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Audio Book Review: Freakonomics /Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Steven D. Levitt is a University of Chicago economist who is more interested in economic choices and the psychology of decision-making, rather than dusty macroeconomic studies, stock market prediction or studies of inflation. In his own words, his main interests are cheating, corruption and crime. This is good, but academic studies are unlikely to make a good audio book, since technical material, especially mathematics is not well put across in the audio book domain.

Fortunately, his co-author Stephen Dubner (a journalist, who also reads this audio book), is a dab hand at presenting complex statistical economic data in straightforward, plain English. Hence the book is an addictive listen, and very well suited to the format. Its an unabridged, unaltered (as far as I could tell) 7 hour long reading of the original printed book, published by penguin.
He addresses questions as varied as whether Sumo wrestlers cheat (apparently they do), to more controversial questions such as whether legalizing abortion prevented a crime wave in the 1990s. The results are presented with a degree of certainty that probably is not appropriate to an academic text, but which makes the book a lot more interesting!

There are nine chapters, each of which follows a similar pattern. An attention-grabbing title question is posed which embodies or questions an issue of our time, and which likely has already received a fair amount of media discussion and attention. Even more likely, the received wisdom of the answer to the question, as framed by a slanted and self-censored media viewpoint, is completely inaccurate. This summary makes the book sound like a million other collection of journalistic articles, in which a fearless, maverick investigator brings you the hidden truth behind x. But hold on, it gets more interesting for two reasons: 1. The questions are sometimes unexpected (what do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?) and interesting in themselves. 2. There is some hard scientific analysis backing up the suggested alternative viewpoint. The book seeks to show the actual behavior of human beings rather than the behavior prescribed by the moral framework we supposedly subscribe to. In many respects it succeeds, far more than you might have expected.

Its not easy to pin-point the exact reasons why the book is less satisfactory, but the review will briefly try to do so. Lets look at chapter 1 (on Schoolteachers and Sumo wrestlers). Some techniques for detecting cheating Chicago schoolteachers are discussed, based on various data-driven algorithms being applied to the answer sheets, tracking the same class year by year. (Cheating is here defined as a teacher changing the students answers after tests are handed in). Sure enough, the year a bonus incentive is announced for teachers, there is a spike in cheating. The statistical tests used to detect cheating look for suspicious patterns in student answers (eg getting lots of easy questions wrong, but hard ones right, many students giving the same wrong answer (because the teacher does not know the right answer), or rapidly swinging performance from year to year). Sport cheating is most often about cheating to lose, as this will allow manipulation of the results for purposes of betting. And indeed analysis of sumo wrestlers performance shows that they will often trade losses at times where its crucial to the winner, but less so for the loser (he has already qualified for the next stage of the tournament, for example). In closing the chapter Levitt makes the point, using data supplied by a man who sold bagels on the honor system, that people are honest 87% of the time, even with no one watching. So indeed not every one is crooked, but in fact the sumo wrestlers only cheated when it didn’t matter, in the sense that the ultimate contest result was unaffected. However, this was not the case for the Chicago schoolteachers, who clearly were undermining the entire system for their own gain. So the parallel is not exact in this case. The deeper point, which is perhaps critical to the books weaknesses, is that the cheaters were only detectable against a background of statistics gathered from people the majority of whom were not cheating. If one cannot make this assumption, then the entire dataset becomes meaningless. So the most people are honest assumption is required not just for public morality to make any sense, but also to have any hope of understanding the data!

The statistical weakness of the book is perhaps to not make this latter point clear enough. There are also problems with some of the domains chosen: some are open, but others are closed. For example the proportion of population of the united states having measles can be clearly and accurately estimated this is a closed domain where all the facts (medical and demographic) are in, and probabilities can be confidently assessed. Other domains are open, that is incomplete in the sense that not enough data has been collected to confidently estimate probabilities. Probability of a crack dealer living with their mother is hard to measure without good data on total numbers of crack dealers, for example. The latter is a minor carp however. More serious question marks float over chapter 4, which links the drop in crime seen in the 1990s to the legalizing of abortion in the 1960s. Clearly crime is linked to demographics, but then share prices are clearly linked to broader economic performances. However, the link is not guaranteed in the case of an individual share! A drop in street crime might be as much about fashionability, and/or a criminal’s cost/reward analysis of a particular type of crime, as a sudden dearth of muggers or drug dealers. For all this, its a thought-provoking chapter whose thesis is well argued, and supported by considerable evidence. Very definitely worth a listen if you have some dead time on the way to work!

Full of fascinating snippets of information (Listerine mouthwash was originally sold as floor cleaner, and a cure for gonorrhea for example) and unexpected links (eg Estate Agents and the Ku Klux Klan), the book is at all times interesting even if some the conclusions are a little too pat. The author is clear to distinguish causes from is associated with early in the book, but later on is strongly correlated with is clearly rhetorically used to mean is the cause of, or the associated chapter would lack any bite. Its not clear that all other possibilities have been eliminated. None the less its a great book, both entertaining and challenging – a rare combination in an economics book!

As later chapters depend on points made in earlier chapters its best to work through from beginning to end, and not hop about.

