Tours Travel

Italy By Train – Holidays That Cost The Earth Nothing

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Before the arrival of the Channel Tunnel and after the Eurostar, traveling by train to Italy was quite an undertaking. Once he had negotiated the British Rail part of the journey and the cross-channel ferry, there was the prospect of an uncomfortable night in a sleeping car. Many people can still be intimidated by the prospect of a 600+ mile journey through at least 3 countries and opt to hop on a plane.

These days, thankfully, we can put aside any concerns you may have. Plus, with airports and flying becoming an increasingly dehumanizing experience, there are more reasons than ever to choose a greener, more civilized mode of travel.

I left the beautifully restored St. Pancras International aboard the Eurostar. Although more expensive, I recommend Leisure Select (formerly 1st Class) as it has more space to spread out, tasty food, and free drinks to get you in the vacation mood. You can then sit back and take in the views as the Kent countryside and northern France flash by, before you know it (well 2 hours 15 minutes actually) you’re in Paris!

Arriving at Gare du Nord I took the RER to Gare de Lyon, changing trains at Châtelet Les Halles. The journey takes about 20 minutes. However, if you don’t feel like lugging your suitcase via the metro, take a taxi. It can be a bit longer by taxi, depending on traffic, though you do get the benefit of seeing some glimpses of Paris and the Seine and not have to worry about taking the wrong train or dealing with your luggage. Better still, give yourself 3 or 4 hours in Paris or stay overnight in a hotel and stroll along the banks of the Seine, through the Jardins des Tuileries or around Notre Dame and Ile St. Louis. Whichever method you choose to cross Paris, I would always allow 1 hour to 90 minutes between the two stations to ensure you have plenty of time and can enjoy the experience.

My destination was Dijon, chosen because it is a good place to take a break on your trip and it is a very attractive medieval city. The TGV from Paris gets you there in about 1 hour 40 minutes, passing through beautiful French countryside. I spent the night at the 4 star Mercure Dijon Clemenceau. The hotel is about a mile from the station, a 5-10 minute taxi ride, and is very convenient. There are 2 and 3 star hotels closer to the station.

Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep and the classic French breakfast of croissant and coffee, I continued my journey from Dijon to Milan, changing trains in Bern. The benefit of this route is that you enjoy a more scenic route to Italy, through the Swiss Alps and, in this case, the beautiful Bernese Oberland. You can also ride another elegant TGV followed by the Cisalpino tilting train that meanders towards Milan. Traveling on day trains, you get the benefit of all the stunning views from the comfort of your seat.

If you’re in a hurry, you can reach Milan in a day from London or travel overnight on a sleeper train. Although I prefer the more relaxed day trip.

Technology

Top 5 PHP Based Ecommerce Platforms That Can Meet Your Business Needs

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PHP is considered one of the most popular programming languages ​​of the moment, powering millions of websites and web applications. The server-side scripting language has been consistently used for complex and demanding tasks, including the development of e-commerce platforms. PHP-based platforms are better than their counterparts because they allow the creation of custom stores with a minimum of time and effort.

With so many options available, it can be daunting to select the best of the lot. To make things easier for you, we have compared some of the most popular PHP-based eCommerce platforms and selected the best ones for you. Here is our pick:

1) Magento

Obviously, Magento tops our list, due to its immense functionality, versatility, and scalability. The platform powers some of the world’s leading stores and is easily the best option when it comes to store development for medium and large retailers. Retailers have the option to choose community, enterprise or enterprise cloud editions based on their requirements.

2) WooCommerce

Powered by WordPress, this PHP-powered platform is the best option if you’re looking for a store that’s quick to set up and easy to customize. Available as a plugin, it can be used to turn your existing WordPress site into an online shopping portal. With various themes, plugins, and extensions available, WooCommerce makes custom store development simple.

3) ZenCart

It provides a number of features that allow you to set up a custom store in minimal time. With support for multiple languages, currencies, payment, and shipping options, ZenCart is the perfect development platform for retailers looking to serve on a global scale. There are also a variety of themes and plugins that can modify the look as per the requirements.

4) PrestaShop

PrestaShop is mobile-ready, comes with support for over 60 languages, professional-grade eCommerce templates, and modules that make it a highly versatile platform for large-scale store development. However, some modules and templates are paid, so users will have to spend an additional sum to improve the look and functionality of the store.

