Real Estate

Real Estate – Cook Islands

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Is there a man alive who has not thought at least once to pack up and go to the South Seas? Well, this could be your chance, especially if you have around two million dollars to invest in a new business. The popular private resort, Shangri-La Beach Cottages on Muri Beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, South Pacific, is now for sale (February 2006), as the owner is considering retirement.

The Cook Islands are located in the heart of Polynesia in the South Pacific. They lie about 700 miles west of Tahiti and about 1,000 miles east of Samoa and Tonga. Hawaii is about 2,500 miles to the north, New Zealand about 1,800 miles to the southwest. The climate is tropical, similar to that of Hawaii and Tahiti. Tourism is a year-round industry. Rarotonga is the largest of the 15 Cooks Islands and the main administrative center.

The population of Cooks is about 15,000, of whom about 9,000 live on Rarotonga. The main island has banks, ATMs, and dozens of restaurants, shops, and markets. There is a modern telephone and international communications system with Internet access and email. They all speak English, which is the official language, along with Cook Islands Maori. It is a stable self-governing democracy in free association with New Zealand and a member of the British Commonwealth. The people are very friendly, with a vibrant local culture of dance, music and crafts. There is a low crime rate.

There is a large international airport that handles wide-body aircraft. There are around 17 flights a week, connecting Rarotonga with New Zealand, Los Angeles, Tahiti and Fiji. Later connections to Australia and Europe are timely. The main airline is the well-known Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue, the low-cost airline associated with Virgin Blue, which now serves the Cooks of Australia and New Zealand.

The number of visitors to the Cooks has increased from about 40,000 a decade ago to about 80,000 a year more recently. Projections show that it will reach about 100,000 in the next few years. From the 1970s to the late 1990s, the only way to market Cook Islands accommodation abroad was through “wholesalers” and travel agents. These intermediaries collectively take around 30-35% of what guests pay to stay in an accommodation. In recent years, the Internet and email have opened up new ways of marketing overseas accommodation and Shangri-La has been at the forefront of this more lucrative “direct booking only” system.

With its continued popularity ensured by rave reviews on Lonely Planet, Frommers, the South Pacific Handbook, and travel websites like Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, as well as word of mouth from its loyal guests, Shangri-La has been able to avoid the high cost of working through wholesalers and travel agencies. By only accepting direct bookings, they have kept their rates 35-50% below comparable properties and also have a higher net return per night. This has been one of the keys to their success as a going concern. Their goal has always been to provide luxury accommodation at a moderate price. It seems they are succeeding at this and as one former guest on the internet put it succinctly: “Shangri-La offers the best value for money on the island!”

Shangri-La is a small private resort occupying a prime section of seafront directly on beautiful Muri Beach, considered the best beach in Rarotonga. There are twelve luxury cabanas, a large swimming pool, an office and a luxury two-story beachfront home for the owner. Five of the cabins have a partial view of the lagoon and seven are garden cabins. This large property has 4544 square meters. m., about 1.12 acres.

Although there are resorts and accommodations all over Rarotonga, Muri Beach is considered the best vacation spot. There are four small islets in the crystal-clear lagoon and the best snorkeling on the island starts off Shangri-La. Several of the island’s best restaurants are within walking distance, as are shops, car rentals, the Internet cafe, the yacht club, and tours of the lagoon. All island tours stop at the Shangri-La entrance on the main road.

The Shangri-La is next to the best snorkeling area in Rarotonga and they have complimentary snorkeling gear for all guests. Kayaks are very popular with guests, as there are four islets within a few minutes’ paddling from us. There are sun loungers by the beach, under a large almond tree and a nearby beach shower. The entire property is completely fenced, except for the beach of course. The large parking area accommodates ten cars or six cars and eight motorcycles and is rarely completely full. There is space for a couple of rental cars and motorcycles if you want to rent vehicles for guests. The local bus also stops at the entrance of the entrance. Tropical plants abound on the property, including trees such as banana, papaya, mango, coconut palms, and breadfruit and flowers such as hibiscus, gardenia, jasmine, bougainvillea, and alamander. A large garden stands in front of all the cottages on the T-shaped property.

There are several local law firms that handle business matters and it is recommended that prospective buyers consider hiring a local law firm to assist them in the purchase of any local business.

No one associated with this article in any way has any connection to the owner of Shangri-La and/or its agents and the content herein is provided solely for informational and educational purposes for the general public.

