Just What the Doctor Ordered?

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented grapes/grape juice but is it just what the doctor ordered? It depends on which doctor you ask. The "wine" or "no wine" controversy has reigned almost as long as wine has been produced.

Research has show that grapes used with rice produced mixed, fermented beverages in China as early as 7000 BC. Early wine in Europe dates to 4500 BC. In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church supported the making of wine as it was necessary for the celebration of Mass.

Some of the oldest vineyards in the United States can be found in the Hudson Valley where French Huguenots planted the first vines in 1677, 100 years before vines were planted in what is now California.

In 1991 60 Minutes did a segment which is know as the French Paradox segment. It contained breakthrough information that showed that despite eating food with high saturated fat and getting little exercise the French had a lower mortality rate from heart disease and fewer heart attacks than Americans.

I like an occasional glass of a sweet wine and have developed a taste for Italian limoncello (which I'll blog about at another time). As with many things, moderation is the key.

Can Media Adversly Affect the Self-Esteem of the Average Adolescent?

It is a huge part of our lives: media. And it is a really huge part of the average adolescent's life. Most of today’s youths are online all the time, either on computers or their cell phones, and constantly texting and Twittering. While they are using these devices, not to mention the television, they are constantly being reminded through advertising that they are not good enough, and that if they are not super-skinny and have a pimple or two, they are never going to be accepted. Adolescence is a hard enough time in a person's life as it is, and it doesn't take a whole to destroy the self-esteem of a young person. They are under a lot of pressure to fit in and often will go to extreme measures to do so.

*** Eating Disorders on the Rise in Adolescents, and Not Just the Girls

These days, we are seeing more and more young people suffering from the effects of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. At one time these conditions were considered to be something seen mainly in females, but with so much pressure to have “rock hard abs” and “tight buns”, there are a lot more boys and young men being diagnosed with eating disorders.

Studies have shown that young people can easily be swayed by the things they see on television and in magazines, and feel that they don't measure up to the actors, actresses and super models that are often stick-thin. It is important that youths receive more education about proper diet and nutrition, as well as exercise, and to let them know that they are wonderful just the way they are. They need to understand that the celebrities and models they want to emulate are not representatives of society as a whole, and in fact, they are a small minority.

***Self-Image Education Begins at Home

Young people are under a lot of pressure, at school, with their peers and at home. There isn't a whole lot you can do about the school and peer pressure, except of course listen when they need to talk, but there is something you can do about pressure in the home. If you have a child who is somewhat overweight, help them to learn how to eat healthily, but don't tell them that they are fat and need to lose weight. This is a wonderful way to destroy their self-esteem before they even reach their teen years. Let them make their own choices, and encourage, don't discourage. Your children will grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted adults who have enough self-esteem to take on the world.

Written by Bob Kelly of Ultimate Fitness Gear, your best source for the Shaun T Insanity workout. Its time to take on the insanity challenge.

Achieving Your Retirement Goals

Gold originally was not used for it's monetary value: it was made into jewelry, used to decorate sacred locations and made into shrines and idols ("The Golden Calf"). Gold was excavated in Turkey during 2350 - 2600 B.C. and was valued and owned by the powerful. Prisoners of war were often sent to work in the mines to harvest gold. Today, the monetary value of gold is accepted all over the world and many people have a gold IRA.

It's never too late to open a gold 401K. A gold IRA transfer is very easy to do. Even when the world economy was low in the last several years, gold kept it's value. An ounce of gold has seen a continuous increase in value and is still recognized around the world as a solid monetary commodity.

Traditional investments are starting to recover slowly. IRA gold has helped cushion the downward spiral that was seen and 401k gold helps reduce the volatility of retirement portfolios. Historically, including gold in a portfolio improves the overall performance.

Does SubmitEdge Beat The Competition?

Anyone who has a web site is VERY aware of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Whether you're a blogger or a business, you know that you and the search engines have to become best friends but how do you do that? Do you spend lots of time and money trying to do this on your own or do you find a company that can do this for your in a professional, economic way? If your looking for someone who can keep you ahead of the pack, then SubmitEdge is the business to get you where you want to be. There are many companies that say they can meet all you online needs but it's difficult and time consuming sifting through all of them. Everyone wants to be the first web site seen in a search. If you can't be first, you at least want to be on the first page at the very least because most people only look at the first one or two pages of listings when searching on Internet. Going further back in the pages gives information that is more obscure and less relevant. Marketing is needed to get a web site listed in major search engines like Google and Yahoo.

As I am a blogger, I look at search engines in terms of: what kind of traffic will they help me generate and how much is this going to cost me? Lack of traffic is the death knell to a site. Search engine rankings are the name of the game. I'm very interested in finding a top quality link building service that works to my advantage. Link building is the process of submitting a web site to different domains to increase traffic. It's needed to build the popularity of a web site. There is a great deal of information going into search engine optimization.

