Baby Shower Gifts - Perfect Gift For A Mad Mummy And Daddy

There are many different ways of celebrating a new baby on the way the options are endless. It is the holding of a shower party which is the most popular where guests bring along baby shower gifts for the mother-to-be. All presents are normally items that mother and baby need thus helping the new parent in raising the baby.

Looking for ideas on what to give will not be a problem but what you have to remember when buying baby shower gifts is, it is not about you and your likes and dislikes. The new mom-to-be may not have the same opinion on what you see as pretty or not. Stick with the essentials and you can not go far wrong. By doing this you know that your baby shower gift will be truly appreciated especially if it helps towards reducing the new parents cost allowance in raising the baby.

If you are not sure of what the essentials are then the list below may help you decide on what to bring as your gift to the party.
  1. Diapers may not be the most fanciful of gifts to bestow but certainly the most practical. We all know that you can never have too many diapers of which mummy will find out a little later when baby is here. Diapers can be very costly so I am sure that this baby shower gift will not be snubbed. You have two types of diaper the deposable or cloth. A tip for the parent, if you receive cloth and dont intend to use them then why not cut into neat square strips and use for baby flannels you will need them come bath time.
  2. Bottles and Pacifiers are fabulous gift items but need to be chosen with care e.g. colours, pacifiers in blue dont suit little girls or vice or versa. This sort of gift picking can be a nightmare because baby can be picky on what they are comfortable and content with. 
  3. If you choose to buy baby clothes as your baby shower gift always go for a size bigger or bigger again as babies are not babies for long. Selecting what clothes to buy will be a lot simpler if the sex of the baby is known or the month baby is due. By having this information under your hat your choice regarding colours and which outfit for the season will make your task easier. 
  4. Toys make ideal presents but once again the sex of the baby is definitely a plus to know. You can help boost babys mind with self educational stuff, things like classic story baby books, video and music CDs even cuddly bears which often becomes babys companion at bedtime. 
  5. Bath time and babies, they either love or hate the water. For babies that love to splash then perfect gifts are baby shower bath toys. For infants who are dubious in taking the plunge you have to make this experience as enjoyable as you can by giving little excites like cute rubber ducks bright and colourful. Scented bath rubs like lavender cologne or even bubble bath may help baby relax more. Towels/flannels are among other gifts warmly welcomed for help to easing bath time pressure, mopping up splashed water. This is a time for wetsuits believe me.
If all fails at bath time in keeping the agitated baby content and the baby shower gifts are not helping to overcome the fear then you have no option but to play clown for a while. The more action around baby at this time e.g. a mad mummy and daddy dunking their head under water may just help baby to forget why he/she made all the fuss in the first place.

Smoking Gun In Cancer Revealed; It's The Smoking Throat

OK, smoke fans, the facts are out once again. According to the new and pretty inarguable Cancer Atlas and the updated Tobacco Atlas, which were published by The American Cancer Society, if "Smoky, The Scare" gets his way, tobacco use is projected to kill a billion people in this century. (By the way, wouldn't it be more reassuring if the word "Prevention" was in the Society's name?)

Now, that's what we call recreational population control. The figure amounts to ten times as many folks as smoking sent choking to the grave in the 20th century. And ready for this? Tobacco use causes one in five cancer deaths, or a total of 1.4 million graveward bound souls a year.

Now, here's the good and much underappreciated news: Dr. Judity Mackay, a senior policy adviser of the World Health Organization, tells us, "We know with cancer, if we take action now, we can save 2 million lives a year by 2020 and 6.5 million by 2040."

So here's our bit to stop cancer in its tracks. And we're not going to pull any punches, because, if you still smoke, you obviously haven't listened to anybody yet, and we care about you too much not to give you our best shot. Here goes all the ways we know to annoy our friends who smoke with advice that is invariably resented but not always dismissed. In fact, we actually have two friends who stopped smoking after we had at them.

