tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67398585675258769902024-02-08T00:23:04.944-05:00UrbanMadonna.comDesigning & monetizing websites is my passion. This blog shares tips, techniques & "how to" solutions to help grow your business online and EARN MORE MONEY using the Internet!UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-12217877099439461572011-12-12T20:58:00.006-05:002011-12-12T21:16:05.941-05:00How Google Works for Better Page Ranking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://internet-income-lifestyle.com/" target="_blank"><br />
<img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46SIN2mSxtVHq_lflobJU5AwfyCE9uwHUboVRJihCNapjAkh85E6h2R1yFdNoFqwPMnOkqPcouh4pE6Z9FpEkrf9JSjhWCLsCaHquyuaJv3Qtmp5kiTF7Ik7eSLZ_gFL9pgm2JRI0eB4/s200/search-engine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Madonna/297358836961537?sk=app_112493455447504" target="_blank">How Google Works for Better Page Ranking</a>. I probably don''t need tell you this, but Google drives a HUGE amount of search traffic over the Internet.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What this means for your local or <a href="http://internet-income-lifestyle.com/">online business</a> is that if you understand how Google ranks your website, then you can build one that stands a much better chance of ranking on the first page for specific "keyword" search terms that you want to target.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Let me give you an example</u>:</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I run several websites for women looking for information on how to lose weight. The keywords I focus on when publishing articles directing traffic to my websites would consist of words and phrases such as:</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i>how to lose weight</i>", "<i>weight loss for women</i>" or "<i>weight loss diets for women</i>", and so on...you get the point.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this post I'm providing you with some "no-nonsense" tips on how Google works so you can quickly learn how to rank highly in Google and get more visitors to your website. It took me quite a bit of time to figure this out, but I figure the faster you can succeed at online marketing the better I do at driving my business too!</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Better Google ranking leads to more online visibility, </span><a href="http://internet-income-lifestyle.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">higher traffic generation</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and eventually more income for you! That is of course if your purpose is to encourage and/or direct customers to buy based on the information provided through your website.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now let me make something clear, I'm not talking about Search Engine Optimization here, or SEO as it's commonly referred to, that's a whole other can of worms....this post is simply an introduction to give you a clearer explanation on how Google works from an online marketing perspective. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Stay tuned for future posts on how to optimize SEO :)</i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google has a comprehensive and highly developed technology with a wide-range of search tools that enable users to easily search and access a variety of information online. Google users can browse the web and find information in various languages, find stock quotes and read press releases and news articles, search for friends from their past. There are over 3 billion web pages on the internet that you can access at any given time using the Google search engine.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google boasts about having world's largest archive of information, dating all the way back to 1981 and Google's technology can be accessed from just about any conventional desktop PC as well as from various wireless platforms such as iPads, handheld devices and other various Internet accessible technology. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Internet search technology offered through Google is still the technology of choice of the world's leading web portals and websites. It also benefits advertisers because of its unique advertising program that does not disadvantage the Internet users web surfing experience, but still brings in massive revenues to the advertisers who are utilizing it effectively. </span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Google's Web Search</b></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's how Google ranking works...when you search for a particular keyword or a phrase, a search engine will return a list of web pages in order of the number of times the keyword or phrase appears on that particular website. Google web search technology involves the use of its specially designed Page Rank Technology and a hypertext-matching analysis which makes several html calculations without any human intervention. Google's structural design also expands simultaneously as the internet expands. No wonder their stock price is over $600 per share!!</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Google Page Rank Technology</b></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Page Rank technology involves the use of an equation which comprises millions of variables and then determines a measurement based on the significance of the web pages which is then calculated by solving an equation of over 500 million variables and more than 3 billion terms. Confused yet? Well don't get overwhelmed. Unlike some other search engines, Google does not calculate links but utilizes an extensive link structure on the web as sitemap tool. When a link to a web page, lets say web page "x" is clicked from web page "y", then that click gets attributed as a "vote" towards web page "x" on behalf of web page "y". Essentially this means the more one-way links you have from other web pages directed back to your web page is a good thing for your website ranking with Google.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>TIP OF THE DAY!</b></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice that I've embedded 3 keywords/phrases hyperlinks in this article? If you click on them they will direct visitors to a new website I'm developing (<a href="http://www.internet-income-lifestyle.com/">www.internet-income-lifestyle.com</a>). If you click them at the time of this post, all you'll see is a bunch of links (no real content because it's still under construction), but I've hyper-linked them for this post not for the readers benefit, but so I can start to rank my site with the Google who have their "spiders" out there looking to find web pages with one-way links for specific keywords.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One final thing I want to note is that Google's technology does not involve human intervention in any way shape or form. It uses the inherent intelligence of the Internet and the technology resources build through it's web design is what determines the ranking and importance of any web page.