Honestly, this picture is a bit embarrassing to post and I’m wondering for those that have pet, if your dog or cat sleep this way.  This is his favorite sleeping position, not your typical doggy style, I’ve never seen anything like this before until he came along.  I had 3 dogs prior to Max, all died of old age, it was Teddy, Ralph, and Snuggie and they all slept in a normal doggy sleeping position.  Max is on the odd side, he is still peeing like a female dog, doesn’t know how to lift his leg up yet I assumed, I might have to teach him how.  He just turned 1 year old a couple of weeks back, weights 69 lbs.

I posted about sleeping position before, they say that your sleeping position say a lot about you, and I’m not sure what position is Max, I guess he is a crossed between Foetus and Starfish, so Max is tough on the outside but sensitive at heart, and also a good friend, as in man’s best friend.

What your sleeping position says about you …

Foetus

Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

Log

Lying on your side with both arms down by your side. These sleepers are easygoing, social people who like being part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be gullible.

Yearner

People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it.

Soldier

Lying on your back with both arms pinned to your sides. People who sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved. They don’t like a fuss, but set themselves and others high standards.

Freefall

Lying on your front with your hands around the pillow, and your head turned to one side. Often gregarious and brash people, but can be nervy and thin-skinned underneath, and don’t like criticism, or extreme situations.

Starfish

Lying on your back with both arms up around the pillow. These sleepers make good friends because they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They generally don’t like to be the center of attention.

Photo source and to learn more about Swine flu.

Out of all people, I should be the one to fear the Swine flu the most because I can’t take a flu shot, I took one several years back and had a bad allergic reaction that I suffered severe rashes for 2 years. The deadly Swine flu epidemic has many wearing face mask, pretty soon we’ll have a shortage of that as well. Most people are on a panic buying, you can’t find a bottle of hand sanitizer or a face mask for sale anywhere in town. How do you protect yourself? I guess if I can’t find a face mask, I’ll have to look around for something that will work, what do you think of this one? Maybe this would work.

Well, only if the masks were switched around in these 2 photos, then everyone would look decent.

photo source

• Reflection by Jim Brickman

Just looking at this picture makes my nerves tie into little knots.

Snake Massage, Photo: GETTY IMAGES

I’m not a spa person, but I’m sure it’d be something that I would enjoy, but Spa and a snake massage, I’m just not so sure.  I have fear of snake, and this treatment consists of six non-venomous snakes massaging the client’s aching muscles and joints, I don’t think I can survive the treatment.

Ada Barak’s snake spa is in Talmei Elazar, northern Israel, uses California and Florida king snakes, corn snakes and milk snakes for the massages, which cost £40 ($70).  Some people find that physical contact with the reptiles can be a relaxing experience, and also stress relieving.  This might be something for you, please read more here.

Wasabi by chriskk

I read an interesting article in Koosang Koosom Thai Magazine about wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish. I’m not a big fan of Japanese food, especially raw fish, I tasted once and I didn’t like the texture, and it might be up in my head also, the thought of it being raw. The wasabi (green paste) helps, but the strong spicy mustard taste made my eyes watery, so it appears as if I was crying whilst eating my meal (when people see me, they must have thought to themselves, must be that good.) I guess you can say wasabi is a major part of Japanese cuisine.

I did a bit more reading and discovered that it has medicine factor, might be like some of our food, ‘Wan Pben Lom, Kom Pben Ya’ (sweet is the wind (not sure why, might referring to sweet talk), and bitter is medicine.)

According to Wikipedia, recent studies have also shown that wasabi contains a natural chemical that can be used against certain cancer cells. This unique root vegetable can also be used for oral hygiene and infections. It has been suggested that wasabi can help prevent cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart attack, and hypertension. The health benefits are many. This root can help with diarrhea, osteoporosis, asthma, arthritis, and allergies as well.

Wasabi is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish and mustard. Known as “Japanese horseradish”, its root is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard than the capsicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that irritate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan.

Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a root (real wasabi), which must be very finely grated before use, or as a ready-to-use paste (horseradish, mustard and food coloring), usually in tubes approximately the size and shape of travel toothpaste tubes. Once the paste is prepared it should remain covered until served to protect the flavor from evaporation. For this reason, sushi chefs usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice.

Fresh leaves of wasabi can also be eaten and have some of the hot flavor of wasabi roots. They can be eaten as wasabi salad by pickling overnight with a salt-and-vinegar-based dressing, or by quickly boiling them with a little soy sauce. Additionally, the leaves can be battered and deep-fried into chips.

