Australian Vacation

Okay guys, I am starting to get burnt out at my job again and am starting to dream about vacations. One place that I have always thought I would like to go is Australia. I would like to stay in a Sydney Hotel. Sydney has lots to do and see including the world's largest IMAX, the Sydney Aquarium,the Australian National Maritime Museum, clubs, casinos, and many places to dine and shop. Out of all the areas of Sydney, I would probably most like to stay in a Darling Harbour Hotel. Darling Harbour is a waterfront precinct of Sydney that has developed into one of the country's largest entertainment areas. From here you can take a cruise, ferry, or sailboat tour of the city. If you do not want to sight see by boat you can also take a monorail land tour from Darling Harbor. Also there is almost always free outdoor entertainment in the precinct to meet almost any one's taste.

After sometime in Sydney, I would probably then want to go stay at a Melbourne Hotel. Melbourne is the city in Australia where a lot of different cultures meet and mix. It has some of the best dining in the world, and you guys know how I like to eat. They have a wide range of restaurants, bistros, and bars that serve classic quick meals to exotic spreads. The types of cuisine range from Spanish to Vietnamese to Italian to French. Well, back to work but I can always dream about my vacation to Australia.

Things that are healthy for the body...

Your body needs a daily supply of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to get the fuel it needs for energy and optimum health.

Protein is a primary component of our muscles, hair, nails, skin, eyes, and internal organs, especially the heart and brain. Protein is needed for growth, for healthy red blood cells, and much more.

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and play an important role in the functioning of our nervous system, muscles, and internal organs.

Fats are a form of energy reserve and insulation in your body, and can be burned to make energy when you don't get enough from your diet. Fats transport nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K through your body and fatty tissue protects your vital organs from trauma and temperature change.

Simply put, there are "good" fats and "bad" fats. The "bad" fats are called saturated fats and are found in animal products, meats, and dairy foods; they should be eaten in limited amounts.

The "good" fats include the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Deficiencies of Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to decreased learning ability, ADHD, depression, and dyslexia.

Mailboxes

I have been looking for a new mailbox for my home. I have looked around at local retailers but just haven't found exactly what I was looking for. However, I have discovered the perfect website for purchasing mailboxes. It is called mailboxixchange. They have lots of beautiful residential mailboxes. They have a wide assortment ranging from decorative columns to wall mounts to traditional single-unit and post packages. They even have mail slots for doors and address plaques for identification purposes. Their mailboxes are made of high quality materials including bronze or high security steel. Mailboxixchange.com also offers a wide selection of commercial mailboxes. Their commercial line ranges from multi-unit dwelling boxes for apartments to courier boxes to high security night deposit type boxes. All of this comes at reasonable prices as well. So if you are looking for a mailbox check out Mailboxixchange.com.

Published Article

One of our articles has been published in Health and Fitness Forum Volume IV.

Cool Blog

While I was just looking around at different blogs, I read this particular one. It's a blog with just fun and learning articles. It has different article about many different topics. Sometimes it get hard to write so many article about the same thing(e.g. health), so this blog has articles about a variety of topics. It's a fairly new blog, so you guy check it out. It's pretty interesting.

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Doctor Prescribed Program

My boss just started a weight loss program that is prescribed by a local doctor. It is called Fat Busters or something like that. She got a shot and is taking pills that is supposed to increase her metabolism and curb her appetite. You guys know me. I usually promote natural weight loss through burning more calories than you take in, but I know that is not for everyone. I'll try to get more information about the program and keep you informed of her results.

Rehab Referral

Drug abuse is one of the most serious problems facing our nation today. I heard a news announcement yesterday on the radio about drug abuse. It said that about ninety percent of all crime is related to drugs in some way. It also said that about seventy five percent of drug users admitted to using drugs in the workplace. The announcement was encouraging employers to assist employees in getting treatment for their drug problems and in turn this could curb the effects of drug abuse on our country's crime rate and family unit breakdowns.