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This article was a quick and dirt overview to give you a sense of how Google works, but stay tuned for future posts where I will discuss Google Sitemap indexing and what you need to do to ensure your website remains in the top rankings once you get there.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit me on Facebook for more great tips and <a href="http://internet-income-lifestyle.com/">"how to" solutions</a> for growing your online brand! </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><div style=”display:block;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;”><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-26269839307695483682011-12-05T08:42:00.000-05:002011-12-04T07:36:03.029-05:003 Simple Rules for Beautiful, Healthy & Radiant Skin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-REM07U6S7nysLp4wjkbQ949Jo_jaxDFQy22PdtfJRolD7Amo3PZpn3breCaC3BHz-5apyriKzthuPtZ10-P-RXSSWMQMLYahbQArIuMVPzAodJ_cAC-lJVin5fGYsEwols1NOTUNIWw/s200/skin-health.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Healthy skin is the #1 sign of a healthy lifestyle for <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">women</a>. If you find yourself investing a lot of time and money in expensive skin treatments and products yet still struggle to achieve a good complexion, it’s almost always because your lifestyle habits need a change.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A we age it becomes even more important to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits on a daily basis if you want to reap the advantages of good looking skin.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Healthy skin is the result of a nutritional eating plan, good hygiene, balanced hormones and a healthy lifestyle.</span><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've neglected one or more of these things you can’t expect to achieve a glowing complexion overnight. Today I will discuss three relatively simple yet worthwhile steps to getting and keeping your skin looking radiant. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am a sun worshipper so this first rule is a hard pill for me to swallow, but even I can’t deny the staggering statistics when it comes to skin damage and the sun. Studies upon studies have proven that continuous exposure to sunlight will lead to wrinkles, premature aging and even cancer in <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">women</a>. Technically speaking you should try to avoid direct sunlight from 10am-4pm, but this doesn’t mean you have to hide in a cave all day. Investing in a good pair of designer sunglasses is the first place to start. Why designer, you ask? Firstly, designer shades will provide you with the maximum UV protection you can get. Second, you will be less likely to lose or mistreat them because of how much you spent on them. And finally, if you’re forfeiting that gorgeous sun-kissed glow you might as well have a fabulous pair of sunglasses to make up for it!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2) The second rule is another one I struggled with for many years, but we all know smoking is right up there with the sun when it comes to murdering your chances for long-term healthy-looking skin. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nicotine decreases the flow of blood and that smoke you’re ingesting sucks out nutrients and decreases the circulation of oxygen to your skin</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. We’ve all seen women with what I like to affectionately refer to as “cat-bum” mouth. Need I say more?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3) My third and final rule for today’s blog is to start eating right. You are what you eat, so if all you eat is garbage that’s what your skin will reflect. It’s amazing what a few simple improvements to your diet will do for your complexion. Reduce your alcohol consumption, incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your meals and for goodness sake…drink more water (not juice, soda pop or Gatorade) MORE WATER!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">These steps to achieving a healthy glow are not rocket science and I would even venture to say you’ve probably heard them all before, but there’s a reason you read about them in every beauty and health article or magazine you read….it’s because they work for <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">women</a>!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How much would you pay for a magic pill that gave you great looking skin? Now take that money and go buy yourself a fabulous pair of designer shades…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WOW! don’t you look gorgeous:)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To find more articles and information on how to look and feel your best, come check us out at <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">Urban Madonna</a>.</span></span></div></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-53094829416462408692011-12-05T07:41:00.000-05:002011-12-04T08:22:19.328-05:00Is This As Good As It Gets?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYYGLyBG8zjbGPjNHqCabLE1NEm815lNQDr_Raqhy1VvHhJdhJxhlnfoUhKWH-IhJGPZ2S6uc8IzLLdqaesZQjoT24OPcAQqEHV3mic52nsXEtHT2QTafUfn8X9xAvEuiNzdFeumgldI/s200/Jesus.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
I’ve always believed in God. I was raised a Catholic and growing up I followed my faith without question or reservation. It was pretty simple….God is up there and I am down here. God is Perfect and I am flawed.<br />
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My teenage years were typical for the most part. Happy and well-adjusted on the outside, full of fear and disappointment on the inside. It was around the time of my 19<sup>th</sup> birthday I began to question God’s role in my life. I know God exists, but I just can’t seem to live up to his expectations. I know he loves me no matter what, but I feel like I’m always letting him down. I know I’m going to heaven someday, but right now I just want to have fun. And so began the life of a woman “hell bent” to make it on her own.<br />
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Moving away from home to attend university was an amazing experience for me. Living on my own only one hour away from my parents gave me the autonomy every <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">young woman</a> craves with the security of knowing Mom and Dad are not too far if I needed them. I spent the school months developing new relationships and supposedly getting an education. I spent the summers back home with my family and high school friends. Looking back on those years I was happy for the most part, and each year that past I felt more and more confident I was capable of so much.<br />
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It was near the end of my final year that life took very different turn. My parents and sister had permanently immigrated to the US, but I had to stay in Canada. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life…and then I met my first love. He told me everything I wanted to hear. I followed him across the country, I lived with him for 5 years, I said “yes” when he asked me to marry him and I lost most of myself in the process.<br />
