Losing fats fast! How many calories did you just put into your mouth?
Do we really need to count calories in order to achieve the optimal results from watching out diet? Counting calories for every meal may help for people who prefer to track their calories intake right down to the finer details so that can check their calories consumption vs. calories expenditure for very precise weight management. However, generally for the rest of us, perhaps bearing in mind the calories yield from the major nutrients I have discussed previously may be suffice to serve as a reminder when it comes to choosing what we want to eat.
Now back to the list below, let us examine them and uncover any possibilites of hidden fats if any.
Salad
Chicken Sandwich
Yogurt
Young Tau Foo
Fish slice noodles with soup
Salad is an old time favourite for people who diet. Did the leafy greens pop in your mind whenever you think of going for healthy food? The fat trap normally lies in the salad dressing. Most people load on mayonnaise to make the greens taste better . However, this means you are increasing your fat intake which will up your calories consumption as well. It will be a good idea to replace it with a healthier alternative such as olive oil. Or else, try to reduce the amount of dressing.
Chicken sandwich should not sound sinful does it? The answer lies in the method of cooking. Is it fried or grilled? The sandwich may also be sprinkled with mayonnaise or thousand island which are high in fat content. Again this will add on to your calories intake. I used to think that having chicken sandwich for lunch is healthy and there was a period of time where I actually had it as lunch almost everyday. It was then I realized that I was actually consuming a lot of fats through the sauce. A better alternative would be mustard and always opt for grilled chicken breast if possible.
The 3rd in line is yogurt. Come on, yogurt is supposed to be a healthy snack with excellent source of calcium, protein and also loaded with live cultures right? Yes, but when it comes to choosing which type of yogurts, go for those with lowest sugar content as some yogurts are high in sugar level which means you will be consuming more calories that will make you fat.
Young Tau Foo seems harmless enough. We are often advised to go for soupy food if we are serious in watching our diet. This is true provided you leave out those fried stuff like “tau pok”, “fried wanton” and the likes. Fried food items again mean that you are consuming more fats that translate into more calories intake.
Finally, fish slice noodles. I think you got it. DO NOT choose fried fish for your fish slice noodles. Some of the dish comes with milk added into the soup. It is best to go for plain soup.
Based on what is being discussed thus far, it is not hard to figure out that the key to choosing what to eat is really based on the method of cooking. You are in control to choose what you want to eat. You may need to make a conscious effort initially to always opt for a healthier alternative.
Just like myself, I will always request for skim milk whenever I need my cuppa fix. This has become a habit due to my conscious effort to always make the request whenever possible. As we all know, old habits die hard, but once you have made a commitment, it won’t be too hard to adopt good eating habits. Start small as every baby steps counts!
If you want to find out more on nutrition and fitness, grab your free copy of ebook at www.burnfatsfast.com
Balboa Bay Club Ideal for Weekend in Luxury
Why just read about the rich and famous when you can vacation with them? A stay in a Newport Beach luxury waterfront hotel will give you an up-close look at how the other half lives — or maybe we should say the other 10 percent.
The Balboa Bay Club will be glad to share its front-row view of the good life now that this legendary club of the Newport Coast elite has opened half its units to the general public. Before 2003, the resort’s prime Newport Beach real estate was only available to members of the club. Now there are 150 rooms and 10 suites available to anyone yearning for some weekend affluence.
Staying at the club a night or two would be a sure-fire way to impress the significant other, or to completely escape from job stress, but still keep costs within reason. We consider resorts like the Balboa Bay Club “special-occasion” getaways ‘ places we go to celebrate, not just to get away. With small houses on nearby Balboa Island going for $4 million and 100-foot mega-yachts parked in slips right out in front of your bay-view suite, the Balboa Bay Club takes you many steps beyond the average getaway.
The first clue you’re not in Kansas anymore is when you cruise the circular driveway to the lobby area. Behind that line of dark-colored, late-modeled SUVs there’s a gleaming new two-seat sports car you don’t quite recognize because, in all likelihood, it’s not the kind of car available at your local auto mall. Then it’s not one or two valets, but a platoon of at least six fair-haired young gentlemen running to and fro to make certain that no one waits long for their vehicle.
And the service just keeps on coming. From the smiling young woman at check-in to the cordial bellhops to the extraordinarily punctual room service attendants ‘ who managed to bring us cookies and milk while the cookies were still warm ‘ the service at the Balboa Bay Club, during our stay, was consistently top-rate.
