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Our Family Drives High Mileage Cars and We Like it That Way
2007-09-25 10:25:00
By Jeff Consiglio My 1992 Mazda MX-3 still looks and runs great I currently drive a 1992 Mazda MX-3 with almost 200k on the odometer.  I suppose I could trade it in on a newer car that would allow me to ?project a more successful image,? but I?m not particularly image conscious. My car may have a lot of miles and some minor dings but it?s 100% paid for, and still a safe and dependable vehicle.My wife Deb currently drives a 2002 Toyota Camry with about 120,000 miles on it. It?ll be paid for within the year. (We bought it used, as we prefer not to eat the initial rapid depreciation of a new vehicle.) After it's paid off, we?ll put at least another 100k on it, before buying another one. Used of course. Deb's 2002 Toyota Camry - Very durable car! So why do we drive such high mileage cars, while most of America trades in their vehicle every three years or so?  It?s not because we?re too broke to buy a new car. If we wanted a new car, we could get one. We simply d...
More About: Family , Cars , High , Mileage

Simplify Your Life
2007-09-25 10:21:00
By Jeff Consiglio  "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."  - Henry W. Longfellow  One of the best strategies for increasing your productivity and level of contentment in life is to practice the art of simplicity. Here are a few simple tips to help you do that. Simplify Your Possessions Most people store way too much useless junk in their homes. Closets, basements, attics, shelves, cabinets and rooms burst at the seams with nick-knacks, old magazines, broken appliances, old clothes and more. This type of pointless clutter takes up valuable storage space, makes things hard to find, and decreases your overall effectiveness in life. It?s hard to be effective when you?re burdened down with too much stuff. So do yourself (and those around you) a huge favor by dejunking and streamlining this area of your life. Have a garage sale, sell the stuff on e-bay, or give it away. Doing so will make you a happier and more productive...
More About: Life

Target Heart Rate Myth
2007-09-24 12:18:00
By Jeff ConsiglioThe ?Target Heart Rate ? formula for computing maximum heart rate (220 minus age) has been practically enshrined within exercise circles. But it?s a myth. Even the man who created the formula, Dr. William Haskell, admits it?s a poor method of determining how hard someone should aerobically train. Haskell created the formula in 1970, while trying to identify a safe level of activity for heart disease patients. Haskell, currently a professor of medicine at Stanford, says his formula was never meant to be applied to the general population. Says Haskell, ?I?ve kind of laughed about it over the years.? Fritz Hagerman, an exercise physiologist at Ohio University, also agrees that using the formula to forecast a person?s maximum heart rate is pointless. Hagerman says he?s seen Olympic rowers in their 20s with maximum heart rates of 220. And he has seen others on the same team and with the same ability, with maximum rates of just 160. Hagerman explains, ?some athletes push o...
More About: Myth

Come Back Carbs, all is Forgiven
2007-09-24 12:07:00
By Jeff ConsiglioCarb ohydrates (Carbs) have been portrayed as dietary villains in recent years.  Everything from obesity to diabetes has been blamed on carbs. Some even go so far as to claim carb intake is more important than calorie intake for fat loss and health. But are carbs really unhealthy and fattening? Can dietary salvation be found in a diet of mostly fats and proteins? The short is answer is no. Here?s the longer answer. Like most lies, the lie that carbs are fattening and unhealthy is based upon just enough truth to make it appeal to many people. The carb bashers rightly point out the dangers of highly processed sources of carbs like white bread, pastries, snack foods, sugar-loaded kid?s cereals etc. So far, so good. But what?s not so good are the anti-carb fanatics who tell us all carbs are evil in anything more than tiny amounts. Give me a break! All carbs are not evil. Did Jesus poison the masses by feeding them loaves of bread? Of course not. Let?s use some commo...
More About: Back

