Disadvantages of daily news intake

Watch, listen or read the news every day may bring several bad consequences for people. This is specially truth for those who are very sensitive or have a tendency towards depression. It is important to be aware of what kind of information you are receiving because it could affect your health.

Sometimes the news may cause a false image of reality. It usually focuses a lot in problems and tragedies, and this can provoke a feeling of sadness in some people. Moreover, there are some good things happening outside that are being hidden by the means.

Also, news can be very repetitive. Just have

to turn on the television or radio for a few minutes and feel the barrage of accidents, robberies and murders that appear in the news programs. It is very exhausting and stressful.

It does not mean that people should live in a cave and not be aware of what is happening around the world. However, the problem is daily the daily news intake. Especially if it comes from sensational means of communication.

Watching the news every day will not make you smarter or better prepared than someone that consumes it in smaller proportions. What it is really important is not how much information do you get but how you process it and analyze it with a critical point of view.

Diego Guillen

Steve Jobs: The story of a visionary man

There is not only one path to achieve success in life. History gives us several examples of people who accomplish their goals by not following the same recipe that we all hear in family and school since we were children: finish school, go to high school, choose a career, graduate, work for someone else and so on. Steve Jobs had chosen a different way to live his life and this is his story.

He was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs, an accountant and a coast guard veteran. His biological parents were graduated students from University of Wisconsin. Paul Jobs shows him how to work with electronics in the family’s garage.

As many of the brightest minds, Steve Jobs had a lot of troubles with formal education. When he was in school his teachers pretended to skip him ahead to high school because he was bully with his classmates and he got very good grades. Some years later, he left college after six months and spent 18 months in creative classes. He learnt and loved calligraphy, and that helps him a lot to enhance the computer’s keyboard.

Then, in Hewlet Packard, Jobs became a close friend of Steve Wozniak; a brilliant computer engineering. They sold the Job’s Volkswagen and the Wozniak’s beloved calculator to start a company that revolutionize the computer’s market by making smaller, cheaper and more intuitive PCs. In early 80’s, Apple (the name of their company) had to compete against IBM’s computers, and the executives decided to fire Steve Jobs from his own company. He created Pixar Animation Studios, a company that had a lot of success. After that, he returns as the Apple’s CEO and surprised the world with the iPods, iPhones and other products. The company earned billions of dollars.

Steve Jobs discovered that he has pancreatic cancer in 2003. But, he postponed a necessary surgery for 6 months, and this wrong decision finally cost his life in October of 2011. He made some mistakes (especially in his personal life) but he succeeded in every field he worked, with creativity and perseverance. This man teaches us that there is more than one way to accomplish our goals.

Diego Guillen

¿Are animals intelligent?

Some researchers strongly support the

idea that animals have “minds” but while their position has strong support from the lay population, it has not found wide acceptance in the scientific community.

However, researchers have demonstrated animal’s strong cognitive ability in several areas. For example, the studies of birds which catch their food through the use of a sophisticated mind map or even the chimpanzee that learnt sign language. Animal language acquisition and its importance in revealing animal intelligence is still a controversial topic.

So, people argues about the different areas in where animal’s

are intelligent, for example in the use of tools for finding food and as weapon, the ability to solve a range of problems, using abstract reasoning and supplying spontaneous solutions to problems without training, the ability to distribute attention between different aspects of a stimulus. Another controversial area, is language, this involves the attempt to teach them to say something or repeat something.

Also we can include the emotion, most controversial of all animal’s behavior. This involves research into whether animals have emotions or “feelings” which can be qualified in the same way as human feelings. So do animals think like us? Well some of them may. It’s not a surprise that our closest biological relatives, the great apes, have been shown to be the most similar to us in intelligence their cognitive processes are similar to ours.

Tips for leaving a good homework

Carolina Meza

Diego Guillén

Homework is important because it helps you to practice and refresh what you learn during classes. Also, according to John Bishop, it helps teachers and professors to determine how well lessons are being understood by students and how to assume their responsibility in the learning process. But, sometimes homework may be very long or boring and do not achieve this laudable goal.

Parents can play a major role in providing the encouragement, environment, and materials necessary for successful studying to take place. For example, they can establish a routine for meals, bedtime and study or do homework. Also, it encourages the child to be ready for studying. They can do a schedule so they are able to organize their week and make it on time. All children need their own place at home to do homework; it needs to be personal so that they feel that it is their "study place."

