Love and how it helps you

 

Love does wonderful things for your state of mind, and it also offers natural stress relief. In healthy relationships, the power of love is strong enough to keep your heart happy and your mind and body healthy.

Stress Relief: How Love Helps

Sharing in life’s joys and challenges is one of the great benefits of being in a relationship.

“When you are in a loving marriage or a good relationship, you have somebody there to share your worries with, to talk through problems with, to enjoy free time with,” says Sally R. Connolly, a social worker and therapist with the Couples Clinic of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. Relationships can provide stress relief by simply not leaving you to shoulder every burden completely on your own, Connelly explains.

You also have someone “to visualize the future with. Somebody who is there for you and witnesses your life,” adds Connolly. A number of studies have found that people in healthy marriages live longer and have fewer health problems than people who are unhappily married or not in a relationship, according to Connolly. Such is the power of love. What’s more, people who are happily married not only benefit from stress relief, they suffer less often from depression, too.

A loving partner can share the responsibility of stressful situations, offer support, a listening ear, and advice when you need it. And when you need to remember happier, easier times, a loving partner can help with that as well.

Stress Relief: Mending Relationships

If you have a relationship with a spouse, partner, or loved one that is a little rocky, focus on fixing it. An unhealthy relationship is just one more stressor that you don’t need, and repairing it can provide stress relief and improve your health — and, you’ll just feel better about it.

Getting started can be tough, but Connolly suggests just reaching out to your loved one. Consider whether there was a problem or issue that divided the relationship that needs to be addressed before you can move on. Or, if you just grew apart, work on rebuilding that relationship.

Stress Relief: Warming Up to Relationships

Not everyone is comfortable with affection — perhaps it’s just your personality or the influence of family when you were growing up. If being affectionate is difficult for you, consider trying to start expressing your feelings to those in your life who you love, to strengthen these relationships.

“Showing affection may actually only be a habit, and people can learn how to change habits,” says Connolly.

She recommends starting in small steps, reaching out physically (hugging or a gentle touch) or with affectionate words or actions. From there, she says, you can slowly build on your relationship and your physical affection. “Congratulate yourself each time that you stretch out of your comfort zone, and notice the effect that it has on your partner,” says Connolly.

Stress Relief: Learning to Show Affection

She also suggests that you consider what kind of affection you want in your relationship, visualize what that affection is and how to show it, and practice those activities in your head to get accustomed to being more affectionate. Read books about ways of showing affection, or look for examples in movies or television shows.

“Think about affection and how much you care about the person that you want to show affection to. Think about that a lot during the day,” says Connolly.

Life presents many challenges and stressors, and you need someone there to support you through the difficult times — whether it’s a good friend, family member, spouse, or partner. And it’s equally important to have someone to share in happy times and celebrations. Take time to focus on the relationships in your life, and reap the benefits. Just knowing that you have love, support, and help from a loved one can give you positive stress relief.

Bring meaning into your life

My life can often appear to be hectic. At times, it feels like I overload myself with more things than I could possibly ever accomplish. As I’m going to sleep, my mind wanders with all the things I need to get done, and when I’m awake during the day I catch my mind thinking about all the things that need to get done. Take a shower, make coffee, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, write, go see clients, etc. … When I’m not mindful, at the end of the day I can truly ask myself, “Where did the day go?” Enough of these, and I can ask myself the same questions in weeks, months, or even years! Can you relate to this?

So when I feel like these questions are coming up, I do some brief exercises that help bring me to the present moment and remind myself that I’m living.

1. For 5 minutes: Whatever you are doing, just do it slightly slower. At work, we are all given tasks to do. One time per day, for 5 minutes, do that task a little bit slower. Do not do the task in slow motion, or take breaks from the task, simply do it a little bit slower.

2. Take 5 minutes at lunch to notice what you’re eating. You can actually do this at a meal, or any time you eat. You are going to notice what your food looks like, how it smells, feels, and tastes. As you pick up your food, notice the texture of it, is it bumpy, smooth, wet? Notice what you smell. As you take it in your mouth notice how it feels in your mouth, notice the tastes that are coming out of it, how your teeth break it down. As you swallow it, notice it going down your throat. Do the same with the drink.

3. Take 3 minutes to just sit and notice your breath. Sit in a place of your choice, could be behind your desk, or anywhere. Close your eyes. For 3 minutes, simply pay attention to your breath. For these 3 minutes, your breath gets your undivided attention. If you notice yourself thinking about something, even the thought “Why am I doing this stupid exercise?”, just notice that you’re thinking that and then gently bring your attention back to your breath.

