Casual Articles - Health and Fitness

Bifocals And Computers Don't Mix
Do you wear bifocals? Do you find when trying to use your computer it is hard to see the screen? Do you have to make head/neck adjusts? Have you ever thought about trying computer/reading glasses? If you answered yes, read on.When you finally graduate into bifocals now is the time the fun starts. If you have the line that separates your bifocals from your distance vision; it is a hard adjustment to make. If you have the blended glasses it is a much easier transformation. Either way you will definitely have to reorient yourself when walking or reading.When you use your computer and you have the blended/or line bifocals it is a huge adjustment for your eyes. You will sit in front on the computer screen moving your head up, down and sideways trying to see out of the small area designated for reading.If you wear make my words bold computer/reading glasses it is a much easier transformation. When you sit at the computer you do not have to make adjustments to your head and neck in order to see the screen. You can just sit down and start typing or reading.With computer/reading glasses if you like to lie down and read this is possible. When you have computer/reading glasses they can be tinted to relieve computer glare. Your eyes will love you.Thank you for reading my article. Please feel free to read my numerous articles.Copyright 2006 Linda E. Meckler

nervous system, contributing to spiritual practice and development. Ghee is one of the four mahasneha (great fats) revered in Ayurveda. Sneha, or fat, is a synonym of love, and ghee nurtures the quality of our love and devotion.

Natural Sweeteners

Sattvic natural sweeteners include: raw honey, jaggery, dehydrated cane sugar, stevia, date sugar, molasses, malted grain syrups, and sorghum syrup. The above sweeteners should still be used in moderation so as to not upset blood sugar levels, a prime cause of mental and emotional instability. As with all foods, choose organic sources for your sweeteners.

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Sattvic non-animal fats include: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or butter, palm oil, flax oil, and sesame oil. Avoid the use of safflower, cottonseed, sunflower, canola, soy, cottonseed, and corn, and especially hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated trans fats. These oils all contribute to a number of health challenges.

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on

Improving Your Credit Score
Can I improve My Credit Score? The first and most essential trick to improving your credit score is insuring the accuracy of each of your credit reports. Only after you are certain of their accuracy should you begin planning other steps to improving your credit score.Your credit score can be improved and maintained at its peak... if you know how to do it. I recommend reading Credit Score Basics in conjunction with this article.Scoring models such as FICO (Fair Isaac scoring model) generally evaluate the following types of information in your credit report and are weighted as suggested by the percent shown:On Time Payment - 35%Have you paid your bills on time? Payment history typically is a significant factor. Your score will be affected negatively if you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, had a repossession, or declared bankruptcy. The age of the positive or negative comment is also important in this factor. For example, a 90 day late payment 3 years ago may be less important than a 30 day late last month. The more current the factor, the greater the weight.Amount Owed Versus Capacity - 30%What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models evaluate the amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, that is likely to have a negative effect on your score. Authorities suggest 30%-60% is de

Introduction

The three gunas or qualities of Nature are sattva (purity or transcendence), rajas (activity and distraction), and tamas (inertia or ignorance). These qualities are present in all foods and have a profound influence on the mind and spiritual development.

Tamasic foods are processed, artificial, devitalized, overcooked, or putrefied. Not only do they destroy physical health, they also promote spiritual unconsciousness, psychological unhappiness, and violence. Examples include canned foods, white sugar and flour, alcohol, and factory meat and dairy.

Rajasic foods are stimulating and develop active qualities. These foods are not necessarily harmful, and are often strengthening and useful for the body. In excess, they can create disturbance in the mind and emotions and desire for worldly things. Examples include spicy foods, garlic, and meat.

The sattvic diet promotes and peaceful, clear mind. As things that are similar in nature increase one another, the foods that make up the sattvic diet are themselves peaceful (non-stimulating) and clear (free from impurities). Sattvic foods are properly prepared according to traditional methods. Many modern methods of food preparation have effects on food that make them rajasic or tamasic and deteriorate health.

The sattvic diet emphasizes whole organically grown foods that are raw or freshly cooked (not micro-waved), as well as “raw-cooked” or lacto-fermented foods. Preferably, the diet will include many locally produced foods, especially foods that you have personally played a role in producing and that therefore strengthen your attunement with your natural environment.

It is predominantly a lacto-vegetarian diet that highly values dairy, but avoids other animal products including eggs, fish, and meat. A sattvic diet excludes artificial food processing and altering as much as possible. Unfortunately, this includes a disturbing percentage of modern food staples.