Shopping Product Reviews

The secrets hidden in the braid

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Tim has screwed up big time. A mistake so bad that he now has to rescue his princess from an evil monster. But of course, she has to traverse many different worlds, risking life and limb for the sake of her love. Once you have completed a new world, worlds open up. The story, told through a series of books as a sort of boost to the story before each of the six worlds, conveys Tim’s inner thoughts and the struggle that devours him.

In the Xbox Arcade game Braid, you play as this saddened but ever-faithful hero, Tim. In this primarily puzzle action game, there are many puzzles that are just as difficult to implement as they are to solve.

Most of these games don’t have cheat codes because as soon as you figure out how the puzzle works, a new puzzle is formed in the way you plan to run it. But there are things you can do to see more of the story.

Unlock World 1 and the Epilogue

In the house at the beginning of the game where the level selection area is, there is a broken ladder that leads to the attic. This needs to be fixed. To repair this ladder, you must find the 60 puzzle pieces that await you in each level and assemble the puzzle of each world in the puzzle mini-game. Once this is done, the ladder will be restored. Now you can go up. When you go through the door, you will be in World 1. Beat World 1 and you will be taken directly to the Epilogue. You can now come back at any time after you’re done by walking left from the title screen, into an alcove off screen.

Unlock the final star and the secret ending.

Throughout the game, there are 7 secret stars. If you collect them all, the eighth and final star will appear in the last level; when this happens, some of the switches in the level will become immune to time manipulation, allowing you to reach the star and change the outcome of the chase.

hidden texts in epilogue

Other than the last one, every room in the Epilogue has at least one object you can stand behind. If you have the red book open on that screen and the text is displayed in the air, standing behind these objects in the appropriate location will cause a sound to play and the text to change, revealing more information. If you open a green book, the red book will close and the text will disappear, so you will need to use time manipulation to see the 4 secret writings.

Now that you know what you need to do and want to know how to progress through the game and hints on how to get all the puzzle pieces or how to find all the secret stars to access the secret ending, but You can find walkthroughs, forums and other tips at: xboxcheatcodes .

Sports

Premier League Match Time: Arsenal vs Newcastle

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Premier League match time is here again with Arsenal hosting Newcastle United on Sunday in matchday eleven.

Arsenal won 3-0 away to Newcastle in the Carling Cup last week, and they expect more of the same when the Geordies visit the Emirates. For the Gunners, Theo Walcott scored a brace in the Carling Cup game against the Geordies and could once again be the dangerous man for Chris Hughton’s charges on Sunday.

In match week ten, the Gunners were lucky to pick up a full three points against West Ham as the Hammers held on for the better part of 88 minutes, until Song headed Gael Clichy past Green into the West Ham net. . Arsenal created many chances in the game without taking advantage of them. Arshavin had a couple of early runs down the left flank. Later, the Russian fired a cross only to see Song go head over the bar.

Another great scoring chance was lost when a free-kick was awarded after Denilson had been pushed by Boa Morte, but Nasri’s shot, though it went past Green, hit the crossbar. -line.

A midweek loss to Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk should have brought Arsenal back to earth, and they would need a disciplined effort to ensure they pick up three points from the Magpies’ game.

Newcastle have bounced back from their last loss to Arsenal with a 5-1 thrashing of Sunderland on matchday ten. Victory came thanks to captain Nolan’s hat-trick. Ameobi scored the other two goals for the Geordies, including a penalty. Before the game, Sunderland had conceded just seven goals – this season in the Premier League, the fewest apart from Chelsea – but the Magpies’ rampage left the team in tatters. defense of the Black Cats.

Newcastle went on the attack from the opening whistle and Nolan opened his account on a Barton corner, but only after Sunderland goalkeeper Mignolet saved an effort from Carroll.

Although the Gunners are the bookmakers’ favorites to win at home on Sunday, the match could swing one way or the other depending on which side the forwards draw first blood on.

For Newcastle, Sol Campbell could return against his former team, after being sidelined for a month with knee and thigh injuries; Campbell could be subjected to a late test by Hughton.

In addition to Campbell, Newcastle have injury concerns for Harper, Ben Arfa, Best and Gosling. Arsenal’s list of injured players is much longer and includes Diaby, Ramsey, Vermaelen, Frimpong, Van Persie, Gibbs and Almunia.