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With every lie, every disappointment, every tear I cried for him I put another brick on the wall around my heart. I am on my own in this life so I better get used to it. I am the only one who is ever going to take care of me.<br />
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After my marriage fell apart I moved to Toronto to start a new life. I found my own apartment, I found a new job and I found a new relationship. I started making really good money for the first time in my life. I was a young <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">urban woman</a> living it up in the city. I fell for someone new and he was the kindest man I’d ever known. Life was good….on the outside, but on the inside I was screaming for reason. Is this as good as it gets?!?!? Even when I wore expensive clothes and looked my best, deep in my heart I was still looking for something else. I cared for my new boyfriend so much, but yet I yearned for something deeper. Every day I would wake up, lay in bed and think to myself, maybe today I can make myself happy. Everything I bought, every party I went to, every person I tried to impress. It was all to numb the pain, the hurt from my past, my broken dreams. I had all but given up….and then He found me.<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Fear not for I am with you. Do not look around you in terror and be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></i><b>Isaiah 41:10 NIV</b><br />
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He had always been right there. He was there when I was out partying. He was there when I was making the wrong choices. He was there when I was looking for acceptance from everyone else but Him. <br />
I finally realized that He is the One I had been searching for all along. He is the only One who could satisfy the longing in my heart. My heart is there because He created it and He created me to be loved by Him.<br />
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He created your heart too.<br />
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God wants to bless your life. He loves you and has great plans for you. If you’re asking yourself if this is as good as it gets, let me tell you the answer is “NO”. If you’ve ever felt the longing for a better relationship, a better job…a better life, I say let Him show you the way.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">http://urbanmadonna.com</a></div></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-8506844761495639682011-12-04T16:36:00.000-05:002011-12-04T07:39:34.650-05:00How Salt Affects a Woman's Body<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfetlok57n9UPC3XLE-G8fbiO_cfxoKvRtS4bBgFGmyihRW1vDZMwlqvPfoazlTnohMERZCcsVC6rUBlakv0TpzlRNgQDI1etqAuvo_uRBRC2v20CX2eu-Mn0Q2mu20_Eko26PC9RWlg/s200/salt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I ask other <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">women</a> about sodium in their diet, the most common response I get is “I hardly ever use salt on my food.” Unfortunately, the amount of salt you shake on your meals is usually NOT the main source of most people’s sodium intake. Sodium exists in practically every kind of processed food there is and currently Americans receive about 80% of their salt intake from the sodium added to processed foods. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our bodies only require about 500 mg of sodium a day. To put it in perspective, that would be equivalent to approximately one handful of salt & vinegar potato chips. Now comes the scary part, Americans typically consume as much as 6,000-8,000 mg of sodium a day! You may be thinking too much sodium is a hazard you only need to consider if you are concerned about high blood pressure, but the truth is the harmful effects of sodium are even more far reaching, causing health problems ranging from weight gain to vision problems to cardiovascular disease. It’s worth noting that our bodies are built to protect us from prolonged harm. When it comes to regulating sodium in our body, all our cell membranes contain sodium-potassium pumps that work to help eliminate excess amounts of sodium. The trouble begins when these tiny pumps become overloaded with a continual heavy intake of salt which can prevent them from maintaining the proper concentration of intracellular sodium.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Similar to other tissues in our body, our eyes can be affected by the bloating that results from too much sodium. When bloating occurs in the eye (edema), the alignment of the eye's internal components become misaligned, resulting in vision problems. Studies have shown that China, Japan, and other Asian countries have the highest consumption of dietary salt in the world, and these countries also have the highest prevalence of nearsightedness. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It’s important to understand the distinction between weight loss and fat loss when considering the effects of sodium on your body. Salt does not actually have any caloric value and therefore does not contribute to adding fat to your body. The main reason too much salt in a <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">woman's</a> diet will prevent you from reaching your weight loss goal is because it causes your body to retain water in an effort to protect your tissues from the irritating effects of sodium. To get a sense of what that irritating effect is like to your bodily tissues, you only need to consider how it feels when you get a bit of salt in your eye. When you read about “crash diets” that claim quick weight loss, it’s usually because the eating plan relies on foods with little to no sodium content. That being said, the quick weight loss you experience if you are successful in sticking to these programs will be mostly water and as soon as you go back to consuming foods with salt again, you will regain all the weight.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At the end of day you should be trying to keep your salt intake as low as possible. 500mg of sodium per day may not be reasonably sustainable for most people, but you should aim to keep your salt consumption between 1500-2000 mg per day. You can make big gains in reducing your salt intake by simply eliminating processed foods from your eating habits. Also, increasing the amount of clean, filtered water you consume will help to flush excess sodium from your system.<br />
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To find out more about achieving a healthy and vibrant life come visit us at <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">Urban Madonna</a>.</div></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-17871483729723828402011-12-04T07:30:00.000-05:002011-12-04T07:30:39.726-05:00UrbanMadonna Says Do It Anyway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1477313314"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKUjjcPhD5ZHQvw8YQal-XmnG_DvrOZnaGUIBtA8Ya_PEUm3ImHnV-zauFh_mB4B9GivQDipHYvkDw7_WsA48rx1x8xWKkWaABJrUev_GoSCjGF9ggcPM4Xp4TUcIvMTBxzDlvyzIth8/s200/POF_ad2.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/"><br />
