This version is superb. We LOVED it and are huge Dickens fans. This is one of my dh's favorite books and he really liked this movie and he's quite picky. I call him a movie elitist snob :D.

THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLEMENTS – in my personal order of preference – this may vary for each person, of course! – these are my top if $ is a concern Fish Oil Vitamin D3 Magnesium Probiotic Green Magma (or other high-quality green drink – if you don’t juice veggies regularly) and/or Capra Mineral Whey – these are important, very, very important to help balance our body’s pH – a healthy pH is essential for overall health. My husband refuses to touch the Mineral Whey. I love it, however. Since I juice veggies often, we don’t need Green Magma very much. On days that I have little time for juicing, we take the Green Magma. Mushroom Extract A good multivitamin/mineral formula Overall, most of us are far more deficient in minerals than we are in vitamins. When budget is a concern, as it for most of us, focus much more on minerals and a healthy diet, than lots and lots of vitamins. TIPS ON TAKING THEM My naturopath friends have always told me is that it's good to take 2 days off most or all of your supplements every week, preferably any two days that are back-to-back. So, if you need to take them on weekends. Fine. You could try skipping them on any other 2 days of the week. Another thing I do, based on what I have read and played around with - is take a break from some supplements for an entire month. Not all. Just some. They work so much better for me, when I get back on them - 5-HTP, Melatonin, even probiotics, whatever you want or think that your body could do well to take a break from in order to be more effective. The body sometimes becomes overly efficient and not challenged by supplements. That’s why taking a break and going back on them, in my opinion and experience, helps them to become much more effective.

GLUCOSAMINE The cheaper glucosamine hydrochloride form is totally useless. Only glucosamine sulfate has been scientifically shown to have any efficacy whatsoever. But, glucosamine HCI is really, really cheap IRON I prefer to avoid iron in supplements. I always take iron-free multis and try to get my iron from natural sources instead. If you want natural iron alternatives, there are some supplements. I can share info on that. Stored iron normally increases as we age, and accumulates in the body after menopause and may increase women’s risk for arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Iron supplements may be used by tumors to promote their growth. Since it oxidizes, if you take too much supplemental iron, it can lead to cancer. If you have had cancer, or if there is a high incidence of cancer in your family, you may want to take a formula without added iron unless a blood test determines that you are iron-deficient, in which case, natural sources may be far superior. Iron supplements should also be avoided if you have arthritis. MAGNESIUM Magnesium is a key mineral that many are deficient in. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good. Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). If I see these in a multi, I avoid it. Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate. People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision. MUSHROOM EXTRACT Look for a formula that combines the immune-boosting and anticancer properties of reishi mushrooms, the blood-sugar balancing and cancer-fighting properties of the maitake mushrooms, and the cholesterol-lowering abilities of the shiitakes. Fungi Perfecti is very good, but expensive, however. PROBIOTIC Any probiotic you take should contain at least 1-5 billion colony-forming units (CFUs). Good probiotics include: Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 PLUS is known to be the one of the strongest, most effective probiotics Udo's Choice Adult's Probiotic – 12-36 billion CFUs New Chapter Organics Probiotic All-Flora – 8 billion CFUs Jarrow Formulas Enhanced Probiotic System, Jarro-Dophilus EPS – 5-20 billion CFUs Puritan's Pride Probiotic Acidophilus – 3-9 billion CFUs Jarrow Formulas femdophilus – 5-10 billion CFUs Advocare Probiotic Restore – 2-4 Billion CFUs Kyo-Dophilus – 3 billion CFUs Nature’s Way Probifia Pearls Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls ZINC L-OptiZinc is a patented form of bio-available zinc

