JUNE_ 2011_GIR(L)

JUNE 2011

YOUR LOCAL LADIES MAGAZINE

DOCTRINE OF

SIGNATURES

IS FEAR

HOLDING YOU BACK?

WHEN YOUR

CHILD

SAYS

I’M GAY

WWW.THEGIRLMAGAZINE.COM

June 2011 14 Mom, I’m Gay, You may not want to hear it, but this article explains why its so important to listen.

19 That’s Interesting!, Get the facts you won’t get anywhere else.

20 Fear, Is this four letter word holding you back?

24 The Absolute Basics, South Florida vegetable gardening for Northern transplants!

30 A Rainbow Crossing, Losing a pet is difficult, now there’s help saying goodbye.

34 A History of the Doctrines of Signatures, Want to know what veggies to eat to heal what organs?

39 Business Lesson 301, What happens when a genie and three co-workers meet...

40 Hurricane Preparation, Windows, Ever wonder the best way to protect your windows? This article tells you how.

50 LIKE ME, Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer. Book review, Chely Wrights’ autobiography.

58 Facing Your Mountains, WORRY, Worriers perfect the art of imagining how things will turn out for the worst. Are you a worrier?

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GIR(L) I 2011

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p u b l i s h e r

“When written in Chinese, the word ‘Crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents OPPORTUNITY.” -John F. Kennedy

Shelly Allen to acquire and free to achieve, such

O

’

ne of the things I am most proud of in my life, is publishing this magazine. I can not tell you how fullfilling a job it is to bring life changing material to each and every one of you every month. Through out these pages you will find a little bit of everything, but most importantly you will find honesty and integrity. The information we bring to you isn’t dictated by what our advertisers want to see or don’t want to see. We bring you information you can incorporate into your life to help you live a happier and more fulfilled lifestlye. Most of what we offer is free

s n o t e 8

as; eating better or worrying less or simply being a happier individual.

Any one those three things can greatly increase your health and quality of life.

One thing I have come to understand as I have gotten older is it really is the little things that make life worth living. It is the joy associated with planting a flower and watching it bloom, or walking on the beach on a beautiful spring morning, or simply enjoying good conversation over coffee with the one you love.

When we stop long enough to soak in those moments and really enjoy them...that is when we really get to experience the joy of being alive!

Here’s to soaking in the moments!

See you next month, same time, same sandbox.

Jackie Branca

GIR(L) I 2011

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WWW.THEGIRLMAGAZINE.COM P.O. Box 50111, Lighthouse Point, Florida, 33074, 954.829.1982, 954.815.3220 PUBLISHER ALLEN-BRANCA MEDIA COMPANY, INC Managing Directors Shelly Allen, Jackie Branca Editorial Senior Editor Shelly Allen Research Alicia Polacek Contributing Writer Lindsey Peppar Contributing Writer Sue Willis Contributing Writer Allison Singer Contributing Writer Jennifer Davis Contributing Writer Claudia Beckenstein Contributing Writer Pam Wall Sales Director of Sales Jackie Branca Sales Associate Amanda Pearl Internet Sales Associate Lindsey Peppar Studio / Production Art Director / Production Design Pink Parrot Productions Advertisement Design Joya Design 954.829.9915 Layout Design Pink Parrot Productions Web Site Director / Designer Joya Design Distribution Tri-County Distribution Services 2011 Copyright here and abroad of all editorial content is held by the publishers of GIR(L) Magazine. Reproduction whole or in part is forbidden without prior written consent from the publisher. Publisher may not be held liable or responsible in any way for any actions ensuing from advertisements or content.

10 GIR(L) I 2011

12 GIR(L) I 2011

GIR(L) TRUTH

June is Gay Pride month, with that in mind, I wanted to take some time this issue to talk to those of you who may be raising a child who is gay.

MOM, “I’M GAY”

By Shelly Allen

A

s parents you have a built in intuition about your children that, nine times out of 10, is spot on. Chances are if your child is gay, whether they are five or 15, you already know it. Maybe you are hoping it is just a phase or that you are wrong or that given enough pressure, they will “choose” not to be gay.

