vanilla mocha

WHAT IS THE MEDIFAST PROGRAM?

Medifast is physician supervised program available with unlimited counseling and regular physical exams.

This program can work for anyone if you need to loose 10 to 100+ pounds! It is packed with vitamins, minerals and has a main ingredient of the ‘super-health-food’ soy.

I feel that it is especially helpful for those that have developed a disorder with food or are obese.

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS?

You always hear that MEDIFAST will inevitably cause you to gain your weight back. This is true for ANY weight loss program. Let’s stick to reality here. If we do not remain steadfast and committed in taking care of our bodies then yes of course the weight will
come back. Only with exercise, education about nutrition and a love of life can we stay at a healthy weight. Medifast does work for those who decide to work with it.

A DAY IN THE LIFE..

Let me give you and example about a regular day on the program Meals should be 3-4 hours apart.

8:00am – I have awakened from sleep, revived and ready for a new day. I am ready for breakfast. Oatmeal sound great…especially Apple and Cinnamon. The oatmeal is best mixed with 3/4 cup of water
(if you like it thick use 1/2) and needs no sprucing up but I add a packet of Splenda and a little vanilla extract for that ‘gooey’ texture I like!

12:00 – I have a bowl of vegan chili with MediFast multigrain crackers (mixed with 1 cup water and heated for 2 minutes let set hot!!!) with bits of fresh onion and celery mixed in not to mention
a dash of garlic powder and paprika. The chili really does not need these extras but it is okay to add them if it is desired.

3:00 – I grab a delicious peanut butter protein bar gives me a boost and makes me feel like I’m cheating!

6:00 – I decide to have a small ‘meal’ for dinner (you can eat the MediFast products only or have 1 meal a day within guidelines). I have grilled turkey breast with a couple of cups of lettuce, a few
onions, fat-free honey Dijon dressing, and another packet of crackers.

9:00 – I have my last meal for the day. A favorite treat of mine. Canfield’s Chocolate Fudge soda mixed with a packet of Mocha Chocolate MediFast, a packet of Splenda, and a dash of chocolate extract (this was frozen made earlier in the day). It tastes so good…like chocolate ice milk! Yum.

THE RUN-DOWN

Basically to wrap things up in summary…
You can have 5 supplements a day and one meal. You
can also have two fast soups, that do not count as a supplement (beef, chicken, tomato) and up to 2 packets of crackers. The shakes (two different chocolates, vanilla, strawberry and orange),
oatmeal, chili, creamy soups and candy bars (peanut butter, chocolate devine, mint chocolate, berry, lemon and oatmeal) are counted as supplements. You can add small amounts of veggies,
extracts and spices to any of the soups (Chicken Noodle, Creamy Tomato, Chicken and Broccoli) and chili. You can also have any non-caloric drink as much as you want but need to get in at least 64 oz. of water a day. Coffee (milk can be used!) is allowed but limited to three cups a day . For dinners, 3-4 oz. of lean meats
(chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, shrimp) are allowed with or in lettuce greens (a couple of stuffed cups of lettuce allowed) with a few veggies in the salad and 2 tablespoons of low-fat or fat-free dressing. A cup or two of other cooked or raw veggies (green beans, broccoli, etc.) can substitute a salad.

Once you get into the swing of things, find out which foods you like best, and develop a schedule…things go pretty smoothly. The first three days of adjustment may have minor side-effects such as headaches, fatigue, and grumpiness but those first three days are worth any mild discomfort considering how helpful and how far you can go in healing the body and mind of obesity with this program.

By following similar steps like the above any person can effectivly lose weight with Medifast.

Did you recently make resolutions for the New Year?

- I’m going to exercise more

- I’m going to lose some weight

- I will try to get rid of my bad habits

- I won’t let little things get to me any more

- I’m going to start making wiser choices about money

We’ve all been there. And we’ve all faced March 23rd rolling around and feeling like a failure because some of those goals haven’t crossed our mind since December 31st.

For most people, going through the steps of setting goals is an expectation of themselves. For those of us who live with chronic illness or chronic pain, however, it can be frustrating and intimidating. illness symptoms change constantly, hence our life, feels like it is out of our complete control most of the time, following through on the little things, like jumping on a treadmill, seem impossible before we’ve even began.

