Most people consider beer to be the biggest culprit when it comes to alcohol causing weight gain — everyone has heard of the dreaded beer belly. The first thing to consider is that beers with less alcohol generally work out to be less fattening. Of course, if drinking low-calorie alcohol means you’ll have twice as many beers, then the math no longer works in your favor.

Many beers fall below 150 calories per bottle. Guinness, for instance, is often looked at as a fatty brew, but it comes in at a surprisingly average 153 calories per serving. For the most part, though, the biggest offenders are dark beers. But the thing to remember is that you can easily hit 500 plus calories once you start drinking more than two bottles of almost any brand of beer.

Wine is an interesting drink to examine here. In terms of health, popular belief about wine seems to be the polar opposite of that of beer. In fact, many studies suggest that a glass or two of wine each day is quite beneficial to our well-being. Of course, good for you and non-fattening are two different things.

Most regions don’t require winemakers to reveal health information, so counting calories can be problematic. The bottles do, however, list their alcohol content and for the most part it’s safe to assume that the more alcohol a wine has, the more calories it will have.

Brown Sugar-Olive Oil Scrub

Don’t spend your money on pricey scrubs; make your own with brown sugar and olive oil. It exfoliates away all the dry skin, moisturizes what’s underneath, increases your skin’s circulation and can improve the appearance of cellulite.

For gorgeously smooth skin, combine roughly three parts brown sugar with one part olive oil (11/2 cups to 1/2 cup; 3 cups to 1 cup, and so on). Before you shower, stand in your bathtub and apply the scrub with your hands to your body and rub. Be gentle, as this is quite abrasive, but you can be a bit rougher where your skin is thicker and drier (i.e. your feet). Rinse off in the shower, and you’ll find there’s no need to moisturize afterwards.

Yogourt Mask

Used by women for centuries, yogourt works on all skin types to soften skin, soothe redness and tighten pores while gently deep cleaning. Use a natural, unflavoured, plain yogurt (Balkan style tends to be thicker and is easier to apply) and apply to your face as you would a mask, avoiding the eyes and mouth. You may want to let the yogourt warm up slightly before applying it! Leave on for ten minutes and rinse off with warm water. Follow with a honey mask, or apply moisturizer as you would normally.

Honey Mask

Honey is also an ancient beauty product used alongside yogourt to soften, deep clean and soothe your skin. Honey is a natural antibiotic and will help to kill any bacteria in your pores, which in turn helps to eliminate redness. It’s also gently moisturizing and full of vitamins. Simply smooth it onto your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow with your regular toning and moisturizing routine.

As I said from my previous post I will be dealing with the alternatives of cleaning agents. Anyway here it goes, undeniably even if cleaning agents have harmful substances and cost much money from us we tend to buy this stuff just to make our living space clean. We don’t think of the consequences it would make in the future as long as we are clean its okay.

Water, salt, vinegar and baking soda are good examples of the safest items one can use for effective housekeeping. They work extremely well and leave us with a happier wallet. You can find thousands of tips on their uses from the internet as well as from friends.

Instead of using air freshener in the room, one can place indoor plants because it absorbs the unpleasant smell in the rooms. It also produces oxygen which can lighten up the ambiance in the room. By doing this, you are able to lessen the emission of CFC in the ozone layer.

The possibilities of alternative cleaning agents are endless so you should be clever enough to discover it. There is so much we can do at home is small ways that will help the environment, every little change helps.

When we clean our homes are we thinking of how the cleaning agents affect the environment? Cleaning agents does the job in disinfecting or degerming the things in our home with its chemical ingredients like chlorine, alkali’s, phosphates and as well as acids which has harmful effects in the environment.

The toxic, non biodegradable chemicals we use to keep ourselves, our clothes and our homes clean and safe from pests produce toxic waste that seeps into our soil and pollutes it.

According to geoscientist, soil pollution can lead to water pollution if toxic chemicals leak into the groundwater, or if contaminated overspill reaches streams and lakes. In turn, polluted soil naturally contributes to air pollution by releasing volatile compounds into the atmosphere. The chemicals and other waste products of our consumption dumped on or buried in the ground are not all biodegradable and do create harmful fluids and gases, which leak into the air, water and soil. Heavy metals and other potentially toxic elements are the most serious soil pollutants in sewage. If absorbed continuously or in large amounts, the affected soil becomes unable to support even plant life. From human waste, to solid waste, to nuclear waste, human activity has created a negative chain by which neither humans no animals can live in certain parts of the world today.

In my next post I will be tackling on the alternatives of harmful chemicals. It is hard to find alternative to this cleaning agents because pests or parasites nowadays have built immunity. But for sure there are better alternatives to these harmful substances which I am going to research.

Would it be great to beautify your window? Well there are available window boxes made especially to be placed in the window area. What benefits can it give to us when we have plant in our window anyway? Apart from giving your window natural colors from your flowering plants, they also give out fresh air. Imagine fresh oxygen going to you homes that would be very healthy right? Oxygen by the way is a very important gas because this gas sustains our very existence.

