Tuetego

vladimira › New article
6 years ago

These 10 superfoods are proven, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters. Add them to your meals and get on the fast track to a super-healthy body.

Healthy Food #1: Lemons
Why They're Healthy:

— Just one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C, which may help increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels and strengthen bones.

— Citrus flavonoids found in lemons may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and act as an anti-inflammatory.

Quick Tip:

Add a slice of lemon to your green tea. One study found that citrus increases your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by about 80 percent.

Healthy Food #2: Broccoli
Why It's Healthy:

— One medium stalk of broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement and almost 200 percent of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C — two essential bone-building nutrients.

— The same serving also helps stave off numerous cancers.

Quick Tip:

Zap it! Preserve up to 90 percent of broccoli's vitamin C by microwaving. (Steaming or boiling holds on to just 66 percent of the nutrient.)

Healthy Food #3: Dark Chocolate
Why It's Healthy:

— Just one-fourth of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals.

— Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants shown to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL levels.

Quick Tip:

A dark chocolate bar contains about 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids; a milk chocolate bar has fewer than 14.

Healthy Food #4: Potatoes
Why They're Healthy:

— One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate — about the same amount found in one cup of spinach or broccoli.

— One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need daily.

Quick Tip:

Let your potato cool before eating. Research shows that doing so can help you burn close to 25 percent more fat after a meal, thanks to a fat-resistant starch

Healthy Food #5: Salmon
Why It's Healthy:

— A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease, and cancer.

— A 3-ounce serving contains almost 50 percent of your daily dose of niacin, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

Quick Tip:

Opt for wild over farm-raised, which contains 16 times as much toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as wild salmon.

Healthy Food #6: Walnuts
Why They're Healthy:

— Contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts.

— Omega-3s have been shown to improve mood and fight cancer; they may protect against sun damage, too (but don't skip the SPF!).

Quick Tip:

Eat a few for dessert: The antioxidant melatonin, found in walnuts, helps to regulate sleep.

Healthy Food #7: Avocados
Why They're Healthy:

— Rich in healthy, satisfying fats proven in one study to lower cholesterol by about 22 percent.

— One has more than half the fiber and 40 percent of the folate you need daily, which may reduce your risk of heart disease.

Quick Tip:

Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of key nutrients like beta-carotene by three to five times compared with salads without this superfood

Healthy Food #8: Garlic
Why It's Healthy:

— Garlic is a powerful disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria, including E. coli.

— Allicin, a compound found in garlic, works as a potent anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.

Quick Tip:

Crushed fresh garlic releases the most allicin. Just don't overcook; garlic exposed to high heat for more than 10 minutes loses important nutrients.

Healthy Food #9: Spinach
Why It's Healthy:

— Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two immune-boosting antioxidants important for eye health.

— Recent research found that among cancer-fighting fruits and veggies, spinach is one of the most effective.

Quick Tip:

Spinach is a healthy — and flavorless — addition to any smoothie. You won't taste it, we promise! Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, and ice.

Healthy Food #10: Beans
Why They're Healthy:

— Eating a serving of legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) four times a week can lower your risk of heart disease by 22 percent.

— That same habit may also reduce your risk of breast cancer.

Quick Tip:

The darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains. One study found that black bean hulls contain 40 times the amount of antioxidants found in white bean hulls.

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These 10 superfoods are proven, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters. Add them to your meals and get on the fast track to a super-healthy body. Healthy Food #1: Lemons Why They're Healthy: — Just one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C, which m... Read more

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marnie › New article
7 years ago

Here are 12 steps that you can take and implement into your spiritual life: #1. Meditation: Get quiet and listen to God through your feelings and intuition. #2. Prayer: Talk to God (out loud or in your head) as if you were talking to a close, personal friend. #3. Humility: God is a higher p... Read more

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AndrewHicks › New article
7 years ago

5 Reasons Why Even A Complete Beginner Can Speak A Language In 3 Weeks

Anyone can speak a language with Babbel, even if you're a complete beginner who has never attempted to learn a language before. Here are 5 reasons why there's nothing holding you back.

BY DAVID SUMNER
Language novices, newbies, beginners… whatever you like to call yourselves, we at Babbel feel your pain. After subpar Spanish classes or mind-numbingly boring French lessons at school, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’d been put off language learning for life. But trust us when we say that the boat has not sailed on your language learning adventures. We aren’t giving up on you yet!

