Making friends can be a difficult stretch but the risk and stepping out of your box can be well worth it.

How to make new friends and enhance your life

People look for places to meet new people to connect with, we used to  meet people at work, in the grocery store or at a neighbourhood meeting or social. Nowadays people are connected via the Internet, cell phone and various other media, they are even connected often in work through a network system where they shoot of messages to each other. So do we really get to meet or know each other? 

Online chats, dating sites and other online connections have become the norm, but  we need to know each other and have a true human connection. With families often being so far apart, they need to create their own community,directions on how people can advance their acquaintance statuses. 

The technology is ot going to go away but we need to look at bringing in humanity and hospitality back into our lives, true connection is not only healthy but it is essential to grow as a human being and teach our children the importance of others; that we have feelings, emotions and how to care for others.

When I was a child id someone gave us a gift we would send a thank you note, we would send birthday cards and letters that would be loved by the recipient. I would get so excited when I wold get a letter from my Nan or a friend, and without even realizing that meant they cared to take the time to do that. Know if you have any mail it seems to e the dreaded pile of bills along with a pile of junk mail.

Now I want to stay realistic with this and I know the phones are ot going to go away but can we blend a bit of human interaction in there too.

Take a risk and step out, ask someone from work out for a coffee or lunch or invite their family over to dinner, bring back the art of hospitality. It’s not about what your house is like or if you are super neat, the idea is to make an effort to build real friendships, and never be afraid to introduce one friend to another and watch how relationships grow amongst different people. Your job is not to match make people some will hit it off and become friends, some will be acquaintances and some nothing in common at all, but you have started a chain for people to gather and have an opportunity to connect.

As far as hospitality if you love to decorate and do the house to the “nines”; then go for it, if that’s not your style and Sloppy Joe’s and pop it is then that’s just perfect too. (Just have something in the freezer in case you have a vegetarian over though). If you do not want to initiate the meeting and host an event, then join a group in your area and be sure to have children join activities where they are interactive in a natural way. There are so many groups and activities, through most communities, churches and schools or google your local area along with some ideas of interest and you will be surprised as to what comes up for you to choose from.

So expand your circle, add to your community, share your wonderful self and it could quite well make for a lifetime of friendship for you and the person you have touched. Who knows before you, maybe they had no-one in their life. make a difference.

Types and Importance of Vitamins in the Human Body

We all know the importance that vitamins and minerals provide into our body, and that they’re the most necessary supplements that should be incorporated into our daily lives. All natural multi vitamins and minerals are essential for men, women, kids, athletes, senior citizens, and bodybuilders; hence should form an integral part in our lives. People who take well-balanced diets are never lacking in their daily portions of minerals and vitamins, although when derived from food, sometimes one will still not get the necessary amount that the body requires.

For the human body to grow naturally and normally, it requires enough supply of substances such as vitamins. The body needs approximately 13 types of vitamins to function as normal i.e. vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B-6, B-12, pantothenic acid, thiamine, biotin, folate, and Riboflavin. Note that all the aforementioned vitamins are available in a well-balanced diet that you consume daily. However, what happens to a vegetarian person who still needs an equal supply of vitamins? The best bet should be to take B12 supplements.

Each of the aforementioned types of vitamins have a specific function in the body, hence taking a balanced intake on a daily basis should be your priority. When the body is low on some levels of certain types of vitamins, you’ll without a doubt develop symptoms of a vitamin deficiency disease. Taking enough vitamins is known to prevent and curb medical situations, like the intake of Vitamin A helps prevent symptoms of night blindness.

Taking a balanced diet is the surest way to have the right amount of vitamins, but some people such as athletes would need to augment their daily supply with multivitamin supplements. Note however that high intake of some types of multi vitamin may be detrimental to your health. Vitamins B found in green vegetables supplements the body with energy and protein, Vitamin C found in Milk fortifies the bones, C found in Oranges helps quick healing of wounds, and Vitamins A in Carrots help make your vision clear at night.

