Broccoli is very high in vitamin A, C, K, great source of folate, dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, tryptophan, and is decent in vitamin B6, B2, phosphorus, magnesium, omega 3, iron and calcium. Even though it is high in essential nutrients, overcooking broccoli will diminish many of its nutrients. For cooking tips on how to preserve nutrients visit this page.

Benefits of broccoli

• High in vitamin A, C and K.
• High in phytochemicals and antioxidants.
• Great source of folate, dietary fiber, manganese and potassium.
• Helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.
• Helps suppress certain cancers.
• Speeds the body’s cleaning system.

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Banana Fruit Salad

• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup of fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.)
• 1 pear, cored and sliced
• 1 cup of fresh grapes
• Rinse the pear, berries and grapes, cut the pear and banana into smaller pieces and mix together all the fruits in a small bowl. Enjoy!

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Where To Buy - Hansen’s Natural Green Tea Pomegranate is available at certain convenience, grocery and department stores nationwide (United States). I bought mine at Target for the retail price of $3.49 for a pack of four.

The main flavors of Hansen’s Natural Green Tea Pomegranate is citrus, pomegranate and tea. The light-yellow-carbonated energy juice was a little sweet for my taste. After drinking the green tea soda, it left a light-bitter-tea aftertaste in my mouth. The drink also had a strong tea smell. Hansen’s Green Tea Pomegranate has about 35 milligrams of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) per can. EGCG is an extract from green tea and is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidant. Scientific research has linked EGCG to reducing the risk of certain cancer, chronic diseases, age-related illnesses and cardiovascular disease. EGCG is also known for weight management because of its ability to enhance the body’s use of calories. According to Hansen’s, its green tea pomegranate soda has no preservatives, artificial colors, caffeine and is made with real cane sugar.

The energy from this green tea flavored soda is about the same as a regular Mountain Dew. The green tea drink is good for a quick boost of energy, I don’t recommend drinking Hansen’s Green Tea Pomegranate for endurance energy. The sugar levels are a little high but not as bad as Mountain Dew. If it wasn’t for the sugar, this drink would be good for weight management.

The pros

• No major side effects.
• Contains EGCG.
• Decent flavor.
• Decent energy boost.
• Good price.

The cons

• May experience energy break down.
• The aftertaste may bother some people.
• A little on the sweet side.
• Strong smell.

Hansen’s Natural Green Tea Pomegranate Nutrition Facts (serving size - 8 fl. oz.)

• Calories: 90
• Total Fat: 0 g
• Sodium: 0 g
• Total Carb: 22 g - 7%
• Sugar: 22 g
• Protein: 0 g

Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet - Servings per container: 2

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The road to happiness is different for everyone because each person is unique in their own ways. Many people will search their whole life to find true happiness but many of them will not succeed. The reason for their failure can be endless, if only they knew about one of the strongest laws in the universe, their success rate would be much higher. This law, known as the law of attraction, is one of the best kept secrets since the beginning of time. In simple terms, the law of attraction is a law based on the power of our thoughts and intentions; our emotions can magnify those thoughts, and then nature can manifest them into reality in one form or another. Sounds a little crazy? Maybe! The law of attraction, in a strange way, is actually backed up by quantum physics.

Quantum physics is still in its infancy but there had been many strange discoveries. One of them is the discovery of how matter can behave like atoms. At the quantum level particles behave really strange, they can be everywhere at once and disappear or reappear out of nowhere. Just looking at them or thinking about them can change their appearance. This discovery tells us that our thoughts can influence our surroundings. The quantum world is like the dream-world, things don’t make sense and the laws of physics don’t exist. Lucent dreamers can truly relate to this because they can control their dream by making things appear, disappear or change the appearance of objects, they can build their own dream-world according to their thoughts. In a way, quantum physics is saying that we can achieve anything as long as we can imagine it and act on it. With that thought in mind, think about some of the greatest thinkers or inventors of our time. Look how much they changed the world with their thoughts and imagination. Without them we may still be living as cave people.

Below is a short video explaining how quantum physics relate to our thoughts and existence.

The philosophy behind the law of attraction comes down to your thoughts and nature. Unlike our mind, nature doesn’t know the differences between good or bad. If you are thinking about negative things all the time, sooner or later nature will give you what you want in one form or another. For example, if you want to get out of debt, stop thinking about debt and think about wealth. If you want to find your true love, think about he or she (may want to exclude your ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends) instead of how you will be single forever. The great thing about the law of attraction is that it is universal, no matter your religion, race or gender. It is universal because at the sub-atomic level, we are all connected in a complex universe of energy.

