‘THE GAP YEAR’: 5 WAYS TO MAKE IT COUNT

Hands up if ‘gap year’ just sounds like a year ‘off’ to you?! Travel Time for the lucky ones who can afford it. An unnecessary and obscenely extended tropical holiday? Indeed. The traditional view of the gap year is that it represents just that: a ‘gap’, a gaping hole in your c.v, the unexplained time out for idle travel, jaunting off to spend your liberal parents’ hard-earned money somewhere exotic, meeting other lucky strangers, drinking to excess, and … basically idling.

Naturally, that would be just a sinful waste of your time and talent. Instead, the first way to make that most pivotal of times in your life count for something is:

1. To see the gap year as filling a gap in your life, not making one. Use the time wisely to fill the gaps in your personal and professional profile, learning new skills, challenging your own stereotypes. Get that work experience you could not find locally, overcome that phobia of creepy crawlies…
2. Be honest about your motives. Do not deny yourself. If you want to use the year to gain some practical experience of working as a journalist abroad, do not go and volunteer in an orphanage. It will not mean that you are less worthy. You do not have to feel guilty for not making the trip entirely altruistic.
3. Learn about the culture and history of the host community before you travel. This will help you to integrate and understand faster, and reduce the time spent adjusting to the ‘newness’ of the situation. This will allow you to become a participant for more of your time, instead of just an awkward on-looker. The idea is to get involved, not to analyze.
4. Keep a record of your contacts and not just your experiences. So often the people we meet play an almost secondary role in our recollections of all our exciting adventures. That is not the purpose of interaction- we are not explorers discovering, or script writers arranging our set- we are guests, visitors, intruders for a time in real people’s lives. Make them centre stage, listen to them, hear them, connect genuinely with them, and then do not just discard them.
5. Remember that this is not your one and only chance to expand your horizons! THE GAP YEAR! What a burden on it, and on you! Plan to fit in more time to travel and explore, researching the world beyond your ‘social village’. Enrich your life and that of others by continuing to travel, learn and share.

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Wimbledon’s Leggy Blond Catfight!

And it was awesome! Long, slender bodies, taut limbs stretching, racing across a treaded, lined lawn. Lip gloss, eyeliner and even wet t-shirts! Shouts of anxious passion and competing exertions, sweat bands soaked. Tennis, not football, is now ‘the beautiful (and sexy) game’. With power and precision they battered each other, up and down the court. A blond bomb battle. Girls in short skirts going for the eyes and the baseline, in cunning tactical assaults. They stepped up, the girls really stepped it up.  “That’s shockingly good” said McEnroe… and he really should know.

I was not sure what to expect from the ‘leftie’, but she impressed. In her first ever ‘Grand Slam’ final, on The Centre Court of the most respected and lauded lawn tennis club- trying to win membership amongst the elite of champions, we could see what makes a champion. It is all about belief unclouded by doubt, unchallenged by fear. Clearly, it’s how the pressure is managed that answers the whispered question: can you do it? So many favorites fall at the last hurdle as they pause to whisper back: I’m not sure. So tighten up, slow it down, with leaded feet, breath held, you are distracted even by silence. You stare back at the headlights and you are frozen.

Pressure: it’s how you handle it that makes you a winner. So why not let nature fill in the gaps in your psychological profile, and try some anxiety reducing herbs!

·         Valerian

Valerian extract can be used as a treatment for both general anxiety and panic attacks, as well as insomnia.

·         Kava

Kava is also used for treating anxiety by quickly calming the nervous system and creating feelings of euphoria. The herb also acts as a sedative and muscle relaxant, and so is useful for the treatment of tension and insomnia.

·         Chamomile

Chamomile is a beneficial in alleviating nervous tension, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems.

·         Passionflower

Passionflower has been used in traditional herbal medicine to treat anxiety, calming the nerves, and letting you get a good night’s sleep.

·         Ginseng

This herb improves your mood, memory and attention, as well as lengthening physical and mental endurance, and easing anxiety. 

·         Yerba mate 

This herb has the effect of stimulating the mind, increasing concentration and easing depressive moods.

In any sporting success, but particularly where you stand and face your adversary alone, bravery is key, and a little arrogance is also helpful. Kvitova? A new champion is born, or self-made. “Pressure is a privilege” she says. Gotta memba dat. So take some herbs to still the nerves and ace your way to greatness.

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AFRICAN HERBS FOR WINNING WIMBLEDON!

