Like everyone else, you are probably concerned with making sure that you or your loved ones are only eating the healthiest food.  But how do you ensure this?  Here are some tips on how to eat healthy at all times?

1.   Eat small portions.  This is something that all weight-loss programs recommend.  Eating healthy does not only mean eating healthy foods.  It also means eating the right amount of food.  Most people remember that their stomach is only the size of their fist.  Take a look at your fist and you will have a good idea how large your stomach is.  Yes, it is NOT that big.  In fact, it is smaller than you think.  It only needs a small amount of food, so remember this every time you eat your meals.

2.   Take the time to savor your food.  It is easier for you to remember proper food portioning if you are eating slowly.  Savor your food and enjoy it.  It is meant to be enjoyed not gobbled without care.  Chew your food slowly and properly.  By doing this, you will give your stomach enough time to send the “I’m full” signal to the brain.  Again, eating a healthy meal does not start or end with ensuring healthy ingredients or preparing healthy foods.  It also includes eating the right amount of food.

3.   Drink a glass of water before every meal.  This is probably the most effective way of ensuring that you will eat only the right amount of food.  In fact, you should take a sip of water every now and then all throughout the meal. You will be able to avoid overeating.

4.   Eat the right kinds of foods.  This means adding more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, grains and seeds into your diet.  Opt for foods that are rich in anti-oxidants and fiber.  Avoid foods that are rich in sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils and cholesterol.  Avoid processed foods or corn syrups with high fructose content.  Avoid eating starchy foods.  Carbohydrates are converted into fats if they are not burned quickly.

When eating out, are there ways to ensure that you will be eating healthy?  Definitely!  You just have to know how to eat healthy whenever you eat out.  Here are some tips on how to do this:

1.    Enjoy your food.  Do not worry too much about ordering meals that are less unhealthy.  Not everything marked as healthy and served in restaurants are actually healthy.  So, take your time to order something that you would enjoy eating and ask the waiter or the chef to take out items that are not healthy.  Of course, you can always just avoid eating them without needing to get them removed.

2.   Always cut your meal in half.  Just like everyone else, your parents probably told you to “finish your food” or “don’t waste your meal”, so you are probably compelled to eat everything on your plate.  Unfortunately, there are restaurants that serve large food portions.  If you would like to make sure that you keep to your portions, you should cut your meal in half.  You can eat one half and bring home the other and eat it later.  Get the half-portion placed inside the take-home box even before you start eating, so you can avoid eating the whole meal altogether.  This way you will not blow up your diet and still avoid wasting food or money.

3.   Do a little research before you dine out.  If you want to make sure that you eat healthy, you need to make sure that you make the right choice.  McDonalds is definitely not the best choice.  Go online and do a little restaurant research in your area.  Look for establishments that offer healthy foods.

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Food poisoning can be very unpleasant.  It can also be quite deadly.  There are some things you have to remember in order to avoid eating poisoned or stale food.  It does not matter if you are eating out or eating at home.  You can fall victim to food poisoning, so it is definitely a good idea to take note of these tips.

Understand Food Poisoning and Its Causes

Basically, this happens when you ingest food or drink contaminated with bacteria, parasites, chemicals or toxins.  To be specific, this is actually caused more by ingestion of food contaminated with toxins or chemicals.  Generally, however, the term is commonly used to describe sickness caused by ingestion of contaminated food or drink.

There are many causes of food contamination.  Foods may be contaminated from the very first start.  Fruits and vegetables that have been grown using fertilizers and chemicals have the potential to be contaminated.  Never eat fruits or vegetables without washing them first.  Improper food hygiene can definitely cause food contamination.

Learn the Tips and Tricks on How to Prevent Food Contamination

Bacteria and viruses are everywhere, so it is easy to get your food contaminated with these things.  Therefore, it is important that you observe proper food hygiene in order to minimize or eliminate possible contamination.  You should have a dedicated approach to correct food preparation and hygiene during food processing and food preparation.  There should also be proper food storage.

You need to make sure that areas used for food processing are clean and free from dirt, viruses or bacteria.  Cross contamination can easily occur, so make sure that you use the right tools and equipments.  For instance, if you have wooden chopping boards, make sure that you have two, one to use for chopping meat and the other to use for chopping fruits and vegetables.

Foods should be stored properly as well.  Do not mix raw meat with fruits and vegetables.  This can result to cross contamination.  Try to discover what foods can be cause cross contaminations.

You should also be very careful when preparing food.  Often, contamination occurs during this stage.  Make sure that you wash your hands before you handle foods.  The kitchen implements and spaces should be clean and wash thoroughly before using them.

These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to avoid food poisoning.  In truth, care should be exercised right from the start.  You need to learn how to shop with care.  You should make it a habit to check expiration dates especially of raw foods like meat and poultry products.  You should also make sure that grocery items are correctly separated.  Do not mix food items like fruits and raw meat.  Store food items properly.  Foods that should be kept in the freezer should be stored in the freezer immediately.

