Cook yourself to keep your family healty

Renowned activist and author Michael Pollan argues that cooking is one of the simplest and most important steps people can take to improve their family's health, build communities, fix our broken food system, and break our growing dependence on corporations. The event was chaired by Tim Lang, professor of Food Policy at City University London.

  

Key Points in the Video

• Poor women who cook have healthier diets than wealthy women who don’t cook.
• In America, rates of home cooking have decreased 50% since the mid-60s.
• On average in America, we spend 27 minutes cooking per day, and 4 minutes cleaning up (which means it’s probably fast food — who can do dishes and scrub pots and pans in 4 minutes?).
• To be healthy, eat anything you want, just cook it yourself.

Monday Blues: Have fun

Walt Disney said - It's kind of fun to do the impossible. Would you find anything better than that? Every time naysayers and pessimists say it is impossible, you must find it challenging and worth fighting for.

The truth always wins. Go set out your targets on the highest peak and you are sure to achieve the impossible. Have fun this Monday, by doing the impossible.

"Good" Morning!

I love reading www.stanleyonbible.com and this is a beautiful post I couldn't ignore.

Everyday we pass through so many situations where we are lured to show our nasty side (trust me it is there in both you and me) and it hurts both the sender and receiver. Stanley spells out a solution from the Bible.

God does not ignore what we speak when we are agitated with anger and agonizing in anguish. Rather He takes a serious view of it. The Book of Job vividly illustrates this point. What God said at the end of the story is a sober truth. He told Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and with your two friends, for you have not been right in what you SAID about Me, as My servant was" (Job 42:7).

What lies beyond death and grave is the greatest strengthener of our feeble hands and weak knees. We have every reason to be agitated and lose patience in suffering if there is no life after death. How many long hours we sometimes wait in visa issuing offices to travel overseas! How much we rejoice when the visa is finally stamped on our passports! How much more patient should we be today for the glory land we would enter tomorrow! "What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory God will give us later" (Rom 8:18).

When we lose patience in any situation, virtues leave us one by one, and vices lift up their ugly heads. We suddenly realize that we have spoken detestable words which are too many to be taken back. If we are quiet and confident, we can declare, "God knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

Think of the words of impatience poured out of our mouths while suffering in the past. If God had reciprocated our anger and impatience, would He have delivered us from our problems? Waves are nothing to those who regularly bathe in the sea. Likewise let us get accustomed to live with sufferings. See what Paul has written in Romans 5:3-5: "We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us to learn patience. And patience develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us!"

The disease of Job was awful. He was dying daily without dying. But he knew that there was light after the tunnel, and life after death. This confidence gave birth to this song: "I know that my Redeemer lives... And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God!" (Job 19:25,26). This cannot be anything but the prophetic expectation of the glorified bodies which will be given to the children of God in the New Heaven and New Earth! Cheer up, dear Christian, your night will soon be over and there will be Dayspring!

Talk to yourself: Negative to positive

Negative thoughts can make us more anxious as athletes and studies have shown that they can have a negative impact on performance. But how do these negative thoughts arise?

Undue pressure in many circumstances can give rise to negative thoughts such as, “She’s faster than me” or “I can’t throw that far.” These are the thoughts we need to be aware of when we’re feeling anxious about performing. We need to mentally register these thoughts and perhaps even write them in a diary.

Now that we’ve managed to acknowledge these thoughts, how do we overcome them to enhance self-belief and relieve this pressure? We do something called ‘cognitive restructuring’. This is much simpler than it sounds. Self-talk is all about using basic techniques to look at the world from different perspectives and this in turn changes the way that you think. It’s basically taking a more positive perspective on things. But it can be difficult to do this if we’re really anxious about a situation.

There are four basic techniques used in self-talk: thought stopping; changing negative thoughts into positive thoughts; countering and reframing. These techniques can be used to overcome negative thoughts and use positive thoughts to energise and motivate you into action. So let’s see how this is done!

Read more on countering negative thoughts and changing them to positive energy here.

Monday blues: Ignore and soar

This monday, ignore and soar.

“I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar."

Wash, Serenity

One coin = all your cards

So you have a problem forgetting cards when you go out to dine, shop and travel? Wouldn't it be great if you have a reminder that your card is with you?

So here is the solution from the One Coin team. the video is self explanatory and I think this will revolutionaize the cards business and drastically and positively reduce the lost cards, fraud and both head and heart aches!

