3 Things in Life:

3 things in life, once gone, never come back:
time,
word,
opportunity.

3 things in life that may never be lost:
peace,
hope,
honesty.

3 things in life that are most valuable:
love,
self-confidence,
friends.

3 things in life that are never certain:
dreams,
success
fortune.

3 things that make a man/woman:
hard work,
sincerity,
commitment.

3 things in life that can destroy a man/woman:
alcohol,
pride,
anger.

3 things in life that, once lost, hard to build-up:
respect,
trust,
friendship.

3 things in life that never fail:
true love,
determination,
belief.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)

DNA is made up of units called nucleotides. Nucleotide contains a sugar(deoxyribose sugar), a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base.

DNA in all humans is 99.9 percent identical. It is about one tenth of one percent that makes us all unique, or about 3 million nucleotides difference.

A simple list of the bases of the entire DNA is enough to fill 200 New York City phone books.

DNA testing can determine if crops are authentic or if certain gourmet foods such as caviar and wine are authentic.

The only cells in the human body that do not contain DNA are red blood cells.

Our genes are remarkably similar to those of other life forms. For example, we share 98% of our genes with chimpanzees, 90% with mice, 85% with zebra fish, 21% with worms.

How Do You Sleep???

Tips for Flying with Diabetes

Bring your own meal or snack
These days, few airlines offer free meals; you're probably out of luck if you're flying economy class or you're on a relatively short flight. The meals and snacks offered are expensive and unhealthy to boot. So tuck some decent food in your carry-on-bag that will help keep your blood sugar on track.

Book an aisle seat
You may be tempted to pity the person on the end of the row who gets disturbed every time someone else wants to leave their seat. But it’s actually better to move around on the plane. Sitting for hours on end raises the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots in the legs. Poor circulation can be a challenge for diabetics and DVT can be life-threatening if the clot travels through the bloodstream and blocks blood flow to the lungs.

Set a digital reminder to get up
It’s easy for time to get away from you while you’re sleeping or watching in-flight movie. Wear a digital watch with an alarm that will go off every 60 or 90 minutes after takeoff. This can be your reminder to get up for a stroll to the restroom and back.

Use airport time to burn calories
Catching a plane involves a whole lot of hurry up and wait. While you're waiting to board your plane use that spare time to tool around the terminal rather than grabbing an overpriced candy bar from the newsstand. You can save up to 420 calories!

Buy some bottled water once you've cleared security
You need to drink more to avoid dehydration and the one or two visits from the beverage cart won’t be enough for you. Becoming dehydrated can give you a headache and possibly raise your blood sugar. Getting up more often to use the bathroom is not a bad thing. Be sure to buy your water after you’ve passed through security.

Ask at the gate for an exit row seat
You can only book these seats once you're at the airport, even if you already have a seat assignment—something not many people know. In an exit row you'll have oodles more room to stretch your legs.

Happy feet
Keep your blood on the move with simple foot exercises every half hour. With your heels on the floor, lift your toes up as far as possible. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Next, lift one foot slightly off the floor and draw circles in each direction with your toes. Repeat with the other foot. Finally, lift one heel as high as possible, keeping your toes on the floor. Repeat with the other foot.

Time your arrival
Nothing adds to the stress of travel than barely making your flight. Lower your anxiety by leaving plenty of time to travel to the airport safely, park, check in with the agent, and get through security. Rushing around and getting stressed is just going to increase your blood glucose levels. For domestic flights, arrive 90 minutes before the flight. For international flights, show up at least two hours before departure. Add an additional 30 to 60 minutes if you're flying during the holidays.

Easy Ways to Improve your Vision

Learn How to keep your eyes in tiptop shape...

1. Mix a cup of blueberries with a cup of yogurt for breakfast.

Blueberries are one of the richest fruit forms of antioxidants, and a study published in The Archives of Ophthalmology found that women and men who ate the greatest amount of fruit were the least likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the leading cause of blindness in older people.

