Seattle named the most walk friendly city in the U.S.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), established in 1999 with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, is located at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. PBIC’s mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity.

PBIC recently announced the first round of Walk Friendly Communities! After evaluating applicant communities in several categories related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort, PBIC has recognized 11 communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety.

walk friendly communities

Seattle got the highest "platinum" ranking.

Here is the list of walk friendly cities:

Platinum Level

Seattle, Washington

Gold Level

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Arlington, Virginia

Hoboken, New Jersey

Santa Barbara, California

Silver Level

Charlottesville, Virginia

Decatur, Georgia

Bronze

Austin, Texas

Charlotte, North Carolina

Flagstaff, Arizona

Wilsonville, Oregon

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Sources:

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/

www.walkfriendly.org

bolani – delicious Afghani food by bolaniandsauce

Today, after a bike ride, I stopped and walked my bike past the farmer’s

market in Brentwood, Los Angeles. There were two guys who stopped me and offered a few samples of food to eat. Apparently, it

www.bolaniandsauce.com/

was there first day at that Farmer’s market. The food was tasty and I wanted to know more about them. I was told it was the product was Bolani, an Afghani food, and these two vendors were representing a business “BolnaniandSauce”.

BolaniAndSauce AKA East and West Gourmet Afghan Foodwww.bolaniandsauce.com/), based in Concord, California, was founded by an Afghan family. Their home made Afghan food was initially sold at a few of the Bay Area’s farmers’ markets. However, this healthy and tasty food rapidly became popular mainly through word of mouth. Now they are known as "Ambassador of Love" in most of the San Francisco Bay Area's Farmers' Markets and even beyond, including Southern California. (

PRODUCTS by BolaniAndSauce

These products are tasty and healthy and will be great addition of your meal

Bolanis

Bolani is a traditional Afghani flatbread stuffed and baked with either spinach, pumpkin, red potato, or green lentil filling. Bolani is usually served warm. It is all natural, fresh, healthy, made with organic ingredients and contains no trans fats, additives or preservatives. It handmade daily and absolutely delicious and healthy. The company makes following types of bolanis, inclucding the most popular with spanich:

  Spinach Bolani

  Pumpkin Bolani

  Potato Bolani

  Lentil Bolani

           

Sauces and Spreads

Sauces and spreads are ideally used for complimenting the Bolanis, but they can also be used to accompany or cook your own dishes. All the spreads are vegan with the exception of Garlic Mint Cheese. They are all preserved with natural ingredients such as garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid. They are all low in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium – but packed with nutrition. The company provides the following varieties ofSauces and Spreads:

  Garlic Mint Cheese

  Cilantro Pesto

  Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  Lentil Curry

  Eggplant Pesto

  Hummus

  Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

  Basil Pesto

           

Dips and Pepper Jellies

  Sweet Jalapeno

  Sweet and Sour Carrot

LOCATIONS - where to find

Today East and West Gourmet Afghan Food participates in up to 100 farmers’ markets every week. The product is also found in a number of stores.

Whole Foods markets

Andronico’s Market

Mollie Stone’s Market

Northern California Farmers' Markets – a number of locations

Southern California Farmers' Markets

BRENTWOOD  FARMERS MARKET (West Los Angles)

741 S. Gretna Green Way, L.A., 90049

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Brea    

Birch Stree at Walnut Avenue  

4 PM to 8 PM Year Round       

Manhattan Beach         

Noon to 4 PM Year Round

13th Street between Valley and Morningside Drive

Torrance         

8 AM to 1 PM Year Round

Wilson Park on Crenshaw Boulevard, between Carson

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For more information:

http://www.bolaniandsauce.com/home.php

info@bolaniandsauce.com

(925) 687-0817
(877) 687-0817

Bicycling ban in City of Black Hawk, Colorado

Bicycling ban, Black Hawk, Colorado

Bicycling is healthy and fun but, apparently, not everybody thinks so.

Black Hawk, population 100, "The City of Mills," is one of Colorado's oldest cities. It is one of a number of towns that grew up in "Gregory's Gulch," the narrow ravine where Georgia prospector John H. Gregory first discovered lode gold in the western part of Kansas Territory in 1859.

Well the times have changed. Now, this small casino town in Colorado is cracking the whip on “pedaling.”  Yes, you read it right, the city is cracking down on bicycling because the casinos complain that cyclists get in the way of buses used to bring gamblers in and out of town.

In January, 2010, the town approved the ordinance banning biking on nearly every street and only paved thoroughfare in town.  Cyclists may still pass through town, though they are now required to walk their bicycles.  According to the City of  Black Hawk Ordinances 2009-20 and 2010-3 “bicycles are prohibited within the City on certain streets.”  If you want to buck the ban, be willing to pay a hefty $68 fine as police are already issuing tickets.

