Why marinades are worth

Next time you cook red meat, marinade it first. Not only will it taste better, you may also help your heart. According to a recent study, marinating meats may help lower unhealthy cholesterol compounds that form during cooking. Researchers soaked minced pork in soya sauce and sugar and found that when cooked the marinade inhibited the formation of cholesterol oxidation products, which can cause cell damage and increase the risk of heart disease.

Eat slowly

You may get heartburn when you eat fatty and spicy foods, so you stay away from them. But new research suggests that if you eat slowly you may reduce or even eliminate your symptoms. It was seen that the number of gastro-oesophagul reflux episodes lowered by 40% on people who took 30 minutes to down a meal of chicken sandwich, French fries and soda as compared to ones who took 5 minutes to do the same. When you eat, the stomach naturally expands to accommodate food. But do it quickly and your stomach stretches too fast, leading to gastro-oesophagul reflux. It is not sure whether easting too fast causes chronic heartburn. But people with heartburn should eat more slowly.

Give your feet what they need

Don't pound the pavement in any old shoe. The right exercise footwear will prevent a plethora of problems. Bruised toenails are regularly seen when people wear too short shoes or compression on joints from too tight ones.You must match your shoe to your exercise. Runners should look for hard soles to sustain vigorous use. If you play squash, look for grip laid out in circles for multi-directional movement. Moreover, anyone exercising for five hours a week or more should change shoes regularly at least yearly once. The shock-absorption compartments and grip will wear and you'll lose stability and control. And never put shoes in the washing machine. It breaks down the fabric and softens the plastic. Scrub them or hose them down outside.

Good Ways to give Bad News

Saying something someone doesn’t want to hear is never easy, but these tips will help:

• Set aside enough time and make sure you won’t be interrupted - turn off your
mobile at the least.
• Rehearse your opening line but get to the point.
• Consider how you frame the news: “For a man of your age, apart from high blood
pressure you’re in good shape ” sounds better than, “You have hypertension,
which can lead to heart disease.”
• Know your facts and be prepared for questions.
• Show you care but don’t mind-read or say how uncomfortable you feel. Focus on
them.

Real-life Exercise

Running on a treadmill going nowhere or pushing weights through mindless repetitions can get so boring. Try functional fitness. You can build strength, agility and stabilizing skills in a way that carries over into everyday life. You lift weights so you can tote a heavy bag, or sprint so you can catch a bus. Try these tips from trainer Juan Carlos Santana, an expert on this craze:

Lift weights standing up: This forces your core (abdominal and back) muscles to work. A strong core helps you lift heavy loads without hurting your back.


Do real-life cardio: Set up a course with cones. Run to the first cone as fast as you can. Side-shuffle to the second. Walk backwards to the third. Dash to the fourth. The payoff: You’ll be able o dash after a zig-zagging toddler.

Rotate: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a weight out in front of you and twist side to side, for better reaching and bending.

Healthy, Happy Trails

Next weekend, leave the gym and take a hike. “There are only a certain number of dumbbells,” says Seth Levy of the American Hiking Society. “But when hiking, you have an infinite variety of workouts and levels-and better scenery than in your gym!” No wonder more people are going out for hiking.

Walking on a flat trial for an hour, a 65-kilo person can burn as much as 300 calories. Pick a more challenging spot with hills, and you burn 445 calories or more. Hiking also builds flexibility and strength. Going uphill firms the calves and backside muscles, while downhill jaunts tone up the quadriceps.

Home Essentials

Every toolbox should have these 12 must haves, say the experts at The Family Handyman. However you need to be careful to use power tools and also it is advised not to use these tools if you’re taking psychiatric drugs, anti-histamines or other medication. The tools are listed as below:

Electric Drill
Hammer
Angle square
Multihead screwdriver
Pry bar
Utility knife
Pull-out tape measure
Adjustable wrench
Chalk line
Electric tester
Circular saw
60-cm spirit level

Make flowers last longer

Keep your flowers fresh and extend your pleasure for longer with this homemade recipe. You will need:
1 litre warm water
1/4 teaspoon household bleach
11/2 tablespoons sugar
10 millilitres of vinegar or squeeze a lemon

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, than add bleach and vinegar. Chill the mixture before use. The sugar serves as an energy source, the vinegar as an acidifier to lower the pH of the water and prevent blockages in the stem, and the bleach works as a bactericide to destroy microscopic bacteria.