Yes, Wimbledon fever is here again- ok, more like a mild temperature amidst the chilled strawberries and champagne- but it’s here again anyway. No Henman, no WILLIAMS SISTERS  and now NO FEDERER (we really are in the ‘last days’). But there are some interesting contenders…whose names send my spell 

checker into a frenzy, so let’s just stick to the ‘big, pronounceable names’ –Nadal, Murray…ok.

Thrill to the seismic force of the serves; gulp and gasp as rapid-fire balls find remote pinpoints barely caught by the naked eye; surge forward in unrestrained roars of sheer delight, and share in a moment of collective live- telecast ecstasy: no Murray hasn’t won it yet, but that last rally was awesome.

It’s great to admire, to even feel some shock and awe at all that brilliance. But what we ordinary folk need to know is: how do they do it? Is it really all just training, practice, $10,000 sports shoes, and hand-made $30,000 fibre-glass rackets? There’s got to be something more, something they might be taking even…?

Without suggesting for one minute that their achievements are chemically assisted, (they just look super-human from here) it might still be fair to say that they are adding to what nature gave them. And what better way to do this than by trying a few African herbs.

For a start, like::

• 1.    Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that’s right. This 'oxymoronically' well-loved but grossly abused ancient African herb is indigenous to Ethiopia, and is fantastic for improving your physical performance. When you drink a small amount of coffee WITHOUT SUGAR before exercise, your body releases fat into the bloodstream which is then used to fuel your exertions, making you burn up fat, conserve carbohydrates and endure longer. Great for those 5 setters at Wimbledon!
• 2.      Kola nut. This under-rated stimulant, native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, but now found in almost any market place across Africa, has similar effects to caffeine, but mega-dosed! Use this if you don’t plan on an early night.  Chew the pink/white bitter nut, swallow the juice, then spit out the balance, if you need to keep your concentration and physical endurance levels high for that early match, first out on Centre Court... Preferably, all spitting should be in private and over with before you get on court.
• 3.      Aloe vera. This is believed to have originated in the Sudan and has justifiably attained ‘wonderplant’ status. The shockingly bitter and deceptively clear gel that comes from the centre of the leaf quickens the healing process, which is essential for the successful, intensely competitive sportsperson. What ‘No number 1’ wants to be ‘out injured’ while their rivals’ success knocks them off their throne? Or worse still, while a herd of unpronounceably-named newcomers rush the party…in last year’s fashions?
• 4.      Devil's claw, originating from the Kalahari and the Savannah desert, helps the champions push through the pain to yet another record-breaking victory, and heals inflammation (as well as arthritis).
• 5.      Myrrh, of North African origin, is a good natural herbal remedy for inflammation, and can help the No.1 keep fighting to the glorious end.

So, there we have it! Don’t just sit and wonder about how those Tennis stars reach and keep those stunning levels of skill and endurance. You too can go out, get some African herbs and gain an added edge over the competition.
And you won’t even get ‘done’ for it.

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Sex, Lies and Police Crime Scene tape: Metaphors & Carnivores

Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the former Managing Director of the IMF, is charged with attempted rape, sex abuse, a criminal sex act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching, and faces from 5 to 25 years in prison if convicted. He says he is not guilty. We are astonished. But has this alleged conduct created an interesting metaphor, or just another example of one of those microcosm/macrocosm whatsits? “Powerful, privileged westerner apparently attempting to dominate, exploit and ultimately violate an economically vulnerable, non-western woman.” Is this just a different camera angle on the story of the impact of the IMF on Mother Earth? When we heard the story it sounded strangely familiar, we just couldn’t put our finger on it. Now we see the bigger picture in close-up, with all the vulgar, personal details.

Two main questions arise:

A.     How is it possible for someone with a reputation for allegedly sexually exploitative and predatory behavior, land such an extremely powerful position, and get to keep it?!

B.      How could the health and lifestyle of such a person contribute to their alleged behavior?

The answer to ‘A.’ could not be found on Google. But the answer to the second question suggests that there may be light at the end of a very dark and dismal tunnel:

1.      Eating meat regularly as part of the diet has been said to lead to “aggression, violence and moral insensitivity” –many sources including http://www.purifymind.com/MeatProtein.htm.

Vegetarians would argue strongly that eating meat is not only unnatural to humans, but also engages them in immoral and violent practices. If DSK had changed to a vegetarian diet his alleged conduct may not have allegedly happened…

2.      Regular, cardiovascular exercise has been shown to lower sexual libido. As well as hormonal regulator, exercise produces the self discipline that is required to train the body for fitness; while also training the mind- for self control in social relations. DSK does not look have the body of a man who likes jogging or playing tennis. If he does exercise, he needs to do more, a lot more.