Arsenal’s starting eleven against West Ham consisted of Fabianski, Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Denilson, Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin, Chamakh Bendtner, Walcott and Eboue as substitutes.

The following players were in Newcastle’s starting eleven in their game against Sunderland: Krul, Jose Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Simpson, Tiote, Barton, Nolan, Gutierez, Ameobi, Carroll.

Save the cam as a replacement.

Technology

Are you becoming electronic waste?

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Recent accelerated changes in electronic technology, combined with lower initial cost of ownership and planned obsolescence, have caused a high turnover rate for all types of electronic products. Superseded electronic products and systems made obsolete by new technologies are creating a rapidly growing problem of increasing amounts of obsolete electronic equipment piling up around the world.

In the United States, homeowner purchases of new space-saving LCD flat-panel computer monitors and new LCD, plasma, and DLP HDTVs have made cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and televisions ) older are obsolete but very difficult to get rid of. These old-style CRT-type monitors and televisions generally cannot legally be thrown away for landfill disposal, so they end up sitting in attics, closets, storage buildings, or the garage at home. Most of us get a new cell phone every year and old cell phones, with their batteries still installed, get thrown away in a drawer at home. All this obsolete electronic equipment is identified with a new term, e-waste.

Commercial organizations can face an even more daunting e-waste situation, as they can replace hundreds of desktop or laptop computers, cell phones or printers at a time and the old units have little or no trade-in value. Many businesses have rented storage space just to have a place to stack their outdated computers, printers, fax machines, and other office equipment. The National Safety Council estimates that more than 150 million obsolete PCs are collecting dust in warehouses, warehouses and closets while awaiting disposal decisions. Additionally, these old drives should be removed from any business related data or information that may be stored on or retrieved from the hard drives. Depending on the methodology, hard drive destruction can cost between $30 and $80 per drive to ensure that no data can be recovered from the drive.

New industries are being created to recycle old computer systems and other electronic waste. If your electronic equipment is too old to be refurbished and used, or is broken beyond repair, you can send it to one of the many companies that specialize in disassembling electronic components, salvaging parts, and selling salvaged materials. Many types of electronic equipment, such as computers, monitors, printers, and scanners, contain materials that can be recovered and used to produce new products. These materials include plastic, glass, steel, lead, tin, aluminum, copper, gold, silver, and other metals. Both refurbishing and recycling can be very labor intensive, so you may need to pay a company to process your outdated electronic equipment, in addition to shipping costs to send the outdated equipment to them.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations governing the safe disposal of electronic equipment have finally been passed into law in the European Union. The new legislation came into effect in July 2006 along with new Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) requirements. The new WEEE regulations will place a higher administrative burden on electronic equipment suppliers in EU countries. Vendors will need to register with waste schemes and monitor their products more closely in order to pay for final disposal of those products.

Under the new law, manufacturers selling in the European Union had until March 15, 2005, to register for approved phase-out plans, and by August 13, 2005, all new equipment sold in the European Union had to be marked with WEEE tags showing a date. code and the standard logo of a crossed out dustbin. The RoHS directive came into full force for the European Union on July 1, 2006, and manufacturers took responsibility for treating and recycling household and commercial waste electrical and electronic equipment. In the UK, the WEEE rollout dates have been pushed back, but are listed below:

January 31, 2007: Deadline for application for approval of compliance schemes

February 28, 2007: Deadline for approval of schemes

March 31, 2007: Deadline for producers/schemes to register

July 2007: Full producer responsibility for WEEE begins

The WEEE directives for the European Union are setting the stage for future e-waste discussions around the world, including this year in China, Japan and South Korea. Similar WEEE laws and regulations are now being considered in the United States as Congress debates a series of e-waste management bills. All of these are currently stuck in committee, but several states have proactively passed their own laws governing e-waste management. California was the first state to enact such legislation (SB20 Electronic Waste Recycling Act), followed by Maryland, Maine and Washington.

Toshiba Corporation recently announced an enhancement to its recycling plan for laptop computers. Toshiba offers free recycling for all Toshiba laptops, as well as low-cost recycling options for laptops and consumer electronics from other manufacturers. Through its trade-in program, Toshiba is also giving customers the opportunity to extend the life of their laptop or other consumer electronics by exchanging it for its cash value.”

