by Stephanie Shank

Is it really the luck of the Irish or do they just recognize the
importance of foods high in fiber? There really is no luck
involved. It's an awareness of the overall health benefits of a
high fiber diet. The most typical dish common to all of our
March menus is corned beef and cabbage. Delicious, but enjoy it
with a sprinkling of advice from Fiberlady. With all due respect
to Irish culture and tradition, Fiberlady must stay true to her
mission.

Opt for high fiber foods. St. Patrick's Day is the ideal time to
offer all of those green foods that you know are so beneficial
to all of the leprechauns in your life. Besides the obvious
green lettuce, share some broccoli, Swiss chard, spinach, green
beans, asparagus and green peas. Not only are these green foods
enormously healthy, many of them help curb heart disease, lower
cholesterol and inhibit some cancers.

Heart disease is the leading factor of death for American men
and women today. To add salt to the wound, more than 95 million
Americans have high cholesterol, a major contributor to heart
disease.

Saturated fats are the major culprit in raising blood
cholesterol. Those who have high cholesterol levels should be
watching their entire diet, not just the meat portion. Reducing
the amount of fatty foods is as important as choosing leaner
cuts of red meat when trying to lower cholesterol. Protect
yourself and those you love against heart disease and high
cholesterol by eating more fruits and vegetables.

Exercising regularly, maintaining a normal body weight, choosing
unsaturated fats and including 20-35 grams of high fiber in your
daily diet will all contribute to a healthier you, whether you
are Irish or not so Irish.

Preparing the ever popular corned beef supper this season can be
less damaging to the arteries if you reduce your portion of
fatty corned beef. No need to eliminate it entirely, just
include more accompaniments such as fiber-rich cabbage and
turnips. Whole grain Irish soda bread can be served to round out
a high fiber menu for the St. Patrick's meal.

Fiberlady wonders how many grams of fiber there are in a four
leaf clover. No matter. It's the quest to find that four leaf
clover that makes all of the difference. If you find one, enjoy
the promise of good luck and continue the quest for good health.

Corned Beef with Cabbage and Boiled Vegetables Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1¼ pounds corned beef, trimmed of all visible fat 1 small head
green cabbage, cored and cut into 6 wedges 18 baby carrots 6
small purple-top turnips, peeled and halved 1 cup pearl onions
or small pickling onions 6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and left
whole

Preparation:

1. Bring the corned beef and enough water to cover to a boil in
a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Reduce the heat and simmer,
partially covered, until almost tender, about 1½ hours.

2. Add the cabbage, carrots, turnips, onions, and potatoes to
the pan; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially
covered, until the vegetables and corned beef are fork tender,
about 45 minutes.

3. Transfer the corned beef to a platter and carve into slices.
Lift the vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon and
serve with the corned beef.

Per serving (1/6 of dinner): Calories: 320; Total Fat: 12 grams;
Fiber: 7 grams

 Irish Brown Soda Bread 12 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup bread flour 1/3 cup rolled oats 1
teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking
sheets.

2. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white
flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the
buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly.
Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark
each loaf with an 'X' and place on prepared baking sheets. 3.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45
minutes.

Per serving: Calories: 206; Total Fat: 1.5 grams; Fiber: 5.4
grams

About the author:
Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many
healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber
lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

by Lisa Alexander

Most parents just feel helpless. They want the best for their
kids, but in spite of everything we know about nutrition and
exercise, most parents hope for the best and do little about
their overweight kids.

My daughter Pari was small at birth, but quickly became a heavy
baby. By the age of two, our pediatrician began intimating that
Pari was putting on more weight than she needed. Until
kindergarten, kids from our neighborhood, her day care or
nursery school accepted Pari just as she was, and her size never
came up. But when she started school, there was a whole new set
of kids, and some would make comments about Pari's size.

Some were innocent observations; some comments were just down
right mean. In first grade she was invited to a slumber party of
a new friend, and told me she would be uncomfortable changing in
front of the other girls because she was fat. This was a
shocking moment for me, because now I understood that she felt
badly about herself, that she had been giving thought to her
size, and comparing herself to other children. What could I do?
In my case, there were few resources, but that has changed.

As the author of Seven Steps to Get Your Child's Weight on Track
and creator of The Pari Plan, it's clear to me that parents
don't understand the pivotal role they play in the solution to a
child's weight problem. In helping families across the country
beat childhood obesity, I've identified the three crucial
mistakes that parents make and the key actions parents must take
to get control and start their child on the path to improvement:

Mistake #1: "She's Not Heavy." This is plain denial. Many
parents refuse to be honest with themselves about their child's
weight. They see the beautiful perfection of their child and
turn a blind eye to a problem that is likely causing emotional
pain in their child's life lowering the child's self-esteem and
getting in the way of their child achieving her true potential.