By doing these simple things, you will be able to protect yourself, your family or your customers from food poisoning.

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I recently flew from Male to Kuala Lumpur on a pleasure trip. I want to point out the mere fact that in this digital age it still can be extremely challenging to get even the most basic of information on demand.

I was sitting towards the back of the Boeing 737-800. I was trying to look at the few watches on the arms of the people sitting in the nearby seats.

Oh my; it is amazing how many different times were being displayed on the various watches that were in sight.

I forgot to mention that I stopped wearing a watch when the cell phone phenomenon hit earth.

Maybe I should consider purchasing a battery operated travel clock for future travel to avoid a similar dilemma from occurring. Or alternatively a solar powered cell phone might do the trick……..

Finally to solve the issue I asked the air stewardess to kindly let me know what the time is. She politely answered the question.

Happy travelling

PS- You might be wondering what an “air sickness bag” has got to do with a clock. To cut a long story short I wrote the draft of this very article on the back of an air sickness bag due to the shortage of a piece of paper.

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Learning how to achieve your career goals is crucial to your success.  People are juggling different things daily.  They have to deal with work and family.  Every day, they face numerous demands from different directions.  It is easy to lose sight of one’s goals.  It is easy to let go of one’s ambition.

Career resolutions are soon given up.  People handle their goals differently.  Some people allow setbacks to drain their energy.  Some people allow fear to limit their potential. Setting career objectives will definitely help you avoid these pitfalls and achieve your goals.

Achieving Your Career Goals

The key to your success lies on knowing what you want.  It is also important that you learn to recognize potential pitfalls and drawback, so you will be able to avoid getting stuck.  You also need to understand the different cycles involved in setting career objectives and achieving these objectives.  But what are these stages?  How do you deal with these stages?

Setting Career Objectives Stage

This stage consists of two phases.  These are career goal awareness and embracing your own goals.

• Career Goal Awareness.  This is the first step to accomplishing your goals.  You need to be aware of the changes that you have to create in your life and in your career.  This is particularly true if there are areas in your life especially in your career that you are dissatisfied with –or that you feel need fixing.
• Embrace your goals and own up to them.  Goals that you own up to are easier to accomplish because you embrace them.  Your goals should not be based on what you think or feel your parents, friends or colleagues want for you.  Unless your goals are your own, you will find it hard to accomplish them.  You will not have the drive that you will need in order to achieve these goals.

Goal Mobilization Stage

This is the second stage to setting career objectives.  This is actually the stage where you feel most optimistic and energized.  It is during this stage that you consider all options and contemplate on some ideas.  You need to be realistic with your plans.

If you start out with a really ambitious one, your enthusiasm may eventually fizzle out as you meet up with difficulties and obstacles along the way.  However, do not be afraid to mobilize energy.  Do not allow yourself to be immobilized by your own fears and insecurities.

However, be careful about setting unrealistic goals.  Be careful about making unreasonable demands on yourself as well.  You will find it easier to achieve your goals if you will learn to take it a step at a time.  Break down your goals into small achievable steps.  You will feel more confident if you do it this way.

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your capabilities.  Face it –

it is not easy to go after your dream.  You need someone to cheer you on and encourage you.  There are self-help groups that you can join.  You can also consult with a career mentor. Having someone cheering you on will make a huge difference in your success.  He or she will help you maintain and sustain your momentum.

Goal Action Stage

This is the stage where you actually put your plans in motion.  There are people who get discourage at this point once they are confronted with the reality of their goals or the tasks involved in achieving these goals.  It is hard and it gets harder as days go on.  Achieving your objectives may take longer than you expected.  So, how do you make it easier for you?

• Be flexible.  Do not be stubborn and do not insist too much on perfection.  You need to be flexible.  Do not be afraid to experiment.  As chefs, you should know that there are different ways to skin a fish, so do not be afraid to consider different ways to make things happen for you.  There are many options available to you – always remember that.  There are approaches that may work better than what you have initially considered, so do not close your mind off these approaches.
• Face your fears.  Do not give up too easily.  Do not let your fear get the best of you.  Do not lose sight of your goal and do not let fear cloud your judgment and undermine your resolution.
• Give yourself a break every now and then.  Do not push yourself too hard.  Do not be too hard on yourself.  When faced with huge hurdles, remember that there are numerous approaches to any problem.  It can be scary and you may tend to undermine your capabilities, but do not lose focus on what you hope to achieve.  If something is not working out for you, then consider other options or other possibilities.

Goal Setting Satisfaction

Setting career objectives end with celebrating what you have accomplished.  Do not overlook whatever you have accomplished – no matter how little you may think they are.  You need to learn how to appreciate the completion of your goals.  It may not be exactly what you had in mind when you begin your pursuit of these goals, but you have to celebrate the fact that you actually had the courage to pursue them.  Now, you can set your mind to achieving new and higher goals if you want.

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