Let’s start by looking at that word “CHOOSE.” So many times we are told that being gay is a choice that a person makes. It would seem to me that if people took the time to really understand

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GIR(L) I 2011

the pain and suffering that comes with the realization that one is gay, “choose” is not a word that would ever be associated with it. A gay person doesn’t just wake up one morning and say to themselves, “Today, I choose to be gay.” Just as you did not wake up one morning and say, “Today, I choose to be straight.” Being gay is “a knowing” inside your soul and you feel it from a very young age.

You know you are unlike those around you.

You see your parents together, your siblings talk about the opposite sex, and you know the way you feel is different, and more than that, it scares the hell out of you.

As kids, all we want is the love and affection of our parents. As a gay kid, you are terrified

that your parents will disown you. You are terrified of the prospect of losing your parents love, disappointing them or shaming them.

Let’s face it, the last thing you want to do as a kid is be an embarrassment to your family, especially your parents. From the time you realize you are gay until the time you finally “come out,” it is a torturous game of back and forth. You think you can suppress it, change it, make it go away, but no matter what you do…you can not change it.

My journey to the realization I was gay began at a very early age. Around the age of four my mother employed a neighborhood girl to baby-sit from time to time. I would get nervous when I knew she was babysitting.

Throughout my early years there were plenty more girls I would develop crushes on. I knew I was unlike my siblings and as I began to get older I knew the way I was feeling was not “right.” It finally hit me at the age of 12 when I had a dream that I kissed a girl with whom I had recently become friends. When I awoke I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me. It all made perfect sense, the crushes, the nervousness…it finally made sense. Then the panic set in. I thought, “I can not be gay. No way. My mother will NEVER allow that. She will disown me, my sisters won’t understand, they’ll shun me.”

Throughout junior high and high school, I did the best I could to suppress the feelings I had inside. My freshman year I dated the senior track star, and I really liked him. I thought he was cute and I liked being around him. He talked about marriage, and I tuned him out. It never once occurred to me to spend the rest of my life with him. I loved him, but it was a love you feel for a friend not the person with

whom you want to spend the rest of your life. In the fall, he went off to college and a couple months later we decided it was best to go our separate ways.

I went out with a few other guys over the course of high school, but inside I just knew something wasn’t right. I just could not have a deep connection with any of them. Finally, my junior year, rumors began to swirl that I was a lesbian. I had been spending a lot of time with one particular girl and though nothing had ever happened, it was obvious that I liked her a little too much. It really didn’t bother me that kids at school thought I was lesbian, it wasn’t until the rumors came home to roost that I freaked out.

One day my sister, who was a senior at the time, came home, looked me right in the face and said, “Everyone at school is saying you’re a lesbian and you like that girl you’ve been hanging around, are you?”

I felt sheer terror rush through my body and I said, “What? NO! Why would you even believe something like that?” She said, “Well everyone thinks it’s true so you better do something about that.” What the hell was I supposed to do? It WAS true! I did the only thing that made sense, I stopped hanging out with that particular girl and made a point NOT to hang out with any other girl for who I could possibly develop feelings.

Despite my futile attempts, the rumors persisted. After that fiasco, I tortured myself, and I managed to convince myself that maybe I wasn’t gay. Maybe if I just had a sexual encounter with a woman I 2011 I GIR(L)

15

could be done with it and move on with my life. That was the mind set I took to college with me. Once I got to college it didn’t take long to meet my first lesbian. I was in awe! I couldn’t believe I was finally meeting a real live lesbian, I just knew my first lesbian encounter wasn’t far behind.

Finally, I thought, I could just do it and get on with my life.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Once I had my first lesbian experience I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I was gay.

Gay, gay, gay. I spent the next few months in isolation. I was devastated. I had really convinced myself that I could move on after one experience and when it hit me I was gay, it hit me hard. I cried and cried and cried, then I prayed and prayed and prayed. Then I cried some more. I felt so alone and so devastated. I remember I was in my dorm room on my knees and crying.

I felt like my chest was going to explode, and something had to give. I finally said, “God, you gotta help me out here. Please, I am willing to do anything but you have to help me. Either take it away or give me a sign, let me know that I am ok. Please! I am begging you, I need your help.” As soon as the last word fell from my lips, I felt a serenity flow through my body that I hadn’t felt since I was 12. In that moment, I knew I was exactly the person I was meant to be, and since that moment I have never felt anything but peace about who I am.