And then there are the rooms. Once we opened the door to our bay-view suite, we could fully appreciate the club’s location and attention to detail. The sliding glass doors opened to a maritime show that continued from dawn to dusk. From small Duffy boats to super-yachts, from kayaks to college rowing teams, the sights and sounds of Balboa Bay are mesmerizing. You’ll be tempted to spend many an hour on the one of your two private decks that are perfect for viewing all of the water activities.
The rooms are over-size and our one-bedroom suite actually had two of these large rooms with two bathrooms, one so spacious it had three dressing areas, a walk-in closet, a two-person Jacuzzi-style tub and a separate shower room. The bathrooms were Italian marble, the counter-tops granite and the overall design was reminiscent of those bathroom areas you see in home d?r magazines ‘ you know, the ones you wonder if you will ever really be able to afford.
Large-screen TV, high-speed internet, games, they’re all there. And, when it came time to turn in for the night, our luxuriously appointed king-size bed was form-fitting and among the most comfortable we’ve ever slept on. Oh those 10 percent do live well.
The Balboa Bay Club actually was created in 1948, back when there were far fewer people living in Newport Beach and the area was a popular getaway for Hollywood elites. There are about 2,800 members of the club, which includes a couple thousand or so living on the property and the others just dropping by to use the spa, Olympic-style pool and other recreational facilities. Past and present members of the club include such familiar names as John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Wagner, John Travolta, Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Carey.
The first few years of the “public” Balboa Bay Club have gone well and the resort has attracted a consistent stream of getaway travelers, most hailing from California and arriving by car ‘ although John Wayne Airport is only a 15-minute drive from the resort. The temperate coastal weather and the property’s waterfront location are big draws.
In fact, Newport Beach is a pretty good draw all on its own. Take a drive and you’ll see that modern, wide palm tree-lined thoroughfares take visitors through some of the priciest real estate in the country, the gorgeous blue Pacific Ocean almost always visible with just the slightest elevation.
World-class shopping and fine restaurants are in nearly every part of the city ‘ and, we might mention, the club’s restaurant, the First Cabin, is no slouch either. Famous galleries, exquisite home furnishing stores and many fascinating shops are awaiting your exploration in nearby Corona del Mar. Or visit Fashion Island, one of two Orange County super retail complexes that just seem too grandiose to be called shopping centers (the other being South Coast Plaza in nearby Costa Mesa). Name a store found on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and you’ll probably find a version of it at Fashion Island.
For the outdoor enthusiast, it’s just a five-minute drive from the club to Upper Newport Ecological Reserve, a 752-acre coastal wetland that is home to 200 rare and endangered bird species. Visitors enjoy walking tours through the area.
On our visits to Newport Beach, we have enjoyed shopping on Balboa Island, which has a tiny, but busy Main Street ‘ actually it’s called Marine Avenue ‘ which is just a few short blocks with about 70 shops and restaurants to explore. This little example of Small Town Americana offers a wide selection of shops in all price ranges as well as several boutiques and galleries.
The downtown shopping area is just part of the attraction on Balboa Island, an island small enough that you can walk entirely around its perimeter in less than two miles. It’s fun to observe life on an island that remains exclusive because it is so expensive. There is no denying that the ever-present sunshine and the harbor views create a quiet respite from bustling city life and clogged freeways. The colorful villas and vacation-style homes on the island are quite lavish for their size.
Walk out onto your deck at the Balboa Bay Club and you’ll likely see many electrically powered Duffy boats — which you can even rent for your own cruise on the bay. Duffy boats are made locally and are specifically designed to take a group of people out on the water in total comfort and luxury for simple harbor cruising. The 21-foot boat we rented could accommodate 10 adults with plush bench seats on each side of the boat with table tops available in the middle for drinks or snacks. The boat was entirely shaded and had plenty of open areas on the sides to enjoy the view. It was easy to operate and requires little or no boating experience.
Our Duffy boat wasn’t exactly like the 100-foot mega-yachts tied up in from of our suite at the Balboa Club — but let’s just say it was a tad bit easier on fuel.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: The Balboa Bay Club is in Newport Beach, which is located in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. It is easily reached on the 405 freeway.
WHAT: A playground for the wealthy, but still within reason for the average middle-income family if you go for just a weekend.
WHEN: Year-round, with blue-sky weather virtually any time of the year.
WHY: “Weather and water” as one club executive explained. The weather’s perfect most of the time, and the club is the only waterfront resort in Newport Beach.
HOW: For more information on the Balboa Bay Club, phone 888-445-7153 or visit www.balboabayclub.com. Be sure to check out their package specials that begin at around $300 a night. For information on Newport Beach, contact the Newport Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-94-COAST or visit www.newportbeach-cvb.com.