The rationale behind why we don’t meet our goals is very reasonable.

– I’m going to exercise more . . . The only real exercise my body can handle is getting into a pool and the water temperature is just too cold at the local indoor pool – - even my doctor says so

– I’m going to lose some weight . . . The chronic pain medications I am on make it hard to even maintain my current weight, much less lose it. I’ve been to the dieticians and they just say “quit taking the prednisone” which the doctor says isn’t an option

– I’m going to stop spending so much money . . . And then one emergency room visit sets you back two-thousand dollars

So what is the answer?

First of all, congratulate yourself if you ignored that calendar that flashed “January” beckoning you to set resolutions. January is be a time to recover from the holidays, the travel, or the family that may have visited. There is no universal rule that says all goals must begin in January. You’re likely exhausted. December is often a time to finish up as many medical visits as possible before the new year’s health insurance deductibles set in. The weather conditions can leave you home-bound for weeks. And if you’ve survived it all without getting the flu, a cold, or infection, you’re one of few. Could there be a worse time to make major modifications in our life?

Secondly, make a few simple changes and don’t label “resolutions.” When you make your visit to Starbucks ask for the “sugar-free vanilla, breve, misto.” (That’s coffee with steamed half-and-half, with a touch of vanilla. It has fewer carbs, no sugar.) Rather than splurging on the “muffin” covered in chocolate chips have the sugar-free banana walnut cake (Trust me on this. . .heavenly!) Talk to a dietician about what habits you could start that would make a difference in the long run.

Thirdly, make a list of some of the things you value and want to strive for. Don’t just say you are going to “save some money” but instead, think about what you really want to save it for. Have you longed to visit a relative but you’ve not been able to afford an airline ticket to go visit? Though saving money to repair your car may not seem like a fun use of that saved money, surely you value your freedom to have your own transportation. Put your list on the refrigerator or your bathroom mirror so you can frequently recall just why it is you are sacrificing those large white chocolate mochas.

Fourthly, find a friend who has an illness who will unite in supporting you with your goals and you hers. Stress management helps illness and a healthy friend who says, “Well, you’re never going to lose any weight until you join me at the gym. They have a new boot camp special that would be perfect for you!” will quickly leave you depressed and disheartened. Chronic pain and depression often go hand in hand. Our health is so out of our control that it’s important to have someone who can help you see what goals are reasonable and which ones are a bit irrational under the circumstances.

Fifthly, go easy on yourself! When you make a choice that is not the healthiest option don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s not a failure, but rather a momentary lapse in your drive to reach your goals. Try to make the right choices at least fifty percent of the time and then build on your success. Skipping the drive-thru fast food restaurant where you used to order the milkshake is a step in the right direction.

Lastly, assign yourself a goal that is fun! We forget that not everything in our lives needs fixed. Sometimes we just need more joy. Mark your calendar for lunch with a friend every two weeks as a new habit. Surround yourself with people who are inspirational and who overcome the odds in their lives with enthusiasm. And don’t forget to reward yourself too. If you clean out your closet, working towards an ambition to get more organized, go buy a new chic hat that isn’t typically you.

By having levelheaded expectations about your goals in addition to some compassionate friends, you’ll likely discover that you are one of the few people who have reached a few of those New Year’s goals. And regardless of how many aspirations you didn’t reach, you will definitely have discovered how to live with more joy. You will feel less guilt about what you’ve not been able to do and instead, appreciate all that you are able to accomplish.

It was a match made in heaven, at least if your heaven includes wonderful coffee. When Douwe Egberts, the world’s second largest coffee roaster, teamed up with Royal Philips Electric, one of the world’s leading innovators in electronic devices, the result was bound to be sensational. The Senseo coffee pod system is the product of a partnership between two world leaders in their field with a common background.

Douwe Egberts

Egbert Douwes opened a small shop in Joure, The Netherlands back in 1753. De Witte Os sold coffee, tea and tobacco to the townspeople, and was more than moderately successful. In 1780, his son joined the family business and together, they expanded their holdings, adding more shops throughout the region.

