10 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY WHEN DINING OUT

10 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY WHEN DINING OUT

1. If you can choose the time of day, breakfast meals are usually lower in cost. If that's not possible, dine out during lunch or brunch time, which tends to be cheaper than at dinner time.

2. Dine out during the week rather than on the weekend. Most all restaurants offer weekly specials where you'll find prices that are much lower than usual.

3. If you have a family, go to places that offer children's menus with low priced meals.

4. If you are not a big eater, share an entree with someone else and order salad or soup to supplement your meal.

5. Try and avoid alcoholic drinks and desserts since their markup is very high. $4.50 for a beer is just not worth it!

6. Your local city newspaper should have coupons for many of the popular restaurants in your area. Take a look and see what's available to you.

7. If you dine out alot, it may be more economical to buy a coupon book of restaurants in your area or a "frequent dining card". You'll find lots of 2-for-1 and 50% off coupons that can add up to big savings.

8. If you eat out and you have a huge appetite, go for the all-you-can-eat buffets. That might be all you need for the day! :-)

9. If you own a business, dining out for business purposes is a legitimate expense you can write off. Check with your local tax laws for the percentage allowed.

10. Last but not least, why not cook? Not only is it much healthier, but you'll save hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year.

CONCLUSION

Most everyone enjoys eating out from time to time. However this can get quite expensive especially if you eat out on a regular basis.Think out it this way. If you are able to change a few eating habits, you might find yourself saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year... food for thought.---Learn Effective Money-Saving Techniques & Eliminate Your Debt At SavingSecrets.com. Hop on over and you'll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by!

Gardening, Nature May Be Therapy

Die-hard gardeners and other nature lovers have always believed plants somehow feed the spirit, as well as the body. Today's scientists are finding more and more proof to back up this belief - among gardeners and non-gardeners alike. In fact, "plant power" may help explain why yardwork has been the No. 1 U.S. leisure-time activity for years.

"For busy people, working in the yard is a way to exercise, yet feel like they've gotten something done. Flower lovers and people interested in safer or better tasting food have different reasons for working outdoors. I doubt many analyze why they also feel better after they've finished gardening for the day. They don't need to," said Chuck Marr, a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension.

Researchers have found that just looking at or being around nature can significantly reduce stress, blood pressure, muscle tension, depression, absenteeism, complaints, post-operative pain and days to recovery.

Eat Grapefruit for Healthy Gums

Eat Grapefruit for Healthy Gums

While it is known that citric acids can weaken tooth enamel and can cause tooth erosion, a new study shows a different take on vitamin C and oral health. Performed by Friedrich Schiller University in Germany, the study reported that eating grapefruit every day may help reduce bleeding gums and help promote the healing of gum disease.Researchers had 58 volunteers with chronic gum disease eat two grapefruits a day and found that it had a positive effect on gum disease; this was true for smokers and non-smokers. The researchers believe this is due to the increase in vitamin C, which promotes healing of wounds. Each grapefruit contains over 90 mg of Vitamin C.

The study was published in the British Dental Journal. If Vitamin C is the main component of healing bleeding gums, we are left to wonder if oranges and vitamin C supplements have the same affect.

Does Green tea prevent certain types of cancers ?

Apparently a few scientists in Spain and Britain think this may be the case. Researchers in both countries have been able to show that a specific compound found in green tea known as EGCG (the AP article on green tea did not disclose what this acronym actually stands for) has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

EGCG seems to accomplish the remarkable feat of preventing cancer cell growth by inhibiting a particular enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase and according to a Professor Roger Thorneley of the John Innes Center in Norwich, England, "This is the first time, to our knowledge, a known target for an anti-cancer drug has been identified as being inhibited by EGCG".

The wonderful news for green tea afficionados, of course, is that green tea contains about five times as much EGCG as regular tea.

However, as Professor Thorneley states, so far there has been no determination as to how much green tea an individual would need to consume to obtain the beneficial effects provided by this compound.

