Host a great BBQ

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Healthy Grilling Tips

1. Before heating, scrub the grill with a wire brush to get rid of built-up charred bits; then coat with cooking spray or rub with oil to prevent sticking. When the grill is hot, a little smoke off the grate tells you it's ready. 2. Marinated meats are less likely to develop carcinogens. Marinate for at least an hour in flavorful mixtures (my favorite easy combo: lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic). 3. To prevent puncturing meats and releasing juices, use tongs instead of a grilling fork. Flip delicate fish only once during cooking; consider cooking on a sheet of foil to make turning less sticky. Read more: What's the healthiest way to grill?

4. To avoid charring meats, cook at lower temperatures; cover the grill for a few minutes to help thick cuts cook more quickly. Fish and meats continue cooking a few minutes after removing from heat, so let foods rest two to five minutes before serving. 5. Want to drizzle leftover marinade on your cooked T-bone? Boil first to destroy any bacteria. 6. Get a health boost and grill fruits. To caramelize the natural sugars, slide pineapple, mango, banana, and melon chunks on skewers and grill over high heat. Slice stone fruits in half, remove pits, and lay on grill cut-side down until lightly charred.

Recipes

Outdoor menus & planning Hot off the Grill Patio Party Sidewalk Supper Pack a picnic Reduce, reuse, and let's party! Have a planet-friendly picnic Fish • Sesame-Soy Halibut • Sheila Rolles' Grilled Red Snapper • Grilled Tuna With Green Olive Tapenade • Grilled Snapper Tacos With Baby Tomatoes and Baby Peppers • Grilled Medallions of Ono on a Summer Tomato Salad • Soy Glazed Halibut • Rosemary Trout • Marinated Grilled Tuna over Dill Couscous • Herbed Salmon • Grilled Fresh Sardines • Grilled Maine Salmon in Lemongrass Broth • Grilled Salmon with Kale-Arame Saut • Grilled Salmon with Banana-Fig Kabobs • Spice-Rubbed Grilled Tilapia with Mango and Red Onion Salsa • Grilled Ratatouille with Shrimp • Grilled Whole Trout With Almond Topping • Grilled Mahimahi with Mango Salsa • Roasted Tomato Soup with Seared Tilapia Fillet • Grilled Grouper with Tomato & Corn Salsa • Grilled Salmon with Chili-Lime Sauce (Plah Sah-mohn Pao) • Grilled Salmon with Lentils and Curried Mint Yogurt • Grilled Clayoquot Salmon With Thyme Potato Hash And Lentil Ragout Poultry • Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Pita Sandwiches • Turkey Burgers with Avocado Salsa • Grilled Chicken With Roasted Red Peppers • Grilled Chicken with Blueberry Sauce • Grilled Chicken Salad with Rosemary Blossoms • Grilled Chicken with Arugula and Tomatoes • Grilled Chicken with Charred Tomatoes and Broccoli • Marinated Chicken And Grape Skewers • Yogurt-Marinated Chicken • Vegetable and Chicken Kabobs with Red Pepper Sauce • Singapore Barbecue Chicken • Spice-Island Chicken With Pickled Limes

Burgers • Chipotle Burgers with Avocado Aioli • Grilled Bufffalo Burgers • Turkey Burgers with Avocado Salsa • Grilled Eggplant and Goat Jack Burgers with Basil-Mint Mayonnaise • Blueberry-Flax Turkey Burgers • Grilled Thai Salmon Burgers with Peanut Sauce Vegetarian & Vegan • Turkey-Feta Burgers with Cantaloupe-Cranberry Salsa • Grape Leaf-wrapped Tofu With Green Tea • Grilled Garlic and Arugula Pizza • Grilled Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese • Bulgur and Black Bean Salad with Grilled Corn and Chilies • Herb Marinated Kabobs with Tofu • Vegetable Kabobs With Seitan • Campfire Tofu Reuben • Flavored Tofu, Shiitake Mushroom and Cherry Tomato Kabobs • Grilled Eggplant and Goat Jack Burgers with Basil-Mint Mayonnaise • Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille • Stuffed Balsamic-Grilled Portobello Mushrooms • Honey-Basil Veggie Kabobs • Teriyaki Tofu Brochettes Veggies • Grilled Peaches and Cream • Grilled Vegetable Paella • Grilled Asparagus • Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables • Grilled Japanese Eggplant with Miso Vinaigrette • Bulgur and Black Bean Salad with Grilled Corn and Chilies • Grilled Eggplant Slices • Grilled Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese • Matbucha (Grilled Red Peppers & Tomato) • Grilled Portobellos • Grilled Broccoli with Tomato-Basil Flaxseed Oil Dressing • Grilled Plantains • Grilled Portabella Mushroom and Japanese Eggplant Condiments • Fun & healthy condiments to try • Presto Pesto! • Artichoke Guacamole • Salsas and Chutneys Desserts • Grilled Peaches and Cream • Maple-Glazed Grilled Peaches • Grilled Bananas with Frozen Yogurt and Maple Cream

Posted via email from WellCare

Cost + 20-25% Merch

One of the problems with most bands and artists is that they price their swag way too high. Who pays $10 dollars for a CD these days? Who's willing to pay $20 for a T-shirt? Even legacy artists with a really great brand and nicely designed merch have a problem at $35, which has become the norm at a concert.