It should be noted that though pure, the avoidance of meat means that this is not necessarily the greatest physical strength-promoting diet, nor is it intended to be, as its focus is primarily spiritual, not physical. The exclusion of animal products apart from dairy also excludes some important nutrients obtainable exclusively from animal products. For this reason, it will not be right for all people all of the time, but can generally be safely followed with wonderful benefits for shorter or longer time periods for different constitutions, especially in conjunction with spiritual retreat or seclusion.

Whether meat is included in the diet or not, everyone will reap physical and spiritual benefits from including a greater amount of fresh, local, organically and sustainably grown foods, preparing foods properly, and avoiding commercially produced and processed foods.

Categories of Sattvic Foods

Whole Grains

Paramhansa Yogananda on processed white flour: “…there is no excuse for any sane and intelligent person killing himself or dragging about half alive due to the consumption of devitalized or wrongly selected food.”

Whole grains are generally quite sattvic, but should be soaked to neutralize unhealthy and devitalizing factors (mainly phytic acid) and make them easier to digest. In the case of flour, grains are best freshly milled to avoid rancidity. The flour can then be soaked with the wet ingredients, or flour from sprouted grains can be used. Slow cooking is generally preferred, and pressure cooking is not recommended as the high heat may overly denature proteins.

Cold breakfast cereals and granola should be avoided as their cooking and manufacturing processes render the grains somewhat toxic and indigestible.

Soaked porridge is an excellent way to prepare grains. Rinse and soak the grains at least overnight in pure warm water with a little organic yogurt, kefir, whey, or buttermilk. The cooking time will depend on hardness of the grain. The porridge can be served with flax seeds or nuts, raw butter or cream, and a natural sweetener. Homemade bread is also wonderful.

Raw Dairy

Sattvic dairy foods include: raw milk, cream, butter, ghee (clarified butter), soft raw-milk cheeses, and fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or whey.

Dairy is a very spiritual food with wonderful health benefits for body, mind, and soul. In its natural state it can be taken abundantly. Its qualities are changed dramatically by modern practices however, and turn a sattvic food into a tamasic food with deleterious effects on health. These practices include torturous environments for cows, grain and chemical feed, additional growth hormones, pasteurization and homogenization. The consumer then takes in the physical, emotional, and spiritual toxins associated with these practices.

The very best source of milk is from organic pasture fed cows, especially in the spring and fall seasons when the cows feed on the fast-growing grass. It should be taken raw, but if raw milk is not tolerated, it is also excellent cultured.

Of all dairy products, ghee (clarified butter), is especially important. It is the most refined essence of milk, and the transformation from milk to ghee is likened to the transformation from rasa (plasma) to ojas (vital spiritual force). Ghee serves as a vehicle for many medicines in Ayurveda, carrying their qualities deep into the tissues. It is especially rejuvenating for the brain and nervous system, contributing to spiritual practice and development. Ghee is one of the four mahasneha (great fats) revered in Ayurveda. Sneha, or fat, is a synonym of love, and ghee nurtures the quality of our love and devotion.

Natural Sweeteners

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on

Returning to Qui Nhon - 1971 - Federal Electric Corporation (FEC)
By early 1971 the situation in Vietnam became so unstable that I was more afraid of being robbed and killed by one of our Vietnamese Allies than I was the communists. I returned to Vietnam after being discharged from the U.S. Army. I took a job with the Federal Electric Corporation (FEC). This company had a contract with the U.S. Army to assume responsibility for the military telephone system in Vietnam and later Thailand. Basically I returned to Vietnam for fun and adventure; not the money. This company was one cheap Charlie outfit. Anyway I am back in Qui Nhon in early 1971 and I could really sense that something was different in this coastal city.American was withdrawing from Vietnam. The more U.S. military personnel that left Qui Nhon the more dangerous the city became. There were hoodlums just about everywhere. They were called the cowboys by the Americans. Besides just out and out robbing you these punks would rip off your watch, camera, and anything else you might be carrying. One of their favorite tricks was to jerk your watch off of your arm and run off or hop on a Honda 50. . My boss lost his Rolex this way. As long as you were inside military facilities you were safe but once on the outside you had better watch your surroundings.As civilian contractors we were not allowed to have weapons. Be assured many of us acquired weapons. In Qui Nhon departing GIs would often give me weapons. I never

raw or freshly cooked (not micro-waved), as well as “raw-cooked” or lacto-fermented foods. Preferably, the diet will include many locally produced foods, especially foods that you have personally played a role in producing and that therefore strengthen your attunement with your natural environment.