Wanna lose weight?-Don't swim !!

Swimming is often regarded as a good all-round exercise, and indeed it is useful for some people because the support of the water reduces the impact on joints. But exercise on cold water may not be ideal if you’re trying to lose weight.

Researchers at the University of Florida asked subjects to exercise on a static bike underwater for 45 minutes, first in water at 20degrees C, then in water at 33 degrees C. They also spent 45 minutes just resting. After each session they spent an hour in a room full of food, without being told that their calorie intake would be monitored.

After exercising in cold water the subjects ate 44% more calories than after the warm-water exercise and 41% more than after just resting. It seems that body temperatures affects post-appetite, which may explain a previous study that found women who swam lost less weight than those who ran or cycled.

Dog Talk

It’s a common problem seen among all dog owners. Your dog listens well when you say “sit”, “down” and “stay”, but he rarely comes when called, especially if he’s not on a leash. Why is “come” so hard to train? How come he understands the rest but not this?
Teaching your dog to come to you every time is a skill to train like any other. The best way to do this is to start up close. Three times a day, for about two weeks, stand one metre away from your dog and say “Princess, come.” Use a cheerful voice and give her a treat when she gets to you. Make sure you’re close enough that she’s guaranteed to be successful every time. Gradually add distance and distractions. Your call should always mean treats, fun and attention.

Bring Home A New Member

Have you decided to bring home a new pet? Here are a few things you need to keep in mind that will help you around:

** Get your puppy a crate for sleep, travel and housebreaking.
** Choose a vet immediately. Ask friends for recommendation.
** Bring a dog to obedience class right away.
** introduce him to lots of people and animals early on. Get him used to sounds (vacuum cleaners) and experiences (car rides).
** Adopt 2 cats-if you can. They do well with a friend.
** If a kitty circles as if she’s looking for something, or races to a corner of the room, show her the litter box. She’ll learn where it is fast.
** Keep an eye on kids and other pets until kitty adjusts.

Remembering A Name !

Names are sometimes so difficult to keep in mind. And they’re not the more hard or long ones. They sometimes are the easy ones. But they land us in situations where we’d rather not find ourselves. But this is not a defect which cannot be rectified. In fact the memory can be trainable in such cases by following some simple rules:

•The first thing is to listen to the name. We’re often so pre-occupied that we don’t actually hear it.

•After hearing the name, spell it in your head, repeating it a few times to ingrain it on your brain.

•If you hear an unusual name, inquire about its origins. The extra info will help make it more unforgettable.

•Repeat the name during your conversation.

•Change the name to something that sounds like it but conjures up an image. The sillier it is, the better it works.

To a more healthy Life-Yoga

You may have thought Yoga was strictly for mystics. Well, for all of those, a new research has shown that 45 to 55 year olds who regularly practice it are better able to fight “middle aged spread,” while those already overweight are more likely to slim down.
Interestingly few people practice yoga vigorously enough to burn many calories doing it. The study speculates that yoga instead makes you more “body aware” and perhaps teaches you discipline that you can apply in other areas of life. Here are a few tips you need to consider when starting out in your mystic journey:
-> Find an edge where you are challenged but not overwhelmed.

-> Pay more attention to the internal experience than outer performance.

->Try to become more aware of even your small movements.

->Note what you are saying to yourself as you practice.

Work Harder, Not Longer

When work starts to get on top of you it can be tempting to stay late to finish it. But it isn’t good for you. According to researchers, you’re 61% more likely to suffer work-related injuries than people who do only their contracted hours. Here are some strategies for getting it all done without the overtime, from 'How To Do Just About Everything In The Office' :
->Communicate effectively to ensure the job is done properly first time round.
->Finish one task before you go on to the next.
->Stop thinking that it takes too long to delegate responsibility-it will pay off over time, especially if the task needs to be done many times.
->Recognize when you have more energy and do the tougher jobs then.
-> A short walk away from the office at lunchtime will improve productivity.
->Avoid very tight schedules: factor in time for unexpected delays.