5) OSCommerce

OSCommerce stands out among other eCommerce platforms due to the support it receives from a large community of developers. From free plugins to themes, users of this platform can take advantage of the wealth of resources available to add functionality to their site. It also provides a shopping cart built with PHP and MySQL and supports unlimited expansion, multiple currencies, among others.

Business

EPSDT Aging – Part III: Loss of Coverage

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In Part I in this series, we discussed the state of Medicaid and the EPSDT — the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment benefit — which covers most American children with disabilities from birth until 19 (21 in some states) years of age. Since 1989, EPSDT has required each state in the Union to provide each child with “all medically necessary services” that were available under the federal government’s Medicaid program, even if that state did not offer that service to adults. This coverage is broad enough to dwarf most private insurance.

What is ‘Medically Necessary’?

One important difference is that most states adopt a definition of “medically necessary” that only includes those services that “improve or eliminate a condition,” at least for adults. But the EPSDT definition includes services that “correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental diseases and conditions.” It may not sound like a huge difference, but it is huge.

This is because ‘correct or improve’ includes services that stabilize someone who is medically unstable (ie, vital signs are not consistently within the defined safe range). So if he is 20 years and 262 days old and his epilepsy lands him in the hospital because he hurt himself badly, EPSDT kicks in and all the services needed to stabilize him are paid for. If you’re 21 at seven hours when you land in the hospital, that (usually pretty massive) bill is sent to your parents’ insurance, and all of a sudden, significant copays and deductions apply.

Similarly, ‘correct or improve’ includes services that maintain function in someone that would not normally function without specific ongoing intervention. (Maintenance is not ‘improve or remove’). By far the most common example is ADHD medication, which is covered under EPSDT up to age 21 and thereafter, depending on your precise prescription, the cost can go up to $300 per month with no assistance available regardless of your tier from income.

A state of exposure

States have fairly wide discretion when it comes to designing the benefit packages they offer to adults enrolled in Medicaid. They are required to provide coverage for a specific list of services, including (but not limited to):

• The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program,

• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care,

• Medical services,

• Use of the Health Center, Rural Health Clinic and Nursing Home,

• Services of Nurse Midwife, Certified Pediatric and Family Care Nurse and Independent Maternity Center,

• Use of laboratory and X-rays, and

• Transportation services (only for medical reasons).

This means they are not required to provide Medicaid programs that cover:

• Prescription drugs,

• Clinical services (ie any non-hospital medical facility),

• Therapy services, including physical, occupational, behavioral, etc.

• Dental, vision, speech, hearing and language services,

• Respiratory care,

• Podiatry,

• Prosthetics, and

• Private duty nursing services.

As you can see, if you’re an adult with Medicaid, you may be very well cared for if you live in the right state…or you may be almost completely without coverage for the services you use most, even if your state agreed to Medicaid expansion. . Remember in the first post in the series we mentioned that the majority of children using EPSDT used it for developmental, mental, or emotional disabilities? Do you notice that they all fall under the “optional” services under this heading? We’ll talk about what this means in more detail in the next post.

Home Kitchen

7 ways to learn how to tile a bathroom

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Learning how to tile a bathroom may not seem important, but it is. If you can do your own tile work, you will save hundreds of dollars in the cost of a professional tile installer. Laying your own bathroom tiles requires some tools and skill, but it’s not too difficult for the average person to learn. All you need is dedication and a little practice. If you want to learn how to tile a bathroom, here are some tips to help you.

1. First, find out how many tiles you will need for the area you are going to tile. This is a relatively simple process: measure a tile, then figure out how many will fit in the space along the top. Then find how many will fit along one side and multiply by two. However, add a few more tiles than this number. You may have broken some or miscounted, and having extra tiles is better than running out. Also, some extra tiles can be kept on hand if it ever gets damaged. Just replace the tile with a spare and your bathroom will look like new.

2. Use a tile measurer to determine where your tiles should go. You can make one yourself, it’s just a piece of wood marked with the tile positions. When making the gauge, lay the tiles on a flat surface with spacers between them and align the gauge of the tiles with them. Mark where the tiles are and you’ll have your own indicator.

3. Align the center. Draw a vertical line along the wall where the middle tile will go. This allows you to tile out from this point and have a well-aligned layout.