As you might remember from some of my earlier posts, my boss has a family member that is suffering from drug addiction. My boss has finally found a way to find the best drug rehab program for her family member. She discovered 1800nodrugs.com, a free drug rehabilitation service. It is a service designed to help drug addicts, alcoholics, chronic relapse victims, and their families find an effective drug rehab and intervention for alcoholism and drug addiction of the highest quality at no cost. They are familiar with the thousands of centers and programs in the nation and can help addicts or family members find the one most appropriate for them. Their website also has a lot of good information about various addictions, ranging from alcoholism to prescription drug abuse to hard drugs such as cocaine and heroine. As you might remember from my previous posts, my boss and the rest of her family were having trouble agreeing on where to send their relative for treatment. She is hopeful that when they all sit down together and call 1-800-NO-DRUGS they will be able to agree on the best place for their loved one. I will try to keep you posted on their results and please continue to remember them in your prayers.
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Eating healthy...

Here are a few quick tips for healthy eating:

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

3. Maintain a healthy weight.

4. Eat moderate portions.

5. Eat regular meals.

6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods.

7. Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

8. Eat LESS fried chicken.

9. Balance your food choices over time.

10.Know your diet pitfalls.

11.Make changes gradually.

12.Remember, foods are not good or bad.

Quibblo

Sometimes I will spend a lot of time online just doing fun stuff. I recently found this user-generated quiz, survey and poll site. You can take or create fun online quizzes. Also you can take personality tests and add the personality badges to you blogs or MySpace pages. In your spare time you should check out quibblo.com.

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Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that affects millions in the United States. There is a lady at my church that is suffering the early effects of Alzheimer's. There are times when she forgets where she is or just stares into space. She also forgets who people are including her immediate family. She also understandably seems to suffer from depression and cries a lot. I feel sorry for her and her family, but I try to do my best to encourage them or help them any way I can.

One way that you can help is to take part in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk. The Memory Walk is a nationwide campaign held annually in communities across the country to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. There are going to be several in the Middle Georgia area where I am from, including one in Statesboro, Macon, and Perry. It is important to sign up early and consider being a Team Captain and recruit a team and raise funds for this important cause. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million. Please come and volunteer to take part in this exciting and very worthwhile event.

STUPID!!

Ok, I've never claimed to be the smartest man alive, but what I did yesterday may have been one of the stupidest things I've ever done. I'm trying to trim up a bit, so I decided to run outside, in 105 degree weather. I ran 2 miles and walked on. On the track at the gym about 2:00, there is hardly any shade; I didn't even realize how hot it truly was. I knew by the last couple of laps, I could hardly go, and my mouth was extremely dry. When I went inside to the locker room, my face was sooooo red except around my lips. That part was white. I spent the next 10 minutes drinking water. Don't do that everone. That had to be one of the craziest things I've ever done!

Interior designing

Ok, I'm not an interior designer, but this past weekend, my cousin hung ceiling fans and lights in his new house. Even I recognized how well they went with the colors of the house. Finding the right lights and fans for the house is not as easy as it sounds, but my cousin visited Farreys.com and picked out his light fixtures.

Farreys has a wonderful selection of home lighting. You have an opportunity to choose type, style, brand, etc. Farreys has beautiful chandeliers, and they also have a wide variety of outdoor lighting.

If your interested in new lighting or ceiling fans, check out farreys.com. Hanging lights in the Georgia heat is also an excellent workout. I think I lost 10lbs yesterday.

Teenage tanning

Listening to my 17 year old cousin talk this weekend, I realized that, even thought it was not that long ago for me, I had forgotten some of the concerns teenagers have. She talked about how my prettier her friend was that her, because of her "beautiful, golden brown" skin. She made the comment, "I have to get in the tanning bed." I don't think she or teenagers realize the health risk related to tanning. I as her, and she did not. She ask me was the tanning bed safer than natural sunlight.

The answer is no. There is no safe tan. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation — whether from sunlight or tanning beds — damages your skin, increasing your risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging. In fact, malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, has seen a sharp rise in recent years, perhaps due to the increased exposure to UV radiation from both the sun and tanning beds.

