onboard any of these amazing cruise ships and make every moment count!

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Hiking

Having osteoporosis does not mean a person can no longer become active. On the contrary, in order to manage well osteoporosis, one has to be active and up and about. However, just like having any other type of health condition, there are specific activities that are perfectly suited for people with osteoporosis; exercises that will strengthen bones for a healthier and better life, even with osteoporosis.

What are these exercises? Below is a list of the best exercises for those with osteoporosis. Just remember that before doing any of the exercises, it would be best to go see your doctor first and ask for his recommendation. He knows you better in terms of your health condition and the types of exercises that will give you the maximum benefit.

Brisk Walking

This has always been the number exercise fit for almost anyone. It’s free and it’s very healthy. You don’t really need any special equipment, and you can make your walk more enjoyable by tagging along a friend or your special someone, even your dog! Brisk walking (or walking at a much faster rate than a normal walk but slower than a jog) is a great way to strengthen your bones. Do brisk walking at least 30 minutes a day and it’ll do you wonders. You can then increase the time as you progress and adapt to the regimen.

Dancing

Dancing

I just made you smile with this suggestion! That’s good! Well, it’s true! Dancing can help strengthen your bones. It does not really matter if you’re not a good dancer. What matters is you get those legs moving and those hips swaying. The increase in activity will also do your heart good. Just don’t do so much swing and throwing around as you may twist your arms or your joints. Enjoy the beat and keep those feet moving. Just take it slow first, and then increase as you progress on.

Hiking

Hiking can also be very helpful in strengthening your bones. As you walk, and as your feet hit the ground, the impact can actually increase bone density, especially in the hips. Try both uphill and downhill; these walks can greatly improve bone health.

And to ensure that your hiking will be more enjoyable, invite friends to go hiking with you. Bring a camera so you can snap pictures of beautiful sceneries and landscapes. Change destinations once in a while, try other places that are good places for hiking. Ask friends if they can recommend other wonderful places to visit.

Strength Training

Strength Training

If you feel you are up to a little strenuous but still relatively safe exercise, you can try strength training such as lifting weights in a certified health club. The weight machines are designed for strength or resistance training. To be on the safe side, ensure to get the help from a trainer who can design a good workout for you. Strength training done at least twice a week is desirable to stimulate bone growth.

Having osteoporosis should not stop anybody from being active. Just choose the best activities that will help you strengthen your bones and enjoy each activity.

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Curious what portion control is? It’s all about eating only the minimum required amount of serving of food per day.

Health experts believe that controlling portion sizes is one of the most effective ways to tackle a weight problem.

However, not very many people are aware how much of a particular type of food is enough. Besides, one would definitely look like an idiot if he will always bring a food weighing scale or a measuring cup everywhere he goes to eat. That’s just a bit too weird, don’t you think?

So how do we go about it? How do we know or measure how much of a particular food is a good, one serving portion?

Some Methods Used to Estimate Portion Sizes

Serving Size Hands

There are numerous methods to portion food sizes. The most common five (5) methods are as follows:

  1. The cupped hand guide is used for fruits and vegetables;
  2. The palm of the hand guide is used for protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese;
  3. For oil used in cooking, it should not be more than one (1) tablespoon;
  4. For oils in salad dressings, it should be equal to the vinegar or citrus juice. Olive oil is highly recommended; and lastly
  5. Use the Portion Plate Method: half the plate full of vegetables; a quarter of the plate for protein; and a quarter for carbohydrates. If you want to loose weight, use a smaller plate than the usual.

For the USDA, here’s their list of what they recognizes as equal to one serving:

  • three to four small crackers
  • 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
  • one slice of whole-grain bread
  • 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta
  • 1/2 grapefruit or mango
  • 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
  • one medium apple
  • one small pancake or waffle
  • two medium-sized cookies
  • 1 cup (four leaves) lettuce
  • one small baked potato
  • 3/4 cup vegetable juice
  • 1/2 cup berries
  • 1 1/2 ounces of cheddar cheese
  • one chicken breast
  • 1 cup yogurt or milk
  • one medium pork chop
  • 1/4 pound hamburger patty

In order for the portion sizes to be easily remembered, a good suggestion would be to represent each serving size with something that’s easily remembered. Here are some suggestions on how to go about it:

For example, one serving of:

  • Steamed rice is the size of a cupcake wrapper;
  • Pancake is the size of a compact disc;
  • Vegetables or fruit is equal to the size of your fist;
  • Pasta is one scoop of ice cream;
  • Meat, fish, or poultry is the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm without the fingers;
  • Snack foods like chips and pretzels should be about the size of a cupped handful;
  • Apple similar size to a baseball;
  • Potato the size of a computer mouse;
  • Bagel is the size of a hockey puck; and
  • Cheese should be the size of a pair of dice or the size of your whole thumb, beginning at the tip to the base.