B COMPLEX Any good multivitamin or B Complex needs to have at least 10 mg of B vitamins. It's a red flag if the B vitamins are at very low levels. When lower than 10 mg, they’re insignificant and unhelpful. VITAMIN C Best if taken as Ester-C – this is a patented form of bio-available vitamin C CALCIUM I think there is a very big difference not only in the brand but the type of calcium you use. The major types of calcium are: Carbonate, Citrate and Bone Meal. 1. Calcium carbonate (also found in coral calcium) is the hardest calcium compound for the human body to break down and absorb. You’ll find it in a lot of supplements because it’s inexpensive. The Carbonate (like Tums) is basically like taking chalk board chalk. It may alkalize your body, but it does almost nothing for your bones. 2. Calcium citrate is slightly better than calcium carbonate, since minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used. It is a little bit more bio-available, but still not the best. 3. Bone Meal is the best source for bones and has one of the highest bio-availabilities. Just make sure it's from a clean source, and the animals it came from weren't given hormones or antibiotics. KAL from New Zealand is good and I get it from vitacost or amazon. 4. You can also get an herbal calcium source that is also bio-available and easily absorbed. CHROMIUM PICOLINATE ChromeMate is a bio-available form of chromium picolinate. COPPER Try to avoid multivitamins with copper. Research has shown that even tiny traces of copper from water pipes can lead to heart disease, as well as diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Over time, even small traces of copper can contribute to the production of excess damaging oxidant radicals. The study recommended that anyone over 50 should avoid supplements containing copper (and iron – more info on iron below). A good form of zinc will lower copper levels in the body. Copper overload can also cause: Depresssion Fatigue Food Cravings Poor Liver Function Weight Gain Yeast Infections VITAMIN D3 Vitamin D helps everything—your bones, your immunity, your emotional well-being, your mind; it even helps prevent cancer. If you're under 50, take at least 2,000 IU per day. If you're 50 or over, take at least 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3. Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption. Your need for vitamin D3 is affected by age, skin color, and the severity of any deficiency VITAMIN E If any multi or Vitamin E supplement has dl-alpha, rather than d-alpha, I stay away from it. D-alpha is the good and natural kind. Dl-alpha is synthetic and not processed by the body. FISH OIL Make sure to get a good, high-quality fish oil – such as Carlsons’s. You want to avoid fish oil that may come from polluted sources or that may be high in mercury. Other good brands are Nordic Naturals, Enzymatic Therapy, and Metagenics. Fish Oil is good for your heart partially because it decreases blood clotting and reduces blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or other signs of heart disease, 3-5 grams may be helpful. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking medications to make sure there are no negative interactions. Fish oils thin the blood just like aspirin, gingko biloba, and garlic. You don’t want to thin your blood so much that it causes bleeding. For all others, 1 gram (1,000 mg) is fine. Stop taking fish oil and any EPA supplements 2 weeks before surgery – as well as possibly avoiding a fish dinner the night before any surgery. Do not take fish oils if you are on any blood thinner.

WHAT I PREFER Bio-available when possible – these are best absorbed. Many bio-available forms are patented and identified on the label. Anything with a short ingredient list – no soybean oil, no sugar, starches, colorings, soy, etc. – the less things in it, the better! With vitacost, you can click on side bar buttons to say that you're looking for something without soy, etc. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE – IF I COULD If I lived in the U.S., I would try my utmost to get as much as I could from Standard Process - which you have to buy from an alternatiave health care practitioner. Standard Process is wonderful. But they don't have every single supplement. They're very specialized. ALKALIZING MULTI VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS Most of us have systems that are overly acidic. Working towards a system that is balanced or more alkaline is the key to overall health. These supplements are said to be very good for alkalizing the body. • http://www.auntiegs.com/index.php 12 Systems Synergistic Multiple – one tablet per meal • Vita Lea (Shaklee) – one tablet with each meal • Bio Strath – One teaspoon with each meal or tablet as indicated – I saw it on vitacost AFTER THAT I prefer searching for good brands on vitacost or amazon – reading reviews, and looking at brands. The following are brands that I like and trust: Carlson’s Nature’s Way Twin Labs KAL Enzymatic Therapy Green Magma – for green, alkalizing drink Solgar Source Naturals Rainbow Light Solaray NOW Swanson UniKey (do a google search) New Chapter Organics Brands I've heard good things about, but have not yet tried, and don’t yet know enough about: Aerobic Life Products Blue-Green Algae Country Life Darwin’s Gaia Herbs Health from the Sun Jarrow Kyo-Green Member’s Mark Metagenics Nature’s Plus Nature’s Sunshine Nordic Naturals Planetary Formulas Pure Encapsulations Puritan’s Pride Shaklee Trace Minerals Research Vitamin World Zone Perfect

I agree with many. I buy most of our supplements from vitacost. Fish oil, in particular, is one that you should be very careful about. I hope that the following is not too overwhelming. WHAT I LIKE TO AVOID Many “one-a-day†formulas - Theragram-M, Geritol, Centrum usually: • Have such long ingredient lists (a red flag for me!) with synthetic coloring, waxes, and other undesirable ingredients – this is my main reason for avoiding them • Are too low in potency – most one-a-day formulas cannot possibly give you high enough potencies of nutrients. There simply isn’t enough room to pack a lot of nutrients into a single capsule. Do be aware that a good multivitamin and mineral formula requires that you take it in larger quantities – from 3-6 capsules daily. This may seem like a lot, but it’s not. When it comes to herbs, and often minerals and vitamins, most of the time, the quantity and potency is so very, very low, that it really isn’t going to do anything much at all. I prefer to research all the brands and see which has the highest dosage, or I have found that I may need to double or triple the dose. I have to admit that due to financial constraints, I seldom do this these days, unless I'm focusing on a specific health concern. I do believe that nutrition (healthy diet) is first and foremost. • Are often poorly absorbed Anything that is multi-marketed. Supplements from multi-marketed companies are obviously going to cost much more. The supplements may be good, but remember that you’re paying for a wealth system that may play on people’s greed. Any supplement (usually they are minerals) that has the word “oxideâ€. The oxide form of any is the cheapest source of that mineral. Most of the cheaper brands include oxide to cut down on costs, but these brands do our bodies no good, since they’re barely absorbed. Any supplement that has vitamin E as dl-alpha – dl-alpha is synthetic and junk. Any supplement that has calcium carbonate – ditto, as above Most brands at Walmart, Costco, etc. But this doesn’t always apply. Some brands at these larger stores are fine. You'll have to do your own research to know. Just because the supplement is sold at Walmart or Costco does not that it’s necessarily bad. You need to look at the ingredients. are the same.