To put our money where our mouth is, we commissioned a study from researchers from City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of South Carolina to test how much Spanish the Babbel app could teach two groups of complete beginners in just two months. Then, feeling pretty confident with ourselves, we challenged 15 resident Babbelonians to learn as much Spanish as they could with the app — in just three weeks. The results? Both the CUNY study and our in-house Babbel challenge showed that complete novices — people who have little or no existing knowledge of Spanish — can make a tremendous amount of progress with Babbel in a short period of time.

That’s quite a hefty claim to make, and we wouldn’t blame you for wondering just exactly how Babbel can turn a language novice into a language learning pro. That’s why we’ve come up with 5 reasons (plus proof) why the Babbel app doesn’t dawdle when it comes to teaching you a language!

Reason #1. You will make progress — even if you’re starting from scratch

CUNY Study Finding: 85% of the participants in our study described themselves as having little or no knowledge of Spanish whatsoever, with the remaining 15% having some competency in the language already. However, the study showed that it was the complete beginners who made the greatest progress with their Spanish, scoring three times higher than the more advanced learners when they were tested at the conclusion of the study!

Babbel Challenge: Our Babbelonians were also complete newbies to Spanish, having never learned it in school. To show you just how "novice" they were, the group admitted to being plagued by fears of the tricky Spanish pronunciation, and scarred by memories of past failures when ordering food in Spain on holiday. Or, as one Babbelonian put it, "I start at zero so there’s no way to fail." Well, fail they did not: we saw them progress from struggling to even comprehend Spanish sentences at first, to being able to build their own simple sentences, to successfully conversing with a native Spanish-speaker at the end of the three weeks. Muy impresionante.

Reason #2. You don’t need to dedicate a lot of your time to learning

CUNY Study Finding: Our study concluded that our participants only needed to use the Babbel app for an average of two hours per week to improve their Spanish by at least one college semester level by the end of the two-month study. The absolute Spanish beginners in the study were singled out for learning most efficiently — they only needed 15 hours of total study time over two months to improve by one college semester level.

Babbel Challenge: Our Babbelonians, on the other hand, were able to dedicate approximately 30 minutes a day during their three week challenge to learning Spanish. Kudos to them!

Reason #3. You will learn a lot quickly

CUNY Study Finding: Our CUNY study took place over two months, proving that you don’t need to block out the next half year in order to achieve the one-college-semester boost in Spanish proficiency recorded in the study.

Babbel Challenge: The challenge we set for our Babbelonians lasted three weeks, which was plenty of time for our participants to learn enough Spanish to successfully hold a conversation in the language at the end of the challenge. Of course, our Babbelonians had to pack their Spanish learning into a shorter time period than the CUNY study participants, but they managed by fitting their Spanish lessons into their daily routines — completing the Babbel modules during their commute to work, during their lunch break, or even in bed before going to sleep!

Reason #4. You will enjoy learning with Babbel

CUNY Study Finding: An incredible 99% of the participants in our study reported that they would continue using Babbel after the study ended. This is no surprise because success is one of the key motivating factors that will push you to keep learning your new language!

Babbel Challenge: Likewise, most of our Babbelonians fell in love with Spanish over the three weeks of their challenge, with many of them pledging to continue learning the language — even after the cameras stopped rolling.

Reason #5. Language learning with Babbel is easy

CUNY Study Finding: The study reported that an overwhelming majority of the participants (between 92%-95%) felt Babbel was easy to use, helpful, and, most importantly, that it gave them a fun learning experience!

Babbel Challenge: Our Babbelonians felt the same way about their three-week challenge, with many remarking how the app-based approach to learning meant that they could easily catch up with their Spanish on the go because they always had their smartphones with them!

Now that we've dispelled some of the major fears that put beginners off learning a language, why don't you give Babbel a try for yourself?

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5 Reasons Why Even A Complete Beginner Can Speak A Language In 3 Weeks Anyone can speak a language with Babbel, even if you're a complete beginner who has never attempted to learn a language before. Here are 5 reasons why there's nothing holding you back. BY DAVID SUMNER Language novices, new... Read more

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TammyWhite › New article
7 years ago

Imagine being a twelve-year-old girl who loves black clothing, rock music and vampires (before Twilight was published), living in the Midwest. Outside of Dracula or the Goosebumps series, there weren’t many novels for someone with those distinct characteristics…until Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber was published in 2003.

