Dream Home.....

Went to see some new houses last Sunday, it was a dream home...just see for yourself

It's been too long!

Yes, it's been too long since I posted my last entry. Call it 'soul searching', 'self-development' or whatever. I've been searching for 'something' alright, but when I came across Oprah Show featuring 'The Secret', it was phenomenal!! It's like I am recharged. The Secret, was created by Australian Rhonda Byrne, and she says that if you follow its philosophy, you can create the life you want—whether that means getting out of debt, finding a more fulfilling job or even falling in love.Rhonda defines The Secret as the law of attraction, which is the principle that "like attracts like." Rhonda calls it "the most powerful law in the universe," and says it is working all the time. "What we do is we attract into our lives the things we want, and that is based on what we're thinking and feeling," Rhonda says. The principle explains that we create our own circumstances by the choices we make in life. And the choices we make are fueled by our thoughts—which means our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth. How's that!

Prevention Agents

Lycopene

What is it?
Lycopene is one of 600 or so plant-derived carotenoids, substances responsible for the yellow, and red colours of fruits and vegetables. Lycopene provides the natural red pigment in tomatoes and tomato products such as ketchup and spaghetti sauce. It also is found in smaller amounts in grapefruit, guava, watermelon and papaya.

How does it work?
Carotenoids work to protect against cancer and aging-related diseases by acting as an antioxidant to counteract damaging effects of free radicals in tissues. Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids found in human blood and tissues and sis found primarily in the testis, adrenal glands, liver, prostate, breast, colon and lung. Because lycopene cannot be metabolized to Vitamin A, its biological effects in humans have been attributed to other mechanisms. Lycopene is currently one of the most efficient carotenoids at protecting against free radicals that damage critical parts of the cell, including lipids, membrane lipoproteins, proteins and DNA.

What do the data show?
Population studies show that people who eat large amounts of foods with lycopene, such as cooked tomatoes, have a reduced risk of prostate, lung and colon cancer. A preliminary investigation of 21 men with prostate cancer found that lycopene supplements appeared to reduce to uncontrolled growth of prostate cancer cells (proliferation) and restored normal cell turnover (apoptosis and differentiation). In animal studies, lycopene prevented lung, colon and breast cancers and had similar effects on cancer cells in culture. Safety and efficacy studies in humans are just beginning.

Started the day with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, hmm...

Another Sunday!

Good morning! Yes, it's another Sunday..it's going to be another warm day, it's nice to have a glass of tall drink! Will be attending Taufiq's Police Day Parade at Indoor Stadium in the afternoon, looking forward..Still trying my very best to learn about blogging/computer/internet, whew...

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD (Part 3 of 3)

Three Weeks to Change Your Mind

While most of us can't remove ourselves from daily life as radically as that man who went to Africa, we can create the conditions that make rebirth possible.

Based on Dr. Treitler's observations, she can suggest concrete steps to change a habit that have nothing to do with food or exercise or any other behavior you're wrestling with. The fact is, no matter which cognitive type you are, you can "learn to shift to another mode of thinking," to "stretch" the brain quadrant boundaries in which you feel at home, says Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, which developed the HBDI. So for people who have no natural inclination to be systematic and detail oriented ("B" strengths), Treitler says the goal is to build up familiarity and comfort with those approaches.

Tool Kit for Change
According to Herrmann-Nehdi, simple activities practiced over a period of about three weeks can bolster your inner bookkeeper. They can be done in stages, she says.

Begin with organization. Alphabetize your CDs, then, a few days later, your spices. A few days after that, rearrange your closet, then your tax papers. Next comes timeliness. Keep a time log of your daily activities, and start being punctual for every appointment. Then comes planning. Sit down and map out a week in advance. It's also helpful to follow a routine—jogging a certain course every other day, balancing your checkbook once a week. Finally, there's step-by-step thinking: Cook from a recipe exactly as it's written, knit from a pattern, learn a computer program by following a tutorial or manual.

If these activities seem grating, you can make them more appealing to your naturally dominant brain type, Herrmann-Nehdi says: "A 'D' [conceptual, risk taking] could dream up something she wants to achieve in a year's time, then, working backward, create a timeline and checklist of what needs to be done." A 'C' (emotional, people-oriented), adds Treitler, could teach her niece to balance a checkbook. Think of these activities as physical workouts, suggests Treitler: "When you practice them regularly, it trains your brain to become accustomed to new ways of thinking." Later, when an actual diet plan requires steadfastness and attention to detail, the effort won't feel so alien.

The most important aspect of redefining yourself is "doing something empowering," says Treitler. "It may be teaching, volunteering—anything that allows you to take on new status and to be in the position of helper rather than one who needs help." From this strengthened position, you go forward, not back.

To learn more about the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) you read about in April's article The Healthy Life "It's All in Your Head", visit www.hbdi.com or call 800-432-4234.

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD (Part 2 of 3)

Your Mindset and Your Scale

One of Treitler's aha moments came after the study subjects took a 120-item multiple-choice questionnaire that assesses thinking styles, called the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). Simply put, the theory behind it goes like this: We all naturally tend to process information, solve problems, and relate to others in a particular way, and such inclinations roughly correspond to four different quadrants of the brain—two on the right, two on the left. These preferences are like mental defaults your brain automatically resorts to when evaluating the world unless otherwise prompted, and most people employ some combination of quadrants.

"A" quadrant (upper left): People who favor this area are analytical, mathematical, logical problem solvers. Drawn to statistics and the workings of machinery, they can over analyze a situation so much, they have trouble taking action.
"B" quadrant (lower left): These people are controlled, methodical, disciplined, sticklers for structure and routine. Punctual and neat, they always have a plan, timetable, and calendar with appointments penciled in.
"C" quadrant (lower right): Lower-right thinkers are emotional, spiritual, and focused on people and human connection.
"D" quadrant (upper right): "D" types are strongly visual and easily bored, attracted to new ideas, fun, and risk taking.

And the Successful Dieters?
"We found that those with the most dramatic losses scored noticeably higher in favoring 'B,' the lower left," says Treitler. This makes sense to her, having observed many people struggling with weight. Someone inclined toward plans and routines, who sees life through methodical eyes, would be the most comfortable with the mundane details of calorie counting and portion control; she would also be more able to coolly observe herself and catalog obstacles and failings—without succumbing to an emotion like self-hatred.

A Leap of Imagination
Breakthrough number two occurred during another study with the NWCR volunteers. When Treitler listened to subjects' stories, something stood out: They'd all gone through an inner transformation almost like those celebrated in traditional rites of passage. Each had found a coach, mentor, or guide for the journey, had pulled back and separated somewhat from his or her old environment, and then was "reborn" into a different way of life. At this point, the newly thin person became a leader rather than a follower, a change that opened the door to further goals and achievements, often in fields completely unrelated to weight loss. (One subject, for example, asked a chef at the university where he worked to develop an aggressive diet for him, dropped nearly half his body weight, then took a leave from his job to help start a law school in Africa, where he reemerged as a passionate long-distance walker and bird-watcher.)

"All the subjects had incorporated some meditative element into their lives," Treitler says. "It might have been walking or yoga, but it was self time, a white space where they could disengage from the old, obsessive behavior." This transformation of identity appears crucial in keeping weight off. Without a new self who's clearly different from the old, overweight one, it's too easy to revert to former unhealthy habits.

Can you reprogram your brain?