Low carb desserts are a nice way to enjoy sweet treats and still maintain a low ranking on a chart called Glycemic Index.

The Glycemic Index is a scale used to measure the length of time it takes for the body to digest, or break down, specific carbohydrates. This indicator was created in 1981 and now is used to rank foods that are allowable on the Atkins, South Beach, caveman and other popular low-carb diets.

Foods rated as low on the index take a long time to be absorbed into the body. That lets the digestive system properly take apart the refined starches and sugars. This is highly beneficial to people who have Types I and II diabetes and those on the carb-restrictive diets. The sweet news is that many delicious low carb desserts can be made out of ingredients on the low end of the scale.

Edibles ranking high atop the Glycemic Index are especially hard for diabetics to digest, making it difficult to expel sugar from the blood. This is why those with the disorder are smart to cut out all carbs, but there are some certain foods containing carbohydrates that are better for them to eat than others. Knowing which is which is the key!

Luckily, there are many low-carb foods that can substitute for carbohydrate-packed ones. Tasty low carbohydrate desserts can be made by using such replacements as artificial sweeteners for sugar, heavy cream for milk and sugar-free chocolate.

Still, “good” foods on the Glycemic chart have carbs. They are just a little easier to digest, making them healthier and preferable to the eats with high numbers on the Index.

Fruits and vegetables are among the foods that rank low on the chart. They contain sugars, but they digest at a slower rate and provide the body with valuable nutrients. To be completely avoided are potatoes, white rice or white bread and corn flakes, along with anything made with refined flour or sugar.

Whole grain pastas and breads rate as “good” on the Index. Basmati rice can also be considered to be a “good” glycemic food. Whole wheat can help manage glycemia. Low-carb dieters can also usually have small portions of recipes using whole wheat.

Understanding the Glycemic Index allows a diabetic or low-carb dieter to enjoy some healthy and helpful carbs. And using the Index to select ingredients gives a creative chef or weekend kitchen junkie whip up some satisfying low carb desserts that make the low-carb lifestyle easier than ever before!

Low self-esteem is contagious. If you hang out with people with low self-esteem you are more likely to get a low self-esteem yourself. The good news? High self-esteem is also contagious! The solution? Choose carefully what kind of people you surround yourself by!

Humans are animals who like to live in groups. Whether we want it or not, we are strongly influenced by other people. You have probably noticed yourself yawning just moments after seeing somebody else yawn. This is how easily we are influenced by others. If something as tiny as a yawn can affect us, of course more powerful things such as emotions are highly contagious too.

Self-esteem is basically the emotions we have about ourselves, whether these are positive or negative. When you socialise with people with low self-esteem, you will also start to feel bad about yourself just like them. On the other hand, when you surround yourself by people with high self-esteem your own self-esteem will improve. What kind of people you choose to spend your time with is therefore extremely important for your self-esteem. To live a happy and successful life you need to surround yourself with the right kind of people.

So how can you know whether somebody has high or low self-esteem? If the person puts you in a positive mood, fills you with energy and makes you feel good about who you are, this person most likely has high self-esteem. On the contrary, a person who drains you of all energy, makes you irritated or depressed probably has a low self-esteem. These energy-thieves are the ones that you should avoid.

Choose which people you hang out with carefully! They affect how you feel about yourself, and this in turn, affects everything else in your life.

Liv Miyagawa –The Self-Esteem Coach

It’s no mystery that one day — no matter how brilliant and potent they are, and no matter how much money they pull in now — your control ad will fail.

It’s just a matter of time.

Sooner or later another copywriter will beat it or, if you write ads for your own business, your response will start to sag and even die off altogether.

And while there isn’t much you can do about this cycle, there are some things you can do to maybe take the “sting” out of it and keep it alive longer.

One such thing is to rewrite it from scratch. This obviously takes time and energy, and can really be a pain.

And so, before you rewrite your ad, I would urge you to do a much easier and faster thing instead: add content and value.