</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Love them anyway.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Do good anyway. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Succeed anyway.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Do good anyway. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Be honest and frank anyway.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Think big anyway. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">What you spend years building may </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">be destroyed overnight. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Build anyway. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">People really need help but may attack if you help them. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Help people anyway. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Give the world the best you have </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">and you might get kicked in the teeth. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Give the world the best you've got anyway. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">~ Anonymous</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">To receive and inspirational "quote of the day" delivered straight to your inbox, go to<a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/"> Urban Madonna</a> and sign up!</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-17295331686581946372010-12-06T14:52:00.003-05:002010-12-06T17:33:22.427-05:00Artificial Sweeteners & Weight Loss<div class="module moduleText color0" id="mod_11404251"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35pGKwHKSv85cWT1sIq19xC6eBkhxZL74MgvjUUwihMAKIeIgWQSfL15e4wW8c-01cvitrWHWbCLfJPJbPTGaZp-WwpPJQCSDLtDZ8U1PagTXekisULr4tSzsA48EsXCu-FRvkIkIL1Y/s1600/no+calories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35pGKwHKSv85cWT1sIq19xC6eBkhxZL74MgvjUUwihMAKIeIgWQSfL15e4wW8c-01cvitrWHWbCLfJPJbPTGaZp-WwpPJQCSDLtDZ8U1PagTXekisULr4tSzsA48EsXCu-FRvkIkIL1Y/s200/no+calories.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><h2 class="subtitle"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Trying to lose weight? You may be damaging your efforts with sugar-free products and diet soda. Evidence shows that the use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their food intake and inevitably sabotage your weight loss goals.</span></h2><div class="txtd" id="txtd_11404251" style="word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Research done by Davidson and Swithers, members of the Ingestive Behavior Research department at Purdue University, shows that the use of saccharin actually changes the body's ability to regulate food intake. Very early in life, we learn that sweet flavors signal high calories. "The body's natural ability to regulate food intake and body weight may be weakened when this natural relationship is impaired by artificial sweeteners," said Davidson, who is an expert in behavioral neuroscience.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When we prepare to eat under normal circumstances, our metabolic rate begins to speed up. According to the experiments conducted by Davidson and Swithers, rats that had been consuming saccharin (a no-calorie sweetener) showed a smaller rise in their core body temperature after eating a sweet-tasting, high calorie meal relative to rats consuming glucose (the simplest form of regular sugar). The researchers attribute that the slower metabolic response led to overeating and made it harder for the saccharin rats to burn off excess calories. The conclusion of their research indicated that consuming food sweetened with a no-calorie sugar substitute can lead to greater body-weight gain and the increased production of fat tissue than simply consuming food sweetened with regular sugar. (Journal article: "A Role for Sweet Taste: Calorie Predictive Relations in Energy Regulation by Rats," Susan E. Swithers, Ph.D. and Terry L. Davidson, Ph.D.; Purdue University; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 122, No. 1.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Yikes! Although this research was done on rats and not on humans it’s hard to deny that their evidence matches emerging reports that show people who consume diet drinks are at a higher risk for obesity and a collection of other medical problems such as increased abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance which contributes to the onset of diabetes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The bottom line is this. If you are trying to lose weight, you should be trying to trade your bad eating habits for good ones. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, water should be your #1 source for liquid. This is can seem a bit unrealistic if you are used to consuming everything "but" when you grab a drink, so instead of swapping your regular soda for diet, just start by cutting back. Instead of having a soda every day, try knocking it back to 3 cans per week and keep a large bottle of water with you at all times to keep you quenched.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I always advocate starting with easy wins when trying to make changes, no matter what your goal may be. You are less likely to give up when you can achieve results quickly. Just remember to give yourself time, and for goodness sake…stay away from the diet soda!</span></div></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-56764667064210378052010-12-05T17:24:00.000-05:002010-12-05T17:25:25.322-05:00Exercise: Myth vs. Fact<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmPJABBcI9yJgJBhRymL6D1sj2QQVeE2DZ3e8kluNNZu36Hk6CpoJCgz6fpA_Va_qY6EHYsMl027qnMLlSNuA7s_sGUajLS7Tstu8N0ougF1d8whCSvnFjNDrG4EIdD5EVHYEx9zhk0k/s1600/exercise.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmPJABBcI9yJgJBhRymL6D1sj2QQVeE2DZ3e8kluNNZu36Hk6CpoJCgz6fpA_Va_qY6EHYsMl027qnMLlSNuA7s_sGUajLS7Tstu8N0ougF1d8whCSvnFjNDrG4EIdD5EVHYEx9zhk0k/s200/exercise.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">When it comes to talking about healthy living, the topic of exercise always comes up.<span> </span>If you’re doing it, it’s all you want to talk about.<span> </span>If you’re not, it never comes up in conversation.<span> </span>The bottom line is this, as human beings we need to keep moving.<span> </span>Our bodies were designed to work and without some kind of regular physical exertion we don’t function properly, much like a car that just sits in a garage.<span> </span>The trouble with exercise is that there are a lot of myths about how often you need to break a sweat and how strenuous your workouts need to be.<span> </span>Today I’d like to clear up some of the common misconceptions and let you know that incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle is not as daunting as it may seem.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Myth #1: It’s hard to exercise when you are trying to lose weight because exercising increases your appetite.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The opposite is actually true.