Pushups, Situps and Tiger Al
2007-09-24 12:06:00
By Jeff ConsiglioThose who know me as somewhat of a "fitness guru" are often surprised to learn I wasn?t blessed with natural athletic ability.  When God was passing out the athletic DNA I must have been close to last in line. Being about last was a normal part of my youth. Last in the 50 yard dash, last in the 400 yard run, last one chosen for touch football, last one chosen for baseball, last one the girls were interested in?Do you see a pattern developing here? Ok, so maybe I?m exaggerating. I was usually about 3rd from the last one picked. There were generally a couple of fat kids whose even greater athletic incompetence spared me the indignity of being chosen dead last. I remember grade school primarily as a blur of social ostracism caused by my inability to run fast or excel in team sports. Bullies frequently beat me up and the pretty girls frequently laughed at me for having just taken a beating.  Do you feel sorry for me yet? My social standing didn?...
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How to Increase or Decrease Your Productivity with iGoogle
2007-09-24 12:05:00
By Jeff Consiglio     &n bsp;      & nbsp;               ; My wife Deb and I recently started using iGoogl e as our computer?s home page when online.  We made the switch from using Yahoo! as our home page, when we saw all the cool productivity boosting tools provided by iGoogle. We?ve both been using it several months now, so I figure it?s about time I share my iGoogle experience with my readers. Let me first say, I?m a nut about productivity.  I pretty much define my days by how productive they were or were not. To me, happiness comes from doing things that move me closer to my life goals and help me grow as a person. But I don?t confuse being busy with being productive. Many people are running on a hamster wheel of perpetual activity, but are seldom productive. They waste their days on low priority tasks, reacting to other people?s agendas, doing things they...
More About: Productivity

What should I eat to lose weight?
2007-09-24 12:04:00
By Jeff Consiglio The following is a handout I put together for a fitness and fat loss class I teach at a local community college. Most people could care less about the theory behind a weight loss diet. They just want to know what they should eat, and what they should avoid. So here it is. As with all my suggestions, take what works for your unique situation and disregard the rest. What should I eat to lose weight? The ?official diet? of this class is based upon the principals of satiety, calorie density and the glycemic index. We?ll be discussing these important principals in-depth over the coming weeks, but meanwhile here?s a quick snapshot of the types of foods that should form the backbone of your diet. - Non Starchy Fruits ? As much as you care to eat, - Non Starchy Veggies - As much as you care to eat- Lean Proteins (Fish, Poultry, Egg Whites, Low-Fat Dairy) - As much as you care to eat- Controlled amounts (A cup or two per day) of low-glycemic starches &a...
More About: Weight , Lose Weight , Weigh

Kill Your CrackBerry to Boost Your Productivity
2007-09-24 12:03:00
By Jeff Consiglio ?It's not uncommon in a business setting to attend meetings where most BlackBerry owners are using the devices and oblivious to the proceedings. This activity has coined the dysphemism "BlackBerry Prayer", and is defined as the act of staring intently at your BlackBerry while furiously flicking the thumbwheel in search of information. Other slang referencing BlackBerry users' commitment to their RIM devices is "Crackberry" - Wikipedia This post is going to upset some people. Kind of the way a confrontational ?intervention? would upset an alcoholic or meth addict. Addicts generally don?t like being confronted about their unhealthy addictions. But if you?re addicted to your BlackBerry (You know who you are.) you need to be confronted about your productivity draining habit. So here goes.  First off it?s debatable whether most people even need a cell phone, much less a BlackBerry.  I?m serious.  What productive things are you accomplishing by keeping...
More About: Productivity , Kill , Boost

Restaurant Nutrient & Calorie Data
2007-09-24 12:02:00
By Jeff ConsiglioDownload full menus, complete with nutrient and calorie information for many popular restaurants. This will allow you to plan in advance what you will or will not eat at that restaurant when you visit. Pay particular attention to the number of calories in a given menu item, as the calorie count for many menu items will shock any sane person! A & W menu, calorie and nutrition info Arby?s menu, calorie and nutrition info Baskin Robbins menu, calorie and nutrition info Blimpies menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Burger King menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Chick Filet menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Chili?s menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Dairy Queen menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format DelTaco menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Denny?s menu, calorie and nutrition info Dominos Pizza menu, calorie and nutrition info in pdf format Dunkin? Doughnuts menu, calorie and nutrition info...
More About: Restaurant , Data , Calorie , Trie , Calo

