EFFECTIVE FAMILY RULES AND PRAYER IN ISLAM

As a Muslim, one of the most important things for a family would be praying together every day. A Muslim has ritual prayers five times a day. Children as young as four and five stand on the prayer mat and understand without being told that prayer time is a time of introspection and a time for things to quiet down. Similarly, the Jews pray twice a day, if not more. And Hindus and devotees of Krishna also attend with their families in the temple. It is important to instill God in children’s lives and teach them to respect prayer from an early age. A Muslim believes that a family who prays together stays together.

A second effective family rule is to do interesting things together as a family, such as having weekly or monthly outings to a zoo or a park where they can have a picnic and watch the children play. Young children especially can run about and drain all that pent-up energy. They can fly a kite and mom and dad can help with the kite making. Flying a kite is also good exercise as you build up strength in your arms if it is one of those big kites and you are moving around.

Eating together as a family is another good way to keep the family intact. Children who sit at the table and share in conversation are more likely to listen to their parents and less likely to get involved with a bad crowd and get involved in drugs and petty crime. The table is also a good place to discuss family matters. The preparation of the meal and the setting of the table may also involve children and make it fun for them.

Have a movie night once a week where the child gets to pick the movie and the family has popcorn together where after the film has ended you can express your opinions about the film. This makes for a close knit family and contented children. The family is seen as a unit. They can come up with ideas for fun things to do.

Seeing the children off to bed can be another opportunity for a parent and child to bond. If it is a toddler, you might want to read a story and settle the child down. You can have quiet and alone time with each one of your children and reassure them of whatever fears they might have. It might take a little time to do all this after a hard day’s work, but it will make for a contented child and a contented family.

HOW TO REVIVE A TEPID LOVE LIFE

         Have you been going to bed with rollers in your hair or wearing an old nightdress to sleep in saving it for Christmas Eve or Independence Day, wondering why your husband drops off to sleep the moment he gets into bed? In a sentence, you have become boring and predictable. Yes, it is up to both of you to keep things exciting, but a smart woman knows the little things to keep her man coming back to her.

Marriage is work. You can’t let it meander into nothingness where the two of you look at one another and wonder if this is what you signed up for. Some people are content with boredom. They simply need a place to stay where there is someone cooking and cleaning and doing the laundry, and they are not highly-sexed beings where making love once in three months is a problem.

For all those other women who want to kick their flagging love life into gear, here are some simple things you can do:

Throw out those boring little track pants suits and sweaters you think are so cute and wear in the house. Did you ever see Mary in the old “Dick Van Dyke” shows in sweat pants?

Brush your teeth just before he gets home and put on a dash of lipstick. If it is summer, get yourself a sexy short dress and give him a little squeeze when you greet him at the front door. Men don’t have to do all the work. It also heightens excitement when the woman is in charge. Your husband will wonder what’s happened to you, but will like it nevertheless.

Shock him when you are in bed together and show him the magazine you have bought. You are not into porn or any bestiality, but an occasional tease read is all right between the two of you and helps with stimulation.

Chuck out your high-waist bloomers and go to a love craft shop together and buy some red hot panties and underwear. If your partner likes this new approach, get a pair of handcuffs the next time. This is not recommended if you have lost the key and should only be done with a partner you can trust; every new trick in moderation.

One night put on a nurse’s uniform and wear a stethoscope around your neck and play doctor and nurse. Another night play high-school girl and leave him a condom on the pillow and pretend to be seventeen.

Learn to do something you have never done before with anyone – women know what that is – and shock your husband into high gear and into taking a new look at you. Have a little mystery. Be appetizing rather than sluttish. Take your partner’s hand and show him what you want. Go for a new record and have sex five times a week.

CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT WITH AVOCADO?

         You absolutely can lose weight with avocado. How I happened to try it was when the high protein shake I was on ran out after three weeks and I decided to come up with my own version of a smoothie while waiting for the agent to arrive with my new supply. The protein shake was supposed to be taken twice a day with skim milk and half a banana or a slice of pineapple mixed with the high protein powder together in a blender, replacing the morning and afternoon meals.

The agent didn’t arrive and I came up with my new version which included a cup of soya milk, a small avocado and half a banana, in the blender. I would blend it until it was nice and thick, and would eat it spoon by spoon so it would last long. I was told by the agent that I shouldn’t eat more than one avocado a week as I would put on weight. I decided that I liked the avocado so much that I would cut out all breads, flour, rice, potatoes, noodles, sugar – although there is sugar in fruit – and would have my big meal at lunch which would be a big salad with strips of red pepper and sprinkled Balsamic vinegar, with a piece of fish or chicken breast, nicely marinated with hot spice. I also had two snacks a day, either a handful of walnuts, almonds or cashew nuts, or a fruit – not a banana. I drank plenty of water.

To find out more about the avocado I went on the internet and found several sites on the benefits of eating this fruit. Avocados provide nearly twenty essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E and B and folic acid. It helps to lower blood cholesterol and promotes healthy cell and tissue development. In the body, potassium is classified as an electrolyte. It is a very important mineral to the human body and has various roles in metabolism and body functions necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.

I weighed myself at the beginning and decided not to get on the scale every day, but once a week in the morning after urinating, but before breakfast. I had tried all kinds of eating plans before, but none of them included smoothies or the kind of snacks I liked, and the most I lost was a half a kilo after three weeks. After just one week on my avocado plan, I lost half a kilo. After another week, I lost another kilo. I am only four weeks into my new eating plan and I have lost three kilos so far. I am not losing weight fast, but the weight is going. I should say, however, that if you eat chocolate or cake, and cheat with rice or bread, this plan is not going to work. It would be better then to stop the smoothies and go back to eating the way you did, but still cut out unnecessary carbohydrates, sugar, chips and soft drinks.

For those who are really interested in dropping unwanted pounds, two smoothies, a healthy lunch with salads, and two snacks should be sufficient for the day. A calcium supplement and a multivitamin every day would boost your energy levels. If you stick to this plan and love avocado, this is the way to go. Check out all the Mediterranean foods you can prepare with avocado; it is used for guacamole and can be used in many other ways.