Quinta do Vallado Wine HotelA stay at Quinta do Vallado Wine...

Quinta do Vallado Wine Hotel

A stay at Quinta do Vallado Wine Hotel puts you in the heart of one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Portugal’s Douro Valley.

Spread across two buildings - the beautifully renovated Manor House and a strikingly contemporary structure designed by architect Francisco Vieira de Campos, the hotel’s 13 rooms feature exquisite decor, modern-day amenities, and generous windows framing picturesque vineyard views.

While the accommodations in the Manor House are delightfully cozy and traditional, the ones in the new wing eschew elaborate decoration in favor of sleek, modern minimalism.

Breakfast and bicycles are included in the rate and so are wine tastings and visits to the cellar. The staff can also arrange a variety of activities, including boat trips, fishing sessions, picnics, and cooking classes.

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3-Week Plan To Help Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet

Lots of people today eat too much added sugar, which can have lots of negative health benefits. For example, eating too much sugar means you have a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and it can also lead to high cholesterol.

However, sugar is an important part of our diet, but not all sugar is created equally. Natural sugars such as fructose are considered healthy, and they have metabolic benefits – but added sugar doesn’t have any benefits. However, there are lots of benefits to cutting added sugar out of your diet; you will feel more awake and alert, and you will have a lower chance of contracting heart disease or diabetes.

Here is how to cut added sugar out of your diet in three weeks.

Week One

For most people, the first week is the hardest. As you cut down your sugar intake, you may notice that you are experiencing some withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and tiredness.

• Get rid of the sugar in your house. If you open your cupboards and fridge and keep seeing sugary tweets, you are more likely to crave them. Throw away any unhealthy snacks with added sugar so that you don’t have to think about it. If you are in doubt about the item, check the ingredient list rather than the grams of sugar; nutrition labels rarely specify what sugar is natural and what sugar is added.
• Have dessert once or twice. Cutting out added sugar completely can be really tough, and lots of people struggle to stick with their low sugar diet. Treat yourself to dessert a couple of times during the first week so that you reduce your sugar slowly, which should lessen headaches and tiredness. Make sure you don’t eat dessert every night, though – this will just mean you end up with headaches and tiredness next week!
• Eat foods that will give you lots of energy. Stock up on food that is filled with energy, such as wholemeal pasta. This will make you feel full and awake, so you are less likely to be tempted by sugary snacks.
• Use your willpower. The first week is the hardest, but after that you will find that it is much easier to stick to cutting sugar out. Keep going – don’t give up!

Week Two

Congratulations – you have successfully reduced your added sugar intake! This week is focused on cutting out all added sugar, and finding healthier replacements.

• Drink only water. This week, replace soda, diet soda and fruit juices with water. Water helps your body to flush out toxins, so you will feel healthier and more alert. Enjoy a coffee or tea in the morning if you want, but stick to water in the afternoons and evenings.
• Replace sugar with other healthier snacks. If you want to stick to this diet for a long time, you will need to replace snacks with added sugar with something healthier. You could try savory snacks such as peanuts or cashews, or you could go for something with natural sugar, like a banana.
• Learn to look for hidden added sugar. Items that contain added sugar often don’t advertise it; instead they say that they contain syrup, nectar, agave or fruit juice concentrate.
• Carry an emergency snack with you for cravings. It is likely that at some point during week two you will start craving sugar. Make sure you already have a healthy snack in your bag for when this happens, so you are less likely to give up and eat sugar.

Week Three

Your body is now getting used to a life without added sugars – and it is thanking you for it! By week three your cravings should have lessened, so the hardest part is over now.

• Half any sugar left in your diet. Lots of people cut out snacks and cold drinks with added sugar, but they still enjoy a spoonful in their coffee. If you are doing this, try halving the amount that of sugar that you put in. A small amount of sugar will go a long way!
• Put a post-it on anything in your home with sugar in it. You will want to keep items like honey and brown sugar for baking and other recipes, but putting a post-it on them will remind you that they are high in sugar. This will help deter you from using them too frequently.
• Create an eating schedule. Try to eat all three meals at a similar time each day, and plan what you will eat in advance. If you have a food routine, you are less likely to get accidentally hungry, so you are less likely to buy a sugary snack.
• Make a long-term plan. If you want to keep added sugar out of your diet, you should plan your food shops in advance, so that you don’t end up accidentally buying something with added sugar. This will help you to stick to your plan in the future.