So let's light up with logic:
  1. If you can't quit smoking, pursue your fetish when you're not around us.
  2. We don't date people who smoke, because we don't want to die in their arms. It's not death we're afraid of; it's their breath and the way their clothes smell. We find both spiritually wilting, not to mention sexually.
  3. Everybody loves you, but somebody you know is following you, everywhere you go, and this person wants to kill you, and do you know who this person is? The person in you who wants to smoke. The person in you who doesn't want you to smoke, while weaker right now, can be made strong enough to toss the sneak thief of your life out for good.
  4. Do you know what people think every time you light up? Wow, what a dummy. Provoking this response is particularly incriminating if you think you're a genius.
  5. Don't tell me you're so desperate for pleasure that just for the little buzz you can get from dragging all those carcinogens into your fragile body you're ready to die? How much do you like Lorillard and the other ciggy makers? So much you need to die for them?
  6. Do you know that smoking is like rat poison? You ingest a little every day. You think you're fine. But actually your entire body is being poisoned. That's why you look yellow and your skin wrinkles prematurely. Actually, if you could do an autopsy on yourself while you're still alive, you'd find that all the organs in your body are shriveled up from the poisons. For instance, pathologists tell us that your organs, instead of being smooth and healthy, look more like prunes. But you keep dragging the junk in, because you think you're fine. Well, you're not. You're deadly ill. And then one day it happens. You go from being ill to being landfill.
  7. Last, do you know that all the blood in your body races through your lungs every minute? That's right. It all keeps racing there to give off carbon dioxide and grab fresh oxygen. Then it races to the far corners of your body with the breath of life. Unfortunately, it also drags the carcinogens along for the ride. That's why, for instance, women who smoke often get breast cancer; breasts are very vascular and so they're a frequent drop-off point for the poison.
Worst of all, if you die, you can't read NewsLaugh anymore. Talk about sad. So stop it already.
source: newslaugh.com

The 4 Key Components of a Healthy Meal Plan

Did you know that organic coconut oil is actually a healthy fat?
Most people admit to feeling a little overwhelmed when it comes to developing a healthy meal plan. In fact, I would guess that’s the biggest reason why most people fail when it comes to a diet of any kind. If it’s too complicated or too difficult, there’s no way you are going to stick with a plan for weight loss. And that’s where most diets lose you—there’s always a mile-long list of what you can eat and what’s forbidden. Or you have to count calories and carbs, which means you have to jot everything down in a book.

Let’s be realistic—none of that is going to happen long-term when you are busy and always on the go.

I like to break down my healthy meal planning into four blocks. If you incorporate each of these four blocks into your daily routine, at every meal and every snack, then you have mastered the Diet Solution Program. Sound too easy to be true? It’s no gimmick—just plain common sense that takes the guesswork out of eating right to lose weight. Here are the four components you should use with every meal:

Vegetables
As you were growing up, I bet your parents told you to “Eat your greens!” As with most of the things our parents tried to teach us, this healthy eating tip is absolutely true. You should incorporate a serving or two of veggies with every meal and every snack.

They will provide you with essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. They also contain fiber, which will help keep you regular and also helps to keep you feeling satiated between meals.

Remember that foods like corn and peas are actually not vegetables, but legumes and grains. Limit your intake of those, and opt for vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, celery, and peppers instead.

Healthy Fats
You should absolutely eat fat with every meal, and I am including snacks in this as well. Healthy fats are MUFAs or PUFAs that give your body the kinds of essential fatty acids you need to thrive. Healthy fats can also help you feel satiated between meals, which is what helps you to stay on the straight and narrow with your healthy eating plan, resisting the urge to binge eat. Healthy fats include olive oil, organic butter, coconut oil, raw nuts, nut butters, and avocadoes.

Water
Water should be your go-to beverage of choice while making the healthy eating switch. In fact, you should be drinking water not just with every meal, but between meals as well. The old adage about drinking 8 glasses of water per day is outdated. Instead, you should be aiming for half your body weight in ounces of water per day—more than that if you work out.

Why so much water? Studies show that most Americans are slightly dehydrated. Dehydration can actually register in the brain as hunger rather than thirst. So by drinking enough water, you are keeping your body from feeling hungry, and that keeps you from eating more food than you should.