4. Start at the bottom, not the top. Lay the tiles from the bottom up and remember to use spacers, so that each tile is evenly ugly.

5. For straight cuts, a tile cutting jig is invaluable. It will help you cut individual tiles to the correct size to fit your bathroom. Curved tiles will require the use of a tile saw.

6. Use grout to fill all gaps. Once the tiles have settled, you can remove the spacers and fill the areas between the tiles with grout. Use a waterproof bathroom grout to prevent water from getting trapped between the tiles.

7. Seal everything well. Use silicone caulk or acrylic caulk to seal any gaps or seams between the tile and the tub, sink, or other fixtures. Run a wet finger along a bead of caulk to seal it.

Learning how to tile a bathroom will give you better control over your remodeling job, plus you’ll save a lot of money. So if you want to develop the skills for the job, do some in-depth tiling research and speak to an experienced tiler for more information. You could be laying your own tile soon.

Digital Marketing

Message from the Universe: Creativity at its finest

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“For the record, you haven’t missed a thing, you don’t even know what downtime is, and every second of your life so far, resting, playing, distracted or not, has been deeply creative.

we’re on a roll
The universe”

Every minute counts, no matter what you do. You feel like you’re not productive because you don’t see immediate results from your hard work. Patience is a virtue and you need to take that time to plant seeds until they grow and bring wealth and happiness. Every little step you take in life is one step closer to where YOU want to go. If you want to be successful, you will do everything in your power to make every minute count. It is important to be balanced and work smart. It’s not because you end up putting thousands of hours into a project that success will be guaranteed. Quantity does not define success.

We all strive to improve ourselves in our careers, our relationships, our family, our friends, and society. No matter what you do, it will have a direct or indirect impact on others. Never underestimate your presence in others. Everything you do to help will have a positive impact on those around you. Focus on what you can give to others, even if it is small in nature. You may think it doesn’t make sense, but actually, for that person receiving the help, it definitely has meaning. The most important thing is to take that first step to help others. Once that part is complete, you can enjoy the changes and smiles you brought to those you helped.

Relationship

7 Reasons to Climb Mount Whitney in Winter

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1 – The challenge

Conquer the highest point of the lower 48 during the most difficult time of the year. The two main trails are the Mountaineers Trail and the Whitney Trail. Both offer unique challenges at this time of year. When you climb Whitney in the winter, you’re working towards it using winter climbing techniques that make the summit that much more special.

2 – Photography

Capture incredible shots of the snow-capped Sierras, especially during sunrise and sunset. The light from the Alpenglow when it hits the mountains is impressive. Snow covered mountains add incredible depth and contrast to your shots. Frozen lakes and waterfalls add to the beauty of the area.

3-Improve yourself

Hone your mountaineering skills with the use of ice axes, snowshoes, and crampons. Stop buying gear just to take great photos on snowy hills that you can walk around in flip flops and surf shorts. Take a course, or teach yourself, and climb a real mountain that challenges you to use the tools you have. Using crampons and an ice ax is pretty common sense with a bit of practice. The trails have all the conditions to practice your skills. The trail has deep snow, long sections of ice, and steep inclines, which are close to death-defying cliffs.

4 – The insulation

Avoid the annoying summer crowds. Anyone can hike a pre-constructed, paved trail, but only a brave few can climb a mountain without a trail. Head out this time of year when the trail disappears under the snow and make your own route. You will have the mountain almost entirely to yourself.

5 – The night sky

Camp under an incredible endless starry sky. The Sierras offer some of the most beautiful night skies. With so many major cities just hours from Mt. Whitney, seeing the stars seems rare these days. Leave the city behind and fall asleep looking at the REAL night sky.

6 – Learn new skills

Learn to camp in the snow. Anyone can camp in an RV or in the height of summer, but what about winter? Bring a snow shovel to dig for shelter from the wind, learn how to melt snow for water, learn how to keep your stove going, how to stay warm in cold weather, and learn how to keep your wipes from freezing when nature calls. .