2. Spread bilberry jam on your morning toast.

Or take a bilberry supplement every morning. The berries contain compounds called anthocyanosides, which may protect the retina against macular degeneration.

3. Have spinach twice a week.

Could be a spinach quiche, steamed spinach, or maybe Tuscan spinach -- sautéed in some olive oil with garlic and raisins. Regardless, be sure to get your spinach. Studies find that lutein, a nutrient that is particularly abundant in spinach, may prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Ideally, get your lutein in combination with some form of fat (olive oil works great) for the best absorption.

4. Cook with red onions, not yellow.

Red onions contain far more quercetin, an antioxidant that is thought to protect against cataracts.

5. Aim your car vents at your feet -- not your eyes.

Dry, air-conditioned air will suck the moisture out of eyes like a sponge. Aim the vents in your car away from your eyes, or wear sunglasses as a shield. Dry eyes can be more than an inconvenience; serious dryness can lead to corneal abrasions and even blindness if left untreated.

6. Move your computer screen to just below eye level.

Your eyes will close slightly when you're staring at the computer, minimizing fluid evaporation and the risk of dry eye syndrome, says John Sheppard, M.D., who directs the ophthalmology residency program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia.

7. Take a multivitamin every day.

Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. A major study suggested that if every American at risk for age-related macular degeneration took daily supplements of antioxidant vitamins and zinc, more than 300,000 people could avoid ARMD-associated vision loss over the next five years. Other studies find that women who took vitamin C supplements for at least 10 years were 77 percent less likely to show initial signs of cataracts than those who took no supplemental C. So take a multi with at least 150 mg vitamin C, or take a separate C supplement.

8. Walk at least four times a week.

Some evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the intraocular pressure, or IOP, in people with glaucoma. In one study, glaucoma patients who walked briskly four times per week for 40 minutes lowered their IOP enough so they could stop taking medication for their condition. It's also possible -- although there's no proof yet -- that walking could also reduce your overall risk of developing glaucoma.

9. Eat fish twice a week.

A study from Harvard researchers presented at the 2003 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's annual meeting evaluated the diets of 32,470 women and found those who ate the least amount of fish (thus getting the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids) had the highest risk of dry eye syndrome. Even tuna fish (yes, the kind that comes in a can) protected against the syndrome. If you can't stand fish, or are worried about mercury consumption, try fish-oil supplements to get your omega-3s.

10. Twice a week, walk away from greasy or sweet snacks.

A 2001 study found that people whose diets were high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids (found in many fat-filled snack foods like commercially prepared pie, cake, cookies, and potato chips) were significantly less likely to develop ARMD than those whose diets were high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, if your diet was high in omega-6 at all -- even if you still ate plenty of fish -- the protective effects of the omega-3 fatty acids disappeared.

11. Have sweet potatoes for dinner.

Since they are rich in vitamin A, these sweet spuds can help improve your night vision.

12. Turn down the heat in your house.

Heat dries out the air, which, in turn, dries out your eyes. In the winter, you might also try adding some humidity with a humidifier or even bunching a lot of plants together in the room in which you spend the most time.

13. Wear sunglasses whenever you leave the house.

When researchers examined the relationship between exposure to sunlight and cataracts or ARMD in Chesapeake Bay fishermen, they found that fishermen who protected their eyes from the harsh glare of the sun and its damaging UV rays were significantly less likely to develop these conditions than those who went bare-eyed. Wear the sunglasses even when it's not sunny out, says Dr. Sheppard. They protect your eyes from the drying effects of wind.

14. Wear a broad-brimmed hat along with your sunglasses.

A wide-brimmed hat or cap will block roughly 50 percent of the UV radiation and reduce the UV radiation that may enter your eyes from above or around glasses.