Unknown Indie Artists should never charge more than 20% to 25% of their total cost for their Merch, never.

Posted via email from Music Business Information

The Ultimate Portable Desk

The Kruikantoor takes the mobile office concept to a whole new level. The ultimate portable workspace features two chairs, a desk, light, electricity hookup, and storage. The whole unit sits on wheels for easy transport to suit the needs of go, go, go business folks.

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Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Low Fat Southwestern Shrimp

The great thing about shrimp is that they're quick and easy to cook. The biggest mistake people make is to overcook them so that they turn out tough and rubbery. Enjoy this southwestern shrimp dish with a side dish of rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• Juice of 1 large lime
• 1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 6 ounces), chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle chili powder and cumin over them; add lime juice. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté onions and jalapeno over medium heat until onions are softened—about 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp, chopped tomato and cilantro. Cook shrimp for three minutes, until pink and opaque, turning them occasionally. Serve over hot whole-grain ri

Posted via email from WellCare

56 Things You Can Toss Out Now

by Christine Kane

We hold onto our stuff for two reasons: Love or fear. We either love things. Or we fear letting them go.

We cherish them and know they have value to us.

OR...

We fear that we'll need them someday. We fear that we wasted our money on them. We fear what others will think if we let them go. We even fear making the decision to release our mistakes, so we don't make any decision at all. Instead we passively hold onto stuff out of guilt.

Well, guess what?

When you begin to make choices from a place of LOVE and EXPANSION, then your world will change. Love is the clearest reason to do anything.

If you don't love it, toss it. Give it away. Your abundance and energy will increase when you begin to live by love, and not by fear.

Here are 56 things you can toss out (or give away) right now...

1. All the hotel key cards you forgot to turn it when you checked out.

2. The doilies your Aunt Missy crocheted 45 years ago that got handed down to you.

3. CD's you haven't listened to in three years or more.

4. The boxes of cassettes you've been meaning to transfer to CD's.

5. The bread maker you haven't used since 2003.

6. Your wedding dress.

NOTE: You can say you've been saving it for your daughter, but here are three signs that your daughter doesn't want to wear it:

a] she's already married and wore her own dress, b] she's been roommates with a woman named Pat for nine years, or c] you don't have a daughter.

7. Credit card bills from 1995.

8. The Allen wrenches from every piece of IKEA furniture you ever assembled.

9. The jacket you spent way too much money on and never wore.

NOTE: Keeping it around just to punish yourself for your bad choices is like going to parochial school all over again.

10. Every scratching post or toy your cat doesn't like.

NOTE: Your cat didn't go to parochial school so there's no sense punishing him.

11. House plants you no longer love.

12. The stacks of O Magazine you swear you'll re-read.

13. Every little zippy bag that came with a Clinique purchase.

14. Every unopened perfume that came with a Clinique purchase.

15. Leftover scrunchies in case you grow your hair long again. (Or in case the 90's return!)

16. The "Cherries Jubilee" flavored lip balm that makes you nauseous.

17. Every single regretful lipstick color you bought on a whim. ("Cherries Jubilee" is probably there, too.)

18. Your last four cell phones and all their chargers and blue teeth.

19. Single socks.

20. The Spode Christmas plates and mugs you don't like. (Along with the Christmas bath towels and welcome mat.)

21. The framed posters you had in your college dorm room.

22. Old stereo wires.

NOTE: If your husband refuses to let go of any of these mysterious wires, try this: Put them (not him!) in a bin and label it "Random Cables and Wires." After two years, bring it out of storage and kindly note that no one has thought about it in two years. Ask if it would be okay to let go of half of them. Repeat process until all mysterious cables and wires are gone.

23. The nails, screws, anchors, and cup hooks rusting in the bottom of your tool chest.

24. Remote controls that don't remotely control anything you own.

25. Lamps, toasters, blenders, coffeemakers that no longer work.

26. The notion that you will ever be one of those moms that makes beautiful scrapbooks.

NOTE: Put your photos in boxes. No one will judge you.

27. Old blankets and linens you keep in case you suddenly have 27 sleepover guests.

28. College text books.

29. Any boring decorative item that does little more than fill space.

30. Vases you don't loveor use.

31. Candle holders you don't love or use.

32. Picture frames you don't love or use.

33. Class notes from college.

34. The idea that you have to save every last piece of your children's artwork and school work because it might mean you don't love them if you don't. (Save your favorites that have meaning to you!)

35. The "good silver" you don't use that was passed down to you.

36. Old VHS movies.

37. Unlabeled VHS tapes. (And don't waste your time watching them just in case.)

38. The stationary bike that got even more stationary after you got it.

39. The fabric pieces you've been collecting in case you ever become a quilter.

40. Flashlights that dimly light up only after you bang them over and over on your thigh.

41. Old keys that open some door somewhere in the past.

42. Suitcases you don't use.

43. Old computers.

44. Old stereos.

45. Promotional duffel bags with ugly logos and bad acronyms stitched all over them.

46. Anything that makes you say, "But I got such a good price on it!"

47. Anything that makes you say, "But I paid so much for it!"

48. Half-full cans of paint.

49. Extra baby items/Old baby items.

50. Record albums.

NOTE: Don't spend your extra hours in a day trying to figure out if someone will buy them. Really. They won't. They can buy the BeeGees on iTunes.

