Friday, February 6, 2009



Mixed Vegetable Salad



A sweet and sour dressing, with a bit of thickening, is cooked up and poured over red beans and veggies and then left to chill and mellow in the fridge. This is a great salad to serve with picnic food or to pile on a bed of greens for a hearty dinner salad.


Serves 8


Prep time: 20 minutesCook time: 15 minutesTotal time: 395 minutes
Calories: 146.47Calories from Fat: N/A Total Fat: 0.40 gSaturated Fat: N/ACholesterol: N/ASodium: N/ATotal Carbohydrate: 32.02 gDietary Fiber: N/ASugars: N/AProtein: 3.69 gVitamin A: N/AVitamin C: N/A

Ingredients


8 ounces mixed vegetables0.25 cup chopped onion1 (15 ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed0.25 cup chopped celery0.25 cup chopped green bell pepperNULL 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour0.5 cup white wine vinegar0.75 cup white sugar1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Directions
1.
In a mixing bowl, combine the mixed vegetables, beans, onion, celery and bell pepper.
2.
In a small sauce pan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard and flour. Bring to boil, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3.
Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and serve.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

你生命中的石头是什么?



你生命中的石头是什么?

一天,一位时间管理方面的专家为一群学商务的学生做演讲。为了帮助他们深刻理解一个观点,这个专家做了一个演示。他站在这群渴望获得成功的年轻人面前说:“好的,现在让我们来做个测验。” 于是,他拿了容量为一加仑的广口玻璃杯,把它放在面前的桌子上,然后,他又拿出一些特别大的石块小心地把它们一块一块地放在瓶子里。 当石头填充到瓶口,再没有石块可以放进去的时候,他问:“这个瓶子装满了吗?” 班里的每个人都说:“是的。”


于是,他说:“真的吗?”他把手伸到桌子下拿出一桶碎石。然后,他把一些碎石倒入瓶中,晃动瓶子使得好多碎石自然地落下以填充大石头之间的空隙,然后,又问这群学生:“现在瓶子满了吗?” 这时候班里的学生已经开始留意他的话了。“可能没有,”一个学生说。 “好的。”他说。他又把手伸到桌子底下拿出一桶沙子倒在瓶子里,沙子把大石块和碎石之间所有的空隙都填满了,他又一次问那个问题:“现在瓶子满了吗?” “没有”,所有的人都大声地喊。


他再一次说:“好”。 于是,他拿起一罐水,开始把它往瓶子里倒,直到水漫到瓶子的边缘为止。然后,他看着全班同学问:“这个演示说明了什么呢?” 一个学习勤奋的同学举起手来说:“说明的道理是,无论你的计划安排有多么满,如果你真的去努力,你总是可以为别的事情腾出时间。” “不”。演讲者回答:“不是这个道理。


这个演示告诉我们这样一个事实:如果你不把大石头首先放进去,你就再没有机会把它们放进去了。” 什么是你生命中的大石头呢? 你与上主的关系? 你所爱的人? 你的健康? 你的教育? 你的梦想? 一个值得奋斗的事业? 受教育或者教育别人? 做你喜欢的事? 你自己的时间?


记住!先把这些大石头放进去,否则你就再也无法把它们放进去。如果你总是为小东西而忙碌(碎石、沙子),你的生活中将充满了你所关心的那些无关紧要的小事情,你就不会真正有时间来处理重大的事情(大石头)。 所以,今晚或明天早晨,当你回想起这个小故事的时候,问你自己一个问题:我生命中的大石头是什么呢?然后,首先把它放在你的瓶里

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

7-days Detox Diet Plan


7-days Detox Diet Plan

Lose the excess weight, beat cellulite for good, flush out toxins naturally, banish the bloat and improve your skin's clarity: These are just some of the promises that detox diets hold. It's no wonder that so many celebrities are huge fans of detox diets! So forget about bizarre juice and deprivation diets: Try a sensible detox plan to cleanse your system.
Planning your detox diet


Following a realistic one-week detox plan can help you drop the extra weight as well as improve your well-being. Here are the basics to help you get started on a simple detox plan.