Teachers can require them to show their work, share ideas, gather reactions, interview parents, or conduct other interactions with a relative. It is also important to leave them dynamic projects that entertained the students that make them investigate and learn more about the subjects. For example, teachers can leave them homework, like a poster or resumes that help them studying for the tests. Also, watching videos and documental is useful.

The basic question is: “How much homework should teachers assign to students?” There is no clear answer to that, some teachers in USA make a simple formula, which has been suggested by many teachers: Homework = Grade level × 10. This means that the amount of after-school homework (in minutes) is equivalent to the grade you teach multiplied 10 times. For example, if you teach fifth grade, you would assign 50 minutes of homework per evening 5th grade × 10 = 50.

Those tips may help teachers to take advantage of homework as a tool to practice and review subjects. Moreover, a dynamic homework can be well-received by students who prefer to do something interesting and challenging. It is important to remember that students need also time to make friends, spend time with their family and do things that they like. We should encourage them to play instruments, do some sports and practice their hobbies.

Social Networking Websites

More than communication

Through social networking, people can use networks to stay in contact with friends and groups, reconnect with old friends or create real-life friendship, or like I call them "cyber-friends". Besides establishing important social relationships, social networking members can share their interests with other people by joining groups like bands, artists, jobs and forums. Most of the social networking offer additional features. For example, people can share quotes, they also can express themselves by designing their profile page to reflect their personality, an example of this it’s the Hi5, Twitter or MySpace social network website. 

They are also extra features that include music and video sections. Members can read bios of their favorite music artists from their own profile page as well as listen to their favorite songs and watch music videos. The social networking phenomenon has become very popular for example this great social network that has evolved in the last 7 years, including not only the stereotype of a teenager looking to expand his / her network of friends online, but make these young people have one more way to meet people and make friends. People of all ages and backgrounds have discovered that they can share their lives through the contacts.

 This look like an awesome idea to make friends and stay in contact with them and also share things, but what is going on with the security? The internet can be a dangerous place to post personal information. All social networks should provide the ability to set their profiles to private, and also the ability to report and block users. So, we can use the internet and the social network but also be careful. People have to avoid the danger by watching what they are uploading and being careful on (about) what information they giving to the internet website. Social’s Network is very useful and entertainment but we have to take care and be alert of the danger that they can bring. 

Lance Armstrong a fighter without limits

Lance Edward Armstrong is from Austin Texas, he was born at September 1971, he is one of the best cyclist of history. When he has 12 years old, he liked swimming and competing at triathlons. Seven years after he was the best professional at the national competitions of the United States. Also, after he beat the cancer, he started a foundation that nowadays helps a lot of

people to never give up and fight.

He started competing in international races, like the Tour of France in Limoges in 1995. One year later, at the same tour he had to leave the race because he started having health problems. Lance also disappointed his fans at the Olympics games of Atlanta, because his participation was not good enough, he finished at sixth place. In October of 1996, at the age of 25 years, he was detected with testicular cancer, lung and brain metastases, immediately he was operated. After surgery, his doctor told him that he had less than 40% chance of surviving. Lance was able to recover gradually, and he could return to the Tour of France at 1999

Lance started a foundation at 1997, which serves people affected by cancer, and empowers them to take action to move on. They have a yellow wristband that became a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer and to their families and friends. They have sold more than 80 million bands, also partnerships with companies like Nike, Oakley, RadioShack and American Century. Armstrong’s Fundation is now a global movement of hope, empowerment and taking control of your life and your health.

This Foundation is a global leader behalf, helping 28 million people that have cancer today. There are different ways to contribute to this foundation. You can donate online on this page www.livestrong.org, also buy gifts in honor of Armstrong or you can be part of the project like a volunteer.

It is important to help this people to keep their hope and the confidence of themselves. Follow the example of Lance, who never gives up, and always saw this situation like a new opportunity to

overcome the problems and move on. He says, “This situation is the best thing that ever happened to me…”

Carolina Meza

The Lance Armstrong Foundation Announces New Partnership With Ironman® to Raise $1 Million for People Affected by

Cancer

AUSTIN, TX -- (Marketwire) -- February 9, 2012 -- Today, the Lance Armstrong Foundation announced a new partnership with Ironman® to raise more than $1 million for people affected by cancer. Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, champion cyclist and the Foundation's founder and chairman, will compete as a professional athlete in several Ironman and Ironman 70.3® races this year including Ironman 70.3 Panama, Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Hawaii and Ironman France.