4. Wash the dishes. If you’re not used to doing dishes, there will be many benefits to this one. As you begin to wash the dishes, notice the texture of the plate and the warmth of the water on your hands. Inhale and notice if there is any scent. Listen to hear the rush of the water or any other sounds that are happening around you. Not only will you be able to practice being in the moment, but many of your family and friends will be thrilled with you.

5. Take a bath or shower. Preferably a bath if you have one, but even with a shower, you can take your moment in the shower or bath to feel the warmth of the water or feel how your body is immersed in the water. How does your skin feel? Do you notice any smell? Is your hair wet? Just be in the moment and notice all your senses … breathe.

6. Make love slightly slower for a few moments. As you are making love to your significant other, take a moment to purposely move slightly slower. As you do this begin to mentally feel over all parts of your body. How your skin feels when touching his/hers, how are you breathing? Are you sweating? Is there a scent in the air? Take a moment and really be there making love.

7. Smell a flower for an extra breath. This one I love. Often times I will be passing by a flower and if I remember to smell it, I take an extra inhalation to really get the full experience of the scent. You will be surprised how much that extra inhalation makes a difference in the experience.

8. Be silly. I’m serious;). Being silly allows your creative juices to flow and your creative juice is what life is all about. Letting yourself be silly can also be very relaxing and create joyful situations that are full of meaning.

9. Write a letter to someone close to you … telling them how much you appreciate them. This is not a new idea by any stretch, yet it is always worth mentioning since it is so meaningful. A letter that that person will always cherish.

10. Remind yourself that you are a miracle. This may be the most important. How the heck did any of us get here? When we break it down to nanotechnology and quantum physics, scientists are stumped to figure out the great mystery of us physically being here and interacting and creating symbols and concepts and communicating.

It’s boggling. That’s why our moments on this earth are so precious, and it is a wonderful gift to attempt to cultivate those moments in life that you consider to be sacred.

You get the idea … try it out.

Green Tea: health super hero

Reams of studies have deemed green tea — with its potent antioxidants — a health panacea; it’s been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and more, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Steep a cup in the morning to start your day on a super-healthy note.

Facts about Tilapia

Tilapia is a variety of mild white fish available all year-round. It is rich in high-quality protein, low in fat and a good source of vitamins and minerals essential for human health.

An understanding of the natural feeding habits of tilapia is important in order to produce an acceptable and nutritionally adequate diet and a proper feeding regime to ensure optimal growth and survival of the  fish.

Proper Feeding of Tilapia

Tilapias are also daytime and surface feeder. It means they eat at the water surface and eat more during the day. At night there is little or no feeding activity.

Protein Requirement

Tilapias are able to utilize below the optimum and still produce good growth. The use of sub-optimal protein levels in tilapia feeds will lower feed costs and improve economics.

Forms/ Types of Feeds

1. Mash or powder form
This is given to fish weighing less than 0.2g. to 5.0g./pc. This is known as the fry mash

2. Crumbles
This is given to fish weighing 5.1g. to 30.0g./pc. This is also known as the starter crumble.

3. Pellets
This is given as soon as the mouth of fish is big enough to swallow the smallest size of pellet.

a. Juvenile Pellet. This is known as the grower pellet. It is given to fish weighing 30.1 to 90.0g./pc.
b. Adult Pellet. This is known as the finisher pellet. It is given to fish weighing greater than 90.0g./pc.

4. Dough or ball form
It is prepare by adding water to the feed while mixing until sticky mass is formed. In the absence of pelleting machine, feed maybe prepared in this manner.

Feeding Ratio: the amount of feed being fed daily to the fish. It is also expressed as percentage of fish biomass.

Feeding Schedule: specific time and frequency at which the feed allowance is given to the fish.

Special Pointers to achieve optimal growth:

1. Tilapias prefer smaller pellets and dislike hard pellets. As a rule of thumb, small fish should be provided with small feed particles while large fish should be provided with large feed particles.
2. Feeding rates are affected by water temperature. Fish of all size eat less and stop taking feed as water decreases or increases beyond their optimum range. Optimum production temperature is approximately 28 degree Celsius with a range between 25-30 degree Celsius.
3. Always feed the fish at the same time and in the same part of the pond. Fish will learn where to go to get their food.
4. Do not overfeed. Too much food will not be eaten but will decay and will use up oxygen during decaying process.
5. Monitor the dissolved oxygen (DO) of the pond regularly. Ponds with low DO concentrations, fish will eat less and they will not convert food to flesh efficiency.
6. Do not feed the fish for about 24 hrs. before harvesting or transporting. When the fish eat, they void the waste into the water. Combination of food and wastes makes the water turbid and increases the stress that is already placed on fish by the breeding and harvesting process.
7. Always have routinary pond cleaning and stock inventory. Aquatic macrophytes remove inorganic nutrients and limit phytoplankton growth.
8. Keep daily record of feeds given and of fish mortality. It would determine the efficiency of a feeding program and would help one to interpret if the business was successful or not.
9. Avoid overstocking the pond. It deteriorates water quality, increases metabolic waste build up that leads to poor utilization of supplemental feeds.