Monday blues: Take care

Take care of your problems, worries and issues. You don't need to just put bitterness off for a while and let it come back. You need to take care of it.

You will be my song

DON MOEN's free download!

You know my needs

All that’s unspoken

You hold the pieces

Of all that's been broken

Even when a melody won’t come

Even when my words are not enough

You will be my song

You will be my praise

You will be my voice

When I’m lost for words to say

You will be my strength

You will lift me up

You will be my portion

And my everlasting love

You will be my song

Before I call

I know You'll hear me

When hope is gone

Still You are near me

Even when the answer is delayed

Even through the darkness I will say

You will be my song

You will be my praise

You will be my voice

When I’m lost for words to say

You will be my strength

You will lift me up

You will be my portion

And my everlasting love

You will be my song

Oh

Oh

Oh

Oh

Even when I feel like I’m alone

I know You'll never leave me on my own

You will be my song

You will be my praise

You will be my voice

When I’m lost for words to say

You will be my strength

You will lift me up

You will be my portion

And my everlasting love

You will be my song

You will be my praise

You will be my voice

When I’m lost for words to say

You will be my strength

You will lift me up

You will be my portion

And my everlasting love

You will be my song

Monday blues: Life is a fire test

When you face the fire, problems, challenges in life, be happy. Face them with courage for the fire is there in your life with a purpose, with a reason. 

You have to make the best out of the tests in life. You got to take away lessons, leadership, perseverance from the struggle. Use this as an opportunity to learn and grow. This monday, welcome challenges in life.

All pics displayed here can be downloaded and used for free. Just give a link here. You can find more pics here: t3i photography.

Monday blues: Lead to the golden street

Have patience, perseverance and consistency.

Only a little while of walking with weary feet,
Patiently over the thorny way that leads to the golden street!

(M.P.A. Crozier)

Join a movement

Join a movement or start one!

Lessons from a fish market

I am sure you have been in a noisy class before and one of your teachers/professors might have used the phrase comparing the noisy classroom to a fish market. Here is a reply for that. I found the picture online and this is a spontaneous post. I am sure you can add more to this list.

Fish market is probably where one could learn more lessons in life.

1. Bargain - U can get a better piece for lesser price
2. Speed: The more you wait, the lesser are you chances
3. Catch at the other vendor is always better
4. You end up at a price you feel is good but once you reach home you feel you have paid more
5. You can't earn money with out the stink
6. Your hard-work is ultimately measured by someone else's need
7. What ever you do, you still have to clean up after the deal
8. The txn at the fish market is just the beginning of the deal - You have to clean, cook, consume and so on to take the full utility
9. Size doesn't matter. Or does it?
10. A small live deal is better than a dead large one
11. Sometimes you have to pay more to finish your txn faster/outrun competition by buying out
12. Nature is abundant in resource
13. Skill pays
14. You never know what deal you are going to get
15. Fishing is like life - uncertain. But the returns for hard work are good
16. Ultimately you are doing all this for your survival, your family and your loved ones. And so is the vendor
17. A little smile helps
18. Loyalty pays: You need to lose some to win some
19. Handling loyal customer well pays: A repeat customer is easy as he trusts you. Win your customers over with service, they might ignore the price, turn loyal
20. Sell value/utility not products
21. It is noisier and more down to earth than a classroom because it is real
22. You don't need a classroom to learn
23. Business is messy but you have to do it - dirty your shoes, ignore the smell, be one of them, beat competition, think fast, check quality, be realistic, change with market conditions, update yourself about the prices, weather and what not, be ready, spontaneous....
24. Whatever you do, be ready to get a negative feedback from your boss - in the fish market scenario it could be your wife, partner about the texture, color, quality and almost everything - everything you might have thought about, accounted for and decided
25. All your achievement is past and you got to catch more fish tomorrow to be in the race
26. Regardless of anything you do - it effects about your family, your health and well-being - either positively or otherwise
27. You can cheat your customers - Once
28. You might never get a fair deal - Life is like that, accept it
29. On a good day you might make a lot of money/gains - it is not permanent
30. Save - for the rainy day
31. Skill never retires

Monday blues: Time for review

This Monday as we enter into a new month, it is the time for review. When did you last do an open-minded and honest review? A review of your life, time spent, choices, and decisions?