Reading a now-defunct teen magazine and discovering Ellen Schreiber’s Vampire Kisses novel (it was in the book reviews section) was like finding the Holy Grail. I raced to my local bookstore with my allowance and pulled my first all-nighter ever as I devoured every word of sixteen-year-old Raven Madison’s life in Dullsville (her not quite affectionate nickname for her small American hometown), where she is misunderstood by her type-A family, ostracized and antagonized by her classmates and completely boggles the minds of her authority figures. You see, Raven is a Goth, something very common in most places but not so normal in this little, upscale town. The only people who give her the time of day are her best friend and fellow outcast Becky Miller, and her lifelong antagonist, soccer star and school stud Trevor Mitchell.

In fact, nothing much happens in Dullsville at all unless you count the Bake Sale or the much-anticipated high  school soccer games. At least, nothing happens until the night of Raven’s Sweet Sixteen party when the old mansion on top of Benson Hill becomes inhabited by a family rumored to be vampires.

And indeed, the Sterlings are a bit eccentric. A handsome art dealer father, beautiful and mysterious mother    and sexy young son–all three “Goth”–are never seen in the daylight and a cloud of bats are always hanging around their home. Alexander, the seventeen-year-old, is usually seen in the cemetery after-hours and doesn’t go to school like a “normal” teen.

Is this the dream family Raven has always yearned for? Could the insane rumors (started by her old nemesis  Trevor) be true? Is Alexander a vampire? And if he is or isn’t, would it really matter as she has already fallen  hopelessly in love with him?

Vampire Kisses spanned nine novels over nine years, depicting Raven and Alexander’s relationship and all the trials teens in love go through on a usual basis: meeting each other’s families, fights, jealousy, friends, enemies and, oh yes…those “enemies”? For Alexander they are not just high school soccer snobs. For him, they are a   rival vampire family from Romania, the reason he fled his hometown to Dullsville in the first place, and they   are not happy about the way he disgraced their family and they want revenge.

Most of the series depicts the trials Alexander goes through with the Maxwell family: Jagger, his twin sister     Luna and their little brother, Valentine, and how they make his life with Raven in Dullsville a living Hell. All he wants is to feel normal and accepted and forget about covenant ceremonies in Romania and family loyalties and drinking blood instead of energy drinks or soda like a normal teen. But he can’t escape what he is as he slowly lets Raven into his world of the Undead. She thinks it is all corsets and dancing in the moonlight but there is so much more to it she doesn’t comprehend.

And as time goes by, the urge to bite her and have her join him is becoming unbearable. How on Earth can he stand it for much longer?

This series is not just for teen girls. This is for anyone over the age of twelve who likes a vampire romance without the excessive sex or the gore. These novels have real emotion attached to them, and they make vampirism as human as possible. Raven is the perfect female protagonist: arrogant, sarcastic and totally original and independent, a reader couldn’t ask for a better lead character. Alexander is everyone’s vampire dream (or, as Raven calls him, her Knight Of The Night): sexy, Goth, a talented painter and passionate about everything: his life, Raven’s life, his art and his family; dealing with protecting his love or giving in to his vampire nature.

The secondary characters are numerous, but all extremely necessary to making this series as amazing as it is.  Becky Miller is the typical sidekick for Raven: mousy and plain, she only feels at home with Raven or her boyfriend (the human Matt Wells), but she adds a bit of small-town humor to the series and is the conscience  for Raven that Raven doesn’t possess herself.

Trevor Mitchell is as necessary to Raven’s life as air is–her nemesis since kindergarten, he hates anything and everything outside of his Tommy Hilfiger-encased, soccer-playing life, but he loves Raven to death…just can’t admit it, no matter how much he teases and emotionally tortures her.

Raven’s family are also majorly important to the story line: her ex-hippie parents now wondering what they did wrong when raising their daughter that she turned out more like Marilyn Manson than Marilyn Monroe and    her eleven-year-old brother, a genius geek who wants a sister more like him than like Elvira.

Raven’s eccentric aunt also plays a minor role but makes the story more interesting after her brief appearance.

