Best Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.

"If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories," says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Best Diet Tip No. 2: Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetableseach day.

"It sounds like a lot, but it is well worth it, because at the same time you are meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food," says chef Laura Pansiero, RD.

You're also less likely to overeat because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet. And that's not to mention the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce, says Pansiero.

Her suggestion for getting more: Work vegetables into meals instead of just serving them as sides on a plate.

"I love to take seasonal vegetables and make stir-fries, frittatas, risotto, pilafs, soups, or layer on sandwiches," Pansiero says. "It is so easy to buy a variety of vegetables and incorporate them into dishes."

Best Diet Tip No. 3: Consider whether you're really hungry.

Whenever you feel like eating, look for physical signs of hunger, suggests Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry?

"Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it," she says.

When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.

"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably," says May.

Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.

Best Diet Tip No. 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, when you finally sit down and relax.

"Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit," says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Malena Perdomo, RD.

Either close down the kitchen after a certain hour, or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream. Once you find that you're usually satisfied with the low-cal snack, try a cup of zero-calorie tea, suggests Perdomo.

Best Diet Tip No. 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.

"I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers 'rebound' overeating," says Sass.

Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.

"You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation," says Sass.

Best Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.

When you need a treat, Ellie Krieger, RD, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite,suggests taking a walk to your local ice cream parlor or planning a family outing.

"By making it into an adventure, you don't have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight," says Krieger.

And for those times you just can't get out? Krieger stocks her kitchen with fresh fruit, which she thinks can be every bit as delicious as any other dessert.

Best Diet Tip No. 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you're hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.

"Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight," says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.

She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day -- dinner should be the last time you eat.

Best Diet Tip No. 8: Eat protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control.

"Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss," says University of Illinois protein researcher Donald Layman, PhD.

Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Best Diet Tip No. 9: Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied.

"Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won't eat as much," says Perdomo.

When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.

Found at:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/15-best-diet-tips-ever?

The total costs of drug abuse and addiction due to use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs are estimated at $524 billion a year. Illicit drug use alone accounts for $181 billion in health care, productivity loss, crime, incarceration and drug enforcement.


Found at:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/addiction-science/introduction/drug-abuse-costs-united-states-economy-hundreds-billions-dollars-in-increased-hea

Excessive drinking can be hazardous to everyone's health! It can be particularly stressful if you are the sober one taking care of your drunk roommate, who is vomiting while you are trying to study for an exam.

Some people laugh at the behavior of others who are drunk. Some think it's even funnier when they pass out. But there is nothing funny about the aspiration of vomit leading to asphyxiation or the poisoning of the respiratory center in the brain, both of which can result in death.

Do you know about the dangers of alcohol poisoning? When should you seek professional help for a friend? Sadly enough, too many college students say they wish they would have sought medical treatment for a friend. Many end up feeling responsible for alcohol-related tragedies that could have easily been prevented.

Common myths about sobering up include drinking black coffee, taking a cold bath or shower, sleeping it off, or walking it off. But these are just myths, and they don't work. The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time-something you may not have if you are suffering from alcohol poisoning. And many different factors affect the level of intoxication of an individual, so it's difficult to gauge exactly how much is too much

Found at:

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/otheralcoholinformation/factsaboutalcoholpoisoning.aspx

                             What drunk driving did to JACQUALINE SUBRIDO

The accident

On September 19, 1999, Saburido attended a birthday party near Austin, Texas. She and her friends, Laura Guerrero, Johan Daal and Johanna Gil, decided to head home after a few hours, and accepted a ride home from a classmate, Natalia Chpytchak-Bennett. At the same time, Reginald Stephey, an 18-year-old high school student, was on his way home after drinking beers with his friends at a party. On the outskirts of Austin, Stephey's 1996 GMC Yukon veered into Chpytchak-Bennett's 1990 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency.

Guerrero and Chpytchak-Bennett were killed instantly, while Gil and Daal suffered minor injuries. The car caught fire, and Saburido's feet were trapped under the seat, preventing her from escaping. Two paramedics, John McIntosh and Bryan Fitzpatrick, happened to be driving past when Stephey flagged them down. The flames were leaping several feet up into the air as they arrived. McIntosh put out the fire with his extinguisher and the two men set about removing everyone from the vehicle. However, Saburido was still trapped, and the fire restarted, forcing McIntosh and Fitzpatrick back. Saburido was inside the car for another 45 seconds until a fire truck arrived to put out the fire. Saburido was then cut from the car and airlifted to the burn unit in Galveston.

Saburido suffered second and third degree burns to over 60 percent of her body, but survived despite her doctor's expectations. All of her fingers had to be amputated, but there was enough bone left on her thumb to construct an opposable thumb. She lost her hair, ears, nose, lips, left eyelid and much of her vision. She has undergone more than 120 operations since the crash, including cornea transplants, which have restored her left eye.