The company prospered, and continued to grow throughout The Netherlands, but it was not until the mid-20th century that it expanded beyond the borders of its homeland. In 1948, Douwe Egberts began selling coffee, tea and tobacco in Belgium. Over the next twenty years, the company added sales in Belgium, France and Spain. In 1978, the company was acquired by international food corporation Sara Lee. Since then, Sara Lee and Douwe Egberts has become the second largest coffee roaster in the world. Familiarly known as Sara Lee/DE, the company is a subsidiary of Sara Lee and employs over 26,000 people around the world.

The Douwe Egberts brands include Pickwick tea, Douwe Egberts coffee, Piazza d’Oro espresso, Cafitesse, Pilao coffee and of course, the Senseo system. Sara Lee sells products in nearly 200 countries. The Sara Lee brands include Sara Lee, Earth Grains, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Bimbo, Kiwi, Ambi Pur, Sanex, and of course, Douwe Egberts.

Royal Philips Electronics

In The Netherlands in 1891, Gerard Philips founded a small electronics company focused on making light bulbs and other technical electronic equipment. By the 1920s, the company had begun to expand its line of products and make a name for itself as an innovator in the electronics field. In the 1920s, they began to manufacture vacuum tubes, acquiring holdings in both Germany and England as subsidiaries. In 1939, Philips began marketing their electric shaver, which is sold in the U.S. as Norelco, and which has become the standard bearer for their personal care division.

Among the other innovations that have come out of Philips are the audio cassette tape (introduced by Philips in 1963) and the compact disc (developed in partnership with Sony). Philips today is a worldwide leader in manufacture and sale of color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Since 2001, the company has won over 60 design awards for personal care and electronic appliances.

A Beautiful Partnership

In 2001, Douwe Egberts teamed up with Philips to introduce the Senseo system, the single serve coffee system that uses a patented pad brewing system to make coffee and other hot beverages. The Senseo was first introduced in February 2001 in The Netherlands, and became available in the US in 2004.

The system uses a patented coffee pod (called a pad in some countries) that holds a premeasured amount of coffee or beverage mix and fits into the brewer. The brewer heats water to the correct temperature and dispenses the beverage after brewing. The major innovations in the Senseo were the single cup brewing system and the use of the coffee pad.

Sara Lee/DE’s part of the partnership is, of course, coffee. Douwe Egberts offers a wide variety of coffee blends to suit most tastes, as well as tea in pods to fit the Senseo machine. The current blends include Sumatra, Brazil, Kenya and Colombia, each of them with the characteristics common to the named region. In addition, there are selected specialty beverages, including espresso, cappuccino and Cafe Noir, a sweet, dark blend with a chocolate finish. There are also flavored pods, which include Paris (vanilla caramel), Vienna (hazelnut, vanilla and mocha), and a number of limited edition varieties that are currently only available in select European locations. For tea lovers, Douwe Egberts offers Earl Grey and Minty Green T-pods for the Senseo.

Patent-ly Perfect

In 1998, Sara Lee/DE filed a patent in Belgium to protect their use of the coffee pad system. The patent was challenged after the Senseo hit the market and competitors realized that the patent prevented them from manufacturing coffee pods. The patent was successfully challenged in the Belgian court. As of 2004, the year that the Senseo was introduced in the US, other companies have the legal right to make and sell coffee pods that fit the Senseo system. In addition, several pod makers on the market allow consumers to make their own coffee pods. This allows flexibility in making the coffee or tea of your choice utilizing the Senseo Brewing System.

It was a match made in heaven, at least if your heaven includes wonderful coffee. When Douwe Egberts, the world’s second largest coffee roaster, teamed up with Royal Philips Electric, one of the world’s leading innovators in electronic devices, the result was bound to be sensational. The Senseo coffee pod system is the product of a partnership between two world leaders in their field with a common background.

Douwe Egberts

Egbert Douwes opened a small shop in Joure, The Netherlands back in 1753. De Witte Os sold coffee, tea and tobacco to the townspeople, and was more than moderately successful. In 1780, his son joined the family business and together, they expanded their holdings, adding more shops throughout the region.

The company prospered, and continued to grow throughout The Netherlands, but it was not until the mid-20th century that it expanded beyond the borders of its homeland. In 1948, Douwe Egberts began selling coffee, tea and tobacco in Belgium. Over the next twenty years, the company added sales in Belgium, France and Spain. In 1978, the company was acquired by international food corporation Sara Lee. Since then, Sara Lee and Douwe Egberts has become the second largest coffee roaster in the world. Familiarly known as Sara Lee/DE, the company is a subsidiary of Sara Lee and employs over 26,000 people around the world.