Alexander’s family appear as major characters in book #6, Royal Blood, and they wonder if human Raven is really right for their royal vampire son.

His sister, Stormy, appears in the final novel, #9: Immortal Hearts, and is a catalyst for change in her brother  and Raven’s lives.

The “villains” are also extensive. Jagger Maxwell (first introduced in book #2, Kissing Coffins) is Alexander’s  nemesis from a vampire family in Romania, who is out to get the sensitive artist because Alexander left Jagger’s (human) twin sister, Luna, at the covenant altar back home, refusing to go through with the union that had been arranged ever since Luna was born different from her entire family due to a gene that went back centuries to a human ancestor. Sexy, dark and reckless, readers will love and hate this enigmatic vamp from the moment they read about his tantalizing blue- and-green eyes.

His sister, Luna (introduced as a major character in book #3, Vampireville), is a Gothic fairy princess: beautiful, graceful and now a vampiress thanks to a random bite in an alley. She is always looking for love and the two men she has her sights set on only want one girl: Raven. Will her gallivanting around town with Trevor Mitchell drive Raven mad? Or will her constant tricks to get Alexander to finally have that ceremony do it instead?

The twins’ baby brother, Valentine, plays a small but crucial role in Dance With A Vampire, the fourth book in the series, by befriending Raven’s brother, Billy Boy, and making him suspicious of the real identities of Alexander and his friends.

With a cast like that (and I even left a few people and vampires out so I won’t confuse you, reader!), how could these novels not be interesting, hmm?

Story-wise, each book had it’s ups and downs, which I will highlight for you all below, but all-in-all, this series should have been made into films, as the emotions are so real and the characters are so unique. I recommend  reading each book in sequence, not starting at, say…book #5 because it looks more interesting than the rest or something of that sort. These novels need to be read in the order they were intended to get the full picture and understand the story and learn about the developing romance between a human girl a vampire boy and how they overcome every obstacle (or try to, at least) out of their love for each other.

I highly recommend this series for any vamp lover, as I said, and I know I will be rereading these books even  as I go into adulthood. They are magical and make you believe in vampires and in love. When I have a child, I know I will share these wonderful novels with him/her and pray they enjoy them just as much as I did and    do!

Vampire Kisses (book #1): Goth gal Raven Madison wonders if the Gothic Guy who moved into the Mansion on Benson Hill is really a human…or have her dreams come true and she has fallen in love with a vampire?    The story is full of emotion and teenage trials and what it is really like being an outcast in your town because  of the way you look; it also takes twists and makes you wonder right up until the end…just what is Alexander Sterling? 5/5

Kissing Coffins (book #2): After Alexander’s disappearance Raven finds a note in his bedroom which reads     “HE IS ON HIS WAY!!!”. She follows him to Hipsterville, where her hippie aunt lives, and discovers a Goth  club (The Coffin Club) and a mysterious young man who just might be the “he” the letter warmed Alexander  about. In a strange place and not knowing where her love is, can Raven resist the evil and charming Jagger     Maxwell? 5/5

Vampireville (book #3): With Alexander safely returned home to Dullsville with her and Jagger Maxwell back  in Romania, Raven is finally starting to believe her relationship with a vampire could work out just fine…until  his jilted lover, Luna Maxwell, shows up in town, hanging on Trevor, making eyes at Alexander (and half the soccer team as well) and trying to make Raven fight with Becky, Raven realizes things won’t be going as smoothly as she had originally planned! 3/5

Dance With A Vampire (book #4): Luna is gone. Jagger is gone. Alexander has let Raven into his vampiric life and has even agreed to take her to prom. What could go wrong? Oh, just some Trevor Mitchell shenanigans   and the mysterious new boy her brother has become friends with–a boy with Maxwell-white hair and who doesn’t go out in the daylight! Valentine Maxwell is on the scene and looking for a blood brother, but he will    take Billy Boy over Raven’s dead body! 4/5

