The Secret to Feeling Younger

I haven't really found the fountain of youth, but i have found the secret to feeling younger and actually looking younger too. the secret is... aerobic exercise! If you need the best solution for your body to look thinner and younger, aerobic exercise is definitely it. let's face it, a lot of people want to live healthy lives and look better, but all we really do is rant about how our metabolism has slowed down, how we don't really take steps to achieve our dreams. so let me help motivate you to get started by telling you the benefits of aerobic exercise:

Exercise will trim your figure. Many people feel that the only way they will lose weight is by going on a diet, but the truth is that exercise and an active lifestyle is the key to a slimmer body. Of course eating healty will help speed weight loss, but more than anything, you really have to move about.

Exercise will keep your heart young. Your heart is the engine that keeps your body working. The stronger and more efficient it works, the better you will feel. Being active and moving keeps your blood pressure and cholesterol levels low, therefore the risk of stroke and heart disease are lessened as compared to those with inactive lifestyle.

Exercise will keep your mind active and stress free. A lot of regular exercisers will tell you that despite the activities that they go through, these activities actually relaxes them and gives them better sleep at night. It also helps sharpen memory, shed stress, boost your mood and feel good about your body, in fact regular exercise is prescribed to treat mild depression, anxiety disorders and alcohol abuse.

define : definitive, infinitesmal, finite

Definitive – adj. authoritative and final; specifying perfectly or precisely

 

The scientist had definitive answers to the grade school students interviewing him about his latest invention.

 

Infinitesimal – adj. extremely or immeasurably small.

 

The chances of us hooking up, is so infinitesimal that you should really consider giving up right now.

 

Finite – adj. having definite limits.

 

Though my love and care for you is infinite, my tolerance for your physical and emotional abuse is definitely finite, and I’ve had enough. Goodbye!

 

 

a plan for my starbucks planner

I know what I will do with my 2009 starbucks planner. Since I already have a pda and I’m not really into diaries anymore, I have decided to use my planner as a food and exercise journal. Yep, lower your raised eyebrows and let me be. It’s my way of holding myself accountable for the weight-loss and healthy lifestyle plan that I have been intending to do for the past year. I succeeded in losing a couple of pounds a few months back, but that new-found pride and bod went down the drain when FIL died and I got sidetracked.

I need to be honest with myself and be responsible enough to accept my shortcomings and pitfalls. And of course, proud enough to pat myself on the shoulders if and when I achieve my set goals.

I intend to put my goals in writing so that I may look at them from time to time to gauge my performance.

I will stick to this plan. I need to. Next year, It’s 2009 already, and I’m not getting any younger. I need to act NOW!

define :: allude, collusion, ludicrous, prelude

Allude – n. to refer broadly or indirectly

My grandmother loved to allude to her journey from rags to riches, hoping that we would learn from her past.

 

Collusion – n. a secret agreement or conspiracy for an illegal or deceptive pupose.

The company lost a couple of millions due to the collusion between the cashier and the accountant.

 

Ludicrous – adj laughable because of clear absurdity, falseness or foolishness.

During the hearing, the judge was shocked at the ludicrous answers that the defendant gave.

 

Prelude – n. a performance, action, event or piece of music that precedes and prepares for the more important thing that follows.

The children sang Christmas carols as a prelude to the grand chorale’s main performance.

 

Applying for a job? Stand out!

