Phung

Ketchup dates back as far as 1600 AD when sailors traveling to China discovered a sauce made of soy or oysters called ketsiap. This version quickly changed ingredients to include mushrooms, anchovies, shallots, and lemon peel. Then in the late 1700s tomato ketchup appeared in Nova Scotia and began the transformation to todays sweet tomato version.

Ketchup began to be commercially available in the United States during the 1830s when a New England farmer bottled and sold his version of the tomato condiment. In 1837 ketchup gained in popularity when Jonas Yerkes bottled and sold ketchup in quart and pint sized bottles. Then in 1872 HJ Heinz began to sell what we know today as Heinz Ketchup. Heinzs recipe is the same today as it was when he placed this popular condiment on store shelves everywhere.

The catsup spelling went out of popularity in 1981 when Ronald Regans administration declared Ketchup a vegetable that could be used in school lunches. Public outcry caused a reversal of this ruling and today ketchup is back as a condiment.

If you would like to try making ketchup for yourself here is an easy recipe that can be modified to satisfy spicy or sweet pallets.

2 Onions roasted
3 Cloves of Garlic roasted
3 Tbs olive oil
tsp ground cloves
tsp ground allspice
1 tsp mustard seeds
tsp ground celery seeds
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
cup dark corn syrup
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Roast the onions and garlic in the broiler until charred. Toast the cloves, allspice, mustard seeds, and celery seeds in olive oil over low heat. Be careful not to burn the spices. Add all the ingredients to a large stock pot and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and return to the stock pot. Simmer for another hour to thicken.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

My friends, I believe that we in Network Marketing, are at the beginning of a fantastic trend - a revolution in the industry.

For years, the top levels of this business have been dominated by red personalities. You know the type Im talking about the hard hitting, no remorse, all go, never quit until you beg, plead, and bribe every innocent grandmother into your organization kind of personality. This behavior, among other things, has led to a public misunderstanding of the potential of Network Marketing.

Theres a reason that as soon as one of your friends hears that youre a Network Marketer, they head for the hills and join the Witness Protection Program. Its because theyve probably been hounded by someone else in Network Marketing and lived to tell the story. And BY GOD do they tell the story! They share their negative experience with everyone they know.

WELL GUESS WHAT - THE TIME OF HOUNDING IS OVER

Thousands of Network Marketers have been subject to this behavior and you know what theyve realized? Theyre not comfortable with it. Theyve had enough! Theyre starting to see that people arent numbers, not everyone is interested in starting their own business, and not everyone is a prospect!

More time is being focused on building relationships with people rather than trying to convince every 2nd person you meet that your DEAL is the best thing in the world for them.

Countless Network Marketers have been burnt by the flames of the red personalities, and theyre ready to do MLM the way it should be done - with honesty and integrity. The next generation of Network Marketers, of all ages, will band together to revolutionize how this industry is perceived by the public.

I estimate that in the not-too-distant future, Network Marketing will be accepted by the masses and will be an awfully strong channel for the world to purchase products.

Move aside Red Personalities. Your time is over.

Andrew McLellan
Network Marketing Inspiration Blog

Having a high cholesterol condition will sooner or later lead to having a heart disease, a heart attack or even a stroke. And because of this, every year high cholesterol claims thousand of lives. If you act the right way, you can prevent this from happening. In order to reduce your cholesterol naturally, you need a low cholesterol diet plan. Your high cholesterol problem can be controlled through the help of a diet that lowers cholesterol in an effective and quick way.

You might need to first be on medication to help reduce your cholesterol depending on your age, family history and your cholesterol level. It is very important to talk to a doctor or a registered nutrition first about your diet to lower cholesterol, since he or she can provide you all the information you need and give you the appropriate treatment. Besides a low cholesterol diet, the doctor will normally recommend physical activity.

A myth says that the condition of hypercholesterolemia is caused primarily by the large intake of fatty and high cholesterol foods. Since cholesterol has more to do with your genetics and your activity rather than your diet - it is just not that true. Still, a low cholesterol diet is an important aspect of your cholesterol when it comes combined with exercise and medications.

If you know which type of cholesterol in the foods you must keep off, then a diet to lower cholesterol is rather easy. But before this, you must know something about the two types of cholesterol existing in your body. There is the HDL cholesterol which stands for high density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol, and there also is the LDL cholesterol low density lipoprotein, which is known as the bad cholesterol. You can consume foods that are high in HDL cholesterol while you must reduce the intake of LDL cholesterol.

Foods that are high in saturated fats are very high in LDL, so foods such as heavy pastries, lard, fatty meats, greasy sauces and butter are to be avoided on your low cholesterol diet menu. On your low cholesterol diet plan, having a list of foods that are lower in cholesterol could help you.

Food such as dark chocolate, avocado and some nuts are high in HDL. You may consult with your nutritionist about a list of foods that help lower cholesterol. Remember to fill your diet with oats anything with oats or whole wheat is a great source for fiber.