15. Pick some Southern greens for dinner.

Because they are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, greens like collards and kale (delicious when lightly steamed with a splash of hot pepper vinegar) may reduce your risk of developing both cataracts and ARMD, and may even slow progression of these diseases once they've begun. Both have strong antioxidant properties, which may help repair some of the damage that contributes to both conditions.

16. Roast some fresh beets for an eye-saving side dish.

Beets get their deep red color from phytochemicals called anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that protect the smaller blood vessels in your body, including those in your eyes.

17. Switch to "lite" salt or use spices and herbs instead of salt.

Studies find that high-salt diets increase your risk of certain types of cataracts, so stay away from the salty stuff. And while you're de-salting your diet, don't forget the salt in processed foods. Check labels for "no-salt" or "no-sodium," or "low-salt" or "low-sodium" tags when buying canned and other prepared foods.

18. Dab an essential oil of jasmine, peppermint, or vanilla on your arm and sniff.

Jasmine, says scent researcher Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., of the Chicago-based Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation, increases the beta waves in the frontal lobes of your brain, promoting wakefulness and enabling you to focus better and see things more acutely. All three scents stimulate the limbic system in your brain, which, in turn, stimulates the rods in your eyes, which help you see in dim light.

19. When you're working or reading, set your alarm to beep every 30 minutes.

Use this as a reminder to look up and away from your computer or book to some distant point for 30 seconds. This helps prevent eye fatigue and eyestrain.

20. Check your blood pressure every month.

You can do this yourself with a home blood pressure kit, at the doctor's office, or at the pharmacy. The two leading causes of blindness in the United States are high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which damage blood vessels.

21. Replace your mascara every three months and other eye makeup once a year.

Eye makeup is a great repository for bacteria, which can easily be transferred to your eyes and cause infections.

22. Use eye makeup remover every night before going to bed.

This prevents small pieces of mascara from winding up in your eye and possibly scratching your cornea.

23. Wear goggles when you're doing carpentry or even yard work.

Debris in the eye can lead to corneal abrasions, which can ultimately damage your vision. Also use protective goggles when you're swimming to protect your eyes from the chlorine.

24. Use a fresh towel every time you wipe your face.

Sharing face towels is a great way to get conjunctivitis, the infection also known as pinkeye.

Cherries

What’s in them:
Antioxidants (to fight cancer-causing free radicals), anthocyanins (anti-inflammatory compounds) and melatonin (which is good for the immune system and could help prevent heart attacks).

Choosing the best:
Select cherries that are full and very shiny – dull cherries are usually overripe. Don’t buy undersized fruit, as cherries gain up to a third of their volume and flavour in the last week before harvesting.

How to store:
With their stalks intact, cherries will keep well for a few days in a vegetable storage bag in the fridge. They can be frozen – ensure fruit is dry, then pack into rigid containers, pour in enough light sugar syrup to cover and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Did you know?
Cherries will keep much longer if their stalks are left in place.

Smart tip:
The kernels inside the cherry pips add a subtle almond flavour to the cooked fruit. Tie a few cracked pips in a piece of muslin whenever you poach cherries and when making jam.

You could try…
heating stoned cherries in butter with a little sugar, then serving the warm fruit on top of a sweet omelette or with a special ice-cream.

13 Things Your Waiter Won't Tell You

1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The sheer volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality dish.

2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a kid to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat. And these are the people handling your food.

3. When customers' dissatisfaction devolves into personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Waiters can and do spit in people's food.

4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.

5. Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this.)

6. Don't snap your fingers to get waiter's attention. Remember, they have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.

7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis. If he makes the same entrée 10,000 times a month, the odds are good that the dish will be a home run every time.

8. Don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade. What's next, grapes so you can press your own wine?

9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. You've just made that waiter look indispensable to the owner. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.

10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant. Servers could be giving 20 to 40 percent to the waiter.

11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error. It's dishonest, it's wrong-and I did it all the time.

12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.

13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks are tired and will cook your dinner right away.