7 – No more apologies

The self-issuance permit means you won’t be able to use the “I couldn’t get a lottery permit to climb Mount Whitney” excuse, which I’ve heard a million times. (Because we all know the truth is, you really are scared!) Everyone says they want to climb Mount Whitney, and then they always find a reason to blame the Park Service for stopping them. Well, if you really wanted to climb Mount Whitney, then half the year is totally in your control. You can probably get an entry permit for the other 6 months of the year as well. Stop making excuses to friends and family on Instagram or Facebook, and go to the mountains now. Just get up, get out there and do it! No more excuses. You have until April 30 to make it happen.

The details of the trip

Day 1: We arrive at the Lone Pine Visitor Center at the intersection of HWY 395 and HWY 136 just south of Lone Pine, CA. We issued our own overnight permits to climb Mount Whitney and collected our Wag bags. You can self-issue the free permit from November 2 to April 30. Climbing during this time of year allows you to avoid all the crowds and permit lottery system in the summer. After retrieving our permits, we drove 2 miles north on HWY 395 to Lone Pine, CA and turned left/west on Whitney Portal Rd. From here we drove 7.1 to Lone Pine Campground at 6,000 feet to acclimatize. . The Campground is $20 a night and you can self cater a campsite. The campsite provides water and toilets. The camp offers a clear view of Mt. Whitney and the challenge ahead.

Day 2: We drive 6 miles from Lone Pine Campground to Whitney Portal at 8,300 feet, where the Whitney Trail begins. Whitney Portal Campground, store, and even the road may be closed this time of year. We were able to park right at the clearly marked trailhead with no snow. We put on our 45 pound packs and headed for the summit. The first 1.5 miles of the trail was clear of snow. The trail quickly gains elevation as it backs up towards Lone Pine Lake. About a mile before the lake, the trail disappears under the snow and the tracks go in all directions. This is where a good map study and GPS come in handy. If you don’t want to break a sweat or poke holes in the snow, this is a great time to strap on your snowshoes. You may only need them for a short time. You can follow the flame marks on the trees and slowly climb the mountain, or you can cut straight and save some time. Once you get to Mirror Lake, just 0.5 miles past Outpost Camp, you’ll want to fill up with as much water as possible, as this will be the last water you’ll be able to get to before you have to melt the snow. You’ll also want to strap on your crampons for the next steep section and keep them on until you reach Trail Camp. Continue up through the trees to the south of Mirror Lake. After leaving the tree line at about 10,200 feet, head west and keep left near frozen Consultation Lake, at the 6 mile mark on your trip. Continue 3 miles to Trail Camp at 11,800 feet and find a nice spot sheltered from the wind to spend the night. The sunset is incredible and offers an opportunity to capture a great photo.
Total: 6 hours, 6.3 miles, and 3,700 feet of positive elevation gain.

Day 3: I recommend getting up early at 530 or 6 and starting your ascent. The snow will be firm, which is good for climbing. You will also be able to capture amazing sunrise photos. This will also help you beat any overnight storms that may come your way. I recommend bringing two full 32-ounce bottles of water for the climb. From Trail Camp you have to walk up the steepest part of the trail. Head west up the slightly steep snow ramp towards Trail Crest at 13,650. You will need to understand how to properly use crampons, an ice ax, and the proper way to self-arrest in the event of a fall. A fall during this part of the trail could be fatal. Once you’ve reached the top, take a moment to soak in the majestic views of the snow-capped Western Sierras as far as the eye can see. Make sure you have wind and sun protection for this section of the trail. Continue your climb north as the trail enters Sequoia National Park and descends 150 feet to connect with the John Muir Trail. Although there may be long stretches of trail without snow, keep your crampons on! Certain sections along this 3-kilometre stretch to the summit are very icy and bordering on fatal cliffs. After about 0.5 miles into the trail, you’ll see your first glimpse of the stone hut at the top. Continue past the Needles and Mount Muir to reach the summit. Take a break at the summit hut, sign the log, and return safely. If you understand how, you can slide certain sections on the way down to make your descent faster. Once we made it safely to the Trail Camp, we removed our crampons and quickly made it to the Whitney Portal trailhead in 2 1/2 hours. We stayed at Portagee Joe Campground last night. It’s a very easy desktop publishing bootcamp for only 14 bucks. It’s only a mile from Lone Pine, so it was easy to have dinner that night and breakfast the next morning in town.

Total: 8 hours from Trail Camp to Summit Round Trip, 9.4 miles and 2,800 feet of elevation.

