No, it’s not an Emmy Award, it’s much bigger than that   It’s our little Emi, who is much more than any award we could get.

Yes!  Little baby Emi was born into this world.  Thankfully the delivery went well and all the recovery and adjustment into this new world seems to be going well.  Thank all of you for your loving thoughts and intentions you have sent and continue to send through this transition.

Here is a picture for all of you to enjoy and we’ll share more as time goes bye.  But for at least the next few weeks we’re gonna give time for the whole family to somewhat adjust to the changes.  Please forgive me if I don’t reply to messages right away as I may be busy changing diapers, making bottles, helping Mommy or being a soccer Daddy.  I guess these bundles of joy just add more and more fun activities.  i do love it.

Thank you for your love and good thoughts.

Do you really need to increase metabolism to lose weight? If so, then the next question is, How to increase your metabolism?
These two issues may be very important to consider when choosing to succeed at the weight management game.

Many folks know that exercise is one the best ways to increase your metabolism. Specifically strength training. Strength training will increase your muscle mass. Increasing your muscle mass will increase the amount of calories you burn while you are resting. So next time you are watching TV, why not add a few strength training exercises?

Many of us have set the goal of losing weight, how is yours coming along? Usually by February, that new year’s resolution is long gone. If this is you, first of all…stop beating yourself up. Then read on and learn why you may have not reached your goal yet, and what you can do about it.

Are you aware of what the Thyroid Gland is and how it may affect your losing weight? The thyroid is a gland seen in the front part of the neck, under the Adam’s apple. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate metabolism and are important in regulating energy, body temperature, basal metabolic rate, the use of other hormones, as well as helping to regulate growth and development. The thyroid gland and the other endocrine organs may play a role in how the body responds to changes in diet and exercise, so it’s kinda important to provide Thyroid Support.

Also, are you aware that with increasing age, metabolism naturally slows down? This occurs primarily because of normal muscle mass atrophy and a natural decrease in levels of hormones such as T3 and testosterone. An increase in the production of a hormone called cortisol, in response to stress, may also impact weight-management efforts. T3, or triiodothyronine, is an iodine-containing hormone produced by the thyroid gland. It is synthesized under the influence of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by attaching iodine atoms to the amino acid tyrosine. A lack of proper nutrition can have a negative effect on the thyroid and on metabolic rate. Nutritional ingredients that support optimal thyroid function include Irish moss, kelp, black walnut, l-tyrosine, zinc and 7-keto.

Healthy thyroid status is dependent on the presence of multiple elements necessary for the synthesis and metabolism of thyroid hormones. Irish moss, kelp and black walnut are good sources of iodine. Iodine plays a central role in thyroid function, being both a
major constituent of thyroid hormones and a regulator of thyroid gland function. Zinc intake is also important as suboptimal dietary intakes of zinc can adversely affect thyroid hormone function.1 7-keto, a metabolite of DHEA, may increase the production of T3, supporting metabolism and weight loss.2

Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays multiple roles throughout the body. In addition to its best-known role as the “stress hormone,” it is involved in glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure and in immune function. Cortisol
levels naturally fluctuate and are highest in the morning and lowest at night. Bursts of cortisol are also released in response to physical or psychological stress. While small amounts of cortisol have positive effects, research has shown that prolonged elevated
cortisol levels are connected with increased amounts of abdominal fat and also cause increased consumption of calories.3 Nutritional ingredients commonly suggested tocounteract the physiological effects of stress associated with elevated cortisol levels
include magnolia bark extract, phellodendron extract, holy basil, l-theanine and DHEA.

The combination of magnolia bark extract and phellodendron extract has been shown to help curb stress-related eating and mild anxiety.4,5 This was associated with reduced weight gain and some weight loss among study volunteers. Compounds naturally
occurring in holy basil, an Indian herb, have positive effects on stress parameters and may help to decrease the effects of stress by normalizing the levels of stress-related hormones.6 L-theanine, a non-essential amino acid found in green tea, promotes the
generation of alpha brain waves indicative of relaxation without causing a drowsy state or impairment of motor skills.7 DHEA is a hormone precursor produced by the adrenal glands. After about age 25, the body’s production of DHEA declines, leading many
experts to believe that DHEA plays a role in the aging process. Research shows that administration of DHEA decreases plasma cortisol concentration and may decrease weight, abdominal fat and insulin levels.8,9

Additional nutritional ingredients with a history of successful use in supporting the glandular system include licorice, parsley, schizandra, vitamin B5, vitamin C and manganese.