Action Plan: Learn what a healthy weight for your child should
be. Compare where your child is to where your child needs to be.
Acknowledge this goal openly.

Mistake #2: "He'll grow out of it." If only parents knew:
Studies show that 50% of obese school-aged children will become
obese adults. Children WON'T grow out of their weight problem.

Action Plan: You don't need to put your child on a crash diet,
but you do need to get them on a healthy path with better food
choices and exercise activities that will help them as they
grow. Losing weight is not rocket science. But changing the
habits and lifestyle of a family in today's busy world is
difficult. Especially when the emotional well being of a fragile
overweight child is at stake, parents need a plan and they need
perseverance.

The good news is that the easiest time to get your child on
track is between the ages of 4-12 when they are growing and
still totally reliant upon their parents for their food and
activity.

Mistake #3: "I've Tried Everything." Most parents simply give
up. They may try something but usually not the right things - in
the right way. Then they give up.

Action Plan: The secret is that you must put it all together in
the correct way and you must commit to being successful. You
must acknowledge that you are the only one that can make the
difference and you must rally your entire family around your
child's success. You can have a healthy child but only if you
decide to make it the number one priority in your life.

As a mother of an overweight child, I made all these mistakes
and more. I've experienced the helplessness and heartbreak a
parent feels watching their child struggle with weight. But
there is an important flipside to that pain: The joy of helping
your child shed their weight, build their self-esteem and
realize the potential you always knew they had.

About the author:
Lisa Alexander is the creator of "The PariPlan-Seven Steps to
Get Your Child's Weight on Track," complete tools, activities
and simple steps for parents to reduce their children's weight
while building self esteem. You can learn more at The PariPlan

 by: James Mahony

The problem with migraine prevention is that there isn’t just one cause for the headaches. There are very many triggers for migraines, in fact, and trying to avoid them all would be an exercise in hermitry. Who wants to spend the rest of their life living in a cave just to avoid headaches? That being said, there are a few things you can do to avoid migraines and here are the top ten.

1) Cut the caffeine. Among the multitude of products linked to migraines is caffeine. Taking in too much can lead to a headache of monstrous proportions. Unfortunately, it’s not only too much caffeine that lead to a headache, it’s caffeine withdrawal if you’re used to taking in a lot. Best to cut back slowly.

2) While we’re talking about caffeine, let’s also talk about NutraSweet. Aspartame has been the culprit for many people who have complained of migraines. Go in search of why aspartame causes migraines and you will run into what seems like the biggest cover-up since Roswell. Most of what you’ll read hasn’t been proven, but then again neither have the makers of NutraSweet proven that their product doesn’t contribute to migraines. Avoid it and you may well avoid a horrendous headache.

3) There are more reasons to give up smoking than you can count, but avoiding migraines is another reason to put on the list. Of course, that’s easier than said than done if you are the smoker, but remember, secondhand smoke is just as likely to cause a migraine headache as actual smoking. So if you can, remove yourself from the environment in which people are smoking. Better yet: Get them to remove themselves. You do have the right to not have to be around their smoke, especially if their smoke is causing your headaches.

4) Establish a regular pattern of sleeping and waking. In fact, get as anal-retentive as you can about this. A regular pattern of going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time, on weekends as well as weekdays, can do wonders. Many people who have instituted a rigid routine of sleeping and waking have discovered that their migraines disappear completely and forever. Or at least as long as they continue the pattern.

5) Give up the pill and try another form of contraception. Birth control pills and their effects on hormones can be a major hazard when it comes to migraine pain. You don’t necessarily have to go off the pill entirely. Some people have found that merely changing brands puts an end to their migraine misery. If that doesn’t help, however, you may look into other forms of female contraception or, if you and your partner don’t mind, switching over to condoms.

As you've seen from the article you're reading, we have tried to compile the very best resources from across the Internet on this topic - build the ultimate destination that'll attract you and others interested in the subject.

6) Change your lighting. Very bright lights can often trigger very severe migraines. You might consider using the softer, filmy kind of light bulbs. Or use lamps instead of overhead lights. Or stop using fluorescent lighting, if that’s possible. If you spend a lot of time at the computer monitor, take frequent breaks and get as far away from the pulsating waves of the monitor as possible.