51. Gifts you never liked.

52. All the cross-stitch, knitting, or sewing projects you never finished.

53. Any glassware or dinnerware that is a "memorabilia" item from proms or sororities or sports events.

54. Old information packets you no longer need or that you can easily find on line.

55. All the hotel soaps that you took with you. (And stop taking them. You've got plenty of soap!)

56. The belief that you only have to go through the de-cluttering process once and won't ever have to do it again.

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Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

10 Ways to Increase Your Sales on CD Baby

by Chris Robley and Andre Calilhanna

There are conflicting fundamental truths when it comes to success in the indie music universe.

It’s true, of course, that tools and opportunities exist now that did not in the past. Legitimate worldwide distribution is available through the web, shattering the barriers that existed a scant 10 years ago. Independent artists are empowered in ways that were inconceivable before, and that has shifted the balance of power in the music industry, giving music lovers and artists the ability to connect, interact, and transact without the need of a record label – or anyone else, for that matter.

But if it were only THAT easy. With this ease of fulfillment comes a lot of noise. Noise in the sense that you are competing against thousands (and thousands) of other indie and label artists who are empowered by the same technology. If you build a website, people will not necessarily visit you there. And if you simply set up a page on CD Baby, the same is true. Having the means to sell your music via CD and downloads online is the necessary first step. The next steps involve finding your market, broadcasting the news, creating a buzz, and driving sales. THEN it starts being easy.

CD Baby is the world’s largest online distributor of independent music. On top of that, CD Baby gives you numerous tools – and the control and flexibility – to sell your music YOUR way. Ready to increase your CD Baby sales? Here are a few proven methods.

1. Use CD Baby’s Linkmaker
You’ve got a website, right? (If not, you’d better get one NOW! Check out www.Hostbaby.com). Make it easy for your fans and newcomers to your site to purchase your music by adding a customized graphic HTML link on your website, blog, AND social networking profiles. You just type in the album name. CD Baby generates the graphic link. You copy the HTML code and paste it wherever you want fans to see that your music is for sale. (Check it out at www.cdbaby.com/link).

2. Analyze and understand your web traffic
From your account page in CD Baby, you can easily assess the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns, make adjustments based on real-time data, and focus your energy on the places that are bringing in the most sales with CD Baby’s “hits tracker.” Maybe there is a blog or website out there that you’ve never even heard of that is generating significant web traffic for you. If so, you’ll see it in the hits tracker and be able to establish an online strategy to engage those fans directly.

3. Set a quantity discount
Your music makes for an excellent gift! Sell more by encouraging your fans to buy multiple copies of an album for a percentage off the selling price. Choose and change the discount at any time.

4. Offer a free track
Allow fans and prospective fans the chance to download a song for free as an enticement to purchase the whole album. If they like what they hear, they’ll come back for more. Try giving away a few different tracks and see which one is “the hit.”

5. Run a limited-time sale
Since you can change your music’s selling price at ANY time, it is easy to run sales and special offers you can announce to your fan list. Once the offer expires, simply go back into your account and raise the selling price again.

6. Remember, words matter
It’s important to describe your music in an enticing way that makes strangers want to hear it. People see the words before they hear the music. Make sure your write up isn’t too cryptic or aloof, but rather is descriptive enough that it might change a semi-interested browser into someone who will click the “preview” button.

7. Tell us who you sound like
Choose three well-known artists that you sound like. When CD Baby customers search for one of those artists, your album might appear in the results! Be realistic, though. Just because you love Radiohead and the Beatles doesn’t necessarily mean you SOUND like them. It is usually valuable to get a friend or fan’s slightly more objective opinion before deciding.

8. Offer physical CDs AND downloads
Offering choices is always a good idea, and plenty of folks might be interested in buying a few songs or your entire album via digital download. So why not offer it to them? This opens up a whole new world of opportunities as well, since you can also opt to have your music available on places like iTunes and Amazon MP3.

9. Use download cards
Never be caught empty-handed. These convenient little cards can fit in your wallet and come customized with your album artwork. Sell them at shows and give them away to industry contacts. The recipient can redeem the card at CD Baby for a hi-quality download. You keep all the money!

10. Get your fans involved
Not only can your fans use social media to spread the word about your music by re-tweeting, sharing blog posts, etc., but now they can make money doing it! By joining CD Baby’s affiliate program, your fans can earn $1 from every referred sale. And that comes out of CD Baby’s cut, so you make the same amount no matter what.

Posted via email from Music Business Information

The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence

This Sunday, July 4th, we will once again celebrate our nation's founding, marking the day in 1776 that the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence was intended to be an official statement explaining why the 13 American colonies had declared their independence from Great Britain. In the years following its passage, however, this statement of principles about the rights of man grew to mean much more.