Armstrong is racing with the goal of qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on Oct. 13, 2012, and will be competing as a member of Team LIVESTRONG, which is adding these Ironman races to its endurance events series designed to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

"I am grateful to Ironman for partnering with LIVESTRONG to raise funds and awareness for people affected by cancer," said Armstrong. "In my career as an athlete and as a cancer advocate, I've learned that progress demands partnership, but it's not without a struggle. And that's what Team LIVESTRONG is about -- it's about purpose, it's about challenge and it's about empowering survivors to fight like hell. There's progress to be made with cancer and we invite anyone up for the challenge to join Team LIVESTRONG.""At 13 years old, Lance got his start in triathlon by racing in the IronKids® Series," said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation. "At 16 years old, he went pro and was considered a star in our sport. At only 18, he was racing against the best triathletes in the world: Mark Allen, Dave Scott and Scott Molina. We are happy to have him return to our sport. Lance is a fierce competitor and his involvement with Ironman and 70.3 is good for triathlon."

http://www.lancearmstrong.com

The advantages and disadvantages of media

Today, media has different ways to develop and it has been used a lot in the world. It has advantages and disadvantages that it offer, also how it have been important and addicted to some people.

The media can be defined as communication channels through news, entertainment, education or messages that

are disseminated. Also, media includes newspaper, magazines, radio, internet, TV, telephones, fax and billboard. When people want to know about the media, they can see it in any of the different media that I said. Media in our society, are used in different ways according to how the person wants to use it, for example in Internet, as Facebook to see what is been taking out, what is the friend doing at the same time, also on television to find out the news every hour.

The advantages of media can be: the message can be limited to your area, also you can get a lot of information that you want, a highly measurable results, it is very fast, cheap and it is balanced. Also you realize what is happen on the world, education, global perspectives, and mass information, also you can make opinions, you can get instant news, like television or internet. In fact there are many advantages that give the media.

The disadvantages can be a propaganda, lies because if someone says how the thing is, a person can write or say the lie and then, they can upload it, so the person can feel sad and be embarrassed, also it happens many times in the reports, that they say something that is not true; also a disadvantage can be emotionally, when they see the news and a accident happens or someone died, so he or she feels very sad and the emotion suddenly changes. Kids can use the internet to see what is not allowed for them, and the parents are not taking care of them and this is very dangerous, because it affects the mind since their earlier; so when they grow, their parents cant do nothing for them. Also the media invades privacy like Facebook, someone post something of the person and everybody saw it and then it is in the entire network. In TV for example, it opens access to people of all ages, like for example, on small children they are being available for violent programs and it is very sad.

The media has many advantages and disadvantages that it offers. Everybody has some kind of communication, whether telephones, radio, iPod, internet; everyone must be updated on what happens in the world or in our society, to be aware of any situation

that is taking place. In my opinion, parents should supervise their children when they are watching television, the programs that they are watching, even when they are on the internet.

Soul Surfer

This story is about a girl who lost her arm in a shark attack.

Her parents helped her to move on in her life and also she had obstacles; she learned about

how life is.

At the age of thirteen, Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack. She was so sad that she had lost it and she cried all the

days. She was very uncomfortable. After this

happened, her sister was able to help her in what she needed

or wanted.

She wanted to compete in a surf race, and rather than

compete, and also to win; but she told her that she could not do it because she had no arm,

then she cried a lot and suffered because she lost the

hand, until she felt discriminated against.

The time of the race,

Bethany was very unwell; she had a rival who

made her life impossible. At the end of the

competition, Bethany unfortunately did not win, but

was second place.

It was very amazing and impressive to see this fighter to achieve what she wanted and she could say that no matter

the circumstances or obstacles that are submitted in her life, we have to thank God for the

life, He keeps us alive and healthy every day and we never

have been complaining about the situations we present in our

life.

Melodie R

The Aspect of Hypocrisy in the Workplace

From the previous emotion and writing exercise, several sentences were noted down. These sentences were as a result of the frustrations which I had experienced at my previous workplaces following the hypocrisy which existed. This paper seeks to discuss the problem of hypocrisy as per the previously noted down sentences.

The problem of hypocrisy in the workplace has always left me feeling both angry and helpless. As a result, I have often wondered why individuals have to be selfish. At the workplace, I observed that managers were only keen to have their orders followed. Already receiving higher incomes, they still found it easy to step on their juniors who had no choice but to follow their orders. People should not expect others to do things which they are not prepared to do themselves. Every other time, such managers made decisions which were not rational and only because they wanted to profit from the benefits alone.