When applying for a job, you need to put your best foot forward. Companies interview as many as 20-30 applicants in a day, and since Human Resources personnel are only human, you can imagine them drifting off when the applicants drone off generic answers to their questions. What if your scheduled interview falls in the afternoon, when the interviewer is already too tired, or worse, too sleepy to pay significant attention to your answers? Here’s a solution. Give them answers that will jerk them back to reality, yes, you need to stand out from a sea of faces. Separate yourself from the crowd. Here are some tips how:

 

• Dress for success. This is a business interview, be sure to wear a business attire. You may look good in your little black dress but this is neither the time nor the place to wear it.
• Be prompt. Arrive early. It is better to wait. This will give you ample time to prepare physically and mentally for your interview.
• Be sure you researched some pertinent information on the company you are applying to and the industry it belongs to.
• Show confidence the moment you step in the room. First impression is very important.
• Have a firm handshake and a bright smile.
• Eye contact is key.
• Think before answering. Easy enough to say, but very difficult to follow.
• Admit if you didn’t understand the question, and politely request the interviewer to repeat the question.
• Have a sense of curiosity. This will show how interested you are in the job and the industry you are applying for.
• Be creative when asked to find solutions to given problems.
• Be able to clearly communicate. No fuss. Don’t bother with the big words if you’re not really sure what they mean, or how they are pronounced.
• Listen carefully to the questions and suspend judgment until all facts have been considered.
• Ask pertinent questions when given a chance.
• Be assertive, but not annoying.
• Be comfortable but not too comfortable, this can be interpreted as being too assuming and cocky.
• Panic gracefully. So what if you don’t know the answer to his question, smile and give the nearest answer you can give. Act as if you’re giving the most brilliant answer in the world
• After the interview, smile and shake the interviewer’s hand. Thank him sincerely, no matter how disastrous the interview went.

Simbang Gabi starts tomorrow!

Christmas is definitely in the air! Tomorrow we start the Filipino tradition of Simbang Gabi. It is a series of 9 dawn masses meant as a novena which will lead up to the Midnight Mass on Christmas eve. As with other novenas, It is believed that if you are able to complete the whole novena, your prayer will be granted, enough incentive to try and wake up early. Of course the yummy breakfast of bibingka, puto bumbong and other kakanin is definitely a treat for the whole family. It is a very rare occasion that the family gets together in the morning for breakfast since we often go on our own ways in a rush to go to work.  

Hubby really wants to complete the novena this year. I really hope I can get up early! We are planning to bring the little one along, but I’m not sure if  we can get ready on time. Good thing that the church is just in front of our house, we can just lug some monoblock chairs since the church will be packed for sure!

Time sure flies so fast. Christmas is just a few days away! =)

 

rainy friday

Hmmm… it’s a rainy wet Friday yet again. It was just like this last week, what is it with Fridays and rain?! Hmp.

I heard some theories like cloud seeding, because later today some concerned citizens will be staging a rally to voice out their protest against the move for charter change. Hmmm. What good will that do to us? Nada. Just more confusing and irritating traffic jams here in Makati.

I keep hoping I’m in bed, at home. Hay. I just love bed weather, but only when I am actually in bed!

Rainy Christmas… not really that appealing to me.

tips in writing your blog

Let me put it simply, if you intend to create a good blog, you need to instill in your mind that you should write very clearly and concisely, that in writing for the web, you should adapt the web mentality. Put yourself in your target readers’ shoes. You may be at work or at home when reading the blog, but nevertheless you don’t have the luxury of reading in a leisurely manner. I mean let’s face it, being on the web costs money. Some people are billed for the size of the data they download, while some are billed for the time they spend on the net. Meanwhile, we are not asked to pay for the time we spend in reading books or newspapers. With all that said, the old adage still rings true, in writing for a good blog, you should KISS: KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.

A reader who happens to hop by your blog will only skim through your articles. Very few people actually reads the blogs word for word. If he sees something that catches his eye, he may stay on and read some more, till his interest wanes and he hops off to another blog. That is precisely why your blog articles should be dotted with key words and catch phrases. Enough to catch your readers’ attention. Articles should be well-written, self explanatory and make sense by itself. Often times your readers are directed to your blog through search engines, they don’t have the luxury of reading through the previous entries in order to understand the one they are currently reading. Not everyone understands tech jargon, so keep the newbies in mind when writing your entries.

