The Science of a Happy Marriage

I loved this article please visit this link for the full article as recommended by Dr. Oz http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/tracking-the-science-of-commitment/

"But it may not be feelings of love or loyalty that keep couples together. Instead, scientists speculate that your level of commitment may depend on how much a partner enhances your life and broadens your horizons — a concept that Arthur Aron, a psychologist and relationship researcher at Stony Brook University, calls “self-expansion.”




To measure this quality, couples are asked a series of questions:

How much does your partner provide a source of exciting experiences?

How much has knowing your partner made you a better person?

How much do you see your partner as a way to expand your own capabilities?"

"We enter relationships because the other person becomes part of ourselves, and that expands us,” Dr. Aron said. “That’s why people who fall in love stay up all night talking and it feels really exciting. We think couples can get some of that back by doing challenging and exciting things together.”

The Cake I want for My Bday

Favorite Shoes of the Season

check out the top 30 favorite shoes of the season at http://www.kaboodle.com/fashion/seasonal-looks/slideshow/our-favorite-platform-heels1?startIndex=0

From Your Lips to your Hips

Ch 2: Overfed Yet MalNourished

The Effects of the American Diet II as adapted from Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman

Our natural sweet tooth should really be for fresh fruits. Reasearchers have discovered  substances that help prevent aging and protect the brain. Too bad our desire for sweets is typically satisified by candy bar and ice cream-not fresh fruit. The FDA estimated that average American consumes about 32 teaspoons of added sugar in one day.

If you want to lose weight, the most important foods to avoid are processed foods: condiments, candy, snacks, and baked goods; fat free has nothing to do with it. You must cut down from refined carbs like bagels, pasta and bread. Pasta is not health food-it is hurt food.

Empty calories are empty calories. Cookies, jams, and other processed foods sweeted with fruit juice" sound healther but are just as bad.

Another way that will keep you from your weight loss are salad dressings. Oils are 100% fat. There are lots of calories in just a litte bit of oil Fat such as olive oil can be stored on your body within minutes from your lips to your hips. Foods cooked in oil soak up more oil than you think.Olive oil and other salad and cooking oils are not health foods nor diet foods. Oil will add fat to our already plump waistlines increasing risk of disease including diabetes and heart attack.

Eliza

Cell phones Get in the Way

Much of my internet time is spent from work since I work in front of a computer 8 hours a day and massive amounts of gap time comes my way to browse and go on facebook  and whatever it is. I also keep my cell by me in case someone might try to communicate with me via text or very rare-a phone call.

I've been trying to turn my phone off when I leave work to stay away from all this technology but it's been tough. Since I went on my 40 day facebook fast for Easter, I haven't been able to not go on daily.

I was reading up on the nanny who called Ryan Seacrest yesterday and said something very true " Cell phones get in the way of quality time with parents and the kids" May I add it also does the same for couples with each other.

If you don't believe me, try to go on a date without taking your cell phone with you or even to work without it. How about when you're out with your friends leave your phone in your purse. It has almost become a vital necessity like really our lives depend on it.

Don't get me wrong. I love technology and the power it has given us to communicate with our friends and stay in touch with families that we don't see very often. However, I think it's become an addiction and it gets in the way of quality time and getting things done. .

 I'll be the first to admit it. I really hate it. Just the other day I was tempted to throw my blackberry in the blender.

It's not a problem to use it and have one it's just I feel like we've become so attached to it that it's not healthy. We even eat our meals and go to bathroom with it.


What do you think?

Eliza

Digging Our Graves with Forks and Knives

The American Diet Part I as adapted from the book Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman



Obesity is the number one health problem in the U.S. and if the current trend continues by 2030 all adults will be obese.



Studies show the initial weight loss is followed by a weight gain because even most primary physicians fail to look at the long term health of their patients.





Obese families tend to have obese pets which is obviously not genetic. So it is the combination of food choices, inactivity and genetics that determine obesity.





Extra weight leads to an earlier death.



Since dieting almost never works more people are turning to drugs and surgeries.



Surgeries to Weight Reduction and it’s Risks: The National Institute of Health (NIH) has reported that more than 10% have to go back for a second surgery to fix the problems they are having. They might be experience metabolism problems, stomach aches, gastritis, outlet stenosis and even death.



Dangerous Dieting: Americans have become obsessed with gimmick dieting which almost never results in permanent weight loss and actually worsens the problem over time. Some people even gain more weight than what they first started off with. Low calorie dieting doesn’t work either. You may not know this but being overweight is not caused by how much they eat but what they eat.



Eating large amounts of good food is the key to your success.



Regardless of your weight and genetics you can achieve your goal if you switch to a high nutrient diet style. As long as you are eating fatty foods it is impossible to lose weight no matter how much you try to work out. Eating healthy and activity will do the work.



As a rule of thumb, for optimal health and longevity a man should not have more than one-half inch that he can pinch near his belly button and woman should not have more than one inch.

Eliza

Chris Brown Syndrome

I am not for abuse nor do I think should it be taken lightly but I do believe in forgivenss and true repentence. A lot of times we become professional apologizers but the fact is no one cares how many times you say "I'm sorry" what people actually care about is what you do after you say "I'm sorry" Do you repeat the same mistake? Do you genuinely take the necessary steps needed to try to correct the mess you made. Sometimes it takes time especially if the person is in the public eye. Celebrity or not, that person who just failed is human. Those who are so judgemental toward him, they have a good reason but I don't think they should continue hating on the guy. He deserves a second chance. Besides there are so many more people struggling with the same problem if they see that by coming out or seeking help won't give them hope they might as well continue living in the dark. However if they see that they can get help and change for the better, Chris Brown could be a good role model again.

Below are some facts and info about verbal and physical abuse. Personally, I think verbal abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. You can wound a person with one word just as bad as one slap. What do we do with the ones who cause us some much pain by the way they speak to us?
http://helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm

Here is the specific  link to Trauma and Abuse http://helpguide.org/topics/trauma_abuse.htm

Another genre of abuse that I feel strongly about is child abuse and that is the worst becuse a child is too vulnerable to even try to defend themselves. If you think it's not ok to hit an adult why do you spank?
http://www.safechild.org/childabuse2.htm


I still haven't seen his performance from last night's BET Awards but I'm looking forward to watching it tonight. He is an awesome performer.

Eliza