This has been a great month for me reading-wise. I've read:
- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Extremely sad book - I felt as if I know him and share his pain. RIP)
- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (SOOO awesome!)
- A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare (New Romance writer. I think I'm going to like her!)
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog (surprisingly good and very french with a surpising ending!)
Currently Reading:
- Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel by Audrey Niffenegger - Preparing myself for a creepy book!
- The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- Mattimeo by Brian Jacques (very cute but a little harsh for little ones - still my son likes it)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Healthy Foods
Back in May of this year, I started taking Dr. Oz's advice on only eating food that the first 5 ingredients did not contain sugar. I didn't have time to read Dr. Oz's huge book called "You on a Diet." But by watching him in interviews, I knew this is a point he stresses in his book. So I decided to act on it.
I even went a step further and tried to eliminate all High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet. I began to increasingly see articles on how terrible this ingredient is and even read theories of how obesity in the US grew exponentially in the 80's when this ingredient became mainstream. HFCS is responsible for making you more hungry. I sure didn't need to feel that way. I believe the only thing I eat right now that has a small amount of HFCS is my favorite yogurt.
As a result I have lost over 10 very stubborn pounds that I had been struggling with for years. After the first five pounds, I was able to reduce my caloric intake and the loss itself motivated me to exercise by doing Pilates and Latin Fusion Dance (yea! Andale! Baile muy rico!) As a result I am feeling a lot better about myself and I have a ton of energy.
So, whenever Dr. Oz speaks, the Sepster listens. One of my favorite things that Dr. Oz says is to live your life with vitality. I think that is such a great advice. Just thinking about it makes me happy.
This week Health.com has an article on Dr. Oz's favorite foods and here they are:
Almonds: According to Dr. Oz they are “The best snack of all, because nuts are high in fiber and protein, they’ll satiate you so you’ll never be hungry." My problem with that is I can't eat just a few but I do love Almonds.
Broccoli: At my house we LOVE this vegetable. For me started when my very young cousin was fighting cancer and he'd have broccoli by the bowl. It was one of the things that helped him fight his disease and since then I make sure I have lots and lots of broccoli. We steamed them so they are still crunchy and have lots of flavor. I'm thrilled that one of my 10 year old's favorite veggies is Broccoli.
Coffee and Green Tea: According to Dr. Oz “Coffee is the number-one source of disease-fighting antioxidants in our society." However, drinking Green Tea gives you the same benefits but for a lot less caffeine.
Eggs: I stick with Egg whites and they are so delicious...
Oatmeal: No comment... I usually don't bother with this food.
Low Fat Greek Yogurt: Need to check into this one
Fresh fruit: “The sugar in fruit is naturally occurring, meaning it’s not man-made or artificially added, which makes it the healthiest sugar out there,” Dr. Oz says. And unlike processed fruit products, like juice or fruit chews, a hunk of apple or slice of orange contains filling fiber.
Dark chocolate: Look for dark chocolate that contains 70 percent cocoa.
I even went a step further and tried to eliminate all High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet. I began to increasingly see articles on how terrible this ingredient is and even read theories of how obesity in the US grew exponentially in the 80's when this ingredient became mainstream. HFCS is responsible for making you more hungry. I sure didn't need to feel that way. I believe the only thing I eat right now that has a small amount of HFCS is my favorite yogurt.
As a result I have lost over 10 very stubborn pounds that I had been struggling with for years. After the first five pounds, I was able to reduce my caloric intake and the loss itself motivated me to exercise by doing Pilates and Latin Fusion Dance (yea! Andale! Baile muy rico!) As a result I am feeling a lot better about myself and I have a ton of energy.
So, whenever Dr. Oz speaks, the Sepster listens. One of my favorite things that Dr. Oz says is to live your life with vitality. I think that is such a great advice. Just thinking about it makes me happy.
This week Health.com has an article on Dr. Oz's favorite foods and here they are:
Almonds: According to Dr. Oz they are “The best snack of all, because nuts are high in fiber and protein, they’ll satiate you so you’ll never be hungry." My problem with that is I can't eat just a few but I do love Almonds.
Broccoli: At my house we LOVE this vegetable. For me started when my very young cousin was fighting cancer and he'd have broccoli by the bowl. It was one of the things that helped him fight his disease and since then I make sure I have lots and lots of broccoli. We steamed them so they are still crunchy and have lots of flavor. I'm thrilled that one of my 10 year old's favorite veggies is Broccoli.
Coffee and Green Tea: According to Dr. Oz “Coffee is the number-one source of disease-fighting antioxidants in our society." However, drinking Green Tea gives you the same benefits but for a lot less caffeine.
Eggs: I stick with Egg whites and they are so delicious...
Oatmeal: No comment... I usually don't bother with this food.