Author: Andrew Cohen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How is it weve come to believe that there are some people
who are beautiful and others who are not? Does it really
make any sense that measuring tapes, bathroom scales,
clothing sizes, and calorie-counts hold the power to
determine whether or not were worthy of love? What drives
us to spend countless hours and dollars to recolor, reshape
and resize our bodies, over and over again? Why has the
beauty of who we are become so difficult to see?

The mother earth has something to say about
beauty thats free of judgment and unburdened by fears.
Bears dont worry about the shape of their bodies.
Dragonflies arent distressed by the size of their wings. Oak
trees dont attempt to look more like the pines. Vultures
arent hiding behind pretenses, pretending to do something
other than what it is that they do. The mother earth reveals
beauty thats filled with integrity, that honors the rich diversity
in the web of life.

Beauty sings out from the sunsets and echoes in
the wind and rains down from the moon and dances in the
sea and whispers on wings and howls with coyotes and
weaves webs with the spiders and lingers in the scent of
the sage. Beauty calls out from the mountains and rumbles
with thunder and sits quietly with the lizards and soars with
the hawks and radiates from the rocks and buzzes with the
bees and glistens in the shimmering dawn.

Beauty comes alive in the free, unencumbered
expression of being just who you are. In the mother earths
beauty, there are no winners and losers, no blue ribbons or
first-runner-ups. There are no better thans or less thans.
No too much of this and not enough of that. Beauty is
simply the honoring of what is, a celebration of life in all its
magnificent, mysterious, remarkable forms.

Mother Earths exuberant expression is a
compelling invitation to open up to our own natural beauty.
Beauty is found in the feeling of who we are, in the essence
of our uniqueness. Its not all tangled up in comparisons
and competition. There are no molds to squeeze into.
Theres no suffering and sacrifice. Beauty just isnt that
complicated.

Beauty simply is. Beauty is energy, an expressive
vibration, a sensual awareness that resonates with the
essence of life.

Remember the last time you experienced Mother
Earths beauty? Maybe seeing the full moon. Smelling
spring rains. Tasting wild berries. Breathing fresh air.
Hearing the tree frogs call in the night.

Remember how you felt?

How full of beauty you felt?

How beauty-full you felt?

Remember. How beautiful. You felt.

Beauty resonates within us and ripples out into the
world when we honor other beings for being just who they
are. Beauty radiates from within when we simply are who
we are, emanating clear self-awareness and unconditional
regard. No judgments. No hiding. No looking out-there for
some official stamp of approval. Just resonating beauty.
No if-onlys or yes-buts involved.

So next time were about to step on the scale or
look in the mirror to figure out how much beauty weve got,
we can remember to redirect our attention to how were
feeling inside. We can bring back our knowing of beauty,
remembering how beautiful we felt, that abundant,
expansive feeling of the heart that resonates with the
essence of life. Filling ourselves up with the feeling of
beauty, we are beautiful, instantly. Its a matter of choice, of
where were putting our attention, of what were allowing
ourselves to feel. Beauty thrives in acceptance and
unhindered self-expression. Beauty comes alive when we
simply honor who we are – all of who we are, exactly as we
are – in the here and now.

WorldwideCopyright2006 JoAnne Dodgson

Author: JoAnne Dodgson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

Excerpted from the book Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You by Tonya Zavasta.

All of my life, I wanted to be beautiful. In todays society, it is more acceptable to insist that you are beautiful on the inside, unfortunately, those of us on the outside are not seeing your insides. Wanting to be beautiful is now criticized as being shallow. Im sorry but I would rather be perceived as shallow than hypocritical because I find it impossible to believe than any women is content to be less than she can be.

Personal initiative is a powerful force in achieving goals and attaining wealth. What about beauty? Are we desperately helpless here, or is there a way to bring it under personal control? I believe we have as much leverage in becoming beautiful as we have in accomplishing anything else we set our minds to. But we have not been looking in the right places for beauty.

The most inspiring books about becoming wealthy are written by people who have made it from rags to riches. However, advice on becoming beautiful often comes from those blessed with exceptional beauty to begin with. For a woman born beautiful to teach others how to become beautiful is like a sweepstakes winner teaching people how to earn a fortune through hard work. Is there a means for achieving beauty for those of us who are not big winners in the gene lottery?

Good news! It is biologically possible to look beautiful at any age. If you do not see yourself as beautiful, it is because your beauty is unclaimed. Your body has never been given a chance to reveal how it can look when provided with the best possible nourishment and care.

Some of our physical characteristics we cannot changethey are determined by our lineage, food choices our mothers made during pregnancy, and our environment. Oriental diagnosis has noted that small eyes are caused by consumption of cooked vegetables and animal products during pregnancy and early childhood. Large eyes, on the other hand, are caused by intake of raw vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices. Long eyelashes in a child indicate the intake of substantial amounts of liquids, raw vegetables, and fruits by the pregnant mother.

These things we cannot change. We can change much, however, by the consumption of a raw plant diet as an adult. This diet will make a difference in weight, complexion, and the texture of skin, hair, and nails. All of these traits and more are determined by our daily choices, with food being one of the most importantand one we have full control of.

