8 Surprising Ways to Burn 50 Calories (courtesy of AARP Bulletin)

Work Out Your Funny Bone - 10-15 minutes. 
Laughing out loud can boost your metabolism by 20%, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., found.  Laughing also increases blood flow and may reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a study by doctors at the University of Maryland.

Pick Up Litter - 8 minutes.
Walking is good exercise, but some bending, stretching and lifting make it even better.  Cleaning up trash and collecting recyclables (cans, bottles, etc. ranks way up there in the feel good department and sets a terrific example for others.

Rub Someone the Right Way - 8-9 minutes.
When it comes to massages as a calorie-burning activity, it's definitely better to give than to receive.  Massage, researches have found, reduces pain and stress throughout the body.  It may also lower blood pressure and boost immunity.  But that's only if your massage partner returns the favor.

Hoop It Up: - 8 minutes. 
Hooping - the exercise-oriented incarnation of the 1950's Hula-Hoop craze--gives you a good cardiovascular workout, builds stamina and improves agility and strength.  It's cool and likely to be even cooler, now that an avid hooper, first lady Michelle Obama, is in the White House.

Conduct an Imaginary Orchestra - 14 minutes. 
The gestures and body movements of conducting (think Arturo Toscanini, not Lawrence Welk) significantly boost your pulse rate and, over time, strengthen your heart.  "Noby knows why many orchestra conductors live longer than people in other professions," says Gabe Mirkin, M.D., "but the very act of conducting may be the reason."

Be a Clean Freak - l0 minutes.
Vacuuming gives muscles in your upper body a gentle workout and, if stairs are involved, helps tone the lower body.  A cleaner house helps control such asthma and allergy triggers as pet dander, dust mites and pollen.

Type-email - 19-20 minutes.
While this may strike you as a sedentary activity, keep in mind that a typist burns up to twice as many calories as a couch potato.  Keep in touch with your friends and family.

Chew Gum - 4/12 hours.
Working out your jaw muscles in this way can raise your metabolic rate by 20%,researches at the Mayo Clinic have found.  Xylitol, the sugar substitute used in many sugar0free chewing gums, reduces dental plaque and helps prevent cavities.

Goin' Bananas!!!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. !!

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting!!

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation

: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore norm al bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The ba nana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness

: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the sto mac h.

Temperature control

: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Lastly, do you want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.

What an amazing fruit!

Easy, Practical Household Tips (courtesy of Martha Stewart Living)

HOW TO WHITEN LINENS WITH LEMONS 

Napkins, linens, even white socks can be whitened on the stove.  Fill a pot with water and a few slices of fresh lemon, and bring to a boil.  Turn off heat, add linens and let soak for up to an hour.  Wash as usual.  For extra brightening, spread them out in the sunlight to dry.

HOW  TO STORE CANDLES

Candles shold be kept in a dark, coool, dry place. Why? Light can cause the colors to fade, heat can cause the candles to warp, and moisture can make the wicks difficult to light.

HOW TO KEEP CUT FLOWERS ALIVE!

For cut flowers to survive, give them sugar for nourishment and an acidic ingredient like lemon-lime soda or aspirin, which allows the plant to absorb water more easily.  A drop of bleach prevents bacteria and also lengthens their life!

HOW TO REMOVE MELTED WAX

Candlelight is romantic, but there's nothing lovely about prying or scraping melted voties out of their holders.  Instead, place the glass holders in the freezer for a few hours; the wax should shrink just enough to pop right out.

HOW TO STEADY A WOBBLY CHAIR

Once they've done their duty as wine-bottle stoppers, corks can come in handly elsewhere in the house.  In the kitchen or dining room, they are a simple solution to an exasperating problem: a wobbly chair.  Simply cut a slice of cork horizontally and slip it under the troublesome leg.

HOW TO STORE TOMATOES

Unlike many other fruits and vegetables, tomatoes should always be kept at room temperature.  In a large, shallow ceramic bowl, they look beautiful on the kitchen counter or even as a centerpiece.  Place underripe tomatoes in a sunny spot or in a brown paper bag for about 2 to 4 days to ripen.  Check them every day to catch them at thei right time.

HOW TO REMOVE RED WINE STAINS

Fear of red wine stains probably keeps moe fine linens on the shelf than on the table.  Here's a sure, easy way to get rid of red wine stains.  Wet the stain with lukewarm water, then add a layer of table salt.  Rub, and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Pull fabric taut across a heat-proof bowl, and secure with a rubber band.  Place in the sink, and carefully pour boiling water on the stain from a height of 3 feet.  The combined pressure and heat of the water will eliminate the stain.