Melissa, this drives me batty :glare:. Oftentimes, I have to hit "unfollow" so many times, you wouldn't believe. Just keep trying and trying and trying ... This is one of the only things I cannot stand about pinterest. Good luck.

:iagree: I think she was gorgeous. :) I think fewer celebrities today are as beautiful as before - some are still gorgeous, Beyonce, Natalie Portman, etc. But otherwise, most do have that standard bleached hair, Botox look about them.

Bar Method: Fat Free - really like this. The 3rd ballet-based DVD I've tried. Just getting started with this whole new world of ballet workouts and loving it. :)

You're most welcome. Guess I need to move it further up on my list of recipes to make. :D

Lisa, I'm really enjoying (although I have just started out) the ballet-based workouts. I have several new DVDs and am so excited to try them all. My new ones are mostly ballet-based ones and some pilates. So far I've tried 2 from the Bar Method. I have the Change Your Body DVD. I also really enjoyed this one which is hard to get and quite expensive, but good for beginners. If you or anyone is interested in my final thoughts/reviews on all my DVDs, I can probably share them in a few weeks' time once I've tried them all.

Been copying and pasting all the great recipes. I could really do with some fabulous apple pie right now. :D

I haven't tried this one yet. CREME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE 1 large loaf of French bread 8 large eggs 2 1/4 cups milk 1 cup plus 4-5 T sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 T vanilla extract 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tsp cinnamon 3 T unsalted butter Combine eggs, milk, 1 cup sugar, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, orange juice, and 2 T melted butter in a large bowl. Whisk together until well incorporated. Use remaining butter to heavily butter a 9x13 baking pan. Slice bread into 1/2" thick slices and then cut slices into cubes. Combine remaining cinnamon and 1 T sugar. Add bread cubes to pan and toss with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour custard mixture over bread cubes, pressing cubes down with a spoon to thoroughly soak bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake approximately 40-50 minutes until golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining 3-4 T of sugar over the top of the casserole in an even, heavy layer. Set broiler on high and return to oven or use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. The sugar will turn brown and liquefy and then harden as it cools. Serve warm with maple syrup if desired.

I love making Baked French Toasts. :) Here are recipes that I have tried and loved. BAKED FRENCH TOAST WITH PIE FILLING 1 8 oz loaf French or Italian bread 8 eggs 1 cup milk 2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 cans pie filling – apple/blackberry/blueberry 1 tsp. cinnamon 4 T. margarine, melted Powdered sugar Slice bread into 3/4 inch slices. Place on cookie sheet. Mix well the eggs, baking powder, milk, and vanilla. Pour over bread and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, preheat oven and remove bread from the fridge. Pour pie filling into 9x13 pan and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle cinnamon over pie filling. Wedge bread slices, wettest side up, into pan on top of filling. Brush tops with melted margarine and bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until toasted golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and let sit 5 minutes. Serves 6 ---- BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST Serves 12 1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 (6-8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced 1 cup blueberries 9-10 eggs 2 cups milk 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 cup blueberries 1 tablespoon butter Place half of the bread cubes in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on bottom layer of bread. Sprinkle cream cheese on top of bread cubes OR spreading the cream cheese on the bread before slicing is a great idea if you have family members who aren't fond of cream cheese - it's less visible. Otherwise, cut into small dice no bigger than 1/2 inch (a little messy, but much better than the 1 inch squares suggested in other recipes. Top with 1 cup blueberries and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla, milk and maple syrup. Pour egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle cinnamon on top layer of bread. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove pan from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover pan and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until golden brown and center is set. To make Sauce: For the sauce, use only about 1-2 tsp. of cornstarch, especially if you prepare it ahead of time - otherwise the sauce becomes too thick. Reduce the sugar to 1/4-1/3 cup, and add the juice of half a lemon for a little zip. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, add water. Boil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries and reduce heat. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until the berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve the sauce over squares of french toast. Tip: Be careful not to use too much bread -- the dish can't "puff up" if all of the cubes aren't sufficiently saturated. Also, as much as I love the sauce, the dish is equally good and maybe even better with real maple syrup. ---- CREME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST Yield: 6 servings 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup unsalted butter 2 Tablespoons corn syrup 1 loaf French or Challah bread, sliced into 3/4-inch slices 1 1/2 cups half & half 5 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (or orange juice) 1/4 teaspoon salt Heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until well blended, stirring frequently. Pour the syrup into a 9x13" baking dish, tilting the dish to cover. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer over the syrup. Just squish the bread pieces in so that they all fit in there. Whisk half and half, eggs, vanilla, liqueur and salt in bowl until well blended. Pour over the bread layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand until room temperature (about 30 minutes). Bake on middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until edges are golden brown and puffed. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and/or syrup, if desired. Tips: *If you do not wish to use Grand Marnier (a liqueur), you can add orange juice in its place. *Serve with fresh berries