7) Cheese, chocolate and wine may sound like the ideal ingredients for a romantic picnic, but if you are prone to migraines the last thing you may be feeling is romantic following that afternoon getaway. Aged cheeses especially are dangerous because they contain the amino acid tyramine. Chocolate contains phenylethamine. Both chemicals contribute to migraines and alcohol is a trigger as well. Stay away from all three and find other ways to get in a romantic mood.

8) Use body wash to smell good instead of perfume or cologne. Odors and aromas are major causes of migraines and those that make you smell good are among the worst. Keep yourself clean instead of daubing with the smelly-goods.

9) Being an aerobic exercise program. Exercising regularly helps to increase your cardiovascular capacity and improper blood flow is linked to recurrent migraines.

10) Driver or take a train when you can instead of flying. The lowering of cabin pressure on airplanes is a sure-fire migraine trigger and one easily avoided when the trip can be made by alternative means of transportation.

So, what did you think about this article? Please drop me a quick note to share your thoughts and comments on it.

There's also more to come - and I keep updating this article regularly. So please keep visiting often to get the latest information!

About The Author
James Mahony is the founder of http://www.migraineheadacheprevention.com - A site dedicated to preventing and treating migraine headaches

by Kevin Pederson

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And
still no one denies that fact that "breakfast" is the most
important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for
starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 - 10 hours; hence
your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone
with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to
kick-start its day. Therefore "breakfast" is considered to be an
important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump
start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast
(healthy) daily are more likely to - Consume more vitamins,
minerals and less of fat and cholesterol. - Increased strength
and endurance. - Better concentration and productivity all day
long. - Control over weight - Low cholesterol = no risk or
little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better
concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination.
They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of
school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight,
think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the
starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets.
Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain.
So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays
unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each
morning - Fruits & Vegetables - Grains - Dairy - Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie
muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with
few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed
with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with
eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast.
Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash
of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods
for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is
your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the
'run', its better than skipping it altogether.

About the author:
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of diet, nutrition and
health websites that promote good health and unhealthy food
habits leading to a diseased body. Healthy Foodcontain vital nutrients that aid our body's metabolic function.

by Monica M. Burns

Ladies have you come home from a long hard day at work only to find your estranged or current partner hiding in your bushes, parked in his car further down the street with binoculars watching your house, hiding behind the neighbors tree or just blatantly sitting in your house waiting on you! If you answered yes to any of these questions.....................honey he is a stalker.

There is nothing cute or loving about a spouse (estranged or current), watching your every move. It is stupid and dangerous. Some women mistake this type of behavior as him "really loving her." He doesn't love you. He wants to control you and everything that you do. Most times the results of stalking are tragic and it's not a game. If you have broken off a relationship and he just absolutely refuses to accept it and always wants to "talk about it," he is very unstable and will more than likely become a stalker.

According to The National Center for Victims of Crime, 1in 12 women will be stalked in their lifetimes, 87% of stalkers are men, and 81% of women stalked by a current or former intimate partner are also physically assaulted by that partner.

Some signs to look for in a stalker are: Following you and showing up wherever you are, Repeatedly calling you including hang-ups, Damaging your home, car, or other property, Using technology such as hidden cameras or global positioning systems to track wherever you go, Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets and they will also go so far as to find information about you by utilizing public records, online search services, and private investigators. Source: The National Center for Victims of Crime.

Never accept forceful and controlling behavior from your partner. If he jokingly tells you that "he's never letting you leave him" he really means it and it's no joke to him. You'll see that once you leave him and the stalking begins. What are you going to say and think then, "He said he was never letting me leave him, but I didn't think he was serious." When you have finally realized the seriousness of the situation, sometimes it's too late.

So if you are presently experiencing any of the above and need assistance, contact The National Center for Victims of Crime at 1-800-FYI-CALL and always alert friends and family.

Visit my websites at: http://monicaburns.tripod.com www.monicamburns.vstore.ca and www.flashbuilder.net/users/monicaburns.

Monica M. Burns 2005 Monica M. Burns. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author Monica M. Burns is a writer, expert author, and editor of Monica M. Burns, Inc., websites, small web based businesses providing informational self-help products for women. She has authored several eBooklets and other reading information materials and is a featured Expert Author on many websites. She has also contributed to several poetic anthologies.

by Lael Johnson
Copyright 2005 Writer's Eye Advisory Service

Most people have mixed feelings about feeling and expressing
anger. Various influences suggest everything from practicing
extreme self-control, holding it all in (end result: stoicism)
to showing no boundaries about sharing anger at all(end result:
anarchy). Finding the middle ground is the place where you can
communicate feelings and the facts of a given situation, without
hurting or blaming the other party, and vice versa. When this
first scenario occurs, you are creating more space for positive
communication changes to occur. When communication is less than
ideal, continuing to express anger in old ways will reinforce
old habits., aggravating an already difficult situation.