Can you do it today. You don't have to lie to anyone as you don't have to share the result of your review with anyone. I hope it helps you to grow, dream, chase your dreams and still meet what you planned to set out for this year.

Kick your lazy blues and kick start active, passionate, progressive change.

Don't worry!

More the thorns in life, greater the appreciation of God's grace (2 Cor 12:9).

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the Cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings—ev'ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by!

(Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922)

Monday blues: Sun and the city

It's Monday and I am up at my terrace waiting for a call and this beautiful scene unfolded. Sometimes as you get busy with work, life you miss the greatest wonders of nature.

Look up, see the beauty, see the force behind this creation and stay hopeful.

I clicked it and wify named it.

All pics displayed here can be downloaded and used for free. Just give a link here. You can find more pics here: t3i photography.

Hires pic here.

Think like a leader

Read one of Robin Sharma's best posts till date. Here is an excerpt. Think like what you want to be.

The root cause of all rare-air productive, financial, personal and global success...

...your psychology.

If you're not thinking like the dominant star of your industry, your performance will never rise to match that expectation.

If you're not thinking you can get your massive dreams done, your behavior will never be sufficient to get giant goals done.

If you're not thinking like someone who's the rockstar of their field, financially free, healthy as an athlete and happier than you could ever imagine, then there's no way you'll get there.

Why? Because your outcomes always reflect your self-identity (a.k.a. your psychology).

Researchers like Sonja Lyubomirsky have done some fascinating work on "the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy". Definitely read her book The How of Happiness this week.

Bottom line: the hard-core psychologists confirm that your psychology and expectations for your performance determine your results.

You absolutely have to learn to think like the very best do to experience the rewards and lifestyle that the VERY best have.

How to win an argument

You are doing your phd in psychology right? Can you tell me how to win a fight? I get asked this question many times.

Frankly speaking, I am not sure how. However, I will try and give you some steps to do that.

1. A quote from my favorite book - The Bible: "Don't get involved in foolish and ignorant arguments that only start fights" (2 Tim 2:23)
2. Respect other's opinion
3. Stay away from people who are jobless
4. Don't waste your time with irritating people
5. Don't try to convince people out of their own ideas
6. Losing an argument is sometimes good if you are winning the person
7. Why bother!

Do I need a phd for this? I don't think so. I think it is more about common sense :)

Analyse — all things!

Accept — only good things!

Avoid — all questionable things!

How do you get through your day?

Inspirational and soul stirring. Stop complaining and keep trying. Quitting isn't an option. Am actually proud of his parents.

 

A good life

For life's an experience God's children go through

That's made up of gladness and much sadness too... 

But we have to know both the bitter and the sweet

If we want a good life that is full and complete! 

 (H.S. Rice)

Obedience helps growth

Taken from StanleyonBible. 

Disadvantages in life usually keep us humble and obedient. 

  Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was one of the  most godly and successful American Presidents. He had a difficult childhood. His formal schooling was for less than a year. He failed in business in 1831 and was defeated for the legislature in 1832. The next year he again failed in business. His fiancee died in 1835. He was defeated for speaker in 1838. When he got married, his wife became a burden for him. Only one of his four sons lived past age 18. He was defeated for congress, Senate and vice-presidency. But he was elected as President in 1860!

There is no one without failures in this world. For those who love God no failure is final. Failures, crises, suffering, losses, disappointments and such things belong to the same category. In the providence of God, all these can be redemptively used to learn obedience.

Why does God take us through difficult and depressing situations? Hebrews 12:9 seems to give the most satisfying answer: "We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live?" Jesus was not exempted from this experience except that in His case there was and could be no failure but only suffering. The Son of God as the Son of Man graduated with honours in the School of Suffering, with obedience as the major (Heb 5:8).

Except in very rare circumstances, failures in life are due to disobedience to the Word of God and His revealed will. Failures are God's attention-getters. Failures bring us to knees. Repeated failures make us prostrate before God. If we don't learn from failures, we are only learning to fail. Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first car. No one repeated that mistake. Hear the testimony of the Psalmist: "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your Word... It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes" (Psa 119:67,71). Failures break our arrogance and make obedience easy.

Some failures are beyond us, but we are responsible for most of them. An objective analysis of these failures would teach us how we can avoid them by watchfulness and diligence.

Not to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race;

Yet to the true and the faithful victory is promised thro' grace!

                                                                    (S. Martin)