Toshiba’s Trade-In and Recycle Program lets you trade in the old technology products you have for the new cutting-edge Toshiba computer technology you want! Regardless of brand, trade in used consumer electronics that still have monetary value for a mail-in rebate. If the product no longer works or has no trade-in value, it may be responsibly recycled for the cost of shipping. Recycling of all Toshiba laptops is free! Whether your pocketbook gets a little thicker or landfills get a little thinner, with Toshiba’s exchange and recycling program, everyone wins.

Business

Benefits of a Specialty Vessel or Personal Vessel Insurance Policy

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The coverage that is not available when adding a boat or personal watercraft to a homeowners policy is what can be offered along with competitive rates, broad acceptance, and specialized coverage for boat and personal watercraft (PWC) owners.

These policies may include:

• Consequential sinking, explosion, fire, or collision caused by wear, latent defect, or mechanical breakdown.

• Subject to local customs, as long as the boat is winterized according to manufacturer’s specifications, frost damage to the boat and engine(s).

• No charges for improvement or depreciation. Example, a six year old bimini top breaks during a wind storm; it will be replaced with a new one instead of paying a small percentage of its original value.

Policy features:

Agreed Value: Available on any vessel eligible for physical damage coverage. In the event of a total loss, this country bases the rating regardless of actual cash value. Optional for full coverage policies. Protects against depreciation.

Total Loss Replacement – ​​Available on newly purchased boats up to one year old. In case of total loss, replace the insured boat with a new boat. For boats older than five model years. They pay the purchase price. Protects against depreciation and inflation.

Boating: Coverage applies to all inland waterways and all bodies of water within 75 miles of the US and Canada; 125 = mileage limit endorsement.

Environmental damage: coverage for disposal of debris and fuel spills included in all policies.

Roadside Coverage – Covers breakdowns while the boat is in tow, even if the towing vehicle is not insured by the insurance company.

Water sports activities, water skiing, wakeboarding, included with civil liability and medical payment coverage.

Replacement costs for items on board -Offers primary coverage for personal effects and fishing equipment.

Emergency On-Water Towing – Provides reimbursement for labor and on-water towing costs when the vessel becomes disabled on the water.

Propulsion Plus – Provides coverage for the lower unit of an outboard motor and the upper and lower units of a stern drive, in the event of mechanical failure, including those caused by wear and tear.

Vanishing Deductibles: Deductibles are reduced by 25 percent for each claim-free policy period. After four claim-free policy periods, the deductible is zero.

Small Claims Forgiveness: Premium does not increase if a customer has one or more claims that require payment of $500.00 or less.

Did you know that in the United States one in eight vehicle-owning households owns a boat?

The median for PWC owners is 41 and for boat owners it is 45 to 49.

The median income for PWC owners is $95,000.00 and for boat owners it is $50,000 to $75,000.

Used boat purchases make up 70 percent of new boat policies.

Home Kitchen

Sheet Metal Fabrication: How Sheet Metal Fabrication Can Work For Your Business

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Each and every company uses various solutions in their work. However, in some cases, solutions must be manufactured precisely to fit the needs and requirements of the business. Flour sheet manufacturing is a process through which all kinds of custom metal products can be manufactured. You can order anything from doors, windows, and decks to small frames, machine panel fascias, and kitchen countertops.

What is sheet metal fabrication? Sheet metal is the starting material manufacturers use. These are thicker than sheet metal and sheet metal and thinner than sheet metal. The main types of metals used are stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and various types of alloys that may or may not contain iron. Manufacturing is the term used to describe all the manipulations that are performed on the material to produce the final product. Processes typically involved in the manufacture of different products include cutting, bending, flat rolling and deep drawing, punching, forming and welding.

What are the main types of sheet metal fabrication products? There are numerous items that can be made. Aluminum doors, windows, fences and even locks are manufactured for the construction industry. Support structures such as platforms, scaffolding, bridge platforms, walkways and stairs are also produced.

For the manufacturing industry, manufactured products range from all kinds of machinery parts to complete items like boilers and brewing systems. Many articles for the food industry are also manufactured. These include tables, cabinets, sinks, and canopies. Small and medium size storage and recreational facilities can also be made with the use of the manufacturing techniques.

Why manufacture sheet metal? Companies that specialize in this have the necessary equipment, tools, and experts to produce custom solutions that would not otherwise be available on the market. No matter if you are looking for odd shaped aluminum windows, a specially designed boiler or extra large commercial kitchen sink, the item can be easily made for you.

