1. www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/vegaveg/

Part of the UK’s government site called Eatwell.   Great vegetarian info including nutritional needs at each stage of life and how to assure you get them as a vegetarian. You can search this site and find 1000s of articles and over 2,000 vegetarian recipes, all within the site of eatwell.gov.uk.  Be sure when you search to click “search this site”. This is a great feature because you aren’t jumping from site to site and landing at lots of sites cluttered with flash and no substance.

2. www.vegsoc.org

The Vegetarian Society - Hundreds of recipes cross-referenced for quick access.  Grouped by themes so you can find recipes for gourmet meals or a quick snack.   Advice on how to go vegetarian for the first time, and even information for starting or running your business for vegetarian customers, including a site for promoting your business.

3. www.vrg.org

Very cleanly laid out site.  Recipes are easy to read with ingredients lined up in a neat list in a basic font that works better for reading while moving about the kitchen.  Also a nation wide restaurant guide.

4. www.ethnicvegan.com

This site has recipes listed by country including the USA, Africa, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Mexico, Middle East, and India.  Find super delicious recipes; many parts of the world eat very little meat and have been that way for centuries, unlike the US.  They know how to spice it up just right.

5. www.vegcooking.com

Good information on meat, egg and other food substitutes. An extensive guide for ingredients:  I love this because when you read a recipe and find items you’ve never heard of, its easy to give up on trying the recipe. The guide tells you what each item is, and where to get it.

• Be a happy person in your own right.   Having individual interests takes the pressure off of your spouse:  they don’t have to  be full time entertainment bureau, counselor, and provider of a meaningful life. Work, hobbies, other friends (not including cheating on your spouse), are all things that will bring individual happiness.  When you come home at night you’ll have something to share, rather than being a sponge waiting to soak up your partner’s love. Do this first, and then keep in mind these other tips…
• Admit when you are wrong and say you are sorry.  As the Beatles song says, “life is very short and there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friend…we can work it out”.
• Listen and pay attention with 100% of your mind, heart, soul and physical being. This means, no multi-tasking when its sharing time.
• Have a good sex life (with each other)
• An unshakable belief in love and romance aka be an incurable hopeless romantic

• Shared goals.  When you pull together for a mutual dream, you have a reason to stay around

• Know what “love” is to your mate, and give it to him or her.   Five main things that mean love to most people:  Acts of service,  words of praise, tangible gifts, physical touch, understanding their deepest soul

• Leave them to wonder…have some mystery (avoid “too much information”)
• Be unselfish:  think about being the best spouse you can be rather than how your spouse needs to shape up
• Laugh

ONE: overload on facts

It’s no secret that smoking is bad for us, but if you’re like most smokers, you avoid looking at the destruction smoking causes. Inform yourself and read everything you can find about smoking. It will help you start to make the psychological shift necessary to quit smoking.

Two: healthy eating

When you first stop smoking, it throws your body into shock. You’ll find that it’s easier to cope with the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal if you eat right, and you’ll cut down weight gain due to quitting.

Three: make time to exercise

If you already have a daily exercise regimen, great! If not, start. Pick something you enjoy, and you’ll be more inclined to stay with it. Try a half hour of exercise every day. Walking is a great way to exercise and it’s a quick fix for the urge to smoke.

Four: drink more water

Water will help to flush toxins out of your body, and fight the craving to smoke. When you’re well-hydrated, you’ll feel better all together, which is a plus when you’re going through nicotine withdrawal.

Five: control the cravings

It would be a good idea to consider using nicotine replacement therapy, such as nicotine patches or chewing gum, especially for people who smoke heavily or who need the extra help. Also there are medications available by prescription, such as bupropion (brand name Zyban) that can help you quit by reducing withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Ask your doctor what would be the best treatment for you.

Six: get support

Having others who are interested in your success is very important.  There are groups you can join online such as:  Whyquit.com, Quitnet.com, Inspire.com, and many more.

Seven: rest more

Eight: one day at a time

Your dedication to quit smoking is established one day at a time. Every day you are smoke free makes you stronger, and stronger.

Nine: watch what you drink

You might also want to cut down on coffee intake as you will absorb more caffeine when there is no nicotine in your system. Feeling jittery will not help your plan to quit. It will also be best to avoid alcohol as most people find it hard to resist smoking when they drink.

