Have You Seen Food Matters or Food, Inc.?

Food Matters and Food, Inc. are two of the most powerful movies about food that I have seen.  Food Matters is a documentary about using food as medicine rather than pharmaceuticals.  As Hippocrites, the father of medicine, said, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."  This documentary will change your view of pharmaceuticals and popping pills.  As they said, "A pill for every ill."  I found the statistics of pharmaceuticals versus vitamins very interesting.

Food, Inc., another documentary, is a film about how our food is grown and how the small, country-side farms have been replaced with Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). I had heard about these but had never actually seen one.  The one question I had after watching was, "And people think how we get veal is cruel?"  If you don't want to change any of your eating habits, you might not want to watch this one.  After watching this, I plan to completely change my eating habits and start supporting local farmers.

I only wish I had seen these many, many years ago.  How different and healthier would I be now?  If you have the chance, these films just might change your life and the life of your family.

Ameradoor- Quality Cabinet Doors and Cabinets

I was very saddened to see this in my "comments" and sorry to hear Ameradoor has closed.  From the comments left here, it is obvious that running this business has been a struggle as are many in this terrible economy.  Thank you to Ameradoor for posting this for us.


AMERADOOR UPDATE (This is a comment left by user "Ameradoor Corporation":
Ameradoor Corporation- After 6 years we have CLOSED We tried to keep our doors open long enough to finish customers product. However our power was shut off. Our phones and website was discontinued for not payment. We just did not have the resources to survive. In this nations economy you would think that people would understand. However some people would like to make wild accusations that are just not true. For the customers that supported us for the past six years "thank you". For the customers that did not get there order "I am truly sorry" I hope the through the Bankruptcy court that this matter will be resolved.

By Ameradoor Corporation on Ameradoor- Quality Cabinet Doors and Cabinets on 8/6/11

AMERADOOR UPDATE: August 3, 2011:
Thanks to Helen and Darlene for the heads-up on Ameradoor.  It appears they may have closed.  Calling the number today that is listed on the www.whois.net website, I received a recording that said, "We're sorry. You've reached a number that is no longer in service."  Typing www.ameradoor.com in the address bar gives this message,  "Sorry, we can't find "www.ameradoor.com". We suggest that you check the spelling of the web address or search above."  Personally, I am very sorry to know this company is closed.

MY ORIGINAL POST January 27, 2009:
We recently built a maple entertainment center for our living room. Unfortunately, when it came to the doors, we did not have the expertise or the right tools. Since we only needed three doors and one drawer front, we decided to have them built. Searching the Internet we were able to find Ameradoor. The price with shipping was less than we would have paid for a router and the rail and stile bits.

When the doors arrived, we were very happy with their workmanship.

Mangia - Hooksett NH's Best-Kept Secret!

My husband came home from work last night and told me that a co-worker raved about Mangia in Hooksett. In the five years this restaurant has been open, I did not know anyone who had actually eaten there.

Off we went to Mangia, but not before Google-ing (yes, <~~~ that is a word) the restaurant to make sure they were open. I went into my bedroom to get dressed and my husband jumped on the computer. He didn't manage to find the restaurant's website www.gomangia.com but he did manage to find two websites with reviews. The first one I read was a, "Don't do it" which was a little disturbing. There were ten reviews and only one was bad; the others were all good reviews. Since we now personally knew someone who had eaten there and given a good verbal review, we decided to give it a try.

OH MY GOSH; I could not believe how delicious the food was! I was trying desperately to leave some of my five-cheese tortellini for my husband to try and having a most difficult time. When I saw this on the specials menu, it said, "Five-Cheese Large Tortellini, roasted garlic, onions, sweet corn, peas, mushrooms in an Alfredo sauce." I was wondering about peas and corn in the Alfredo sauce; sounded a little odd to me, but I don't usually frequent Italian restaurants. That is now going to change. This morning I'm wishing I could go there for breakfast. It was THAT GOOD!!!

My husband had linguine and clams in a white sauce; he loved it. I thought it delicious, but a bit too hot for my sensitive tongue. He also had the Caprese salad which was fresh and delicious. Our waitress, Susan, was waiting on the entire restaurant and doing a great job. There are probably only about 10 or 12 tables and all were occupied last night. The chef cooks each meal to order; no wonder it is so good. I've never had a meal come out of the kitchen as steaming hot as this one. It came right from the kitchen to our table.

If you are looking for a quiet dinner, sorry, this is probably not the place to go. It's a cafe-style that I found to be a bit noisy. Honestly, as much as I usually hate noisy restaurants, my food was good enough that this would not have been a problem if the place was more noisy. 

If you are in a hurry, again sorry, not the place to go. There is one chef preparing meals individually to order. We were there almost two hours, but trust me, it was well worth the wait! And yes, it is true that you can bring your own wine, beer or champagne. That's a plus, too. Our bill was about $52 less a $10 restaurant.com certificate. Not too bad for two EXCELLENT meals. We cannot wait to go back!! By using a certificate from Restaruant.com, you can save not just at this restaurant, but many in your area:

hCG Diet - Hype or Helpful? Does hCG work?