Vitamins are further classified into two – fat soluble and water soluble where the former are stored in the body’s fat tissues in the liver and the latter aren’t stored in the body but rather travel in the bloodstream, whereby excess of the water soluble vitamins are excreted through urination. Fat soluble vitamins are known to stay dormant in the body until they are needed and examples include Vitamins K, E, D, and A.

Examples of water soluble vitamins include Vitamins C and many types of B such as B1 (Thiamin), B6 (Pyridoxine), B2 (Riboflavin), B12 (cobalmine), folic acid, biotin, and panthothenic acid. Note that because they’re excreted, they need to be restored more often in order for the body to function normally. Both water soluble and fat soluble vitamins are vital for the normal functioning of the body, hence one should be very cautious and always observe a well-balanced diet at all times because a lack of it or part of it can be disastrous.

Enviro friendly SEnviro Shooping Bagshopping bags                                                                

 Learning “New Tricks”—Using Reusable Grocery Bags

For years I’ve been trying to reduce my use of plastic shopping bags.  Yet, despite my concern about the environment, I didn’t manage to make a full switch to reusable grocery bags until recently, when my city took a stand—not that I didn’t try and not that I didn’t have some success!  Here is my story and a few tips for switching to reusables.

I sometimes managed to remember to bring my cotton carriers to eco-conscious health food stores and organic stores, where they would ask “Do you need a bag?”  At large supermarkets I felt awkward, pulling out my white cotton bags and interrupting a busy cashier’s packing routine.Recently, large grocery stores started to promote non-disposables— selling larger, more attractive and sturdy food carriers than were previously available.  Nevertheless, plastic bags still managed to stay in my life.  I would leave my reusables in the car, forget to bring them along when I was on foot, or forget to bring them into the store from the parking lot.  Does any of this sound familiar?

Finally, my moment of conversion arrived when my city, Toronto, Canada, passed a bylaw in June 2009 requiring shopkeepers to charge at least 5 cents for each plastic bag.  How did this make a difference?  It was the idea of paying for something that I didn’t really want and the spirit of the new community standard that gave me the final nudge–the purpose of the law is to reduce the volume of non-biodegradable waste going to city landfills.

Tips for Switching to Reusables

Changing habits of convenience is not easy—these are my tips for making the switch:

• Remind yourself of your personal motivation—why you are making the effort.
• Build a large personal collection of reusable carriers.
• REMEMBER to carry a supply in your car, knapsack, purse or briefcase.
• When you are in the car, REMEMBER to bring your carriers into the store.

We can’t continue to throw away millions of plastic bags every year.  Did you know that a plastic bag takes about 1,000 years to break down?  Plastic bags are harmful to wildlife, clutter landscapes and waterways (have you seen the ripped plastic tangled in treetops?), and clog sewage systems.  Plastic is petroleum based—so its production increases green house gas emissions.

Many countries and cities around the world have banned or restricted the use of plastic bags for some or all of these reasons.  Some of these countries are Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, South Australia, Italy, Somalia, Ireland, and Tanzania.  Proactive cities are located in the United States, Canada, the UK, and India.

Building a Reusable Bag Collection

It’s easy to build a collection of sturdy reusable bags.  Many stores offer colorful, attractive items decorated with their logo for a minimal charge.  Bags used for groceries should be washable.  Some bag shapes hold more items—my favorite kind has a rectangular base. 

You can also shop for a bag that rolls up into a small purse-size pouch—very neat and handy for unexpected purchases.  Remember, old habits die hard, but you can teach an “old dog” new tricks.

We Need I Love To Survive, It Is

Easier said than done, we give, we think of others but how many of us love ourselves, truly?

Since the beginning of life on earth, love has been the fundamental element for everyone regardless of race, creed, belief, status and religion.   This is an honorable teaching of the past and passed on to generations towards attainment of goals, objectives and principles in a peaceful manner.  Everyone has to feel love for each other in order to patch up differences and make this world a nice place to live in. 