The Coffin Club (book #5): The Coffin Club in Hipsterville has always been a hangout for vampires, but when word gets to Dullsville that Jagger has opened up a club called The Dungeon just for vampires below the unsuspecting mortals in  TCC, Raven and Alexander know they have to shut it down, but how? Do they just   give up? Not Raven! She  infiltrates the club, masquerading as a vamp, and befriends Onyx and Scarlet, two   real vampiresses, and is now in danger of getting her cover blown…unless this mysterious new vamp with a sexy Romanian accent and purple hair on a motorcycle, Phoenix, can save her soul and stop Jagger from making more mortal clubsters into vampires against their wills. 5/5

Royal Blood (book #6): Raven doesn’t want summer break to end. She loves spending her days with Alexander in his coffin at the Mansion, but that ends with high school starting again. School means endless hours in class with her horrid classmates (including the ever-annoying Trevor) and hours away from her vampiric love. But that isn’t the worst thing that’s happening this September…the Sterlings are coming back to Dullsville and they want to meet Raven. Could this be the familial acceptance she has been looking for all of   her life or will the older vampires cast her out, wanting no part of having a mortal future daughter-in-law? Could the past year all be blown to Hell in a matter of days? 4/5

Love Bites (book #7): Vampires abound in Dullsville! Who would have thought that the sleepy little preppy town Raven grew up in could be a mecca for the Undead? She certainly didn’t until Alexander’s presence brought the gang all in from Romania and Hipsterville. This time, the visitor is Alexander’s best friend, Sebastian Camden, and he is trouble! Reckless and uncaring with a heart of gold, he has his sights set on        Becky, Raven’s BFF! Could the reappearance of Luna and the other crowd from The Dungeon show up wanting a place to hang out with their favorite honorary vampire, Raven, be a blessing instead of a curse? Could she get Sebastian away from Becky and Luna away from Alexander in one macabre matchmaking session? Or will someone else go under The Fang before Raven gets to? And could this mean the end of        Alexander’s friendship with Sebastian? 4/5

Cryptic Cravings (book #8): Jagger had The Coffin Club, and he had The Dungeon. Now, he wants The Crypt to be the next big Goth club. But he doesn’t want to make another club in Hipsterville, that would be redundant. No, this time he wants to make the first vampire/human club ever in Dullsville, much to the chagrin of Raven and Alexander. He’ll be opening it with his sister, Sebastian, Onyx, Scarlet and…Trevor Mitchell?!  This could be major trouble for the small town Alexander now calls home. Can he and Raven save this sleepy  little place from a vampire invasion without angering Jagger yet again? 5/5

Immortal Hearts (book #9): The last book in this enchanting series has us meeting Alexander’s little sister, Stormy, and does she ever live up to her name! Rebelling against everything and everyone, the only people she likes are Raven’s brother and Luna Maxwell and what can Raven do about it? Stormy is questioning why her brother hasn’t bitten Raven…or is it that Raven doesn’t want to be bitten? This novel has Raven rethinking everything she has dreamed of since she was five years old and will leave you wondering what the ending will be…and once you read it you will be begging for a tenth novel… 5/5

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Imagine being a twelve-year-old girl who loves black clothing, rock music and vampires (before Twilight was published), living in the Midwest. Outside of Dracula or the Goosebumps series, there weren’t many novels for someone with those distinct characteristics…until Vampire Kisses by... Read more

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TammyWhite › New article
7 years ago

Do you have a toxic person in your life?
Draining, non-supportive and difficult people are one of life’s greatest challenges. In this post, I want to talk about how you can spot, stop and deal with the toxic people who come into your life. You deserve to have people in your life who you enjoy spending time with, who support you and who you LOVE hanging out with.

Here’s the problem: Guilt
Whenever I talk about toxic people, the same categories seem to crop up over and over again:
Friend by History: This is a person who you have known forever. Maybe you went to elementary school together or you were neighbors growing up. Now you feel guilty ending the relationship.
Friend by Proximity: This is a person who comes as a package with someone else in your life. Maybe it’s your partner’s best friend or your friend’s brother who always tags along or your best friend’s childhood friend. You feel guilty because you don’t want to put your person in an awkward situation.
Friend by Context: This is a person who you see all the time in a specific area of your life–someone you work with everyday. Someone on your flag football team. Someone who lives across the hall. You feel guilty brushing them off because you see them all the dang time.
Sometimes these relationships are casual, but other times they can grow rotten. You end up keeping someone in your life who is jealous or has a totally different set of ethics, and this is when they become toxic.

