Grain foods

Wheat has been cultivated in Greece for thousands of years and it’s a staple part of Greek cuisine. It’s used to make a variety of breads including pita bread and crusty whole grain peasant bread. Bulgur, which is made from cracked whole wheat, is eaten as an accompaniment to hearty stews or added to soups and salads. Pasta, which was introduced to the Greeks by the Italians, is also a popular wheat-based food.

Greek pasta salad

Another important grain food in the Greek diet is rice, which is used in pilafs and bakes, served with stews or wrapped in grape leaves to make dolmades.

Olives and Olive oil

Like wheat, olives have been cultivated in Greece since ancient times. The golden green oil extracted from the first cold pressing of olives is called extra virgin olive oil, and it is used in some form in most traditional Greek dishes. Crusty bread dipped in a little extra virgin olive oil is also a popular accompaniment to food.

As well as being used for their richly flavored oil, olives are also eaten whole. The most frequently eaten type is the plump kalamata olive which is added to stews and salads or eaten as part of a meze (appetizer) dish.

Fish, shellfish and poultry

Greece is almost surrounded by sea, so it’s no surprise that fish and shellfish are eaten regularly.

The most popular types of fish and shellfish include tuna, mullet, bass, halibut, swordfish, anchovies, sardines, shrimp (prawns), octopus, squid and mussels. This fish and seafood is enjoyed in many ways: grilled and seasoned with garlic and lemon juice, baked with yogurt and herbs; cooked in rich tomato sauce, added to soups; or served cold as a side dish.

Chicken is also eaten regularly, as are game birds such as quail and Guinea foul.

Meat and dairy

Meat doesn’t play a prominent role in traditional Greek cuisine. It’s usually reserved for festivals and special occasions or used in small amounts as a flavor enhancer. When meat is eaten it’s most often sheep or goat, but these animals aren’t just used for their meat. Sheep and goats also provide a valuable source of nourishment—milk. As milk spoils easily in the warm Mediterranean climate, it is traditionally turned into cheese (such as feta) or yogurt to help preserve it.

Vegetables, fruits, herbs and seasonings

The warm climate of Greece makes it ideal for growing vegetables and fruits, and these are eaten in abundant amounts. A myriad of colorful and flavorful vegetables form a fundamental part of Greek cuisine. These include tomatoes, garlic, onions, spinach, artichokes, fennel, lettuce, cabbage, horta (wild greens), zucchini, eggplant and peppers.

Fruits are eaten either fresh, or preserved by drying. Popular varieties include apricots, grapes, dates, cherries, apples, pears, plums andfigs.

A variety of herbs and seasonings are used to flavor food including flat-leaf parsley, dill, oregano, cilantro, mint, ground pepper, sea salt and cinnamon. Lemon juice and lemon rind are also used to season food and in dressings.

Legumes and nuts

Legumes such as chickpeas, lima beans, split peas and lentils are widely used in traditional Greek cooking. They are eaten either whole in stews, bakes, pilafs, soups and salads, or pureed and used as a dip or spread such as hummus.

Many types of nuts are used in cooking or eaten as snacks—particularly pine nuts, almonds, walnuts and pistachios.

Desserts and beverages

Fresh and dried fruit are the usual dessert. Rich desserts and pastries, often sweetened with honey, are mostly reserved for special occasions or eaten in small amounts.

Wine is consumed regularly in Greece, but mainly with food, and in moderation. Ouzo (an aniseed flavored spirit) and beer are also popular alcoholic beverages. Strong black coffee is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages.

Start early and Plan Your “Work” Day

A quick way to integrate optimism into your life is to begin your day with a positive thought. As you throw off the covers and head for the shower, you should say, “Yes. A new day to look forward to,” rather than, “Ugh. Here we go again. Life is so hard. Will this ever end?”,  then, set a schedule for your job search and STICK TO IT. Finding a job is your “job” right now. So, get to work!