Our bodies natural ability to renew cells means that your body is capable of improving your looks. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells are replaced by new ones. The raw food diet makes the most of that rejuvenating ability. Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside; it is cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. The body responds with alacrity to an improved diet. As the body strengthens and heals your insides, you will see your beauty starting to surface on your face and re-structuring your body.

The artistic ability of your body will surprise you. It will seem as though a sculptor is chiseling your face and body. Fat deposits will disappear from the right spots. Everything bumpy or lumpy will be smoothed or straightened. Everything dull will be illuminated. The features will be refined until a lovely face surfaces, and the skin will be polished until it glows. By revealing and intensifying what is good, the raw food lifestyle will make the best of whatever goodness you have and will open every avenue for more. This lifestyle bestows upon you an identity of your own and makes you beautiful.

Only the body sustained on raw food demonstrates natural beauty or, shall we say, rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. Fat that has accumulated in pockets under the eyes and at the jaw will melt away. The lumpy potato look of ones face will give way to sleek, smooth contours. Pockets of fat and retained water will disappear. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth yet firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. Sallow, yellowish skin will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of the eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge.

The body becomes transformed and will unfold from the inside out. While your non-raw-eating peers discover new blemishes, blotches, and moles on a nearly daily basis, you will see your own skin irregularities gradually fade or disappear. Feeding your body raw food will make your eyes, once sunken in bulbous flesh, look larger and rounder by eliminating the surrounding puffiness and by firming the eyelids. Eyebrows that were beginning to form an awning over the eyes will regain their youthful arch. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed, as in hollow cheeks. It will not just patch your face, but it will improve every one of your 3,000 square inches of skin.

Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face. This diet will give the impression of high cheekbones. In fact, it will give the effect of a cheek implant, by providing a subtle contour to the cheek area. The blurred chin-to-neck curve will become sharper and more pronounced. Broad jaws and square jowls will slowly give way to a more desirable oval shape. Sagging cheeks will gradually become tauter and tighter. Incidentally, an oval-shaped face, high cheekbones, thin jaws, and large eyes are universally considered to be the major characteristics of a beautiful face.

As the cleansing is completed, you will see how you were meant to look. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesnt demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.

People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have an emerging radiance. The glow is hard to fake because it is basically internal. It comes from an abundance of clear pink, almost transparent, cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw diet will give you a translucent radiance.

There are beautiful people who are not on the diet, but even they have never been as beautiful as they could be because they have not been cleansed of all toxins. Our frustration with our looks is a subconscious reaction to our innate knowledge that we have not achieved our best look. The Rawsome Diet gives us confidence that we look the way we were meant to look when we are at our most beautiful.

The best proof that raw plant eating is optimal for the body is that it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth colorationthese subtle changes will convince you that the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.

I like to study each womans face. I see not just how she does look, but how much better she could look. What I now see is just how far her looks fall short of her potential. I see her beauty as it would be if her body had been cleansed from all toxins and excesses. On the Rawsome Diet, you will be stunned by how the Master Artist makes the most of your individual features and brings balance to the face. Texture, hues, and shape will be re-arranged into a harmonious whole. Perfection and imperfection will be joined into a unique personal beauty.

But our imagination is limited. The perfect face is an invention of our culture. It shows human preference in particular time and place, and it is severely limited in its variety. While eye bags, puffiness, and sallow skin make faces look similarly unattractive, the variety of beauty versions, supplied by God Himself, is endless.

When your peer group is going through a stage where they think: I am losing my looks, you will be finding yours. At 47, I enjoy looking in the mirror, while in my youth and young adult life I detested my reflection. People who have not seen me for years often tell me that they hardly recognize me. Even my mother recently said I looked like a different person.

Adopting the raw food diet actually brings the beauty equation full circle. Finally, beauty is for everyone! We can drop the pretence. Ugly Ducklings of the world, this is your chance! It is forgivable to be born ugly, but there is no more excuse for staying ugly. Healthy foods create healthy organs. Strive to become beautiful on the insideyou will be beautiful on the outside.

The book is available at: http://www.beautifulonraw.com

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the entire article and byline are included.

Author: Tonya Zavasta
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Credit card currency-exchange fees

Why this fascination with beauty?

The demand for beauty services in spite of the economy?

Even when there is a recession, beauty parlours still flourish. Beauty products still fly off the shelves.

There is this saying that beauty is skin deep.

Then again, first impressions count.

Put it this way. Beauty is power. That was true centuries ago. That is true today.

When a beautiful woman walks into a bar, men flock to her and offer to buy her drinks. When an unattractive woman walks into the same bar, chances are, she would have to buy her own drinks.

A beautiful salesperson, man or woman is more likely to win the sale. Between a beautiful job seeker and an unattractive one, all other things being equal, the employer is likely to choose the good looker.

Like it or not, looks do count.

In the past, when women were dependent on men to support them, beauty was everything to a woman. A beautiful woman would have more suitors. She would be able to marry up. To marry a rich man who could take care of all her financial needs and that of her children. Long before commercial cosmetics existed, mothers would instruct their daughters on traditional beauty remedies. Simple beauty remedies like using mayonnaise as a moisturizer, or egg white as a firming mask were often used by women in the days before commercial cosmetics.