Here is what I mean:

Depending on what you sell and who you sell to, chances are your ad is dying off because there is competition out there pretty much making the same promises as you are.

When that happens, the power of your ad is diluted and it becomes just another “me too” ad people will ignore unless you somehow make it different.

And that’s why, as soon as you see your control losing its steam, the first thing you should do is simply add more value to your offer and maybe expand on the claim or benefit (so it’s bigger and better than your competitor’s).

Just do a little research on what everyone else is doing, and make sure yours stick out like a sore thumb in the market place.

That alone will many times resurrect your ad and keep it going longer.

The key is to constantly be upgrading and testing your offers over time like this.

Never stop.

Never get lazy.

If you see sales dropping, investigate what’s going on in the market and just be vigilant on how your offer is being perceived and what’s the value proposition to the viewer.

You do that, and you’ll be able to stay one step ahead of your competition, and keep your control in place with minimal time and effort.

One of the more clever forms of patio lighting there is, is what is known as umbrella lights. A lot of us have patio umbrellas and when you think about it, they make excellent stands for a bit of lighting. Especially with the type of umbrella which is combined with a table (round table with the umbrella in the middle, typically), patio umbrella lights make a lot of sense. You can get several designs which simply clamp to the umbrella pole; some are solar panel powered, others come with batteries. Both can be nice enough – although they may not provide as much light as you would like. No matter how those batteries are charged – from a solar panel or via mains voltage – they have to be fairly large to provide any real light power for a usable amount of time. But if you want some more light, and you don’t usually move your umbrella around a lot, there is another option for you.

Low voltage lighting is just the thing. Yes, most solar – and battery driven umbrella lights are also low voltage lights. The difference is not in the voltage, but in the available electric current. Batteries can store only so much power in watts, and watts are electric current over time. The more watts you spend, the faster you discharge the battery. Now, a good, strong source of light would be something like halogen bulbs, or some of the more powerful LED arrays. These like to be fed some current though, so batteries are not practical. Instead, you could use a low voltage lighting transformer to power them. This would give you all the power you could want, since the transformer is connected to mains voltage. So if you chose 12v bulbs, you would need a 12v transformer. You could power any amount of bulbs with it – just buy one powerful enough. It wouldn’t give in, until your fuses do.

How would you go about the installation in a practical way? Basically, there are two paths. One is to mount the low voltage transformer close to the light fixtures, like at the base of the umbrella. In that case, you would run a mains cable to the foot of your umbrella. The other way is to put the transformer further away, like in a waterproof box under the patio – or elsewhere. This way, you might get away with using a much thinner cable running to the umbrella, a cable you might hide under a carpet – or simply route directly down through a hole in your patio floor. Which one you choose is up to you. Perhaps you also have other lighting installations on your patio requiring low voltage, which could make it practical to have a single, large transformer – and then run cables from that.

If well-planned, your patio umbrella lights could become part of a large, flexible and energy efficient lighting system, which would make a lot of jaws drop. Why not go for it?

When you consider a low fat diet, it is important to consider this – we all need fat in order to sustain good health. Fat is necessary for our bodies. However, it is the type of fat that we eat that can affect our health in very detrimental ways.

Obesity is an extremely unhealthy state for anybody. Being grossly overweight can not only bring about heart attacks and stroke, but your chances of developing diabetes and cancer soar when you are obese.

A lifestyle change is in order if you are to take back control of your body and your health. One of the things that is vital for improving your situation is to substantially lower your intake of fats that are harmful.

Processed foods are a staple in too many people’s diet. These foods are damaging to our health and can contribute to obesity. They contain unhealthy additives such as hydrogenated oils, refined sugars and chemical preservatives.

Hydrogenated oils are dangerous. That is the bottom line. These are trans fats that clog our arteries and lead to heart disease. Refined sugars provide no nutrition. They are empty calories that add to excess weight. They also wreck havoc on insulin levels in the body. It is important to avoid these foods if at all possible. Eliminate these foods and you will benefit your health greatly.