Strengthen your goals and pursue them aggressively:

Goals should be hard to achieve but not impossible. Constantly persevering toward your goals forces you to be optimistic because you are always looking forward instead of looking back or down.

Surround Yourself with Positive People

A wise man once said, “You cannot control what thoughts go in to your mind, but you can control how long they stay there and what you do with them.” After all, they are just words until you activate them into action. The doom and gloomers are not helping you and can bring you down fast — even if they are well meaning relatives and friends. Seek out and talk with upbeat people often. Their attitude will lift your mood quickly!

Change your facial expressions and tone:

Eye contact, a smile and a cheery tone will do wonders for your positive thinking. You will also be surprised at how much people reciprocate your actions. Smiling at someone usually earns you a smile in return. A positive exchange creates optimism, whether you realize it or not.

Employers Want People Who Believe in Themselves

Potential employers and recruiters can sense when you are depressed, overeager or frantic and will pick up on your energy. Just as in life, smiles can be heard through the phone lines. The more negative you are about your own abilities, your job prospects, the companies you apply with, and life in general, the less likely you are to land a job. Employers want people who believe in their skills, who want to work, who want to work for them, and people who generally have a positive attitude. Besides, who wants to work with a naysayer? No one!

Depersonalize events, circumstances and personal exchanges:

Remember–the world does not revolve around you. Luckily, this means you are not always entirely responsible for everything that happens. Maybe the store clerk was having a bad day. Maybe you weren’t meant to get that job. Take yourself out of the situation, and you’ll feel more optimistic.

Repel negativity.:

Everyone has a friend, relative or coworker who is a walking, talking bundle of complaints and pessimism. The expression, “You’re dragging me down” is all too true. Avoid spending long periods of time with people who can’t see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Learn From the Past:

Instead of blaming yourself and constantly rehashing past mistakes, take the opportunity to learn from the past. Build on experiences to improve yourself and your abilities. Take a good long look at yourself and what occurred. Be honest and ask yourself:

• What could I have done better?
• Could I have made changes to prevent the termination?
• How can I ensure that this never happens again?
• Can I see myself in a better job?

Come up with a game plan to learn from what went before and ensure that the future does not include behaviors or events that prevent you from success. You are an amazing being! This is a good time to make sure you have a profitable future without repeating situations that caused difficulties in the past
Self-Improvement

This is a good time to take up something that motivates you. Whether it’s getting fit, a building project, learning a new skill or finishing some pursuit, achievement is revitalizing. And, why not put a little extra energy towards whatever makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself? Whether it is time spent in a spiritual meeting, volunteer work, now is the time to pay more attention to those activities and nurture your Spirit.

Watch Your Self-Talk

It has been said that most human beings speak at least 50,000 words silently to themselves each day. Listen carefully to your self-talk. Make sure that you are speaking in positives and not criticizing yourself all day long. In any case, positive attitude comes from within. Self-talk can be very encouraging too. Imagine what would happen if you spoke nicely to yourself all day. You could not help but be positive!

Do I love my job?

Let you answer your own question in Thirty minutes, one day a week. That a real trick is to set a time limit to allow any “negative” thoughts. If you say yes, just move on, if you say NO, just keep on. You must know that this job is your choice and this is your year! and never give up.

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It’s a noodle dish that is quickly gaining popularity outside of Southeast Asia because of the scrumptious taste. To most people, especially the western media, laksa means curry laksa, a noodle dish in coconut milk and curry soup base. A good laksa for us must have good depth of flavour without being too oily.You’re a fan of chicken laksa, seafood laksa and assam laksa. It’s probably not the healthiest of dishes but on a cold day it’s great comfort food. Service turnaround tends to be pretty quick due to the laksa being pre made and it’s always nice when it’s served in a decent sized bowl with good quality ingredients.

There are many different  types of laksa but the two dominant ones are curry laksa (coconut milk based) and asam laksa (tamarind based). Laksa is an iconic street food served by street vendors (hawkers) throughout Malaysia, a dish that I grew up eating…

Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include bean curd puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles. Some vendors may sell chicken laksa. Laksa is commonly served with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste and garnished with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf, which is known in Malay as daun kesum.