I trust this article supports to maximize your metabolism and help you meet weight loss goals.

Not sure where to get high quality products mentioned in this article? I’ve been using Natures Sunshine Products for the last 10+ years with great results.

Check out these Best Supplements Herbal Solutions Magazine.

I invite you to visit www.EasyNSP.com

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As a work from home Dad, I’m continuously scouting for basic and healthful quality recipes for youngsters. I’m also searching for those quality recipes to be fast ones, merely because those who possess kids know…that time is not exactly plentiful, so it’s gotta be immediate.

An easy way to get kids to try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies is by preparing quick and quick healthy smoothies! A lot of these healthy recipes are wonderful for kids and they are and easy to make, many times kids can even prepare these healthy recipes independantly (of course parental guidance may be in order). So feel free to use these directions to help you make healthy eating a habit for your kids. Play around with these recipes, make them your own, and don’t hesitate to put in a few greens to make these even much healthier recipes for your kids.

As time goes on I’ll add more healthy recipes for kids, but for now appreciate the ones I’ve listed down below. You may even be able to turn these into a healthy snack reipes for kids.

There are endless combinations of these recipes, so experiment. Not sure how to make a smoothie? I suggest you watch the videos I’ve posted.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with these healthy recipes, dare to discover new blends and share your healthy recipes with others. Get you kid to start experimenting with their own healthy recipes, and watch how much fun they’ll have in creating their own healthy recipes for life. Check out the smoothie recipes below and enjoy:

Here are some additional healthy recipe resources that may be useful to you, enjoy!

• Healthy Recipes For Gluten Free Living
  
• Recipes Of Your Favorite Restaurants
• Healthy Recipes For Lifelong Health

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• Free Hugs Campaign

I’m not sure what you’ve had an opportunity to do to support the Haitian community, and for whatever you have done, a heartfelt thank you.  If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to provide support, it is still not too late.  I invite you to take a look at the video in this page and truly feel the difference your actions of love can make.  I know that when I listened to this wonderful compilation of artists, my heart felt awesome and I was re-inspired to continue making a difference for those that are less fortunate than I am.  At the same time I got reminded of how blessed I have been and that it is not only my option, but my right to make a difference.

I trust that as you listen to this video you’ll feel the same love and joy I experienced.  And if you enjoyed the song, you can even buy it and know that all the proceeds are going to support the Haitian population in their recovery.   As Jamie Fox stated, no matter how small a contribution you can make, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you for reading and I trust your heart will find yet another way to contribute this community in need of our love and support.

• Please help me honor my sister’s memory…
• Perception
• A tribute to a powerful woman

I know many of you are crossword puzzles lover, therefore, I wanted to share this cool quick easy crossword puzzle.  Well, at least I hope it is easy, but more importantly I want you to have fun.

I also encourage you to come back to this page from time to time to check out the cross word puzzle of the day, so let’s see how good of a crossword puzzle solver you truly are.
Enjoy!

• Baby Golpher
• What would you do if a cop did this to you?
• What do you want this X-mas?

Why did I even decide to use the Robo Form Password Manager?

Honestly, I finally got sick and tired of having to look at my excel sheets, or my notepad to find remember my paswords. I know that it is often just 2 or 3 more clicks, but when you start having hundreds of accounts for all the different services…it starts to add up & it gets tiring. Not to mention all the online forms and having to fill them out one field at a time.

I had used several other systems, I even used a plugin for firefox, but that only partially worked. There were many instances where the program wasn’t remembering passwords, and then I had try to remember my passwords on my own. Thus, I’d have to do a few more clicks to pull up my password encrypted files and then find the right account, and then find my passwords, and then copy and paste…sound familiar? This can get to be a pain in the butt!!!!