Link exchange is very popular. Links can be exchanged with web sites that offer the same or related services or are blogs that mirror your own in the way of topics and content. Quality content is an important way of generating traffic as well as the use of key words and key phrases in the content and title.

Article content is vital to a web site's success. People don't want to have to swim through a lot of pop-ups or ads or "junk" before they come to something they want to review. For bloggers especially, unique, valuable content is imperative so the the search engines are able to pull you out from the rest of the pack. Content with quality usually results in quality links with other sites.

What Are Exercise Balls Used For and Do They Really Work?

What Are Exercise Balls Used For, and Do They Really Work?

It seems like every day, there is a new gimmick being advertised that is guaranteed to help people lose weight and get in great shape. Most of these gadgets don’t really do a whole lot of good, but, some are really good, and catch on with people quickly. One of the pieces of workout gear that has been growing in popularity for the last ten years or so is the exercise ball. You’ve probably seen them in gyms and sporting goods sections at stores. They look like great big giant rubber balls that kids would have a real ball with, no pun intended. And, they provide an excellent workout.

How to Use an Exercise Ball

There are many different ways you can incorporate an exercise ball into your daily workouts. And, if you are not quite ready to get into exercising just yet, you can still use an exercise ball. Start out just by sitting on one instead of a chair. This is not as easy as it looks and will require balance and strength. So, even though you are not really exercising, you are still gaining balance and building strength, and improving your muscle tone. Once you are actually ready to start exercising, you can use an exercise ball for the following:

Yoga – New yoga workouts are being created that use an exercise ball, which greatly increases the benefits of the workout, and helps with the flexibility, balance and strength. There are many stretches you can do with an exercise ball, so it is the ideal tool for a really good yoga workout.

Weight Training – Once you have mastered sitting and balancing on an exercise ball, if you are into weight training, why not get rid of your weight bench and use the ball instead? It will require you to use even more muscles, giving you a much better workout.

Abdominal Training – You can increase the effectiveness of many of your regular abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups, crunches, twists and others by doing them while balancing on an exercise ball. This way, you will get even more of an abdominal workout, and, work your legs as well.

Exercise balls are inexpensive pieces of exercise equipment, and you can use them just about anywhere, even for watching television. If you are into working out, this is one piece of modern equipment that really does work, and one that you should have to get the most from your workouts.

Authored by Aaron Garcia with the px90 Equipment Shop, the best online shop for the Insanity Workout.

Help! I'm Stuck In A Sandtrap!!!

Have you started planning your vacation? Are you an avid golfer or a novice? Then here's the place to consider planning your get-away to. You definitely have to check into what happening in the Myrtle Beach area before you go any further by logging onto http://www.myrtlebeachgolf.net. where you can book your tee times and accomodations at the same time. You'll find top notch golf courses and several packages especially designed for your golfing vacation.

Myrtle Beach golf packages and Myrtle Beach golf courses have something for everybody. The packages are tailored for 5 magnificent courses: Burroughs and Chapin which is a collection of courses, Myrtle Beach National, Glens Group (includes Glen Dornoch, Heather Glen, Shaftsbury Glen and Possum Trot), The Cats (Ocean Ridge Plantation, Leopard's Chase, Panther's Run, Lion's Paw) and the Mystical Group.

Your stay in Myrtle Beach offers many things for the whole family. You'll be able to choose from top-notch hotels, resorts and rental properties that feature rooms as well as one, two and three bedroom condo suites. There are many recreational activities for the entire family in the area including parks, museums, amusements and shows.

Protect Your Vaulables

If you're the owner of a pickup truck, no matter what the age, make or model is, there's an access tonneau cover for you. Whether you're looking for a soft or hard truck bed cover, you'll find what will suit you best. Choose what looks right for your vehicle while keeping function in mind. Improvement in your gas mileage (approximately 10% increase) will be noticeable right away and you'll keep your items out of sight.

Retracting, hinged, rollup and folding bed covers will let your truck be fully covered to protect your cargo. Fiberglass or hard cover will help you enhance the look of your vehicle. Compare the features you want in a bed cover and you'll find what you want at an affordable price.

Bugs: Be Gone!!

The only cute bugs are the ones you see in books. They're not at all attractive when they've been splattered all over your windshield. After they've hit, it seems like they're painted all over the glass just for the purpose of obstructing your view. To help with this problem, bug shields are just one of the pickup truck accessories you'll find at RealTruck.com.

They carry a complete selection of floor mats, running boards (which I have on my vehicle and absolutely love), nerf bars, trailer hitches and more. Customize your truck with affordable top quality brand name accessories. Many items are shipped free. Selection and customer satisfaction are just a mouse click away.