My Synopsis - But PLEASE Read Dr. Simeons' Entire Book

Before starting this controversial diet, I decided to read Dr. Simeons' complete book. If you are considering using HCG I would recommend reading his book, as I believe it is important to understand the 500-Calorie diet and how hCG works in the body. As I understand hCG from reading Dr. Simeons' book, hCG:

1.              Will reset the hypothalamus.

2.              Will train the body to lose bad fat.

3.              Is an appetite suppressant.

4.              "Tells" the body to burn the bad fat for fuel and nutrients.

We have good fat according to Dr. Simeons, like the fat on the bottom of our feet. Maybe that is why, once I became overweight and started dieting, I'm having foot issues and my fat buttocks gets sore after sitting. Have I lost the good fat in the wrong places? I never had those problems when I was a size 2!

 

The Controversy

In researching this diet on the Internet, I quickly realized the controversy was in the 500-calorie diet, NOT the hCG itself; I could tell it was only because people didn't understand the concept. hCG it seems, is approved and used as a fertility drug but not for weight loss. I was only eating around 500 to 800 calories a day because of Myxedema. I believe that if most Americans removed the non-nutritional foods or the foods that have limited nutritional value from their diets, (like bagels, English muffins, pasta, sugar, etc.) they too would find they are only consuming about 800 calories a day of nutritional foods.

According to Wikipedia, "hCG is also produced in the pituitary gland of males and females of all ages." Could a deficit in the amount of hCG we are supposed to have actually be causing people to not be able to lose weight? Just a thought. Since hCG is a substance that naturally occurs in our bodies, it seems it would probably come under "bio-identical hormones."  I'm guessing there won't soon be any studies.

There doesn't seem to be any controversy about eating foods that are full of high-fructose corn syrup, trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil), sugar and flour - all of which we know pack on the pounds. What else would the body do with "food" that it doesn't recognize except to shoot the cholesterol up and store it as fat? Surprisingly though, we seem to know what contributes to storing the fat but aside from strenuous exercise for 8 hours a day or starving ourselves, we don't seem to know how to "tell" our bodies to get rid of the stored fat. I don't know, but maybe hCG is the answer.

Wikipedia also states, "The controversy proceeds from warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid" Not effective as a weight-loss aid? I think I'm living proof that it is not only a good weight-loss aid, but it is also an appetite suppressant.

Personally, I think it important to acquire this or anything else we put in our bodies from a reliable source. I am getting mine, with a doctor's prescription, from Northern New England Compounding Pharmacy in Littleton, New Hampshire. I also just ordered Green Web's from Amazon and am waiting for it to arrive. If you have purchased hCG and find you are constantly hungry or are not losing weight, perhaps there is no hCG in your bottle.

Is hCG a Miracle?

I did not have Myxedema because I did not have enough thyroid hormone in my blood, I had (have) Myxedema because the thyroid hormone was not getting into the cells at the "receptor site" as my doctor said. Lyme Disease might be the culprit. One of the worst (of the many) symptoms was edema. If you've ever had a really bad case of edema you know what it feels like. If not, it makes one feel like their weight is doubled and seriously impedes mobility.

When I decided to start hCG, I was still apprehensive. I understood everything Dr. Simeons was saying in his book, but wondered if it would work for me because of my current medical issues.

Days one and two are necessary overeating days while hCG is getting into the system. According to Dr. Simeon, those who overeat on these days get the best results. Day three I started the 500-calorie diet as instructed and since I am always the optimist, I thought the edema was subsiding. By day four I was astounded at the reduction in the edema - I finally felt like I could move. I now actually felt like eating - my appetite had turned around. Previously, I was eating only because I knew it was necessary.

Today is day 20. I am doing the drops and should have lost 20 pounds by now. Unfortunately, I've hit two roadblocks. The second weekend I was on hCG, I did major yard work and the weather was humid. I stuck to the diet and actually gained one pound; that was a huge disappointment. It worked out that in four days I had no change. The next weekend I needed to do more yard work and was told to just go off it and eat extra food to compensate for the calories I was burning - WRONG! I gained five pounds! I should have known, because Dr. Simeons warns to stay on the 500-calorie diet for three days AFTER taking the last hCG dose because it will cause a weight gain (because the body is still being flooded with nutrients from the hCG). I've ended up wasting four days on each of two weekends (eight total days - uggghhh). In short, exercise is NOT allowed on this diet. Overall, I am down today by only 11 pounds, but I'll take it!  Where else can one find a diet that says, "Don't exercise"!

 

Nothing Can Stop Me Now!

Nothing can stop me now. I will not falter in my eating nor exert myself any more than absolutely necessary for the remaining 22 days that I will be doing the hCG and 500-calorie diet. I'm having guests for Father's Day and had originally planned to cheat - not anymore.