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America became the only country in history founded, as Leo Strauss explained, "in explicit opposition to Machiavellian principles," by which he meant crass, power politics. Instead, America was founded on a set of clearly expressed "self-evident" truths. Thomas Jefferson said the Declaration was "intended to be an expression of the American mind," and indeed, no document since has so succinctly and so eloquently spelled out the spirit of America.

Our country has evolved out of the timeless truths expressed in the Declaration of Independence to develop a distinct character and set of values that distinguishes us from even other Western democracies.

This holiday, it is worth taking a look at how several key phrases from the Declaration of Independence have served as definitional statements about the aspirations of America, and how those words of our Founding Fathers' have affected America in the 234 years since they were written.

"...all men are created equal"

The Founding Fathers who authored the Declaration were the first people in the history of the world ever to express our natural equality as a principle of government in such an unqualified way. Though neither the Constitution that followed nor the Founders personally quite fulfilled the promise of those words, it has since been the project of our country to accomplish them.

America came to recognize that though we are not all literally equal -- we are born with different capabilities and attributes, and to different stations in life -- the words of the founders capture the truth that we must treat each other as equals. We are "created equal" in the sense that all men (and, we now recognize, all women) have the same natural rights, granted to them by God. We are all the same under the law.

This powerful statement of universal rights was used by abolitionists as a moral cudgel to rid the United States of slavery, an institution explicitly at odds with the truths expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Abraham Lincoln consistently evoked the phrase in his famous Peoria speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act and later during the Lincoln-Douglas debates. As President, Lincoln again included the phrase in the Gettysburg Address as the moral underpinning by which the union should be rededicated. Later, during the women's suffrage movement and civil rights struggles of the 1960s, leaders such as Martin Luther King used the powerful phrase as a reminder to America that separate (treating people differently under the law based on their race) was not equal.

Leaders such as Lincoln and King believed that as America's founding political document, the Declaration of Independence is our moral guide with which to interpret the Constitution. They saw that we cannot divorce the law from the moral underpinnings that legitimize it.

But by what authority does that moral underpinning exist?

"...endowed by their Creator"

The core contention of the Declaration of Independence and the principle of natural rights upon which America was founded is that there is a higher moral order upon which the laws of man must be based. The Declaration asserts the existence of "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God," which had a clear meaning in 18th Century England and America. It referred to the will of God as displayed by the natural order of the world.

John Locke, who was widely read by the leaders of colonial America, wrote in his Second Treatise on Government: "Thus the law of nature stands as an eternal rule of all men, legislators as well as others. The rules that they make for other men's actions, must...be conformable to the law of nature, i.e., to the will of God."

William Blackstone, who was arguably the single greatest influence on the creation of the American legal system, wrote in Commentaries on the Laws of England, "As man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should at all points conform to his maker's will."

America's founding was heavily influenced by the English and Scottish enlightenment, which specifically included a space for God and religion in its conceptions of rights, freedom and human reason. This gave the American Revolution a distinctly different character than the French Revolution, which in its most radical phase sought freedom by casting off all authority and remnants of the existing order -- especially God.

In the American formulation as declared by our founders, man's rights come from God, not from man's ability to "reason" them into existence. Man does not depend on government to grant him rights through a bureaucratic process, but instead to secure those rights that have been granted to him by God.

In other words, power comes from God, to you, which is then loaned to government. Thus, the Declaration states, "That to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

The English and Scottish enlightenment's conscious inclusion of a space for God and religion had another key influence on the American system of government. Whereas the French Revolution believed it could create a "new man" through government education and indoctrination, the American Founding Fathers had a profound sense of the fallen nature of man. Thus, they created a system of checks and balances that would serve as a restraint on those in power.

(If you want to learn more, Callista and I have developed a series of books and DVDs to explain the deep faith of the Founding Fathers called http://shop.newt.org/RDGA_2_DVD_plus_autographed_RGA_picture_book_p/b-rgabund..." target="_blank">Rediscovering God in America.)

"...the pursuit of happiness"

Here again we see the influence of the English and Scottish enlightenment on the Founding Fathers. For writers such as John Locke and Francis Hutcheson, the term "happiness" meant something close to "wisdom and virtue." It did not mean hedonism or other shallow pleasures as the term is too often confused to mean today.

It is also essential to note that the Declaration does not say that we have a right to have happiness provided to us. It says we have the right to pursue happiness - an active verb. As I point out in jest to audiences in my speeches, the Declaration says nothing about a right to redistribution of happiness. It says nothing about happiness stamps. It does not say some people can be too happy and that government should make them less happy out of a sense of fairness.

The Founding Fathers understood that government could not give people happiness, that it was instead up to government to create an environment where the people could best work to achieve their dreams. As AEI's Arthur Brooks has pointed out, polls of wealthy and successful people show that the harder one works for that success, the greater happiness one derives from it.

America is a land where through hard work, determination, and entrepreneurialism, people can achieve their big dreams. The right of "the pursuit of happiness" spelled out in the Declaration is a definitional statement about the nature of America that has attracted people from all over the world to come here to pursue those dreams.