Categories of Sattvic Foods

Whole Grains

Cold breakfast cereals and granola should be avoided as their cooking and manufacturing processes render the grains somewhat toxic and indigestible.

Raw Dairy

Sattvic dairy foods include: raw milk, cream, butter, ghee (clarified butter), soft raw-milk cheeses, and fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or whey.

Natural Sweeteners

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on

What is Power of Attorney?
Power of Attorney is a legal document where one person authorizes another to act on his/her behalf. It allows that authorized person to manage business and/or financial affairs when one person is no longer able to do so. It may be required due to illness, overseas travel or mental incapacity.Why is it important to organise a Power of Attorney? Should you be considered incompetent to deal with your finances - you need somebody else to be authorised to deal with your affairs. A Power of Attorney document allows you to choose the person, with defined authority and limits if desired, the power to protect, or re-arrange, your assets.The person named in a Power of Attorney to act on your behalf is referred to as your "agent" or "attorney-in-fact." With a valid Power of Attorney, your agent can take any action permitted in the document. Often your agent must present the actual document to invoke the power.If you do not have a Power of Attorney and become unable to manage your personal or business affairs, it may become necessary for a court to appoint one or more people to act on your behalf. Usually referred to as guardians, conservators, or committees. If a court proceeding is required then you may not have the ability to choose the person who will act for you.By executing a Power of Attorney for Finances (also referred to as a Durable Power of Attorney for Finances) you can decide who yo

lly and sustainably grown foods, preparing foods properly, and avoiding commercially produced and processed foods.

Categories of Sattvic Foods

Whole Grains

Cold breakfast cereals and granola should be avoided as their cooking and manufacturing processes render the grains somewhat toxic and indigestible.

Raw Dairy

Sattvic dairy foods include: raw milk, cream, butter, ghee (clarified butter), soft raw-milk cheeses, and fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or whey.

Natural Sweeteners

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on

eBay Selling Strategy #3 - What Not to Sell On eBay
Strategy #3 - What Not to Sell On eBayDeciding what to sell on eBay will be among the most important decisions you will make with your eBay business. It will ultimately determine your success of failure. Many mistakes can be corrected along the learning curve of getting your eBay business up and running and then successful, but there is no solution for the problem of selling something that nobody wants to buy.If You Build It .. Will They Come?I recently worked with a client who had thousands of men's ties that he wanted to sell. He did some preliminary research and saw that comparable ties were selling very well on eBay and because he had obtained his inventory for pennies on the dollar he thought that he would set up an eBay business to sell off his ties. I was hired to help his staff get set-up on eBay with a seller's accounts, a Paypal business account, accounts with Fedex, UPS and the US Postal System and an in-house system to manage their inventory. They even went out and hired a professional photographer to take pictures of their items.I trained the staff in how to run a successful eBay business, how to best present their items, how to schedule auction start and end times for maximum exposure, how to maintain good customer contact and service, and how to package and ship their items. In a month they went live with their first auctions.They sold 3 ties the first month.The owner a

Raw Dairy

Sattvic dairy foods include: raw milk, cream, butter, ghee (clarified butter), soft raw-milk cheeses, and fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or whey.

Natural Sweeteners

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on

How to Start a Low Cost Home Based Business
Low Cost Start Up Businesses ideas are literally lying around, just waiting for you to snatch them up. In fact, there are so many of them, you might have trouble deciding which one you want. One thing is for certain, there has never been a better time for home business start-ups. So the sooner you get going, the better.One idea out of the many for low cost home based businesses that you should know about is right here at your computer. Online auctions are big business these days, and it’s likely you already have items ready you can post for sale.With the profits from sales on those things you might otherwise call junk, you can hit your local flea markets, estate sales, and garage sales for more goods to sell online. You will be amazed at how easy and profitable this is!Another low cost home business that you might want to consider is to buy vending machines. These are generally low-cost and low maintenance, and you can place them everywhere from your large local companies’ break rooms to carwash waiting areas.The possibilities for where to put vending machines are as limitless as your imagination. Ideas for what to put in them range from peanuts to bubble gum. You can pick up this type of item at any discount club or grocery store for a song and pull in big profits in the bargain.You can also form a personal errand service. The need for these just can’t be stressed enough.