Isla De Providencia, Silent Secret of the Caribbean
I left Colombia (continental, that is) with all its guerrilla – army – paramilitary violence plus the mafia-related problems, headed to, as the island´s webpage proclaimed, “the best kept secret in the Caribbean”. (I already knew the secret since I had been on the islands on sabbatical week twice before). The small airport in Providencia, called El Embrujo (The Bewitchment), brought strange deja-vu feelings not counting the fact that I was still mesmerized by the finite but subtle gradation of colors I had seen in the water from the small plane minutes before landing. The airport zone was like a tropical parade with the multi-color passenger lobby looming over gardens of red hibiscus in their turn being pierced by the yellow bananaquit birds fluttering from one flower to the other in a dreamy slow motion. Beyond, the turquoise waters of the Mc. Bean Lagoon National Park shimmered peacefully.
Isla de Providencia & Santa Catalina are two small mountainous outcrops of land less than 8 square miles both situated 400 miles southwest of Jamaica and a quarter of the way on an imaginary line traced across the Caribbean from Punta Gorda, Nicaragua to Cartagena, Colombia. And a few hours after arriving, there I was, sitting behind this large, black, simpatico and unmet women who decided to take me on her small motorcycle to meet my friend Rolando in order to hand him some pictures I had taken the last time I was here. That type of kindness struck me since it is not very usual in many other places. Clearly on the maps says Col. (Colombia) after the name of the islands. How far is reality from the assumptions this abbreviation brings to people’s minds.
The hurricane season has hit few but strong blows on the islands. One of them came about in 1510 when the expedition of Diego de Nicuenza separated from Alonso de Ojeda (Colon´s Second Voyage) and was caught in a storm and its ships blown to a small island which Nicuenza named Santa Catalina, because it was common in those days to name sites after the Saint of the Day. To the other larger island just 200 meters across a shallow sea he gave the name Providencia in honor to the God that had just saved him. The beautiful Lover’s Floating Bridge now links the two islands.
A name and a position on a map brought settlers. As the Spanish colonies in Central and South America grew more and more, slaves tried to escape from imprisonment and reached the islands.
So it was for 150 years when the buccaneers, having been given the Elizabethan wink to raze the Spanish galleons that traversed the region hefty with the New World richness, looked for a good place to establish their operations and cure their illnesses. They found these mountainous islands, ungoverned, hills ready to be used as searching periscopes over the Caribbean. Who else could find safety there but the famous Welsh pirate Morgan with also famous Paco, the parrot that sat on his shoulder? Legend says he buried the treasures stolen in Panama in 1671 in these islands.
After Morgan’s escape to Jamaica the Spanish took control of the islands but only by word of mouth since English men with their slaves from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands tried to establish cotton farming here but instead ended up raising cattle. By this time the population was as diverse as the vessels that traversed the Caribbean. Nevertheless, lovers were not interested in racial aspects and African, Anglo, Dutch (who were also around) and Latin mixed, populating the island with that distinct clear eyes-dark skin look of many persons in Providencia. After much give-and-take among governments and several entangled political moves that passed through England, Spain, colonial Guatemala, Chile (the son of Admiral Louis Aury, a corsair, claimed the islands for Chile), Nueva Granada (which included actual Colombia and Panama) and Nicaragua, Colombia would stay with the islands although, as so many islands nowadays, looking at a map it would never occur to anyone that they belong to this country.
Providencians feel Colombian but most of all they feel Providencian, a pride openly demonstrated when they start so many phrases with the words “Our island” talking to outsiders or when they speak a distorted English among them with distinct accents and Spanish words intermixed but very different to the ‘Spanglish’ spoken by Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. They even distill their own Providencia Old Bushi Rum (a little too strong for me I have to say) using spring water outbursting from the mountains. As kind and joyful as they are to other people, they don’t want their island becoming another San Andres, a larger island of the same archipelago with duty-free commerce all around and overpopulation problems. Residence in the island is controlled by a government agency called OCCRE and for outsiders is very difficult to get permanent resident status as more and more tourists that visit Providencia want to stay and share the secret. As I casually heard a woman saying to another: “that seems to happen to everybody that comes to the island. They come for eight days, fall in love with it and then don’t want to leave”.
I remember one night in Providencia as one of the most pleasing I ever had in my life. I was staying at one of the two cabins that a middle-aged fisherman named Van Britton had on Black Bay. That night the waves crashed against the lower wall of the cabin and through a glassless window I could see myriad stars while I slowly fell asleep. At morning a temperate breeze swayed my mosquito net in harmony with the ebb tide. That morning I felt I had found what peace and harmony are about.