It seems nice to think and wonderful to achieve; but if you look at it on the general point of view, you will begin to realize that this may not be the rule of the thumb at all.  This may be some sort of idealism because of individual differences especially in this era where materialism is a predominant factor in everyday living.  When you love a person, it’s hard to prove that simply by words.  Nowadays, it’s difficult to measure love because you have to prove it by the value and price of what you give.

But you can start everything by loving yourself first.  The reasons behind this principle are all backed-up by commonsense.  You have no right to love others if you don’t love yourself, not unless you’re here as an extra-ordinary human being whose main focus is to save humanity, or as a martyr who will die for the love of his country.  But even if you’re an ordinary person, you can do what these special people are made for in your own way.

You don’t have to be a savior or a martyr if you’re not born to be such.  All you have to do is to be honest about yourself.  Everything starts from the doer; and as the saying goes, “love begins from the giver, not the receiver,” how can one reciprocates love if it’s not given?  People who don’t love themselves tend to ruin their destiny for nothing.  They won’t entertain anything that can uplift themselves in the society, they won’t even bother to go to school, they become tired of progress, they don’t care about achievements, and all they do is sit around and take drugs.

There is another old saying that says “charity begins at home” which suggests that before you give others, make sure that you have something to survive and make it multiply so that you can help other people.  This is because you can’t share anything to others if you have nothing to share.     The next important thing is tell the world that you love yourself by simply accepting who you are and what you are. 

If you love yourself, there’s no reason to hide your identity to people whom you love.  Tell them frankly that you belong to a poor family, and don’t pretend to be somebody just to get your desires.  It’s hard to keep secrets especially if you talk about status in life.  In the end, you’ll be ashamed of yourself when people discover that you’re lying.  Even in the most crucial situation, be honest to be yourself.  Nothing can replace an honorable guy who is honest about himself.  Even if you happen to be an ex-convict, be yourself and don’t be bothered by what others will say.  Soon, they will even love you for what you are when they see that you’re fully reformed and know the true meaning of love.

Bringing Peace to Those Around You

We Can All make A Difference Even to One Person a Day

We all come go through day to day irritations. Some common case scenario that we find are road rage, rushing as you are 5 minutes late, or the clerk where you get your coffee responds rudely to you and to top it all some young healthy decides to take that last seat on the passageway when you struggle to carry an armload and dragging a computer bag.

So many things in life complicate a typical busy morning and adding extra stresses can put you over the top and turn a potentially good day into a day gone to heck and back.

You may not have said anything to anybody about you feel and yet can carry the anger or frustration for the day.  Then of course either someone is going to get it at work and or just as bad someone you love at home is going to suffer.The crazy thing is the person who caused the frustration has gone about their day and probably does not know you even exist or were even aware of what they did. So as soon as you have a few moments to yourself take a few moments follow a few of the following steps to make for a better and healthier day for you and those around you:

1. Take a few deep breathes, in through the nose and out for through the mouth
2. Listen to so softer or relaxing music at work, get and iPod and always keep a calming mood section as well as some fun upbeat music
3. Stand stretch, do a few neck rolls and shoulder raises
4. Have a joke of the day or an inspirational story emailed daily
5. Carry a journal or keep an extra at work and write five things you are thankful for that day. Maybe on the way to work someone yielded to you, smiled and opened a door, the sunshine is shining, or even the fact you managed to get out of the door with matching shoes  that morning (a challenge for some of us amongst the chaos).

I have also learned to reflect that when a person does something that has upset me, maybe they were completely unaware; we never know what has gone through before they crossed our path. This was a big lesson for me after I lost my son 4 years ago; I probably cut people off, run red lights, avoided people and making eye contact and many other things and probably still do at times when I am sad and distracted.

But in saying that if you know someone is rude that is not acceptable and ok to say so. But if you are not sure say something in a manner that makes them aware just ask if they are having a bad day, or smile and tell them to cheer up the day will get better.