Who We Are This July 4th

A bedrock belief of American conservatism is a respect for the established traditions and values of American culture. Conservatives believe from the time the first colonists landed in Jamestown, America took on a unique culture and set of values that have set us apart from our European cousins: a belief in natural rights, strong religious faith and values, the importance of the work ethic, and a spirit of community that manifests itself in a belief in limited government and strong civic participation. It is this set of beliefs -- truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence -- that have made America so successful, and they deserve to be protected.

The modern Left -- what I describe in my book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596985968?ie=UTF8&tag=newtorg-20&li..." target="_blank">To Save America as a "secular-socialist machine" -- is using every lever of power at its disposal to dismantle our unique American civilization and replace it with a secular, bureaucratic culture in which government is big, citizens are small, and our rights are defined by the state rather than endowed by our Creator. Equality under the law is being discarded in favor of equality of results; consent of the governed is being subverted by an increasingly overbearing federal bureaucracy and imperial judiciary; and the pursuit of happiness is being undermined by a redistributive welfare state that kills the can-do, entrepreneurial spirit of America.

This July 4th, I hope you will take time to read the Declaration of Independence and consider the truths about our rights and freedoms contained within. I hope you will take time to appreciate the sacrifices made by the founding generation and generations since to secure our liberty.

But most of all, I hope you will take time to appreciate the greatness of America and how hard we must be willing to work to preserve that which makes it so special.

Happy Independence Day.

Your friend,

Newt

P.S. Healthcare Watch: The new healthcare law created a hopeless maze of new bureaucracies and laws that have a timeline for implementation - a timeline almost nobody thinks the government is capable of keeping. One of the first public deadlines to watch for comes this Thursday, July 1 when the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish a new insurance web portal through which individuals can identify health coverage options at the state level, including the newly required high-risk pools

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips

By: Mehmet Oz, M.D.

My patients are among my best teachers. They've taught me how to communicate clearly—and how to live a better life. On The Dr. Oz Show, I've seen that once people are emotionally involved, change happens quickly, especially if they feel that their behavior is letting loved ones down. Large-scale change seems daunting. We want simple routines that we can automatically follow. Adopt some of the steps here, which anyone can do, and you will like your life more in just a couple of weeks. And you'll live longer. Try them—they work for me.

Men's Health tip: There are even more ways to add years to your life—and erase them from your face. Use the secret Age Erasers for Men to look younger, feel younger, and stay younger longer!

Dr. Oz Tip #1

ROTF, LMAO
Laughing not only eases stress, promotes social bonding, and lowers blood pressure, it may also boost your immune system. So bring some humor into your life, whether it's through friends or even a new TV show (preferably mine).

Men's Health tip: If humor doesn't work, these 52 ways to conquer and control stress will arm you with more than enough strategies to face anything life throws your way.

Dr. Oz Tip #2

Don't Skip Breakfast
Fiber in the morning means less hunger late in the afternoon, when you're most likely to feel tired and gorge yourself on sugar. My morning dose comes from steel-cut oatmeal, usually mixed with raisins, walnuts, and flaxseed oil. An early start on eating also keeps your metabolism more active throughout the day; breakfast eaters are thinner than people who just rush out the door.

Men's Health Tip: If you must stop at the drive-thru for your a.m. meal, be sure to avoid the 20 worst breakfasts in America.

Dr. Oz Tip #3

Hit the Sack
Conan and Dave are funny, but they're not worth the strain on your system. Seven hours of sleep a night not only helps you live longer, but also lowers your stress, sharpens your memory, and reduces cravings for pants-splitting foods. Set a bedtime and stick to it. My target is 10:30 p.m. I record the late shows and then watch them the next day as I pedal a stationary bike.

Men's Health tip: Try these expert tips to sleep better every night.

Dr. Oz Tip #4

Admire Your Work
Don't be so trigger-happy with the flusher. Turn around and take a look at your poop, which speaks volumes about your gut and overall health. Poop should be smooth and S-shaped, like your colon. If it comes out too lumpy, or drops into the bowl like marbles, you're constipated. Increase your fiber and water intake. This happens to me when I travel, so I fiber-load before a trip to avoid getting irritable.

Men's Health tip: You don't need Metamucil—here are 30 great-tasting ways to add fiber to your diet.

Dr. Oz Tip #5

Don't Pamper Your Bad Back
Even if you're hunched over in agony, taking to your bed will only make a bad back worse. The latest research shows that bed rest weakens back muscles and prolongs the suffering. Married men may suffer more than single men because of all the pampering. I used to love milking the care from Lisa, but the best solution is to get up, take a pain reliever, and be a soldier.

Men's Health tip: Perform the Ultimate Upper-Body Workout to strengthen your back and broaden your shoulders.  

Dr. Oz Tip #6

Taste the Colors
Foods with bright, rich colors are more than just nice to look at. They're also packed with flavonoids and carotenoids, powerful compounds that bind the damaging free radicals in your body, lowering inflammation. (Sadly, skittles do not count.) Eat nine fistfuls of colorful fruits and vegetables each day and you'll reap the benefits without having to give up other foods. Whenever I shop the produce aisle, I'm reminded that these foods are often more powerful than the drugs sold in pharmacies. My favorites are arugula and blueberries.