Watering your skin

During eight glasses of water a day is healthy for your complexion, but can applying water directly to the skin have the same effect? The latest trend combines the hydrating powers of H2O with moisturizer to create a product that rejuvenates your skin. The natural aging process and environmental elements contribute to the depletion of water in our skin cells. A moisturizer with water in it adds moisture to the skin for hydration. Keeping your skin hydrated allows you to avoid fine wrinkles and the discomfort that can occur when the skin becomes dry and inflamed.

Are you a Workaholic?

Do you eat, sleep and breathe work, weekends and holidays included? Do you find anything besides work a waste of time? If yes, then you’re a workaholic, and the sooner you realize it the better.

Love Vs Addiction: Don’t confuse a genuine love of work with an addiction. Work addicts suffer withdrawal symptoms if detached form their job and find that work alone defines and controls their self-esteem, public image and well-being.

Family Vs Work: Workaholics are detached form the emotional concerns of the rest of the family. While critical of every detail of housekeeping, they are reluctant to help with the chores, because it takes them away from their ‘real’ work.

Health Hazards: These sincere people are often stressed out plodders, perpetually swamped in paperwork and routine chores. They are sitting candidates for heart disease and other physical and psychological problems.

The Cure: If your organization forces you to be a workaholic, get out while you can. Return to the hobbies of your youth. Renew old friendships and make new ones.

Be realistic: If you equate relaxation with idleness, a drastic change of pace will be hard at first. Ease yourself into a new lifestyle. Slow down everything. Take up something that doesn’t immediately seem productive like meditating and bird watching.

Home Remedies

Cool, dry autumn weather can wreak havoc on your skin and make-up-and often there just isn’t time to run to the medical store. Here are a fewquick fixs which provide solutions within arm’s reach.

Dark circles under the eyes?---Use concealer with a suitable pink, peachy or yellow undertone to neutralize the blue and green in circles- ad avoid plum, purple and red shades of shadow.

Pimples?---Rub on a paste of baking soda and water at night to dry it out by morning.

Dull complexion?---Wet a washcloth with warm water and squeeze lime juice. Press onto your face for a few minutes; repeat three times to make your skin glow.

Chapped lips?---To exfoliate lips apply petroleum jelly or a face scrub to a soft toothbrush and gently rub on lips. Apply lip balm.

The Gift of Love

It seems when a relationship is new, that’s when you’ll receive the most presents. Apparently it all comes down to evolution: men and women give gifts based on their reproductive needs. Men, for example, tend to give gifts for tactical purposes in the earlier part of the relationship because it serves a particular function-to signal generosity, to show they have resources, or to make known their intention for o long-term relationship. Women, on the other hand, tend to give gifts as expressions of love-not just at the beginning of a relationship, but throughout.

Acupuncture-Medicine or Magic?

Is this just a load of mumbo-jumbo? Apparently not! There is growing evidence that it can help alleviate painful symptoms. Recent research has shown that among sufferers of headache not only did acupuncture bring down the recurrence of the attacks by half, it worked with minimal treatment (needles were placed only superficially on the skin). The effects lasted for some months after the eight-week course, but gradually wore off. This is in keeping with other research where acupuncture has alleviated pain from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.

The Calming Garden

Choosing the right plants will give you a garden that can help you de-stress.

Sweet marjoram and lemon balm are said to be good for cheering you up.
Mint is cleansing and invigorating.
Lavender is a soothing addition to the bath or pillow.
Camomile and fennel are good for aiding digestion and a restful night’s sleep, as an infusion or in a herb pillow.

To infuse use whole leaves, fresh or dried, and brew as you would for a pot of tea for five minutes. Sweeten with honey if desired. Have a life devoid of stress and also enjoy the lush greenery within your house.