<span> </span>Studies have shown that regular exercise actually works to reduce your appetite and can help to keep you more focused on a healthy eating plan.<span> </span>It is easier to stick with a healthy eating plan when you combine it with even moderate exercise.<span> </span>And although you can still be successful losing fat without a rigorous fitness routine, regular exercise will excelerate your progress. <span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Myth #2: To effectively lose weight you need to engage in a vigorous exercise routine.<span> </span><span> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The fact is that any form of exercise, whether vigorous or not, will support your weight loss goals.<span> </span>Walking is the single most effective form of exercise you can participate in.<span> </span>The reason the health club won’t tell you this is because it could put them out of business.<span> </span>Why do you think Europeans and New Yorkers are so slim?<span> </span>They walk everywhere.<span> </span>Instead of succumbing to the couch every night after dinner, download a new playlist to your ipod and take a walk around the neighborhood. Do this 5 days a week and you’ll notice an improvement in how you feel, both physically and mentally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Myth #3: You can eat as much as you want as long as you exercise on a regular basis</span></b><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">WRONG!<span> </span>If you are eating healthy and exercising regularly you will require more nutrition than someone who sits on their butt all day.<span> </span>But, no amount of exercise is going to protect you from a pot belly if you’re drinking beer and eating a bag of Cheetos every night before bed.<span> </span>If the energy you consume outweighs the energy you expend you can’t realistically expect to lose weight…that’s just basic math. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Browallia New","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The benefits of regular exercise go beyond helping you to lose extra pounds and look better.<span> </span>The trick is to find something that you enjoy doing and just stick with it!</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-64777394979531986642010-11-27T16:23:00.002-05:002010-12-06T14:55:31.492-05:005 "Super" Foods You MUST Eat to Live Healthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8k_D-uJeSuxrSnkRDAdcAcfApRpp9yOQrJ290dnPU5eW-jdiNZJ58wye1f7OJKdW4q4Z4JZBb6Ip1M2ktakCwsb5smzsj0ReV65ZGmmvmekR4BlsJTbYFacG5xtbJzR3b4-9TqBapRM/s1600/super-foods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8k_D-uJeSuxrSnkRDAdcAcfApRpp9yOQrJ290dnPU5eW-jdiNZJ58wye1f7OJKdW4q4Z4JZBb6Ip1M2ktakCwsb5smzsj0ReV65ZGmmvmekR4BlsJTbYFacG5xtbJzR3b4-9TqBapRM/s200/super-foods.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Incorporating the following "super foods" into your day-to-day meals provides an easy way to create a healthy lifestyle. Th</span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></b><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">ese super foods are full of health promoting benefits and incorporating them into your eating plan makes it easier to lose and manage your weight.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Leafy Green Vegetables</span></b><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">These super foods consist of broccoli, spinach, bok choy and kale. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Green vegetables are packed with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium and iron. You can eat most of these vegetables raw, but they work into meal planning best by preparing them steamed or stir-fried.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Berries</b></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm talking about strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. These fruits are loaded with antioxidants and are high in fibre. Blueberries are the best source for antioxidants. Berries are easy to incorporate into your eating habits because you can usually find them fresh, frozen or dried. They can be used as an easy addition to salads, cereals, protein shakes and yogurt.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Citrus Fruit</b></span><br />
Grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most people know about the benefits of Vitamin C and how it helps to maintain a healthy immune system. Citrus fruits are also a good source of fiber, which will help keep blood sugar levels under control as well as keep you feeling full longer for easier weight management. Grapefruit and oranges are great options to incorporate into breakfast meals, but try and eat them fresh as often as possible to maximize the nutritional benefits.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Kefir</b></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Kefir is relatively new on the scene, but has been rapidly gaining popularity over the past couple years. You may have to find it in a recognized health food store, but most "big box" grocery chains will carry it in their organic section. It has been documented that kefir has the ability to stimulate the immune system, enhance the digestion of lactose, and combat the bacteria that causes most ulcers. My favorite way to consume kefir is on its own as a morning drink, but you can add to smoothies, shakes or juices to mix things up.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Fish</b></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Salmon, tuna and mackerel are among the three most popular cold-water fish that contain oils rich in omega-3 fatty acid. This "good fat" protects your arteries against plaque build up and is effective in lowering the "bad" cholesterol. Fish is also high in protein which makes it an excellent source for creating healthy meals for effective weight loss.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twomadonnas-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1592332285&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>For additional information on even more "super" foods I recommend picking up "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by Jonny Bowden (PH.D.). It's packed with tons of great information on making educated food choices.</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-61980797713310430682010-11-23T18:32:00.005-05:002010-12-06T14:55:31.496-05:00Our Biggest Enemy...Sugar<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS6XLBv3-bo5dIOW_v7sFTaDzEEdCIt-SkKWxfO9EY4VS_UiJYmtpD4NiKS2WUC97btNpPPXhyphenhyphengGeNQwFRlHkzji2zd_EksdGLjIzpI0liJySWTBv5_BdXzxxhHM2ZGlqCvEfaNoWQjM/s1600/sugar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS6XLBv3-bo5dIOW_v7sFTaDzEEdCIt-SkKWxfO9EY4VS_UiJYmtpD4NiKS2WUC97btNpPPXhyphenhyphengGeNQwFRlHkzji2zd_EksdGLjIzpI0liJySWTBv5_BdXzxxhHM2ZGlqCvEfaNoWQjM/s200/sugar.jpeg" width="166" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">We are fatter than we’ve ever been. The United States is facing an epidemic with respect to the level of obesity in our country. Based on data from the National Centre for Health Statistics, 34% of American adults over the age of 20 are obese (2007-2008). Today, the average American consumes approximately 180 pounds of sugar annually compared to the 1800’s when that number was only about 18 pounds a year. It's pretty scary to think where we are, but it's even scarier to think what this will mean for the future if we don't get educated on the dangers of this potent provision.