What we put into our bodies prior to going to bed can really affect the level of sleep we get every night, says Ben Thorud, Senior Vice President of Ashley Sleep. If youve tried everything and youre still experiencing sleeplessness, it may be time to explore other possibilities, including your diet.

Experts have believed for a long time that eating foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, with a little bit of protein — about an hour or two before bedtime — may boost your serotonin levels and help you relax. In addition, the right dairy foods, which are high in calcium and tryptophan, may help to produce melatonin, which can also help regulate sleep.

So which foods will give you that sleep-boosting power you crave? Ashley Sleep features 10 bedtime snacks that can help you get your ZZZs:

1.Turkey. Ever wonder why you feel so sleepy after those big holiday meals? Turkey may be the culprit. Its high in tryptophan, which can make you feel drowsy. While turkey may be the best-known food in the battle of sleepless nights, almost any type of poultry will do the job.
2.Milk/Dairy. Warm milk has been a bedtime tradition for centuries — and now we know why. It not only contains tryptophan (as do yogurt and cheese), it is rich in calcium, which experts believe may help reduce stress.
3.Bananas. These self-contained sleep inducers are loaded with tryptophan, melatonin and serotonin, not to mention magnesium, which may actually help relax your muscles.
4.Cherries. In terms of sleep-friendly foods, these guys are the new kids on the block. But recent studies have shown that a glass of tart cherry juice or a serving of fresh, frozen or dried cherries may boost your melatonin levels and reduce insomnia.
5.Chamomile Tea. This drink has long been touted for its relaxing qualities. One small cup of decaffeinated chamomile tea before bedtime contains theanine, which may have relaxing and tranquillizing properties that can help you put an end to sleepless nights.
6.Hummus. Forget the fake cheese dip. A couple of all-natural pita chips dipped in hummus makes for a snack thats a great mix of carbs and protein.
7.Almonds. A handful of these crunchy treats is loaded with tryptophan and magnesium, making it a quick and easy snack to enjoy before bedtime.
8.Warm Oatmeal. Rich in sleep-promoting nutrients, this popular breakfast food may also be a great nighttime snack. Just dont choose the kind loaded with sugar. Top it with bananas, walnuts or cherries and you have a sleep-inducing powerhouse.
9.Peanut Butter Sandwich. Peanut butter is high in tryptophan, but many brands add sugar. Choose a natural peanut butter (with no added sugar) and spread it on a piece of whole-grain bread or a half a bagel.
10.Hard-boiled Egg. If youve already loaded up on high-sugar, high-carb snacks for dinner, consider eating an egg or other food thats high in protein. It can help counterbalance the negative effects that those simple carbs may have on your sleep.

To learn more facts about getting a good nights rest, or to find products thatll help you put an end to sleeplessness and seize your day, visit Ashley Sleep.

About Ashley Sleep
Ashley Sleep is manufactured by Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, with products available at participating Ashley Furniture HomeStores and other quality mattress retailers (Store Locator). Making its own place in the sleep industry, Ashley Sleep is one of the fastest growing mattress brands in the world. First introduced in 2008, more people are sleeping on Ashley Sleep mattresses than ever before.

Like us: Facebook.com/AshleySleep

]]> http://www.ironchefofmusic.com/2012/05/18/take-a-bite-out-of-sleepless-nights-with-10-relaxing-bedtime-snacks/feed/ 0 http://www.ironchefofmusic.com/2012/05/17/ukritic-com-new-website-launch-provides-product-reviewers-with-a-unique-platform/ http://www.ironchefofmusic.com/2012/05/17/ukritic-com-new-website-launch-provides-product-reviewers-with-a-unique-platform/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 05:11:43 +0000 Admin http://www.ironchefofmusic.com/?p=1000

VICTORIA, British Columbia, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
In an effort to push the product reviews niche to a truly professional level, the website Ukritic.com has recently been launched. In just a few short weeks this site has already gained significant traction, featuring several hundred new, professionally written reviews of today’s hottest products and services in areas as diverse as health and beauty, educational, business and marketing, gadgets and technology, and many other areas.