Thus, I started doing research and I read so many reviews on Robo Form Password Manager, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So I downloaded it for free and started playing with it. I figured I would find something that I didn’t like about it & probably just drop it. Especially since the good ‘ol excel files seemed to be working. But I was wrong. This Robo Form Password Program has been excellent! Really, with just the click of one button, I am logged into nearly any account that I need. Just to show you I even went as far as make a short demo video showing how this password manager works.

I will never have to remember another password again!!!!

So my next concern was, how safe is it? Is this stuff stored out there in the internet? Or can others see my passwords? And the answers are, Yes it is safe. No, all the information is stored on your computer, and No others can’t see your passwords unless you give them your master password.

Then I thought, what about backups? I found out they have a feature that allows you to backup all your work, and you can even get a USB version that would allow you to take your USB and plug it into any computer & use it there, then unplug it and use it again on your computer without ever leaving a trace on any other computer of your own passwords. This is cool! I am no longer stuck to one computer and my passwords are safe.

I almost feel silly that I feel pretty excited about this little tool, but it sure is saving me a lot of time. Thus, I decided to share it with you and hope that you never have to remember another password yourself.

Fell free to download Robo Form and try it for free. If it works for you then, buy it, if it doesn’t then just uninstall the Robo Form Password Manager, and you are done.

Check out the video and see my quick tutorial of how it’s used. I trust this is of help and I’m going to bed…it’s getting a bit late.

If it interests you to download it immediately you can click on this link and it will begin the download process, otherwise go to their page and then download it.

Are Health Insurance Companies abusing you? Take a look at this email I received recently and also take a look at what the future holds for “affordable health insurance”. You make the decision and also whether or not you want to add your name to the petition.

Dear MoveOn member,

Since Friday, nearly 200,000 MoveOn members have signed a petition demanding a public explanation from Blue Cross of their plan to jack up rates by as much as 39% for some customers.

The pressure is working. Blue Cross is one of the health insurance providers that has just announced they’ll delay the increase by two months – ”a big signal that the outcry is making them uncomfortable.¹

But a short delay isn’t enough and the medical health insurance company is still providing no explanation for this ridiculous rate hike. They’re hoping this small concession will appease the public, so we’ve got to show them that they’re wrong.

Will you sign the petition today? Clicking here will add your name and show Health Insurance Companies that these abuses have to stop:

http://pol.moveon.org/bluecross/o.pl?id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=3

Below is the email we sent last week with the full story. Check it out, and forward this to your friends – the bigger the public response, the stronger the message to Health Insurance Companies that customers won’t stand for abusive practices like this.

Thanks for all you do.

- Kat, Michael, Carrie, Stephen, and the rest of the team

Dear MoveOn member,

Blue Cross has just announced that it’s immediately raising premiums charged to hundreds of thousands of individual customers by as much as 39% even though their parent company’s profits soared to a record $4.7 billion last year.²

Even worse, the insurer has so far refused to explain why they’re increasing their rates, and warned that they might do so again this year without warning.

The Obama administration is demanding answers from Anthem Blue Cross, and Congress has opened an investigation.³ But Blue Cross is only going to respond if this story becomes a major public-relations problem for them.

So it’s time to turn up the heat. Let’s join the growing call for an explanation and send a powerful public message that these abuses by Big Insurance are unacceptable.

Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/bluecross/o.pl?id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=4

The petition says: “Anthem Blue Cross must provide a detailed explanation for their exorbitant rate increases, or else roll them back immediately.”

These latest rate increases in California is reportedly the largest ever by Blue Cross for individual policyholders in the state are yet another powerful example of how badly broken our health care system is and how desperately we need to hold Big Insurance accountable for exploiting their customers.

Anthem Blue Cross’s parent company made record profits last year despite losing 1.4 million customers increasing their profit margins by cherrypicking the healthiest people to insure.⁴

Then they can turn around and dramatically increase the rates they charge to the customers they’ve kept, because there are almost no rules governing rate increases. In fact, the company doesn’t even have to publicly reveal how many customers’ rates they’ve increased, or by how much.

The good news is that Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, is already publicly demanding answers from the company. And the House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced plans to hold hearings to investigate.