:grouphug: Been thinking of you. :grouphug:

Different weights moves, other moves, and stretches 3 Keys to Slow Down Aging in All Your Body’s Cells:- 2nd one today :) Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (and low in fat and refined sugar)

Thank you for this. This has been on my wish list and now I've moved it further up and given it a higher priority. :) I'm still reading and enjoying more - Someone Knows My Name.

Did another Bar Method instead: Change Your Body - really like this. I'd love to get all of her DVDs. :)

Am about to start a new DVD - Bar Method: Fat Free - ballet-based workout - excited to start this :D Tip: 3 Keys to Slow Down Aging in All Your Body’s Cells – today, 1st one (and will do the other two in the next 2 days): Exercise for half an hour a day

Nordstrom

Great job on your loss and, most importantly, for keeping it off. Keeping it off is always the hardest part. 95% of us regain and then some. Including yours truly. But I'm thinking positive and am making some great changes. Part of it, of course, is thanks to you and the ballet workout recommendation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :grouphug: :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: This is so true. Someone here wrote: "Great bodies are made in the kitchen and improved in the gym." and Weight loss begins in the kitchen. Yes, for me, it's 80/20, but more like 90/10. I read this and thought to share: Exercise does not burn that many calories. Couple that fact with being hungrier and you may eat more calories than you burned. Exercise does help burn calories -- you just can't eat more because of it. To demonstrate the calorie intake versus exercise principle: Elliptical training for 44 minutes/500 kcal burned = 1 Honey Bran Raisin Muffin from Dunkin Donuts Kickboxing for 25 minutes and 272 kcal burned = Grande Starbucks latte with whole milk Jogging for 60 minutes and 470 kcal burned = 1 slice (1/6 of cake) of Sara Lee Cheesecake, chocolate swirl NY style Pilates for 30 minutes and 119 kcal burned = 5 pieces of hard candy To burn sufficient calories to lose one pound of body fat, you might: Briskly walk a total of 35 miles Swim moderately fast for 6 hours Dance for 12 hours Play about 12.5 hours of golf, carrying your own clubs Jog for about 29 miles At the same time, you would need to monitor your eating habits to ensure that you are not increasing your calorie-intake in line with your increased exercise! And we all know that it’s much easier to eat 1000 calories than it is to burn 1000 calories! If you're looking to control your weight, exercise is the least efficient way to do it. You'd have to run for hours to keep the cookies you ate from adding to your waistline.

I usually check every morning. I try so hard to check only after my morning workout and prayers. I'm not always as disciplined. When I check, I guess I'm a bit weird, I copy and paste all the thread links that interest me from the past 24 hours. I have all the threads saved in a word document and I try to read and/or reply to them in order. Yes, I'm rather an*l retentive. ;) This board is usually 11 pages long and I start from the very last thread in the past 24 hours. Now and again, I will visit these forums at other times of the day, but I prefer early morning, since no one is around to talk to me or ask questions. ;)

Thank you for starting this thread :). I didn't even know that it was possible. I might try out one magazine and see if I like it. They stopped importing magazines to Grenada a few months ago and dd and I are losing our minds. :glare:

I was unable to pin yesterday. Drove me nuts. I found a pin that I absolutely loved, loved, loved ... and however much I tried, I could not pin it. I couldn't pin anything else either. Pinterest is great and I love it, but it does have its glitches.

Thank you all for your really helpful replies. :) This. :) This is pretty much exactly what my dh reminds me. Yes, I often hide people from my news feed when they crowd it up far too much and/or rude or annoying people. I've unfriended about 3 people because they were really hurtful to me very recently. All 3, I know IRL.