The moral of the story is this, when I was 12 years old, my mother, (not knowing anything about what a young person who is realizing their sexuality is going through), sat me down to talk to me about whether or not I thought I was gay. When I lied to her and told her no, she proceeded to 16

GIR(L) I 2011

tell me how disgusting it was, “the things gay people do.” I knew from that moment on I could never tell her. Had she sat down with me when she suspected I was gay and said, “I may not understand it, but I love you.” I would not have suffered the way I did. I suffered because I “knew” I would lose everyone close to me. I thought my mother would disown me, my sisters wouldn’t let me see my nieces and nephews because they would think I must be some kind of pervert, my friends wouldn’t understand. If I were a different person, my self inflicted torture could have influenced me to take my own life.

Today, I know a lot of resources go to reaching gay youth, and while that is extremely important, I wanted to reach out directly to you as a parent. If your child is gay, chances are you already know it. When I finally came out to my mother, at age 20, she told me she already knew. She had known since I was little. No one was surprised.

She didn’t understand it and she definitely gave me a hard time about it, but the most important thing she said came at the end of our conversation when she said, “I love you, you are my daughter and nothing will ever change that.”

Chances are, if your child comes to you and admits they are gay, you won’t be surprised either. So why make them suffer needlessly?

You love them more than life, you can’t help it. As hard as it may be for you to accept, which would you rather? A child who is secure in who they are, or child who is so devastated by their sexuality because of what it means to YOU that they take their own life? Be their advocate, they need you to let them know you love them no matter what.

The choice is yours, a healthy, happy kid or a tortured soul that takes years to mend.

GIR(L) TRUTH

THAT’S

INTERESTING ...

10

Top Raw Foods that are loaded with vitamins & minerals 1. Leafy greens 2. Citrus Fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, & grapefruit 3. Sunflower, sesame, & pumpkin seeds 4. Avocados 5. Coconut kefir 6. Carrots 7. Raw yogurt, kefir & really raw cheese 8. Celery 9. Cultured veggies 10. Watermelon and cantaloupe - The Raw Truth by Jordan Rubin | www.gardenoflife.com

GOING

GAGA

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes “World’s Most Powerful Celebrities” list dropping Oprah Winfrey to #2 - Forbes.com

Queen Elizabeth II is the World’s Largest Landowner

6.6 billion

She owns acres of land worldwide including Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and more. Also, the all-important Falkland Islands.

- www.businessinsider.com

1000

Although reports vary the United States has over military bases in over 130 countries around the world. Estimated to cost at least

$250 billion per year to maintain.

- Department of Defense report for 2008 | think tank Foreign Policy in Focus

What does Make Up, Baby Powder & Cancer Have in Common? is found in make up, baby powder, perfumed body powders and medicated powders plus talc is added to many foods as an anti-caking agent.

Talc is closely related to the potent carcinogen asbestos. Talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims. For the last 30 years, scientists have closely scrutinized talc particles and found dangerous similarities to asbestos. Responding to this evidence in 1973, the FDA drafted a resolution that would limit the amount of asbestos-like fibers in cosmetic grade talc. However, no ruling has ever been made and today, cosmetic grade talc remains non-regulated by the federal government.

TALC

- www.preventcancer.com | www.mercola.com

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GIR(L) INSPIRATION

FEAR Fear is the greatest single obstacle to success. Too often, people let fear rule all their decisions and actions. Their every yearning is for a sort of overall protection summer up in the catch-all cliche of “security.”

The truly successful person doesn’t think in these terms. His reasoning is based on creativeness and productivity. As former President Eisenhower said, “One can attain a high degree of security in

BY:

“We must control fear rather than permit it to control us.”

Napoleon Hill

a prison cell if that’s all he wants out of life.”

The successful person is one who is willing to take risks when sound logic shows they are necessary to reach the desired goal.

All of us suffer from fear. What is it? Fear is an emotion intended to help preserve our lives by warning us of danger.

Hence, fear can be a blessing when it raises its flag of caution so we pause and study a situation before making a decision or taking action.

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GIR(L) I 2011

We must control fear rather than permit it to control us. Once it has served its emotional purpose as a warning signal, we must not permit it to enter into the logical reasoning by which we decide upon a course of action.