Striving to Be True Innovators

According to Mr. Chris Rempel, co-owner of the site, Ukritic.com was designed to meet the needs of those specifically interested in providing product reviews. Quoting Mr. Rempel, “One of the big problems in the past was that if someone wanted to set up a website just to handle product review information, it required a lot of specialty coding and tweaking in order to get the information to display in a way that was useful and attractive to people reading the review. This was because the platforms used were really not designed for this type of content — but Ukritic.com is.”

Another issue, according to Rempel, was that traditional authority/crowd-sourcing websites did not really view product reviews as important. “Sometimes those doing affiliate marketing by way of product reviews were tolerated, but really not fully accepted,” says Rempel. “They were allowed in, but were severely restricted, and the site was not really designed for that type of content. Ukritic.com is different, because on our site affiliate marketing/product reviews are not just ‘tolerated’ but are actually the inner core of what makes the site work, and what gives the site its value.”

Real Reviews, Useful Information, Consumer Education

Obviously, for a site like Ukritic.com to be useful, it must become an “authority site” that web surfers turn to when they need honest, factual and detailed reviews of products or services. “Our number-one priority,” said Rempel, “is to make sure that we police site content at all times. We will absolutely not tolerate persons putting in low-quality content — so we hand-moderate all content that is submitted. Before we approve a review, we have read it over and checked it to make sure that everything that is said in that review is factually accurate.”

To that end, Ukritic.com calculates a unique “KritScore,” for each review submitted. A proprietary algorithm is used to “grade” content submission based on 30 different factors. Again, quoting Rempel, “We know that there are lots of scammers and spammers out there who know how to game the system in use on most other sites. We will be tracking data on how readers, who view the content, react to it. As the reviewer cannot manipulate that data, it will provide a true estimate of the value of that review, in the eyes of the persons whose opinions matter most — the readers of it.”

Parties interested in getting further information can visit
http://ukritic.com , or they can use the contact information listed below.

Logo:

http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2012-Ukritic-Logo-2.jpg

MEDIA CONTACT:

Chris RempelUkritic Ventures, Inc.Victoria, BCPhone: 1-250-590-2605Email: press@ukritic.com Website:

http://ukritic.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at
http://www.ereleases.com .

SOURCE Ukritic.com

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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People lined the streets near a Seattle waterfront home and a downtown theater as President Barack Obama was in Washingtons largest city Thursday for fundraisers, many waving signs thanking the president for his new support of gay marriage.

Obama was in Seattle for two events – one at a Madrona home and the other at the Paramount Theatre. In addition to Obama supporters, others gathered signatures outside the downtown fundraiser as part of an attempt to overturn Washingtons new same-sex marriage law. State voters likely will see one or possibly two gay marriage ballot measures this fall.

Obamas Seattle visit was his first trip following his announcement Wednesday that he supported the right of same-sex couples to marry. As the presidents motorcade approached the private home for the early fundraiser it passed a woman and an infant with a sign thanking Obama for standing up for my mommys!.

Outside the Paramount, 44-year-old Teri McClain was holding a double-sided sign that also expressed gratitude to the president for evolving on same-sex marriage.

Hes looking out for the good of the people, and this is what the people want, McClain said.

Washington state has had domestic partnership laws since 2007, and in 2009, voters passed an everything but marriage expansion of that law, which was ultimately upheld by voters after a referendum challenge. Earlier this year the Legislature approved gay marriage.

Opponents of the new law said this week they have more than half of the signatures they need to qualify a proposed referendum seeking to overturn the measure. Backers of Referendum 74 need 120,577 valid voter signatures.

Another effort seeking to overturn gay marriage is still ongoing. Initiative 1192 was filed in January.

Gay marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, DC Maryland legalized gay marriage this year as well, though opponents there are promising to challenge it with a ballot measure.

Voters in North Carolina on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Friday, May 11, Pune
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Pune Warriors have lost six matches in a row – a sequence even worse than bottom-placed Deccan Chargers, who have been clueless against everyone but the Warriors. The losses have meant that Warriors promising start in the tournament has been squandered. With only three games to go, Warriors can only hope to trip others on their rush to make it to the playoffs and they can start with the fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Royal Challengers earned valuable two points after their bowlers had restricted Mumbai Indians to 141 – the lowest score against them this season – on a responsive pitch and their batsmen strolled to the target. That Virat Kohli scored useful runs must have come as a relief to the team and they would hope that he continues the form. Royal Challengers face Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers after the game against Warriors, and with the race to the finish getting hotter, they wouldnt want to lose points against bottom-placed teams.