Health Fitness

Top Five Benefits of Pilates Exercise

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Top 5 Benefits of Pilates Mat Exercise

Pilates exercise is a worldwide phenomenon, Popular with the general public and elite athletes. The simple reason is that Pilates works like no other fitness method. Here are the top five benefits of this amazing technique.

No Team. The Pilates mat exercise uses your own body for resistance. This type of back-to-basics exercise is now the top fitness trend according to a recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Pilates mat exercise is one of the few fitness methods that uses your own body for resistance. This freedom from any equipment or gym means you can do it anywhere, anytime – perfect for our increasingly mobile lifestyle!

Mat exercises are the original Pilates workout. Interestingly, the special equipment you find in Pilates studios was first created by Joseph Pilates for people who were unable to do mat exercises due to disability, illness, or injury. This is not a criticism of Pilates machines or any other type of exercise equipment, but if you want a fabulous workout with no equipment, the Pilates Mat routine is for you!

Big Breath. Joseph Pilates emphasized breathing, and each Pilates mat exercise has a breathing pattern. Big, expansive breathing combined with precise, controlled and fluid movement results in a truly exhilarating experience. You feel energized after a Pilates workout instead of exhausted!

A complete workout. According to fitness research, the body needs three different types of exercise: strength training, stretching, and cardiovascular conditioning (better known as aerobic exercise). You need all of these exercises, because any one of them alone will not keep you healthy.

The reason for this is that after the age of 30, both men and women begin to lose muscle tissue throughout their bodies. You need strength training to restore muscle tissue. Aerobics and stretching will not do this. On the other hand, you need cardio for heart health that stretching and strength training can’t provide. And lastly, you need stretching to gain flexibility, and yes, you guessed it, strength training and cardio don’t do this.

Fitness methods that combine these three exercises are called complete exercise techniques. The Pilates mat exercise at the advanced level is not only a complete method, but one of the few exercise methods that do this.

Healthy Joints. There are no sudden movements in Pilates. This prevents damage to your joints. Movement is controlled, precise and fluid. This type of joint-healthy movement means Pilates is an exercise you can do for the rest of your life! This can’t be said for many of the exercises we love to do, like running and walking, to name just a few, that put wear and tear on our joints.

Relief for most back problems. Nearly 100 years ago, Pilates discovered that by strengthening the muscles around the center of your body, popularly known as the core muscles, most back problems disappear. Today, doctors agree that most back problems are best resolved with exercise rather than surgery or medication. This is one of the reasons why I refer to Joseph Pilates as the Einstein of fitness. His exercises and his core strength principles are widely used by physical therapists and trainers around the world.

Now that you know the fantastic benefits of Pilates exercise, it’s time to give it a try. Pilates will change your life!

Legal Law

Why eat whole grains? Understanding its health benefits

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Grains seem to be having a tough time lately, with some blaming gluten for major health problems and new grain-free diets popping up every year. So one can easily ask: why eat whole grains, as recommended by health authorities around the world?

However, according to Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and author of two long-running studies, eating 70 g of whole grains a day could reduce the risk of death by 5 percent. . With each additional 1-ounce serving, the risk of dying from heart disease is reduced by 9%. The study also found that replacing refined grains and red meat with whole grains in equal amounts could increase life expectancy by 8-20%.

There is so much to explain about whole grains that I have divided this topic in two. Part 1 covers Why Eat Whole Grains, and Part 2 covers ways to eat more whole grains.

1. What are whole grains?

Grains, also called cereals, are the seeds of some herbs, which are grown for food. The following are all the beans you are likely to find in stores, though not all in whole seed form (alternate names in parentheses):

  • Amaranth
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat (or kasha)
  • Corn (hominy, popcorn, corn)
  • Darling
  • Oats (oatmeal)
  • quinoa
  • Rice
  • Rye
  • Sorghum
  • Spell
  • teff
  • Wheat (triticale, semolina, seitan, farro, kamut)
  • wild rice

whole grains vs. refined grains

A whole grain will contain the whole grain, that is:

  • Bran – the outer layer, which contains vitamins, minerals and fibers.
  • The endosperm – the main part of the grain, which can be ground into flour. Initially intended to feed the embryo, the germ, when it develops into a new plant. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
  • The germ: the smallest component of the grain, which is supposed to germinate if it is planted. It contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats.