Jean Helmet is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. Her latest website - Natural Cholesterol Supplement focuses on cholesterol as a whole, and in particular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as - Cholest-Natural

Be sure to check out our cholesterol product of choice, it is the natural supplement we use and recommend to friends and family, and have done for over 3 years.

Many students, and parents, have the erroneous belief that there is no way to prepare for standardized tests. Such is not the case with the ACT. It is an exam that lends itself quite well to preparation.

Knowing what material a test covers is probably the biggest factor in successful preparation for any exam. The ACT organization readily makes this information available to those preparing to take the exam.

For example, it is clearly stated that the mathematics section will contain a total of 60 questions. Of those 60 questions, 40% will be on pre-algebra and elementary algebra topics, 15% on intermediate algebra, 15% on coordinate geometry, 23% on plane geometry, and 7% on trigonometry.

Similar content descriptions are given for the other sections of the test. Knowing this breakdown can help guide students in where they should spend their preparation efforts.

Armed with this good information about the actual content on the ACT, using an ACT Study Guide can be an excellent way to actually practice and prepare for the exam.

For several years I taught an ACT preparation course during the summer and I saw students improve their scores considerably by careful study and review.

The books I used during this summer prep course were published by the ACT organization for use in such workshops, but most of the good study guides available to the public are patterned after these same type books.

The good study guides will include an overall view of the exam, test taking strategies, practice questions and tutorials, and at least one complete practice exam.

My observation of the students taking prep courses or using study guides is that, like with most things, the benefits gained are directly related to the amount of time and effort invested.

So, grab one of the good study guides available and spend some good time with it. It will pay off!

Linda Hinkle is an educator and advocate for parents of high school students. See her recommendations for a good ACT Study Guide at http://www.highschoolstuff.com/Test_Prep_Materials.html

You set out for a 10 mile hike alone on a well known trail in the mountains. It's cloudy with little wind and the temperature is a balmy 67 degrees. You have done plenty of hikes, and spend a lot of time outdoors. On this particular day, you take a slightly more adventurous route and move a little faster than usual. It's getting late in the day and you don't want be out after dark so you push a little harder. All is going well until you slip on a rock and mildly sprain your ankle. You can still walk, but you have been slowed down.

You are annoyed at yourself, but settle down to the fact that you are just going to be later than you thought. Unfortunately, you inadvertently followed the wrong stream which is now leading you deeper into the woods and not back to the main trail. Your life is now in grave danger and you don't even know it.

It's getting dark and you are dressed in hiking shorts and cotton shirt. The light is fading and a light rain has started to fall. A cold front has moved in the temperature has dropped quickly to 50 degrees and the wind has picked up. Feeling cold, you stop. You now realize that you picked the wrong trail and are now not certain which direction you should be traveling. The heavy cloud cover makes it tough to get a bearing from the sun. At this point you ask yourself a critical question - do I stop here and prepare to spend the night and wait for help or do I make an intelligent guess and press on. You pick what you think is the correct direction and move faster, using a stick as a cane.

It's now almost dark and the temperature is at 44 degrees with a 15 mph wind giving a wind chill of 27 degrees. You are shivering. Your pace has slowed to a pathetic crawl, and you can't even see the trail. Your fingers are numb and you struggle for a few minutes to unwrap the candy bar in your pack. Your clothes are wet from the rain and and your ankle is throbbing. The wind has picked up a little and the wind chill is well below freezing. You feel a little confused about the situation and can't really remember how you hurt your ankle.

After stumbling on in the dark for a few more minutes, you have to stop because of the violent shivering. Your thinking process has slowed dramatically and you feel signs of depression. Luckily you find a rock overhang and climb under it to get out of the now heavy rain. Your shivering stops and you feel that's a good sign. WRONG! You are now in the severe state of hypothermia. You start doing some irrational things and believe you hear voices to which you call out but hear no response. Your breathing has become shallow and erratic and you feel extremely tired, drifting in and out of consciousness. You curl up into the fetal position to keep warm and fall asleep.

The next morning your cold and lifeless body is found by some hikers approximately 150 yards from the main trail.

This story is a fictitious, although not impossible, example of what can go horribly wrong with a simple outing. Hypothermia is the silent killer. By the time you are aware that you may have hypothermia, it's too late to help yourself. Hypothermia results in hundreds of deaths each year in the United States and Canada.

What is hypothermia? Hypothermia is a decrease in the core body temperature to a level at which normal muscular and cerebral functions are impaired. Basically, it occurs when your body is losing heat faster than it is generating it.

How cold does it have to be? In wet and windy conditions you can get hypothermia at 50 degrees or even higher. You can become hypothermic in water temperatures of 60-70 degrees as water conducts heat away from the body 25 times faster than air.