Ten: be prepared

Plan ahead for situations in which you are likely to be tempted to smoke, such as parties, drinking or going out for coffee.

Eleven: don’t give up

If you find you are losing the motivation to quit, remind yourself of the countless medical and financial benefits of quitting! For example, 12 months after quitting, the risk of heart disease is reduced to nearly half that of a smoker’s.

Twelve: be done with it

Throw away all cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and anything else that might remind you of smoking. Wash your clothes, bedding and clean your car to remove the smell of smoke.

Quit Smoking medications so you don’t go at it alone

There are two medications on the market that do not contain nicotine and are clinically proven to help smokers quit smoking for good.  I suggest visiting a doctor to see if Zyban or Chantix are right for you, and if they approve of the medication you can always buy Zyban from a U.S. licensed online pharmacy such as Viapro.com.  They have been prescribing online since 1998 and have a toll-free phone number to reach their physician or customer service line.

I hope these 12 Tips on how to quit smoking help you. If you have other tips, please share with us!

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital herpes, is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Persons with herpes should abstain from sexual activity with uninfected partners when lesions or other symptoms of herpes are present. It is important to know that even if a person does not have any symptoms he or she can still infect sex partners.

Condoms

Using condoms reduces herpes transmission by only 30 percent because, unlike other STDs, herpes is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Transmission has a lot to do with where the virus is being shed at the time. If someone with herpes is shedding virus for an area that is not covered by a condom, the virus will spread whether or not they are using a condom.

Medications

Valtrex is an antiviral drug. It slows the growth and spread of the herpes virus so that the body can fight off the infection. Valtrex will not cure herpes, but it can lessen the symptoms of the infection.

Acyclovir is a prescription medication which is used primarily to treat outbreaks of the herpes simplex virus in patients.  It is also commonly used to treat both outbreaks of chickenpox and shingles.

Famvir is a prescription medication that is used to treat outbreaks of the herpes simplex virus as well as outbreaks of shingles.

Spermicidal Foams and Jellies

Spermicidal foams and jellies may offer additional protection. Spermicides used in contraceptive foams, film and gels kill or neutralize HSV in laboratory tests and may provide some protection when used in the vagina. Some contraceptive foams contain ingredients (such as nonoxynol-9) that kill the herpes virus and other STD’s in test tubes

Avoid The Live Virus

Direct contact with the live virus include -

• Any direct contact with an herpes infection

• Kissing, touching or caressing actively infected areas

• Sexual contact (vaginal, oral, or anal sex)

• Cold sores or mouth herpes can be spread by sharing the same drinking glass, lipstick, cigarette, etc.

Herpes can be spread by any of the following -

• Kissing someone if you have a cold sore can transfer the virus to any part of the body that you kiss them (including inside of the mouth and throat, or the genitals)

• The virus can be transmitted to your partner if you have active genital herpes and have vaginal or anal intercourse

• If you have a cold sore and put your mouth on your partner’s genitals (oral sex), your partner can be infected with genital herpes.

• People who experience an episode of herpes, either facial or genital, should consider themselves infectious from the first sign of an outbreak to the healing of the last ulcer.

• One kind of complication involves spreading the virus from the location of an outbreak to other places on the body by touching the sore(s). The fingers, eyes, and other body areas can accidentally become infected in this way. Do not touch the area during an outbreak. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water.

• It is generally considered that the spreading of genital herpes through inanimate objects, such as soap, towels, clothing, bed sheets, and toilet seats, is highly unlikely because the herpes virus cannot live very long outside of the body.

How to deal with genital herpes - Video

What Is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability of a man to maintain a firm erection long enough to have sex. Although erectile dysfunction is more common in older men, this common problem can occur at any age. Having trouble maintaining an erection from time to time isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. But if the problem is ongoing, it can cause stress and relationship problems and affect self-esteem.

Keeping ED at Bay

For people who are at risk of developing Erectile Dysfunction, taking active steps to prevent its occurrence will not only help you maintain erectile function, but also help you lead a healthier life overall.

Some steps you can take to prevent ED include:

♦ Stop smoking

♦ Exercise regularly

♦ Maintain a healthy weight

♦ Review your medications with your doctor and ask about possible substitutions for those that may cause ED (never stop or change a medication without first talking to your doctor).