FDR’s famous words - “We have nothing to fear but fear itself” - are as applicable now, and at any time, as when he uttered them during the depression.

How can you overcome your fears? First of all, by looking them full in the face - by consciously saying: “I am afraid.” And then asking yourself: “Of what?”

With that one question you have begun analyzing the situation facing you. You are on the road of reason that will carry you around the emotional obstacle of fear.

The next step is to consider the problem from every facet. What are the risks? Is the expected reward worth taking them?

What are the other possible courses of action? What unexpected problems are likely to be encountered? Do you have all the necessary data, statistics and facts at hand? What have others done in similar situations, and what were the results?

Once you have completed your study, take action - immediately! Procrastination leads only to more doubt and fear.

A noted psychologist once said that a woman, alone at night and imagining she hears noises, can settle her fears quickly.

All she has to do is put one foot on the floor. In doing so, she has taken the first step on a positive course of action toward overcoming her fear.

The person seeking success must force himself in the same way to control his fear by taking the first step toward his goal.

And remember that no one walks the road of life alone.

One of the most consoling - and truest - assurances given us is found in the Bible: “Fear not, I am with you always.”

Faith in those words will give you spiritual strength to meet any situation.

Source: Success Unlimited October 1966. Pgs. 33 and 34.

2011 I GIR(L)

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GIR(L) GARDEN

R

THE ABSOLUTE BA

ule #1 is forget everything you know about vegetable SOUTH FLORIDA VEGETABLE GA gardening up north. The soil, the climate, the conditions are all FOR NORTHERN TRANSPLANTS very different, so you’re going to have to learn the bulk of it all over The Consummate again. This is one reason most first time vegetable gardens fail in South Florida, because people aren’t aware of just how different it is here. It’s common to see a new resident planting their vegetables in March or April, and then to hear them complaining in June that their tomatoes are dying.

The first thing you need to know about vegetable gardening in South Florida, is that the growing seasons are reversed from the rest of the country. Gardeners in the southern hemisphere, such as in Australia, are planting their spring/ summer vegetables just at the same time South Floridians are. It’s nice to have them to converse with on gardening forums, since most of our country is under snow when we are growing vegetables.

Nevertheless, the seed companies don’t recognize this, so the seeds are available here at the same time as the other parts of the country, and must be saved until fall. Why? Because the seed companies pick up the unsold seeds at the end of the summer, so if you wait, you won’t find any seeds to plant. The best way to store them is right in their packages, in a zipper 24 GIR(L) I 2011

REVERSE

ASICS...

bag in the freezer.

Summer in South ARDENING Florida is too hot and wet to successfully grow most vegetables, so they are grown in the Gardener fall and winter. Crops started in September are what most of the country considers their summer crops, such as corn, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. The first crop is usually finished by the end of December, and then if a cold snap hits, can be replanted when it starts warming up in January.

During years with mild winters, you never stop harvesting.

Winter vegetables such as greens and hard shell squash can be grown in Florida, although extra care must be taken to keep the insects and bugs at bay. You should understand that without the cold weather, greens such as collards will be more bitter. There are some varieties bred to be grown here, such as Florida Broad Leaf Collards and Mustard, that are not as dependent on the frost to take the bitterness out. In colder climates, the bugs are gone when these things are growing, but in South Florida, insects and bugs are active all year long, and they just love

those yummy tender greens in the winter.

Because of this, most salad greens are best grown in containers, not in the ground.

In terms of time and expense to grow them, they may not be worth the trouble.

Whatever the winter is like, by April, the winter garden vegetable season is pretty much over, and the summer season is beginning. Some heat loving vegetables will grow well in South Florida in the summer, such as peppers, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, some southern peas, and okra. There are heat resistant varieties of tomatoes as well, but the taste is not even close to that of the regular varieties.

Regular tomatoes will not pollinate or bear during the summer months.

The best thing to do if you want to grow vegetables in Florida is to contact your nearest extension service, and get their booklets. Most county extension services are online as well, so you can get information there. Learn as much as you can, and then do it the way they tell you.

Once you get the hang of it, vegetable gardening in South Florida can be just as enjoyable as anywhere else in the country.

In the next issue we’ll talk what and when so you can start planning that fall garden!