I must remember my goal and that, "NOTHING tastes better than a size 8"! Although I won't be down to a size 8 this time, after taking a six-week vacation from hCG (so that my body does not get immune to the drops) I will do another round of hCG. THEN I will be a size 8!

Summary

For me, hCG has been a miracle. I am a whole new person; a whole new person who today is 11 pounds lighter. My biggest fear is that I'll go off the hCG and the edema/myxedema will return. Only time will tell......


PLEASE NOTE:  I am NOT a doctor and am not giving advise, medical or otherwise.  The above statements are a summary of what happened to me.  My statements have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA or anyone else.

Congratulations Prince William and Princess Kate!

Congratulations Prince William and Princess Kate!   I remember watching the royal wedding of Prince William's parents and am saddened that Princess Diana was not there today to see the marriage ceremony of her eldest son.  Kate looked as elegant as Princess Diana looked on her wedding day almost 30 years ago.

I've just learned of a 22-page etiquette book that was sent to guests of the Royal wedding.  Surely there should have been a page 23 that included specific hat etiquette and a hat-limiting height for women's hats.  And unless your name is Lady Gaga, you shouldn't be wearing any hats like these:


Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and Their Hideous Hats!


Hats like these not only took away from the beauty of these gorgeous girls, they make me think of "The Emperor's New Clothes."  Who told those girls it was okay to go out in public wearing those???  Just because a designer has a famous reputation, doesn't necessarily mean what they design looks good.  These hats also make me think about what wonderful table centerpieces these hats would make, as would this Philip Treacy, worn by Sarah Jessica .  I could decorate an entire room around Sarah's "hat."

I do like the idea of an etiquette book to be sent with wedding invitations - one that would not only include etiquette but also directions.  I once went to grab my invitation as I was walking out the door to attend a wedding, only to find the couple had not included directions or the address of the church!  It was a wedding two states away.  I can't remember how we even found the church!  When we arrived, we were very overdressed.  My husband was in a suit and I in a dressy wedding-suitable dress.  The other guests were dressed in Dockers and casual, office-type dresses.  I have to admit, it would have been nice to have a "play-book" that included directions and suggested attire.

Exciting New Product - The Flex Belt

Advertisement – Too tired for a traditional workout?  Have you seen the advertisements for The Flex Belt?  It is a class II medical device and the first of its kind to be approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).  This EMS (Electric Muscle Stimulation) product has been approved to be sold directly to consumers.  An 8-week clinical study proved to reduce the waist by an average of 1.4 inches along with firmer and flatter abdomens reported by 100% of the subjects.  Get a discount when buying a second one; upon checkout you will receive a 25% discount on the second one.  If you have friends who might be interested, start checking with them to lower your cost.  Gotta go...just talked myself into buying one!

How to Find Your Old eHow Account Articles

Log in to Your Old eHow Account Articles

It's hard to not only keep up with all the changes at eHow, but with changes at all Internet writing sites. If you found this article, you probably already know that Demand Media has taken over eHow. If you would like to write for eHow, you must now apply through Demand Media. I have several articles on eHow, but have not yet started writing through Demand Studios. Maybe I'll start today.

I recently tried to log on to my eHow account and found a Facebook login. It seems this has added some confusion to the site, at least for writers. If you are looking for your old eHow articles, go to this address Old eHow Account and log in. After entering your "username" and "password" on this page, you will be brought to your old eHow articles.
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Can You Survive an MRI?

I've just published an article on Hubpages about my experience of surviving an MRI. The full story can be read here:

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-I-Survived-an-MRI-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging

My apologies for such a lengthy article. If you are facing an MRI in the near future, I hope my article will give you some good tips!

Super Bowl XLV Half Time Show

What happened to the Black Eyed Peas? I always loved Black Eyed Peas, but what the heck happened to them during the Super Bowl 2011 Half-Time Show? I personally thought they sounded terrible! Was it the acoustics in the stadium? Maybe it's my ears - I didn't think Christina Auguilera sounded good either. Lea Michele from Glee - great job!!!!

UPDATE: I posted this during the half-time show. Now an update: 2/16/11 I have only ever seen a couple half-time shows in my life, as I'm not a football fan. If all half-time shows are this bad, I surely won't be watching again!!!

Seth Glier - Another Amazing Performance

Seth Glier never ceases to amaze me. Listening to him sing at last night's CD Release Party at the Tupelo in Londonderry, New Hampshire was as usual, absolutely amazing! This was my fifth time hearing Seth (and his ever-so-talented sidekick, Ryan Hommel) in person and it never gets old. He opened for Liz Longley, who has a beautiful voice and some wonderful, touching songs. Nothing against Liz, as I would love to see her again, but two of the people with me last night both said (as I always say) Seth should have been the headliner, not the opener. It is hard to believe this young man is only 22 years old. He has a voice that is a rare gift. You are in for a real treat if you can see him in person! If you can't see him in person, consider purchasing a CD. His newest CD, The Next Right Thing, is my personal favorite.



Have you ever heard a singers voice that was so amazing it made you emotional?