Recognizing Hypothermia Symptoms Knowing what symptoms to look for can significantly help you or others at risk of hypothermia. With that said, it is difficult to recognize the symptoms in yourself as the very symptoms impede rational thought. The following shows the symptoms that might occur as hypothermia sets in and progresses. Wet and windy conditions will significantly worsen the situation. Your chances of dying from hypothermia are also greatly increased if your judgment is impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Progressive Symptoms of Hypothermia

• Intense shivering
• Violent uncontrollable shivering. Poor coordination and stumbling Difficulty speaking.
• Shivering ceases. Muscles are stiff or rigid. Impaired thinking and judgment. Depression and amnesia.
• Muscle Rigidity continues, slowed pulse rate and respiration. Stupor, Immobility.
• Unconsciousness, most reflexes cease, heart beat erratic, possible death.
• Cardiac Fibrillation. Pulmonary edema. Cardiac and respiratory failure.
• Death!

How do I prevent Hypothermia ? The colder it is, the warmer you need to dress. If you do not have warm clothing, building a fire is essential. It is very important to get out of rain/wind/snow, so shelter is critical. Some clothing like wool, retains it's thermal properties even when wet. Always have warm clothing even if the weather looks great when you start out.

At what point do I stop and prepare to wait for help? It is tough to determine the exact point, as each situation is different. Basically you must not wait until you are too cold, that you can't use your hands. The secret is not even go out unprepared. In the event that you find yourself in a situation that could turn serious, seek assistance immediately. The word "could" is used as it is imperative that you recognize potential problems long before they arise.

In the northern states, you and your family are always at risk of hypothermia when outdoors during cold months. Be prepared for the worst and don't take chances with this silent killer, especially when out with kids.!

Be Safe !

About The Author Graham Armitage, is founder of the family outdoor website, Georec. The site allows anyone to discover new outdoor places and invites you to review and comment on outdoor locations. To access all the free hiking, fishing, paddling and other information available, or to add your own content, visit www.georec.com

Copyright 2006 - georec.com. All Rights reserved WorldWide. Reprint rights - you may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, and do not edit the article in any way, and give credit to the author.

Choosing a health insurance plan is not as easy as it used to be. The distinctions among health plans have begun to blur as health benefits companies compete for your business.

Although there is no best health benefits plan, there are carriers that are a better fit than others for your business and your employees health care needs.

As chief executive officer of VISTA, a health benefits company, I am not immune to the skyrocketing cost of health care. As an employer, I face the same challenge you do of keeping health care costs affordable for VISTAs 1,000 Florida employees. My responsibility also extends to more than 10,000 South Florida employer groups and 330,000 VISTA members.

While many CEOs, presidents and CFOs complain about the cost of providing health benefits for their employees, they are rarely engaged in the process of selecting a health benefits company. Fortunately, South Florida employers enjoy a highly competitive marketplace when it comes to purchasing health benefits. While there are many carriers to choose from, the differences among each are few. The network of providers, plan designs and services are all very similar.

So all things being equal, why pay more? How do you know which health benefits company is the right fit for your business? Ask yourself these questions.

As an employer, how much can I afford to contribute to the premium?

What benefits will serve the majority of my employees?

Will offering employees more choices save or cost me money?

Does the plan have an adequate number of providers?

Evaluating cost

Business owners are searching for ways to reduce their health care expenses. Look for a carrier that administers your health benefits plan efficiently.

Administrative charges are a carriers overhead costs. They are included in your premium and can vary significantly. These charges include processing and paying claims, answering customer calls, marketing and advertising costs, and broker commission payments. Carriers with lower administrative costs usually are much more affordable than those with high administrative costs. When reviewing proposals from health benefits companies, ask what they will charge you for administrative expenses.

Offering employees a choice

Giving employees the freedom to choose their health plan will help educate them about the valuable benefit you offer, satisfy their need for health benefits and keep your premium contributions within your budget. Plan choices may vary by co-payment, network access and employee contribution. It will be the employee, not the employer, who is responsible for evaluating and choosing his or her health benefits plan.

Employees will have to determine how often they use health care services, what they estimate those costs to be and how they want to access and pay for those services.

An adequate provider network

No health benefits plan covers every health expense an employee may have or includes every physician. You are purchasing group coverage. As a business owner, you must evaluate whether the health benefits pIan you are considering offers an affordable level of benefits and a network that provides adequate accessibility for your employees.

Your bottom line

In South Florida, there can be as much as a 15 percent difference in cost among the health benefits companies you have to choose from. The health plan you select should be cost-competitive and offer a choice of health plans and an extensive provider network to meet the needs of your group.

Whether your company has 20 employees or 1,000, your level of engagement in the decision-making process is vital in determining how health care costs will impact your companys bottom line. Standing on the sidelines could be a price you cannot afford to pay.

RONALD J. BERDING is CEO of VISTA, a health benefits company headquartered in South Florida with more than 330,000 members. His expertise in health care and insurance spans 30 years. Berding was a member of the Gov. Chiles Task Force on Claims Payment and the Small Group Insurance Reform Committee under Florida Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher. He also served as chair of Floridas Consumer Assistance Plan. VISTA, through its affiliated companies, Vista Healthplan Inc., Vista Healthplan of South Florida Inc. and Vista Insurance Plan Inc., offers a choice of health benefit plans including health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO) and point-of-service (POS). Contact Berding through VISTAs Web site, http://www.vistahealthplan.com, or at (954) 858-3000.