You Can Turn Someone Else’s Day Around

There are various forms of yoga that are gentle and suitable for all ages

Benefits of Yoga: The Holistic Healing Method to Reduce Stress

Author Ruitsma

If you practice yoga on a regular basis there would be myriad benefits both for your body as well as mind. Doing yoga asanas allows you to enjoy a healthy life both physically and mentally. Most people today are stressed and they want to escape from the lifestyle ailments which are stress induced. For them regularly doing Yoga is a good solution indeed.

Stress is an integral part of modern life. Stress, apart from causing mental ailments like depression, anxiety attack, panic attacks etc also leads to lifestyle diseases like constipation, diabetes, high blood pressure etc. In extreme cases, coronary attack owing to excessive stress is also not unheard of.

Fortunately, yoga offers a welcome relief from all these problems. The curative and preventive methods of yoga can really put an end to all these difficulties. There are different techniques in yoga like the bandha, kriya, asana, mudra, meditation and pranayama which can help you get rid of the various stress related symptoms. If you can follow the lifestyle suggested by yoga experts, you can prevent all the ailments.

One great thing with the yoga is that it allows you to attain calm of mind. Yoga believes that the body is just an extension of mind and it is the mind that is the root of all disorders. According to the Yoga Sutra, a book by Patanjali, the meditation of Om is the ideal way to destroy all the obstacles faced by the mind. In fact, the book records all the symptoms of the mind’s disorders and explains how it manifests itself as physical ailments. So this holistic healing method aspires to capture the malaises in mind and thus prevent it from manifesting itself as physical ailments.

The proper practice of yoga can destroy the impurities of the mind and body. In fact, yoga has the potential to remove all the diseases. The modern medical sciences too, have somewhat accepted the yogic theory and in many cases even modern medicine experts acknowledge the fact that the pain often originates from the emotional upset. Yoga tends to find out the root cause of any ailment which is often in the mind. It is thus extremely effective in treating stress induced diseases and is very effective in relieving people from asthma, allergies, arthritis, chronic pain, and other stress related problems. In fact, there are yoga asanas to cure almost every disease.

Mmmmm…..One of My Favourite Subjects

Who Knew Dark Chocolate was Good for You

Reducing stress and dark chocolate—ah that sounds good.  Every now and again we hear that something we really enjoy is actually good for us.  The idea that moderate amounts of dark chocolate might be beneficial is not new, but a recent study adds to the evidence and shows that it may reduce stress.  This time researchers have found that dark chocolate helps people cope, both physically and emotionally.

 What’s Unique about This Research?

Previous research has identified components of dark chocolate and how these substances reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems.  For example, cocoa is high in flavonoids, believed to prevent blood clotting and clogging of the arteries.  Other substances that have been identified are theobromine, which reduces blood pressure;  and polyphenols, anti-oxidants also found in red wine and green tea, that protect the body from disease.The recent study took a slightly different approach.  It looked at the biological effect of regular dark chocolate consumption.  The overall finding was that consuming small amounts on a regular basis can reduce stress and improve the body’s ability to fight it.

 How the Study Was Done

The study, reported in the Journal of Proteome Research, has a long, but informative name: “Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects.”  The subjects were 30 young people who were given 40 grams per day—in two 20 gram servings—over a period of two weeks.  This means that they were eating the equivalent of a small 1 ½ ounce piece of dark chocolate daily.

All of the subjects were experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety.  Throughout the study the researchers measured levels of stress

hormones, such as cortisone, and indicators of energy metabolism and gut microbial activities.  Their discovery was that biological profiles changed by the end of the two week study period.  Participants felt less stressed and their bodies secreted less stress hormones.

What about Milk Chocolate?