Protein
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a big believer in the power of protein. That’s why it’s an essential building block of a healthy diet and should be included in every meal, even snacks. Protein provides your body with essential amino acids you need for neural and cognitive processes. In addition, it has a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar, evening out those highs and lows that can cause you to eat everything in sight.

Not all proteins are created equal, though. I am a fan of whole organic eggs, all-natural cuts of meat, raw nuts, and nut butters. Stay away from fatty sources of protein, meats that contain nitrites or nitrates, and soy products. Those types of proteins can be detrimental to a healthy diet.

Building the perfect meal is easy when you follow the Diet Solution Program. Simply build these four nutritional blocks into every meal and snack, and you should begin seeing results in no time at all!

Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs

This is the list of my favorite best healing plants. Herbs are really effective in the healing process and most of a pharmaceutical products are based on it.

Ginkgo Biloba increase mental clarity and concentration, as well as increasing alertness and short term memory retention
1 Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs
Aloe vera can be used to treat inflammation, arthritis, stomach ulcers or diabetes.
2 Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs
Peppermint helps with indigestion and relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract.
3 Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs
Melissa officinalis is a great plant, it help your nerves, ensure better sleep and has antibacterial and antiviral effect especially on herpes family of viruses.
4 Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs
Chamomile can be used as a mild sedative, is good for insomnia and for many nervous conditions.
5 Top 5 Medicinal Plants Herbs

Credits : www.allpics4u.com

12 Days of Christmas Fat Loss Tips

Over the festive period you can gain well over 5 pounds.

You should let your hair down and enjoy every moment but rather than busting your butt for the first 3 months of the year trying to work off the additional calories, instead, focus those 3 months on sculpting, maintaining or improving what great work you've already done in 2011.

Use some (or all) of these Christmas Fat Loss Tips and you will thank me on the other side of New Year's Eve I can tell ya!

A healthy lifestyle is an on-going part of your life, not a quick fix that you then destroy over 12 days of the year. Imagine if you didn't brush your teeth for 12 days...wouldn't happen would it?!...bear that in mind.

12 Days of Christmas Fat Loss Tips

1. Be Prepared: This goes for every day of the year in my book but no more so than this time of year. Make sure you eat every 3 hours, make sure you have healthy snacks to hand, plenty of water and never go to a party or gathering hungry, it's a recipe for overeating disaster!

2. Keep on Moving: Just because you have even more tasks to juggle this time of year than you usually do, don't use this as an excuse to become sedentary! If a workout session suffers then, run up every flight of stairs you come across (yes in those heels) or try one of my 'do anywhere' Bodyweight Workouts. Walk, run, skip, jump or dance, anything...just move and burn off any additional calories you've consumed.

3. HOW is as important as WHAT: There are so many ways to cook and eat foods. Ensure you either use a spray oil or measure with tablespoons, never just pour freely! Do not fry anything; grill (broil), bake, griddle, anything but fry. If you have a steamer then use it for all your veg, if you don't have one ask for one for Christmas and go into 2011 with a new healthy eating kitchen toy.

4. Choose Wisely: When faced with a buffet or table of food which you didn't have a hand in preparing, assess each dish before you choose what to put on your plate. Anything with color and freshly prepared pile it high. Anything with pastry, sauce, cheese, cream, white refined carbs...don't deny yourself everything but keep it low.

5. Beware of Alcohol: Alcohol contains lots of calories and when you've had one too many, it definitely limits your inhibitions and your nutrition plan goes straight out of the window. A small glass of wine is one of the most diet friendly drinks you could choose, but remember to limit the amount you consume.

6. Controlled Contribution: If you are going to a dinner party, take a couple of homemade low calorie dishes with you and eat that food only. By doing this you will know what you are eating is calorie controlled, natural & nutritious and you are contributing to the party.

7. You Can Say No: You may be one of those sweet people that likes to please everyone (except yourself). Even if you're not, it's important to know that it's ok to say no when being offered something that you know is going to harm your health goals. Everyone else is important but you need to take care of your own needs first.

8. Party Time: As this is the party season, a time for enjoyment and letting loose. At every given opportunity I highly recommend that you DANCE. Shake your booty; tear up that floor because dancing burns over 250 calories an hour.