You can prevent skin damage by limiting your exposure to UV radiation and by using a broad-spectrum sunscreen. If you want the golden glow of a tan without exposure to damaging UV radiation, consider using sunless tanning products or bronzers. Keep in mind, however, many of these products do not contain sunscreen and won't protect you from UV radiation.

Weight Loss Surgery

I am normally not a big fan of surgery for weight loss purposes, but there are instances (the morbidly obese for example) when the health benefits of surgery can outweigh the risks. One of these types of surgery is called lapband or Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding. Basically, during the procedure a band is laparoscpically placed around the upper stomach creating a new smaller stomach pouch. The new smaller pouch can hold less food; therefore, one feels full and satisfied faster while actually eating less and losing weight. So if you are considering surgery in order to lose weight, do not forget to research extensively the benefits and risks of lapband and other types of weight loss surgeries.

Health and Fitness Forum

One of our articles has been featured in Health and Fitness Forum.

Parenting Tips

If you are looking for some good parenting tips then this website is the one for you: choresandallowances.blogspot.com. It has lots of good advice on managing kids, teens, and money. It teaches kids how to manage money and teaches adults how to teach kids to manage money. The tips and advice help you to remember what is important in life and that is the relationships that we build with the ones we love. Everything else is temporal.

Garage tool cabinets

If you have a garage, you should definitely check out these stainless steel tool box. There are all sizes, kinds, and colors. There is this amazing red tool cabinet that would look wonderful in my possession. If you have a lot of tools and stuff, they have huge, nice cabinets, but, also, if you just have a few tools that you'd like to put out of site, they have small, compact boxes. Check out carguygarage.com.

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Reason why calorie-restrictive diets are unhealthy...

Here are some reasons why you should stay away from traditional calorie restrictive diets:


1. Calories restrictive diets make you lose muscle.

Since your body is in starvation mode, it will draw it’s energy from other sources such as muscle.


2. Calorie restrictive diets increases the chance that you will gain the weight back.

Studies have shown time and time again that almost everyone who goes on a calorie restrictive diet gains the weight back. 3. Calorie restrictive diets slow down your metabolism.

3. Studies have shown that when calories are restricted, your metabolism decreases by 20% to 30%. This is the bodies response to the lack of food being consumed.

By decreasing the amount of calories you consume, the body will adjust the amount work it does. When you eat less, the body burns less calories.

4. Calorie restrictive diets increase cravings and appetite.

The less you eat the more your body will crave food.

5. Calorie restrictive diets decreases your energy.

The body needs a certain amount of calories to use as energy.

A few interesting tips...

Don't go to extremes:
Lowering your calories may not be the best idea. Taking in too few calories keeps you from getting the nutrients you need. On the other hand, trying to exercise for a few hours a day is an unrealistic goal - one that most people can't maintain. It also sets you up for injury.

Increase your activity...gradually:
Choose any type of activity you like. It can be skating, dancing, gardening or walking. What you choose doesn't matter as long as you're moving. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, then slowly increase your time. Also increase the intensity of your workout.

Strength training:
Another way to break away from the plateau is by strength training. Adding muscle balances out the slowed metabolism caused by weight loss. The more muscle you can add, the higher your metabolism will be.

Get back on track:
The following tips can help you jump-start a sluggish weight loss program:

Don't weigh yourself more than once a week:
Fluctuations in your weight are normal. What you think is a plateau may be fluid retention or premenstrual bloating. To get the most accurate weigh-in, step on the scale just once a week.

Have reasonable expectations:
Realize that people lose weight at different rates. In general, the more weight you have to lose, the faster it will come off. This is due mostly to your reduction in calories. Expect to lose about 1 percent of your body weight each week. If you weigh 200 pounds, you'll lose about two pounds. If you weigh 150, you'll lose about one to one-and-a-half pounds.

Exercise moderately:
Your metabolism slows down when you take in fewer calories - and exercise speeds it back up. If you don't get enough calories - or if you exercise too much - your body stores fat to keep you from starving. Don't exercise for more than an hour a day, including warming up and cooling down. Women should get no less than 1,200 calories per day and men should get at least 1,500.