1. Morning detox drink. Start each morning with half a lemon squeezed into hot water, instead of your usual dose of caffeine. Alternatively, non-caffeine tea, herbal tea, freshly-squeezed fruit juice are also great choices.


2. Avoid toxins including cigarette smoke, food additives, alcohol and caffeine. Advocates of detox diets say these toxins that accumulate in our bodies are the causes of health problems like weight gain, cellulite, headaches, bloating, fatigue and dull skin, so the purpose of detox diets is to kick-start the process of removing these toxins from the body.


3. Drink sufficient water. Stay sufficiently hydrated by aiming to drink around two litres of water everyday. The fluids will help flush out toxins from your system.


Foods to include:


1. Fresh, dried fruits and fruit juices including apples, bananas, oranges, pears, cranberries, grapefruit, mangoes, strawberries, mangoes and peaches. If you purchase pre-packed fruit juices, make sure they're labelled 'unsweetened'.


2. Vegetables, beans and lentils. Fresh, frozen or canned, take your pick from cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, kidney beans, navy beans, red lentils, green lentils. Toss them in a bowl, mix in olive oil, flax oil or balsamic or wine vinegar for an appetitizing salad dish.


3. Oats and brown rice. These high-fiber foods aid bowel movement and will help you flush out toxins naturally.


4. Unsalted nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachio, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. But skip the salted ones as their high sodium content can lead to water retention and bloating.


5. Poultry and seafood. Eat poultry such as skinless chicken and turkey as well as any seafood including cod, mackerel, prawns, crab, salmon and tuna.

Foods to avoid:


1. Red meat. Avoid red meat and red meat products like beef, pork, burgers, sausages.


2. Dairy products including milk, cheese, butter and cream.


3. Junk foods. Stay away from high-fat and high-carb, sugary snacks that have little nutritional value, including chocolate cookies, cream wafers, muffins, doughnuts, butter cakes and sweets.


4. Caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks. Caffeine and alcohol are toxins that can build up in our system, so ban coffee, tea, alcohol and sodas from your detox plan.


5. High-sodium foods including chips, canned soups, soya sauce and salt.


6. Wheat products Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc

5 Reasons to Exercise


5 Reasons to Exercise


1. You will get out of your head and into your body. Many who do not exercise tend to focus all their energy on their intellect rather than their body. This cerebral way of being can cause you to over analyze almost everything to the point where no issues ever get resolved. When you move your body, you notice your legs and arms moving in unison. You become aware of your heart rate increasing and the sweat flowing from your pours. These physical changes are exciting and life affirming. While you are exercising, you are not feeling like an over burdened adult, but a playful child experiencing a sense of innocence and glee.

2. You will find calmness and tranquility, a means to relax. Research indicates exercising as little as 15 minutes a day can cause you to discover a sense of inner peace. This sense of tranquility can improve the overall quality of your life. The gaining of calmness allows the physical and emotional stress to lessen. The tension in your shoulders, neck and stomach will greatly dissipate and even disappear while you are working out. You will discover a glow that takes place inside and outside of you.

3. You can use your time exercising to work through issues that are bothering you. A regular exercise program, along with self-questioning, can heal emotional pain. Focusing on an emotional pain question during you workout and journaling afterwards can help you resolve troubling issues that may have been upsetting you since childhood.
Getting fit will have a huge impact on all areas of your life! Are you ready to get in great shape fast?


4. You will gain confidence and increase your self-esteem. This phenomenon will happen simply because you are participating in a regular healthy activity. The sense of calmness you feel will lead to increased hope regarding your future. Your increased strength, stamina and skill will improve your sense of self-worth. You will find yourself looking forward to your workouts and you will spend time noticing the great results

5. You will learn to live in present time. Achieving increased calmness, self-esteem and confidence will teach you to live in the present rather that worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Instead of being preoccupied with what is going to happen next or what occurred previously, you can now take in what is happening right now. The present may include being at a concert, reading a good book or conversing with the one you love. Exercise can teach you the importance of taking the time to smell the roses