Men's Health tip: How do you know if your blueberries are ripe? Use this guide to select the best, freshest produce at your supermarket.

Dr. Oz Tip #7

Brushing is Not Enough
If you plan to spend your later years eating more than yogurt and applesauce, invest in some floss. No matter how thoroughly or long you brush your teeth, you're missing a good portion of their total surface. That's like washing one armpit after a workout. But the dangers of skipping floss go beyond hygiene: The bacteria that linger can increase your risk of heart disease. I use Reach Ultraclean floss, which stretches to glide between teeth.

Men's Health tip: For a bright smile, try this do-it-yourself whitening plan that will save you money.

Dr. Oz Tip #8

Take a Deep Belly Breath
Do this anywhere, anytime. Push out your bellows and suck air through your nose until your lungs are full. They'll fill with nitric oxide, a chemical found in the back of your nose that opens up blood vessels. The dose of oxygen will make you feel happier and more alert. This is my secret technique for calming down before a show or a tough stitch in the OR.

Men's Health tip: If you have more time, fit in a stress-busting workout to feel relaxed and ripped.

Dr. Oz Tip #9

Join a Yoga Class
Yoga is the most important exer cise of my daily routine. Being surrounded by beautiful women in spandex should be reason enough for you to join a class, but if you need more motivation, consider this: Yoga eases stress, lowers blood pressure, slows heart rates, and increases flexibility. And there's nothing mystical about it. Loosening your muscles will make them more adaptable, so you may be less likely to injure yourself playing sports. Sure, some of the poses may look ridiculous, but that's for a reason you'll learn quickly enough. Yoga can reach and work muscles that are ignored during routine sports and daily life. My favorite maneuver is the sun salutation.

Men's Health tip: Learn that pose and many others in this guy-friendly 30-day quick-start yoga guide.

Dr. Oz Tip #10

Don't Be an Island
Ever wonder why women live longer than men do? One major reason: They form tight networks and actually talk about their problems. If you face life's stresses alone, you will make yourself older. Bankruptcy, for example, causes enough stress to wreak havoc on your body. With another person's love and support, that inner aging can be reduced.

Men's Health tip: You really can remake your body into a sleeker, fitter, stronger version of its younger self: Here's everything you need for your best body at 40-plus.

Dr. Oz Tip #11

Avoid Fad Diets
The secret to weight loss is not to avoid carbs, fats, yellow foods, solid foods, or foods that start with the letter G. The real trick is to lower your daily intake by about 100 calories. You'll hardly notice, but it'll add up to a loss of about 10 pounds in a year. Calorie restriction has been shown to lengthen life (in rats and monkeys). I cut back once a year to reset my appetite and tastebuds. Healthy food tastes great afterward. Frankly, any food would.

Men's Health tip: Lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more eating all the foods you love with the secrets in Eat This, Not That! The Best (& Worst) Foods in America!

Dr. Oz Tip #12

Be a Smart Patient
Your doctor can help keep you in good health, but the responsibility ultimately falls on you. Seek a second opinion before undergoing any procedure, because 30 percent of the time, that opinion will change the diagnosis or plan. Keep a written medical history, and educate yourself about any family problems, even if that means calling your creepy uncle. You might even consider signing onto Microsoft HealthVault or Google Health, so your files are accessible in case you find yourself in trouble away from home.

Men's Health tip: If your child falls ill and needs to go to the emergency room, use these strategies to keep him or her calm and to be sure they receive the care they need.

Dr. Oz Tip #13

Lose the Beer Belly
Most men fasten their belts below their waists. It's just another way of avoiding the truth about that gut. Grab a tape measure and put it around your body at the level of your belly button. That number should be less than half your height. So for my 6'1" frame, I need to keep my waist under 36.5". If avoiding heart attacks and diabetes isn't enough motivation to eliminate that gut, consider this: For every point your body mass index is over 25, your testosterone drops 3 percent, which isn't very manly.

Men's Health tip: Learn the cutting-edge, 4-week plan to a leaner, stronger, more muscular body in The Big Book of Exercises.

Dr. Oz Tip #14

Go Green
I drink green tea three times a day. It's packed with heart-boosting and cancer-stopping polyphenols that black tea doesn't offer. (These beneficial chemicals are lost when it's fermented.) Green tea also delivers a boost of alertness, but from a smaller dose of caffeine than black tea. Green tea can even fight dandruff, although only if you pour it directly onto your scalp. (It's probably a good idea to let it cool down first.)

Men's Health tip: Any time you're thirsty, tea is a great choice—especially compared with the 30 Worst Drinks in America.

Dr. Oz Tip #15

Sweat Till You're Wet
If you can work up a sweat for just 1 hour a week, you'll enjoy a range of benefits: reduced risk of heart attack, better mood, and lower blood pressure. I like interval training on the elliptical, with 15 pullups and 15 dips every 10 minutes. Your muscles will become more efficient, so you'll have more stamina for more enjoyable activities that also work up a sweat.

Men's Health tip: Try our free downloadable training guides to stay in top shape.