There are no big hotels in Providencia, instead there has been an initiative toward having the natives install small cabins in synchrony with the colorful wooden architecture of the islands. The ‘native dwellings’ program surely established the islands as the place for a tourism more willing for nature’s calm rhythms but not entirely disregarding human conveniences or night life for that matter: it is a pleasure to go dancing reggae on one of the open-air bars just by the sea as I did one night with some friends. We arrived a little early by Providencian standards, so we just waited there talking, drinking beer and enjoying the warm night air. By midnight the dance floor was filled with people moving softly to Lucky Dube’s songs. A longhaired Rasta told me: “this is great, everybody is groovying now” giving me a big smile. I couldn’t have said it better.
The next day I snorkeled from Black Bay to South West Beach passing in front of small beaches with cerulean bays in whose depths hid octopuses, eels, sea snakes and all kinds of coral fish luminous under the sun. I lingered in the water while some horses, one of the foreign contributions to the islands, were readied for a race on the distant beach. It was another Saturday for the Providencia derby and kids around twelve years old jockeyed horses along the shore, riding without saddles and hoping for a moment of glory, the horses’ owners expecting big dividends. If it’s not horses it’s sail boats or dominoes. “People just love to bet even if they have no money” a young woman named Luz Marina Livingston told me. But more than that they love the sea. These people are fishermen, sailors and even the most office-secluded person has to take a glimpse at the Caribbean waters daily. They depend on the sea for food in many ways: the staples are fish, sea snail, lobster, and the black land crabs that have to reproduce in the sea but most of the supplies also come by sea on twice-a-week (when lucky) ships from the continent: gasoline, potatoes, rice, flour, drinking water, etc. If a ship breaks as it happened when I was there, everybody tries to move around the least possible. There are two occasions when everybody stays at their home in Providencia, everyone coincided: when the ship with the gasoline for the hundreds of motorcycles doesn’t come and when it rains. So from late April to July during the rain season the other ubiquitous inhabitants of the islands come out and take control.
The phenomenon of thousands of crabs that live in the mountains, following their ancestral instincts, coming down the hills to the coast where they reproduce is a truly remarkable natural event. I had specially come at this time of year to witness the march. Confusion, however, was what I found. If somebody told me the crabs had already come down this year just a week before my arrival, a few hours later another person, with the same ‘I know for sure’ look on his face said that they were still to come. 12 days went by and I had to resign myself to watch the crabs eating decaying matter at night. There are many sites where this same reproduction spree takes place. In Christmas Island on the Indian Ocean 120 million crabs (a different species) do the same process and though such numbers are not reported in Providencia, the pictures I had seen showed black crabs covering the only paved road in the island which could be closed at this time of year at Crab Peak Hour Traffic.
After a heavy nocturnal storm I rose early one clear morning day and headed for shore where I found tiny little spiders moving in the pockets of rain. What I took for spiders were actually newly transformed land crabs heading to the mountains. There weren’t a lot of them but it was wonderful to see a life cycle completion, how endurance had worked for these little crabs after being dropped as eggs in the ocean without any other maternal care.
I had yet to see the beginning of the cycle, and it occurred one night when I heard scratching noises on my room door. I knew burglary wasn’t one of Providencia’s problems so I figured it could only be that the crabs had started their 200 meters migration to the shore. The females’ underbodies were full with eggs that looked like Iranian caviar ready to be spread on a cracker. As I moved through the wave of crabs they clapped their claws fiercely. I saw some entering the hotel’s kitchen, climbing walls, crossing the road painfully slowly, descending staircases and some even plummeted from high cliffs to fall unharmed on the rocky shore. The ones that made it to shore settled a little bit and then came forward to reach the gentle surf. At the first contact with the water the females raised their claws like in ecstasy and danced a trembling tropical ‘cumbia’ letting go of their eggs.
The day before departure I grabbed my hammock and decided to tackle The Peak, the tallest mountain of the island. I had never been on that part of the island and, as I would learn later, should have. I passed the last settlements where a few undernourished cows grazed over the dry grass. Then I followed the spring the owner of the hotel told me to look for. The spring was a trickle at this time of year and the tall trees cast a green tinge down over the rocks that formed every now and then small cascades where I sat massaging my back with the falling water. Apparently the mango trees had adapted very well to the environment and some were so plush with fruit that the rocks below were stamped with their explosions. A small shack appeared near the end of the forest assuring me I was in the right direction since this should be the cabin of a hermit Rasta man that makes a living with what he can reap from nature. A little farther up, the forest was one of short palm trees and scrubby vegetation; the ground was rocky which reminded me that this archipelago had risen through volcanic activity millions of years ago. On the top the metallic plaque that stated the 370 meters (1220-ft.) of altitude of The Peak welcomed me mirroring the setting sun.