♦ Make sure you take preventative measures to control your diabetes if you have it.  Diabetes can have an effection on erectile dysfunction, so make sure you watch your diet and take preventative measures for diabetes.

♦ Take prescribed medications as directed.

♦ Avoid excessive use of alcohol (more than two drinks a day).

♦ Avoid the use of illegal drugs.

♦ If you have a chronic illness such as diabetes or kidney disease, follow your doctor’s guidelines to keep these conditions under control.

Sex Is Good For Keeping Erections

Researchers have found that men who said they had sexual intercourse less than once a week had twice the risk of developing erectile dysfunction, compared with men reporting having sexual intercourse once a week.

Among men who had sexual intercourse less than once a week, there were 79 cases of erectile dysfunction per 1,000 men. That number dropped to 32 cases per 1,000 among men who said they had sexual intercourse once a week, and it dropped even further, to 16 per 1,000, among men who said they had sexual intercourse three or more times a week.

If you do have erectile dysfunction, there are some helpful resources out there to learn more about ED.  You can join an erectile dysfunction forum or read an erectile dysfunction health blog.  You can even see how much erectile dysfunction medications cost by looking at a EDrugstore.md  pharmacy price list for Viagra, Cialis, and Levita. 

Getting Started

Whether you have one month, three months or six months to go before your wedding, you can make some great gains in terms of your body shape and ability to properly fit into your tuxedo. The pace of the program and the gains will differ depending on how much time you have.

To get trim, you need to do four things differently:

• Eat less food, every day.

• Perform cardiovascular activity at least three times per week, but only for 30 minutes of intense training.

• Strength training with weights at least twice per week concentrating on your back, chest and shoulders.

• Pick up the intensity of training. Don’t take breaks.

You do not need to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the gym to see results. In fact, you should spend no more than 30-40 minutes of high intensity training. Use your core muscles (lower back and abdominals), chest and triceps to perform a push-up. You will be using your core muscles, back and biceps to perform a pull-up. While pulling up, your chest takes a break.

You’d be amazed just how much eating less is critical to a groom’s success in losing a few inches before wedding day. It is the most important factor.

Finally, why the back, chest and shoulders? These large muscle groups are likely to show the most gain.

The Groom’s Tuxedo

Most Importantly. If you start any fitness plan, be sure to save your tuxedo fitting until closer to your wedding day. If you get measured for a tuxedo in December, for example, and then diligently work out for the next 3 months, be prepared to have a different physique by March.

You will be trimmer, your shoulders will be larger and your waist will be smaller. In other words, you’ll look great. But you will need to be re-fitted for your tuxedo. Granted, that is a small price to pay for a great body, but you can avoid all that trouble by getting fitted later on in the process.

A Groom’s Diet

To keep your metabolism in high gear, grooms ought to eat six mini meals throughout the day, rather than “breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Instead of gorging yourself on a huge chicken and pasta dinner, have a smoothie at 3pm and a smaller helping at dinnertime.

You will want to eat plenty of protein to build muscle as well as hearty portions of carbs to fuel your cardio workouts. The goal is to tailor your daily meal plan to your daily activity level so that you consume more protein on days that you strength train and more carbs on days that you cardio train.

Sexual function depends on the cardiovascular system, the heart and blood vessels, and the nervous system. Good food choices can keep these sexually crucial systems functioning at their best, but bad foods can poison them.

List of Libido Crushers

1) Fatty meats - fatty cuts of beef, bacon, sausage and full-fat lunch meats

2) Dairy - Most cheeses are high in saturated fat, and they can be as damaging to your arteries.

3) White flour - Processing removes most of the nutrients in these items.

4) Baked goods - When hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to change it form a liquid to a solid, the result is something called trans fat. The prime example is margarine, but you’ll also find this kind of fat in a wide variety of crackers, cookies, chips and fried fast foods. Trans fats are worse for the arteries than saturated fats.

To really get your blood going, consider circulation-enhancing dishes. Food that’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, salmon and wild salmon are best. “Omega-3 makes your nervous system function better. “Sex is really about circuitry.” Multivitamins and minerals will help, too. Both improve neurological function, which contributes to good circulation.

Foods To Spice Things Up

1) Chili peppers - they can stimulate the nervous system and enhance the feelings of sexual arousal.

2) Granola - Is rich in L-Arginine,which Improves circulation and results in greater erectile response.