The Douwe Egberts brands include Pickwick tea, Douwe Egberts coffee, Piazza d’Oro espresso, Cafitesse, Pilao coffee and of course, the Senseo system. Sara Lee sells products in nearly 200 countries. The Sara Lee brands include Sara Lee, Earth Grains, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Bimbo, Kiwi, Ambi Pur, Sanex, and of course, Douwe Egberts.

Royal Philips Electronics

In The Netherlands in 1891, Gerard Philips founded a small electronics company focused on making light bulbs and other technical electronic equipment. By the 1920s, the company had begun to expand its line of products and make a name for itself as an innovator in the electronics field. In the 1920s, they began to manufacture vacuum tubes, acquiring holdings in both Germany and England as subsidiaries. In 1939, Philips began marketing their electric shaver, which is sold in the U.S. as Norelco, and which has become the standard bearer for their personal care division.

Among the other innovations that have come out of Philips are the audio cassette tape (introduced by Philips in 1963) and the compact disc (developed in partnership with Sony). Philips today is a worldwide leader in manufacture and sale of color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Since 2001, the company has won over 60 design awards for personal care and electronic appliances.

A Beautiful Partnership

In 2001, Douwe Egberts teamed up with Philips to introduce the Senseo system, the single serve coffee system that uses a patented pad brewing system to make coffee and other hot beverages. The Senseo was first introduced in February 2001 in The Netherlands, and became available in the US in 2004.

The system uses a patented coffee pod (called a pad in some countries) that holds a premeasured amount of coffee or beverage mix and fits into the brewer. The brewer heats water to the correct temperature and dispenses the beverage after brewing. The major innovations in the Senseo were the single cup brewing system and the use of the coffee pad.

Sara Lee/DE’s part of the partnership is, of course, coffee. Douwe Egberts offers a wide variety of coffee blends to suit most tastes, as well as tea in pods to fit the Senseo machine. The current blends include Sumatra, Brazil, Kenya and Colombia, each of them with the characteristics common to the named region. In addition, there are selected specialty beverages, including espresso, cappuccino and Cafe Noir, a sweet, dark blend with a chocolate finish. There are also flavored pods, which include Paris (vanilla caramel), Vienna (hazelnut, vanilla and mocha), and a number of limited edition varieties that are currently only available in select European locations. For tea lovers, Douwe Egberts offers Earl Grey and Minty Green T-pods for the Senseo.

Patent-ly Perfect

In 1998, Sara Lee/DE filed a patent in Belgium to protect their use of the coffee pad system. The patent was challenged after the Senseo hit the market and competitors realized that the patent prevented them from manufacturing coffee pods. The patent was successfully challenged in the Belgian court. As of 2004, the year that the Senseo was introduced in the US, other companies have the legal right to make and sell coffee pods that fit the Senseo system. In addition, several pod makers on the market allow consumers to make their own coffee pods. This allows flexibility in making the coffee or tea of your choice utilizing the Senseo Brewing System.

The coffee, espresso, and tea that Europeans sip in their cafés hasn’t changed much

over the years. But stop at a coffee house in the U.S. (there are probably two on the

next block), and that 10-calorie beverage has likely morphed into a 500-calorie

milk shake. Here’s how to keep your coffee break from turning into a Big Mac break.

Like their fast-food cousins, Starbucks and

other coffee sellers put nutrition numbers

on their Web sites, but not their menu

boards. If Starbucks did, here’s what you’d

see.

?

Latte.

A grande (16 oz.) nonfat Caffè

Latte (two shots of espresso with steamed

milk) is a bargain when it comes to calories

(160), saturated fat (0 grams), and

calcium (some 450 milligrams). But

you’ll add:

•

70 calories for flfl avored syrups (unless

you get no-cal, sugar-free Hazelnut or

Vanilla),

•

100 calories for whole milk instead of

nonfat, or

•

50 calories for soy milk.

If you’re not careful, your bargain can

balloon to a whole-milk Vanilla Latte

with 320 calories and 7 grams (a third of

a day’s worth) of sat fat. Oops.

Bonus: get any grande nonfat latte iced

and you’ll save about 50 calories.

?