3.      Meditation has been shown to be a helpful technique for controlling sexual urges, and also the arrogance that leads a man to allegedly believe that he can assault any woman he chooses, whenever and wherever he chooses.

4.      Yoga is essential. If DSK had practiced ‘ashwini mudra’ – contracting his anal hole and pulling it up as high as he could then gently releasing the hold, 20 to 60 times per day- then we might not be sitting here…he might not be sitting there…anyway, there might be less disgraceful allegations on the table.

5.      The hardest one for DSK , as a challenge to his ‘Frenchness’, would be in having to avoid those pillars of French dietary tradition: garlic, onions, coffee and chocolate!!! Apparently, an excess of these can also lead to libido control issues…no kidding…!

6.      It’s another tough one for DSK, but it looks like he should really have gone ‘veggie’ and tried eating more Soy or Tofu based foods, which contain the natural plant estrogens –phytoestrogens, and lower the male sexual drive. 

We do not want to let DSK off the alleged hook here, but the average French diet clearly did not help him with his alleged libido and arrogance control issues.

Would it be going too far to say that the carnivorous diet does not help with self control or morality? Perhaps not.

But maybe what Is most important to humanity right now is the answer to question A.

How is it that predatory, sexually colonizing, bullying and exploitative behavior is tolerated from people in positions of such responsibility and with the power to affect so many lives?

In this, we are all at fault: obsequiously pandering to, and fearful, of ‘the bully’, looking down at our feet as yet another territory is plundered, complicit members of the commonwealth of excuse-finding fatalists. 

Guilty as charged.

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Can too many muscles make a woman ‘Butch’? (or, would you ask Serena Williams for a date…?)

Or otherwise put: are muscles ‘feminine’? Or are tomatoes vegetables or fruits, or are whales fish or mammals? These may be questions any ten year-old could answer easily, (“Like, who cares? Are you stupid or what?”), but for anxious adults, still in the mating game, these questions, well the last one only (I hope) still pose a serious conundrum. Who would Tarzan show off too if there was no Jane? And would Tarzan feel so protective of, and attracted to, his Jane, if he had to watch her tear the head of a crocodile with her bare hands, then break the back of a rhino with one blow? And could Jane really do all of that without getting ‘buff’?

That’s the problem for women who want to stay ‘fit’. If you exercise to reach your physical peak this can often bring bulk and definition to your muscles, which may make you feel self-conscious. It seems hard to find that middle ground, and women are put under yet more pressure in trying to marry the dictates of nature- to exercise the body and preserve longevity; with societal expectations- to look ‘good’, whatever that means.

Wanting to avoid the self-loathing that most fence-sitters must often feel, not to mention discomfort…, I will be honest about my views on the issue and say “Yes”. Too many muscles can make a woman butch….if she also does not show attention to her femininity in the other visual attributes, and in her mannerisms. Picture this: how many men (some even very famous) have been fooled into a ‘night out’ and all that it may entail, by a man in a dress?! Brazilian football ace Cristiano Ronaldo could vouch. Yeah, that’s right. He said he didn’t know! And I believe him! Mainly because femininity is about so much more than just arms and legs…and stomach tone, calves, facial muscles…you get the picture.

Femininity is a natural attribute gifted by nature (hormones, genes and stuff) and enhanced by an endless array of ‘assisting products’. So, if you find after healthy, regular and vigorous exercise that you are buffing up:

-use make-up to enhance your eyes and lips, pout and do all that girlie stuff with your eyes

-SHOW OFF THAT BODY. Wear style and textures that show that firm rear, the tight upper arms, to their best advantage. Flow into a room, clothe yourself with flair, not trend. Flaunt your difference with pride, and make those flabby girls point.

-And for heaven’s sake wear feminine colors. Chemical attraction is just that: it involves all the senses and is truly a science. So work on the colors- soft, light, pastel, clear and rich.

-Groom yourself, wear perfume, and accessorize

-Be natural, gentle, measured in your manner. Some ‘drag queens’ pull it off simply because they ‘act like a woman’, even with an Adam’s Apple the size of Nebraska.

-Femininity is in the timbre and tone of voice, the expression, the laugh or smile, the brows, the posture, and in the mind! Yours and his! The feminine is ‘that which is ultimately hidden’, the elusive, the mystery (or, the mysterious power of the womb- that which no man can cleverly ‘de-construct’ or replace with technology).