Have you ever wondered why dark chocolate makes the headlines while milk and white varieties do not?  The answer is in the cocoa content.  Dark chocolate has much more cocoa than any other type.  It consists of only cocoa, some form of fat, and a sweetener.  Levels of cocoa vary—to get the most impact, look for at least 70% cocoa.  Some brands report the cocoa percentage on the wrapper, but if not, you should find it in the ingredients list.

How Much Reduces Stress?

You guessed it—only moderate amounts are helpful.  If you consume too much chocolate you could find yourself gaining weight.  As well, there are other ingredients such as caffeine (about 5 to 35 mg per ounce) which can increase your stress level, depending on how your body reacts to caffeine and your serving sizes.

Dr Andrew Weil, in an online article, suggests one ounce servings several times per week.  Everyone is different.  Ultimately your own personal experiments should let you know what is good for you.  Feeling energized or an elevation of mood after having chocolate is probably a good sign.  If you experience indigestion or feel a drop in mood level, then perhaps this is not the substance for you, or you are consuming too much.

Dark Chocolate Reduces Stress New Study Shows

Reducing stress and dark chocolate—ah that sounds good.  Every now and again we hear that something we really enjoy is actually good for us.  The idea that moderate amounts of dark chocolate might be beneficial is not new, but a recent study adds to the evidence and shows that it may reduce stress.  This time researchers have found that dark chocolate helps people cope, both physically and emotionally.

What’s Unique about This Research?

Previous research has identified components of dark chocolate and how these substances reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems.  For example, cocoa is high in flavonoids, believed to prevent blood clotting and clogging of the arteries.  Other substances that have been identified are theobromine, which reduces blood pressure;  and polyphenols, anti-oxidants also found in red wine and green tea, that protect the body from disease.

The recent study took a slightly different approach.  It looked at the biological effect of regular dark chocolate consumption.  The overall finding was that consuming small amounts on a regular basis can reduce stress and improve the body’s ability to fight it.

How the Study Was Done

The study, reported in the Journal of Proteome Research, has a long, but informative name: “Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects.”  The subjects were 30 young people who were given 40 grams per day—in two 20 gram servings—over a period of two weeks.  This means that they were eating the equivalent of a small 1 ½ ounce piece of dark chocolate daily.

All of the subjects were experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety.  Throughout the study the researchers measured levels of stress 

hormones, such as cortisone, and indicators of energy metabolism and gut microbial activities.  Their discovery was that biological profiles changed by the end of the two week study period.  Participants felt less stressed and their bodies secreted less stress hormones.

What about Milk Chocolate?

Have you ever wondered why dark chocolate makes the headlines while milk and white varieties do not?  The answer is in the cocoa content.  Dark chocolate has much more cocoa than any other type.  It consists of only cocoa, some form of fat, and a sweetener.  Levels of cocoa vary—to get the most impact, look for at least 70% cocoa.  Some brands report the cocoa percentage on the wrapper, but if not, you should find it in the ingredients list.

 How Much Reduces Stress?

You guessed it—only moderate amounts are helpful.  If you consume too much chocolate you could find yourself gaining weight.  As well, there are other ingredients such as caffeine (about 5 to 35 mg per ounce) which can increase your stress level, depending on how your body reacts to caffeine and your serving sizes.

Dr Andrew Weil, in an online article, suggests one ounce servings several times per week.  Everyone is different.  Ultimately your own personal experiments should let you know what is good for you.  Feeling energized or an elevation of mood after having chocolate is probably a good sign.  If you experience indigestion or feel a drop in mood level, then perhaps this is not the substance for you, or you are consuming too much.

We Need I Love To Survive, It Is Essential to Our  Existence                                      

Easier said than done, we give, we think of others but how many of us love ourselves, truly?