Go back to nature. Here are some tips on how you can do just that:

Cook From Scratch

Remember how grandma used to cook? Everything was made from scratch and she never had a packaged product in her cupboard.

Try cooking from scratch. When you do, you are aware of the ingredients in your meals. Use plenty of fresh, organic vegetables in your cooking and try to eat at least 50% of them raw at each meal (easy to accomplish with salads). When you do cook vegetables, don’t overcook them. They should be a little bit crisp in order for them to retain nutrients.

Stay Hydrated

It is vital that we drink enough water. We will keep ourselves hydrated as well as cleansing our kidneys, liver and organs. We should all be drinking at least half of our body weight in ounces of pure water each day. Herbal teas can count toward your total consumption but sugary drinks, sodas and bottled juices do not.

Eat healthy Fats

We already discussed that hydrogenated oils provide harmful fats. Where can we find healthful fats? Eat foods such as avocado, nuts, olive oil and coconut oil. These are all heart healthy fats that our body needs. Also, incorporate omega 3 fatty acids that are present in oily fish, such as salmon. Eat fish a couple of times a week for the most benefit.

Avoid Table Salt – Use Sea Salt

Table salt is detrimental to our health. Sea salt is beneficial. It provides essential minerals that our bodies need. Since it does not contain large amounts of the necessary nutrient, iodine, it is important to take an iodine supplement. Talk to a holistic doctor in order to find out what dosage would be the most healthful for you.

Before attempting any low fat diet regime, check with a health care practitioner. It is important to have monitoring and guidance during the process of weight loss, especially if you have a significant amount to lose.

Benign ketosis is a state induced by low carbohydrate diets, where the body burns fat as its main source of fuel rather than using carbs, which are usually stored initially in the muscles as a substance known as glycogen. It is called benign ketosis because it is a safe and healthy condition, rather than ketosis experienced by diabetics, which is not benign.

As the body burns fat, it produces a byproduct called ketones. Ketones are released out of the body through the urine and through the lungs. Ketones are the reason why one of the most documented side effects of the Atkins diet is that it can make people’s breath smell a bit strange – the ketones have a sweet smell, almost like pear drops, which is occasionally noticeable on the breath (it is not a disgusting smell like general “bad breath”, but it can be strong – sugarfree gum or a strong minty mouthwash will generally mask it).

Some degree of benign ketosis has to occur for the low carb diet to work, as it shows that the body is running off of fat. It will normally be induced within the first three days of following a low carb diet, as the body will at this point have used up any remaining glycogen reserves and switched to burning fat instead.

Testing for the presence of ketones is the best way to see if the Atkins (or other low carb diet) has taken effect, and to what degree you are experiencing ketosis.

Ketosis testing sticks, often called Ketostix, are available from most pharmacies. They are generally used by diabetics to check for the non benign kind of ketosis which can accompany their condition. If you are following a low carb diet, it can be a good aide to buy a pack of the testing sticks to help you see when you go into ketosis, and how strongly ketosis is taking place. The sticks are cheap to buy, and usually come in packs of 120. You can buy Ketostix over the counter.

To test for ketones, simple pee on one of the testing sticks (much like doing a pregnancy test). If Ketosis is not taking place, nothing will happen, but if it is, the stick will turn a range of colors from pale pink, showing the presence of traces of ketones, to a very dark purple, showing deep ketosis. There is a chart on the pack of Ketostix to show you the different colors and the quantity of ketones this represents (though bear in mind the packaging is designed for diabetics, so it will tell you that the darker the strip goes, the more dangerous it is – as your ketosis is the benign kind, actually the darker it is, the better your diet is working).

You may like to experiment by testing at different times, you will see that after exercise, the sticks are prone to go much darker, as fat has been burnt, producing ketones, as you were working out.