I’m recommending the following journal exercises to assist you
in finding more positive ways to express your anger, and become
a better communicator. When I have shared my feelings, and the
other party has been receptive, I’ve been surprised at how calm
I became, compared to how uncomfortable, I felt prior to sharing
my feelings. I also have had some situations where I either
didn’t receive a response or the other party remained silent.
What is most important in any situation, is that I reached out
and began the process.

Here is the your exercise list:

ANGER SCRIBBLE: When you have a strong reaction to a situation,
start to pray and write about it. Remember to include a detailed
description of your strong feelings including the facts of the
situation. Remember to use as much space on a page as you can
when you scribble. After filling a page, choose one scribble,
and start drawing a specific shape over your scribble. Continue
to scribble over the shape until you are finished. (e.g. You may
feel tired or relieved. Your words may slow down or you may run
out of time to write.) When you notice any of these reactions,
it’s time to stop writing. Wait a few minutes for everything to
settle, then move to the next exercise. (Note: You may
substitute any ritual here if praying isn’t a good fit for you.)

UNSENT LETTERS: This exercise is an effective way to communicate
feelings and information to yourself or to someone else. You can
write unsent letters, when it might otherwise be hurtful to
speak directly to the other party(ies) You can also write unsent
letters on any topic (positive or negative). Unsent letters also
provide a great place to practice your lines. Whether you write
a series of unsent letters or one letter, your feelings will
become less intense. Then you can prepare to have a calm
conversation with the other party. You can write as many unsent
letters as you want. When you write your unsent letters, you
give yourself permission to feel the intense emotions that
surface around a specific event. At some point either during,
immediately or after you’ve written your letter, you will gain
clarity about your part in the situation. You will also learn to
evaluate your responsibility as well as the other party’s
responsibility in the same situation. When you are calm again,
you will be more prepared to make changes, including asking for
a more specific communication change from the other party. You
can continue to follow-up your unsent letters with prayers of
blessing for the other party. As you continue to bless the other
party, room is made for positive changes to happen in yourself
and the other party. When you write an unsent letter, it
demonstrates your courage and willingness, to make serious
changes in a difficult situation. . WRITING A DIALOGUE: Writing
an imagined or real conversation you had with the other party,
can help let out some of your anger. It’s useful to put words or
images to your feelings. Start your dialogue with two voices,
the letter "A" (for your voice) and "B" (for the other person’s
voice). Be sure to allow both voices time to speak. Don’t worry
about writing a perfect dialogue. Use as much detail as you can.
Your descriptive skills will improve with each unsent letter
that you write. For example, if I feel my anger burning like
fire, then I would want to say "I’m burning up over this
situation." If I am feeling a sense of resentment (something
deep, quiet and very intense, that never quite goes away, then I
might say, "I’m really frustrated about _______ now, can we talk
about it for a few minutes?" Remember that no intense feeling is
worth ignoring. It’s much better to express your feelings a few
at a time, than to pay the price of those same feelings causing
problems for you in the future.

"I AM FEELING" STATEMENTS: Writing sentences that begin with "I
am feeling..." is a good way to verbalize all of your feelings
about a difficult situation. I want to remind you that may
express other feelings along with your anger. When you start
your journaling, focus on your anger first, then write about
your other feelings. I suggest that you write a minimum of ten
feeling statements. Put the list away. Move on to the next
exercise.

DRAW A PICTURE: Draw several pictures of your anger. All types
of drawing are allowed. Remember what I said about "My anger is
burning..." Write a visual image of your anger. I want you to use
as many senses in your picture as you can. (Note: you may also
use this exercise to visualize other strong feelings)

COMBINE WORDS AND PICTURES: Now look at your list of "I am"
sentences. Match as many of your picture(s) with your "I am
feeling" sentences as you can. (For example: I am feeling angry
about-put a picture of a fire next to the written statement.
When you are finished, circle one or two combinations that best
describe your current feelings. Be sure to write a summary
sentence about your two choices.

STARTING CLOSURE: Let’s stop and review the work you’ve already
done. You have written an initial unsent letter about your
anger. You’ve explored some of your feelings in detail. You’ve
summarized your feelings using a combination of drawing and
writing. Now write one action you could have taken to keep the
earlier situation from accelerating. Write another sentence
describing one action that the other party could have taken.
Write down one positive action you are willing to take to change
your anger expression now, remember to include a specific
completion time and date. If you pray, start praying for good to
come to the other party. I would recommend that you pray for at
least a few times a week working up to praying daily for a month
or until your strong negative feelings disappear.