But since he also goes on record to state that EGCG may be just one of several ingredients in green tea that have such properties, there's certainly no reason to stop drinking grean tea.

Unless you are a pregnant woman, that is. Women who are pregnant are given the advice that folic acid supplements may protect newborns against spina bifida. Apparently, green tea, if consumed in large amounts, can have the effect of decreasing folic acid's effectiveness.

source by http://www.vitaminstuff.com

CAN USING OLIVE OIL REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER ?

Cancer rates are reportedly higher in areas of northern Europe as compared to southern Europe. And it is in southern Europe where olive oil is an important dietary component. Is there a connection between lower rates of cancer and the use of olive oil? A Danish team of researchers from the Copenhagen University Hospital conducted a study to investigate the matter.

The danish study involved 182 men between the ages of twenty and sixty, originating from five separate European nations. In the course of the study, researchers added olive oil to their daily diet for a period of two weeks. The goal was to measure any appreciable effect on the produced levels of a substance known as 8oxodG, which correlates with cellular damage as a result of oxidation.

The result? At the end of the two week period, the study participants were found to have thirteen percent less 8oxodG in their urine, suggesting the potential for reduced levels of DNA damage (DNA damage can lead to the development of cancer) as a result of using olive oil.

Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits?

by: Aaron Matthews Morgan

If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis. This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that fix in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Here is a statistic to ponder: did you know that there are over 160 million coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In terms of consumption, the average American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But consider this: the world leader in terms of consumption is Finland which comes in at nearly 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!

Another statistic is that there have been well over 19,000 studies done to analyze the effects of coffee. Now, studies can often be skewed to show whatever the author wants, but here is what is generally agreed: consuming 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is often considered more beneficial than harmful. Recent studies have shown that moderate coffee drinking can reduce the risk of colon cancer (due to it's ability to keep you regular), gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and more, due to the fact the it is loaded with healthy antioxidants. So loaded, that studies have implied that coffee contains higher levels of antioxidants compared to other commonly consumed beverages, such as tea and fruit juice. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that “fix” in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Several studies are also being conducted on Parkinson's and diabetic Patients. Research has shown that just one cup of coffee per day can halve your risk of Parkinson's, the brain disease that causes tremors and affects movement. Caffeine may protect the brain cells typically lost to Parkinson's disease. However, it has been noted that women on hormone therapy do not seem to benefit. It is felt that Estrogen may dilute the effectiveness of caffeine. It has also been found that if a woman drinks three cups of coffee a day, she can reduce her risk of Type 2 Diabetes by twenty to thirty percent. Coffee may help promote the delivery of insulin to the tissues. Experts believe that coffee's antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine acid, deserve the credit. There are also on going studies that are producing favorable reports on coffee helping to fight Alzheimer's due to the caffeine stimulating the cognitive area of the brain. This is just the tip of the ice berg.

People with asthma who drink coffee can have up to 25 percent fewer symptoms because one of the compounds in coffee - theophylline - acts as a bronchodilator. A recent Brazilian study showed that consumption of coffee promotes better sperm mobility - and now studies are in progress to determine whether caffeine can help infertile men. Coffee contains polyphenols, substances that may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary artery disease. Caffeinated coffee, as opposed to decaffeinated coffee, makes you a better thinker. Studies have shown that coffee keeps you focused, particularly when you are doing not-so-pleasant work. A researcher with the U.S. Army stated caffeine improved scores on a range of cognitive tasks, such as decision making, learning, and attention in the sleep-deprived. Coffee can also boost your mood, probably by making you feel more energetic. A little known fact is that coffee contains antioxidants which have been shown to imporve oveall health. Here is a short list of some benefits which have been shown to be present in coffee:

Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Antibacterial ingredients

Reduce the risk of developing gallstones

Preserve mental accuity

Reduce risk of developing type 2 Diabetes (if you have diabetes, reduce your consumption

If you are free of hypertension, coffee will not likely produce it

Headache relief

Reduce the risk of some types of cancer

Improve physical endurance