Flush excess water from your body:
You can hit a plateau when you retain fluids. To prevent this, limit your salt intake. Do this by drinking more water and exercising a little more. Eat more fruit- especially cantaloupe, oranges, bananas and honeydew. These fruits give you potassium, which helps to eliminate water. Don't overdo it, though. Remember - fruit still has calories.

StarCraft

My favorite video game of all time is starcraft. The first one was called StarCraft: Brood War. There is a sequel coming out soon called StarCraft2. I am so excited about it. I have been keeping up with the news releases about it on creepcolony.com. I have played the first one until late in the night and hours on end. If you have not ever played it, you should try it out and now is the time to play it with the new one coming out.

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Scary Movies

Ok, I must admit, I enjoy watching a good, scary movie. I enjoy finishing up a long, hard workout, taking a shower, and settling down to watch a classic, scary movie. Some of my favorite scary movies are Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Saws, the one where Bruce Willis plays the dad with the split personality(sorry, I can not remember the name of it), and the Halloween movies. Rob Zombie's lastest masterpiece, Halloween the movie is set to release August 31st, and I can not wait.

Rob Zombie is so creative that it makes it hard to accurately predict what angle he will bring to this movie. In scary movies, I usually, like most mean, sit in the theater still and quiet, but there are times when I am tempted to jump out of my seat. Halloween the movie, I expect, will have severat such incidences in it. I expect it will be a great movie. I posted below a short trailor to Halloween the movie. After watching this preview, I am even more excited about seeing it at the theater on August 31. If you have a weak heart or are terrified of scary movies, it probably would not be wise to see this one; however, if you enjoy the excitement of a well written and directed horror film, then this is your type of movie. Watch the trailor. I could be healthy, because it could cause you to have a cleansing bowel movement.

Slow Walking

I have to admit, when I'm walking or running, I think I have to push myself to really do good. I walk fast, or I try to keep a brisk, steady run; however, that's not all the time better. I recently read an article which I thought was interesting. Here's a brief summary of that article.

Easy exercise burns calories--and sheds pounds--as effectively as a high-intensity workout, a University of Pittsburgh study says.

Experts tracked 201 overweight women, ages 21 to 45, for 1 year. Some walked off 1,000 calories per week; others, 2,000. In each group, some women ambled along comfortably, taking longer to reach their goal; others maintained a bristling, nearly breathless pace.

Ultimately, everybody in the 1,000-calorie group lost an average of 13 pounds regardless of walking speed; those in the 2,000-calorie group shed about 20 pounds--again, regardless of exercise pace.

Six-pack Abs

Now, honestly, who doesn't want perfect abs. I know I do. I guess I one of the guilty ones who spends too much time working my abs. One thing about it though, you can't have abs without first losing the excess weight. The ab workouts that I've found work best for me are as follows:

AB MACHINE (Found in all good gyms) Works - Upper Abs

These machines are great, they have a crunch like motion and help to guide you in the correct position. These machines primarily build the abs and create blockier abdominals.

CABLE CRUNCHES Works - Upper Abs

This is an excellent exercise to penetrate the entire midsection. .

WEIGHTED SIT UPS/CRUNCHES Works - Upper Abs

Adding a little extra resistance to you exercises can make so much difference when it comes to defining your abdominals.

HANGING LEG LIFTS - WITH DUMBBELL BETWEEN THE FEET
Works - Lower Abs

Using the Pull up bar with shoulder width grip, allow you legs to hang down keeping them relaxed so that you knees are bent and your toes slightly pointed, then simply lift your legs up.

Bedroom Furniture

I have been looking for a new bedroom furniture suit. I have looked at a lot of the local furniture stores but have not found exactly what I am looking for. I come across a website for Houston Furniture. I found the bedroom suit pictured here and it really grabbed my attention. It has that kind of rustic look to it but at the same time it is very contemporary in its style. I like the spindles on the footboard and headboard. I also like the matching look of the nightstand and dresser. Finally, the matching wall mirror just kind of sets it all off and brings it together. The finish on it, which looks like a type of oak to me, is just the right shade that I am looking for. There are other accessories also available with it like a television armoire that I might would like. I think it would look great in my bedroom. My walls and floor are similar to those in the picture so I feel this bedroom suit would be a great fit for my room. If you are looking for furniture like me check out GalleryFurniture.com.