After the first four matches, Warriors had shot to the top of the table only to be shaken off the perch by Royal Challengers in a game where Gayle punished Rahul Sharma with five sixes in an over and Ashish Nehra failed to defend 21 runs in the last over. Warriors have the chance to dish out revenge this time but their batting needs to fire. Their last three totals have been 125, 143 and 119 and Sourav Gangulys tinkering with the batting order hasnt helped him or the team. Gangulys role in the team has been questioned just as much as a few other captains and his position in the team is, reportedly, in doubt. Now, in their penultimate game in Pune, Warriors would hope to give their fans, who have filled the stadium every time, something to cheer. With nothing to lose, Warriors could win some more fans in Bangladesh if they include Tamim Iqbal.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed games)

Pune Warriors: LLLLL
Royal Challengers Bangalore: WWLLW

Players to watch

Muttiah Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker for Royal Challengers with ten although he has just played six games. Muralitharans double-wicket over derailed a recovering Mumbai Indians batting and inspired a much-improved bowling performance. He would aim to keep the straightjacket on the struggling Warriors batting.

Michael Clarke has scored 31 runs in his last three innings after scoring 41 on debut. He doesnt have much of a reputation in Twenty20 cricket and with only a few games remaining, he would hope to leave a mark on the tournament.

Stats and trivia

Steven Smith has taken the most catches – nine – in this IPL.

Sourav Ganguly has the lowest strike-rate of 107.27 of all batsmen who have scored more than 1000 runs in IPL. This season, his strike-rate is 100.81, which is the lowest among regular batsmen in his team.

Warriors have played Royal Challengers twice, losing both.

Quotes

It is a good feeling to get it (orange cap). Do you want it? – Chris Gayle replying to a reporter during a press conference .

So you do what comes natural.

You turn to Frisbee.

That only makes sense, right?

For The Trip, an Australian trio that often draws comparisons to early-generation Red Hot Chili Peppers or Maroon 5, hitting the streets of Sydney armed with nothing more than a film crew and a collection of competition-style Frisbees proved to be the ticket.

Not only to create a unique music-video experience but to introduce themselves to a new North American market the band hopes to thrive in for years to come.

Three bandmates, dressed in full competitive Frisbee uniforms, pull off one disc trick after another, showcasing skills in On The First Time, hoping either to take the next step in their musical journey or to move closer to what vocalist/guitarist Marco Yellin insists is The Trips true calling.

We actually just do music on the side until our professional Frisbee careers take off, Yellin says, perhaps only half-joking. They say it takes a good 10-15 years of really paying your dues on the Frisbee circuit before you can see any real money.

The Trip has been paying its dues since 2010 when the band officially formed after nearly 10 years of Yellin, Chad Kendrick (guitars and vocals) and Wes Roy (drums and vocals) playing together in other bands in Australia.

After self-funding a trip to the States to work on their first record, The Trip returned to Australia, rerecorded 11 tracks for their debut album — released in 2011 — and set in motion a journey that brought them back to North America.

But not before using their Frisbee skills on a video thats part music and part audition tape for the professional Frisbee leagues Yellin not so secretly yearns to become a part of.

The concept to build a video around Frisbee, however, wasnt as inspired as the final product suggests. Frisbee had always been more of a hobby, a means to break up long bus tours circumnavigating Australia.

The early Frisbee days had brought varying levels of success, bottoming out while The Trip played in an alley off Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and one toss got away, hitting Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell in the head during a photo shoot.

He was actually pretty cool about it — he said wed never work in this town again, Yellin said. It was kind of a cool start to our Frisbee career.

Building off of concepts used in Ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee Golf, video producer Nick Livingston suggested creating a new style of Frisbee — an improvisational street freestyle genre — that became the foundation for the On The First Time video.

It was meant to be, the Canadian-born Kendrick said. It just started clicking right away — it was like, lsquo;Oh my God, I dont know if anyone has ever done this before.

Between hitting skate parks and beaches — and being chased out of a shopping center by mall security after pulling off a 400-yard shot, with Frisbees flying between two escalators at opposite ends of the mall — the project come together.