Then along came women entrepreneurs like Estee Lauder and other women from around the world. They converted traditional beauty recipes which worked for themselves into beauty creams that they sold to other women. Every woman has a right to look her most beautiful and these women were selling others their beauty secrets.

Make up was used to paint women’s faces. In Egypt, the nobles, royalty and the well off would paint their eyes with khol, with crushed beetles and exotic ingredients. In Europe, women would paint their faces with make up containing toxic mercury for the sake of beauty. In Japan, the geishas would whiten their faces with creams that contain nightingale droppings.

You would think by now, we modern women would have learnt our lesson. Now, we just inject poison into our faces to paralyze our facial muscles in order to prevent expression lines from deepening as we grow older. Think of those botox injections done every 3 months to erase those wrinkles. Think of the acids we smear on our faces to smoothen them. The dermabrasion procedures done at the dermatologist in order to smoothen our skin.

Women all over the world have always been willing to suffer for the sake of beauty. Long ago, in China, women in wealthy families would bind their feet. The Chinese back then view tiny feet as beautiful, so little girls have their feet bound, to prevent them from growing big and ugly. Now that long legs are considered beautiful, some women go through a very painful medical procedure that breaks their legs, and stretches their legs by a few millimeters a day through a painful device until they attain the height they want. With their newfound height, these girls can look forward to a wealthy, glamorous future as an international model.

In Europe, centuries ago, wasp waists and curvy bodies were considered beautiful, so corsets were worn to make the waist look much smaller. These were tied so tightly that women faint easily. All for the sake of beauty. Now, corsets are in again. These days, women and men subject themselves to surgery to attain the beauty they desire. Liposuction to remove the excess fat to contour the body. Breast augmentation for bigger breasts that are considered beautiful. Nose jobs, face lifts, the works.

Thankfully, there is also a return to natural beauty remedies. This time, commercial cosmetics use natural ingredients that women have used for centuries in the home beauty preparations. These are effective and great for the skin.

What we women really should do is to focus on inner beauty, and to keep ourselves healthy.
Health is beauty.

8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, fresh food, fresh air, daily exercise, drinking plenty of water every day, soap and water, or cleanser and toner, moisturizer where necessary and sun protection all day long. All that keeps your body healthy and your skin and hair, beautiful. Oh, and learn to age gracefully. After all, aging is a natural process in life.

Author: Janice Wee
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty

Beauty

Beauty is defined as the phenomenon of the experience
of pleasure, through the perception of balance and
proportion of stimulus. It involves the cognition of a
balanced form and structure that elicits attraction and
appeal towards a host, creature, inanimate object,
scene, music, idea, etc. It’s as well seen as An assemblage
or even graces or even properties pleasing to the eye, the ear, the
intellect, the aesthetic faculty, or even the moral feel.

Beauty is the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or even
senses and is associated with such properties as
harmony of form or even color, excellence of artistry,
truthfulness, and originality.

A common understanding of the word beauty suggests
that it’s the appearance of things and people. For
illustration, we call miss globe or even miss universe the virtually all
beautiful female on earth. Also a fully blossomed
rose is as well called a beauty. Beauty can’t be measured,
not can it be counted. It’s purely subjective in nature,
and its comprehension changes based on data from perception
set of individuals.

Beauty has always been revered from the time individual
kind had developed basic senses. We’ve heard of
umpteen number of stories in history when wars utilized to
be inflicted upon for the desire of beautiful females. Beauty
is all pervasive in nature and rises above any
discrimination of race, caste, religion, etc.

Many theorists and scientists have tried to deconstruct
beauty into even more understandable parts. 1 idea is to
look at it from the point of see of how much symmetry is
discovered in the object. A few of the main contributions in this
regards are – The inborn inclination of people to be
attracted to symmetry coupled with the natural want or even
pursuit of happiness leads to the premise that symmetry
is indeed the symbol of beauty.

Mortal beings are so engrossed with beauty that it’s
taken a awesome shape in economy in the form of beauty
industry. There are many enterprises and organizations
taking part in selling beauty products. These range from
your next door beauty salon to a multi-billion premium
branded marketing organization spread across 150
countries in the globe.

Beauty care is a outstanding act time and pastime for mortal
beings, especially women. Beauty is perceived to offer
attractiveness and confidence. Beauty care includes hair
care, face care, skin care, nail care, proper diet,
vitamins, etc.

There are many therapies dedicated to the cause of
beauty care. Even more crucial among it is
aromatherapy, cosmetology, laser coarse of action, hair
coloring, slimming techniques, etc.

Many authors have written on beauty. A select few of the wonderful
quotes are “a thing of beauty is a joy forever” by John
Keats. “True beauty lives in deep retreats, Whose veil
is unremoved, Till heart with heart in concord beats, And
the lover is beloved” by Wordsworth. And “We all know
that a thing of beauty is a joy forever and that beauty lies
in the eye of the beholder. Is not it interesting how the
perception of beauty” by Anon.

Helen Keller sums it all “The virtually all beautiful things in the
globe aren’t seen nor touched. It is felt with the
heart”.