Take your time working through these exercises. If you find
yourself, unable to move on to the next exercise. Then write a
short paragraph why you don’t want to move on. Take a break and
start the new exercise the next day. Look forward to celebrating
your freedom from past buried feelings.

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer's Eye Advisory Service, offers
creativity coaching services and additional writing resources.
Visit http://www.writerseye.com for more informaiton.

© Copyright 2005 Charlie Cory

If you are a runner, then I am sure that you will know
about calf cramps.

Imagine this scenario if you will. Let's say that you are
7.5k into a 10k run and the road starts to incline. Ever
so slightly, but enough to put that extra strain on your
legs as you try to maintain contact with the leaders.
And the temperature? Well, it's the morning, but it's
hot and liable to get hotter before the end. And to
make matters worse, you were so desperate to
maintain contact with the leading group, that you
forgot to take on liquid at the last feeding station. And
did you use tight fitting calf length socks? I know they
are all the rage, but why did you do it?

So what do we have here?

* Extra strain on muscles?
* Dehydration?
* Loss of essentials salts?
* Restriction of blood flow?

All in all, I think that we are describing running calf
cramps, waiting to happen.

I am not sure that anyone has definitive answer to the
cause of cramps, but there are certainly several steps
that you can take which could help save you from
disaster during competition, in any sport.

1. A Proper Warm Up

Ok, I know you know, but did you do it? If not, then
those cramps could be coming. Seriously, if you have
been involved in any sport to any level, then you will
be aware of the importance of a proper warm up. And I
don't just mean a brisk walk up the stairs to the
changing room either! A proper warm up should include
a routine that gently stretches your muscles to get
them ready for the increased exertion, and gets your
blood flowing around your body. Not only will a warm
help prevent calf cramps, they will also help prevent
some of the injuries that might occur when you put
sudden strain on cold muscles.

And whilst we are talking of warm ups, don't forget
warm downs as well. Warming down after exercise can
also help prevent cramping and reduce the risk of
injury.

2. Train Hard, Run Easy

Have you heard this before? No? Well you should give
it some thought, because it's true. When you train for
a sport, not only do you practice the necessary skills
required to execute which ever event you are
competing in, but you are also training your body for
the rigours of the event. To given an exaggerated
example, if you train for a sprint, and then try and run
a marathon, your body won't be ready. If you try it, I
think you could be in for some serious cramps.

Remember, train hard, run easy.

3. Water is Sport's Life Blood

Whenever you start to exercise, you start to sweat (or
you should). Sweat is nature's way of cooling you
down when you get hot, so, it's a good thing. And
since your body is mainly made of water, then you
should have plenty, shouldn't you? Well, considering
that you lose moisture from your body when you
breathe, sweating does take a lot of fluid out of your
system.

And your body will demand that it be replaced!

If you start feeling dizzy, or experience a rapid heart
beat, then these could be signs that you are starting
to dehydrate. I will take it as read that if your mouth
and lips feel dry, then you should be taking water on
board. It is not always possible to take on fluid during
sport, but always have some available as soon as you
are able to drink.

4. Sport A'int No Catwalk.

It's true! Sport is not a fashion parade. If you think it
is, then you are hanging out in the wrong place!
There's nothing wrong with looking cool whilst you
compete, but be practical. Don't risk injury (or cramps)
by wearing clothing that is too tight, and that restricts
your body's movement, either externally or via blood
flow. Believe me, I know. When I was younger, I used
tie up's on my socks whilst playing soccer (not as a
fashion statement you'll understand), just to keep my
socks up and my shin guards inside my socks. Three
quarters of the way through a game, my calves would
tighten up, and I would roll on the floor in agony. Once
it was understood, that I 'only had cramp', I was the
object of much derision, but believe me, cramp is far
from funny if you are the one suffering.

Wear appropriate clothing.

5. Eat Properly.

When you are sweating and working hard, not only do
you lose water, you also lose nutrients. There is
speculation that that athletes who get calf cramps
could suffer from low levels of potassium, sodium,
calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. I am not
suggesting that you do low level analysis of your
breakfast cereal, but the message is clear. Look after
your body, and your body will look after you.

Eat sensibly, and eat the right foods.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The article was written by Charlie Cory, who owns Home Fitness Online.
Get fitter, feel better, live longer. Attain higher levels of fitness
from the comfort of your own home at
http://www.home-fitness-online.com/calf-cramps-5-ways.html