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over the years I've come to understand that sugar is the most misunderstood food item we consume. Most of the struggles we encounter in trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle have to do with this misconception about sugar. Most people associate sugar with highly sweet food products. Donuts, ice cream, candy bars and chocolate chip cookies are obvious examples of food products that contain sugar, but what if I told you that your body doesn't know the difference between that donut you had for breakfast or the baked potato you had with dinner. In fact, whether you consume a couple slices of whole wheat bread, a bowl of pasta or a chocolate bar your body breaks it down to the exact same substance. Sugar can take many forms in the food we eat (sucrose, fructose, and maltose to name a few), but through our body's digestion and absorption process it all breaks down to the same thing…glucose. Glucose is the simplest form of sugar and it’s what our body needs to ensure we receive the energy we require to go about our day. Glucose is an important nutrient when it comes to fueling our bodies, but once your body has processed all the sugar it needs to function it stores the extra as fat.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> By eating a balanced diet from natural sources such as meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy you are getting more than enough of the glucose your body needs to function at its best. <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's important to realize that your body has a limited capacity to store excess sugar after it converts to glucose, but it can easily convert it into excess body fat. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The major challenge in controlling our sugar intake today is that excess refined sugar is hiding in most pre-packaged foods on the market. Advertising labels on processed foods makes it difficult for the average consumer to know what they are actually buying. Messaging on food packages such as “fat-free” and “less than 200 calories” are misleading if you aren’t aware of the dangers of sugar. Processed foods are loaded with sugar and other chemicals that work to prolong the shelf-life of the product and make it taste appealing after the manufacturer has removed most of the essential nutrients.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So how do you start to eliminate, or at the very least, reduce the amount of sugar you are consuming on a daily basis? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s really just about getting back to the basics. Getting away from packaged food products and frozen entrees and introducing real, whole foods back into your diet is the only way to be successful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now it’s important to note that sugar is a drug and as with any drug if you have been consuming a lot of it over an extended period of time, your body has most likely become addicted to it. That being said, getting off sugar is not an easy feat. If it were, we could jump into just about any commercial diet plan on the market and see lasting weight loss results. But, if you’ve ever been on a diet you know that is simply not the case. If you think of sugar the same as nicotine, caffeine or dare I say even narcotics, you will be better equipped to understand this process will not happen overnight.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
A good place to start is to try and eliminate something from your diet that contains refined sugar about once a week and replace it with something natural, but enjoyable. For example, if you regularly eat frozen dinners, stop! Fresh or even frozen fish fillets are easy to prepare. There are tons of varieties to choose from so ask the guy behind the seafood counter to recommend something that’s not too “fishy”. Couple that with some fresh or frozen cooked veggies. If that's all you change for the next 3 months...congratulations! You’ve just cut about 3 inches from your waistline. How "sweet" is that!</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-30794036559995077642010-11-17T15:20:00.002-05:002010-12-01T11:18:08.508-05:00Great Tips for Reducing & Eliminating Debt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCba2ckEyXV-je9Kq-H1QduSB8jZy7W-rFUF9hqsBz0NPVvoDJcVcY8cKiB4ucjDJ9yabUfW0TBQ9BWeFcNOLirU0KKWOQmuzMmr_QRIshgVSgKefLAifm07GrsJSpcxEia28MsEGKhs/s1600/get-rid-of-debt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCba2ckEyXV-je9Kq-H1QduSB8jZy7W-rFUF9hqsBz0NPVvoDJcVcY8cKiB4ucjDJ9yabUfW0TBQ9BWeFcNOLirU0KKWOQmuzMmr_QRIshgVSgKefLAifm07GrsJSpcxEia28MsEGKhs/s200/get-rid-of-debt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Late or missing debt payments can result in a negative credit history. This decreases your credit worthiness with financial institutions and eventually your ability to borrow money. Access to credit is essential if you want to develop and keep your financial independence.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Balance Transfers</b><br />
Balance transfers are only a good option if you have <i>discipline.</i> This is essentially moving your existing high-interest credit card debt to a new credit card provider or line of credit facility with a lower interest rate. Many financial institutions will offer promotions which feature anywhere from 0%-5% interest on balance transfers of existing debt for a limited period of time. If used correctly, this is option can save you tons of interest considering the average credit card charges upwards of 20% on existing balances. Just remember to NEVER make a purchase with the card if you are using it to pay off a balance under a promotional interest rate. Any purchase made during the promotional period will incurr interest at the regular rate until the balance is paid off in full. The trick is to ensure you can pay off the balance before the 0% interest period expires.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Refinance Your Home</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another way of saying "refinance" is actually "remortgage". It entails either changing your mortgage terms with your existing provider or swapping your mortgage from one lender to another. The objective is to use increased equity from your home to pay off debts and get a lower interest rate than what you are currently paying. When negotiating this type of debt restructuring its important to make sure to check if there are any charges or additional fees for switching which can eat up the benefit of this strategy. Remortgaging to pay off unsecured debt is only a good option if you have borrowed the money for things like home renovations and repairs. Refinancing your home to pay out consumer debt is usually a bad idea unless you are planning to cut up your credit cards and change your spending habits!