Cappuccino.

The mix of steamed

and foamed whole milk that’s added to

the espresso supplies a grande with just

150 calories, but who needs 5 grams of

saturated fat in their coffee? Stick with

nonfat milk and you’ve got a 100-calorie

Best Bite with around 250 mg of calcium—

20 percent of a day’s worth.

?

Mocha.

A grande White Chocolate

If you ever wonder what to send to your clients, friends or loved ones, send a gourmet gift basket.  Gourmet baskets are the most versatile gifts that are appropriate for any occasion. Who would not want to receive an elegant basket filled with gourmet treats?  Indeed, it is not unusual for recipients to keep the beautiful basket intact for a while so they can admire their present longer.  There are many types of gourmet baskets to choose from.  This article provides an overview of different types of gourmet gift baskets available and tips for sending these gifts.

Gourmet baskets come in many different themes.  They can be used for providing a romantic dinner for two to serving as extravagant office treats.  Gourmet baskets can be sent for birthday, anniversary, housewarming, thank you, sympathy, or congratulations. They can be sent as corporate gifts to your clients and business referrals, or to your friends and loved ones.

Popular gourmet baskets usually contain generous assortment of fine gourmet treats, such as fine chocolates, cheeses, fruits and nuts mix, gourmet cookies, crackers, gourmet coffee, and other savory snacks. For food connoisseurs, you may want to send a gourmet food basket filled with lobster pate, tomato basil cheese, Romano cheese sticks, Pimento stuffed olives, herb salami, rosemary herb baquette breadsticks, double chocolate mocha truffles, water crackers, Kasilof smoke salmon, pistachios and a wood style cutting board for serving all these items on.

Italian gift baskets are another type of popular gourmet gifts. They deliver everything you need for a grand Italian dinner,including pasta sauce, thin spaghetti, penna pasta, Italian bread sticks, Haute Cuisine Italian cookies, vinaigrette, Parmesan Bruschetta bag, artichoke hearts, double chocolate truffles, Pimento stuffed olives, Salmon fillets, extra virgin olive oil, and cream filled pastry cookies. These gourmet food baskets are great corporate gifts, or for birthday, congratulations or thank you.

For your wife’s birthday, or your anniversary, you may want to send a breakfast basket, which is associated with warmth, comfort and good taste. Imagine her delight when she receives a beautiful cloth lined muffin and bread basket filled with fantastic breakfast favorites, including classic buttermilk pancake mix, New England maple syrup, Belgian waffles, cinnamon nut coffee, Perugina chocolates, and cappucino rolled wafer cookies. If you prefer ready to eat breakfast, then you can send a scrumptious selection of fresh baked goodness in a wicker basket.  Packed with moist, rich pound cake, chocolate chip blondies, and brownies with walnuts, this basket offers a great way to start the day of your loved one.

Coffee gift basket is a dream present for coffee connoisseurs. In addition to premium coffee, the container is filled with shortbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, capuccio caramels, creamy coffee candies.  Some coffee baskets come with coffee mugs or a CD of classical music, and are ideal for sending your sincerest wishes to friends and co-workers.  Similarly, tea gift basket can be sent to tea lovers.

Chocolates are favorites for most people, especially women. The chocolate gift basket may be the perfect present for your girl friend, mom, or female boss. You can send a box of chocolate truffles, or a basket filled with premium chocolate bars, chocolate covered pretzels, Italian chocolate espresso cake, chocolate biscotti chunks, chocolate popcorns, brownies, and cookies. The chocolate gift basket will provide the most delightful chocolate experience.  It is the perfect present for you to make friends, make amends, or say I love you. 

Meat and cheese gifts are men’s favorites.  For male recipients, you can send a tray filled with delicious Heart of Wisconsin cheeses, mustards, sausages and crackers. The wooden tray will come in handy for serving the gourmet meat and cheese. 
 
Gourmet baskets for individuals with dietary restriction are also available. You can send gifts that are sugar free, Kosher, or heart healthy, according to your recipient’s needs.  Special theme gourmet baskets are also available.  For example, for the bookworm in your life, you can send a book lover chest which comes in a book end chest filled with gourmet treats and coffee to enjoy during reading time. For recipients who are always on the go, you can send a travelling gourmet tower, which consists of 3 faux leather suitcases for a treat on the go. The suitcases are filled with savory treats such as tomato basil crackers, vanilla cream cocoa, sliced beef salami, honey sweet peanuts, chocolate chip cookies, assorted chocolates, buttery almond toffee, garlic cheese spread, vanilla caramels, cheddar cheese pretzel sticks, and gourmet roast coffee. The 3 suitcases will be great for travelers for years to come.