It does not hurt to wish and dream and so many times I have wished I had the power to put a stop to this hypocrisy. If only I was at the helm of that company, I would set an example for everyone else. As a leader willing to serve everyone equally I would be prepared to apply the same for those with whom I share special relations. I do not see why one deserves to be treated differently from others simply because they know the boss. Managers often had their friends receive special treatment with most of them being engaged in various workshops which came with a lot of benefits. Some things should just be prohibited. Hypocrisy not only lowers a company's efficiency but it also brings about unethical tendencies which should not be allowed in workplaces.

References Check, J. (2004). "I Teach, (I Feel), I Write: The Effects of Emotion on Writing About Schooling" The Quarterly, Vol. 26, No.3. Greene, S.S. (1995). An Introduction to the Study of English Grammar, Philadelphia: Cowperthwait & Co. Nordquist: R. (2010). "Basic Sentence Structures in English" About.com, Retrieved on 18 January, 2010 from, http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/a/basicstructures.htm Wiechert, P. (2007). Exclamative Sentences-a Basic Sentence Type? An Analysis of Exclamative Sentences in English and German, Berlin: Grin Verlag

http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english/hypocrisy-in-the-workplace.php

Causes and Effects of Obesity

Obesity refers to excess amount of body fat, more than what is considered healthy for

a given height. Generally, obesity is more in females than males because men have

more muscles than women; muscles burn more calories than other type of tissues that

have tendency to accumulate fat. Obesity has many predisposing factors like genetic,

lifestyles and emotional factors, which may result on serious health problems.

Causes of Obesity

There are varieties of factors that play a major role in obesity like heredity, lifestyles

and emotional factors. There is a strong relationship between genes and being obese.

Inherited Ob gene from parent clarified why one person becomes obese than anther

(Donatelle, 2004,P.3).Moreover, obesity tend to run in families have same genes and

shared and lifestyles habits ("Obesity,"n.d.).Another factor is lifestyles habits, which

include eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. People nowadays prefer frozen and junk

foods which are easy to prepare, however, those foods are high in calories and

saturated fats, which enhance building of fat tissues. Sedentary lifestyle and reduce

body movement promote fat accumulation and lead to obesity ("Overweight and

Oesity,"n.d.2).Another cause of obesity is emotional disorder. Many psychological

problems, like anorexia nervosa, hopelessness and anger influence eaten habits and

lead to obesity.

Effects of Obesity

Obesity leads to serious health problems, medically, psychologically and physically. As

the body can't utilize the excess calories intake, tend to accumulate it in the body

tissues and storage it as a fat. As a result of contusing building fat tissues, many health

problems appear, like diabetes, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis and high blood

pressure ("Overweight and Obesity,"n.d.1). Another effect of obesity is physical

problems, as the person being more obese will increase difficulty in mobilization and

sleepiness. Psychological problem is one of the most painful aspects of obesity. Obese

person will get difficulty with interaction with people and tend to be isolated and

depressed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, obesity is a major problem which founded in every economic class and

has a lot of complications .Obesity can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, including a

variety of foods, especially grain products, vegetables and fruits. The diet should be

moderate in salt and low in fat and cholesterol. Reinforce the need for regularly

physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day.

References

Donatella, Ph.D.(2004).Access to Health, San-Francisco :Publisher Daryl fox.

(9.3),269-289. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007, November17).

Retrieved November17, 2007, from http://www.cdc.gov. WebMD and part of the

WebMD Network,(n.d.), Retrieved (30 December 2005),

http://www.emedicinehealth.com.

Link: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english/causes-and-effects-of-obesity.php

Longevity and Healthy Diet of Costa Rica

by Money Glitch.

Longevity and Healthy Diet of Costa Rica will reveal some of the basic foods of the Costa Rican’s diet that has been tied to longevity.Based on your health status today, do you feel that if you lived to be a 100 years old that you still would be able to chop wood and maintain a farm? If the answer is no! Then, let me introduce you to a region where there are many centenarians that are very active.

Located in Central America between Panama and Nicaragua is Costa Rica and the Nicoya Peninsula. Go on a Costa Rica tour and discover that here the numbers of people that live past their 90’s are 4 times greater than in the US. The below plate would be served for a typical lunch and is called Casado. This dish usually consists of: rice, fried plantain, onioned meat (chicken or beef), an egg, beans and a cabbage or lettuce salad sprinkled with lemon juice and salt.