There may be an upside to the nation’s recession that homeowners are missing out on. Those same declining interest rates that are wreaking havoc on Americans’ bank and retirement accounts are actually opening the door to stellar loan rates. There’s no time like the present for cash-worried homeowners whose kitchens need a little updating to look into home improvement loans. In particular, those in the lowest tax brackets should be eying up the low interest home improvement loans that are currently being offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program.

According to The Journal-Standard, the money secured from these Rural Development repair loans “must be used to improve or modernize homes, make them safer and more sanitary, or remove health and safety hazards.” Those stipulations, however, can be broadly interpreted. Indeed, “eligible repairs include roofing, siding, windows, foundation repairs, kitchen cabinets, septic system, furnace/air conditioning.”

The maximum amount homeowners can request of these loans is $20,000, but that kind of cash will go a long way toward improving the average kitchen. In fact, top-of-the-line custom-looking kitchen cabinets can be scored for well under that price-if one knows where to go for the best deals, of course. A leading manufacturer of kitchen cabinets with a longstanding reputation for the quality one expects, the styles and functionality one wants, all at a price one can afford can steer homeowners in the right direction.

Such a kitchen cabinet manufacturer will offer quality, built-to-order cabinetry for every budget. Customers can expect a wide selection of kitchen cabinet door styles, optional storage solutions and decorative enhancements that allow them to customize the kitchen that fits within the needs of their family and their budget. Kitchen cabinet wood species, finish, storage solutions and moldings will all weigh into the overall cost, but these new Rural Development loans make swallowing the cost of new kitchen cabinets a whole lot sweeter. Indeed, the loan repayments can be spread out over 20 years at only one percent interest.

Homeowners who are looking for something in the low to mid range should consider white/ivory laminate, oak or maple kitchen cabinets. Those who have a little bit more money to play with-and let’s face it, a one-percent interest rate is hard to resist-can look into birch, hickory and cherry kitchen cabinets.

Homeowners who are yearning for new kitchen cabinets shouldn’t let the “rural” designation in the title of these loans stop them from applying either. The Journal-Standard reports, “Until recently, homeowners in the City of Freeport did not qualify for the Rural Development program, because Freeport’s population was too large. Legislation approved a little more than a year ago, however, changed the guidelines and now Freeport is eligible for the program.”

Behind every cloud is a silver lining, and for homeowners who are yearning for new kitchen cabinets, the low interest home improvement loans, particularly those that are now being offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program, are sterling. If you own and occupy a home, have acceptable credit, are able to repay the loan, and meet low income guidelines, you may qualify for these almost too-good-to-be-true loans.

Even though clay is a naturally occurring material and you could use it right out of the ground, we usually use a combination of those materials blended together via a recipe in order to create a clay body with a specific set of properties. All clays have pros and benefits and are used for a wide range of applications. In this article, I am going to take a colder look at the different clays used in ceramics. Specifically, I will be discussing the benefits of low-fire clay used in making pottery.

Earthenware clays, or low fire clays, were some of the earliest clays used by potters, and it is the most common type of clay found. These clays are easily worked and can be sticky. Earthenware clays contain iron and other mineral impurities which cause the clay to reach its optimum hardness at between 1745 degrees and 2012 degrees Fahrenheit.

One benefit of low-fire clays is that the energy and time to fire the kiln is only a fraction of what it is for other types of clay. Another benefit is that the choice of brilliant colors available for earthenware is beautiful. Another advantage of low-fire clays is the stability in the kiln and warping is a minor concern. Low fire clay is also very consistent; there is usually room for some mishaps when firing without a huge impact on outcome.

In summary, I have to say that low fire clay is an excellent choice. It is extremely easy to use, great for throwing and manipulation when you compress and pull clay for making pottery pieces. It also does very well for hand built pottery. I also like the wide range of choices of glazes that can be used, offering vibrant reds and other bright glaze colors. Plus the energy cost savings associated with a low fire clay are huge if you own your own kiln such as I do.