Blogs, unlike other websites, have a personal tone. Readers like to feel the author’s personality, his humor, and his sentiments when reading the entries. Readers should feel like the author is actually sharing information with them, communicating with them, wanting to have a conversation with them. Stay relaxed but focused. Readers  shouldn’t feel like they are at the receiving end of a lecture or a marketing pitch. When readers feel at home in your site, they will leave comments or questions for you to answer. Don’t be rattled. This is a good thing. Readers are reaching out to you, this can actually lead to an increased traffic. Respond in a warm and welcoming manner. Reply as if you’re talking to a long-time friend. Establish a relationship, this will keep readers keep coming back for more! 

Diet Tips to Prevent Holiday Bingeing

Holidays are fast approaching. Many are already feeling giddy with anticipation. There is the warm feeling of having family around, and the satisfaction we feel when we finally get to sink our teeth on the home cooked goodies we’ve missed during the year. All these holiday cheer can get our stomachs growling and out of control. And so I’ve come up with some tips that can help us keep to our diets during this Christmas season.

One main point to remember is to stay conscious as we eat. Don’t let yourself go on autopilot, because if you do, you can end up shoveling food into your mouth and afterwards, you will definitely be filled with remorse.

• A few minutes before the meal, be sure that you will be taking your meal on the table by the way, never on your bed or on the couch, take in five or six deep breathes. Let yourself feel relaxed and in control. Know your battle ahead and be ready.
• One minute before the meal, contemplate on the work that went in preparing this meal. What are the ingredients, how was it cooked, are these healthy food choices or not? Think about how this will affect your body, appreciate how this food will nourish your body.
• Halfway through the meal, stop for a minute or two. Put down your spoon and fork, and take a sip of water. Sit quietly, and you might just feel that you are already full. Stop eating when you do feel you are no longer hungry.
• Ten minutes after the meal, allow yourself  a couple more minutes to relax, do another set of deep breathing. Focus of the delightful sensations the food has caused on your senses and your body. Appreciate the feeling of fullness and nourishment. Let your body feel that it has gotten the dietary requirements for the moment and restrain your eyes from hovering and dwelling on the dessert tray.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you attend that Christmas party or that family reunion. Good luck!

I barely escaped disaster!

Yep, that I did! And I am very thankful for it. What disaster is this? Hmmm. My laptop conked out on me! As in! I was just upload some of little one’s pics on her friendster when the laptop turned itself off. Apparently, the plug was not properly attached to the socket, so the laptop had no more power. Ok, fine. This has happened to me a dozen of times! I just rebooted the laptop, but it won’t boot. It just kept of restarting. It was really frustrating. I tried everything. I tried booting on safe mode, using the windows installer CD, everything I can think of… to no avail!

Good thing thought that when my sister had someone fix her pc, she also asked the guy to look into my laptop. The tech guy that proceeded to put a partition in my hard drive, that way he said, should my OS crash, my files will still be intact (whew).

After attempting to reboot gazillions of times, I tried to format my drive c, as a last act of desperation. Bye bye files. Bye bye programs. Good thing though that I was able to back some of my files while I was on vacation. And as if fate is playing a joke on me, the formatting just won’t go through. It reaches up to 56% then hangs. Grrr!

I wanted to blog about Manny Pacquiao’s win, but couldn’t, I wanted to express my frustration that Channel 2 was showing Judy Ann Santos’ movie KKK part 2 the same time Channel 7 was showing the boxing match. I would’ve loved to watch Juday’s movie since I watched the 1^st installment and just loved it. But I just couldn’t. I was so sad. Good thing hubby is ever sensitive about my feelings. Seeing how frustrated I was, he volunteered to drive me to SM megamall to have my laptop fixed.