In conclusion, gourmet baskets are the most versatile gifts that are great for any occasion. There are many themes to choose from, including gourmet food, breakfast, coffee, tea, Italian, chocolate, sugar free, meat and cheese.  No matter whether it is for your clients, friends, or loved ones, you can sure leave a lasting impression with a gourmet gift basket. 

Cataract surgery and coffee have something in common. Five to ten years ago they shared this attribute: there were few, if any options. You wanted coffee? OK, would you like that with cream or sugar? Had cataracts? Would you like… Actually, there were no real options five to ten years ago. If you needed surgery it was scheduled and your surgeon chose the intraocular lens (IOL) for you.

Now, however, there is a dizzying array of options available to anyone who saunters up to the barista or the cataract surgeon. Coffee? Would you like that in a Grande or Venti? Cream, lowfat milk, or soy? Vanilla, sugar-free vanilla, caramel, mocha, or flavor-of-the-week? The same is now true of cataract surgery. Would you like a spherical or aspheric IOL? Astigmatism correction? How about the ability to see distance, intermediate, and up close? , You can now select for two out of the three — a major improvement over just a few years ago.

So how do you choose? As a cataract surgeon who has performed over 2,000 cataract surgeries, I can tell you it is not an easy decision. You only have two eyes so it’s an important decision to make if you are presently in need of cataract surgery. (If you’re not in need now, you should be assured that the technology improves every year – increasing your menu of choices by the time you’re ready.). The best way to begin is to consider your goals.

With coffee, there is one initiating decision: caffeinated or decaf? With cataract surgery there is one key question: “Do you mind wearing glasses?” If the answer is “No,” then you’re done. Stop reading this article because the rest is not applicable to you.

If you dream of throwing away your glasses after cataract surgery, keep dreaming. There are currently no IOLs that will allow you to do that. If, however, you have certain activities that you would like to do without glasses and wouldn’t mind wearing glasses “occasionally,” then read on – because the newer advanced IOLs can provide for that. Following is a list of available alternatives sorted by need. Simply find the description that fits you best to find the IOL for you.

One caveat: all of the options except the first will require an out-of-pocket expense. Medicare and most insurances do not pay for the IOL “upgrades.” If you want your insurance to cover the entire tab then Option #1 is for you.

Option #1: You don’t mind wearing glasses all the time. Congratulations. The standard IOL covered by insurance will meet your needs just fine and with the money you’ve saved you can upgrade your coffee for a year or so at your local barista. Take note, however, Medicare does not cover the fee for refraction (an exam to determine what glasses you will need after surgery), so save back $50-100 (plus the cost of those designer frames) for this.

Option #2: You would like good distance vision without glasses but don’t mind wearing glasses to use the computer and read. You may be a candidate for either an aspheric or toric IOL. The aspheric IOL corrects what are called “higher order aberrations” resulting in excellent distance vision. However, if your cornea has any significant astigmatism, this will have to be corrected with either a “toric” IOL or corneal refractive surgery. Both of these would be at an additional cost.

Option #3: You would like good distance and intermediate (computer) vision without glasses but wouldn’t mind wearing glasses for reading. You have two options available to you: the ReZoom multifocal IOL or the Crystalens accommodating IOL. The ReZoom IOL simultaneously focuses two images onto your retina so you can see both distance and intermediate objects at the same time. The trade-off, however, is that there will be small circles (halos) around lights at night. Most people get used to this with time but a small number of people (about 5%) find these halos to be a significant distraction. The Crystalens uses what is called pseudo-accommodation: it uses tiny muscles in the eye to move the lens back and forth changing the focusing power of the IOL. Although there are no halos associated with this IOL, not all people are able to “train” their eye muscles sufficiently after surgery to get the desired range of vision.