For more great gardening tips go to www.theconsummategardener.blogspot.com 2011 I GIR(L)

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GIR(L) TRUTH

26 GIR(L) I 2011

WHERE PETS & PEOPLE INTERSECT Pet Junction is more than a yellow pages for pet owners. In fact, it’s not a yellow pages at all. Pet Junction is a resource guide for everything pets in Broward and Palm Beach counties. From grooming to supplies, to rescue and rehab, Pet Junction covers it all.

Don’t get left in the dog house.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Call Today 954-829-1982 or Email Advertise@PetJunctionDirectory.com www.PetJunctionDirectory.com

Broward and Palm Beach’s ONLY Complete Resource Guide for Pet Owners.

Get the free mobile app for your phone

http:/ / gettag.mobi

28 GIR(L) I 2011

Have you seen what GIR(L) has to offer?

Check out the website for all your favorite stuff...

Straight Up.

find us on

thegirlmagazine.com 2011 Iphone GIR(L) 29 Get the free mobile app for your

GIR(L) PETS

CLOSURE...

In Her Words,

A RAINBOW CROSSING BY: JENNIFER COLLINS

A

nyone that has ever had a pet for its lifetime knows what it feels like to say goodbye. Not long ago I lost my best friend “Pepper” and wanted him to be cremated so I could keep his ashes with me wherever I went. I was horrified when his remains came to me in a cold insensitive package. It was then that I decided that I would make it my personal mission to ensure that everyone’s beloved pet would have a beautiful and dignified service before crossing over the “Rainbow Bridge.”

I opened “A Rainbow Crossing – Pet Memorial Services” to provide services and cremation 30 GIR(L) I 2011

arrangements for our beloved pets and to give their owners a peaceful sense of closure and honor them for the time they gave us unconditional love.

Located in Oakland Park just off Commercial Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale, A Rainbow Crossing is here to provide the services that have been missing in our community to memorialize our furry or feathered family members and provide comfort and compassion to their loving owners.

Most people are so distraught by their loss, that they do

not know who to call if their pet passes naturally at home. We work with local veterinarians and directly with the public. Everyone here at A Rainbow Crossing is dedicated to treating every owner’s pet with respect and dignity at an affordable price. If your vet does not currently work with “A Rainbow Crossing” you can request to use us. We will either pick them up or you may bring them directly to us.

Over this past year we have brought closure and comfort to families who feel thankful that they found us. Just knowing that your loved one is local, being handled with care, and not shipped out of town for cremation is very important.

Although death is not a comfortable topic, it is a natural part of life, and knowing your options is helpful.

Whether or not you want a Private cremation (your pet is cremated alone and ashes returned to you) or a communal cremation (no ashes

returned) however, these ashes are returned to the earth via nurseries for plant fertilization promoting a green future; either way, “A Rainbow Crossing” treats each pet as if they were our own family members.

We have held viewing services for those who were not present when their pet passed away, and wanted the opportunity to say goodbye.

We also conduct memorial services after cremation, where loved ones can gain closure.

Call for more information or to make pre need arrangements. 954-612-6003 or visit the website at www.rainbowpet.net for more information on frequently asked questions or read the testimonials of those who have been comforted by the experience of our services.

Until one has loved a pet, part of their soul remains dormant!

2011 I GIR(L)

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GIR(L) HEALTH

T

he theory that nature provides clues as to the beneficial uses of plants is known as The Doctrine Of Signatures. The earliest known references to this theory are the writings of Galen (131-200 AD). Some 1,400 years later The Doctrine Of Signatures was expanded upon by several authors of note: Paracelsus (1493-1541 AD) was born Phillip von Hohenheim, who later took up the names Philippus Theophrastus Aureolus, Bombastus von Hohenheim, and finally taking the title Paracelsus.

He is regarded as the father of modern chemistry. The writings of Paracelsus are regarded as the earliest formal account of The Doctrine Of Signatures and had a significant influence in bringing the concept into the medicinal realm.

Jakob Boehme (1575-1624 AD) offered two books which further expanded upon The Doctrine Of Signatures from both physical and spiritual aspects. His books Signatura Rerum (The Signature Of All Things) and Aurora were published in the early 17th Century.