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Fixed Loan Consolidation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you are having difficulty keeping up with your monthly debt repayment obligations, consolidation is the usually a viable option to consider. By consoldating lines of credit and/or credit card balances into a fixed loan you will not only reduce the amount on your monthly payments, but you will also have an amortization term that will tell you when your debt will be paid off in full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Paying off Debt With Savings</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is my least favorite option, but in some cases it is the only one that works. If you've gotten yourself in over your head you will never get out of debt if you can only make the minimum payments on your credit cards. Under these circumstances you will be better off to use your savings to pay off debt, especially since the interest on savings accounts is always much less than the interest you pay on unsecured debt. If you are able to pay out all your consumer debt using your savings you can always set up a monthly auto-savings plan in the amount you were paying to your credit cards. By having it come out of your bank account automatically, you can replenish your savings over time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The above four strategies are my suggestions on ways to maximize credit and manage your debt. Remember, debt is not your problem...it's either over-spending, over-borrowing, under-saving or all three that gets you into trouble!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's important for me to say that taking on new debt to pay off old debt is a strategy for people that are ready to take responsibility for their financial situation. Trying to borrow your way out of debt without making a decision to discipline yourself could possibly lead to even greater financial difficulties down the road. You need to change your habits around borrowing, spending, saving and investing to truly get on top of your finances and live free from financial worry and anxiety.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In closing, here's a great quote to inspire you:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>discipline or the pain of regret. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The difference is discipline weighs </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>ounces while regret weighs tons."</b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">~ Jim Rohn</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-33836467801945332162010-11-16T18:00:00.003-05:002010-12-06T14:55:31.501-05:003 Secrets to Eating More and Dieting Less<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYq-xoZqJ4yqwCQ_Rus67R9RPnepijVt18eCv3nElusEtfhNWR3pDkkSQU1E9TEfyxSnyb0EEUJ30vBgeoTg0z6jUWgLVadip9C9fWhzf_mlu72vkflr_2_YhxNV9jSv1Ojc5cIr6Nr8/s1600/rb-stressed-eating-dinner-0809-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYq-xoZqJ4yqwCQ_Rus67R9RPnepijVt18eCv3nElusEtfhNWR3pDkkSQU1E9TEfyxSnyb0EEUJ30vBgeoTg0z6jUWgLVadip9C9fWhzf_mlu72vkflr_2_YhxNV9jSv1Ojc5cIr6Nr8/s200/rb-stressed-eating-dinner-0809-de.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: 26px;"><span style="color: #d81d6e;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,Times,Serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">Unhealthy hang-ups over food are most common among women. Yo-yo dieting, calorie obsession and overexercising are just to name a few. The worst part is these food-relating habits are ultimately considered socially acceptable in our culture today.<br />
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The trouble with our relationship to food is that media sends a lot of mixed messaging. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond,Times,Serif; font-size: 26px;"><span style="color: #d81d6e;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">We are lead to believe that convenience can be healthy when in fact </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 26px;"><span style="color: #d81d6e;"><span style="font-family: Garamond,Times,Serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">the fusion of cheap, quick-to-prepare meals often translates into over-processed, empty calories that creates a prescription for gradual weight gain. We become trapped in a never ending cycle of compulsive self-control, followed by deprived overindulgence and finally a day-to-day sense of guilt over what we can and cannot not eat. <br />
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So what can you do to break the cycle?<br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b>Get back to the basics.</b></span> Our relationship with food is actually over-complicated because many companies make meals <i>too</i> simple. If you tend to gravitate to ready-to-serve food choices, chances are it is full of preservatives and additives that eventually pack on the pounds. Processed foods remove nutrients and replace them with sugar, salt and other chemical additives to help to increase shelf-life. Good for the grocer, bad for the consumer. An easy rule of thumb is to do all your meal shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store. Processed foods tend to be found down the aisles, so if you stick to the borders you will be able to create meals from healthy sources (meat, veggies, eggs and dairy) and prevent adding extra sugar and salt to your diet which are key contributors to weight gain and other related health problems.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 20px;">Eat breakfast.</span></b> This one sounds simple, but its not always easy. What's important to remember is that eating breakfast is a habit that pays off. We burn more calories early in the day and eating a well-balanced breakfast prevents unhealthy snacking throughout the day. You are also more likely to make better food choices later in the day if you haven't deprived yourself within the first few hours upon waking up.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><span style="font-size: 20px;">Stop dieting! </span></b><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Healthy happy women are far less likely to go on diets. It seems so funny to me that there is more than enough evidence to show how calorie-restricting diets never result in lasting weight loss and yet dieting is a multi-million dollar industry! But then again we also know that smoking cigarettes causes cancer and tobacco companies are still making money so perhaps we never learn....<br />