The burning sensations it can induce are short-lived compared to the effects of chili peppers, especially when water is used to remove the spicy flavor.

Almost all sushi bars in America and Japan serve imitation (seiyō) wasabi because authentic wasabi is usually expensive, but it is becoming widely available even in the United States. Wasabi loses much of its flavor if exposed to air for even a short time, so genuine powdered wasabi, while it does exist, typically contains horseradish and other ingredients to approximate the nasal spiciness of fresh wasabi. Because of this, most powders use no real wasabi and instead turn to just horseadish, mustard seed, and green food coloring (sometimes Spirulina). Whether real or imitation, the powder is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a paste. Few people, even in Japan, realize that most of the wasabi that they consume is in fact an imitation. While not considered equal with the freshly grated product, preserved wasabi is available in tubes and, in larger quantity, frozen bags. Like powder, tubed wasabi often contains no real wasabi at all, so verification of the ingredients is needed.

To distinguish between the true variety of wasabi and the imitation product, real wasabi is known in Japan as hon-wasabi, meaning original or true wasabi. Local Sushi chefs usually substitute horseradish in Japanese restaurants.

Sushi-Sashimi Combo by ulterior epicure

Wasabi is often served with sushi or sashimi, usually accompanied with soy sauce. The two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. Legumes (or peas) may be roasted or fried, then coated with a wasabi-like mixture (usually an imitation); these are then eaten as an eye-watering “in the hand” snack.

When we first came to the US, we were introduced to eating Ginkgo seeds, but at the time, we didn’t know what they were. We used to live near Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and my mom took us there almost every weekend because it was within walking distance from our apartment. There were rows of tall Ginkgo trees, and during the fall season, the leaves turn to a beautiful golden yellow color, the seeds mature and fall on the ground, about the size of your toe and round. We saw several Chinese people picking the fruits from the ground, the outer layer of the fruit was soft and mushy, which you can’t eat, we never tried, mainly because it stinks to high heaven, but the nut part of the seed you could eat. I hated picking those things because they were so stink, it’d leave the smell on your hand for a long time, we didn’t know about surgical gloves back then either.

Later on I discovered that they were Ginkgo seeds, also known as Ginkgo nuts; they are considered a delicacy in China and other Asian countries, strangely, I don’t recall hearing about them in Laos or Thailand. My mom boiled the seed for us, I kind of like eating it, but just not the picking part. You can also roast the seed, and they are frequently used in Oriental sweet and savory dishes, including soup and porridge. Roasted Ginkgo nuts are often served as an accompaniment to poultry, as a digestive aid at formal banquets and at Chinese weddings, as they are thought to bring good luck. They are sold by street vendors in Chinatown, NY, which I didn’t know about until I got older, and I’m sure you can find it in any Chinese cities. The Chinese name for the seed translates as “silver almond.”

Just for my childhood memory sake, I have a Ginkgo tree in my backyard, it’s very small right now, about 5 years old, it takes about 20 years for the tree to mature, and it’s usually stands 60 to 80 feet tall. I recall that the ones at the garden were extremely tall, but not sure if they’re 60 feet or taller. A Ginkgo tree is either female or male, and I only have one, I’m not sure which or how I can tell the gender of my Ginkgo tree.

A little history of the tree, not all gymnosperms are conifers. The well-known ginkgo, with its fan-shaped leaves, lacks cones. Its seeds are encased in a fleshy, malodorous outer coating. The tree, which has been grown in monastery gardens for thousands of years, is no longer found in its native habitat in China. Signs marking the specimen in Ginkgo Triangle tell the story of this tree’s ancestors, which date back to the Triassic period, 225 to 190 million years ago.

As for herbal usage, Ginkgo seeds contain several unique organic compounds, including bilobol, ginkgol, ginnol, and ginkgolic acid. In eastern Asia, the ginkgo seed has been used in traditional medicine for treating a wide variety of ailments, including asthma, coughs, pulmonary tuberculosis, senility, and bladder irritability. Its traditional herbal actions include antimicrobial, anti inflammatory and vasodilatory. The Ginkgo based supplements that are being used against Alzheimer’s, are made by extracting specific beneficial components of the Ginkgo leaf, and discarding the toxic components.

Gingko biloba is a Chinese herb often used as a dietary supplement to treat memory loss, and if you feel like your memory is not all there, wouldn’t hurt to try, as for me, I’ve a good memory, might have been because I ate so much Gingko seeds when I was little.