Many companies offer comprehensive sheet metal fabrication services that include product design and engineering, actual fabrication, and installation. You can outsource the project entirely. This is a great benefit, especially for small businesses and those just starting out.

Sheet metal fabrication and custom fabrication solutions, in particular, don’t come cheap. However, you can easily find services that offer high quality at competitive prices. Compare different companies on projects they have carried out and request budgets with estimates of the cost of your project.

Digital Marketing

Gamification: impressive technique to increase engagement in business

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Due to the unlimited availability of applications and website options, it is not easy to keep the interest of the visitors for a long time. Millennials and Gen Z generation get bored in seconds. To keep the interest of visitors, customers and employees in the product and services, gamification is one of the interesting ways.

Who doesn’t like to play or get rewarded for every victory and task completion? Adding gamification to all kinds of industries is helping companies continue to entertain all of their customers and employees. Are we going to know more about gamification, how it works and where it can be used?

What is Gamification?

Gamification is all about adding game mechanics in the non-gaming environment or on a business type website, educational management, business or enhancing engagement. The main goal of adding gamification to any type of industry is to engage with customers, employees, and investors to inspire them to use the respective services.

Example of gamification in marketing:

The Nike+ Fitness Tracking and Fuel Band accessories help the brand connect with its customers and gather important information about them. This data helps Nike improve its marketing strategy and campaigns. In addition, the Nike+ Fuel band offers users incentives for their workouts. The app also displays badges, trophies and milestones achieved by the user to motivate them to exercise and seek more rewards and incentives.

What are game mechanics and dynamics?

  • game mechanics

These are the rules and rewards that are given to the successful participants and these rewards appear on the digital platforms or in a certain program. The game mechanics has to do with the participation of the participants and the exchange of their comments about their experience. Examples of rewards such as levels, points, badges, progress reports, etc. It is the most visible part and the main focus of the gamification process.

  • Game dynamics

The dynamics of the game is the set of the probability of actions that a user can perform while participating. It includes the realization of the wishes of the participants and motivates them to undertake new actions. Game dynamics include leaderboards, status, achievements, rewards, etc. The dynamics of the game must be designed in such a way that it responds to the choices of each participant and encourages him to get more involved in the game.

How does gamification work?

If you think gamification won’t work for your business, do you know Candy Crash players? Humans like to test their knowledge and they like to label themselves with a certain label. You probably don’t want the client to spend their maximum time playing a certain type of game. You can develop any kind of game or quiz, where they test your knowledge and work hard to get to the next level. Human beings equally love competition and the rewards of competition. Also, for many teams, it is the reward that motivates people to participate in any type of competition.

Just like you enjoy being appreciated by your company for your hard work in the form of evaluation or promotion, you’ll also enjoy being rewarded for your in-game efforts.

A company needs to create attractive graphics to touch the points and emotions of the user. Under the gamification offer, immediate feedback to customers and employees, hosts of the next steps to engage them for a long time.

No one is asking you to spend billions on gamification, but consider it one of the marketing strategies for engagement.

What are the benefits of gamification in marketing?

Gamification is an amazing marketing strategy for the brand and gives information about your product. It’s a creative way to target your customers and increase engagement. Check out the bonus blog to understand how gamification helps with marketing.

  • Improve user engagement

In gamification, participation rates are usually higher. Users’ curiosity to know the next level keeps them busy. And commitment is the first step in a lasting relationship with your customers.

  • Improve brand awareness

Who forgets the best experience of his life? When a customer keeps the brand in their mind after enjoying the game, it is a very valuable asset for the company. Because they are emotionally attached and become loyal customers in the near future. Also, they come back to your website and app frequently to check for updates.

  • conversion measures

If a player engages with your gamification, chances are high that they will respond to your CTA to earn the rewards. It will automatically improve your conversion rates.

For example – You are offering a 30% discount on the most demanded product as an in-game reward, there are more chances that the user will use that discount instantly.

  • Interact with your customers frequently

Who likes to see boring popups and plain banners for advertisement? Internet users are often ignorant of such marketing strategies. A fun little game is a good way to reach your new visitors and old customers in a fun way. However, a game will obviously have more commitment than just a poster.