You can plant anything with your window plant boxes, whatever plant you like. Planting is a great activity especially if you wanted to relieve stress in your mind. According to studies, planting can stimulate your brain. While doing this activity you will never think of anything and you will focus more on your plant.

Lilies, carnation, daisies and ferns are some of the flowers you can plant on your garden window boxes. After installing the window boxes, you can now start your window gardening. First you have to gather loam soil then gather the seeds of the plants. Make sure this plants doesn’t grow big or you should choose plants same as those mention above to avoid covering the entire window. To ensure that the plants will grow healthy you have to add fertilizer. Fertilizers maybe organic or inorganic you can choose whatever you like as long as it can sustain the plant. When you already plant the seeds, constantly water them in order not to dry the soil.

The Earth’s crust is very active; this is manifested on violent earthquakes. Almost two months after the Chilean earthquake, another strong quake struck China. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Yushu, China April 14, 2010 which killed 1,484 people and injuring thousands more. Earthquake sure is unavoidable but we can avoid injuries by doing these steps:

• During an earthquake, remain calm and quickly follow the steps outlined below.
• If indoors, stay there and ensure nobody moves about or leaves the building.
• If outdoors, move quickly away from buildings, utility poles and other structures. Caution: Always avoid power or utility lines as they may be energised. Know your assembly locations.
• If in a car, stop in the safest place available, preferably away from power lines and trees. Stop as quickly as safety permits, but stay in the vehicle for the shelter it offers.
• When the building evacuation alarm is sounded, walk to the nearest marked exit and ask others to do the same.
• Assist the disabled in exiting the building. Remember that lifts are reserved for the handicapped to use. Do not use lifts n case of earthquake or fire. Do not panic.
• Once outside, move to a clear area at least 500 feet away from the affected building(s). Keep roadways, walkways and hydrants clear for emergency vehicles and crews.

]]> http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2010/04/what-to-do-during-earthquakes/feed/ 0 http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2009/11/sweet-wine-from-tokaji-hungary/ http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2009/11/sweet-wine-from-tokaji-hungary/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:33 +0000 admin_mj http://journeydreams.com/?p=1193 Read More]]> A growing interest in Eastern European gastronomic culture, and the premium attached to anything produced by atisanal methods have been very good news for Tokaj the enormous sweet, complex wine produced only in Hungary’s northeastern Tokaji region. Made from individually picked grapes that have shriveled and botrytized a oenological term for the noble rot mold infection that intensely concentrates the fruits sugars-Tokaj suffered from cost cutting methods during Hungary’s communist era, but fresh investment is rectifying the situation. Tokaji sheltered by the foothills of the Carpathian mountains, has a singularly balmy microclimate. Long, warm autumns combined with the humidity of the Bodrog and Tisza Rivers favor the development of the noble rot.

]]> http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2009/11/sweet-wine-from-tokaji-hungary/feed/ 0 http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2009/11/rabat-city/ http://whenthingsstarttogetinteresting.com/2009/11/rabat-city/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:40:58 +0000 admin_mj http://journeydreams.com/?p=1189 Read More]]> If you’re looking to satisfy your sense of adventure by exploring an exotic new land but your idea of a holiday includes a warm beach rather than trekking through a sweltering jungle, come to Rabat. The capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, Rabat is also considered to be the country’s cultural hub. Plenty of historical sites, museums and art galleries will satisfy culture vultures, while breathtaking views, a coastal position and a less stressful urban center than those found in Marrakech or Fez will ensure that your vacation is relaxing.

Some of Morocco’s most beautiful historical sites are found in Rabat. The city is fairly walkable, though taxis are inexpensive if you wish to use transportation. Begin your tour with a trip to Chellah, the place where it all began in the third century B.C. Though the settlement is now in ruins, you can poke around in all the nooks and crannies, and if you’re traveling with a female companion, this site makes a romantic setting for a picnic. You’ll also want to visit the Hassan Tower, a minaret dating back to 1195 A.D., that was intended to be the largest in the world and accompany the world’s largest mosque. The Mausoleum of Mohammed V is also located here

Though Kobe has the feel of a large city, one of its many assets is that it’s pretty compact so everything’s close by. Your legs can comfortably carry you to most places, whether it’s down to Harborland for a relaxing stroll by the water or around the lively Sannomiya district, with its myriad bars and vast range of restaurants. More challenging would be a climb to the top of Mount Rokko, but whether you use leg power or the cable car, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views over the city and beyond. Head back down and make for Kobe’s bustling Chinatown for some delicious dumplings. Wash them down with some sake following a guided tour of the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum. For a relaxing soak Japanese-style, make the short trip to Arima Onsen, Japan’s oldest and much-loved hot spring resort.

As a top European Holida Destination, Majorca has gone through a few inventions. It began the last century among Spain’s poorest regions, became one of the classiest vacation spots in the Mediterranean in the 1920s, exploded as a package tourism destination in the 1970s, and ended the century as the most expensive part of Spain.

With the Island’s identity shifting so dramatically, it can be hard to know if you’re getting the real Majorca. Even the agriturismos-farmhouse converted to rustic hotels in the 1980s-increasingly style themselves as a rural retreats complete with spas, plasma TVs and low-fat exfoliants.