Vegetarian Means Vegan, Right?

Actually vegetarians tend to differ from what Vegans consider themselves to be. The exact reasons for why, evade me at the moment.

I eat plenty of vegetables but also enjoy eggs so I think this means I may be a vegetarian but I am not a vegan because eggs are not on their menu. I need to watch my calories and weight.

Veganism, if I may, seems to be more like a religion than just a healthy eating regime. I think the term is applied to not only eggs but even to wearing things that may have once been alive, like leather.

I have no feelings on this one way or another and think our life choices are just that, our life choices.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Locating The Diet Pills That Work Is Very Easy

By David McCammon

The good news about diet pills that work is that they can aid lots of folks to lose weight, of course that's when they are used with good diet and good exercise. These diet pills can actually help a lot of folks to in losing weight.

While diet and exercise really are the best ways to lose weight, some people need a little extra push to lose the all important pounds. For these people, diet pills that work can be the answer. They provide the extra motivation that some people need to shed some extra pounds.

For people who try diet pills that work they are not disappointed. The amazing benefits from weight loss are increased energy levels, smaller physique, healthier lungs and heart, more self confidence and other many other benefits.

Before resorting to diet pills, consider accessing other resources like friends and family, the Internet, diet groups, diet programs and books. If you decide you really would like to try diet pills that work, do the research. There are a few things that you should know.

Even diet pills that work can sometimes interact with other medications you are taking. Before you take any type of diet pills, it is absolutely essential that you consult with your physician. While some diet pills can be safe, not all diet pills are. Use caution and judgement to make good decisions about your body.

You need to also be especially cautious if you take medicine to control your blood pressure or control heart disease. Even diet supplements sold over-the-counter, they aren't necessarily safe. To be sure only your physician can give you that information. When taking diet pills, watch for sleep disruption, dermatitis and gastrointestinal problems. In some cases, such as medications with ephedra, diet pills have even caused death.

Once you have investigated taking diet pills that work online and are sure that you would like to proceed, ask your doctor about the specific brand of diet pill that you are considering. He or she will be able to describe the potential benefits and risks, recommend other options and ensure that the formula will not adversely affect your health or interact with any other medications you are taking.

The fact is that diet pills that work definitely can help people who are having difficulty losing weight become the thin person that they have always wanted to be. Diet pills can make the journey from overweight person to fit person easier and less difficult. And very very soon, you'll be feeling healthier and happier.

About the Author:

A Mouth Watering Frothy Gourmet Coffee Is A Great Way To Greet Your Day!

By Michael Stadneck

Specialty coffee is a matter of choice, not a beverage of chance. The definition of specialty coffee or gourmet coffee begins at the origin of coffee, the planting of a particular variety into a particular growing region of the world. Specialty coffee is distinguished by quality rather than volume. Therefore, higher grades of coffee have typically been grown on smaller farms using more natural methods of cultivation. Gourmet coffee is a booming business in the U.S. Just looks at the ubiquitous Starbucks, whose net revenues were up 22 percent in 2007 on sales of $7.8 billion. And now it appears that McDonald's is positioning itself to capture a piece of the specialty coffee market on a global scale.

Espresso coffee is one of the most popular coffee drinks in the world. This type of coffee goes back about 100 years and since its birth people have found that this is a delicious, yet intense way to enjoy the flavor of coffee. Espresso coffee is characteristically thicker in consistency than drip coffee having a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee in the same amount of volume. The serving size is usually measured in shots which are around one fluid once in size. Espresso coffee is much richer and more concentrated than filter coffee and is the base for a cappuccino or latte.

CAPPUCCINO is an Italian word that does not translate directly into English. This traditional beverage of Italy is a popular morning beverage made from just two things: espresso coffee and milk steamed into puffy foam. The American version is quite similar, a coffee-based drink prepared with espresso, hot milk and milk foam.

A latte is basically a diluted cappuccino with almost entirely steamed milk and a dollop of foam on top. Cafe latte is simply the Italian words for "coffee and milk". The drink was made using a "moka" (a stovetop coffee machine which makes double-strength coffee, not espresso).