My tips on how to find happiness

• Find your true inner self (most important) - I like to view life as pieces of a self-image-puzzle. When we are born, we are innocent because those pieces of puzzles are scattered all around us. In order for us to find our true identity, we need to find the missing pieces to create our true self-image. The best way to find them is through the experiences we go through in life. In order to find the pieces quickly, we need to be willing to step outside of our comfort zone. We need to take risk, be open minded and not be scare of failure. Warning! When you find your true self-image, you life will turn upside down, inside out, and you will see the world from a different perspective. You will have confident and feel like you can achieve whatever your heart desires.
• Don’t procrastinate, time is precious - If you have a great idea or see something you like, act on it. Don’t wait until everything is perfect before you act because nature is not going to give you a lot of chances. When you act on the things you want right away, everything will come together, it is just going to take time.
• Watch for signs and be open minded - nature is always giving you signs or ideas, if you are not open minded you may miss them. I believe most people in their life time will have a million dollar idea but the sad thing is that most of them will not act on it.
• Hang around successful people - my parents use to always tell me this but I refused to believe them until I started to hung around successful people. The thing about successful people, especially the ones that went through a lot of struggle to get there, is that they know secrets that the average people don’t and they have connections. If you want to be successful, you need to be around them. Also, be careful because not all successful people are nice and may try to take advantage of you.
• Learn to think a lot - people who are happy and successful think a lot about how they can improve their life, sometime too much. This is why they can come up with thoughts and ideas that most people could never image.
• Don’t be a follower - everybody’s path to happiness is different. If you follow people’s footstep, you are becoming them and not yourself. Use people as inspirations and learn from their mistakes but don’t mimic them.
• Don’t repeat mistakes but learn from them - everyone make mistakes, it is okay to make mistakes because we are not perfect. This is the beauty of being a person. What you need to do is not to repeat them but learn from them so you can improve your life.
• Adapt to change - this is very important because the world is always changing. People who can adjust to change quickly are more likely to become happy and successful in life. Technology is a big one. Every decade or so, someone will come up with a great invention that will change the future of humankind. People who take advantage of the new invention will usually live a better life.
• Learn to forgive - this one can be hard depending on how personal it is. If you don’t learn to forgive people, you will always have that negative energy inside you. This will make it very hard for you to find true happiness. Forgiving people will help release the negative energies inside you and make it easier to move on in life.

Finding true happiness doesn’t have to be hard, it is only hard if you make it hard. You have the knowledge now so start thinking positive and find your happiness! Remember, if you can imagine it and act on it, you can achieve it, it is never to late! Also, don’t forget to watch the short video clip about “The Secret”, whether you believe it or not, it is a very interesting philosophy. This is the video that inspired me to write this article. I recommend renting the video to see the whole philosophy behind the law of attraction or buying the video for future reference.

If you have any advises on how to find happiness, feel free to leave a comment.

Movie Clip: “The Secret” By Rhonda Byrne

Air fresheners may also have other hazardous chemicals, such as benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, camphor, ethanol, naphthalene and artificial fragrance.

• Benzyle Alcohol - may cause respiratory failure, paralysis, hypotension and convulsions.
• Formaldehyde - is considered a carcinogen by the EPA. Studies have shown that long exposure to formaldehyde can cause nasopharyngeal cancer in humans. Formaldehyde can irritate the eye and skin, and is poisonous if swallowed.
• Camphor - is poisonous to humans and can cause seizures, neromuscular hyperactivity and even death when ingested.
• Ethanol - is toxic to the skin, respiratory, developmental, neurological and gastrointestinal systems.
• Naphthalene - is a carcinogen and can be poisonous if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Exposure may damage red blood cells and cause vomiting, nausea, coloration of the skin and diarrhea. Naphthalene can also alter kidney function and cause damages to the cardiovascular and developmental systems.

Do air freshener work?

• Air fresheners work as a temporary solution but they do more harm than good, even the ones listed as natural or unscented. Many of them interfere with our sense of smell by slowly destroying the nerve endings in our nose. Many of the chemicals found in air fresheners can cause asthma, allergies, birth defects and other health problems. Because of these negative effects, children and pregnant women should avoid them as much as possible. Air fresheners are the most dangerous when used in confined areas, such as a bedroom or inside a car. The fragrance from air fresheners do work but only for a short amount of time, for air quality it does nothing to clean the air. To clean the air, open the window to allow fresh air in or use carbon-filter air purifiers. I recommend the Alen A350 because it uses a true HEPA filter along with a carbon-filter for eliminating odor. Another good one is the Honeywell Enviracaire 50250 which uses an odor-reducing carbon pre-filter. This one is cheaper but is more noisy and is not recommended for large rooms.

Scented candle and plug-in

• Most traditional candles are made of paraffin wax and their fragrance are usually artificial. Scented candle may contain lead core wicks, when burned it can create unsafe lead concentrations. Scented candle is also a fire hazard which is why it should be avoided the most. Plug-ins are just as bad because many of the chemicals found in scented sprayers are found in scented plug-ins too.