We have not been conditioned to love ourselves in a caring, giving way, much of society has taught us to take  and to fill the voids by what we have, but we will never be perfect, no matter how we look, what we have done and how we live and what we own. At the end of the day we still are who we are, without the stuff. But because we are human we have the power to choose and change what we have done and who we are and can begin to look inside at the truth of what and who we really are. Then we can begin to feel real happiness in discovering ourselves, our purpose and feel real love for ourselves.Real love is when we let go and are honest, real and declare what we really want, it is liberating;  most people spend their whole life looking for their purpose and meaning but end up filling their closets and bodies with whatever they feel will fill the gap and fighting what nature gives them.  It has become difficult to show someone you love them by words, actions and the real connection as gifts have become the norm, yet if we we were honest that is not what we want. Nowadays, I have noticed this more with children where gifts have become love and love is rarely recognised. This is when we really know we need to make changes. 

But the gift of being human is we can change, as we age for many the materialism falls away and we begin to see the layers of life underneath. We begin to see the bigger picture; of the world, of how and why others live the way they do without judgement and at least more awareness or at least that is the goal. Then we begin to see our path, purpose and love ourselves for the gifts and wisdom we have to offer and for the body we have, maybe not the one we wished for but the one that carries us around all day and allows us to do whatever it is we do.

And once we detach from the expectations of society we are able to give more without expecting receiving in return, we gain rewards in different ways and begin to fulfill our purpose without sometimes even knowing we are doing just that.

Since the beginning of life on earth, love has been the fundamental need for everyone regardless of race, creed, belief, status and religion. This went along with respect and connection in order for human survival. This was a natural attainment of goals,  and principles of living in a peaceful manner and gave support to others in times of need and suffering to those in need when we have lived in a less than perfect world.

 You know you are able to show love and compassion,  when you see beyond your problems and see the bigger picture in the world, and even more so to see solutions and are able to make contributions even small steps.

This may sound idealistic but we can make a difference and if each and everyone begins to make small steps we will see huge changes.

Have some Fun

It seems this days we don’t have the time for friends, fun or laughter. As human beings we need that contact to start connected to our souls and what live is all about.

What happened to picking up the phone and connecting instead of sending the impersonal text or email. It is so uplifting to hear the voice of a friend on the other end, we can feel and sense emotions that ways  and know when they need a to talk or a helping hand. You cannot do this without connecting with the person.

Throw a dinner party or a pot luck for simplicity and ask everyone to bring a beverage of choice.

Keep things simple and casual, formal parties have gone by the wayside and people would rather have a simple get together that have to fuss for hours over in the kitchen, they also want to be part of the gathering and not shut away in the kitchen.

Play some good music, maybe some games like charade’s to warm up the crowd  and encourage laughter.

Those who do not have friends desperately long for one and to be accepted by society. I moved form the UK and have met  many people who have become friends but not as deep rooted as the people I now who have gone to school together and have long term solid relationships, many to be envied.

However we must keep in mind we are always growing and changing as are our friends, relationships change and so do the dynamics, but keep in mind as-we change we may not search other so often but we can make the effort to keep in touch and enjoy catching up even if it is just once year whether by phone or a reunion.

Friendship is worth th effort, so hang in there, seek new acquaintances and develop wonderful relationships.does not have a friend longs for one.  We don’t want just acquaintances but good friends to confide in and to be able to call upon when needed, a shoulder to cry on a to share a funny experience.

Over the years people have learned to shut off so it may take some time to put yourself out and invite a person for coffee, get to know a little more about them. Find a group where you have common interests. Join Meet Up Groups, most areas will have them and you can go onto Meetup.com and start a group pr join a topic already in process

Invite others to join the group, you are not going to get along with everyone, but you will really click with others and others will form friendships, but to know you have been the catalyst for this would be very rewarding. So go on step out and meet some new people. have some fun and expand your world.

Besides you are making an example for your children, who wants a house full of people and kids texting each other form the next room.

Your life will be enriched, you will learn and grow form friends and find that your confidence grows, self doubt and self esteem will grow as you expand your circle and reconnect with what nature craves.

People often ask”what is the meaning of life, for me I believe that all of live is about relationship, at the end of our lives , it’s what we did, who we met and not what we had.

Enjoy true friendship and don’t be afraid to love