Option #4: You would like good distance and reading vision without glasses but wouldn’t mind glasses for intermediate (computer) vision. You also have two options available to you: the Alcon ReSTOR IOL or the AMO Tecnis IOL. Both use what is called “diffractive optics” to split light into both a distance and a near image. Since two images are simultaneously focused on your retina, there will be small circles (halos) around lights at night. As with multifocal IOLs, most people get used to this with time but a small number of people (about 5%) find these halos to be a significant distraction. Glasses are often still required for intermediate (computer) work.

An additional caveat: no matter which IOL you choose, you may still need night-time glasses. The reason for this is that your pupil dilates in the dark allowing rays of light from the edges of your cornea into the eye. These rays are focused at a different strength than those from the center of the cornea so you end up a little near-sighted when driving. Generally, a simple pair of night-driving spectacles correct this condition.

If you are currently considering cataract surgery I hope this helped you make this ever-more-difficult decision. If you don’t need surgery yet, I promise to provide updates on my website or blog whenever there are significant technological changes that increase your menu of choices.

Copyright 2009 David D. Richardson, M.D.

The @Google program welcomed Allagash Brewery founder Rob Tod to Google’s New York office to discuss the story of his brewery and experimentation with the fermentation process among other topics. This event took place on November 5, 2009.

The French Creole culinary skills for creating 24 varieties of gourmet pralines and 27 varieties of gourmet praline cookies has been handed down from generation to generation. These treats were in great demand by family and friends; and thus Le Gourmet Praline was established to produce these elegant gourmet desserts for retail. The combination of natural flavors like sweet creamy butter and pure natural vanilla are just a couple of the key ingredients that Le Gourmet Praline has developed into a masterpiece for the public. Since its conception, Le Gourmet Praline continues to receive outstanding compliments for a product that is original, authentic and simply delicious.

Le Gourmet Pralines start with the finest of ingredients found near and abroad. We find the freshest naturally sweet almonds, sweet shredded coconut, the most wholesome of cashews, perfect Georgian pecans, US grown peanuts, imported pure and natural vanilla, cacao and the perfect blend of mocha. Each praline weight is approximately one ounce and approximately 3.5 inches in diameter. They are individually wrapped to preserve freshness and elegantly packaged to place them in a class of their own.

Putting together the business venture was the first start of making a dream become a reality. Starting from square one, we decided to attend a class on small business development. The instructor’s main focus is to provide information to help you succeed in your venture.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not permit food preparation in private residence kitchen for consumption by the public. A commercial kitchen would be needed to begin the preparation and packaging of these products. Once a kitchen was located, a food safety management certificate would be required to assure that the person responsible for food preparation acquire the knowledge to assure the food that is produced is safe for consumption and that proper sanitary conditions are observed to prevent food spoilage, contamination and food borne illnesses.

After this hurdle, Le Gourmet Praline had to meet FDA requirements for food labeling. The serving size of each gourmet praline and gourmet praline cookie was a minimal challenge in the measurement of the finished product. The internet served as a great tool in the search for specific FDA requirements for food labeling. I used  knowledge acquired during my studies of Food Service Management at Cook College, Rutgers University and produced a label compliant for food retail. Le Gourmet Praline was finally ready for inspection by the Department of Agriculture. This process took one year from beginning to the actual issue of a permit for operating this small business venture.

Now that requirements were met for food production, advertisement and marketing was the next step to promoting these products. Taking advantage of county fairs, festivals like the Annual Kumquat Festival held in January of each year, and small town functions like the Dade City Antique Car Show held monthly in Down Town Dade City, was the beginning steps to promoting these treats.   At times, local newspapers will publish stories about members in the community. Look for my article in the October/November issues of the Tampa Tribune (www.tbo.com), “Personalities of Pasco County”, by Geoff Fox. I plan to participate in the Buckler’s quarterly Arts and Craft Show in Tampa and Lakeland. I’m told that this venture draws anywhere from 3000-4000 people during each of those weekends. These are great opportunities to introduce gourmet pralines and gourmet praline cookies to prospective clients of Le Gourmet Praline.

Le Gourmet Praline opened for business on September 1, 2009 with Internet advertisement of 24 varieties of gourmet pralines and 27 varieties of gourmet praline cookies, corporate gifts and theme gift baskets for any occasion. These gifts will say more then you can ever express in words.

We were at Dakota’s and i [Olivia] spit my Iced Vanilla Mocha everywhere haha