Pasta is one of the best comfort foods out there. However, even one serving can mean loads of carbs which isn’t ideal for anyone trying to eat healthy or lose weight. But don’t worry – you can substitute the ingredients to create a healthy, low-carb version of your favorite pasta dish without compromising taste and flavor!

Healthy Eggplant Lasagna

What you need:

• 1 large eggplant, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces, roasted
• 1 egg
• 3 sprigs thyme, chopped
• 2 sprigs oregano, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups chopped spinach
• 10 grinds black pepper
• Salt to taste

In a bowl, combine egg, thyme, oregano, garlic, Italian cheese blend, ricotta cheese and black pepper. Place aluminum foil on a 9-inch baking pan then spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce followed by half of the roasted eggplant. Layer with half of the spinach then half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layers with the ingredients, ending with the tomato sauce. Top lasagna with mozzarella before covering with aluminum foil. Bake in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees F) for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue to bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbling.

Mac(auliflower) and Cheese

What you need:

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-size pieces, steamed
• 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup Gouda cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

On a greased baking pan, layer cauliflower, onion, Monterey Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese and Gouda cheese. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and ground black pepper. Pour milk over the mixture then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a pre-heated oven (375 degrees F) for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes more or until top is browned.

Carbonara A La Sweet Potato

What you need:

• 1 kilogram sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into long, thin strands resembling noodles
• 3 strips center-cut bacon, chopped
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Reserve 1/4 cup of the water and drain the rest. Return “noodles” to the pot. In a bowl, combine reserved water, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper then pour over sweet potatoes in the pot. Toss to coat. In a skillet, heat oil then cook bacon and mushroom until cooked through, stir in garlic and spinach. Pour mixture into the pot and toss to combine with sweet potato.

Try these healthy and flavorful low-carb options for your favorite pasta dishes!

There are many arguments for high hit and low hit LARP systems. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages and many LARPers have a particular system that they prefer. I wish to show here some of the arguments in favour of a low hit combat system. As an example I am talking about a LARP combat system where each character will have one hit for each body location; arms legs body and sometimes head. (Not all live action role playing clubs allow head hits.) It may be possible to increase the number of hits slightly by wearing LARP armour.

More realistic LARP Combat

 

One of the main benefits of a low hit LARP combat system is that it encourages players to fight in a much more realistic manner. If your opponent can only take one hit to each location then you tend to concentrate on the one telling blow that will either disable wound or kill your enemy. A good example of this is the gladiator training in the film Spartacus where the trainer uses different colour paints to show the difference between a critical and disabling wound. If your opponent has a shorter weapon you should try to take out a leg first to give the reach advantage. If he has a shield aim for his weapon are without which he is helpless.

 

Honesty in LARP

 

When fighting in a low hit LARP system players are a lot more likely to own up to their hits. Honesty in LARP is very important; live role players are mostly a friendly group of people and will openly accept those new to role playing. However if you do not own up to your blows in a LARP combat then people will not want to fight you. If you can only take one blow per location, or in some LARP duels it is sudden death – one hit anywhere; you are much more likely to be honest when struck. Referees also have a better chance of seeing who hit first and can declare wins/blows.

 

Longevity of LARP Weapons

 

Live action role players almost exclusively now use combat safe latex LARP weapons when they go larping. These weapons can be quite expensive, starting from as low as ten English pounds for a LARP dagger up to over one hundred pounds for a LARP two handed axe or similar. When you are only trading a few blows in a fight it is a lot less likely that your weapons will get broken. Many larpers that use one hit LARP systems will have the same weapons for over ten years.

 

LARP Safety

 

If the first blow can end a LARP combat then there will be a lot less blows struck and it is therefore unlikely that players will get close enough for shield bashes or for any form of grappling which is banned by most LARP groups.

 

Team fighting in LARP

 

Like in all sports there will be some people who are better than others. Live action role playing is no different. However no matter how good you are at LARP fighting if larpers work as a team they will defeat you.