William Coles (1626-1662 AD)

34 GIR(L) I 2011

A History of The Doctrine of Signatures:

TOMATOES

was a 17th century botanist, herbalist and physician. He authored a book titled The Art Of Simpling which reflected a contemporary belief that the appearance of a plant provides a clue, or signature, which indicates its beneficial medicinal use.

Surprisingly, little has been written on the topic since the 17th century. But now that modern day researchers are focusing more resources on the study of whole foods, the concept is once again coming into focus. The latest scientific research offers a good bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting that The Doctrine Of Signatures does hold true in many cases, including signatures that appear at a microscopic level – here is our first example.

Tomatoes are red and have four chambers, just like the human heart.

Scientists are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color, helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases.

Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials says, ‘ In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti-oxidant that helps to prevent the

formation of oxidized LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their growth.

Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant found to date.

Another study compared men who had had a heart attack with the same number of healthy men and found that those with high levels of lycopene appeared to reduce their risk of heart diseases by 50%. The study’s coordinator, Lenore Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the university of North Carolina, said, ‘Based on our findings, and other research, lycopene can be an excellent antioxidant, we recommend that people eat tomato based cooked foods.’

Several recent studies have shown that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products is strongly linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. In a six year study of 48,000 male professionals, Dr Edward Giovannucci and colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that consuming tomatoes and tomato based products between five to seven serving a week was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of 21% to 34%.

2011 I GIR(L)

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Another study published in the International Journal of Cancer said that lycopene appears to protect against cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. Researchers at the University of Illinois report that women with the highest lycopene levels had a five fold lower risk of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than women with lowest lycopene levels.

The human body does not produce lycopene alone and therefore relies on a consumption of tomatoes and tomato based products for this anti oxidant. Nutritionists and other health professionals have long advocated the cancer preventative benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

LYCOPENE: JUST THE FACTS Research by Dr. Joseph Levy and colleagues from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, may have identified the unique mechanism through which lycopene protects against cancer which is by activating cancer-preventive phase II enzymes.

including cancer and heart disease.

In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin.

Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer.

For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.

In one six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. The study also showed that the heat processing of tomatoes and tomato products increases Lycopene bioavailability.

Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes.

Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of certain diseases

For great tomato soups and recipes go to www.leading.wholefoodfarmacy.com

36 GIR(L) I 2011

Think YOU have what it takes to ...

Open new territories?

Build a substantial residual income?

Earn ownership stake in an established company?

We’re looking for ONE Outstanding, Self Motivated and Driven Salesperson to help take GIR(L) to the next level.

If you think you have what it takes, email your resume to publisher@thegirlmagazine.com Sales Experience Mandatory*

GIR(L) HUMOR

BUSINESS LESSON 301 A sales rep, an administration clerk, and their manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, ‘I’ll give each of you just one wish.’

‘Me first! Me first!’ says the administration clerk. ‘I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.’

Puff! She’s gone.

‘Me next! Me next!’ says the sales rep. ‘I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.’

Puff! He’s gone.

‘OK, you’re up,’ the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, ‘I want those two back in the office after lunch.’

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Always let your boss have the first say.

2011 I GIR(L)

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GIR(L) PREPARATION

HURRICANE

PREPARATION

HURRICANE

IMPACT

WINDOWS Hurricane.com

40 GIR(L) I 2011

PREPARE

M

any methods of protecting a home against hurricanes exist. None are fool-proof, but they include plywood, window film, shutters, and hurricane windows. The current gold-standard in testing is the Miami-Dade County hurricane impact test. Products that meet or exceed their tests are appropriate for all areas that may be impacted by hurricanes, tornados or other high wind situations. Remember, it is your life and your property.

Essentially all of Florida, and all the coastal regions of the United States should prepare for possible wind speeds of 110 mph or greater.

The impact tests do not guarantee the windows will survive a hurricane, but they do test specific conditions that they should survive. Impact survivability certainly helps home survivability. If you can maintain the structural shell of your house or business, you are significantly more likely to save the structure.

Once wind enters a building, it becomes much more likely that the structure will be significantly damaged. Therefore it becomes imperative to protect all the openings in your building.