Some of the tricks were captured in one take. Others — including flying a disc through a moving car — took more painstaking effort.

We had no idea how it was going to turn out, but we knew if we had a good time doing it and no one got too badly injured, wed be OK, Yellin said.

At the end of the day, our band is out to not take ourselves too seriously. We want to make some good songs and entertain some people.

The Trip just released a new album through New York-based independent label OK! Good Records, titled The Trip.

The record represents the bands first foray into the North American market; its previous album was released only in Australia. Yellin jokes about the fact that he and his mates have taken to exotic dancing, fighting against strong, good-looking guys to help pay the bills until they make it big — either as musicians or on the pro Frisbee circuit.

While Yellin hopes to attract new listeners with the bands eclectic sound, he isnt above turning back to Frisbee — or other sports — to integrate into future videos.

As it turns out, The Trip also has a fascination with table tennis that could possibly provide the basis for another low-budget video built around the bands athletic endeavors.

We either do that or go to some karate training class and learn some amazing moves and up it by about 10 levels, Kendrick said. So Im happy to continue on with the social games and beer-drinking games and see what comes next.

The hotel is located in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, an emerging city for business and leisure activities in southwest China, and represents the 15th Renaissance property to open in the country.

?With their unique personality, design and amenities, Renaissance Hotels have been well received by guests around the world, said Henry Lee, Senior Vice President for Marriott International in Greater China. The popularity of the Renaissance Hotels brand in China continues to grow, and we are delighted to be opening this wonderful hotel in Guiyang with our great partners Guizhou Zhongdian Hotel Management.?

Located in Jinyang New District of Guiyang, the Renaissance Guiyang Hotel is situated 15 minutes away from the city centre which houses the local government administration office, the Guiyang International Conference and Exhibition Centre, International Financial Centre, the Banking Regulatory Commission of Guizhou, Guanshan Park and Guiyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone are also situated in this district. The hotel is also conveniently located close to the airport and railway station of Guiyang.

Renaissance Guiyang Hotel offers six dining and entertainment options that offer guests a variety of choices including local and international cuisine. New Dynasty is a classic Cantonese restaurant with 10 private dining rooms, while Bai Wei is a casual Chinese restaurant featuring renowned Sichuan and local dishes. BLD is a buffet-style restaurant which showcases cuisine from key cities around the world.

The Chocolate Cake Company is a comfortable café located in the hotel lobby, offering guests quick and delicious snack options. Finally, the hotel is home to two unique bars – the R Bar located in the lobby; and Vue, a roof top bar located on the 23rd floor offering spectacular views of Guiyang.

All 340 guest rooms inclusive of 19 spacious suites are equipped with wireless and High-Speed Internet Access (HSIA), iPod docking stations, flat screen TV?s, state-of-the-art technology and a full array of amenities. 

With its 1,230 square meters of banquet space, including a 700-square meter grand ballroom, the hotel is proud to introduce the Renaissance Hotels Intriguing Meetings concept to the city by offering meeting planners a variety of amenities and Renaissance signature experiences including RLife LIVE, Renaissance Hotels hospitality entertainment program. The hotel also offers six function rooms and one VIP room, all equipped with state-of-the-art audio visual facilities.

Additional amenities at the hotel include a state of the art business center, indoor pool and a 24-hour Fitness Center which is fully equipped with cardiovascular machines and Olympics weights. Wireless Internet connectivity is available in all public areas of the hotel.

Developed by Guizhou Zhongdian Hotel Management, Renaissance Guiyang Hotel represents another significant opening for the Renaissance Hotels brand in China, inland Chinese cities, which are widely regarded as an emerging force of economic development and leisure travel in the country.

Guizhou Province is also quickly becoming an attractive destination for leisure travel. With its picturesque scenery, authentic traditions, long history and culture, the city is poised to become a favorite destination for both domestic and international travellers. It boasts many beautiful landscapes such as the renowned Huangguoshu Waterfall, Tian Xing Bridge, Water-Curtain Cave and Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan).

But while it was just as fun to watch the characters in a new setting, most of the stories were fairly trifling. (Cam and Mitchells misadventures with Lilys leash, and Mannys inability to enjoy the park because of a school project, for example.)