Natural Sweeteners

The following sweeteners are rajasic or tamasic and should be avoided: white sugar, brown sugar, concentrated fruit juice, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

Healthy Non-Animal Fats

Fruits

Fruit is particularly sattvic, as fruit, along with flowers, are the most evolved parts of the plant kingdom. Fruit helps develop the spiritual heart. It is best to focus on locally grown and in-season produce, as this serves to help connect you with the rhythms of Nature in your local environment. The spiritual master, Paramhansa Yogananda, attributed specific spiritual qualities to certain fruits:

Peaches – selflessness
Oranges – reforming zeal
Grapes – spiritual love
Banana – humbleness
Apple – self-control
Strawberry –dignity
Pineapple – courage
Cherries – joy

Fruit should be eaten fresh, freshly cooked, or lacto-fermented as chutney. Canning increases the tamasic quality, as does freezing, though to a lesser degree.

Vegetables

Most vegetables are fairly sattvic. It is great to have some raw, but lightly cooked may be best (steamed, blanched, baked, or stir fried in butter, olive oil or coconut oil) as many vegetables contain harmful substances that affect digestion, assimilation, and cellular functions, and these substances are neutralized with cooking. Cooking improves the digestibility of vegetables, but at the same time destroys enzymes and certain nutrients.

So, what to do?

Raw-cook your vegetables! Include some lacto-fermented vegetables (such as sauerkraut). This process actually increases nutritional value, and adds greatly enhanced enzyme activity and friendly bacterial flora, optimizing digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Raw onions, leeks, and garlic have more of a rajasic quality, and though they have much medicinal merit, mushrooms are considered tamasic. Canned, frozen, or reheated vegetables also increase the tamasic quality.

Nuts and Seeds

As with the grains, nuts and seeds are generally sattvic, but require some preparation to neutralize harmful substances. Start with raw organic nuts. These can be sprouted, or soaked overnight with a little natural salt (Celtic sea salt if the very best) and then eaten wet or dried in the oven at a low heat (less than 150 degrees), or in the sun, for 12 to 24 hours. Nuts prepared as above can then be eaten by themselves (chew well) or cooked with food. They can also be blended to create wonderful nut butters.

Legumes

“Beans, beans, the magical fruit.
The more you eat, the more you toot.
The more you toot, the better you feel.
So, let’s eat beans for every meal!”
- My Elementary School

Legumes are known for their challenges with digestibility, but many traditional societies have largely subsisted on beans without challenge. This again, is mainly due to the method of preparation.

Soak all legumes in pure water with whey, lemon, or lime juice and leave them in a warm place for 24 hours. Next, pour off the soaking water and rinse well. Cook the beans until they are soft and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Finally, rinse the beans again and add appropriate spices and natural salt, lemon juice or liquid from lacto-fermented vegetables, and raw butter or olive oil.

The most sattvic legumes are mung beans and aduki beans. Small amounts of tofu are all right, but soy should otherwise be taken only in fermented form such as miso, tempeh, and natto, as these preparations neutralize naturally-occurring harmful substances.

Improperly prepared beans are irritating and rajasic, and canned beans increase tamas.

Spices

The most sattvic spices are mild and tend to be sweet with pungent and bitter notes. They can be taken liberally as they help in the digestion of other foods and have numerous health benefits. These spices are numerous, but a few examples include: cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, ginger, and turmeric.

Very pungent spices such as hot peppers or chilies and garlic are more rajasic and stimulating, and spices that have been irradiated are lifeless and tamasic.

Beverages

Unfortunately, the bulk of modern beverage choices are unhealthy. Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks are overly stimulating and rajasic. Pastuerized juices, soda pop, and alcohol have an overall tamasic quality. Even the modern “health drink” soy milk has some health challenges because it has harmful substances and not neutralized in its preparation.

Sattvic beverage choices include: pure spring water, raw milk, sattvic herb teas such as chamomile and mint, sattvic fruit and vegetable juices diluted with pure water, properly prepared seed, grain, or nut milks (see related sections above), and lacto-fermented beverages made from dairy, grains, fruits, and nuts.

Adapted from Dietary Supplements for Enlightenment: Guidance for Inner Peace and Self-Realization, by Jacob Griscom, CAS

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Get the Slight Edge in the business, by knowing and understanding this principle. READ it, STUDY it, and LIVE it!!!

If you have been researching ways to make money online, or are already making some cash, then you would know that 'the money is in the list-

Caring for your carpeting properly can seem like a daunting task, because there are so many products and options for portable carpet cleaners available. The good news is that many of the products used for carpets have been improved and refined in their safety and effectiveness.

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