I was still apprehensive though since I didn’t have any money to pay for any parts that may need to be replaced. I was also hoping against hope that the labor charges won’t be so steep. The heavens heard my prayer since as it turned out, I didn’t have to pay for anything! Labor was free, and since the problem was not in the hardware, they didn’t need to replace anything! The problem was with my OS and the installation process. The laptop must’ve been tired from all that rebooting. It got the much needed rest while we were traveling to the mall. When we tried to install the software, it ran beautifully.  Haaay (sigh of relief)

So last night, I was faced with the tedious task of installing the programs and drivers all over again. I wasn’t completely done yet, but at least I was able to try the wifi connection and was able to log on the internet. That’s enough for now. But of course, photoshop will have to be next, for my scrap stuff. =)

Whew…whew…and whew… a thousand times over!

 

the tao of my writing

I was going through my growing mini-library (read as my mountain of unread books). And I re-discovered a book that I purchased a few months back. “the tao of writing” I got it on sale. i haven’t finished yet, but so far I find it an inspiring read. It is about following a process in writing that is different from the one we are usually taught in school. It is about harnessing the inner self so that transforming ideas into words and transferring them on paper will be done in a fluid process. It is about letting the creativity flow.

I intend to finish this book. It is perfect for aspiring, uneducated writers like me. I just need to let the inner writer out. I need not get caught in the torturous creative process. I will just write. I will imagine, create and let it flow.

Thank (or Blame) your Genes

Blood tests can now tell us so many things. Upon birth, new born screening is available for many of our babies. It will tell us if our babies have congenital diseases that eventually will lead to retardation and other complications. We can now be tested if we have the cancer gene just by drawing some blood. Hopefully, scientists will be able to come up with tests that will tell us if we have the fat gene in our bodies. We really need this now that heart disease, diabetes and obesity are fast become norms in a society of fast food and frozen dinners.

In the meantime though, while waiting for this medical breakthrough, we can just look at certain factors to determine if we will most likely end up having weight problems later on in life. Read through the next lines and discover your genetic profile:

• If both your parents have weight problems, you have 80% chances of having weight problems too,
• If only one parent is overweight, you have 40% of being overweight also.
• If neither parent is overweight, you only have 10% chances of have weight problems.
• If you’re African-American, you have double the chances of being overweight that Caucasians.
• If you’re Native American or Hispanic, you also have more chances of having weight problems than those of European descent.
• If you’re Asian-American, you are less likely to become fat, however beware because your excess fat tend to end up on your abdomen.

 

What do you think? Did it describe your genetic profile?

the smiley moon phenomenon

I was not aware there was even such a thing.

Yesterday, when we arrived home after our trip to the south, I just happened to look up and was amused at what I saw. As I was smiling at the heavens, it was smiling down back at me! Heavenly bodies all lined up just to greet me a belated happy birthday.

They said it is the so-called smiling moon phenomenon.

This is from an email my sis sent to me: Smiling Moon Phenomenon Happens Tonight

Wondering why the moon smiles at you? Tonight you might have not notice the moon is smiling. Go out and look at the moon and you might see the moon smiling back at you. The smiling moon phenomenon happens every 48 years, so don’t miss it! “Astronomers say Venus and Jupiter and a crescent moon will form a smiley face tonight, with the planets forming the eyes and the moon forming the mouth. Venus and Jupiter have appeared side by side in the evening sky over the last week or so, but tonight will be the best night to see the “face” appear, astronomers say.”

The smiling moon phenomenon is best viewed in Western Australia. The eyes are closer to the moon! Sad to say, the effect of the phenomenon is inverted in the United States. It will appear as frown. Lucky to us here in the Philippines, we will witness the smiling moon!

As I a look at the moon tonight, I feel that the heavens are trying to send us a message. Perhaps it is a reminder for us to be happy amidst the crisis and problems that the world is suffering. Think positive. Be happy!

 

So, there is indeed a logical explanation for the skies’ happy face… whatever. I have my own explanation. I choose to think it’s my mama, looking down at me with her goofy grin. “Is it you mama? Greeting your bunso a belated happy birthday?  Thanks for remembering…”