There were some funny shots taken at Disneyland, considering the show airs on ABC, such as the long lines and Claires remark that the happiest place on earth is also home to the most expensive churro on earth.

Phils physical comedy was a highlight (as usual), with him basically becoming more and more physically ill as he took Luke on roller coaster after roller coaster.

Jay purchasing new shoes for his wife and sharing a moment with his kids while at Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln were touching as well.

However, the highlight by far was the return of Dylan, just as Claire had set Haley up with a nice guy (though, who sets up a blind date at Disneyland with the entire family?).

Yes, Dylan gets an unprecedented guest star MVP, if only for the fact that his secret job as a member of a Main Street USA. barbershop quartet was revealed in the funniest way possible (Claire called it one of the best moments of her life). Dylan got one look at Haley and crashed the four-person bicycle he was riding.

Im happy to see that he is back, and interested as to how this might affect the season finale, with Haley due to attend college.

So like I said, good episode with some great moments, but it was no Hawaii episode, thats for sure.

Do you agree? Were you happy to see Dylan return? Share your thoughts on video or comment below.

LAS VEGAS, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
An innovative program that screens women for heart disease during a visit to the gynecologist has found that nearly one in eight women has three or more cardiac risk factors but many don’t know it, according to a study presented today at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.

The ob/gyn screening program, launched in October 2010, is a result of a collaboration between SCAI’s Women in Innovations (“WIN”) and Abbott’s Women’s Heart Health Initiative. Its goal is to improve awareness and prevention of cardiovascular disease among women by taking screening tools and educational materials to the gynecologist’s office, where most women seek some, if not most, of their medical care. Among women screened through this program, 20 percent listed their gynecologist as their only primary care physician.

“Gynecologists have a pivotal role to play in women’s cardiovascular health, and they are enthusiastic about this program,” said Sudhir Mungee, MD, FSCAI, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. “The keys to the success of this initiative are collaboration among physicians and empowerment of women with knowledge.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women. In fact, health statistics show that among women ages 35 to 44, the rate of cardiovascular death is increasing by 1 percent each year.

The ob/gyn screening program succeeds by keeping things simple. A woman fills out a one-page questionnaire about her cardiovascular risk at her yearly visit to the gynecologist. If she has more than two risk factors, the gynecologist sends a letter advising her to see a primary care physician for follow-up.

The screening covers more than just traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and a family history of heart disease. It also screens for warning symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain, as well as pregnancy-related complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension.

“Obstetrical risk factors are often a first warning that a woman will be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease in her 40s and 50s when she goes through menopause and loses hormonal protection,” Dr. Mungee said.

For the study, researchers surveyed 500 women over the age of 40. They found that 13 percent of women had three or more cardiovascular risk factors. Of the women with high cholesterol (>200 mg/dL), 80 percent were aware of the problem. Only 6.5 percent of women with a blood pressure above 120/80 mmHg were aware of that it was abnormal, while 68 percent of women with a body mass index (BMI) >25 knew they were overweight. Women who had gone through menopause, had undergone hysterectomy, or had had their ovaries removed all had significantly more risk factors (p<0.0001, p = 0.002 and p = 0.0002, respectively).

“The numbers are staggering when you think about the 200 million women who have not been screened,” Dr. Mungee said. “If a gynecologist is the only doctor a woman sees in a year, that’s an opportunity we can’t afford to lose.”

The ob/gyn screening program is funded by Abbott. Dr. Mungee is on a speakers panel for Abbott Vascular. He reports no other potential conflicts of interest.

Dr. Mungee will present the study “Women Heart Health Initiative: Collaborative Effort is The Key” in a poster session on Thursday, May 10, 2012, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time).

About SCAI

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in approximately 70 nations. SCAI’s mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI’s patient education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit
www.scai.org or
www.SecondsCount.org .

About SCAI “WIN”

SCAI Women in Innovations (“WIN”) is an international initiative with the dual mission to facilitate more effective diagnosis and treatment of women with cardiovascular disease and to foster the professional development of female interventional cardiologists. SCAI WIN fulfills its mission through educational programs and research initiatives that offer both women and men in the field professional opportunities to drive change for women with cardiovascular disease. To learn more about the SCAI WIN initiative visit
www.scai-win.org .

SOURCE Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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