[edit]Aftermath

In June 2001, Reginald Stephey was convicted on two counts of intoxicated manslaughter. He was sentenced to two concurrent seven-year prison sentences inside Huntsville Unitand fined $20,000.^[1][2]

Saburido and Stephey met for the first time after his trial and conviction in 2001. Saburido has stated that Stephey "destroyed my life. Completely" but forgave him. Regarding the meeting, Stephey later stated that "What sticks out in my mind is, 'Reggie, I don't hate you.' It's really touching someone can look you in the eyes and have that much compassion after all that I have caused."

Saburido allowed graphic post-accident photographs of herself to be used in the media (posters, TV-commercials, and internet chain mail) to illustrate a possible outcome of drunk driving.^[3] She is most well known for a commercial in which she holds a pre-accident photo of herself in front of the camera, which she lowers to reveal her disfigured face and says, "This is me, after being hit by a drunk driver." When asked why she appeared in the campaign, Saburido stated "I feel very good to do it because I know people can understand a little more what happened to me -- why my life changed completely. So I think for me, for everybody, it's a good opportunity."^[4]

In order to ensure the material involving Saburido that was used in an ad campaign by the Texas Department of Transportation could also be used in schools, the videos and photos taken of her involved the use of soft lighting to improve her appearance and consultation with child psychologists to ensure the material, although graphic, would not frighten children.^[4]

Regarding her life after the accident, Saburido stated that she has never given up: "If a person stumbles, he must pick himself up and keep going. I believe this is very important; if not, life would not have much sense."^[3]

Saburido appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on November 17, 2003. She was also interviewed on the Australian 60 Minutes on March 14, 2004 and was featured in a Discovery Health documentary on face transplants. She continues to educate people on drunk driving. Oprah Winfrey has called Saburido the one person she had met who defined "inner beauty" and that she is "a woman who defines survival."

Stephey served his full sentence, having an appeal denied in 2005. He was released from the Huntsville Unit in Texas on June 24, 2008.^[5] Saburido stated: "I don't hate him, I don't feel bad because he's out, he can reconstruct his life again."^[6]

Saburido is currently living in her hometown of Caracas, Venezuela.^[3]

On May 20, 2011 Saburido again appeared on the 4th to last episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show, a show dedicated to Oprah's Favorite Guests, including Mattie Stepanek and her "all-time favorite" Tererai Trent. During the segment Saburido revealed that as of the taping of that show, she had undergone over 120 surgeries.

[edit]Face transplant

Saburido was among 20 disfigured people who had approached surgeons at a London hospital to carry out Britain's first face transplant operation.^[7] She is also looking into other possibilities for a face transplant in other nations and hospitals.^[8][9]

found at:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Saburido

                                          Before                           After

found at:   http://br.taringa.net/posts/noticias/26814/Jacqueline-Saburido.html

[edit]

2007 statistics of drug use in ages 12+:

found at:  http://oralfluiddrugtesting.com/main/page_drug_abuse__statistics__current_trends.html

                 Death rates of drugs:

found at:   http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6026a1.htm

Alcohol is the name to given a variety of related compounds; the drinkable form is ethanol, or ethyl alcohol. It is a powerful, addictive, central nervous system depressant produced by the action of yeast cells on carbohydrates in fruits and grains.

A liquid that is taken orally, alcohol is often consumed in copious quantities. Surveys of adolescent and young adult drinkers indicate that they are particularly likely to drink heavily with the intention of getting drunk—often every time they drink.

There are three basic types of alcoholic drinks.

Beer is made from fermented grains and has an alcohol content of three to six percent.

Wine is made from fermented fruits and has an alcohol content of 11 to 14 percent. Some wine drinks, such as wine coolers, have fruit juice and sugar added, lowering alcohol content to between four and seven percent. Fortified wines, such as port, have alcohol added, bringing alcohol content to between 18 and 20 percent.

Liquor is made by distilling a fermented product to yield a drink that usually contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol. The alcohol content in liquor is sometimes indicated by degrees of proof, which in the United States is a figure twice as high as the percentage. Thus, 80-proof liquor is 40 percent alcohol.

found at:   http://www.acde.org/common/alcohol.htm

People often begin to use drugs or drink a lot of alcohol to avoid the things that bother them most. Some examples of the things people may want to avoid are: pressure from friends, stress in the family, hassles, the feeling that adults are on their case, or the lousy feeling of being different from everyone else in the world. People start to use drugs and alcohol to make themselves feel better. The problem with that is, drinking or using drugs only ends up making things worse. Alcohol and other drugs may make a person feel good for a short time when high, but when the high wears off, the person feels lousy and may even feel depressed. Once a person is addicted, all they begin to care about is getting high, and once the high wears off, they need to take more just to feel normal again. That is the problem with addiction, it means it becomes very hard to stop drinking or doing drugs. An addicted person feels like they need drugs or alcohol and may feel sick if they do not have any. Drugs or alcohol become all that the addicted person can think about and they may lie, steal or commit other crimes to get more. Some kids who do drugs end up dropping out of school and many older kids and adults may stop going to work. They may stop caring about everything except drugs after a while. Even the family and friends that they used to care about won't be important. They may become very hard to live with and to be friends with and may not want to be involved in any of the things that they used to think were fun


found at:  http://www.drpbody.com/drugs.html