How to freshen your room without chemicals

• Use box of open baking soda in areas where odors are strong. Baking soda is well known for absorbing bad odor.
• To scent the kitchen and living room, boil a pot of water and add herbs or spices, such as rosemary, cinnamon and clove.
• Place fragrant plants such as lavender, lily, tulip, roses and lilac near open windows.
• Instead of floor cleaners, use white vinegar to clean floors. Vinegar is excellent at destroying odors. You can also put vinegar in cups and place them in rooms.
• Bake something that gives off fresh scent, like baked bread.
• Use beeswax candles instead of paraffin candles (not recommended because of fire hazard).

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The berry from Schizandra has a very unique flavor, the most notice flavors are sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. The salty, spicy and bitter flavors are not as strong as the other two flavors. Because it contains five of the basic taste, it is known to many people as the five-flavored berry. Schizandra is available as tinctures or capsules at natural food stores. To be on the safe side, women who are pregnant should limit or avoid this fruit.

Recommended Schisandra Chinensis Products:

• Nature’s Plus - Schisandra
• Nature’s Way - Schizandra Fruit
• Gaia Herbs - Schizandra Berry Extract

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Top nine chain restaurants (listed from best to worst)

1. Subway: The biggest sub restaurant in the United States and the fastest growing chain restaurant in the world. As of fall 2008, subway has more than 30,000 restaurants in 87 countries and is catching up quickly to the chain restaurant leader McDonald’s. Most of their 6 inch sandwiches are below 350 calories and 6 grams of fat, and is low in cholesterol. Subway sandwiches are good sources of fiber and protein but is high in sodium. To lower the sodium levels avoid adding pickles and salt. Subway also has healthy sides like fruits and soups. Nutrition information are located on cups and napkins but beware, calorie counts do not always include cheese, sauce and dressing.
2. Chick-fil-A: The second biggest chicken based chain restaurant in the United States. Chick-fil-A specializes in chicken entrees. Their menu includes pressure cooked or grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chick strips and wrap, chicken and fruit salads, sausage, eggs, and bacon. For desserts, expect to find ice cream, lemon pie, cheesecake and milkshakes. Nutrition brochures are readily available at local restaurants or at their website. About half of their desserts are over 500 calories, most of their entrees are under 500 calories and some are a little high in cholesterol. Chick-fil-A has one of the healthiest side items, ranging from carrot and raisin salad to fruit cup.
3. Boston Market: Recently bought by Sun Capital Partners from McDonald’s, this chain restaurant has close to 700 restaurants in the United States. The restaurant specializes in rotisserie chicken, ham, turkey, meatloaf, mash potato and sandwiches. Most of their meals are under 500 calories and they also have a wide selection of salads that are low in calories and saturated fat. Boston Market also has foods that are high in calories, sodium and cholesterol; most of their high calorie foods are the sandwiches. If you are a person that enjoys thanksgiving dinners, you will enjoy their meals.
4. KFC: With over 5,000 restaurants nationwide, this chicken based chain restaurant is one of the biggest in the nation. KFC’s menu is primary fried chicken but also offers roasted chicken products, mashed potato, apple pie, macaroni and cheese, and salad. Even though a lot of their foods are fried, many of them have zero trans fat per serving. They also have a great selection of salads and sides that are healthier than most fast food restaurants.
5. McDonald’s: The largest chain restaurants in the world with more than 31,000 restaurants world wide. McDonald’s has been criticized many times about its menu and business practices. Many people compared McDonald’s to Walmart and blamed the popular chain restaurant for the epidemic of obesity in the United States. Because of these criticisms, McDonald’s decided that it is best to include more healthy choices in its menu. Many of their lunch sandwiches are high in calories, cholesterol, sodium and lack nutrients. Their breakfast menu is no better and their shakes are insanely high in calories, some of them are over 1,000 calories. In spite of their high calorie meals, McDonald’s has great choice of salads. Most of their salads are low in calories and fat, and are decent in nutrients. Some of their desserts are also healthy too.
6. Denny’s: With more than 1,500 restaurants nationwide, Denny’s is the largest full-service family restaurant in the United States. Denny’s menu surprised me because most of its entrees are over 600 calories, high in cholesterol and almost all of them are high in sodium (drinks are not included). One good thing about its entrees is the high levels of protein. The breakfast menu is even worst, with higher calorie and sodium levels. The thing that scared me is the cholesterol levels in its breakfast entrees, most of them are over 500 milligrams. The dessert and appetizers menu are not that bright either, except for the kid’s D-Zone menu.
7. Quiznos: The second largest sub sandwich shop in the United States with more than 5,000 restaurants. When it comes to calorie, Quiznos beats Subway in a heart beat. Many of its regular size subs are near 1,000 calories or more. The worst sandwich is the Tuna Melt, the regular size has 1,420 calories and the large size has 2,090 calories! Many of them are also high in fat and sodium. For people who are calorie sensitive, Quiznos has 5 small subs plus 2 salads under 500 calories, sammies under 350 calories and sides under 250 calories.
8. Taco Bell: The largest Mexican-style chain restaurant in the United States with close to 7,000 restaurants. Taco Bell is also owned by Yum! Brands Inc., the largest restaurant company in the world. Most of their foods are around 500 calories but add their insanely large drinks and you will be close to 1,000 calories. The good things about their food is the decent fat and cholesterol levels, sodium level is a different story. If you hate calories, stick to their Fresco Menu and you should be fine. Taco Bell do not have much choices when it comes to healthy sides. If you want fruits or salads, you will not find them at this chain restaurant.
9. Domino’s Pizza: The second largest pizza chain restaurant in the nation with more than 8,000 stores. Eating just four slices of their 12 inch pizza will have close to 1,000 calories or more. Most of their pizzas are high in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Their side dishes are just as bad except for the salads. The bad thing about pizza is that most of them are made with a lot of cheese. Most cheese are high in calories, fat, cholesterol and has little nutrients.