9. Take Note: It's important that at this time of year you really listen to your body. Some people eat and drink to the point of feeling ill. You need to ensure you keep well hydrated (H20) and notice when you're full and then stop eating.

10. It's All About Balance: If you're going out for dinner have a lighter lunch to keep down the calories and enjoy more food in the evening, but NEVER skip breakfast! If you've been out for a meal at lunch, have something lighter in the evening.

11. Don't Allow Temptation In: Unless you're presented with raw vegetables, salad sticks and hummus as an appetizer then say no! Say no to the bread rolls that are brought out or the basket of nachos and chips, if the rest of your party wants to eat them, make sure they are placed at the opposite end of the table, so there's no temptation in front of you.

12. Care Enough: This list is a guide to help you stay healthy, on track and keep the calories low. This aside, relax and enjoy yourself but with love and respect for your beautiful body, eat and drink consciously and you'll twirl into 2012 with a great start to the year instead of a great amount of body far on your rear.
Let the festive frolicks begin!

Ten reasons to quit smoking

  1. Within 20 minutes of stopping smoking your blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature return to normal.
  2.  Within 8 hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal and your smokers breath begins to disappear.
  3.  Within 3 days your chance of having a heart attack decreases and your nerve endings begin to redevelop. Your ability to smell and taste improves dramatically. Breathing also becomes easier.
  4.  Within 2 months your circulation improves. Lungs become cleaner which reduces chance of infection. Your smokers cough improves and fatigue is reduced giving you more energy.
  5.  After one year your chances of having a heart attack is reduced by half. The chances of getting cancer is also reduced.
  6.  After 10 years your risk of having a heart attack or stroke is the same as someone who has never smoked.
  7.  You become a role model to your children, grand children, friends and family.
  8.  You save thousands every year to spend on holidays and other luxuries you couldn't afford before.
  9.  Quitting smoking stops your hard earned cash from lining the government and tobacco companies pockets - whilst they knowingly let you die from terminal illness!
  10.  Quitting smoking gives you decades more time to spend with your family and friends to enjoy life

15 Fat Burning Foods - Eating Your Way To Natural Fat Loss

Quickly, can you name 15 fat burning foods in the next 30 seconds? How did you do? Well, there are a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are hyped as foods that you can eat to help you to lose weight. They are also known as negative calorie foods and have what is known as a high 'thermogenic' value. In other words, they use more calories in the digestive process than what is actually contained within the food itself. This process speeds up your metabolism, which can lead to fat loss.

In actuality, it is not the food that burns the fat, but the nutrients in these foods that help in breaking down fatty deposits and make it easier for your body to help flush out the fat. Also, when your body is properly nourished it has a positive affect on maintaining your blood sugar level. Regulating your blood sugar level has proven to be the most effective method to maintaining the body's fat-burning capacity by eliminating the feel of hunger.

Following are 15 fat burning foods known for accelerating fat loss; they are packed with nutritional value and can assist you in achieving your weight loss goal and improve your overall health in numerous ways:

Beans
Steep in fiber and an excellent source of protein as well as iron, a single serving of beans is very filling and can satisfy your appetite for hours. The great thing is that they come in many varieties including lima beans, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, green beans, wax beans, northern beans, and garbanzo beans. They are great for helping to keep the blood sugar level balance.

Garlic
This staple has a worldwide reputation as a miracle food and comes in over 300 varieties; it contains vitamins A, C, and D. One of the most common is the American garlic; it has a white paper-like skin and a very strong flavor. Its many forms include whole peeled gloves, minced fresh cloves, dried garlic powder, garlic extract, garlic salt, and whole peeled gloves. Garlic contains the compound allicin which studies have shown can help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure; it is a natural diuretic food that aids the breakage of fat. It has been observed that allicin begins to degrade immediately after it is produced, so its medicinal effect decreases over time. Cooking degrades its even further and microwaving allicin, more likely than not, totally annihilates any health benefits.
To receive the optimal effect, crush a little raw garlic and combine with the cooked food shortly before serving. Be careful not to overdo it - too much can irritate or possibly damage the digestive tract. Keep in mind that raw, crushed garlic yields not only the most powerful flavor but, as an entry on the 15 fat burning foods list, it is an extremely effective ingredient to have as a part of your health and fitness arsenal.