The saying goes that an apple a day keeps the doctor away might not be true anymore, but now it’s a laugh every day keeps the heart attack away.

From China Daily newspaper reported that Fudan University’s psychological consultancy center, has set up a Heartfelt Laughing Club. The center will hold training sessions for students to cope with stress and depression.

This is very interesting; I do have to admit that stress can take its toll if you don’t take care of yourself, such as exercise and eating right, but according to this, laughing also helps. I read once in a Thai Magazine that young people in China are so busy trying to make a living that they’ve forgotten the simple things in life, such as smile or laughter. They believe that being successful in their career will bring them true happiness, which they’re not totally wrong in this respect, but having to work, work, work, can lead to a very stressful life.

A good laughter in the morning keeps you in good spirits throughout the day. There’re many laughing clubs out there, but there’s one that I like best and that is to laugh for at least 5 minutes in the morning, as soon as you’d get up. This should be simple enough and you could do it in the privacy of your own home, that way people wouldn’t think that you’re crazy. There are many types of laugh, whether it’s the Ho Ho Ho, Ha Ha Ha, or the He He He, you choose the one that fits you best.

Laughter is not just a spontaneous reaction to a funny situation. It makes blood vessels work more efficiently. A US study shows that hearty laughter has an effect on the lining of blood vessels (endothelium), similar to the benefits of aerobic exercises. More importantly, it doesn’t cause the pain or muscular tension that is often associated with exercise. A daily dose of laughter is also good for the heart.

What if you’re a grumpy person in the morning, and have nothing to laugh about? There’s one website that’s guaranteed to make you laugh and that is Engrish.com, click at Chinglish, which is a commonly used term for Chinese Engrish from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; examples are for the most part mistranslated signs and products, it can be quite entertaining. Let me know if it works or if you’ve other techniques to share.

When we’re sleeping, we do all kinds of odd stuff, but if told or confronted, we won’t admit to any of it; who would because we’re not even aware of what we’re doing, if caught on tape or video, we can always deny, that it’s some sort of sound effect or something.

When I was little, my younger sister said that I peed on her during the night. Duh, her pajama pants were wet, not mine but that’s her story, she’s still sticking to it until this day (I’m a dog person, and NO I didn’t pee on her to mark my territory.) Did I give her any reason to believe that I did it? Maybe…but I’m not admitting to any of it, so they say, when I was little I used to sleepwalking, one time in Thailand, I was about 7 years old, my sister took me to a party, ate, drank, the whole nine yards, the next morning I didn’t know what she was talking about, I still won’t admit that I did all that. Another time was when I was living in NYC, everyone were still up watching TV, I walked passing them and went into the hall closet to use the bathroom, my GI Joe sister dragged me out, and then I headed for the kitchen. They thought it was funny and told me about it the next morning, I didn’t know what they were talking about, and still won’t admit that it happened. I didn’t think I was a sleepwalker back then, but if I were, I had outgrown that now, I don’t sleepwalking anymore, (yeah, yeah…you might say) hey, it’s my story and I’ll stick to it!

So when we sleep, we might be grinding our teeth, snoring, or sleeping in odd position but who’d want to admit to any of that. I’m not aware that I’m doing any of that, but if told, I’d deny it in a heartbeat; it’s a bit embarrassing. They say that your sleeping position say a lot about you, this is not so bad, ‘How Do You Sleep?’ was once posted at the old Laoplanet.net by Salat. I do have to say that I sleep in a foetus position, but what they say about it, I won’t admit whole-heartily that it’s me. Original source.

HOW DO YOU SLEEP ?

You may not achieve the comfort levels and sleep position you are used to in your bed at home, but look around the cabin next time you fly to see the many different positions we adopt (or try to !) whilst asleep.

Scientists believe the position in which a person goes to sleep provides an important clue about the kind of person they are.

So …. what does your sleeping position actually say about you ?

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the UK Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service analyzed six common sleeping positions – and found that each is linked to a particular personality type.

What your sleeping position says about you …

Foetus

Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

Log

Lying on your side with both arms down by your side. These sleepers are easygoing, social people who like being part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be gullible.

Yearner

People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it.

Soldier

Lying on your back with both arms pinned to your sides. People who sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved. They don’t like a fuss, but set themselves and others high standards.

