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Thursday March 18, 2010

Several factors influence whether a woman has cellulite. Your genes, your gender, the amount of fat on your body, your age, and the thickness of your skin are all associated with the amount of cellulite you have or how visible it is. If you decide that you want to try to reduce the amount of cellulite you have, check out this week's article on Top 10 Answers to Cellulite.

In fitness
Namita

Skipping breakfast or lunch won't help you lose weight. Instead, your metabolic rate will drop by 4% to 5% when it needs to be the most active. A good rule of thumb is to eat at least half your daily calories by the end of lunchtime.

Challenge Yourself

Even the most successful people in the world are never completely satisfied with themselves. This is a natural feeling to all human beings and often times drives people to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, the problem comes when self dissatisfaction turns into self doubt. Often, we feel frustrated or discouraged about the past, and we project those feelings of doubt and disappointment into the future.

However the future has not happened yet. So it really makes very little sense to be negative about it. The future is full of outstanding opportunities. You are in control of your own future, which is not determined by your past. It is determined by you, and by the actions you take on a day to day basis.

Use your frustration and past failures not as an excuse to doubt yourself, but as an opportunity to learn and improve your future. Avoid negative thinking, look past the doubt, and you'll discover bright future. Try to identify your obstacles, and refuse to let them get in your way. Challenge yourself to turn the negative into a positive. In every difficult situation, there is opportunity. In order to see that opportunity and take advantage of it, you must stay positive, and continue to look for it.
 

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"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Tofu Vegetable with Black Bean Sauce

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 whole mushrooms, sliced

• 1 ounce dried bean curd

• 1 teaspoon Chinese black beans, lightly crushed

• 3 cups carrots, chopped

• 3 cups green peppers, sliced

• 2 cups onions, chopped

• 1 cup celery, sliced

• 3 teaspoons garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon gingerroot, minced

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced-sodium)

• 1/4 cup broccoli, chopped

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 16 ounces firm tofu, cut in cubes

• 2 cups bean sprouts

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

• In a medium-sized bowl, cover the mushrooms with warm water and soak for 15-20 minutes.

• Drain, saving the liquid, and set aside. In a large flat dish, soak the dried bean curd in 1 cup of warm water for 5 minutes.

• In a small bowl, soak the black beans in 1/4 cup water for 15-20 minute. Drain and set aside.

• In a saucepan, sauté the carrots, peppers, onions, celery, garlic, and ginger in 1/4 cup vegetable stock for 5 minutes.

• Add the remaining vegetable stock, black beans, mushrooms, and leftover liquid. Add the bean curd, water chestnuts, broccoli, 1/2 cup warm water, soy sauce, ketchup, and honey. Stir well.

• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and simmer for 2-4 minutes.

• Dissolve the cornstarch in 4 tablespoons of cold water and add to saucepan.

• Stir well, and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened.

• Serve over rice or noodles.

Nutritional Information:

Serving size: 2 cups

Calories: 190, Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Protein: 10 g, Carbohydrates: 35 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sodium: 360 mg

Top 10 Answers to Cellulite

The old theory was that cellulite was caused by toxins building up under the skin but that's probably not true. It's more likely to be the result of poor skin structure, causing the fibre to split. This means fat and yes, possibly toxins squish out through the holes in the fibres creating that lumpy effect. In other words, your bottom is rather like and old mattress with the stuffing sticking out!

Chances are the problem is genetic and lies with the x- chromosome (only women have this which would explain why men don't get cellulite). While all this may mean cellulite isn't your fault, reducing its appearance is within your control.

Here is a list of top 10 ways to control and manage cellulite.

1. BODY BRUSHING : Some experts claim, this is the key to total cellulite removal, saying, it helps speed up the lymph system to remove toxins from the body. Of course, it depends on the whole cellulite/toxins theory, but as an active lymphatic system helps improve your skin anyway there's no harm in trying it. For the best results dampen your skin then use a firm - bristled brush to stroke each limb briskly in the direction of the heart. Do this twice daily, but be careful- applying perfumed products directly afterwards can irritate. Wait at least half an hour before using any products. To learn more about Skin Brushing, click here.

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