The bottom line is this, if you want to stay slim for life you don't need another diet, you need to change your <i>lifestyle.</i> Weight loss should be the result of smart food choices everyday, not a goal you set for yourself every couple of months. Adopting healthy eating habits won't transform your body overnight, but the lasting results are worth the wait...no pun intended :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739858567525876990.post-49969804065616808162010-01-19T15:41:00.000-05:002011-12-04T07:03:42.829-05:00How to permanently de-stress your life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Du9AHSpU_J1SS3ouuUSlnAV3kbS61y5EB2a6ZPdFKGeZoMbMmqFE5-G8h1TtN9GlnnkG6nXoGr3GJtMay8KigsaPGoICzaqVRkkGmpCMiIoVTtTqYzVBteO9hNYDFeKtsBkT7po9yN4/s200/stress.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In today's fast-paced world, we all experience stress. We are constantly challenged to get more done, faster and with fewer resources. The harm stress can cause in our lives reaches far deeper than what we can see and feel. Although our bodies are built to defend against anything that causes us harm, stress triggers physiological changes in our bodies which can manifest into lasting physical damage.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cortisol is a hormone that is often referred to as the "stress hormone". Our body secretes it at high levels when we react with a "fight or flight" response to our environment. High and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream has been shown to be related to many negative effects in our bodies. When I talk about stress I generally hear people relate it to feelings of anxiety, headaches, muscle tension and irritability, but stress actually takes on many more forms and they are not always what you would think. Symptoms such as depression, indigestion, lack of motivation, increased abdominal fat, and decreased muscle tissue are just to name a few.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to pinpoint what causes stress as it is different for everyone. Some people may experience sporadic stress through a challenging period in their life, while others may experience ongoing stress due to troubled relationships or circumstances involving their spouse or children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best test to tell if stress is negatively impacting your life is to take inventory on your emotional state of mind. Stress is not always obvious, but if you are living day-to-day in a negative mindset, chances are you are allowing stress right in through the front door. Negative emotions create an inability to cope with the demands of our environment. You just can't think bad thoughts and achieve positive results in your day-to-day life. As the saying goes…where the mind goes the man follows. <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">Personal development</a> is not something that we work on for a short period of time. It is an ongoing process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If negative emotions cause us harm, it stands to reason that positive emotions should do the opposite. Scientific studies have actually shown that positive emotions result in the production of DHEA (the anti-aging hormone) and it's interesting to note that DHEA and cortisol are made from the same place in our body. Your emotions dictate which of these hormones is produced at the expense of the other! Responding to a stressful situation by transforming negative emotions into positive ones actually results in the production of more DHEA and significantly less cortisol. Anti-aging serum over fat stomach serum? I think the choice is obvious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you may be be thinking to yourself…."Well that's all well and good, but you don't know what I'm up against. My husband is having an affair, my kid is getting expelled from school and I'm 40 lbs overweight. How do you expect me to think positively?!" Under these circumstances it would seem having stress in your life is simply inevitable. If you can't change your circumstances, how can you can your negative thinking? And if you can't change your negative thinking, how are you ever going to get the stress out of your life? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is where I would like to provide some perspective with a single word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace of mind is single most important thing to your life. By actively seeking peace you can achieve freedom from negative thinking. This, of course, will translate into even greater freedoms. Freedom from physical pain, emotional eating and mental anxiety. Freedom from wanting what you do not have. When you have peace, it doesn't matter what's going on around you and when it doesn't matter what's going on around you, you are free to enjoy your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is true with attaining anything of value, achieving peace will require some effort. The cost will be continual and consistent maintenance of positive thoughts. If you are willing to pay this price, the benefits are far reaching. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is some advice to get you started:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stop talking down to yourself. Eliminate the following thoughts as soon as you hear them creeping into your head - "I never do anything right", "People think I'm stupid", "I'm always going to be fat". Would you say these things to your best friend? Then don't say them to yourself. Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk and you will start to feel the difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't let your mind wander. If you catch yourself thinking about how your husband never helps out around the house or your boss is so <span style="font-family: Arial;">condescending</span>, stop yourself immediately. It's easy to let our minds wander down the path of least resistance when we are driving to work or taking the dog for a walk. Positive thinking requires effort. Don't ask me why, but as human beings we seem predisposed to negativity. Think about the last time you saw a good news story on the front page of the newspaper. Thinking positively means you have to make the effort to renew your mind everyday to keep negative thoughts at bay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start your day with a smile. I currently live in the north and its hard to feel positive when you wake up to cold dark mornings from October until April. Getting out of bed can be a challenge when you are going through a tough time in your life, but you can make your day a whole lot easier just by taking some time first thing in the morning to set yourself in a positive state of mind. Think about plans you are looking forward to or someone special you can't wait to talk to. Think about how cute your baby is. Remind yourself how it felt when you were first dating your husband. Life doesn't stop just because we want to have a bad day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you've spent most of your life complaining about everything that is wrong, keeping a positive attitude will feel like a full time job in the beginning. Peace is not easy to find and it can be hard to hold onto. The good news is that once you've found it, you'll be willing to do everything in your power to keep it. Peace be with you....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Everything will ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end."</b> ~ unknown</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To sign up for an inspiring quote of the day please visit us at <a href="http://urbanmadonna.com/">Urban Madonna</a>.</span></div>UrbanMadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04975724952516218453noreply@blogger.com0