Serena Williams is possibly one of the most feminine women on the planet. With a masterful (mistressful…?) blend of nature and ‘assisting products’, she has created a Goddess.

Are there any Gods out there who can handle the challenge, or only mere mortals? (Oops, just heard she might already be engaged to her on/off boyfriend, Common…will check it out and get back…!)

Obama is dead! …I mean Osama..(oops, done it again..! The outrageous sloppiness of those BBC expert commentators must be catching…!)

Obama…Osama, ok let’s play it safe, BIN LADEN, probably could have died of kidney failure years ago, and there are some hard-core ‘conspiracy theorists’ who say that he did! Let’s face it, with those blackened circles around his eyes, and that haggard exhausted look, like he hadn’t slept for years, he obviously had an advanced kidney condition, and you didn’t have to be a 5^th year medical student on a Fulbright scholarship to figure that out. But, instead of a sad, painful end, after years of dialysis, with his sobbing family by his bedside, he died in a hail of bullets, after years of hiding, with his screaming family held tightly in front of him… You can never tell how you’re going to end it in this life. Well, unless your name is Obama, I mean Osama, oh let’s just stick to BIN LADEN.

For the rest of us ordinary, regular, ‘everyday’ individuals, poor kidney health is not likely to be usurped at death’s door by a Special Force’s bullet. We are likely to suffer a death brought on by the symptoms of our body’s failure to deal with toxins in the blood.

This is not a dull medical journal, so we are not going to give all the symptoms to look out for if you think you might have dodgy kidneys. We’ll just say that if you feel tired, look dreadful and your pee looks like coffee … go see a doctor.

What you probably want to know is how to keep your kidneys healthy and avoid kidney failure.

Our kidneys are supposed to last us a life-time, but people can develop kidney disease for a variety of reasons, including prolonged use of certain medications such as aspirin, allergic reactions, and inflammation of the kidneys. But the most common reasons are due to Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or Obesity, so it is vital to maintain a healthy lifestyle that can help to ward off these diseases, and protect the kidneys, including-

·         Exercise regularly, walking 30 minutes and more, hiking, riding bike, dancing while doing house-work, dancing, swimming, tennis, golf practice, engaging in exercising activity at least 30 minutes 6 times a week should be a minimum

·         Follow a healthy diet and watch your cholesterol levels: fresh fruits and vegetables, as much raw food as possible, vegetarian or vegan with full range of minerals and vitamins needed for health, pure water and fresh juices

·         Control your weight: just cut down on what you eat, eat 1/3 less, don’t always eat till you feel full, eat little but often to give your body the chance to break down the food. Do not eat late in the evening- latest by 7pm if you can.

·         Do not overuse painkillers or other medications

·         Give up smoking and alcohol, aside from champagne on special occasions

Interesting right? But what you really want to know is how to avoid getting your head blown off and then dumped in the sea… That one, you can work out by yourself…!

(Please: no offense or insensitivity intended.)

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ROYAL WEDDING SEXY SECRETS!!!

ROYAL WEDDING SEXY SECRETS!

THE TRIUMPH OF AMBITION OVER ENTITLEMENT!

Now that we have seen the ultimate triumph of ambition over entitlement, many people will now be saying: “Well done Kate!” and “You did it!” But why do they say that  the new Duchess shines a beacon of hope for ordinary folk everywhere? Simply because her marriage is a tribute to the transformational power of the Will in Action, and of a sporty life, full of exercise!

It might well be true that her rapid social climb was engineered by fiercely ambitious parents investing their wealth in elite private school education for their children; but it is also true that all their planning and effort could have been wasted if Kate had been just another lounging couch potato, with lifeless hair, dull eyes and flabby calves.

We now know that Kate is a sportswoman and serious about her fitness. She excelled in school at tennis, hockey, swimming, netball, rounders and even cross-country running; and continues to stay active and fit with other activities, including rowing!

Successful, high-powered men, generally have a healthy obsession with physical fitness and sports. They see the maximization of their body’s potential as another marker of achievement in their lives.  Kate, with her sporty persona, was able to fit the desired profile of a high-powered mate: she looked ‘fit’!

But what is her secret to a slender shapely figure, strong legs, firm arms, taught facial muscles, and a light of inner vitality in her eyes? JUST EXERCISE!!!

Remember: no-one is entitled by birth to a great body! So have some ambition!

·         Exercise, exercise, exercise! Becoming a member of a sports team is the best way to maintain that enthusiasm and a social network of the like-minded to support your fitness drive.