The Impact Test

The Miami-Dade Building Code requires that every exterior opening residential or commercial - be provided with protection against wind-borne debris caused by a hurricane. Such protection could either be shutters or impact-resistant products. There are two types of impact-resistant products: large-missile resistant and small- missile resistant.

Large-Missle Resistant

A product is tested as large-missile resistant after it has been exposed to various impacts with a piece of lumber weighing approximately 9 pounds, measuring 2” x 4” x 6’ (no more than 8’) in size, traveling at a speed of 50 feet per second (34 mph). Then the product must pass positive and negative wind loads for 9,000 cycles, with impact creating no hole larger than 1/16 x 5” in the interlayer of the glass. If you live in a building where doors and

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windows are located 30 feet or less above grade (e.g. above ground level) then the products must pass the large-missile test.

If the doors and windows are more than 30 feet from the ground then they must be either large or small missile compliant.

Small-missile resistant

A product is declared small-missile resistant after it has been exposed to various impacts with 10 ball bearings traveling at a speed of 80 feet per second (50 mph). The product is then subjected to wind loads for 9,000 cycles.

Hurricane Windows

Hurricane impact resistant windows provide continuous protection from wind borne debris. The advantages are numerous: no shutters to put up, no plywood to cut and put up - in other words, continuous protection. Likewise, the windows are structurally part of the host so it is much more difficult for wind to get behind the windows and pull them off which can occur for shutters and plywood. While clear shutters do exist, they are less common so impact resistant hurricane windows provide the added advantage of letting light in.

Shutters

Hurricane shutters (plywood, aluminum, or clear) provide significant protection from wind borne debris and must meet impact codes. The main problem with shutters is installation. Panel shutters are difficult to install. Accordion shutters are 42 GIR(L) I 2011

much easier to install, but even then they may require one to get up on a ladder.

Of the accordion hurricane shutters, the crank kind were the quickest and easiest to install while panels are the second most difficult after plywood. Plywood and panels have the very significant advantage of being much less expensive that hurricane impact windows and according shutters.

Window Film

Window films make several claims, primarily impact resistance, solar and UV protection. While certainly better than no protection, films often provide the least protection of the options currently available. One advantage film offers is that glass is held together after an impact. Films’ main problem is that often windows are not fastened properly in the house frame, or the glass is not fastened securely into the frame of the window.

No matter how effective the film is, the glass comes out of the window frame or the window itself comes out of the wall.

Your hurricane impact protection is only as strong as the weakest link. Film has the advantage in price - it is generally the least expensive of the options. If you are sure that your windows and window glass are securely fastened and/or this is the only option you can afford, some protection is better than no protection.

For more information on hurricane impact windows visit, www.windowsolutions4u.com or call Window Solutions at 954-759-9100.

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IT AIN’T JUST TEA!!!

The Cottage Presents Our Fabulous Sunday Tea Dance

Every Sunday Evening

Drag Performances

Happy Hour 4-6pm

Lunch • Small Plates Dinner Entrees Open 7 Days a week

THE COTTAGE 522 Lucerne Avenue Lake Worth, Florida

561.586.0080

GIR(L) HEALTH

DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES EGGPLANT, AVOCADOES AND PEARS...

Target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

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LIKE ME CONFESSIONS OF A

HEARTLAND

COUNTRY

SINGER AN AUTO BIOGRAPHY BY CHELY WRIGHT

“Those of us who are safe and able to come out should, because when we think about young people who have roofs over their heads and food put in their mouths by their parents and feel a community – from their church, and their school, and their parents – and have everything on the line, it may not go so well for them.”

-Chely Wright

T

he year is 1995 and Chely Wright has just won the Academy of Country Music’s Award for Top New Female Vocalist. The country singer’s future, on the outside, looks promising but on the inside Chely Wright holds a devastating secret close to her heart. The singer is a lesbian and she knows if her secret is ever exposed it could mean the end of her dream to become a country super star.

In her tell all book, Like Me; Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, Wright describes the destruction her personal and emotional life suffered at the hands of her own secret. By the beginning of 2006, Wright stood broken and emotionally battered in the foyer of her three story home with a loaded 9mm gun shoved in her mouth, prepared to pull the trigger.

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GIR(L) BOOKS

In Like Me, Wright reveals the details of her life from the time she was just a girl, growing up poor in Kansas. The youngest of three knew two things from the time she was young. One, she wanted to be a country singer and two, she was gay.