A Mochaccino is simply equal parts cappuccino and chocolate syrup. Some of the finer coffee houses prefer the term Cafe Mocha, using a powdered cocoa mixed with diluted cappuccino and topped with a whipped cream dollop. This is a very popular alternative to a traditional hot chocolate drink, neither as thick nor as sweet.

A Cafe Americano, similar to a long black common in Australia, is a style of coffee made by pulling a double-shot of espresso over hot water . A long black is similar to an which is made by adding hot water to espresso shots, but it retains the texture and is less voluminous, therefore more strongly flavored.

Besides the hot drinks, there are also a wide variety of iced coffee gourmet drinks as well. Basically, you take any of your favorite varieties, add ice cubes and topping, and voila, you've got yourself a delicious gourmet milk shake-type drink.

The reawakened craze in coffee shops, kiosks and coffee carts can be confusing with menu boards listing numerous gourmet treats in various sizes. Baristas move with lightning speed from espresso machine to flavorings to steaming milk to counter with the talent of circus jugglers. Ordering your first latte takes a lot of courage, but once you get over the initial fear factor, you will be hooked for life.

About the Author:

Ciro's Nightclub: An Icon Of Entertainment History

By Ross Everett

Today, the Comedy Story sits on the same spot and has for over twenty years. In it's earlier incarnation it was Ciro's, and it was for a time the center of the entertainment universe.

From the early 1940's until it closed on the eve of the 1960's, Ciro's launched countless entertainment icons along the path to superstardom. It was one of the first major venues to host Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin before they took over the comedy world in 1950. A year later, an unheralded opening act called the Will Mastin Trio stole the show from the headliner. This was due in large part to a young entertainer that would before long outgrow his membership in the group--arguably the most talented entertainer in show biz history, Sammy Davis, Jr. After the car accident that cost Sammy his right eye, it was the site of his return to live performing. Countless other top entertainers performed there, from Sinatra sidekick comic Joe E. Louis to Nat King Cole.

The audience at Ciro's was frequently more star packed than the stages at most venues. The clientele represented the very top of the entertainment world starting with Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart and all of their "A-list" contemporaries including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Jack Benny and countless others. Ciro's was the "in" spot for stars and would be stars, making it the hottest ticket in town.

In a more civilized time, there was a circuit of world renowned nightclubs that featured the best entertainment in the country in an atmosphere of indulgent luxury. In Las Vegas, the Copa Room at the Sands became the place to be in the 1960s but before that there was the Coconut Grove in Miami, the 900 Club in Atlantic City, the Sam Giancanna owned Villa Venice in Chicago. Even during the early 1940s, Ciros was part of this top tier of clubs. What would later become the Holmby Hills Rat Pack was already holding court nightly at Ciros, then owned and operated by Billy Wilkenson. From Bogie and Bacall to George Raft and Betty Grable, it was L.A.s hottest spot. Like most clubs, however, it began to cool off a couple of years later and by 1942 owner Wilkenson was hard pressed to provide worthy entertainment for the celebrities that patronized his club. Customers were defecting in droves to the jungle themed Mocambo across the street. For a time, Ciros closed its doors. It wasnt dark for long when Herman Hoover put together a plan to reopen the club.

Hoover had considerable experience in running a night club. He cut his teeth at New Yorks Silver Slipper, which was a prohibition era joint owned by Arnold Rothstein and Charles Lucky Luciano among others. He would later run Harlem's famed Cotton Club before heading west to Los Angeles in 1936.

On December 26, 1942 Ciro's re-opened to a packed house including Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball and Cary Grant. The headliner on opening night was Sinatra's longtime friend and opening act, comic Joe E. Louis.