Low Fat Greek Yogurt: Need to check into this one
Fresh fruit: “The sugar in fruit is naturally occurring, meaning it’s not man-made or artificially added, which makes it the healthiest sugar out there,” Dr. Oz says. And unlike processed fruit products, like juice or fruit chews, a hunk of apple or slice of orange contains filling fiber.
Dark chocolate: Look for dark chocolate that contains 70 percent cocoa.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Curly Hair: Tougher than you think...
Good tips on how to take care of your curly hair and making it frizz-free.
Surprising tools you'll need:
Surprising tools you'll need:
- Paper Towel
- Refrigerater
- Flat clips
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Remember the time...?
Ok, ok, I'm with many of you tired of the Michael Jackson news overload. But I couldn't help enjoy the legacy he left behind with his fashion. It's interesting that in all the pictures in Harper's Bazaar it is a white british blond female that is portraying Jackson's various looks.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Slide Show: Top Healthiest Brands
From Businessweek: August 3, 2009
Who Do Consumers Trust?
By Tara Kalwarski
A company's worth is rarely equal to the sum of its assets. In fact, most corporations hold intangible value. An important case in point: brand image. Research shows that brand power can account for as much as 10% of the change in a company's stock price—up or down. The past year has made all too clear that a company's image is no guarantee of future performance. The following publicly traded brands are the "healthiest" right now, as measured by ("YouGov's BrandIndex"), which tracks consumers' perceptions across six categories by polling 5,000 people each weekday. YouGov, a polling firm, scores each category from -100 to +100, then averages the grades for each company to come up with its BrandIndex score.
Slide show
Who Do Consumers Trust?
By Tara Kalwarski
A company's worth is rarely equal to the sum of its assets. In fact, most corporations hold intangible value. An important case in point: brand image. Research shows that brand power can account for as much as 10% of the change in a company's stock price—up or down. The past year has made all too clear that a company's image is no guarantee of future performance. The following publicly traded brands are the "healthiest" right now, as measured by ("YouGov's BrandIndex"), which tracks consumers' perceptions across six categories by polling 5,000 people each weekday. YouGov, a polling firm, scores each category from -100 to +100, then averages the grades for each company to come up with its BrandIndex score.
Slide show
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
List of Best Summer Reads by NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106983620&ps=cprs
Top 10 are:
1. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
4. Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding
5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells
7. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
Top 10 are:
1. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
4. Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding
5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells
7. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
I will never forget you nameless man
A few weeks ago, during my beloved nephew's graduation I met a handsome man.
Many of us had traveled long ways to attend this graduation.
This handsome man was there with a family member and the quietest man I've met in a long time. We were all very excited to see each other that first night and I know we are all very talkative people. But not a peep out of him.
That evening my husband and I asked each other if we know anything about him? We both said we've heard he is an artist. Ok... So he may have been shy that first night and not said anything. Or to romanticize the situation he may be the water runs deep kinda soul and he is observing us so that we can figure in his next art work ? Whatever...
48 hours later and we still didn't know this person. Still no more than a hello and goodbye from him. It must have been painful to be so quiet among such lively and talkative people.
But then everything changed when we had to say our final goodbyes to travel our long distances back home. I went to him for a handshake and to wish him and his family a safe trip back home. His handshake was SO firm and he squeezed my hand so fiercely that I literally bent my knees and went "ahhh" in pain. But he didn't seem to notice. He smiled and was forever gone.
It is now three weeks later and my hand still hurts. I have to suddenly let go of things specially if I'm holding a pot. Had he not hurt me I would have long forgotten him by now... He may not have been talkative but he sure was an unforgettable pain...
Many of us had traveled long ways to attend this graduation.
This handsome man was there with a family member and the quietest man I've met in a long time. We were all very excited to see each other that first night and I know we are all very talkative people. But not a peep out of him.
That evening my husband and I asked each other if we know anything about him? We both said we've heard he is an artist. Ok... So he may have been shy that first night and not said anything. Or to romanticize the situation he may be the water runs deep kinda soul and he is observing us so that we can figure in his next art work ? Whatever...
48 hours later and we still didn't know this person. Still no more than a hello and goodbye from him. It must have been painful to be so quiet among such lively and talkative people.
But then everything changed when we had to say our final goodbyes to travel our long distances back home. I went to him for a handshake and to wish him and his family a safe trip back home. His handshake was SO firm and he squeezed my hand so fiercely that I literally bent my knees and went "ahhh" in pain. But he didn't seem to notice. He smiled and was forever gone.
It is now three weeks later and my hand still hurts. I have to suddenly let go of things specially if I'm holding a pot. Had he not hurt me I would have long forgotten him by now... He may not have been talkative but he sure was an unforgettable pain...
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