Author: Codi Bellezia
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

Excerpted from the book Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You by Tonya Zavasta. The book is available at: http://www.beautifulonraw.com/html/righttobe.html

The phrase “natural beauty” has been abused and misused beyond restoration. The modern use is almost never associated with its true meaning. Someone said there should be a portrait of a healthy person in a museum so people would know what they are talking about. If we dont know what a healthy person looks like, how do we know what natural beauty is?

In our unnatural world, the word “natural” no longer means without effort, at least not in the realm of obtaining your best look. One thing is a must in defining natural beauty: its achievement must not involve any sacrifice of health. None, period. If health is compromised in any way beauty is not natural.

Our body was created in the image of God, the Supreme Beauty. When our actions are in opposition to nature, the results are different types of bodily ills, deformities, and ugliness. Since there can be no natural beauty without eating 100 percent natural food, most of you have never seen the natural you.

There is an urgent need for another word. The contemporary meaning of natural is too far from the divine. I suggest filling this void with “rawsome”, a new word circulating in the raw food community. It is a combination of two words:” raw” and “awesome” with the meaning being something between natural and divine. The diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds also needs to be renamed. I have often been told that the phrase the raw food diet, sounds like eating raw meat, particularly sushi, which is misleading. The raw food diet is so awesome that it should be called the very name it inspired- the Rawsome Diet.

Most of us feel our appearance lacks something. In reality, ugliness is more about excess. Toxic accumulations in our bodies are responsible for stealing our health and attractiveness. Beauty lies latent under cushions of retained fluids, deposits of fat, and sick tissues. Your beauty is buried alive, but in most cases it can be revived in a version that will be satisfactory to you. You must take immediate action to revitalize it. When you do, your uncovered beauty will surprise and delight you.

Eating cooked food will leave residues the body cannot utilize, and they will be deposited in places our Creator never intended. Everything not fully digested and properly eliminated, the body will treat as an abnormal substance. It will pocket these toxins as far away from the vital organs as possible–on the peripheries of the body–where it will invariably be reflected in our outward appearance. If the body cannot use it inside, it will deposit it on the outside. Nutrients from the food you eat spiral upward to the epidermis, and their quality will determine whether you will have a glowing clear complexion or skin spotted with growths, such as moles and skin sores.

Some physical characteristics of our face and body we cannot change–they were determined prior to our birth. But the consumption of the raw plant diet as an adult will make a difference in the texture of skin and hair, the health of nails, weight and complexion. All of these traits and more are determined by daily choices, with food being one of the most important and, luckily, the one we can fully control.

The Rawsome diet is the most suitable one for human physiology. It is salubrious to the bodys health and salutary to its beauty. The ability to renew cells is built into your body, and the body itself is capable of making you look more attractive. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells get replaced by new ones. The Rawsome diet makes the most of this rejuvenating ability of our bodies.

Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside but cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. Whole raw food restores the integrity of every cell and facilitates the optimal operation of every organ inside and out. The body, having been awakened by the improved diet, in its wisdom, will reach out to the places where health was lacking, and you will gradually see your beauty surfacing. The Rawsome diet will eliminate all the toxins on a deeper level and bring amazing changes to your appearance.

Only the body sustained on raw food will host natural beauty, or should we say Rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth but still firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. A sallow skin with a yellow pallor will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed as in hollow cheeks. Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face.

On the Rawsome Diet, you will marvel at how the Master Artist will make the most of your individual features and bring balance to the entire face. Texture, hues, and shape will be harmoniously arranged into a genteel whole. Perfection and imperfection will be tied together into a unique original version of beauty.

Each time I see a woman, I study her appearance, and I see not just the way she looks but the way she could look. What I see is how far her image falls short of her potential beauty. I perceive her beauty as it would stand out after the body has cleansed itself from toxins and excesses.

From age 15 until recently, I wore my hair permed, only to discover at 45 that straight hair in my natural color was the best possible frame for my face. Did my preference change? Not at all. My face did. So let me give you a hint, if you need a camouflaging hairdo, you are not looking your best. The changes in your face brought about by raw foods will bring the freedom to arrange your hair in any way you want. When your peer group is thinking: I am losing my looks, you will be finding yours. At 45, I enjoy looking in the mirror while before I detested my reflection.

As the cleansing initiated by this diet is completed, you will be very pleased to see how you were meant to look. Your body will exhibit beauty and dignity. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesnt demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.

People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have a glow, the kind not often seen in middle-aged people. Optimal health is recognized by an emerging radiance. Glow is hard to fake because it is internal. It comes from an abundance of clear, pink, almost transparent cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw food diet will make you look as though you just stepped out of a painting by Renoir–the impressionist best known for his preoccupation with light.

I have come to believe if you do not embrace the 100 percent raw food diet, you will never meet The Most Beautiful You. The best proof that the Rawsome diet is optimal for the body is it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration-these subtle changes will convince you the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.

You can say there are people who are beautiful, and they are not on this diet. That is true. It is hard to believe, but even they haven’t seen the best of themselves. Dissatisfaction with ones appearance arises not from perceiving our bodies inaccurately but because subconsciously we are aware we havent achieved our optimal look. The Rawsome diet gives a feeling of authenticity, an assurance we have become what we were meant to be.