Hoover had hosted Dean Martins wedding in 1949, and Martin and Lewis debuted at Ciros in 1950. They always felt a deep debt of gratitude to Hoover and his club, and even when they were pulling down an astounding (for the 1950s) $100,000 a week to perform they insisted on holding their fee at Ciros to what they were originally paid--$7,000 a week. In 1951, Sammy Davis, Jr., along with his uncle and father"the Will Mastin Trio"tore down the house. Several years later, in what may have been the biggest event ever at the club, Davis returned to the stage following a car accident where he lost his right eye and nearly lost his life. Following an introduction by Frank Sinatra, Davis put on a scorching performance before an adoring and emotional crowd of the biggest stars on the planet.

It was the growth of "The Radiant City" in the Nevada desert--Las Vegas--that would eventually seal the fate of Ciro's and nightclubs like it nationwide. With huge revenues afforded by legal gambling, Nevada casinos were in a position to lure away the best talent for its showrooms. Entertainers liked the fact that they didn't have to travel, and Las Vegas afforded them a 24/7 playground. By the late 50's, Ciro's was forced to close its doors and was sold at a public auction in 1959 for a mere $350,000.

The end of Ciro's also represented an end of the glamor that characterized Los Angeles in the early to middle 20th century. Sunset Boulevard remained a busy main street, but before long became populated with as many strip clubs and tattoo parlors as upscale restaurants and nightclubs. The tradition of launching new stars, however, continues to this day at the Comedy Store which has operated on the Ciro's site for almost 30 years. A 'who's who' of comedy have gotten a start at the club from Jay Leno, David Letterman and Andy Kaufman to modern comics like David Chappelle and UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

About the Author:

Poppy Seed Myths: How True Are They?

By George ONeil

If you are a great fan of culinary arts, perhaps poppy seeds are quite familiar with you. For the benefit of all, poppy seeds are minute kidney-like seeds that are harvested straight from the seedpods of a plant known as opium poppy. For many centuries, poppy seeds for sale have been used by various civilizations mostly on medical purposes. But these days, poppy seeds have become more popular as a fine ingredient that adds delicious taste and good nutrition on various recipes.

Recently, there have been some beliefs going around regarding the use of these seeds. These misconceptions are nothing more than just myths with no firm evidence supporting its speculations.

One popular myth about poppy seeds is its significant role on positive results for a drug test. Such speculation was drawn out of the fact that the poppy seed resin is one of the basic components or ingredients in the massive production of illegal drugs like heroin, morphine, and codeine. Before, a lot of people were baffled of such myth, which made them refrain from eating commercial foods with poppy seeds as its main ingredient, and even stopped using them for their home cooked meals. This is primarily because they once thought that ingesting poppy seeds could lead to a positive drug result for Opiates. But then, it still strictly remains as a myth and nothing more.

To clear out your mind, ingestion of poppy seeds is very far from leading to a positive drug test result. With the help of drug testing laboratories utilizing GC/MS or Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrmetry, poppy seeds now have a safer reputation. There are many types of drug testing processes and the previous one is mainly for confirming the Opiod class consisting of morphine, heroine, and codeine. With such test a 300 ng/ml result is expected from a person who has been eating poppy seeds. But then, the cutoff level for the Opiate Class is at 2,000 ng/ml set by the Department of Health and Human Services. In this guideline, positive results only show for persons who have been truly taking in codeine, morphine, and heroine and not those who are just fond of eating poppy seeds based products.

In most times, drug tests are needed to fill in a vacant slot for a job. This is one of the many security measures that most hiring companies do every time they go out looking for a new member of their empire. Another particular myth which is directly related to the previous one is the potential of poppy seeds in taking away your job opportunity. This myth suggests that eating foods that contain poppy seeds by any amount can definitely result to a positive drug test making you loose the chance of landing on a good job. Much worse, it can label you as a drug user. This may have been true and have been a misfortune to some back when the cut off level for the Opiate class was still at low 300 ng/ml. As ingestion of poppy seeds can provide the same result, the Department of Health and Human Services raised the cutoff level to 2,000 ng/ml.

Nowadays, such misleading beliefs on poppy seeds are nothing but mere distractions. With a more efficient guideline, you can freely enjoy the health benefits of eating poppy seed based foods. As what most myths are, the ones mentioned above are nothing but unproven theories.

About the Author: