See What Is Happening In Darfur and What You Can Do To Help.

I originally posted this on my political site Informed Voters. I wanted to share it here also, since there are links for ways we can all help.

This is how you can help, what you can do…

My Diet Update: I said good-bye to sugar, but hello to Taco Bell.

image from

This is my second update on Taking It Five Pounds At A Time.

I did great this week at staying away from the sugar, and that was my goal. But, I didn’t lose anymore weight, and I know why. I’m not really a fast-food person, but this week I fell into the fast-food trap. Actually, it was the Nacho Cheese Chalupa trap. (Truth be told – I fell into this trap twice this week.)

UPDATE: Another Prescription Diet Pill (now available over the counter) — Why You Should “Just Say No”.

This was a post I originally had on my Women 4 Hope site last week…But I thought it would be good here too.

I came across this article yesterday, and I was a bit troubled. I hope the American public doesn’t fall for this one. Let me know what you think? Friendly face and cute packaging — may help “sell” this product…but it doesn’t mean it is safe or effective. I hope you will get all the fact before you consider this product for weight loss.

Over-the-counter Diet Pill

In clinical trials, the FDA says that people using alli lost an additional 2 to 3 pounds for every 5 pounds lost through diet and exercise. The FDA approved* alli to be sold over the counter in February.

* Let’s face it the FDA approves just about anything the major pharmaceutical companies want them to. Many times these approved drugs end up making the pharmaceutical company millions, but doing nothing (and in some cases harming) the American public.

What Is Outside Our World, We Can Not See — A Beautiful Thought From Rumi

This is a great post from 1000 Petals, she always has such beautiful posts. If you haven’t checked out her site yet, you really should.

photo axinia

 

What if someone said to an embryo in the womb,

“Outside of your world of black nothing

is a miraculously ordered universe;

a vast Earth covered with tasty food;

mountains, oceans and plains,

fragrant orchards and fields full of crops;

a luminous sky beyond your reach,

with a sun, moonbeams, and uncountable stars;

and there are winds from south, north and west,

and gardens replete with sweet flowers

like a banquet at a wedding feast.

 

The wonders of this world are beyond description.

What are you doing living in a dark prison,

Drinking blood through that narrow tube?”

But the womb- world is all an embryo knows

And it would not be particularly impressed

By such amazing tales, saying dismissively:

“You’re crazy. That is all a deluded fantasy.”

 

 

One day you will look back and laugh at yourself.

You’ll say, “ I can’t believe I was so asleep!

How did I ever forget the truth?

How ridiculous to believe that sadness and sickness

Are anything other than bad dreams.”

RUMI (1207-1273)

 

 

Update – A Plan To Take It Five Pounds At A Time (a diet)

UPDATE – TAKING FIVE POUNDS AT A TIME (a diet) – by Catherine Morgan

As promised, this is my first weekly update on how I am doing on my “Taking Five Pounds at a Time” – Diet.

Well, it started off rough. My goal was to stop eating sugar (cookies, cake, candy, etc). When I do this, I find dieting much easier. Basically, I’m about 90% there – In the beginning of the week I had some ice-cream, and Saturday I had a couple gummie-bears. Otherwise, I am trying to eat more healthy foods…but at this point not limiting the quantity of healthy food. I need to get over my “no sugar” hump before I start depriving myself of other calories.

A few of the things I have been doing is; eating oatmeal at least once a day, drinking plenty of water and green tea, eating more vegetables, and not eating before I go to bed. I also got some great tips from a fellow cyber-dieter that I would like to share…

First Do No Harm — My Statement To The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C.

I will not be invisible anymore. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has taken a lot from me, but I still have my voice, and I will be heard. With my voice I hope to help bring awareness and visibility to a disease that has been misunderstood and ignored for too long.

On May 16th and 17th the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee will meet in Washington, D.C. where a dedicated group of top CFS experts and advocates – will report on the latest research findings and patient needs, and submit budget allocation recommendations to the Secretary of HHS.

I was hoping to attend this meeting and give a five minute statement to the committee, as both a patient and an advocate of this disease. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I will be unable to attend. However, the committee has agreed to enter my statement into the record, and for this I am very grateful.

The following is my statement…

Attention Presidential Candidates — What will you do for the American people?

Attention Presidential Candidates — What will you do for the American people?

An Open Letter To All Presidential Candidates

TO: All Presidential Candidates And Their Campaign Managers.

REGARDING: A Political Strategy That Could Win The Election, While Regaining The Trust Of The American People.

FROM: A Mom Who Cares About America.

All this talk about the millions of dollars being raised by the Presidential candidates really got me thinking……Are these campaign managers really getting the most “bang” for their “buck”? And, is any of this money contributing to the overall welfare of the American people?

Campaign reform is obviously not working. More and more money to political campaigns is coming from corporate lobbies, hoping to have policy written in their favor. Just two examples of this would be; the Pharmaceutical Lobbies and the Oil & Gas Lobbies. As much as I hate it, I don’t see any sign of this practice stopping. So, for the sake of stopping “chasing our tales” on this one….let’s just “throw in the towel”. Let the politicians raise as much money as they want from all willing to fund them. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . Just imagine how much positive press a candidate would receive from all media (press, television, internet, etc), by using their money to actually, “put their money where their mouth is”. They could go all around the country and use this campaign money to set-up scholarship programs, feed the hungry, give medical insurance to kids slipping through the cracks….BASICALLY, USE THE MONEY TO HELP THE PEOPLE….the sky is the limit. Of course they will also be using these opportunities to create positive press for themselves, as well as talk about their campaign. But to what end? Helping people that need it? Or flushing it down the toilet making attack ads? Which candidate do you think the American people would vote for?. . . . . . . . May the person who cares about the American people the most, WIN. – read my full post at BlogHer.org

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Also See: Interactive Federal Budget Pie Chart — See where federal funds are going now, and then adjust the budget to how you would allocate the money…and then compare.

Dieting — A Plan To Take It Five Pounds At A Time

image from Oopshi

After being sick for several weeks with my asthma, I found (as I aways do), that I have gained some weight. Since I was already somewhat higher than what my “ideal” weight is, the extra pounds are really bothering me. I also have a big BlogHer Conference coming up in July, and I really want to try to look (and feel) my best. I usually don’t like to “diet”. Usually I like to just change my eating habits and the weight loss simply follows…and this is usually all I need to do to be successful.

But, since I am blogging anyway, I thought I might have more success if I did as I have seen other bloggers do. Many put their diet goals on their blog, and keep readers updated on their progress. From what I have seen, this strategy seems to work well. I am especially impressed with my online friend “TotalTransformation“, and today when I checked out his site I found something very interesting. It’s a weight loss “ticker”, that can be put on your blog to keep track of your progress. Just what I need.

FIVE STEPS TO FORGIVENESS

This is a post that I did when I first began writing and blogging. Aside from my Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, this post on Forgiveness is my most read post. I think it is an important topic, and that is why I decided to re-post it…I’m also adding a few UPDATES at the end. I hope you like it.

by © cloud9999

FIVE STEPS TO FORGIVENESS — by Catherine Morgan

When we are angry at people in are life. When we aren’t talking to people in our life. When we hate people in our life. When we are doing these things, we are weakening ourselves, we are hurting ourselves, we are hating ourselves. That is because, when we don’t forgive, we are allowing our heart to be weighed down with negativity. But, we already know that. So why do we do it? Why don’t we forgive?

My theory is; that we really don’t know how to forgive. I mean, saying you “forgive” someone, isn’t really “forgiving” them, is it? What if there were actually steps you could take to forgive? Kind of a “12 step” program for forgiveness, only with less steps. See if this works for you. Because, when you forgive someone, you are pushing anger out of your heart and making more room for love to get in, and love is what really matters.

Medical Mistakes — A Leading Cause of Death in the United States

image from

Did you know that preventable medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death in the United States?

We all know about the oath our doctors take to “do no harm”. But, we also know that doctors are human, and humans make mistakes. What you might not know is; Death due to medical mistakes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It is estimated that over 100,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors.

From Broken To BlogHer — One Woman’s Journey Toward Hope

I wanted to share with you my first post for Health and Wellness at BlogHer.org – I am now on post number three, you can see all my posts by clicking the Health & Wellness Link bellow.

Health & Wellness

Hi everyone, my name is Catherine, and I am going to be one of your contributing editors for Health and Wellness here at BlogHer. This is my first post as a contributing editor, so I thought I would take this time to tell you a bit about myself, and how I got here.

Less than a year ago, I didn’t have the ability to write or even read. Not because of a lack of education or ability, but because I was in the midst of a devastating medical problem that was steeling my memory from me. Picture someone in their late thirties, developing almost Alzheimer’s like symptoms….and doctors saying it was just “normal” forgetfulness.