Freefall

Lying on your front with your hands around the pillow, and your head turned to one side. Often gregarious and brash people, but can be nervy and thin-skinned underneath, and don’t like criticism, or extreme situations.

Starfish

Lying on your back with both arms up around the pillow. These sleepers make good friends because they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They generally don’t like to be the center of attention.

Believe or not that when we have a craving for something, such as certain desert or food, that the feeling only stays with us for 8-14 minutes, and if we can control ourselves from not eating, then the craving feeling will go away. A study done by Dr. Jana Klauer, with her book called, How The Rich Get Thin, gives advice on how we can control our eating habits.

It is called The Stop!Watch method to curb food cravings: any craving can be stopped within just 15 minutes, there is a secrete as to how we can pass this time without giving into temptation. First is to drink a big glass of water, this is to send a signal to the brain, maybe the signal that the brain is sending to us is that we’re thirsty and not hungry, plus drinking water is good for your health.

If the feeling is still there, then eat a healthy snack, to increase glucose in your blood stream, now it might be low; healthy snack can be carrot, yogurt, or fruits, and then following by another big glass of water. After 8-14 minutes has passed, your craving might be diminished, therefore not much damage done to your body.

I’m somewhat thin, mainly because I’ve a very high metabolism, I never have to worry about what I eat, unlike some of my friends that would gain weight easily. It would appear that I eat a lot, but somehow manage to stay the same all these years, and I think there might be a good reason as to why I’m this way, but I’ve never given much thought. Most of the foods that I’ve been eating have very low calories content, mainly a lot of fruits and vegetables, and Tum Mak Houng (papaya salad, which is considered a negative food diet) is one of my favorites that I would eat almost everyday. Another thing that most of my friends seem to overlook is that I like to walk, and walking is a great way to burn your calories. Most American foods have high calories content, and if I have to eat like most of my American friends, I think I’d easily gain weight.

I came across an article in Kullastree, written in Thai language that gives a good guideline as to how many calories your body really needs, and it varies from person to person.

BMR, or basal metabolic rate, which is the calories that you body need, for supporting the ongoing metabolic work on a daily basis. If you want to know how much calories your body need, it’s very simple, there’s a simple calculation that you can do. If you are one that don’t exercise at all, or what some would call sedentary people, then take 13 multiplies by you weight, assuming you weight 120 lbs, then take 120×13=1,560, you shouldn’t consume more than 1,560 calories per day. If you are moderately active, which you might exercise 2-3 times a week, then take14 multiplies by your weight, and if you are active, then take 15 multiplies by your weight.

Now you know how many calories your body need, lastly you shouldn’t eat late at night because your body isn’t active enough to burn these calories, therefore can easily store as fat, also try to avoid sweet desert, or sweet fruits that have high calories content.

I know what you’re thinking, it’s easier said than done…if you don’t try, how would you know?

This is a good news amongst cocktail lovers, strawberry and blackberry are a good source of antioxidant, and when place in cocktail, even boost the potency of the fruits even more, below is from The Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture…certainly something to celebrate about if you love to drink cocktail, but like anything else, you have to understand that drinking too much alcohol, even in cocktail form, is bad for your liver, and dangerous to other cells in your body, so drink in moderation.

Strawberries are good for you, but serving them in daiquiri form may make them even healthier, scientists show.

While exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage, researchers from Thailand and the US discovered that treating the berries with alcohol led to an increase in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity within the fruit. While such a boost helped the berries resist decay, the same compounds would also be expected to make the strawberries healthier to eat.

Dr Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand, in collaboration with scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture, tested the berries with ethanol and found that the treatment improved the physiology of the fruit as measured by several different laboratory tests for antioxidant activity (SCI’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, doi 10.1002/jsfa.2841).

Coloured berry fruits like strawberries contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. Consumption of these compounds has been linked to the prevention of diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. They work by helping to mop up damaging free radicals produced naturally during a person’s normal metabolism.

Those who aren’t keen on strawberry daiquiris might be relieved to know that the scientists found similar results with blackberries, meaning that a blackberry-crowned champagne cocktail might achieve the same effect.

I once was a big fan of fresh-squeezed juice of fruits and vegetables, when my mom first got sick, we all went out and purchased a juicer, all electrical which works great. Then a friend suggested that it’d be better for me to use the manual kind, which I thought was bit backward, but gave it a try, and it works as good as the electrical one but much cheaper, and the extra work is actually good for exercising because we have the tendency to cut corner in everything that we do which is becoming a habit, not a bad one, but it’s just that we don’t appreciate things as much in my opinion.