Most of the foods found in fast food restaurants are bad for your health because many of them are low in nutrients, high in saturated fat and are produced with growth hormones or other chemicals. According to the European Union’s Scientific Committee, six hormones (3 natural and 3 synthetic) are used to increase the growth rates of cattle. This can lead to certain health problems, growth enhanced meat can disrupt human hormone balance, causing development problems and may lead to prostate, breast and colon cancer. Scientists believe about 70 percent of American cattle are injected with growth hormones to make them grow faster, the reason for this is to save time and money for the beef industries.

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10 worst high calorie foods and drinks (all over 1,000 calories)

1. White Castle Chocolate Shake (large): 1,680 calories (may vary depending on your region)
2. Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger: 1,520 calories
3. Dairy Queen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard (large): 1,420 calories
4. Jack In The Box Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Shake (24oz): 1,290 calories
5. Burger King Triple Whopper With Cheese: 1,230 calories
6. Hardee’s Big Country Breakfast Platter Breaded Pork Chop: 1,220 calories
7. Jack In The Box Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (24oz): 1,220 calories
8. P.F. Chang’s Lo Mein With Chicken: 1,198 calories
9. McDonald’s Chocolate Triple Thick Shake (32oz): 1,160 calories
10. Hardee’s Monster Burger: 1,060 calories.

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Best muscle foods

• Complex carbohydrates - are the body’s main source of fuel. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose which is then transported by the blood to every cells of the body. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and brown rice are good examples of complex carbohydrates.
• Unsaturated Fats (the good fat) - has the most stored energy and is high in calories. Fat provides protection for vulnerable parts of the body, helps nerve transmission and nutrients absorption, proper hormone function and cell health, and helps absorb certain vitamins. Examples of good fats are avocado, olive and olive oil, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, almonds and peanuts.
• Protein - is needed to build and repair tissues, it is the building block of muscles, bones, cartilage and skin. Protein is also used by the body to make enzymes and hormones . The best sources of proteins are chicken, egg whites, turkey, lean meat and fish.
• Fruits and vegetables - are needed to replenish nutrients and provide antioxidants for protecting cells from harmful free radicals.

Why tone or strengthen your muscles

• Strengthening your muscles can help make you look younger. When you do not use a group of muscles for a few days, the muscles will start to degenerate because of the lack of stimulation. A good example of this is when someone gets paralyzed. After a few weeks, the effected area will degenerate, sag and look rubbery. With strong healthy muscles, you can move around faster and easier without feeling tired all the time.

The trick to building muscles are calories, nutrients and exercises. Calories are needed to convert energy to muscles. No matter how hard you workout, without calories, your body can’t build muscle. This is why it is important to eat calorie-dense food, especially the ones that are loaded with nutrients.

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The Cobra Pose

1. Find a comfortable place inside or outside and lie flat on your stomach (with or without a yoga mat). Your legs should be together, extended with your toes pointing away from your body.
2. Bring your hands next to shoulders, similar to a push-up position. Your palm should be flat on the floor with your fingers pointing forward. Keep your elbows close to your body and rest your head on the floor.
3. Relax your whole body and concentrate on your breathing.
4. While breathing in, slowly raise your head and upper body off the floor. Do this by pushing with your hands and bending your back, be careful not to bend back too far. Your hips and legs should remain firmly on the floor.
5. While breathing out, slowly lower your upper body back to the floor. Repeat five times or more if you like.

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