7 Types of Toxic People:
Here are the 7 types of toxic people to watch out for:
#1: Conversational Narcissist
Have you ever been talking to someone who keeps interrupting you? Maybe I should revise that sentence: have you ever been trying to talk to someone who won’t let you get a word in? Conversational narcissists LOVE to talk about themselves—or just hear themselves talk. They don’t ask you any questions, they don’t wait for your responses and they won’t shut up. In a relationship, these people will end up being completely self-centered and never be attentive to your needs.
#2: The Straight Jacket
The straight jacket is someone who wants to control everything and everyone around them. They want to be in charge of what you do, what you say and even what you think. You know the person I am talking about–they freak out when you disagree with them and won’t stop trying to convince you that they are right and you should do what they say. In a relationship, this person will give you no breathing room and will constantly nag you until you are in complete alignment with them. Be careful, these people will go after your emotional, conversational and mental freedom until you have nothing left. Get out while you can!
#3: Emotional Moocher
An emotional moocher is also known as a spiritual vampire because they tend to suck the positivity out of you or bleed you emotionally dry. These are the kinds of people who always have something sad, negative or pessimistic to say. In conversations and relationships, they can never see the positive and tend to bring everyone down with them. If you’re with someone and they only have bad things to say whenever you see them, watch out, it might not get better.
#4: Drama Magnet
Some toxic people are magnets for drama. Something is always wrong. Always. And of course, once a problem is solved, another one emerges. And they only want your empathy, sympathy and support–but not your advice! You offer help and solutions, but they never seem to want to fix anything. Instead they complain and complain. In a relationship, drama magnets are victims and thrive in a crisis because it makes them feel important. If someone is a beacon for adversity, watch out, you might one day become part of the drama.

#5: A JJ
My friends and I can spot a JJ from a mile away and I want to show you how to as well. A JJ is a jealous-judgmental person. Jealous people are incredibly toxic because they have so much internal self-hate that they can’t be happy for anyone around them. And typically, their jealousy comes out as judgment, criticism or gossip. According to them, everyone else is awful, uncool or lacking in some way. If someone starts to jealously gossip with you about other people, watch out, this might be a toxic person—and you never know what they say about you behind your back.
#6: The Fibber
I had a lot of liars in my life before I learned human lie detection. Liars, fibbers, exaggerators… it’s exhausting to have a toxic deceiver in your life. Whether they tell little falsehoods or major lies, it’s impossible to trust a liar in a relationship. Dishonesty drains us because we are constantly doubting their words. If your intuition is ringing alarm bells, then watch out, get out before you’re lied to.
#7: A Tank
A tank crushes everything in its wake. A human tank is always right, doesn’t take anyone else’s feelings or ideas into account and constantly puts themselves first. In a relationship, tanks are incredibly arrogant and see their personal opinions as facts. This is because they often think they are the smartest person in the room and so they see every conversation and person as a challenge that must be won over. They rarely see others as equals—and this can be challenging when trying to form a loving connection. If you feel your ideas are being run over, or you are not being respected, get out while you still can!
How to Deal with Toxicity
Did someone pop into your head as I explained these toxic personality types? If you have someone in your life who you dread seeing, who doesn’t respect your opinions or makes you feel bad about yourself in any way, then you need to just say no. Do you feel:
You have to constantly save this person and fix their problems
You are covering up or hiding for them
You dread seeing them
You feel drained after being with them
You get angry, sad or depressed when you are around them
They cause you to gossip or be mean
You feel you have to impress them
You’re affected by their drama or problems
They ignore your needs and don’t hear ‘no’
You deserve to have wonderful, supportive and loving people in your life. In fact, life is too short to spend time with people who don’t help you be your best self. I hope you will use this article as your immunization against toxic people!

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Do you have a toxic person in your life? Draining, non-supportive and difficult people are one of life’s greatest challenges. In this post, I want to talk about how you can spot, stop and deal with the toxic people who come into your life. You deserve to have people in your life who you enjoy spe... Read more

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findthegrind › New article
8 years ago

EPISODE 1 - Hey there!

I've been giving this a lot of thought. Should I bother writing a blog? If so, how should I go about it? As you can tell, I decided the answer to question one is 'yes', otherwise you wouldn't be reading this! As for question two, I gave that the most thought.

I guess to begin with, I had to decide why I was writing this. The conclusion I came to is that I'm going to write this; A) to clear some space in my head, and just get a lot of what goes on in my head... out; B) to share my experiences and life with anyone who's interested, and; C) to help and/or inspire other people who are working hard towards a goal, whatever that may be!

So, that being the case, I decided that the best way to write this is to just be open, honest, and candid about my life, the decisions I make and have made, and the things I'm doing to get to where I want to be.

Background of... me

So, obviously, I wasn't always an aspiring bodybuilder. From the earliest age I can remember, I was overweight, at times very overweight, at others, just obese. Until the age of about 20, I was bullied for my weight, which wasn't great, and has left me with some pretty huge self-esteem issues. As a result of that, I spent a lot of my life trying to lose weight. but never had any real success, which I believe was actually because everybody was out to help me! But, that comes later.

So, overweight through primary school, couldn't seem to lose weight. Obese through secondary school and still couldn't lose weight. But, during secondary school, I really discovered sport, specifically, rugby. I played a bit of rugby through the lower years of the school, but didn't really get into it until I was about 16. Looking back, I don't know whether that was because I was then allowed in the school gym and could focus on getting 'bigger' and stronger, or just a coincidence, but that's when I finally really got into sport.

Thus, I entered the next phase of my life. from 16-18, give or take, through sixth form. This was the start of the times when I began to think that my ability as an athlete was directly proportional to time spent in the gym. As we go through these blogs, there will be a lot of times when I realize how I had, in fact, been doing things wrong. Back in those days, I ate pretty healthily but cut big corners. It's clear that I was kidding myself. This is a case of where everyone was trying to help me lose weight, but just couldn't do it. I would tell myself I was eating really healthily, but in truth I was eating puddings at school and telling myself it was just a treat, but in truth it was just a lack of willpower.

Enter the days of uni. At this point, I was a rugby addict. I lived and breathed rugby, I went to the Fresher's Fair in my 'Lean, Mean, Scrummage Machine' (the 'lean' part was a lie, or at best unrealistic), and was embracing my size as a sign of my rugby ability. I remember when I made friends with some lifelong (I believe) friends, and we were weighing ourselves for fun, and I was shocked to see myself at only just over 17 stone. I stated that I would be worried if I dropped below 17 stone. I look back now and realize how ridiculous that was, 17-something stone is great for rugby, but my body composition wasn't. I would say that my rugby flourished at Leicester uni, and that it was the first real step on my path to fitness. I was pushed harder in training than ever before, my fitness and strength went through the roof. Then I tore, practically snapped the ATF ligament in my ankle, and that was rugby done for that season. That did my fitness and body comp no favours.

As it would turn out, that was the end of my time at Leicester uni, but I owe a massive amount to the University of Leicester Rugby Football Club. I can honestly say that that club was run exactly the way a team should be run. I couldn't have asked for a better first experience of university sport. This meant that, with my move to Swansea University, I was leaving a club that I had fallen in love with, to pastures new. This is where owing ULRFC comes in. Unfortunately, well, as it turns out: fortunately, arriving at Swansea uni and joining the rugby club there, just wasn't something I got on with. It was a new team, a new environment, and I just didn't feel like the club environment worked for me, mainly because it just wasn't Leicester Rugby Club.

As a result, I moved to American Football. Two of my flatmates in first year played for the Swansea Titans, and after much deliberation, I decided it was time to try a new sport. I went along to training, I started playing on the O-line, and I fell in love with American Football. I started watching the NFL and supporting the Baltimore Ravens, and discovered a man who would have a hand in changing my life forever. Ray Lewis, #52, Middle Line Backer, and the guy who I had suddenly realized I wanted to be. Ray Lewis inspired me in a massive way. His attitude to life and the game he played, his talent, his drive, he was what I wanted to be. The only problem? He was lean, fast, agile and I was, well... 19 and a half stone with an unhealthy amount of body fat.

So, that's where rugby's impact on my fitness journey ends. American Football has taken over, and things are about to change!

Thanks for reading,

Will!

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EPISODE 1 - Hey there! I've been giving this a lot of thought. Should I bother writing a blog? If so, how should I go about it? As you can tell, I decided the answer to question one is 'yes', otherwise you wouldn't be reading this! As for question two, I gave that the most thought. I guess to... Read more

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