A Rose By Any Other Name....

Pioneers carried the first roses West in their covered wagons. With today's roses, it's all about color but in the past it was about fragrance. Rose water served as cologne, deodorant, air freshener and disinfectant in the frontier towns. Roses were a useful addition in everyday life. In late summer, the rose was also a source of food with a high content of vitamin C as well as other vitamins.

Rose fruits became medicinal. They were used for treating illness with astringent tea to cool a sore throat and kill bacteria. The early roses had no official names and were sold by their local nicknames. Today's roses are descended from the 18th and 19th century dog rose, Damascus rose and Apothecary rose.

source: Scripps Howard News Service

FREE yes FREE SOFTWARE!!!!

That's right: free software for designing ALL KINDS of things from aluminium frames. Don't think you have the imagination to come up with something unique in the way of exhibition stands? Why not try the FREE software and see!!! You can be a novice or have a beginning understanding of CAD and be successful. Download the free software provided and you'll become an aluminum frame designer. The designers, engineers and programmers have created user-friendly software. Once your masterpiece has been created, you can also order pre-cut materials that will be shipped overnight. So: what are you waiting for??? Your custom aluminum stand is just a mouse click away!!

the magic word "FREE"

OH YES!! A web site that offers free stuff !! If you like to participate in surveys and polls and receive valuable offers, then freebiesource.com is the web site for you. There is no membership fee and emails will keep you "up to date" with what's happening. If you like the "healthy samples section, you'll receive free samples and health offers to help you achieve your goals.

Student freebies are always valuable. As a student, cash flow is usually in a bad way, so why not take advantage of what you don't have to pay for? You can print coupons for your favorite brands too!! Whether it's health care, office supplies, food or personal care, your coupons are just a mouse click and a printer away.

Free samples and freebies are always welcomed and enjoyed by by everyone. if you're trying to quit smoking, you can get a free sample of NicoDerm CQ and a $7.00 coupon for additional savings. If you like to travel, it pays to check into FreeFlys. Additionally, there are great offers for people suffering with Diabetes.

Sign up to receive weekly FREE newsletters and keep on top of all the great deals!

Now's The Time To Upgrade

Is this you? Have you "fried" your computer and finally decided it's not worth the price of anymore repair? Are you looking to get a custom computer that will meet all your needs? If this sounds like you, then howardcomputers.com is the web site for you. Not only do they have custom laptops, they have a large selection of the equipment and supplies that you need to get up and running. Monitors, networking software, storage and more are available. Well known brand names and quality make this a site that customers return to often.

When you log onto the howardcomputers.com web site, you'll be able to get not only a custom laptop, you'll find cameras, projectors and more that are by brands so that if you have a favorite, you'll find exactly what you want. Custom computers are easy to assemble. If you need help, you can contact the web site either by email or telephone.

Not a Fun Thing To Think About

There are some things that no one likes to think about and DEATH is one of them. As we know, it's inevitable. It's going to happen. We can't stop it no matter how hard we try. But how many people think about having something set aside to pay the cost of a funeral? Most people are not even aware that there's coverage for this: funeral insurance. Over the years, the cost of a funeral has risen drastically and you want to have the best that you can for your loved one. From the flowers and casket to the burial plot, you don't want to have to scrimp or take out a sizable loan to cover costs. Coverage is worldwide with different payment plans to fit every one's budget.

Life insurance is something that's also easy to overlook or push to the side (hopefully to be considered later). Young people often feel that they don't need it or that it doesn't fit into their budget. As the saying goes: most accidents happen within 10 miles of a person's home. You don't have to be doing anything adventurous to die. You can be driving to the corner store to pick up diapers or a gallon of milk and die in a car crash just as easily as you can be killed while sky diving. Getting life insurance quotes is something that you can do from the comfort of your own home. You can choose coverage amounts up to $1M with no medical or blood tests or forms to fill out. Your financial future is just a click or a call away.

*~* Mother *~*

"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother. I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." - Abraham Lincoln

"The debt of gratitude we owe our mother and father goes forward, not backward. What we owe our parents is the bill presented to us by our children." - Nancy Friday

"Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease." - Lisa Alther

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." - Henry Ward Beecher

"Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love." - Stevie Wonder

"My mother said to me, ""If you become a soldier you'll be a general; if you become a monk you'll end up as the pope."" Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." - Pablo Picasso

"Nobody loves me but my mother, And she could be jivin' too." - B. B. King

"Mothers are the most instinctive philosophers." - Harriet Beecher Stowe

"The watchful mother tarries nigh, though sleep has closed her infants eyes." - John Keble

It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding. - Erma Bombeck

"My mother never gave up one me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back." - Denzel Washington