Dr. Oz Tip #16

Put It in the Bank
Most people rank personal finance as their number one stressor, usually because they feel powerless. Stress not only shortens lives, it also drives people to habits like smoking, drinking, or bingeing on food. Keep some money in a special bank account, safe from your lust for a new television, and you'll establish an emotional comfort zone with major health benefits.

Men's Health tip: How can you do that considering the economy? Throw out the old rules and follow these seven new guidelines to retire rich.

Dr. Oz Tip #17

Have as Much Sex as Possible
If a 50-something man could have sex 700 times a year, the exercise and stress reduction would make him look and feel years younger. I wouldn't recommend quitting your day job in order to hit that number—but what's the harm in trying? The next time your loved one says she has a headache, tell her she's literally killing you. It works for me.

Men's Health tip: Use this fun schedule to have sex eight times this week.

Dr. Oz Tip #18

Know Your Numbers, Then Aim Lower
Take the part of your brain dedicated to your steak house's phone number and reassign it to your heart's vital signs. These include blood pressure (which ideally should be below 115 over 75), LDL cholesterol (under 100), resting heart rate (under 70), and fasting blood sugar (under 100). If your numbers aren't ideal, change your diet until they improve.

Men's Health tip: It doesn't take drastic changes: Check out how real guys have lost 2 million pounds on the Belly Off! diet.

Dr. Oz Tip #19

Add Some Weights
Just 30 minutes twice a week spent lifting weights can build significant muscle mass. What's more, working all that muscle burns tons of calories, making it a great way to lose your gut, too. Don't have weights? Try lifting yourself: Pullups are the most valuable muscle-building exercises I do. Oprah's trainer, Bob Greene, pointed out to me that pullups work the back, pecs, arms, and belly all at once. And since you're lifting yourself, you'll think twice before eating that doughnut, because you'll just have to lift it later.

Men's Health tip: A simple setup in a door frame is convenient and inexpensive. Even better: Download exclusive Men's Health workouts to your iPhone!

Dr. Oz Tip #20

Grab Your Nuts
Nuts are among the best sources of healthful fats and protein around. I keep a bag of walnuts in my fridge and use their massive dose of omega-3 fatty acids to boost my brainpower while I see patients. Half of a handful eaten about 30 minutes before a meal will temper your appetite and help you avoid the drive-thru.

Men's Health tip: Check out our pick for the best nuts in our list of the 125 Best Foods for Men.

Dr. Oz Tip #21

No, Seriously, Grab Your Nuts
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men in the 15-to-35 age group, but it's usually curable if it's caught early enough. I strongly urge you to grab your testicles. Check them for bumps at least once a month. Each testicle should feel smooth and slightly soft, and one should hang slightly lower than the other, like two avocados (which, in Aztec, actually means "testicles") growing on a tree.

Men's Health tip: Here is everything else you need to know to keep your package healthy.

Dr. Oz Tip #22

Hit the Dance Floor
Crosswords and card games aren't the only way to keep your brain razor sharp. It turns out that any kind of dancing with complex moves is stimulating enough to give your neurons a workout. Even the simplest moves provide some physical exercise. So don't be such a wallflower on your next night out. As a bonus, dancing may help you with tip No. 17.

Men's Health tip: If golf is your favorite leisure activity, learn the 20 exercises that will lower your score and power up your swing.

Dr. Oz Tip #23

Do Your Penis a Favor . . .
. . . and step on a treadmill. Men who exercise enough to burn 200 calories a day significantly lower their chances of impotence. That's because impotence often has the same cause as heart attacks: blocked arteries. Your penis is like a dipstick for your arteries, so check it. If you're interested in keeping it up later in life, lace up the sneakers now.

Men's Health tip: You don't have to hit the gym. Head outside to challenge your muscles to one of these fun, fat-burning workouts.

Dr. Oz Tip #24

Learn to Cook
Think you know how much butter goes into those mashed potatoes at a restaurant? You're probably off by half. If you can cook, you not only save money but also gain control over what goes into your meals. Plus, for most women, a man who knows how to cook is as sexy as one who stars in movies. I have trouble boiling water. Thankfully, I'm already married.

Men's Health tip: Turn on the woman in your life with these impressive, mouth-watering recipes.

Dr. Oz Tip #25

Some Pills Should Be Popped
The indoor life gives modern man protection from the elements and the ability to watch Gossip Girl in private. Unfortunately, roughly half of us are deficient in vitamin D which the sun is a major source. This crucial vitamin may aid in fighting cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. I take a 1,000 IU supplement each morning.

Men's Health tip: Consult this A-to-Z guide to figure out which other supplements you sho

Posted via email from WellCare

Food Texas Style...BBQ

Kolaches

​To further my Texan food education, I ventured out this weekend past where my bike could carry me, making a red-meat pilgrimage to the state's 'cue capitals -- and meandering just enough to make the acquaintance of a few other worthy foods. I'm still reeling from the chicken-fried pork chop and blackberry cobbler at Hill Country Cupboard in Johnson City.

I didn't find anything new, inventive or untried on my trip, which was exactly the point. Barbecue's about as tradition-bound as any American ritual, including those involving preachers and grannies, so my goal was to get a handle on how it's always been done here. I think I made a fair start, although I hope you'll help me craft my next itinerary.