The term “Curry laksa” is more commonly used in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Laksa is popular in Singapore and Malaysia, as are laksa yong tau foo , lobster laksa, and even plain laksa, with just noodles and gravy.

Asam laksa is a sour, fish-based soup. It is listed at number 7 on World’s 50 most delicious foods complied by CNN Go in 2011. Asam (or asam jawa) is the Malay word for tamarind, which is commonly used to give the stock its sour flavor. It is also common to use asam keping (also known asasam gelugor), dried slices of sour mangosteen, for added sourness. The modern Malay spelling is asam, though the spelling assam is still frequently used.

Guadeloupe mixes the best of France – a fully modern infrastructure and fantastic food – with a local culture that people here are proud of and want to share. Guadeloupe’s two main islands look like the wings of a butterfly and are joined together by a mangrove swamp. Grande-Terre, the eastern wing of the island, has a string of beach towns that offer visitors every variety of fun in the sun known to humankind. From surfing schools to beach bars to long stretches of beautiful sand where azure water laps at the toes of French mademoiselles, it’s all here.

Criss-crossed with hiking trailes, the lush Guadeloupe’s National Park covers much of Basse-Terre, crowned by the Soufrière volcano. The northern Grande- Terre is covered with sugar cane plantations, while its Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve is made up of mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Both the National Park and the Nature reserve are UNESCO World Biosphere reserves.

There’s no better place to experience the Pacific with a taste of France than New Caledonia (Nouvélle Caledonie), where Melanesian tradition blends with French sophistication. This mix of the chic yet casual, très French but ultimately Pacific comes together with peerless élan in Noumea, the cosmopolitan capital.

This country is among the five richest in the world when it comes to maritime and terrestrial biodiversity with more than 1000 species of fish and 6,500 species of unique marine invertebrates-  canyons and caves, exquisite coral, the smallest of tropical fish, turtles, sea snakes and sharks. Dolphin and whale spotting are other delights in store, or simply the luxury of total relaxation on the soft, warm sand of a deserted isle.

Travelers can delve into the island by hiking its ancient forests or diving into the world’s largest lagoon (A World Heritage Site) and the New Caledonia Barrier Reef. On the Main Island’s east coast, the Loyalty Islands (Ouvéa, Maré, Lifou) and the Isle of Pines, life is organized around the tribes and the customs of the Kanak culture are still very much alive.

Here, tacos are always full of cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and few scrappy tomatoes.  Sure they are tasty, and hit the spot; but, they are nothing like a true Mexican taco.  The tacos we had in Mexico where made with the freshest ingredients from the protein all the way to the vegetables.   No cheese.  No sour cream.  No guac.  Depending on the stand we ate at, some where made with a savory slaw or pickled vegetables.  One thing that was always the same was the savory, grilled meat or fish, and the lightly spicy creme.

First bite, with caramelized beef fat running down our faces, and spicy, pickled peppers dancing on our tongues, we were in love.  We ended up sitting there for some time, drinking beer, and ordering more tacos, and more tacos.

Most pools also offer lessons if you’re a non-swimmer, or you haven’t swum for years and want to improve your technique.

Swimming is a great way to tone up and trim down, because to swim you need to move your body against the resistance of the water. Just swimming a few lengths involves most of the major muscle groups, giving your body a good workout. And if you crank up the pace, you’ll get a brilliant aerobic workout, too.

Swimming is also an effective form of fat-burning exercise: because you can swim at your own pace, slowly if you wish, you can keep swimming for long periods, and maintaining your staying power is a vital goal in fat-burning exercise.

The other big advantage is that water supports your weight and takes the stress off your joints, so you can put your body through a good workout without your knees, hips or spine paying the price.

Research shows that exercising in waist-deep water reduces the pressure on joints by 50 per cent, while exercising in chest-deep water reduces it by as much as 75 per cent. This can also make it a great exercise if you’re recovering from an injury that means you can’t run or play your normal sport.