According to the Denver Post, The City Manager Mike Copp said that due to an increase in traffic, the city has taken a proactive approach.  The new ordinance, enacted in January, ”is best for its citizens, for its businesses, which in this case are casinos, and its visitors.” 


The Black Hawk Bike Ban issue got a lot of international press and led to many campaigns to challenge this ban to prove that Colorado is a great state for bicycling:

Rally to End Bike Bans

Dismount Black Hawk

Bicyclists and Tourist Boycott Black Hawk Colorado

http://cityofblackhawk.org/

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, dead at age 96

Jack LaLanne, the original fitness guru, died Sunday, January 23, at age 96, at his home in Morro Bay, California. Apparently, Jack died of  respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

Jack LaLanne, 96, R.I.P.

Jack practiced what he preached nearly till the end of his life: exercising daily, eating healthy food and getting plenty of fresh ocean air.

The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become a sugar addict, he said. The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole wheat and a vegetarian diet. Paul Bragg told him "'Jack, you're a walking garbage can.”

Jack LaLanne credited fitness with transforming his life as a teen and he worked over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too. Jack LaLanne hosted a popular workout show for several decades, opened a chain of gyms, and created a popular line of fruit juicers.

He was the original fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades before diet and exercise became a national obsession. He was a TV icon of fitness in the 1950s and 1960s, with regular shows featuring stretching, lifting, aerobics and more.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, two sons and a daughter

Favorite quotes by Jack LaLanne:

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."

"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life. How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

celebrities and diabetes

People from all walks of life, including celebrities,  are prone to suffer from diabetes. Here is a list of famous people who have (had) diabetes:

Halle Berry, a diabetic

Anne Rice - Novelist

Bill and John Davidson - The bosses at Harley Davidson Motorcycles

Billie Jean King – Tennis player

Bret Michaels -  singer for the band Poison,

Drew Carey – actor, comedian, TV game show host

Elliott Yamin – singer, American Idol,

Elvis Presley - The former king of rock 'n roll

Halle Berry - Actress

Jay Cutler – football player

Johnny Cash - The famous country musician

Larry King – TV Talk show host

Mary Tyler Moore - Actress Mary Tyler Moore

Mike Huckabee – Politician, the former Arkansas governor

Mikhail Gorbachev - The former leader of the Soviet Union

Nick Jonas - Singer of the Jonas Brothers

Patti LaBelle - Singer

Peter O'Tool – Actor

Randy Jackson - American Idol judge

Ray Kroc - The founder of McDonald's

Salma Hayek - Actress

Sharon Stone - Actress

Sherri Shepherd - actress, comedian and co-host of "The View"

Tommy Lee – drummer

Vanessa Williams  - actress, singer

View the original article here

Delicious soup to go by the Gourmet Soup Kitchen, Santa Monica

soup

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen, located on 1112 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, is creation of the Founder, Chef Amy Caplan and, partner, contributing chef Daniel Tout. They specialize in natural vegetarian soups and their goal is to make eating healthy easy and delicious for everyone.

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen offer over 30 soups with artfully created flavor combinations to please and fulfill every craving. It includes numerous choices of cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Asian and American. They exclusively use fresh vegetables from local farmer’s markets, along with only the finest natural ingredients. In a nut shell, it is the healthy and hearty nourishment for both the heart and the soul.

All soups are VEGAN except soups with some (*) contain a very small amount of low fat milk. Some soups (**) are mildly spicy. All soups are LOW FAT & LOW SODIUM.

COST & PAYMENT

All soups are $6.00 per frozen "ready to go" 16 oz. serving.

Payment by cash or local checks only

DELIVERY

There is a 10 soup minimum on all deliveries and a $10 delivery charge.

They deliver to the Westside only (including as far north as Malibu, south to Marina Del Rey, east to Westwood and all communities within this area).

GIFT CERTIFICATE

Gift certificates are available for $30. They are good for five (16 oz.) containers
of soup. They can be purchased at any of our farmers market locations.