·         Take active holidays! Don’t just lie like a piece of drift-wood on the beach! Go skiing, horse-riding, surfing, hiking, keep moving! Roam the bustling mega markets of Africa, jog the endless beaches of the Caribbean, trek the jungles of South America, just keep moving!

·         Eat light, and to nourish not to deplete your vitality. Whole foods and raw foods will fill your body with rejuvenating minerals and enzymes, giving you an inner glow that could draw millions to you!

·         Accentuate and adorn what you create with vibrant colors and luxurious textures. Be the living magnet for abundance.

Exercise yourself to physical health and beauty, and go attract yourself a billionaire prince with your sexy pair of hockey legs in a see-through dress !

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Another day in Youth Health Heaven!

Hi there!
It was just the other day that someone told me how young I look! When I told them my age, they said that I at least looked old enough to know that it was bad to lie, but they still wouldn't believe me!
So, what is the secret, if any to looker younger? I would never pretend to know the full answer but a few tips might help:
1. Avoid alcohol, smoking and over exposure to sun-light

2. Eat natural foods, in a state as close to the original as possible. Going raw is fabulous! If you can be raw vegan go for it! Otherwise take time to cleanse the body of toxins by weekly fasts. Not just of the body though, but of the mind. Purge the mind of negativity, doubt, and memories that do not feed life to your soul.

3. Use natural products on the skin: especially shear butters, cocoa butters, olive oil, natural oils

4. DRINK PLENTY OF CLEAN WATER, NOT OUT OF PLASTICS! That's a hard one I know these days, but there are many companies offering glass bottled water, try them out, your body will feel the difference.

5.Exercise is the best protection for your bones, and for your mind. Keep moving, keep active, DON'T SPEND ALL DAY IN FRONT OF YOUR DESK...! Limit your sedentary time. Dance, dance, dance!

6.Laugh laugh laugh!!! NO, this does not give you wrinkles around the eyes! In fact, a joyful expression will always make your face look young. Youth is in your eyes, in the light and pleasantness of your facial expression. No need to sulk, letting your face slouch, so that you look older than you are...or even your real age...!

7.Don't sacrifice all your time for others. Give plenty of time for your own needs. Even if you have children, this does make you irresponsible or selfish, it just means that you will have the space to destress, and then be able to offer better, more quality time to your children and family. If you let them wear you out, that will only make you shout!

8.Keep learning, keep reading books, keep doing crosswords, puzzles, playing chess or poker, or whatever makes you think. Renewing, rebuilding and retrieving knowledge is wonderful exercise for your brain, and will keep you feeling, thinking and acting younger. It will also make you more interesting as you do get older...!

9.Spending time in the tropics, either the Caribbean or Africa. There are many companies now selling very affordable properties abroad, where you can spend relaxing time with your family, or just get away from the stress of living in a cold. pore-clogging climate! Treat yourself to some sun!!! If you can travel responsibly, with an eye on how you can offset your carbon emissions - like traveling vegetarian/vegan- do so, also consider volunteering on your stay, so you can leave some lasting benefit in the society you visit.

Well, these are just a few tips to get you started!
Blessed love to one and all!

Pursuing the ultimate 'Ital' vegetarian lifestyle!

Welcome to our blog!

The 'Ital' vegetarian lifestyle in Ghana is a real challenge! We love to eat meat here, all kinds of meat: turkey bottoms, gall bladders, not to mention the usual offal such as livers and kidneys. Meat is associated with wealth and well being here. So bucking the trend puts you out on a limb at times. But we are ok with that- as long as it's a whole-wheat 'kale bone' limb!

Basically, we think of 'Ital' as natural, herbal and seasonal!

• Natural- means that we use only foods in their natural states, not tinned or frozen

• Herbal- means that we use natural herbs to flavour and enrich our foods, herbs with medicinal or healing benefits, such a thyme, bay leaf, basil. We do not use any monosodium glutamate in the preparation of our food. 

• Seasonal- this is the crucial point, that foods are eaten only in season! Obvious right! But it's amazing that people still want to go to the supermarket for foods imported, or force riped, just to satisfy their taste buds, and without a thought for their well-being. For African women especially it is vital that foods are eaten in season, ripened naturally, as this is the richest natural source of  progesterone: essential for regulating hormones. So many of our African women suffer from fibroids due to the over production of estrogen and the lack of adequate levels of progesterone to balance that hormone.

So choose the 'Ital' vegetarian lifestyle and let us eat well for long life, look after our bodies, and look great!
Blessed love, every time!