Banking calories

What's right way to "cut back" on your food so you can enjoy a guilt free holiday dinner or a special restaurant meal? The experts tell us to that moderate restraint is okay, even encouraged-if it's done wisely.

On the day of a dinner party, don't skip meals or eat so little that you are starved. Instead, make low-fat, high-fiber, carbohydrate-rich choices at breakfast and lunch and have a small snack an hour before the meal if you are hungry.

The week before this special event, cut back substituting jam for butter on your morning toast, using a lemon on your salad instead of an oil-based dressing, or skipping dessert. This way you won't feel deprived or starved.

Say Thanks to Dad on Father's Day

Children blessed with a loving father should consider themselves fortunate. For, they have someone to take care of their needs and interests. Someone to stop them when they are diverting to a wrong path and guide them on a road to success and virtue. For many of us fathers have always been there to solve our innumerous mathematics and science problems and explain the same formula hundredth time or better still until it is understood by us.

Fathers would never ever give a smallest of hint to let us know how hard they work to take care of our needs and fulfill even the most whimsical of demands... For all their adorable scolding and affectionate punishments we all owe a big thanks to our Dads.

Stress doesn’t always look stressful

Internally, we all respond to stress the same: our blood pressure rises, our heart pumps faster, and our muscles constrict. When stressed, our bodies work hard and drain our immune system. Externally, however, people tend to respond to stress in three different ways: some become angry and agitated, others space out or withdraw, and still others freeze up.

The best way to quickly relieve stress may relate to your specific stress response

The three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress:

Foot on the gas. An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.
Foot on the brake. A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.
Foot on both gas and brake. A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.

Stress superhero

Ever wish a stress superhero could save you from traffic jams, chaotic meetings, or a toddler’s tantrums?

Guess what? You can be your own stress-busting superhero. Everybody has the power to reduce the impact of stress as it’s happening. With practice, you can learn to spot stressors and stay in control when the pressure builds.

Learning quick stress relief won't happen overnight. Like any skill, it takes time, self-exploration and above all, practice. But think of it as an education with a huge payoff.

Simple ways to connect as a couple and rekindle love

Commit to spending quality time together on a regular basis. Even during very busy and stressful times, a few minutes of really sharing and connecting can help keep bonds strong.

Find something that you enjoy doing together, whether it is a shared hobby, dance class, daily walk, or sitting over a cup of coffee in the morning. Further, try something new together. Doing new things together can be a fun way to connect and keep things interesting. It can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or going on a day trip to a place you’ve never been before.