Since my mom passed, my sisters and I sort of loose that interest, and we hardly bring out that juicer, I think it might be because it brought back too much hurting memory for us, but I’m beginning to think differently now. I think my mom wouldn’t be happy knowing that we’re not taking care of our health like we should, so it might be time for me to take out that juicer and sits it at the kitchen counter top as a reminder that I’ve to use if everyday.

I did a bit of research on this topic a while back, so the information is still fresh in mind; fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juice is ideal because our body can absorb the nutrients as soon as we drink the juice. If you have a variety of fruits and vegetables, you should squeeze one at a time because if you put all in at the same time, the juicer might be working too hard. You should drink the juice right away because if leave sitting for more than 30 minutes, then it looses almost 60% of it’s enzyme, and the color and taste might change due to the oxygen in the air. As for the fruits and vegetables with thin skin, there’s no need to peel because the vitamins and minerals are in the skin; peeling only takes that away.

It’s an ideal time for anyone that is interested in trying, since fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful at this time of the year. I have a recipe for my juice and posted at Laoplanet.net but it’s not accessible at the moment, and can’t remember what it was. If you have a recipe that you think it’s worth sharing, I’d love to try, please leave it here, and thank you in advance.

Your heart is the most amazing thing, it’s a very small organ, made out of flesh, yet at time, it’s very strong; you can open your heart for new things, or shut from what you refuse to understand; kind or cold, sometimes feeling weak, and at time strong and determined that you feel like you can move a mountain. It’s hard to believe that it’s made out of flesh and blood, at time it feels like it should be made out of rock.

We all have one heart, but each individual can create many wonderful things in this world, the truth is, a heart is just one of the organs in our body; it is a powerful muscle slightly larger than your clenched fist. It works as a pump to send oxygen-rich blood through all parts of your body; blood contains oxygen and nutrients that every cell in your body needs to survive. However, it seems like your heart has a life of its own, it’s beyond your control, if you ever pay close attention, when you get excited, you can control your facial expression, but not your heart beat, you can practically hear it, as if it’s about to jump out from your chest. It beats at all time whether you are asleep or awake; it works 24/7, 365 days, starting to work even before your birth, and will continue to beat until your last breath. Sometimes I can’t help but feel sorry for my heart, even when I’m asleep, it’s still working faithfully, and have you ever feel sorry for your heart? Have your ever done anything nice for your faithful friend lately?

I exercise on a regular basis, it’s the most important thing that I can do for my heart, I want it to be healthy and stay with me for a long, long time. I’m inspire to write this because I’ve noticed that many people around me have recently gain a lot of weight, and worse begin to develop health problems which I think all can be prevented with exercise. I often question why people don’t exercise on a regular basis, and these are some of the EXCUSES that I get back, ‘very busy at work, by the time I get home, I’m too tire; the weather is so hot, that I’m not in the mood to exercise; it’s too crowded at the gym, I hate having to wait for the machine; I don’t have time,’ and the list goes on a mile long. If it sounds familiar, it’s probably the same excuses as yours’, and yet we have time to sit and watch TV, for some it could be 3 hours per week, others might be as much as 2 hours per day.

Most people think it’s a hassle having to prepare oneself to exercise. Actually to exercise, there’s not much prep work. It’s as simple as jumping around, moving your legs and arms; or even turn on music and dance around in your pajamas in your bedroom; or put on a snicker and walk or jog around your neighborhood, or park; or pick up a jump rope and start jumping slowly, but do it long enough; or if you get lucky you might go play tennis, golf, football, basketball, or swimming with your friends. If you think it’s a hassle, it will be a hassle and you will talk yourself out before you even start. We manage to do things that are important to us, make this your top priority, it’s the least that you can do for your heart, your faithful friend.

Exercise is very important, no less than sleeping, eating, taking a shower, getting dress, putting on makeup, having a hair cut … you get my point! You have to tell yourself that you have to do it, and on a regular basis too. If you think that 30 minutes is too long and don’t have time, then 15 minutes a day, you don’t even have to try to fit this into your schedule. It’s your heart that we are talking about, make time for it, and take good care of it because at least it’s taking good care of you.

If you know that you can’t control yourself when it comes to junk food, whether it’s chocolate or cookies, and not to mention foods with high calories, then there might be a way to satisfy your craving. This is an article at Kwanruen online, Vol. 845, February 1, 2007, written in Thai language, suggested that you can control your craving by eating certain types of food at or in between mealtime.