Wright chronicles her life from her earliest memories in Kansas through her journey to Nashville and fame, and finally the break through that set her on the path to becoming the first country singer to declare their homosexuality openly.

Wright gives an inside look at the politics of country music that can either make or break an artist. She talks candidly about her relationship with Brad Paisley, and traveling the globe to perform for our troops. Most importantly, Wright gives insight to the emotional trauma someone who is forced to live in the closet to keep their career alive suffers.

AND Don’t Miss This Great Title From Little, Brown and Company

The new paperback edition includes an afterword where Wright talks about (among other things) her coming out experience, the reactions, politics and leaving Nashville in an interview with Chris Willman.

Chely Wright is currently living in New York and is engaged. The wedding is slated for August 20, 2011. Learn more or buy the book at Chely.com 2011 I GIR(L)

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GIR(L) FACTS

“As many frustrated Americans realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad.

We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world. We cannot talk about the budget deficit and spiraling domestic spending without looking at the costs of maintaining an American empire of more than 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries. We cannot pat ourselves on the back for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined.�

-Ron Paul, Republican Presidential Candidate 2012 52 GIR(L) I 2011

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need something?

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scan the tag.

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GIR(L) PSYCHOLOGY

Facing Your Mountains

WORRY

By Phillip Day

Worriers perfect the art of imagining how things will turn out for the worst.

D

o not dwell on impromptu evil imaginings. You can not stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from nesting in your hair.

Worry is a trickle of fear that soon carves a crevice so deep, all other thoughts drain away.

The best way over mountains is one rock at a time. The best advice about mountains is to face them. Mountains cause worry, but not if you overcome them. Be an overcomer.

You remember a time when you fell off your bike. How did you deal with it?

You picked yourself up, dusted yourself 58 GIR(L) I 2011

off and carried on as if nothing had happened. Today, when we fall off our bike, we are dusted off by a social worker, referred into a victim support group, and if that fails, we sue the government for legal aid.

Alternatively, if we are slam-dunked by some appalling stroke of “fate” such as wanton debt, an illicit affair or a Prozac or Valium dependency, we can slip into the victim jacket and seek out the nearest agony aunt, astrologer or Feng Shui advisor. They are only too happy to oblige with the latest scoop, pocketing our money and reassuring us it is nothing WE did, it is just that society is a dog, or

the new moon is in the 11th house or the furniture is all in the wrong place.

Here’s a thought, “If something about me needs changing, I need to change it.

I stopped overcoming and now it is time for me to get back to overcoming!”

Learn More About Yourself Divide a sheet of paper vertically down the middle with a line. On the left, write down all the things that worry you which you CAN do something about. On the right, list all the things that worry you which you CANNOT do anything about.

Rank the left-hand column in descending order of bother that you can do something about ( i.e. the most worrisome problem at the top). Do the same with the right-hand column of worries you can do nothing about. You are now standing at the foot of your mountains and you have an order of worries to tackle, commencing with the most pressing.

The worry caused by the problems you can do something about will diminish ONCE YOU TAKE ACTION. • Imagine each problem resolved and how it makes you feel.

• Imagine the relief and pleasure you will gain by overcoming • Dwell on the peace of mind gained by overcoming • List out the steps required to overcome

the problem • How badly do you want to conquer the problem?

Now take action, focusing repeatedly on the pleasure/relief you gain at every step.

Be consistent and repetitive.

Things You Cannot Do Anything About Problems beyond our control cause unnecessary worry. There can be NO action since the problem is beyond our capacity to influence it or change it, so why worry?

Imagine the relief of not having to burden yourself with matters beyond your control. While you cannot fix the whole world, sometimes you can fix your little corner of it. Is your worry caused by junk input? Spend less time watching or reading the news or programs that cause you unnecessary anxiety.

Overcoming unnecessary worry is about confronting the worry itself, examining it dispassionately, then deleting it in a state of positive emotion with a change in focus.

How about: • Are my worries disproportionate to what actually happens to me?

• Am I reacting reasonably?

• Why don‘t I restrict input which fosters unnecessary worry?

• If I live my life well, my journeys end will be expected, even welcomed.

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