Stop playing the blame game

We all know people who have relegated themselves to living some half-developed life, meanwhile nursing a long-past resentment or irrational choice that continually holds them back. Maybe they blame their upbringing – the habits they feel are too ingrained or what they see as the insurmountable challenge of getting beyond obesity and/or health conditions they've accepted over the years. Some people feel they’re too far gone to get up again. Others blame their uncooperative spouses or their kids and the chaos of family life. Still other people tell themselves progress just isn't possible given their financial situation, work schedule, or aggregate life demands. They’re already juggling too much and can’t give up any part of the routine. They can’t find it in themselves to simplify their act, so to speak, or just renounce it entirely to search for a better way. In other words, some folks can’t find their way out of the box because they refuse to visualize anything but the enclosure around them.

Are You Waiting For A Financial Breakthrough?

Did you know that the common prayer that's requested from many people is that God provide a great deal of money to have things and to be able to have a blessed life. But did you know that you are already blessed? 

It’s true! We don’t have to ask for the blessings God has provided us.  We have everything we need already because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. What we need to do is reach out in faith and trust that God loves us so much that we never have to be without anything.

Be a Better Friend in 8 Easy Steps

We've all suffered from bad friends and are all guilty of being a bad pal sometimes, too. If you've messed up and need to mend a friendship or are just trying to strengthen the bond with your BFF, read our 8 tips on being a better friend.

Love Yourself First

Don’t we hear this when it comes to all relationship advice? It’s because it’s true. You can’t expect someone to love you, as a friend or more, when you don’t love yourself. If you’ve got bad habits, fix them. If you’re just suffering from low self-esteem, practice self-confidence, because no one friend will want to attend your pity parties for long.

Pick the Right Friends

Part of being a good friend, is making sure your friends will treat you well in return. Pick friends who complement your lifestyle, but don’t drop a friend just because of different interests. Most importantly, choose friends who have treated you well, because you will try that much harder to protect and honor that friendship.

Make Time

This is of utmost importance! Too many times do we allow acquaintances to remain just that because we don’t make time for plans. Another big mistake is allowing your relationship with your boyfriend to take over your entire schedule. We’ve all been guilty of that one, and know what it’s like to be on the other side, when your BFF disappears for weeks with her boy. Don’t let it happen by prioritizing your time with gal pals.

Be Proactive

Another aspect of making time for your buddies is being proactive about it. Don’t expect them to make all the plans while you simply make room in your schedule. Take the initiative to plan girl’s nights and even plans as simple as hitting the gym together.
Follow the Golden Rule
Part of being a good friend, and good person in general, is treating others how you’d like to be treated. This is especially important when it comes to friends. You wouldn’t want someone canceling plans last minute because her guy decided they should hang out, so don’t do it to her.

Remember the Little Things

While you might not see your BFF on the daily, remember to do little things that show your appreciation. Share with her a hilarious GIF that reminded you of her, remember to ask her how that stressful work meeting went. These little things remind her she’s got a friend in you, for sure.

Be Understanding

A necessary part of being a good friend is to be understanding. We all make mistakes, so don’t hold the little things over your friend’s head and forgive her. In addition, if she’s going through a rough time, make sure you’re there for her. Even if you can’t come up with the right things to say, just being there for your friend lets her know you care.

Be Loyal

Loyalty is essential for a strong, lasting friendship. It’s as simple as having your gals back. Sure, she might get on your nerves sometimes, but vent to your boyfriend or sister, because they’ll understand it’s not an attack on her. Do not, I repeat, do not talk trash about her behind her back. One, she will find out which will be awkward for everyone involved, and two, it’s just bad friend etiquette.
How do you maintain your friendships? Let us know in the comments what you think makes a good friend!

“He’s Really Just a Friend”

Picture this: You and a female companion have been spending a lot of time together. Although you didn’t foresee it happening, you are acquiring a strong interest in her that goes beyond your friendship. She seems to have the same interest in you that you have in her, but you’re still uncertain. You push pride aside and let her know that you want to become more than friends… She appears to be shocked and proceeds to explain why she thinks you two should remain friends. You’re disappointed, but I want you to know that you’re not alone. A plethora of men are picking up what remains of their heart after receiving disappointing news that a lady friend is uninterested in taking their friendship to another level. How could you have not noticed she wasn’t feelin’ you? It’s pretty difficult to understand the friendship-relationship boundary with women. We can invest time in you emotionally, but not physically. Or we can invest time in you physically, but not emotionally. Either way, if we’re not investing in you physically and emotionally, we’re not going to want to take the relationship much further. I must be clear in saying that you still may stand a chance.

Here are 3 ways to know if you are in the “friend zone”:



1. She doesn’t flirt back with you.

The moment you decide to make a suggestive comment and/or become more “touchy-feely” than usual, you need to watch her reaction. If she blows you off with an awkward giggle, grows silent, and/or becomes irate with you, she has placed you in the friend zone. If she flirts back with you and/or encourages you to flirt more, she may be interested in taking your friendship further.

2. She encourages you to date other women.

Women can be pretty territorial, especially when it comes to people we care about. If she is encouraging you to date other women, she has placed you in the friend zone. If you notice she becomes distant with you when you mention another woman, there’s a possibility that she wants to be with you.