ORDER

Tel (310)393-6902      amy@thegourmetsoupkitchen.com

Soups can be ordered by phone or email. Special orders (order on Friday for Sunday pickup) can also be picked up at the following Farmers Markets:

PACIFIC PALISADES FARMERS MARKET

1037 Swarthmore Ave. Pacific Palisades, 90272

Sundays 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

BRENTWOOD FARMERS MARKET

741 S. Gretna Green Way, L.A., 90049

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

LARCHMONT VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET

209 N. Larchmont Blvd., L.A., 90004

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

CENTURY CITY FARMERS MARKET

1800 Ave. of the Stars, L.A., 90067

Thursdays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

SOUP VARIETIES

AFRICAN PEANUT**

CARROT GINGER

CORN CHOWDER*

COUNTRY VEGETABLE

CUBAN BLACK BEAN**

FRENCH ONION

GOLDEN LENTIL**

HARVEST PUMPKIN*

INDIAN YELLOW CURRY**

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA

MOROCCAN SPICED VEGETABLE & CHICKPEA

MULLIGATAWNY

MUSHROOM BARLEY

OLD WORLD LENTIL

PORTUGUESE SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN

PROVENCAL MINESTRONE

ROASTED TOMATO & BASIL*

RUSTIC POTATO LEEK*

SAVORY SPINACH PEA

SPICY SIX BEAN**

SPLIT PEA

SWEET PEA & BASIL/MINT*

THAI COCONUT CURRY**

THAI CURRIED PUMPKIN**

TIBETAN LENTIL**

TOMATO AND RICE*

TORTILLA**

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN

---

Soups Containing Lentils...

GOLDEN LENTIL

AFRICAN PEANUT

MULLIGATAWNY

INDIAN YELLOW CURRYTIBETAN LENTIL

OLD WORLD LENTIL

MOROCCAN SPICED VEGETABLE & CHICKPEA

--

Tomato Soups...

NEPAL TOMATO BISQUE

TORTILLA

TOMATO AND RICE

ROASTED TOMATO AND BASIL

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://thegourmetsoupkitchen.com

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen

1112 Montana Ave. #85

Santa Monica, CA 90403

(310)393-6902

Contact: amy (a) thegourmetsoupkitchen.com

Prescription drugs and violence

In light of recent tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, it is important to know that a number of legally prescribed drugs, in addition to illegal drugs, can also adversely influence behavior. For example, a number of suicides have been reported in people taking Cymbalta (duloxetine) for urinary incontinence or peripheral neuropathy.

legal drugs and violence

On going war. since invasion of Iraq, has led to a large number of suicides in US troops. These suicides have been linked to antidepressants, antipsychotics and antiseizure drugs whose use exactly parallels the increase in US troop suicides since 2005. Such drugs are widely used for pain and as "mood stabilizers" by troops even though the FDA mandated suicide warnings on Lyrica, Topamaz, Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol, Depakene, Klonopin and 16 others in 2008.

Time has compiled a list of top ten legal drugs linked to violence:

Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) An antidepressant

Venlafaxine (Effexor) An antidepressants

Fluvoxamine (Luvox) An antidepressant

Triazolam (Halcion) can be addictive, used to treat insomnia.

Atomoxetine (Strattera) Used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Mefoquine (Lariam) A treatment for malaria,

Amphetamines: (Various) Amphetamines are used to treat ADHD

Paroxetine (Paxil) An antidepressant,

Fluoxetine (Prozac) The first well-known SSRI antidepressant,

Varenicline (Chantix) The anti-smoking medication

I think, the best thing is to watch your habits and health and not to get to a stage where you need medication. 

California church launches yearlong fitness boot camp

On Saturday, January 15, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Orange County, California launched its yearlong health and fitness campaign, sort of a church style boot camp.

Saddleback church

The church-wide fitness campaign is called "The Daniel Plan" – based on Daniel 1, in which the prophet Daniel opts for vegetables and water rather than "defile himself with the royal food and wine." It is a new health program written by leading medical professionals and New York Times bestselling authors on health and fitness, Dr. Daniel G. Amen, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The effort is part of Saddleback's Decade of Destiny – a 10-year plan to expand the ministry. The plan includes an element of personal growth meant to equip parishioners to succeed in seven areas: spiritual, physical, financial, relational, vocational, emotional, and mental.  The plan includes a 52-week customized program, a curriculum for small groups, an interactive website with a meal menu, exercise and shopping tips. There will also be monthly conference calls for encouragement.

The event hosted by Pastor Rick Warren brought 6,000 people to the main campus of Saddleback Church. Thousands more watched at the mega-church's other campuses and online.

I can only imagine that the pastor, Rick Warren, must be in the shape of Good year blimp He said that over the past 30 years he has gained three pounds each year. Pastor Warren vowed to lose 90 pounds in 2011,

Go for it!

View the original article here

Not much fat among America’s top female celebrities

hollywood fitn

I found a list that is almost two years old. There were not any real fat among a list of  47 female celebrities. In fact some of them appear to be under weight. The lightest one was Calista Flockhart (97 lbs.) and the heaviest one was Mariah Carey (140 lbs.)/ I am sure there are many heavy weight celebrities but they just were not included in this list.