3) Oatmeal - peanuts, cashews, walnuts, dairy, green vegetables, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds, are all rich in L-Arginine.

4) Soy - binds estrogen receptors, which helps the vaginal area remain lubricated and combats symptoms of menopause — particularly hot flashes. Studies have shown that soy is also beneficial to the prostate, a crucial male sex organ.

5) Bananas - They contain chemicals that reportedly have a mood-lifting effect on the brain and raises self-confidence.

6) Shrimp - High in iodine, shrimp and other types of seafood are vital to the thyroid gland, which is vital for energy.

7) Ginger - This root reportedly increases blood flow to the genitals in both men and women.

8) Olives - Green ones are believed to make men more virile, while black ones increase women’s sex drive.

9) Tomatoes - Known as “love apples” by Puritans, they have a reputation as a sexual stimulant.

It’s a huge mistake to think that good healthy food has to cost a bundle. Sure, some of it does, but junk food is even more expensive in the long run. It’s not so healthy, and it’s loaded with calories, fat, salt and sugar. Even if it’s free, it’s not a bargain.

Healthy Options To Save you Money

1. Buying in bulk helps save a lot of money in the long run.

2. Cut out half your bread intake,you don’t need the starch or the carbs. Or make a bread substitute.

3. Buy more fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other stuff important for good health.

4. The most economical sources of animal protein also have the highest protein quality: eggs and milk. The protein in these foods most closely matches the protein of human tissue, so the body uses it very efficiently.

5. Check your coupons in the newspaper and clip them for cashing out at check out counter.

6. Limit your butter intake, and try to cut it out of the usual dishes, substitute olive oil.

7. Buy up a lot of pasta, add olive oil, along with vegetables, or tomatoes. You can use canned tomatoes, and onions.

8. Use a muffin pan and put eggs in each slot, for breakfast, put them in the oven, along with a sprinkle of cheese.

10. Make a crock pot dinner. Use chicken, add the onions, celery, carrots, corn and other vegetables.

11. Cook rice or white potatoes, there both cheap, healthy and filling.

12. Buy a turkey, cook and save the leftovers, you will have turkey sandwiches for days. Freeze what you can’t eat.

13. Stop eating out - especially fast food. It costs more, it has way more fat and calories.

Quick and Easy Recipe for Homemade Pot Pie

Buy 2 deep dish pie crusts, 1 can of low fat cream of celery, or mushroom soup, 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots, 1 can of white chicken breast. Mix all ingredients, put in shell, cover with other shell and cook according to crust instructions. Half way through cooking carefully remove the top pie tin and then finish cooking. Enjoy. You can also use chicken breast and fresh boiled veggies for a healthier alternative.

Many restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a diet high in saturated, trans fats and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, and it’s also a risk factor for stroke.

Don’t be shy about making special requests. Most foods on most menus will probably fit into a heart-healthy diet if prepared with low-fat ingredients and less salt. Ask your server if the kitchen can alter preparations to meet your needs, or call ahead before you choose your restaurant. If your food isn’t prepared as you requested, send it back.

Equally important is the portion size. Help control your weight by asking for smaller portions, sharing entrees with a companion, or putting half of your meal in a to-go box to enjoy another time.

1. Fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed foods are high in fat and calories. Instead, look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods. If you’re not sure about a certain dish, ask your server how it’s prepared. You can request that visible fat be trimmed from meat and skin be removed from poultry before cooking.

2. Request that your meal be prepared with vegetable oil (made from canola, olive, corn, soy, sunflower or safflower) or soft margarine instead of butter. Ask for soft margarine for your bread.

3. High-sodium foods include those that are pickled, in cocktail sauce, smoked, in broth or au jus or in soy or teriyaki sauce. Limit these items. Ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG.

4. Have gravy, sauces and dressings served on the side, so you can control the amount you eat or skip them completely.

5. Ask if the restaurant has fat-free or 1 percent milk instead of whole milk.

6. Even if they aren’t on the dessert menu, many restaurants can offer you fruit or sherbet instead of high-fat pastries and ice creams.

7. Many supermarkets and specialty stores offer prepared entrees to take home when you’re in a rush; the same tips listed here for restaurants also apply to take-home foods.