But to get Anthem to clean up their act and show politicians and the media that we can’t afford any more abuses by Big Health Insurance Companies we all need to lend our voices. Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/bluecross/o.pl?id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

Kat, Michael, Carrie, Stephen, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “Anthem Blue Cross to delay rate increases,” The Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86473&id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=6

2. “Anthem Blue Cross dramatically raising rates for Californians with individual health policies,” The Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86432&id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=7

“WellPoint sees profit grow eightfold in fourth quarter,” The Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86433&id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=8

3. “Sebelius Calls on Anthem Blue Cross to Publicly Justify 39 Percent Premium Increase,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, February 8, 2010

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100208c.html

“Congress opens probe into Anthem Blue Cross rate increases,” The Los Angeles Times, February 10, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86434&id=18944-14366597-4D5Wifx&t=9

4. “Waxman and Stupak to WellPoint: We Request Your Testimony,” Office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, February 9, 2010

Here is what Senator McCain has been up to after not having won the presidency. This is not the first time that nutritional supplements have been threatened, but it certainly is a real threat to the choices you’ll have for making your own decisions about your health. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty darn good results by using alternative health therapies and quality health supplements such as those at Natures Sunshine or Young Living. So, I feel it is important to share the following information with you and trust that you will support by taking action to keep your health rights.

S. 3002, the McCain-Dorgan Senate Bill, Threatens Your
Access to Nutritional Supplements

Senators McCain and Dorgan have outraged millions of Americans in one fell swoop with S. 3002! They have flat-out attacked dietary supplements in their newly introduced “Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010.” Without understanding or respect for the detailed and complex laws and regulations of the people’s treasured Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), McCain has misled the American people. On February 3, 2010, he stood on the Senate floor and said: “The dietary supplement industry is one that is mostly self-regulated”! How could a Senator make such a public statement that is so completely false? Could he be unaware of the hundreds of pages of the DSHEA laws and regulations that manufacturers must follow in order to keep their products on the market and protect Americans’ access to safe dietary supplements?

His comments about creating a more restrictive bill due to concerns from athletes that have taken adulterated products shows his inability to point the finger where it belongs. We already have laws against adulterated products! DSHEA prohibits putting adulterated or contaminated foods and dietary supplements on the market. Those laws work. DSHEA includes detailed and complex Good Manufacturing Practices and requirements for all dietary supplements. Those regulations work as DSHEA regulates foods and dietary supplements/nutrients and concerns itself with safety on all levels.

McCain appears to want to over-regulate food and dietary supplements as if they were dangerous drugs instead of enforcing existing, effective food and dietary supplement laws. He sidesteps the safety history of dietary supplements in favor of more and more unnecessary and hostile regulation that will squelch a consumer-driven industry. He suggests additional pre-market registration requirements for all manufacturers and products. He suggests mandating reporting of “non-serious” adverse events even when there is no proof or verification of causation. This would be in addition to the current serious adverse event reporting requirements passed into existing law within the past three years.

Americans hold that dietary supplements are not drugs, they are nutrients, generally regarded as safe, and the government already has the ability to take them off the market if they pose a risk of harm. We encourage the marketing of nutrients. It is our right as Americans to eat nutrients of all kinds without first proving, like drugs, that they are effective to eat. We care about safety. But it is our right to decide what we want to eat.

Help defeat S. 3002! Tell McCain and Dorgan to honor our existing law prohibiting adulterated products and requiring good manufacturing practices. Tell them to aggressively protect dietary supplements as foods and not drugs. Say NO to S. 3002. Stop this bill before it goes anywhere.

Send this letter to your senator! (PDF)

Contact your Senator online.

Read the original draft bill. (PDF)

Thank you for your time and support towards keeping your health rights and your rights to choose the type of wellness programs that work best for you.

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Those of you who know me, probably are already aware of how much I’ve enjoyed technology and particularly the internet. In my journey of integrating the internet as part of my business, I’ve come across so many different “opportunities” to get rich online. I’ve had my fair share of those programs that over-PROMISED and under-DELIVERED. Which unfortunately seems to be the grand majority of the programs that are out there. However, I’ve also had a good share of some great tools and resources that have helped me supplement my income through the internet.

By no means am I proclaiming myself to be one of those multimillionaires or “online gurus”, but it certainly has not hurt to have some additional income come in without having to work hard at it. Don’t get me wrong, I have worked at it and the good thing is that I’ve enjoyed the journey, but if you truly want to make money online, the best investment I’ve found is still education! Truly it has never led me astray and I’ve always benefited from investing in myself. Of course it helps immensely when the tools are actually used…because knowledge without application is just that…knowledge.