Shave Morning Time by Shaving in Shower
2007-09-24 12:01:00
By Jeff Consiglio The quickest way for a man to shave in the morning is to shave in the shower. After several minutes in a hot shower your beard will be much more receptive to the slicing action of your razor.  Here?s how I do it: - Get in HOT shower and let hot water hit face for several minutes- Wash hair- Wash body- Facial hair is now greatly softened up ? Time to apply shaving cream- Shave using a non-fogging mirror specially designed for use in shower (Try Walgreen?s) So quit wasting time with old-school shaving methods. Using the super advanced, space-age technology of a shaving mirror (Something to do with space age polymers, but I don?t want to bore you with the details) will ?shave minutes? off your morning routine. This Blogcast is 100% Donor Supported If this blogcast has helped you, please consider making a one time or monthly donation to support our mission of helping people live more productive, balanced and meaningful lives. Donations are proce...
More About: Shaving , Morning , Shower

Quit Whining About Nothing
2007-09-24 12:00:00
By Jeff Consiglio A movie I watched last night, and a sermon I heard today from a Christian missionary based in the Middle East got me thinking about some things. That people in secure, prosperous nations (like my own United States) often whine about things not worth whining about. Let me explain. Last night my wife Deb and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith. The word HAPINESS is purposely misspelled in the movie's title. You'll have to see the movie to learn why. The Pursuit of Happyness is based upon true events that happened to a man named Chris Gardner, who ended up living on the streets with his five year old little boy. Even though the movie does take some dramatic license, it's a reasonably accurate portrayal of the gut wrenching struggles this man went through trying to find a better life for himself and his son (Who was actually only 2 in real life) while homeless. A situation that would cause many to just give up in defeat. We se...
More About: Quit

Jeff?s Quick & Healthy Turkey Chili
2007-09-24 11:56:00
  By Jeff Consiglio         Several weeks ago I made this turkey chili for a potluck dinner in about one 10-minute blitz.   I?m told it tasted very good.   I don?t usually cook by rigid recipes, but rather a ?little bit of this & a little bit of that? approach. Here?s how I made this chili in just slightly over 10 minutes.   Ingredients:   1. About a pound of ground turkey2. Uncle Ben?s 10-minute brown rice3. 1 can of kidney beans, drained4. About half a jar of salsa5. Pepper & chili powder to taste 6. One packet Splenda   Directions:   1. Start a medium pot of water boiling2. Brown Ground Turkey in large stick free skillet3. Put two bags of rice into now boiling water4. Stir cooked rice, kidney beans, splenda, spices and salsa into the big skillet of browned turkey 5. Cook over medium heat until the chili is hot Enjoy!   This Blogcast is 100% Donor Supported If this blogcast has helped you, ...
More About: Quick , Chili , Healthy

Ancient Wisdom on Sugar Consumption from the Bible
2007-09-24 11:53:00
By Jeff Consiglio     Most "Bible diet gurus" seem to endorse frequent consumption of honey. They justify their advice with Scripture that appears to speak of honey in favorable terms.   But they ignore, or perhaps are unaware of, Scriptural warnings against eating too much honey.   Proverbs 25:16   "Have you found honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest, being filled with it, you vomit it."   Proverbs 25:27   "It is not good to eat much honey."   Interesting "food for thought" to consider ancient wisdom warned of the dangers of excess sweets. And such timeless wisdom is even more applicable today, due to most people's sedentary lifestyles and the ubiquitous presence of sugar and high fructose corn syrup in our modern food supply.   This Blogcast is 100% Donor Supported If this blogcast has helped you, please consider making a one time or monthly donation to support our mission of helping people live more pro...
More About: Sugar , Wisdom , The Bible , Ancient