Raw food not only corrects beautys shortcomings but also lifts the limitations of ones spirit and releases strains and tensions in both your mind and body. People on the raw food diet have an aura about them, a transcendent nobility and complacent dignity. Sickness is goodness lost, and our unhappiness is a longing for goodness. One takes in the goodness in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and feels its purifying process on the inside. Goodness in ones food summons up goodness in ones appearance and character.

Do you think it is hard to follow this life style? Women have done so many outrageous and dangerous things to themselves in the pursuit of beauty, I believe they should at least try the Rawsome lifestyle, which promises to transform them into beautiful people. What a woman wont do for health, she will do for beauty. This is the first time beauty asks no sacrifice from health.

2003Tonya Zavasta

This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety as long as the entire article, byline and URL are included.

Author: Tonya Zavasta
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Import duty tariff

Baby shower cakes are a great way to close a joyous baby shower party. Baby
shower cakes are specially decorated for baby shower parties. They can be designed
to match the theme of the baby shower party. Baby shower cakes are not only
delightful to look at, they are also good to eat.

When shopping around for baby shower cakes, it’s a good idea to ask the mom-to-
be what type of cake flavor shell wants for the cake. Baby shower cakes can be
made from any cake flavor and icing for the enjoyment of the celebrant and the
other party guests. Baby shower cakes are also interesting as there is no end to the
creativity and design of these lovable cakes. Baby shower cakes make for an ideal
centerpiece at the food table of the baby shower party.

Baby shower cakes are sometimes referred to as ‘diaper cakes’ or ‘baby cakes’. The
difference between them? Baby shower cakes are the actual cakes that can either be
homemade or bought from the store. While ‘diaper cakes’ are baby shower basket
cakes that consist of different baby items.

‘Diaper cakes’ may be a real cake decorated with baby diapers and assorted baby
items. Or ‘diaper cakes’ may also be made of real baby diapers that are arranged
like a layered cake. The decorations of the ‘diaper cake’ consists of a variety of baby
items for the newborn. ‘Diaper cakes’ are wrapped in cellophane and tied with
adorable ribbons for a finished look. Like the scrumptious baby shower cakes,
‘diaper cakes’ make for interesting conversation during the baby shower party.

Homemade baby shower cakes

The process of making baby shower cakes is the same as making any other type of
cake. However creating homemade baby shower cakes requires a certain degree of
creativity and baking skill to arrange one for a baby shower party.

Individuals who are adept in cake decorating and are gifted bakers may do well in
creating baby shower cakes for friends’ baby shower parties. The celebrant and
guests will surely appreciate the effort that went into the creation of the homemade
cake for the shower.

There are a number of helpful baking items that can be used to create homemade
baby shower cakes. Many baking supply stores offer a wide variety of special baking
pans with different designs for baby shower cakes. Popular cartoon characters on
special baking pans make great baby shower cakes.

Store-bought baby shower cakes

But those who are not skilled in baking need not worry. There are numerous
specialty bakeshops that create exceptional baby shower cakes. Many specialty
bakeshops can also customize baby shower cakes to match the theme of the baby
shower party.

It is important to get baby shower cakes from a quality bakeshop that specializes in
designer cakes. This will ensure that the cake is fresh, good-tasting and
aesthetically appealing. It is best to shop for baby shower cakes in advance in order
to get the just right cake for the baby shower party. It is also important to shop
early as most of the best specialty bakeshops offering baby shower cakes are also
the busiest in town.

Whether homemade or store-bought, baby shower cakes are a sweet ending to a
festive baby shower party.

Author: Vincent C
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It is always difficult to come up with ideas regarding what to get when you need to buy
baby gift items. Baby gifts are as much for the mother as for the baby since there are
many items that a mother could use but cannot necessarily afford to buy. So, the next
time a baby shower, a birthday party or a christening has to be attended, use the
following list of ten ideas to buy baby gift items that will make an impression:

Top Ten Baby Gifts

Baby Toys – These are baby gifts that will never go out of style, and can be actually
enjoyed by the baby instead of the parents. There are baby toys that are specifically
designed for certain age groups. So, all one has to do is go to the market and buy a
toy that is made for the appropriate age, which is put up on the cover or packing of the
toy. But the best and the most liked baby toy is a teddy bear or other soft toy, which is
appropriate for babies of all ages. So if there is confusion, it is best to buy baby gift
toys that are soft and plush.

Baby Monitor – Baby safety is constantly on the minds of the parents. Baby monitors
are a perfect solution to end this worry. Now it’s possible to monitor and detect the
movements, whining and breathing of the baby audibly and visually too. There are
many different models of audio-only, audio/video, and motion-sensor baby monitors
to choose from in a wide price range.

Baby Bath Care – Getting an expensive bath care set for the baby is the perfect way to
show that you care about the welfare of the baby.

Baby Stroller – This a device that a parent cannot do without. It has to be bought
anyway, so why not save the parents that much cash? Gift it instead of something
that is completely unnecessary.

Baby Books – Gifting the baby with books, appropriate for his/her age, is always
good. This actually helps in developing a joy of reading from a very young age.
Pictures and colors fascinate the baby’s eyes, so make sure your book has a lot of
illustrations. Buy baby gift books that have thick, cardboard or other material for
durability.