Enough about my story. What I truly wanted to share with you is my personal review of a program I purchased and I wished it had existed back when I started my internet ventures. It would have saved me tons of time and lots of headaches. So if you are interested in creating money online, I encourage you to at least take a look at this simple review of Niche Blueprint 2.0 or at least watch this short Niche Blueprint Introduction Video.

First I’ll share with you some of what I’ve liked, then some of its limitations (in my view), and then a simple layout of the program. If you want more details on it, just go to their sales page and check it out for yourself. But this is simply my review of my experience, and I trust it will help you out.

What I’ve liked about Niche Blueprint 2.0:

• First and foremost, I like the non-hyped approach they’ve taken. I truly feel that these group of individuals have focused on over-delivering without the hype. They’ll let you know what is real and what isn’t.
• I’ve liked their keep it simple approach. This some really good content without all the techie stuff you’d see in some other more complex programs.
• Their focus is on having you be successful with by taking on niche markets within your market that you can actually compete with and rank fairly well in a short time. Unlike other programs that set you up in markets that are nearly impossible to succeed.
• They present the program with options that don’t have a lot of out of pocket expenses for those who have a small budget. This is big, because I’ve come across many programs that I’ve paid lots of money to get only to find out I need a lot more money to make their system work.
• They offer some very simple and yet powerful tools that make it really easy for almost anyone to do the keyword research that sets you up for success. This is HUGE! If you don’t get the right keywords you’ll have a tough time competing.
• They have a very helpful forum for asking questions and getting support from other like minded individuals. This helps alot, especially if you are just starting out.
• They have integrated tools for getting traffic online, like article submission, link building, etc., without charging extra for these services. In case you don’t know, these services usually have an additional monthly cost.
• One thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve been using their tools almost everyday, even though I have other tools that I’ve paid a higher price to use. This should give you an idea of how useful their tools are.

Here are the challenges:
I haven’t really come across too many challenges with this program. But if I had to list some, these are what I would list:

• Their keyword research tools don’t allow for batch research of keywords all at once. I can still do the research, it just takes a little longer.
• Their link building module is great, but it takes a little additional time to build links. I have other tools that have helped me build more links a little more automated.
• You must make the commitment to go through the lessons to get the benefit…I told you, you still have to put some effort into it.
• It is an investment of money, but it has been well worth it for me.

Other than that it has been a great program and I personally have benefited from it. I’m glad I invested in it & I trust my review will help you if you are interested in making money online.

As for the course layout, here is a quick outline of what is covered in the course…(remember, you can get alot more detail on their sales page)

• Module 1 – Welcome & Introduction is a full overview of the Niche Blueprint Course, how it will work and where to get started.
• Module 2 – Choosing A Niche shows you how to brainstorm, research and identify suitable niches that have potential for huge profits.
• Module 3 – Finding Suppliers & Products shows how to search for and identify products that will generate the highest level of of income and where to find suppliers who will stock and ship them.
• Module 4 – Choosing Domain Names, this shares a detailed procedure on how to find a domain name that’ll boost your search engine rankings and deliver highly targeted buyers.
• Module 5 – Building Your Store Platforms, walks you through how to set your E-commerce websites up for maximum conversions and sales.
• Module 6 – Getting Website Traffic shares how to generate visitors, customers and cash with our step by step free traffic plan. Great tools & resources.
• Module 7 – Operating Your Stores, this section will show you how to keep your E-Commerce websites operating both smoothly AND profitably for on going success.
• Module 8 – Outsourcing Secrets shares how to outsource the day-to-day operations so you can have autopilot income and make money while you relax!
• Module 9 – Selling Your Business teaches you how to flip your website for 12 – 18 times monthly profit. This is one option for quick cash rather than operating your websites.

In addition to the main modules, there are additional bonuses and resources that help them overdeliver on their promise.

Anyway, if making money online is something you are interested in using to supplement your income, I trust this review of Niche Blueprint 2.0 will be of service to you.

Check out their Niche Blueprint Sales website for a lot more details.