Well, as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain”. Stick to the serving size and you’ll get to your goal of a lighter, slimmer you!

Therefore, in order to really be successful in shedding the extra pounds, control in terms of food quantity is necessary; hence portion control. This may sound very challenging, but many people attest that this is one of the best ways to loose weight!

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What is physical intimacy? How is it shown in a relationship? What is the role of Physical intimacy in a relationship, especially between married couples?

A study entitled Sexual Satisfaction and Relationship Happiness in Midlife and Older Couples in Five Countries tried to answer the questions posed above. Interestingly enough, caressing and cuddling, especially in middle-aged and older couples, helps boost the feeling of fulfillment in long-term relationships. The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, involved 1,009 couples as samples from the United States, Germany, Japan, Spain, and Brazil. These couples, with ages ranging from 40 to 70 years old, had been together for an average of 25 years.

The study also revealed many interesting facts about intimacy in a relationship especially for middle-aged and older couples.

Here are some of the findings of the study, according to the researchers from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University:

  • Tenderness is more important to men than to women;
  • Men are more likely to report or verbally express that they are happy in their relationships than women;
  • Women are more likely to be sexually satisfied in their relationships;
  • Men are more likely to be happy in a relationship if they were in good health;
  • It was important for men that their partner experienced orgasm during sex;
  • Frequent cuddling and kissing also predicted relationship happiness for men.

The study also showed that Japanese men and women are happier in their relationships, followed by Americans, then Brazilians, and last the Spaniards.

According to the same study, frequent kissing and cuddling, sexual caressing by a partner, high sexual functioning, and frequent sex were contributors to sexual satisfaction for both women and men.

Another interesting outcome in the study was that having more sexual partners (for men) in their lifetime was an indicator that they were less sexually satisfied in their relationships.

For women, sexual satisfaction increased over time, which is especially true for women who had been with their partners for more than 15 years. For those who had been with their partner for less than 15 years, the results showed that they were less likely to be sexually satisfied. The good news, however, is that sexual satisfaction increased significantly over time. This means that the longer couples stay together, the higher will be the sexual satisfaction.

So if you’ve been in a marriage long enough to say you’re more like brothers and sisters now, be aware that that’s a dangerous road to tread. Rescue your relationship by doing something you’ve been too shy to do before. Rekindle the fire and do more cuddling and touching. For what its worth, marriage and love is something that needs rescuing once in a while. And for all you know, love will be lovelier the next time around.

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Loosing weight is a challenge most people face today; and it’s something that takes a lot of courage and discipline to do. According to experts, there are two excellent and effective ways to loose weight: eating the right kinds of food and doing regular exercise.

Eating the Right Kinds of Food

Eating the right kinds of food includes the following:

  • planning your daily meal based on the recommended daily allowance of everything
  • choosing the best foods with the best nutritional value or content
  • Portioning the sizes, and
  • Consuming only the recommended daily allowance

People following a diet are advised to load up on foods that have low caloric content and rich in fiber, as this helps in keeping at bay hunger pangs. The best sources of fiber are vegetables and fruits, and they come highly recommended. This is where these three vegetables: celery, cucumber, and iceberg lettuce can come in. For dieters who are serious about loosing weight the healthy way, these three are of great value.

Celery, Cucumbers, Iceberg Lettuce: Heroes or Villains?

They may be tagged as the veggies with the least nutritional content, but if you’re looking for food that will help you loose those extra weight, then they’re the best! These veggies are celery, cucumbers, and iceberg lettuce.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are said to contain very low calories; a cup of sliced cucumber contains only about 16 calories. Well, this is great news for dieters because it only means cucumbers are best in making a person feel full. True, the cucumber may be lacking in nutrients, but you can always load on these vitamins and minerals some other way. Now for the good that cucumbers offer, cucumber extracts are said to have tannins and flavonoids which are disease-fighting antioxidant compounds. This is according to Michelle Dudash, a registered dietitian and chef consultant.

Celery

Celery is a rich source of fiber and Vitamin K. If you eat them, whether fresh or as part of a stir-fried dish, just remember that you’re eating them for the fiber and the Vitamin K, not for anything else. That will make Mr Celery feel appreciated.

Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg Lettuce may not be the healthiest food, but it sure is one good vegetable fit for dieters as it contains low calories. Again, just like Celery, eat lettuce for what it is – a good filler to make you feel full. Eat it for the crunch, for the freshness; for the good it can do for you.

Loosing weight is really all about discipline, and being able to stick to a diet that requires some sacrifice on the dieter. It means eating the food even if it is not visually appealing; or even when you know it does not taste as good as the food of those who are not dieting. When dieting, it really takes a lot of determination and self control to choose vegetables over the other “unhealthy” foods.

However, the prize is valuable as it means long, healthy, and enjoyable life; and to all people, this is worth sacrificing.

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