You might recall that Nicoya Peninsula is one of the Blue Zone Regions that I introduced in my hub titled Need a Healthy Diet: Eat Blue Zones Superfoods. If you are an individual that is interested in living longer you might want to take a look at that hub once you’ve finished here. Many nutritionists would theorize that the food elections of this region are too high in saturated fats; however when you look at how active the senior citizens are an individual might question such a theory.

There are several theories as to why this Blue Zone region has so many centenarians; however this hub is going to focus on Costa Rican cuisine. As with most healthy diets, “moderation” is the key; or as the local Costa Rican’s call it, “Ticos” which means never eat excessively.

The native dishes rely heavily on beans and rice; an example is the Gallo Pinto, the national dish of fried rice and black beans is generally served for breakfast. Costa Rican diet consists of a lot of fried foods; however, there are numerous fruits and vegetables that are enjoyed. Beef, chicken, and fish are the meat staples because shrimp or lobster is too expensive since most of the country’s seafood is exported.

It has been taken from: http://moneyglitch.hubpages.com/hub/Longevity-and-Healthy-Diet-of-Costa-Rica

15 Best Diet Tips EverExperts share their top tips for weight loss success.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LDWebMD Weight Loss Clinic-FeatureReviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Everyone knows the keys to losing weight: Eat less and exercise more. Sounds simple enough, but in the context of real life and its demands, it can be anything but simple. So how do successful losers do it? To find out, WebMD asked experts across the country for their best diet tips.

Best Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.

"If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories," says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Best Diet Tip No. 2: Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

"It sounds like a lot, but it is well worth it, because at the same time you are meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food," says chef Laura Pansiero, RD.

You're also less likely to overeat because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet. And that's not to mention the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce, says Pansiero.

Her suggestion for getting more: Work vegetables into meals instead of just serving them as sides on a plate.

"I love to take seasonal vegetables and make stir-fries, frittatas, risotto, pilafs, soups, or layer on sandwiches," Pansiero says. "It is so easy to buy a variety of vegetables and incorporate them into dishes."

Best Diet Tip No. 3: Consider whether you're really hungry.

Whenever you feel like eating, look for physical signs of hunger, suggests Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry?

"Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it," she says.

When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.

"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably," says May.

Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.

Best Diet Tip No. 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, when you finally sit down and relax.

"Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit," says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Malena Perdomo, RD.

Either close down the kitchen after a certain hour, or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream. Once you find that you're usually satisfied with the low-cal snack, try a cup of zero-calorie tea, suggests Perdomo.

Best Diet Tip No. 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.

"I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers 'rebound' overeating," says Sass.

Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.

"You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation," says Sass.

Best Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.

When you need a treat, Ellie Krieger, RD, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite, suggests taking a walk to your local ice cream parlor or planning a family outing.

"By making it into an adventure, you don't have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight," says Krieger.

And for those times you just can't get out? Krieger stocks her kitchen with fresh fruit, which she thinks can be every bit as delicious as any other dessert.

Best Diet Tip No. 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you're hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.

"Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight," says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.

She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day -- dinner should be the last time you eat.

Best Diet Tip No. 8: Eat protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in

weight control.

"Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss," says University of Illinois protein researcher Donald Layman, PhD.

Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Best Diet Tip No. 9: Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied.

"Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won't eat as much," says Perdomo.

When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.

Best Diet Tip No. 10: Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.

Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.

Sass stocks her kitchen with:

• 94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, and you can make it in two minutes or less)

• Frozen vegetables• Bags of pre-washed greens• Canned diced tomatoes• Canned beans• Whole-grain wraps or pitas• Pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts• A few containers of pre-cooked brown riceWithin minutes, she can toss together a healthy medley.

Best Diet Tip No. 11: Order childrenâs portions at restaurants.

"When you are eating out, order a child's pizza or a small sandwich as an easy way to trim calories and get your portions under control," suggest Perdomo.

Another trick is to use smaller plates. This helps the portions look like more, and if your mind is satisfied, your stomach likely will be, too.

Best Diet Tip No. 12: Eat foods in season.