Baby Blankets and Sleep Kits – Getting a cozy baby blanket and other sleep
accessories is a perfect way of celebrating the baby’s arrival. These days, it is
possible to customize the baby blankets. A personalized baby blanket is a truly
unique gift. They are available in many colors, materials and designs. The next
time you need to buy baby gift items, consider a personalized baby blanket!

Baby Clothes – Smart clothes for the baby will definitely make the parents happy,
especially if it’s the second child. The baby will be spared from using hand-me-
downs! These days, baby clothing is given a lot of importance, and one is likely to
find beautifully made baby clothes in the market, keeping in mind the contemporary
trends in fashion. To buy baby gift items that are useful, always consider baby
clothes.

Baby Bedding – This will include everything from the mattress to the blanket and
pillows, as well as the mosquito netting.

Baby Bouncers – Baby bouncers are the baby’s sitting place, where he/she can roll
and bounce and have the time of his/her life. These are somewhat like a bean bag,
with a belt, to ensure the safety of the baby. Buy baby gift bouncers or other
mobile-type walker since parents need an item like this.

Baby Jewels – A jewel is a priceless gift that will be cherished for a lifetime. They
also make a unique baby gift. There are many websites online which are dedicated
to baby accessories that carry baby jewelry and have their items displayed online.
They also ship and home deliver the items, so that you don’t need to go out and
purchase them.

When you have to buy baby gift items, the above choices are always winners!

Author: Isaac Rubens
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When it comes to babies and sleep everyone will have an opinion for you that they are sure will be the answer to your sleepless nights. This is one of those times that you will have to be firm and make your own decisions about what type of sleeping routine and schedule you are going to have. There are baby experts out there who will tell you that you should never let your baby cry as he is trying to fall asleep. The next expert will tell you that you should never give in to your crying baby once you have put him to bed. Which method is right and which is wrong? It all depends on your needs and the needs of your baby. The guidelines in this chapter on sleep are simply that: a variety of tips and ideas that you either can or cannot attempt to incorporate into your bedtime routine.

Before you make the decision about what to do with that baby that wont sleep is where is that baby sleeping. Some parents insist that your baby sleep in his own crib in his own room. Still other parents want their baby in their bedroom. Neither is right or wrong and there are advantages to both. If your baby sleeps in her room you will likely get more rest for yourself since you wont be disturbed by the snufflings and other sleeping noises that newborn babies make. Your baby may wake less often if she is in her own room but this is not always the case. If your baby is sleeping in the same room as you are, you might find it less disturbing and easy to be able to attend to your babys needs right there. If you not only have your baby in the same room as you but also in the same bed, you should be aware of some of the dangers of sleeping in the same bed together. Baby experts are completely divided over the issue of sharing the same bed with your baby. You will have to research the safety versus the emotional issues and decide for yourself if you are going to be bringing your baby into bed with you.

You will likely need more sleep than your new baby. New babies most often are not able to sleep through the night until they have at least doubled their weight. This usually happens when your baby is between four and five months old. The following table shows the amount of sleep that babies should be getting. Keep in mind that this is just a guideline and dont be discouraged if your baby doesnt fall within the norm.

Age……………Total Hours of Sleep Needed Per Day (including naps) 1-15 days……….16-22 3 weeks…………16-18 6 weeks…………15-16 4-6 months………14-16 9 months………..13-16 1 year………….12-15

Once you have decided how you are going to handle where your baby sleeps and just how much sleep the charts say she should have, you will want to think about getting into some sort of a routine whether or not she is going to sleep any better because of it or not. A sleep routine can be a soothing and comforting part of your babys nighttime ritual. It is a way for you and your family to incorporate sleep into the daily routine without it becoming a battle of mind over baby. As your baby grows she will understand that bedtime comes after bath time and may start to settle down if she is comforted by the bedtime routine.

There are many ways that you can establish the bedtime routine. Here are some tips and ideas for bedtime routines that you might want to consider:

1. Start the bedtime routine with a bath, some cuddle time, a song or story, a feeding, more cuddling, and then bed. 2. Sing a soothing lullaby just before you put your baby to bed. 3. Try to do things in the same order, with the same people involved, at that same time each night so that you create a pattern that your baby will recognize as a pre-sleep routine. 4. Make sure the lights are low and dim. You want to make your baby recognize that when its dark, its time to sleep. 5. Make sure that whatever routine you set up for you and your baby that there is a finality to it at the end. Your baby should learn that when you put him into bed, no matter how pleasant the bedtime routine has been, that its time to sleep. Give him some time to fuss.

Number five in the above list is a very important point to remember when it comes to establishing your bedtime routine. If you cuddle your baby, lay down with him, or sing to him one more time after you have put him to bed, he will come to expect that anytime he isnt ready for sleep all he has to do is fuss and the pleasure of being rocked will be his again. You are not trying to play a game of control with him or deny him your affection after he has been put into bed. After all, its normal for him to want to be with you. What you are trying to do is make him understand that after the bedtime routine is complete, it is time to sleep.