  • Collect user information

Data is an important marketing asset for building a marketing strategy and targeting the right audience. AI can give you the best designs, marketing tools and a game with an attractive user interface, but collecting real data about customers is not that easy. In order to earn the rewards for playing the game continuously, users will be willing to provide their data to you. You can use this data to create relevant advertising and marketing strategies for the right audience.

What does RG Infotech offer under Gamification as marketing services?

Gamification is an incredible method of digital marketing and brand promotion for all types of businesses. No matter what kind of industry you are working in, gamification will work as a plus for you. We try to maximize the benefits of using gamification in your company’s brand. Here are some reasons why you should try our gamification services:

  • compelling content – The game content must be compelling enough to capture and hold the customer’s attention for many hours. We make sure that the content is interesting and takes the user to the next level.
  • Experienced – Our team of developers and content creators have extensive experience designing content for games. We have designed and developed games for marketing purposes for different industries.
  • affordable budget – What if you can get the gamification services at an affordable price? We are offering gamification services under budget.
Relationship

5 effective ways to promote learning in children

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Learning is what children do the most from the day they are born. Every day is a learning process and it is our job as parents to be your number one source of knowledge and wisdom.

Teaching children is not always an easy process – there are days when they will not feel interested or motivated. There will be days when you don’t want to go to school. The key is to be patient as little ones learn best at their own pace.

There are many ways to encourage learning in children. Try these 5 easy and effective ways!

Spend time with your little one

Children learn best from their parents, especially in the early years. It is important for each child to know that their parents believe in them. When a child lives in a loving and nurturing environment, he will be more motivated to learn new things and do well at everything.

Spend lots of quality time with your little one and don’t forget to remind her that you believe in her and her ability to do well.

Involve your extended family

As mentioned, the very foundation of learning for children is being in an environment that is nurturing, encouraging, and supportive. It would be helpful if you ask people who care about your little one (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, close friends, etc.) to help encourage them to do well in school. In this way, you will feel motivated even away from home.

Make your quality time a learning experience

Daily play and quality time with your little one are important. Why not make it a fun way to learn? Read a book (act out the characters!), play educational games, sing fun songs, do crafts, or visit a museum (make sure it’s age-appropriate!). New activities and new environments help a lot!

homework first

There will be time to rest and have fun, but make sure your child knows that all school work needs to be done first. Establish a quiet place in your home for your little one to study or do homework. Check his work, make sure everything is complete, and let him explain what he is learning.

Having a “school is great” attitude

To encourage your child to study more and let him know that school is important, take an interest in what he is doing and learning at school. Be sure to ask her about her day, anything new she learned, or something interesting that happened at school.

Always be patient and encouraging – follow these 5 effective ways to encourage learning in children!

Health Fitness

Joel Marion and Arnel Ricafranca 1000 Calorie Challenge

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Joel Marion and Arnel Ricafranca’s 1000 Calorie Challenge is a program that supposedly allows you to burn up to 1000 calories per workout, hence the name 1000 Calorie Challenge. This is to ensure that you shed excess body fat at the fastest possible rate. I’ve been getting a lot of emails about this program from these guys, so I decided to check it out to see what all the fuss was about.

After going through the entire program, I have come to some conclusions about everything. Overall, it’s a solid program that both Joel Marion and Arnel Ricafranca have given you.

However, the title of the course is a bit misleading. You see, if you’re a beginner, then you’re not going to burn 1000 calories right away. He could try, but he could end up injuring himself by pulling a muscle or literally passing out on the floor.

You have to work up to this level as it will not come overnight.

What I liked about the program was that it changes a lot throughout the different phases. This is great because you will never hit a plateau and it always keeps the body guessing. By keeping your body guessing, you’ll burn more calories with every workout and even when you’re sitting on the couch lounging.

But this brings me to my next point. After skimming through it all, you may find yourself with an information overload. There’s a lot that’s covered and they use some pretty big fancy words that you might not understand after the first time.

But keep digging and read it again if you need to. You will learn a lot.

Overall, Joel Marion and Arnel Ricafranca’s 1000 Calorie Challenge seems like a solid program to help you shed any remaining body fat.

However, there is one thing missing that I think could help solidify your fat loss results.

Lifestyle Fashion

7 Healthy Food Substitutes

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It’s a new year and many are eager to start their diet on the right foot, maybe lose a few pounds, eat better, and make smarter food choices overall. Here’s a list of great healthy food substitutes for your regular choices to help you stick to your New Year’s Resolution. They are lower in fat and calories, but pack a punch!