100% whole grains will contain all 3 parts of the grain (the bran, endosperm, and germ). To obtain refined cereals, whole grains are ground to remove the bran and germ. The final result is a finer texture and lasts longer. However, the process removes many of the nutrients, particularly the fiber.

Whole grains can still be ground, rolled, crushed, or broken. As long as the entire grain is present in the final product, they are still “whole grain.”

Note – when we eat refined grains, our bodies actually use nutrients to digest these nutrient-poor foods, leaving us more nutrient-poor than before we ate them!

footnote 2 – This is why you may come across the terms “enriched grains” and “fortified grains.” “Enriched beans” means that some of the nutrients lost during the milling stage, such as vitamins, are replaced. “Fortified grains” means that some nutrients have been added that were not initially in the grain.

2. Whole grains and fibers

As you can see from the nutrition information above, one of the main nutrients that is removed during the refining process is fiber. It is the part of a plant food that the body cannot digest. As it moves through our digestive system, it absorbs water and helps the body eliminate food waste faster.

Higher consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, as it helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and stabilizes blood sugar. It also fills you up and is an essential tool for losing weight and managing it.

There are 2 varieties of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Good sources of insoluble fiber in cereals are whole wheat and popcorn (minus added butter or sugar), but also teff, spelt, and millet. Barley and oats, as well as amaranth, contain soluble fiber. The body needs both in equal measure for optimal health.

The current recommended fiber intake ranges from 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 grams for men. However, the vast majority of us only get about half that amount per day, mainly thanks to our highly processed diet of refined grains and our low intake of high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables.

Check out my next post on How to Eat More Whole Grains to find out how to increase your fiber intake the easy way.

3. So why eat whole grains?

The higher fiber content of whole grains is linked to lower overall mortality risk, but that’s not the only reason why eating whole grains is beneficial for our bodies. The bran and germ of cereals also contain a whole range of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, as well as protein, which play a beneficial role. We are going to list some of the main benefits here:

1. They slow down digestion,

… stabilizing your blood sugar and insulin levels. When eaten, refined grains immediately break down into glucose, just like pure sugar. This causes your blood sugar to spike, then plummet, later, triggering a sugar crash and cravings.

Whole grains break down slower, keeping you full longer.

2. They have been found to help control weight

…by not sending you looking for the next sugar or starch fix, three servings per day is associated with less belly fat.

3. Whole grains, therefore, help prevent type 2 diabetes

…through healthy weight management and stabilization of blood sugar levels. Those benefits kick in with just two servings per day (read my post on How to Eat More Whole Grains to find out what a serving is). This could be due to its high fiber and magnesium content, both of which are linked to better carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

4. Whole grains can help lower blood cholesterol,

… oats being a true champion in this category. Its higher soluble fiber content helps eliminate cholesterol, binding cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive tract and eliminating it quickly. The antioxidants found in oats also play a role.

5. They can help lower blood pressure,

…particularly whole grains that are high in soluble fiber, such as barley and oats. Its antioxidants help improve cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation.

6. Numerous studies on more than 20 types of cancer

… have found an association between eating three servings of whole grains per day and a lower risk of cancer. This is true in particular for gastrointestinal cancers and cancers of the oral cavity, such as the pharynx, esophagus and larynx.

Whole grains offer protective nutrients such as fiber, antioxidants (vitamin E and selenium in particular), and phytochemicals that may help suppress cancer cell growth, block DNA damage, and prevent the formation of carcinogens.

And if the benefits of whole grains start with just two servings per day, research has shown that health improvements increase with each additional serving, up to the 3-4 servings of whole grains recommended daily by the Dietary Guidelines for the americans.

The Take Home Message: Eat Whole Grains for Optimal Health

How to do this? There are many easy ways to identify whole grains in your foods and increase your intake. Read about them in my next article on How to Eat More Whole Grains.

Lifestyle Fashion

Organized home: new uses for leftovers

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One of the greatest feelings a person can have is having their home organized and in order. Very close to that feeling of finding out that much less food is wasted. Leftovers are often stored in the fridge until thrown away! Give them new life and save money in the process. It is estimated that almost half of the food purchased by the average household is thrown away. Because? Because it’s gone stale, it’s past its expiration date, there was too much left over after a meal, the family didn’t like it, or they forgot about the stored food.