Bean Curd (Tokwa)

Ingredients:
1 cup soybeans
1 teaspoon vinegar

Procedure:
1. Soak the beans in water overnight. Change water several times and remove floating grains.
2. Wash, grind the soybeans. Add about 6 cups water for every cup of beans while grinding.
3. Boil the ground beans in water for ½ hour while stirring.
4. Strain in muslin cloth.
5. Mix in well a teaspoon of vinegar.
6. Wrap in cloth the curdled soybean.
7. Remove the excess water by putting weight on top of it.

The curdled tokwa can be a substitute for meat.

Sprouted Mongo (Toge)

Sprouted mongo or Bean Sprout (Toge) can be made from both mongo seeds or soybeans.

Procedure:

1. Soak the beans in water overnight.
2. Spread a piece of white cloth over a “bilao” or tray and put the beans on it.
3. Cover with another cloth; sprinkle water over it every now and then.
4. Keep in cool dark place. This will sprout in 3 days.

This can also be done in a container where water passes through and has enough space for growth of the beans. Wet the beans now.

Lower your cholesterol level

To help you meet your weight-loss goals,we encourages you to eat nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods and to exercise regularly. By following this lifestyle, you’re also on the right track to lowering your cholesterol and thereby reducing your risk of heart disease.

Here are 6 ways to help improve your cholesterol levels

1. Limit saturated fat.Saturated fat (often referred to as animal fat) — from foods such as poultry  skin, full-fat dairy products, and fatty cuts of beef, lamb, and pork —  can stimulate cholesterol production in the body and cause your total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol to rise. By adopting this diet, which is low in saturated fat, you’ve taken a good first step toward improving your cholesterol levels.
2. Avoid trans fats.Trans fats, or partially  hydrogenated oils (check the list of ingredients on nutrition labels), may be  even more damaging to cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they can  raise your LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL (“good”) cholesterol.  Studies have shown that trans fats may also increase the risk of cancer. Make sure your diet excludes foods like stick margarine, commercially packaged baked  goods, and crackers, chips, and other processed snacks, which often contain trans fats; instead these unhealthy choices are replaced by products made with    good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive, peanut, and    canola oils.
3. Maintain a healthy weight.Being  overweight can also cause an increase in LDL cholesterol. For many people, losing weight decreases your LDL; in addition, for every two pounds you lose, your HDL level may show an increase.
4. Exercise smart and often. At least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise that incorporates interval training every other day can also help lower LDL levels and raise HDL levels. Combining a healthy  eating plan withexercise can help further your  weight loss, which will likely lower cholesterol levels even more. The  important thing is to be consistent: Find aerobic activities you enjoy.    Walking, swimming, and biking are all good choices.
5. Quit smoking. In addition to being a major risk  factor for heart disease and cancer, cigarette smoking can also contribute to  low HDL levels. If you smoke, quitting may  raise HDL levels by up to 10 percent.
6. Seek medical help. If none of the above tactics helps lower your cholesterol, or if you have a family  history of high cholesterol or heart disease, it may be necessary to seek    medical therapy in the form of a cholesterol-lowering drug. Consult your  physician to find the best course of action.

Powdered Tomatoes

Procedure:

1. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute.
2. Dip in 500 ppm solution of sodium metabisulfite for 2 minutes.
3. Dry in the oven at 54°C for 9 hours or until its moisture goes down to 7.5%.
4. Pulverize the dried tomatoes in a pestle.

The resulting product is red in color and smells and tastes like fresh tomatoes. To cook, mix with water as needed.

Dehydrated Bell Pepper

Procedure:

1. Select fresh, mature green pepper with deep green color. Wash them very well in running water.
2. Cut in halves, remove seeds, placenta and stems.
3. Slice into 2 cm. size thick before blanching.
4. Spread on a sinamay or nylon cloth (not thicker than 2 cm.) before steaming.
5. Dip in 5% salt solution for 30 minutes.
6. Blanch steam for 2 minutes.
7. Dry at a 60°C-65°C for 7-8 hours.
8. Pack in plastic bags.