Carrots
This vegetable contains high levels of carotene, which is transform into Vitamin A. Carotene stimulates the metabolic rate of the body and speeds the elimination of fat deposits and waste. In addition, research has shown that this compound may be of significant benefit for maintaining blood sugar level and possesses antioxidant properties that can reduce the rate of certain types of cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Known as a simple home remedy for ailments ranging from sinus headaches to a sore toe, apple cider vinegar also has the natural ability to accelerate fat loss. Made from apples, it contains malic acid, which is an essential ingredient for converting sugars and fats into an energy source that fuels the bodily functions such as walking, running, breathing, and blood flow.
Apple cider vinegar also have high levels of potassium that has an antiseptic quality , which helps to eliminate stored fats. Pectin is another ingredient contained in the fresh apples from which the vinegar is made; it is a soluble fiber that binds to cholesterol globules and pulls them out of the body. It works 24 hours a day to help your body remove unwanted fat. This also helps remove unwanted heavy metals. Less fat and cholesterol in the body reduces the risk of just about any ailment!

Onions
Like its fellow vegetable in the 15 fat burning foods category - garlic, onions have minerals and oils that will help to promote fat loss by the breakdown of fat deposits and speeding up your metabolism. They also are rich in vitamin C and chromium. Chromium is a mineral that is promoted as a weight-loss supplement due to it's supposed ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and boost the body's fat-burning metabolism.

Tomatoes
Whether raw, steamed, fried, stewed, crushed, pureed, or reduced to a sauce, the tomatoes is one of the most frequently eaten "vegetables" in the United States. It has a high Vitamin C and Citric malic-oxalic acid content. The acid contains enzymes that will hasten the metabolic process. It also helps the kidneys to release more water, which filters out large amounts of fatty deposits. Because it is a "fatless" vegetable, many people employ tomatoes fat-loss diet for a brief period of time.

Celery
Raw celery has a high calcium content and when eaten the calcium is sent directly to work. This pure form of calcium will stimulate your endocrine system. The hormones in your body will break up the fat that is stored in the body. In addition, celery contains a high amount of iron and magnesium; these minerals are excellent for flushing out your system.

Cucumber
The high silicon and sulfur content in cucumbers works to stimulate the kidneys to filter out uric acid, which is a waste product formed from the metabolic breakdown of substances in food called purines. Once this uric acid is washed out, it speeds up the removal of fat, and loosens the fat from the cells.

Asparagus
A good vegetable source of vitamin E, and a natural treatment for rheumatism and arthritis, asparagus is also a natural diuretic that promotes the elimination of fluids in the body. This pick for 15 fat burning foods contains a chemical that accelerates metabolism by assisting in the breakdown of the oxalic acid that tends to bind fat to cells. Its affect in reducing fatty deposits into small bits makes it easier to expend them out of the body.

Beets
This is another powerful diuretic that supports the functions of the liver and kidneys. Beets wash out floating body fats; they are rich in a special iron that cleanses the corpuscles. Corpuscles are blood cells that can contain fat deposits.

Cabbage
Because of the cabbage ability to inhibit the transformation of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat it is of great value in the fat loss war. It contains the minerals iodine and sulfur, which cleanses the body of waste matter from the membranes of the stomach and intestines. If you have a pot belly or want to rid yourself of love handles, cabbage is a natural diuretic that will help to break up the excess fat stored in these areas.

Olive Oil
This item should be at the top of the 15 fat burning foods for everyone. Numerous studies have shown that the reasons for southern Europeans low rate of cardiovascular disease is their frequent use of olive oil as their primary source of dietary fat. By utilizing olive oil in the same way, you can reap the same health benefits. Extra-virgin olive oil (nuts, avocados, and canola oil) is made of monounsaturated fat and helps to lower the levels of the 'bad fat' ldl cholesterol and also the blood fats that are known as triglycerides.
The fats that you need to avoid, the saturated fats found mostly in animal foods and diary products, are what raise those levels. That is why it is recommended that you eat only lean meats and nonfat dairy products. The bottom line here is, olive oil, used in healthy amounts as a replacement for the "unhealthy fats," will enhance your fat loss program.