A quick note on nighttime feedings, which will be further discussed in the chapter entitled From Milk to Solids. If you are feeding your baby during the night you wont be able to establish that bedtime routine. If your baby needs to have a feeding at night you may have to delay a good sleeping pattern until he is ready to stop feeding during the night.
Most babies stop feeding during the night around five to six months.

Lullabies. Still on the subject of sleep, but on the more entertaining side: Lullabies. Using music to lull and soothe your baby to sleep can be an enjoyable experience for both of you. More about music in the next chapter entitled Using Music to Calm Your Baby.

The Lullaby, or Cradle Song, has been around for centuries. Whether you are singing Brahms Lullaby or stumbling through a tune from Sesame Street, what matters is that you are using the power of music and your voice to communicate with your baby. Singing a lullaby at some point during babys nighttime routine will settle him down and prepare him of the stillness of sleep.

There is so much more that can be covered under the sleep topic when it comes to your baby. You will have to establish your own nighttime rules by trial and error. As your baby grows older you will find that his sleep patterns are constantly changing. What you will have established with the use of baths and lullabies are certain characteristics that can be adapted to whatever nighttime routine you come up with to fit to your babys age and needs. With a lot of patience and love you will able to make it through the ever-changing world of babys sleep.

Author: Mia LeCron
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We all want the best for our babies. We give them the love they crave, warm their bellies, and rock them to sleep every night. One important factor in becoming a new parent of a baby is providing them with the tools they need to learn, grow, and conquer the world. Baby toys are a very important investment for all parents to make. But what are the right baby toys to purchase for your baby?

Baby Toys to Stimulate HandEye Coordination

Hand-Eye coordination is the ability to see and grab objects. At the age of four months your babys hand-eye coordination is beginning to develop. Your baby will grab at objects, and try to pick them up. Dont worry, he will master this quickly. Around five to six months your baby will learn how to reach for a baby toy, perhaps a baby block, grasp it, and hold onto it. Around seven months, your baby will learn how to drop that toy when he is done playing with it.

Developing hand-eye coordination is a crucial tool for all babies to master, and as soon as possible. We use hand-eye coordination in every day tasks such as bringing a fork to our mouths, brushing our teeth and hair. Think about it. Mastering hand-eye coordination can help a person to be able to do more complex tasks like typing quickly on a computer, playing the piano, painting a masterpiece, even sewing a button on a dress. You could be the proud parent of a modern day Mozart!

When trying to help your baby, the best thing you can do is hold a baby toy within reach from him. Then wait for him to grab it. You do not want to show him how it works. To him, thats all the fun of it! Some baby toys that help with developing hand-eye coordination are:

• Blocks Soft Blocks for ages 4 – 7 months and more sturdy blocks for babies older than 12 Months.
• Stacking Toys will teach your baby to not only maneuver the object, but to also fit them together.
• Household items such as plastic lids, plastic bottles.

Stimulate Your Babys Senses with Textured Baby Toys

Have you felt the pull of your hair when your baby is about four months old? Weve all felt it, and our reaction is first pain, then joy. A lot of us, just remove the babys white knuckle grip, and say No, but is this really the response we should be giving? This is your baby saying, I need my sense of touch stimulated! Maybe instead of just saying No, give your baby a toy that will stimulate his sense of touch, teaching him that many different things have different textures, shapes, and colors.

There are many baby toys that will do just this. There are toys that have different textures such as bumps, and curves; Baby toys that have crinkly material, and other fabrics. There also toys that have all this and lights and music to stimulate your babys sense of hearing.

Some toys that you might want to consider are:

• Crawl Mats and Play Nests – Baby crawl mats comes in several styles. One toy manufacturer, Galt, has created an infant play nest that stimulates touch, vision and hearing. The fabric covers inflatable ring creating a self contained safe play environment for babies and toddlers.
• Activity Cube A big soft colorful block with fun activities for baby to explore. Features may include mirrors, crinkle material, wool, sounds and lights and more.
• Music makers These baby toys allow baby to press different buttons and see what new sound is made.

Stimulate Your Babys Mind and Emotions with Music

Have you ever heard a song that, no matter what mood you were in would cheer you up immediately? Or maybe one that made you sleepy? Well, babies feel all these emotions from music too. Music is a wonderful way to introduce your baby to their own sense of emotions, feelings, and the wonderful world of creativity and imagination! Several baby music CDs are available to invoke various feelings in your baby. Some better choices for parents to consider include the Brainy Baby music collection.

• Peaceful Baby by Brainy Baby – Calming, restful music that progressively lulls your child into a deep and refreshing sleep.
• Cheerful Baby – Cheerful Babys compositions, melodies, rhythms and tonal ranges encourage a happy mood!
• Playful Baby – Vibrant, invigorating music that encourages your child to actively experience the richness of their world.
• Sleepy Baby – Calming, restful music that progressively lulls your child into a deep and refreshing sleep.

So What Do You Look For?

When you go toy shopping for your baby, you will want to focus on toys that will stimulate your babys mind, senses, curiosity and imagination. For a baby up to one year old, keep it simple with large, soft baby blocks, stacking toys, play mats or play nests, activity cubes. As a bonus during playtime, throw a CD in the CD player and watch your baby touch, explore, and learn about his new found abilities!

Elizabeth Geiger

Author: Elizabeth Geiger
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