3. She is consistently dressed ‘down’ in your presence.

If your lady friend is consistently dressed ‘down’ in your presence, more than likely she’s not interested in being with you, unless her fashion of choice is athletic gear and/or vintage t-shirts. Sex appeal is unique to each woman, so whatever her fashion preference, she’s sure to wear it in the presence of a man she’s interested in.

FABcredits: Ree "The (REE)lationship Guide"

Food Additives: What to Avoid

We have all consumed processed and packaged foods. After all, they're easy, convenient and often times tastier than what we can prepare from scratch. But if you pause and read the labels, you may be appalled at the number of additives found in such foods.

Many studies have shown the ill-effects of consuming too much food additives. There are over 1,400 man-made chemicals added to the American food supply today. Five main categories raise the red flag:

1. Artificial sugars: Created to pacify the sweet cravings of dieters, sweeteners do more than sweeten your food -- they serve as a health hazard. Aspartame, Acesulfame K and Saccharine are all chemically produced to sweeten our foods without the calories of sugar. Ironically, these empty calories can create a vicious cycle of craving more sweets, with the inevitable consequences of weight gain. They have been linked to behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies and are possibly carcinogenic.


Sweeteners are rampant in diet, lite or sugar-free products. They are used in dry mixes for beverages, instant coffee and tea, gelatin desserts, puddings, non-dairy creamers, chewing gums, breath mints, diet soda, yogurt, even children's medicine and vitamins. Try more natural sources of sugar as in honey, molasses, and maple syrup in moderate quantities.

For diabetics, you can use Stevia, a natural herb sweetener, found in health stores like Henry's or Whole Foods Market.

2. Artificial food colors: Food colorings are used to make the food look more appealing or to replace colors lost in processing. However, don't let these colors deceive you. Artificial colorings are synthetic dyes that are mostly coal-tar derivatives.

They are suspected to cause allergies, asthma, hyperactivity and are possibly carcinogenic. Chief culprits: Candy, beverages, soda, gelatin desserts, pastry, sausage, baked goods, even fruit like green oranges sprayed with red dye to make them look ripe.

Go back to nature. Read labels and opt for natural products. Shop at the farmer's market for organic produce.



3. Preservatives (BHA, BHT, EDTA, etc): You may see these ingredients in chips, fried snack foods, baked goods, carbonated drinks, cheese spreads, chewing gum, ice cream, breakfast cereals, cosmetics, animal feeds and drugs. The list can get even longer but these will suffice. These preservatives are actually synthetic petroleum-based and fat soluble antioxidants, used by manufacturers to prevent oxidation and retard rancidity. They can cause cancer, allergic reactions and hyperactivity, and BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver.

Choose food and drinks labeled with "no artificial antioxidants." Avoid poor quality vegetable oils. Look for cold-pressed virgin oil which contains natural antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Eat fresh produce that doesn't contain these preservatives.

4. Nitrites and Nitrates: Love your bacon in the morning? Cured, preserved, smoked meats are saturated with nitrites and nitrates to preserve shelf life and give it the healthy pink hue. These two preservatives may prevent the growth of bacteria but they transform into cancer-causing agents called nitrosamines in the stomach. They also produced noticeable side effects like headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
Instead look for nitrite-free processed meat. Prepare your own food if possible. If you consume food containing such preservatives, balance it by eating foods high in Vitamin A, C, and E.

5. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): You may be happy that you're dining in restaurants that carry the "No MSG" declaration. But do you know that MSG lurks in all kinds of sauces used to prepare the foods that you thought are MSG-free? They are also significant in all kinds of snacks, seasonings, candy, even infant formula, over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements.

Sunday Dinner: Hungry Girl’s Fully Loaded Baked Ziti

TV host, author and "foodologist" Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien uses two secret swaps to make this baked ziti with half the calories of the traditional! The first substitute is a ground-beef-style soy crumble instead of beef. Instead of a canned tomato sauce packed with sodium, this recipe uses simple canned, crushed tomatoes as the sauce...

Hungry Girl’s Fully Loaded Baked Ziti (As seen on Dr. Oz)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

5 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) uncooked reduced-calorie, high-fiber penne pasta
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups ground-beef-style soy crumbles
1 tbsp chopped garlic
4 cups spinach leaves
3/4 cup light or low-fat ricotta cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8-in by 8-in baking pan with nonstick spray. In a large pot, cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, bring an extra-large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Cook and stir onion until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add soy crumbles and garlic, and raise temperature to medium high. Cook and stir until soy crumbles have thawed, about 3 more minutes.

Add spinach and cook and stir until it has wilted and excess moisture has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, pat dry, and stir in the ricotta cheese and basil.
Transfer contents of the skillet to the bowl of cooked pasta. Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and toss to mix.

Evenly place pasta mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle with Parm-style topping and remaining 2 tbsp. mozzarella cheese.

Bake until entire dish is hot and cheese on top has melted, about 15 minutes. Eat up!

Nutrition Facts
Per 1 serving
294 calories
8g fat
46.5g carbs
17g fiber
9g sugars
24g protein

Now that FAB food for your tummy... Healthy and half the calories!

Until next time... Live Life the FAB Way!!!