Tips to prevent food from spilling:

Use all of the pancake batter and freeze any extra pancakes or waffles. They’re great for a busy morning and save the cost of buying frozen, and they taste better too.

Use leftover spaghetti or macaroni by combining with leftover vegetables and cooked meat, add a can of cream soup, and you have a delicious new dish to enjoy for dinner.

Always check expiration dates before purchasing items, especially if they don’t sell out quickly.

Use leftover vegetables and grated cheese or sour cream as ingredients for the baked potatoes.

Keep a plastic container in the freezer and when you have some vegetables left over add them to the container and when it is full you have the vegetables for the vegetable soup.

Use stale or leftover crackers for the crusts by crushing them and using them as you would whole wheat cracker crumbs.

Use crackers or bread as crumbs to fry chicken or other meats.

Use stale bread for the croutons and to make the dressing the next time you make chicken and dressing.

Make homemade stock by boiling roast bones and hams and other boneless meats. Add spices and carrots and celery and the next time you need broth you’ll have your own delicious broth.

Leftover mashed potatoes can be used as a thickening agent for the sauce. Use them like meatballs in stews and soups by dropping tablespoons of mashed potatoes into the boiling liquid.

Mix one egg, a small amount of flour, a little grated onion and salt and pepper into the mashed potatoes, form into patties and fry.

Once you get in the habit of finding new ways to use up leftovers and other foods you’d normally throw away, your creativity will skyrocket, your food bill will drop, and you’ll have that wonderful feeling of not wasting.

Real Estate

Work the law of large numbers but remember that it only takes one to be successful!

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The Law of Large Numbers is a fundamental success secret insofar as it says:

(1) Do enough of anything and you will succeed;

(2) Do more and you will prosper, and exceed even that amount and

(3) You will become a legend.

We have seen how this works in all walks of life.

As with so many successful principles, the LLN seems especially apt for sports. Just yesterday, I read this quote from powerful basketball great Michael Jordan:

“I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I was entrusted with taking the winning shot and I missed. I’ve missed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I’m successful .

If you don’t try, you can’t win. Try more and more and still more than that and you will become an artist whose exploits are celebrated forever.

Having said this, let me temper The Law of Large Numbers with this caveat:

IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO SUCCEED!

This is a critical corollary of the LLN. Yes, you have to take a lot of tries, but if you hit that final shot at the buzzer, JUST THAT SHOT, you will be the winner of the game.

The key is to stay in the race long enough to be competitive, spot your opportunity when it presents itself, and seize the opportunity—these things position you for victory.

Let’s say you’re a seller and you haven’t closed a deal for days, weeks, or months. This happens, by the way, more often than you might think, especially during long races.

You’re in a slump, period.

How do you dig your way out? You do it with repeated efforts, an LLN campaign, as I’ve noted elsewhere. But what do you tell yourself to overcome the inevitable obstacles and future rejections that you will encounter on the road to recovery?

Repeat this phrase:

ONLY ONE IS NEEDED!

Sure, you daydream about having so many deals that you’re plagued by an embarrassment of riches. Or, you have the recurring nightmare that you’re so deep in the hole that you have to step up and hit a succession of non-stop grand slams just to get back in the game.

These grand images will only hinder your success. They will make it sound like you have to achieve gigantic, world-class results just to qualify.

And that is an absolutely false and destructive thought.

All you need is to get on the board one score at a time to get out of the hole.

I found myself in a downdraft in my consulting and training business about seven years ago.

He had just published a series of books, six in a matter of four years, and none of them were instant hits. The typical secondary market that I expect to write about, people who call me to help them improve their trading results, was virtually non-existent.

And then one day without any input from me, the co-owner of a successful business on the East Coast walked into her local bookstore and bought one of my current releases.

He read it, wondered if it could help his team improve, and contacted me.

We started with a very modest initial schedule, consisting of just one day, but that start led to a relationship that found me flying from coast to coast every two weeks for two years, spending hundreds of billable days together.

In fact, I’ve just been reminded of the company to upgrade their skills.

All it took to break that slump was ONE book reader out of thousands who was impressed enough with its content to seek help.

The practical challenge, of course, is to FIND or ATTRACT THE ONE.