Fashion

I am not a fashion connoisseur by any means. Matter of fact, if you see me wearing a suit you can probably bet someone has either kicked the bucket or getting hitched. However when I do dress up, I like the finer things. The first name that comes to mind when I think of quality men's fashions is Belisi. Nothing makes me feel more comfortable in a suit than a sophisticated and stylish Belisi necktie with matching pocket square. Belisi has the most fashionable men's fashion accessories. In order to stay on top of men's fashion I always check out Peter Belisi's blog Sharp by Design. It has updates on all the latest styles and even has instructions on how to tie a necktie and fold a pocket square. There is also the new Belisi Fashions Radio Station that plays music that matches their fashion - sophisticated, classic, and beautiful. Like I said, I am not a fashion expert but I know what looks good and makes me feel good when I wear it and that is Belisi.

Pain in the Neck

I have had a crick in my neck since Monday. I got it Monday morning when I was brushing my teeth of all things. I guess I was brushing too vigorously or turned the wrong way, but all of a sudden a sharp pain ran down my neck and then my neck and the muscles in my shoulder and shoulder blade tightened into a knot. I could turn my head very little on Monday. Each day it has gradually gotten better. If anybody knows any remedies let me know. I have tried heat. I have tried ice. I have tried alternating heat and ice. I've tried tylenol and menthol medicated patches. It only provides temporary relief. I can now move my head in any direction but my neck and shoulder are still very tight and if I move it just right I still receive a shock of pain.

Advertising & Sponsored Post

Many people will tell you that sponsored post are not effective. They will tell you that people are not interested in reading sponsored articles and that they are not worth it. A recent study has proven these naysayers completely wrong. Data provided from over 40,000 bloggers and 8,000 advertisers show that the truth is that not only do people click on sponsored posts, they also average a higher click through rated than any other form of media advertising. The exact figure given is an average click through rate of 10.545%.

The average ctr of sponsored post is much higher than that of any other forms of media advertising. Google adwords produces a click through rate of anywhere between .5% to 1.5%. Now it is definitely not good to focus all of your advertising on sponsored post. Diversification is key, but I am saying that sponsored post could prove important in a successful advertising campaign. Sponsored post produce good content to real people. It produces real, qualified traffic to your site. It been proven that people pay more attention to what they are reading than what is on the side of the site.

Before you write off sponsored post advertising, you should at least research it. I know you will find it shockingly effective.

Workout no no's

When working out, there are several bad habits you can fall into. These are just a few habits you should stay away from.

1. Weight Overload: Lifting too much weight can injure muscles and create incorrect alignment of the spine.

2. Biceps Only: No one is suggesting that you neglect your biceps altogether, but if you want to maximize your gym time, focus on exercises that create total body functionality by building muscles in your back, core, chests, legs and shoulders.

3. Abs All Day: If you're doing thousands of crunches every day to minimize the belly bulge, you won't see visible results unless you lose the fat first!

4. The Cardio Clutch: Hunching over a treadmill, stair climber or stationery bike with a death grip on the handrails is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous.

5. Routine, Routine: We are all creatures of habit. If you want to lose weight or get leaner, you need to shock your body -- run longer, cycle faster, climb higher.

Cycling in 100 degree heat...

I believe I've mentioned before that I enjoy bicycling; however, in central Georgia, doing any kind of exercise outside in the middle of the summer is extremely challenging. Before I start my bike rides, I make sure I've hydrated myself, and I make sure I take plenty of fluids. Usually I mix a nutritional fruit drink with water.

Drinking large volumes of water is a must for cycling. Nearly every calorie of heat you produce must be dissipated by evaporating water from your skin, which adds up to tremendous volumes for replacement: one large water bottle of 750 mL or 24 oz per hour of riding.

By the time your feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Drink water preemptively. Drink more water than you think you need, and you will simply pee out whatever you don't need. A good measure is that if you are not generating a relatively clear stream of urine every two or three hours, then drink more!