Cooking Secrets and Tips

America is on the go–a home-cooked meal, every night, is out of the question. Unfortunately, processed foods have made Americans among the unhealthiest nations in the world. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than ⅓ of children and more than ⅔ of adults are overweight or obese. Eating healthily doesn't have to mean breaking the bank or spending every day in the kitchen. There are simple secrets and tips to get you in and out of the kitchen in no time, and will put affordable and healthy meals on your plate.

Building Self-Esteem: Becoming Functional Out of Dysfunction

To be nobody - in a world which is doing its best . . . to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.

- E E Cummings

Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. Things that influence our self-esteem are many, including personality, physical and emotional health, abilities, appearance, habits, and morality. We might feel positive about some and negative about others.

Feelings we have about ourselves can fluctuate from day to day. One day we might be confident and determined. Another day we might feel insecure and unhappy. Discovering our overall true feelings about ourselves isn't as simplistic as the definition of self-esteem leads us. We must allow for a measurement of our feelings. Self-esteem is a physical, emotional, and spiritual value we assign to ourselves.

Avocado: The Ultimate Super Food

Unlock Your Brain Power with this Amazing Fruit, Lovingly Known as Alligator Pear

 

When I say beta-carotene, what comes to mind? Huh, you say. Carrots, right? Sure, just roll with me. So, when I say lycopene, you say…yes, tomatoes. Lycopene and beta-carotene are two extremely important anti-oxidants most closely associated with orange or reddish fruits and vegetables. Well, guess what green, weird shaped fruit, has more of both anti-oxidants with one peel tied behind its back than a pound of carrots and a bunch of tomatoes put together. Yep, that’s right…the all mighty Alligator Pear! That’s not all. We’re just getting started on the amazingness of the avocado.

Eating Write: Brain Food for Writers

Walt Whitman fancied oysters and steak for breakfast. F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed apples and canned meat helped him concentrate. Truman Capote survived on mint tea and martinis when deep into his work. Three of the greatest writers in the entire world, and no thank you…I think I’ll stick to chewing gum and drinking coffee.

All Out

A Lesson in Growth

The following is something I'm not so proud of, but it is something that brought me to where I am now. A lesson in growth.

Is Harmony and Balance Possible?

How can you tell if there is true harmony and balance in your life? I used to ask that of myself often. I wondered how I would know if I had reached the zenith of balance and harmony in my life. I began to realize there is no zenith. It's a constant struggle to keep things balanced, so where is the harmony. The simple fact is that it is what we make it to be. What is for us may not be for others. So there is no real answer anyone can give but to themselves.

My life, as lived by Kutcher's Law—By: Melissa Van Hoorne

I awake every morning and repeat Audrey Hepburn's quote as a quiet mantra: “Nothing is impossible: the word itself says I'm possible!”, otherwise, my day isn't quite the same. I created my magazine, This Freelancer Life (Shameless plug – thisfreelancerlife.com), because it is a life full of possibilities and, to my surprise, expressing these possibilities has become very popular with other freelancers! I can't say I'm surprised at the success due to the lack of content in the marketplace relating to the everyday freelancer, but I remain humbled by it nonetheless. I never, ever take anything for granted.

Criticism: The Door to Self-Improvement

Most people hate criticism. We feel personally attacked if someone gives us an honest opinion and it's not the opinion we hoped for. We have done our absolute best at something and want recognition for our accomplishments. We are hurt if anyone finds fault or points out something from a different perspective. Even if somewhere inside us we secretly agree, it is instinct to protect our hard work and so we puff up our egos to sow disdain in their criticism. "Who are they to judge us?" we ask ourselves; when we probably asked for their opinion is the first place. They veered from the script we had intended to hear from them, and we are not amused.