Calista Flockhart	5'6"	97 lbs.	Actresses
Nicole Richie	5'1"	98 lbs	Actresses
Kirsten Dunst	5'4"	100 lbs.	Actresses
Christina Aguilera	5'2"	100 lbs.	Musicians
Madonna	5'4"	100 lbs.	Musicians
Eva Longoria	5'2"	104 lbs.	Actresses
Miley Cyrus	5'4"	104 lbs.	Actresses
Hillary Duff	5'1"	105 lbs	Actresses
Lindsay Lohan	5'5"	105 lbs.	Actresses
Pam Anderson	5'7"	105 lbs.	Actresses
Kate Moss	5'7"	105 lbs.	Models
Britney Spears	5'5"	105 lbs.	Musicians
Fergie	5'2"	105 lbs.	Musicians
Shakira	5'2"	105 lbs.	Musicians
Penelope Cruz	5'6"	109 lbs.	Actresses
Jennifer Aniston	5'6"	110 lbs.	Actresses
Jessica Biel	5'8"	110 lbs.	Actresses
Paris Hilton	5'9"	110 lbs.	Actresses
Sandra Bullock	5'8"	110 lbs.	Actresses
Naomi Campbell	5'10"	110 lbs.	Models
Carrie Underwood	5'3"	110 lbs.	Musicians
Gwyneth Paltrow	5'9"	112 lbs.	Actresses
Adriana Lima	5'10"	112 lbs.	Models
Meghan Fox	5'6"	114 lbs.	Actresses
Kate Beckinsdale	5'8"	115 lbs.	Actresses
Kate Hudson	5'6"	115 lbs.	Actresses
Salma Hayek	5'2"	115 lbs.	Actresses
Scarlett Johansson	5'4"	115 lbs.	Actresses
Gisele Bundchen	5'11"	115 lbs.	Models
Gwen Stefani	5'6"	115 lbs.	Musicians
Jessica Alba	5'7"	118 lbs.	Actresses
Katie Holmes	5'9"	118 lbs.	Actresses
Cameron Diaz	5'9"	120 lbs.	Actresses
Cate Blanchett	5'8"	120 lbs.	Actresses
Nicole Kidman	5'10"	120 lbs.	Actresses
Heidi Klum	5'9"	120 lbs.	Models
Faith Hill	5'8"	120 lbs.	Musicians
Jessica Simpson	5'2"	120 lbs.	Musicians
Taylor Swift	5'10"	120 lbs.	Musicians
Reese Witherspoon	5'6"	122 lbs.	Actresses
Blake Lively	5'9"	123 lbs.	Actresses
Drew Barrymore	5'4"	125 lbs.	Actresses
Julia Roberts	5'10"	125 lbs.	Actresses
Jennifer Lopez	5'6"	125 lbs.	Musicians
Catherine Zeta Jones	5'8"	130 lbs.	Actresses
Beyonce Knowles	5'5"	130 lbs.	Musicians
Mariah Carey	5'9"	140 lbs.	Musicians

View the original article here

Fijiwater, is it just a load of hoax in an expensive bottle?

Some people may know Fiji water, those expensive rectangular bottles that sell for about $3.00.

above ground fijiwater& human

The company claims that FIJI Water is drawn from an artesian aquifer, in the island of Fiji, that lies hundreds of feet below the edges of a primitive rainforest. That distance and isolation is part of what makes FIJI Water so much purer, healthier, and richer in taste than other bottled waters. The company also claims that the water has never been touched by human.

This is from the website of Fijiwater:

“Untouched by man

Fijiwater Ad Page

“Please don’t touch the water” – it’s our number-one rule.

FIJI Water’s state-of-the-art bottling facility was designed to protect the purity of our water at every step of the production process, and as part of that strict commitment to quality, no human hands are allowed to touch it. In fact, the facility was built directly on top of the FIJI Water aquifer, where a completely sealed delivery system draws the water up from the protected chamber and places it directly into our iconic square bottles, which are made from the highest-grade terephthalate (PET) plastic resin.

To put it simply, until you unscrew the cap, FIJI Water never meets the compromised air of the 21st century nor is it touched by another human being. No other natural waters can honestly make that claim.” (emphasis is mine)

A little while ago, while browsing unrelated articles, I came across a site that has an Ad, in the article, from Fijiwater. Ironically, as you can see in the picture, the ad had a picture of Water bottle, and water that is flowing above the ground like Niagara Falls. In addition, it has a man standing in water, possibly bare feet and may even have taken a piss in it.

So, when Fijiwater claims its water is bottled directly from underground wells and it has never been touched by human hands, who are they trying to brain wash?

Is Fijiwater just a load of baloney in an expensive bottle?