Do you love chocolate milk but not so much the stomach ache and gas you get afterwards? There’s a new healthy option available and it’s not soy! As a lactose intolerant woman, I normally drink soy and rice milk, but my last choice is wonderful, especially in chocolate and it’s almond milk! It tastes so clean you’d think you were drinking for real! You’ll want to look in the dairy or healthy/organic checkout at your grocery store. They also offer a filed brand, but the refrigerated type is the best. This delicious treat is from the makers of nuts, Blue Diamond Natural Almond Breeze. Even if you’re not lactose intolerant, it’s only 120 calories and lower in fat than even soy, so drink up!

Do your kids love grilled cheese sandwiches but avoid them because of the lactose? A great option for cheese slices are the ‘Vegetable Slices’ found in the vegetarian section of the dairy case and/or produce area. They offer flavors such as cheddar, mozzarella, Americano, jalapeño, smoked provolone and the best thing is that they are low in calories, cholesterol free and have 0g of trans fat! The Veggie Slices brand also offers regular “cheese” and shredded blocks and they are all fantastic, you would use if they were dairy!

Avocado is a great delicacy and when you want to whip up some guacamole or just throw a few slices on your salad, it’s good to know there’s a low-fat option. A large avocado registered as “SlimCado” allows you to eat this wonderful fruit (that’s right, if you didn’t know, avocado is actually a fruit!) without racking up the calories. It’s still meaty like a regular avocado, but has a slightly higher water content, so it’s best used in guacamole. These are about 3 times larger than a normal one and a little can go a long way.

Canned fruits and vegetables, if you are not careful when selecting them, can be very high in syrup, sugar and salt! This is not good if you are looking to make healthier choices. You do have options though! Fresh is always better if you can get it and if it’s affordable then frozen is next best as it has been shown to have all the nutrient content of fresh and canned last. With the economy driving grocery prices to record highs in recent years, more people are turning to canned goods. Check the label and make sure it doesn’t have added salt or sugar. When looking at the ingredients, you’ll want to avoid anything that has syrup, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, or added sweeteners. These add unwanted sodium and calories that aren’t needed. If you can’t get any without these ingredients, be sure to drain the juices and wash the contents well before using.

Is your weakness for cookies? Like many, cookies are a favorite treat and comfort food. After all, most are loaded with butter, margarine, or some kind of hydrogenated oil, lots of sugar, and often white flour. There are many new healthy organic and non-organic options that include whole grains, much less sugar, and healthier oils. A great one that I love is the Kashi TLC cookie. They are chewy but do add some crunch and one cookie is plenty for me so a box can go a long way. Flavor options are Happy Nut Mix, Dark Chocolate Oatmeal, and Flax Raisin Oatmeal. These powerhouses offer low sugar, seven whole grains, 0g cholesterol, 3g fiber, and only 130 calories per large cookie!

If you like popsicles and sherbet as a fun fruity snack, here’s a super easy recipe to make at home and avoid paying a premium for healthy packaged options at the grocery store. I really like Edy’s fruit bars and they are such a great and fantastic option! However, with her recent price increase, I refuse to pay her current price of $4, so I’m making my own. I have small Tupperware cups with lids (about ¾-1 full cup size) Use whatever fruit you have or buy fresh or frozen fruit. My favorite is the cranberry-mango. I put frozen blueberries and store-bought 100% pure frozen mango pulp into my food processor. Pulse it a few times until it’s really smooth and then pour it into the freezer cups. This is great for kids! No added sugar, no fat, just 100% fruit and SO delicious! You can also try bananas, strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, blackberries! For something spicy, add a little orange or pineapple juice. You don’t need popsicle sticks, you can eat it out of the glass with a spoon.

Vegetables and dressing can be a party staple and can seem healthy until covered in a dressing that is typically high in fat, high in salt, and typically made with dairy. If you haven’t tried it or are used to buying it at the supermarket, now is the time to make your own hummus! The main ingredient in Hummus is chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. You can buy a can, drain them, wash them and then dump them in your food processor with a clove of garlic, a little pepper and a little sea salt to taste and a little tahini. I only use what I have around the house, so I usually end up using ground cumin which also tastes nice. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and pulse until smooth and creamy. Hummus is great as a spread on crackers, bread, or as a dip for vegetables, and can be eaten by anyone, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or lactose intolerant.