Right in the middle of the darkest days of our national housing meltdown, I wanted to sell an office property I owned. So I did what any reasonably prudent person in my position would do.

I interviewed Realtor after Realtor, asking them for proposals. And guess what I kneaded?

By the end of my research, I had several proposals that were so completely identical that they could have been photocopies of the first one in the stack. They all said that I should list my property within a very narrow dollar range.

How did they arrive at such a uniform prescription? They did market analysis showing the most recent properties of their type to sell in the city. These are, as you may know, called “comparables.”

But the “comps” are fundamentally flawed. Unless you have a LARGE NUMBER of them that have been purchased recently, and there are even more available on the market now, you won’t have an adequate supply to compare with.

In addition, each real estate is unique. It will appeal to some buyers more than others. And where there is more desire, there is a greater demand and price that people are willing to pay.

So the question is: “For which SINGLE BUYER, or type of buyer, is this property MOST valuable?” Then you need to put most of your time and energy into marketing to that person or to that niche.

But if you look at the AVERAGES, which is where the comparisons will take you, the BEST type of buyers won’t show up on your radar, just the TYPICAL ones, and they’ll only be willing to pay the same as the lowest common denominator. .

IT ONLY TAKES ONE thought, or IOTO thought as I’ll call it, make sure you’re looking for the best avenues to achieve your goals.

So what did I do?

I did my own analysis, believing that the sales prices I was being urged to use were too low, that my land and building were worth much more.

From inside my building, I looked at my neighbor on the left. He had built his property to his limits, and it was unlikely that he would buy my lot.

But the guy on the right had room to grow. Combined, our two properties would allow him to exploit the business possibilities far more than any of us could as individuals, so I determined that he was: THE ONE.

If you wanted a premium, it would have to come from him, because by virtue of his positioning, at least in theory, he could and would pay far more than the average buyer. So, I put all real estate agents on hold and devised a personal marketing campaign aimed EXCLUSIVELY AT HIM.

I realized that I needed to have a LARGE NUMBER of contacts with him in a short period of time to motivate him to make a generous offer.

I found every excuse I could to bump into him to say hi, and one day I leaned over to his car in the driveway and said, “You know, I’m thinking about selling. Before I put it up for sale with a real estate agent, let me know”. if you want to make an offer”.

Within 90 days, he was the proud owner of adjoining properties and I had been charged.

Overall, I got a premium price:

(1) Was 25-33% higher than the proposals I suggested for listing the property;

(2) I sold it myself, without a real estate agent, saving another 6% of the purchase price;

(3) I sold it sooner than I would have if I had had it on the open market;

(4) I got the price I wanted; and

(5) I didn’t have to spend a penny on repairs or upgrades before title was transferred.

Exactly how much better did I do by merging a Law of Large Numbers approach with an It Only Takes One approach?

I think I got a bare minimum, 45% more than I would have gotten if I had gone the traditional route, and in terms of real money, it was a lot more than I would have gotten otherwise.

Perhaps the most striking example of marrying the Law of Large Numbers with the thought It Only Takes One is dating and mating. Unless you’re a committed bachelor who absolutely loves to play the field, you’re going to settle down with someone, at least for a while.

As any matchmaker can attest, FINDING THE ONE is the challenge. This involves the Three E’s: getting Exposure, Encounters and Exclusivity.

The LLN gives you exposure, puts you in those situations where you will be “in game,” available to see and be seen. This could be through computer dating sites, volunteer work, going to alumni events at the alma mater, or hosting barbecues.

To set up meetups, you need to work on your “approaching skills,” learning how to get the attention of the specific people you want to get to know better and practicing ways to start and keep conversations.

To gain exclusivity, you need to show your uniqueness and develop a plan to attract the people you care about to spend time together.

The LLN, almost without exception, leads to IOTO opportunities.

The two, working together, create the symbiosis and the results that we all seek, by combining quantity and quality.

I am a firm believer in the law of large numbers, and fortunately a large number of people who have purchased my audio seminar of this title agree with his premise.

But committing to CAMPAIGNS IN LARGE NUMBERS can seem daunting, because it’s easy to forget that success is inevitable in our mass ministries.

That is why it is so important to unite the LLN with It only takes a thought. The realization that success can be just ONE smile, ONE sale, ONE phone call away keeps us happy on the train, it can, it will, and it’s bound to succeed.

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