"If you don't love certain fruits or vegetables, it could be because you ate them out of season when they have little taste or flavor," says Pensiero. "When you eat seasonally, fruits and vegetables are more flavorful, at their best, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

At GiGi's Trattoria, her restaurant in Rhinebeck, N.Y., she serves simple fruit desserts, like

naturally sweet strawberries topped with aged balsamic vinegar, or low-fat yogurt or fresh berries in a compote.

Best Diet Tip No. 13: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

Simply by eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.

"You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables," says Sass.

Best Diet Tip No. 14: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a stressful situation. Instead of turning to food for comfort, be prepared with some non-food tactics that work for you.

Sass suggests reading a few chapters in a novel, listening to music, writing in a journal, practicing meditative deep breathing, or looking at a photo album of loved ones.

Best Diet Tip No. 15: Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don't use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to "earn" the right to eat more.

"When you do, it sets up a negative thought pattern, which is why so many people say they hate to exercise," says May.

Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleep and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.

http://www.webmd.com

Crows Have Human-Like Intelligence, Author Saysby John Roach

Crows make tools, play tricks on each other, and caw among kin in a dialect all their own.

These are just some of the signs presented in a recent book that point to an unexpected similarity between the wise birds and humans.

"It's the same kind of consonance we find between bats that can fly and birds that can fly and insects that can fly," said Candace Savage, a nature writer based in Saskatoon, Canada.

"Species don't have to be related for there to have been some purpose, some reason, some evolutionary advantage for acquiring shared characteristics," she added.

Savage's book, Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys of the Avian World (October 2005),explores the burgeoning field of crow research, which suggests that the birds share with humans several hallmarks of higher intelligence, including tool use and sophisticated social behavior.

The shared traits exist despite the fact that crows and humans sit on distinct branches of the genetic tree.

Humans are mammals. Crows are birds, which Savage calls feathered lizards, referring to the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs.

"I'm not positing there's anything mythological about this or imagining crows are in any way human," she said.

"But whatever it is that has encouraged humans to develop higher intelligence also seems to have been at work on crows."

Tool Use

Alex Kacelnik is a zoologist at Oxford University in England who studies tool use in crows. He said study of the birds advances understanding of how higher intelligence evolves.

As a sign of crows' advanced smarts, Savage cites Kacelnik's 2002 study in the journal Science on a captive New Caledonian crow that bent a straight piece of wire into a hook to fetch a bucket of food in a tube.

"No other animal—not even a chimp—has ever spontaneously solved a problem like this, a fact that puts crows in a class with us as toolmakers," Savage writes in her book.

Kacelnik noted that New Caledonian crows, which are restricted to a few islands in the South Pacific Ocean, are the only example of some 45 crow species that "are very intense tool users in nature."

Nevertheless, he continued, these birds are "both intense tool users and creative tool users … In addition to the tools they are normally seen to use in the wild, they are capable of making new instruments when the necessity arises," such as the wire hooks.

In research published last year in the journalNature, Kacelnik and his colleagues demonstrated that New Caledonians are born toolmakers—that there is a genetic component to the behavior.

The finding, Kacelnik said, fits the notion that higher intelligence requires a genetic imprint to foster more advanced behaviors like learning and innovation.

"There are three elements: what animals inherit, what animals learn by individual experience, and what animals acquire through social input," he said.

"It's a mistake to believe [these elements] compete. Actually, they coalesce, they enhance each other."

Crow Trickery

The intelligence of other crow species, most notably ravens, is also demonstrated by their ability to manipulate the outcomes of their social interactions, according to book author Savage.

For example, she highlights raven research by University of Vermont zoologist Bernd Heinrich showing how juvenile and adult ravens differ when feeding on a carcass.

The juveniles cause a ruckus when feeding to recruit other young ravens to the scene for added safety against competition with adult crows and other scavengers.

The adults, by contrast, show up at a carcass in pairs and keep quiet to avoid drawing attention—and competition—to the food.

Savage also discusses Swiss zoologist Thomas Bugnyar's research showing how a raven named Hugin learned to deceive a more dominant raven named Mugin into looking for cheese morsels in empty containers while Hugin snuck away to raid full containers.

"This shady behavior satisfies the definition of 'tactical', or intentional, deception and admits the raven to an exclusive club of sociable liars that in the past has included only humans and our close primate relatives," Savage writes in her book.

Another area of crow research that may indicate higher intelligence is how crows learn and use sound. Preliminary findings suggest that family groups develop their own sort of personal dialects, according to Savage.

"There's a lot more going on in a bird brain than people ten years ago would have imagined," she said.

It has been taken from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060606-crows_2.html