Apples
This is a food that is high in fiber and provides your body with volume; it prolongs digestion, which makes you feel full longer. Eating apples in place of junk foods, decrease the likelihood of you eating foods that are less filling and high in calories. This encourages stable blood-glucose levels. Because fat burning foods such as apples have fewer calories, they are popular in fat loss programs that involve calorie counting. The high water content of apples is another reason why apples are great for weight loss. The water within the apple is absorbed by the body and helps to keep blood-oxygenation levels high.

When this occurs, your body's metabolism is stimulated and burns glucose energy. A low blood-oxygenation level makes your body feel sluggish and the nutrients that you do eat cannot be effectively transported to the areas of the body where they are needed. So, why not add apples to your list, and the next time you feel the urge to have a snack, pick up one and start munching knowing that you are making a significant contribution to your fat loss efforts.

Oatmeal
There is a reason why professional bodybuilders have relied on oatmeal as a staple of their breakfast; it is very high in nutrients. It is an amazing source of cholesterol fighting, fat-soluble fiber that is filling and provides a good amount of energy to propel you through any workout. Avoid instant oatmeal and choose rolled or steel cut oats instead.

Lean Turkey
This is another favorite food of bodybuilders. Many studies have proven that the proteins contained in lean turkey boost the metabolism that promotes fat loss and helps to build up the lean muscle tissue that enables you to burn even more fat. (calories.) The reason lean meats stimulate metabolism and burns calories is because it uses more energy in the digestion process that other foods.
So there you have it, 15 fat burning foods that not only promote fat loss but contains vitamin and minerals that yield many other health related benefits as well. As with any changes in diet or fitness related activities, you should always consult with your health care practitioner first!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/983964

The Cost Of Your Sleepless Nights: $2,280 A Year

Here's a wake-up call for workers everywhere: Your sleepless nights are costing you. And we're not just talking about that $19.95 you spent on the perfect meatloaf pan at 2 a.m.

The average American employee loses about 11.3 days of productivity per year due to insomnia, according to a new study in the journal Sleep. When converted to cash, that's about $2,280. And spread across the national workforce, that adds up to 252.7 days and $63.2 billion down the tubes. The staggering numbers are based on a survey of 7,500 of us working stiffs.

Snooze Like A Baby
But most of these costs aren't due to sleepyheads skipping work, says Donna Arand, Ph.D., of the Sleep Disorders Centers at Kettering Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. "People with insomnia don't miss work more than others. They're there, but they're not fully engaged with what they're doing," she says. (Confession: As the creators of the 101 Hottest Women of 2011 photo gallery, we rarely have this problem.)

So, what's a guy to do the day after he's tossed and turned? Try these tips for perking up in the office from Craig Schwimmer, MD, M.P.H., F.A.C.S., medical director of The Snoring Center in Dallas.

Sleep Better For More Energy
Salute the sun: Making sure you're exposed to sunlight in the morning will reinforce your natural biological rhythms, Schwimmer says. After all, you're supposed to be awake now, even if you didn't get enough rest last night.

Get your blood flowing: Do a light workout before your commute. And we mean light—think 10 to 15 minutes of brisk walking, not a 10-mile run. It's stimulating enough to increase sympathetic activity, the part of your nervous system that controls your internal organs, says Schwimmer. "This elevates alertness and preparedness for action."

Resist sugar: That Snickers bar might fire you up for a few minutes. But when your body produces extra insulin in response, you'll feel a rebound crash, the effects of which are amplified if you're low on sleep. Instead, eat small meals rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, like these 5 perfect snacks.

Power nap: Take a 15-minute snooze during your lunch break. "If you are sleep-deprived, getting some sleep—even small amounts—typically improves psychomotor performance, mental functioning, and job performance," Schwimmer says.

Source: http://health.yahoo.net