Pine nuts, research indicates that it helps control a hormone called cholecystokinin, which is a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein, which by eating pine nuts, it will help control your appetite or reduce your craving. It is best to eat this with your salad, or if you cannot find pine nuts, then you can substitute it with almond. The plus side of almond is that it will help prevent our body from taking in fat content, therefore helps with weight loss.

Hot food, such as soup or hot tea, the hot temperature of these foods will help reduce our food intake or craving. It is best to drink hot soup or hot tea before your main course, but make sure that the type of soup that you are drinking are not thick and creamy, and your tea does not have too much sugar or syrup. It is best to drink green tea, and there are researches indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.

Apple is a good fruit to snack in between meal because it has fiber, more so than any other types of fruit such as grapes, or oranges. Therefore, it is best to eat apple before your evening meal, this will prevent you from over eating. It is always a good idea to have apple handy if you don’t want to be hungry all the time.

This is an interesting article from Koosang Koosom Magazine, written in Thai Language, researched done by Dr. Martini…there are 5 levels of drunkenness.

Level 1: Smart, this is the first level; it seems that you know everything in the universe. Whatever the topic of discussion, you are the expert in those topics, and no one else knows what they are talking about. The facts that others have are incorrect because it’s not the same as what you know.

Level 2: Good Looking, you will discover that you are the best-looking person at the moment. Everyone start to pay more attention to you because you look really good. Of course, you can start a conversation with anyone because at the moment you are good looking and smart.

Level 3: Rich, when you are at this level, you discover that you are the richest person around. You are so rich that you can pick up everyone’s tap at the bar. If anyone said things that you disagree with, you are willing to bet him or her with the monies that you have, which is a lot because you are rich. You are not just rich; you are also smart and really good-looking.

Level 4: Bullet Proof, at the moment you think that you have special power. You would see an elephant the size of an ant, and ready to fight with anyone, because they can’t hurt you. You can bet and pick a fight with anyone because you are not afraid to loose. Why should you? At the moment, you are smart, rich, good looking and have the ability to fight like professional boxer…you are the man.

Level 5: Invisible, this is the top level; you have to be drinking a lot to be at this level. You can do anything that you want because you think that people can’t see you; you are invisible. You can dance on top of a table, drive through a red light, sing in the middle of the busy intersection, pee on the light pole, because no one can see you. You are no longer you.

What about you? When you are drunk, what level are you? Do you know your limit? Please drink responsibly, and don’t drink and drive.

This is from kwanruen online, vol. 844, January 2, 2007, in Beauty by Avon, want to share secrete of how to acquire a beautiful skin, since our skin is considered the biggest organ of our body that can eliminate waste, we should take good care of it. Did you know that certain types of food can prevent our body from eliminating these waste and does the reverse. It can damage our skin in the end; therefore, it is very important that we eat the right types of food.

It’s not difficult to pick out healthy food but everyone is different. We can see that everybody have different skin types. Choosing the right foods for your skin type are very important and can be complicated. The foods that you eat will eventually show on your outer appearance, pretty much you are what you eat. It is important to try to avoid foods that are high in fat content, sugar, and alcohol, which are not good for your skin at all. If you know your skin type, then it would also be good to know the types of food that will be beneficial for your skin type.

If you have dry skin, you should eat more fishes, such as salmon, which is high in omega 3 and 6. Any types of nuts with hard shells are also another good source that will help with your dry skin. The types of food that you should try to avoid are fast food, frozen food or TV dinner type of food, french-fried, biscuit, sugar, and coconut.

If you have oily skin, you should try to eat more fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, papaya, avocado, peanuts. The types of food that you should try to avoid are the kind that will clog your skin such as butter, dairy product, red meat, and any types of fried food. These foods will increase the production of oil in your body and will make your skin oilier.

If you have sensitive skin, you should try to increase intake of vitamin A and C, which you can find these in carrot, mango, and kiwi. You should also try to eat more meat product, nuts with hard shells. The types of food that you should try to avoid are spicy foods, and any types of food that give you rashes, for some people it might be MSG. Another types of food that many Asian people are allergic to are dairy products.

If you have combination skin, you should try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and foods that are high in omega 3 such as fishes. You should try to avoid food with high fat content.

What types of skin do you have? It’s very important to try to eat according to your skin type and last but not least, don’t forget to use lotion to moisturize your skin. Beautiful skin starts from inside out.