If You are Nuts About Health, Try the Top 6 Healthiest Nuts

Yes they are high in fat, but it’s a good form of fat that when eaten in small quantities, these highly nutritious members of the World’s Healthiest Foods deliver not only delicious flavor, but also nutritional benefits that can help protect you against cardiovascular disease.

The King Nut

Walnuts - a great source of the healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids, which have been found to protect the heart, promote better cognitive function, and provide anti-inflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.

Walnuts also contain the antioxidant compound ellagic acid, which is known to fight cancer and support the immune system. But that’s not all–in a study in the August 2003 issue of Phytochemistry, researchers identified 16 polyphenols in walnuts, including three new tannins, with antioxidant activity so powerful they described it as “remarkable.”

Walnuts are incredibly healthy for the heart. A study in the April 2004 issue of Circulation found that when walnuts were substituted for about one-third of the calories supplied by olives and other monounsaturated fats in the Mediterranean diet:

• Total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol were reduced
• The elasticity of the arteries increased by 64 percent
• Levels of vascular cell adhesion molecules, which play a major role in the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), were reduced

heart healthy

Almonds - Just a quarter cup of almonds contains nearly 25 percent of your needed daily value of the important nutrient magnesium, plus is rich in potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, and calcium. In fact, a quarter cup of almonds has almost as much calcium as a quarter cup of milk.

They’re also great for the colon. An animal study on the effects of almonds on colon cancer found that animals (which were exposed to a colon-cancer-causing agent) given whole almonds had fewer signs of colon cancer than animals given almond oil or no almonds. Researchers suspect the benefit may be due to almonds’ high fiber content.

Plus, almonds are one of the best nuts for lowering cholesterol because 70 percent of the fat they contain is the healthy monounsaturated variety, which has been shown to help clear arteries.

the nut you can't buy in a shell

Cashews - are lower in fat than most nuts, and 65 percent of this fat is unsaturated fatty acids. Of this, 90 percent is oleic acid, the heart-healthy fat found in olive oil.

Plus, cashews are rich in copper, magnesium, zinc, iron and biotin.

The largest cashews are found in the Amazon rain forest and are prized as the finest and most unusual cashews. They are hard to get and you can’t get them in the shell.

Organic Cashews

Why? It turns out that the cashew shell is toxic. However, that raised the question of what a cashew looks like in its shell. Again, we had no idea. When we found out, we knew more people should see it. Weird looking, isn’t it?

pecans taste great!

Pecans - are an excellent source of over 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamins E and A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, several B vitamins and zinc.

Pecans can significantly help lower blood cholesterol when consumed as part of a heart-healthy diet.”

In fact, a study from New Mexico State University found that eating 3/4 cup of pecans a day may significantly lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help to clear the arteries.

a nut in 2 shells

Brazil Nuts - These nuts are extremely nutrient-rich and contain protein, copper, niacin, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E and selenium. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that works to neutralize dangerous free radicals. A study at the University of Illinois even found that the high amounts of selenium in Brazil nuts may help prevent breast cancer.

this is how they really grow

This nut is also very unique and weird, it does not grown on the tree in these little brown shells.  As a matter of fact it grows on trees in a bigger shell that is full of the little brown shell on brazil nuts.

the golden nut

Macadamia Nuts - These nuts are high in protein, fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium and magnesium. A study done at Hawaii University found that people who had added macadamia nuts to their diets for just one month had total cholesterol levels of 191, compared to 201 for those eating the typical American diet. The largest change was found in the LDL (bad) cholesterol.

A Little Goes a Long Way

The key with nuts is simply not to overeat them. They are highly concentrated in both their calories and their nutrients, so you only need a small handful at a time. Eating a variety of nuts appears to be the best way to get all the different benefits each nut has to offer.

A handful of almonds, sunflower seeds or walnuts, eaten as a healthy snack or used as a flavorful addition to a tossed green salad, will not make you fat.

The fat nuts and seeds contain is mostly polyunsaturated, although they also contain a little monounsaturated, and a very small amount of saturated fat.

The proper balance between these types of fats is important, and many people do not get enough of certain types, especially one type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3.

Here is are a few videos about  cooking nuts!!

cooking nuts & honey

Walnut Raisin Cookie recipe

Guest Author:  http://www.edrugstore.md - a safe pharmacy to learn about consumer medical topics. Edrugstore.md has a comprehensive podcast section that includes breaking medical news by Dr. Daniel Williams, MD.