However, while this is great if you have joint problems such as arthritis, it won’t build up much protection against the brittle bone disease osteoporosis because it’s not a weight-bearing exercise, so you make want to alternate swimming with other activities.

Stripped of its status as capital in 2005, Yangon nonetheless continues to be the hub of economic activity, a hive of underground intellectual debate and the gateway for most international visitors. That said, many travellers tend to give Yangon short shrift, sacrificing the city for extra time in Myanmar’s high-profile upcountry destinations. This is a pity, as the city is – in its own quirky way – one of the more distinctive in Southeast Asia. In addition to possessing what is quite possibly the most awe-inspiring religious monument in the region, international isolation over the last five decades has left Yangon with an enduring colonial charm that has all but disappeared elsewhere. And although a sense of melancholy is a frequent backdrop to this setting, your memories are more likely to be of Yangon’s vibrant and colourful streets, its hectic open-air markets, some of the friendliest urbanites anywhere and what is most likely your first experience with an entirely unfamiliar cuisine.

The stunning Shwedagon Paya is the centrepiece of the city, a gleaming golden stupa visible from all over town. Closer to the waterfront, downtown Yangon is a warren of historic streets concealing some of the best British colonial-era architecture in the region.

Fats and oils are an essential part of a balanced diet. Olive oil is easily digested – and quickly and completely absorbed by the system. In addition, trace components like chlorophyll help the absorption, and the aroma and taste stimulate our appetite – an important assist for the digestive process.

There are many different kinds of olive varieties from which oil can be produced, and each brings a unique flavor and quality to the oil. While some olive oil is made by blending different olive varieties together, mono-varietals are made using just one. It is the variety of olive, along with the maturity of the fruit, that contributes most to the flavor of the oil.

Olive oil tasters describe the positive attributes are described in the following terms:

Fruity: Having pleasant spicy fruit flavors characteristic of fresh ripe or green olives. Ripe fruit yields oils that are milder, aromatic, buttery, and floral. Green fruit yields oils that are grassy, herbaceous, bitter, and pungent. Fruitiness also varies by the variety of olive.

Bitter: Creating a mostly pleasant acrid flavor sensation on the tongue.

Pungent: Creating a peppery sensation in the mouth and throat.

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil is also effective in fighting against diseases such as:

Heart Disease: Olive oil helps lower levels of blood cholesterol leading to heart disease.

Oxident Stress: Olive oil contains antioxidents such as Vitamin E, carotenoids and phenolic compounds which also help lead to long life.

Cancer: A number of research studies have documented that olive oil reduces the risk of breast cancer. Eating a healthy diet with olive oil as the main source of fat could considerably lower cancer incidence.

Blood Pressure: Recent studies indicate that regular consumption of olive oil can help decrease both systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) blood pressure.

Diabetes: It helps lower “bad” low-density lipoproteins while improving blood sugar control and enhances insulin sensitivity.

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Like many countries in Western Europe, Croatia was founded on the ruins of the Roman Empire. When they arrived in the territory of present-day Croatia, the Croats were politicaly organized in principalities. In 925, Croatian King Tomislav united the principalities, establishing the first Croatian state. Later, Croatia retained its legal status and autonomy within the framework of the Hungarian empire, and the Habsburg Monarchy.

Roman amphitheatre, Croatia- Just like the Colosseum of Rome, the Arena of Pula hosted some of the most popular and bloodiest shows ever: the famous gladiator fights. The Arena is a 2000 years old colosseum built by the Romans in the city of Pula and it’s a distinctive mark of this city.

The Emperor’s Palace is one of the most significant works of late-ancient architecture, not just for the preservation of original parts and the whole, but also for a series of original architectural forms announcing the new early-Christian, Byzantine and early-medieval art. The cathedral was built in the Middle Ages by using materials from an ancient mausoleum. Roman churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval forts and gothic, renaissance and baroque palaces are contained within the Roman walls, thus creating a harmonious whole