Since its eruption from the depths through all the years of political moves of possessive governments the island and Providencians have managed to keep the same peace and tranquility of always and that is their best kept secret.
Categories: 1000 Islands Hotels Tags: Caribbean, Isla, Providencia, Secret, Silent
When in Santorini always have your camera ready ?
There are two ways to get to Santorini – by plane or by ferry. If you are arriving by ferry try to get one that docks during daylight and be sure to have your camera ready. The view as you approach the island is breathtaking. Steep cliffs, one thousand feet high, rise almost vertically out of the clear, blue water of the Aegean. You can sea a road wind its way up the mountains to a string of whitewashed buildings at the top.
Santorini is famous for its sunsets. You might be lucky enough to have a view of the sunset from the balcony of your Santorini hotel room. To maximise the experience, however, you are probably better off heading for the small town of Oia in the north of the island. Spend some time exploring it’s narrow, whitewashed lanes then find yourself a Santorini luxury restaurant overlooking the sea. Get comfortable. Get a glass of wine. Get your camera ready. The whole sky seems to turn orange and the view is amazing. That is the moment you know you are really on holiday and all the cares and stresses of work melt away.
The traditional picture postcard views you get of the Greek islands are often based on photographs of Santorini. Hotels, villas and churches here all have the traditional colour scheme of whitewashed walls with a blue trim. Roads snake their way up steep cliffs. The sun shines overhead and the Aegean sparkles. Almost everywhere you turn you are presented with a view straight out of a postcard.
American Express produces a magazine called ‘Travel and Leisure’ which compiles an annual poll of travel destinations. Santorini consistently appears on that list as the top island holiday location in Europe. The poll considers all aspects of an area. Santorini luxury hotels, restaurants, views, facilities and value for money have all achieved high marks, year after year, from thousands of travellers. Why not take their word for it?
Categories: 1000 Islands Bed And Breakfast Tags: always, camera, Ready, Santorini
Discover The Cultural Treasures Of Ibiza
Ibiza may be best known as the home of dance music, drawing thousands of ravers from across Europe to its world-leading nightclubs every summer, but the Balearic Island has a lot more to offer visitors who are interested in an insightful or relaxing holiday experience.
Anyone heading to Ibiza who isn’t interested in clubbing will quickly learn to avoid the nightlife hotspots such as Ibiza Town; fortunately there are many excellent destinations around the coast and further inland that provide a haven of tranquillity away from the busy capital.
One particularly scenic choice is Sant Joan de Labritja in the north of Ibiza, where visitors can explore the island’s unspoilt natural beauty and discover the local culture of Ibicenco residents. Visiting areas of Ibiza where local customs still go strong offers a more authentic visitor experience than the glitz of the more developed towns. Discover why Ibiza earned the nickname of the White Island by seeing the famous whitewashed houses of its rural areas.
Ibiza’s diverse terrain of verdant hills, white beaches and rocky cliffs also make it a top destination for active breaks in the sunny Mediterranean climate, with rambling being an effective way to discover the many fascinating ruins and architectural treasures of Ibiza. Amidst the island’s pine forests lie historic towers and churches that are best discovered on foot, some of which you might not even find in traditional guidebooks.
Ibiza’s beaches are popular with adventure-seekers too, hosting all manner of water sports in the clear waters of the western Mediterranean. The island also draws visitors with its impressive golf courses, go-cart tracks and bike courses, for those who are hoping to get more out of their holiday than just sunbathing.
It’s easy to get around Ibiza thanks to the island’s well developed public transport system, with regular bus services between Ibiza Airport and the major towns. Even if you accomplish the impossible and feel like you’ve seen all the sights of Ibiza during your stay, it’s just as convenient to jump on a ferry to the nearby island paradise of Formentera.
If you’re heading to Ibiza to seek out the island’s cultural attractions off the beaten track, it’s a good idea to arrange your flights to Ibiza outside of the peak month of August. Ibiza in the autumn is still a warm and welcoming landscape, and you’ll be able to enjoy its unspoilt serenity.
Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
Categories: 1000 Islands Golf Tags: Cultural, Discover, Ibiza, Treasures
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Review [Xbox 360]
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Review [Xbox 360]
Poor AI and insane difficulty gets between you and the sniping in Sniper: Ghost Warrior.
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