First, though, a few pictures and favorite lines from my latest expedition:

And more kolaches

​1. "15 seconds usually does it."
I first learned about kolaches while writing a poppy seed manifesto that my then-editor was forced to run in two parts. I don't think anyone read it, which meant I could keep poppy seed supply in my conversational quiver for months. Basically, quality poppy seeds are no longer widely available, so most recipes calling for them have been changed to call for something else. Also, it turns out most people just like chocolate better, which is why I can no longer find poppy seed hamantaschen on Purim.

As I trawled the Internet in search of poppy-seed sympathizers, I stumbled upon kolache fans, who -- like me -- still swore by poppy seed and prune pastries. Kolaches sounded very much like hamantaschen with the dough folded back, but I didn't get a chance to try them until I visited West.

The kolache at Czech Stop wasn't anything special: My cottage-cheese version was dry and stingy on the butter, which is a crucial component of any great breakfast pastry. But since two kolaches surely pad the gut for an all-day barbecue feed even better than one, I made my second morning stop at Old Czech Bakery. The kolaches there were big, soft, slightly salty and served cold: Regular customers popped their paper bags in the microwave just before stepping out the door. I followed their lead and the staffer's guidance: "15 seconds usually does it." Indeed it did. I'm thrilled to have another reason to fight for poppy seed preservation.

2. "You want pickles and onions?"
While I knew Texas barbecue was a stripped-down affair, I was still stunned by the array of fixings I encountered at every joint I patronized. Coming from the land of hush puppies and Brunswick stew, I couldn't imagine why anyone would bother with such humble sides as pickles, onions, jalapenos and a hunk of rattrap cheese. At Black's Barbecue in Lockhart, I ordered nothing but meat, fancying myself some sort of purist.

At Southside Market in Elgin, I realized I was really some sort of moron. While the Southeast's whole hog tradition is an outgrowth of community festivals, where big batches of fussed-over side dishes made perfect sense, Texan barbecue's working-class roots are exposed in the grocery store haul that's served alongside ribs, sausage and brisket. Each meal (and I ate seven) recalled the convenience store raids my friends and I conducted on grad school budgets, sweeping up tinned sausages, bottles of Tabasco sauce and squishy duck bread.

But I'm not sure I enjoyed any meal more than the sausage wrap I had at Southside, featuring a single greasy link, its skin pulled tight, cuddled in a slice of bread. I squeezed the bread around the sausage, so it functioned as a sauce sponge, and doused it with Southside's hottest sauce. It made for a breathtaking beef in a blanket.

Smitty's does pig right.

​3. "I have brisket in my shoe."
Brisket is everywhere in Texas. And, at Louis Louie Mueller's in Taylor, it was in my counterman's shoe. He had to excuse himself to shake it out before slicing me a serving of brisket, moist. While I wasn't so moony about the meat that I'd consider eating the bit that sat under the staffer's foot, I'm sold on the smokiness and profoundly deep flavor of the cut.

4. "Was there something wrong with the ribs?"
I didn't finish my ribs at Louis Louie Mueller's. That drew the attention of a dining room staffer, who motioned for the counterman -- now without brisket in his shoe -- to have a look. He just shook his head sadly. To be fair, I wasn't especially enamored of the ribs I sampled anywhere, with the exception of Smitty's Market, where I found tender, meaty, lightly-glazed ribs that did justice to the pig and almost distracted me from the wonderfully savory sausages.

"You've got it made..." Brisket from Taylor Café.

​5. "You look like you've got it made."
The line at Louis Mueller's was so lengthy I snuck out for a half-pound of brisket from Taylor Café, which I ate while sitting on a sunny sidewalk. "You look like you've got it made," a passerby remarked, noting my fingers and face greased by what was probably the best brisket I had all day, marbled with fat and reverberating with flavor. He was absolutely right.

Posted via email from WellCare

Can Drugs Make You Feel Close to God?

---by Billy Graham

Q: My boyfriend says the reason he uses drugs is because they make him feel close to God. Is this possible? I'm scared of drugs myself but it's kind of hard to argue with him when he claims it's what God wants him to do. -- G.L.

A: I don't know if your boyfriend is sincere; some people, I'm convinced, only use this as an excuse to keep using drugs.

But even if he is sincere, he's deceiving himself by thinking drugs will bring him closer to God. Yes, he may feel a sense of temporary peace when he's under their influence, but in reality what he's experiencing is only a counterfeit of true peace. Like the deceptive prophets of Jeremiah's day, those who claim drugs are the path to God "all practice deceit... 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:13-14).

Only one path will lead us to God -- and that path goes through the cross. Our greatest problem is our sin, which causes a great gulf between us and God. Until that gulf is bridged, God remains far from us. But only Christ can bridge that gulf, because He came from heaven to solve our sin problem. Drugs, meditation techniques, good works -- nothing can bridge that gap, except Christ. The Bible says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

Pray for your friend, and urge him to face his need to repent of his sins and open his life to Jesus Christ. And if you have never given your own life to Christ, do so today. If your friend persists in doing drugs, however, face the fact that this will only bring unhappiness to your relationship. God has a better plan for you.

Posted via email from Religion