Good luck!

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Surfers Hear Baby Whale Crying, What They Do Next Is Amazing

Catching waves is not all that surfers are up to these days. On the Boca Barranca beach in Costa Rica, a group of brave surfers became heroes to a small baby whale.

With boards in hand, the band of curious surfers headed into the water when their surfing plans came to an abrupt halt. The group of men noticed something dark floating in a small part of the river near the beach and set off to investigate it. As they got closer, they heard the heart-wrenching sounds of a small animal crying out in distress. Without hesitation, the brave surfers let their hearts lead the way as they jumped in to help the poor baby.

Mauricio Camareno and his friends came to the small pilot whale’s rescue just in time. The little whale was suffering from exhaustion. It appears that the baby was caught in a low tide and its small body became extremely tired as it tried to stay afloat. Exhaustion creates weakness in the body, and since baby pilot whales are not born with an adequate amount of body fat to allow them to float easily, this weakness makes them vulnerable to many dangers, including drowning. Suffocation and drowning can occur when whales are unable to reach the surface to breathe.

These brave surfers are proof that a hero may come in all shapes and sizes. Without a thought, this group of men put aside their own wants, desires, and even needs to save a helpless animal in danger. For six straight hours, the men held and guided the defenseless creature to safer waters, and if that was not enough heroism, the group kept holding that baby as they waited until the water was safe and the animal was strong enough to release. This was not an easy task as baby whales can weigh more than 130 pounds, and with the water as a constant lubricant, they can be very slippery.

Featured photo credit: Photograph courtesy of Noticias del Puerto. via thedodo.com

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Homeless Dog Joins A Man During 6-Day Race, Then They Become Inseparable

Dogs Are A Man’s Best Friend

We’ve all heard some truly incredible stories about a dog’s unconditional love and loyalty for his master. For instance, there’s Hachiko, the dog who stayed by his owner’s grave till his dying day. Then there’s a story of a dog who ran away from his home to stay by its master’s side for nine years. Another dog saved a French pet-owner from committing suicide. Then there’s Bobbie the ‘Wonder dog’ who crossed over 4000 km to return to his family home. And we all know about the rescue missions in the Alpine regions led by St. Bernards and Mastiffs. Throughout history, human beings have found faithful friends in those little furry creatures who can be your perfect playmate or even the best night guard.

But this story is a bit different. This story is about a homeless dog who goes out of the way, joins a race and finds her perfect human companion.

Meet Gobi And Her Pet Human

For extreme marathon runner Dion Leonard it was just another race day in the 4 Deserts Gobi March 2016, a 6-day foot racing event held this summer, competing against 101 other human participants. He was thus pleasantly surprised when he spotted the stray dog, enthusiastically sprinting with all the other runners. Although he’d seen the puppy in the runner’s camp, he had no idea that she was actually interested in the marathon race.

The Marathon Race

On the second day, Leonard found his racing partner lined up beside him. As he tells The Dodo “I thought to myself this little dog isn’t going to last very long at my side as we raced off, but she ended up running the whole day and 23 miles distance.”  After crossing the finishing line, the dog decided to settle in the camp beside Leonard who decided to name her ‘Gobi’.

On the third day, both the dog and the man raced each other for another 26 miles. The other competitors, crew members, and volunteers fell in love with the adorable puppy but Gobi had eyes only for Leonard who shared his sleeping space as well as food and drink with her. While running across the rough terrain, he carried her across sluice gates and rivers which she could not cross on her own.

However, the weather conditions weren’t suitable for Gobi to participate on days four and five, so the organizers of the event (Gobi had earned quite a name for herself) carried the dog to the end point of the race so that she could greet her new friend the moment he arrived.

But that didn’t deter her spirits at all. The next and final day, Gobi was back in the game and the man-dog team crossed the line together.

Gobi thus ran for over half the distance of the 155-mile marathon- a huge achievement for a puppy.

Bring Gobi Home

Meanwhile, Leonard and Gobi have bonded and seem to be inseparable and Leonard hopes to take her to his Scottish home.
Although getting a UK entrance for the dog is a costly and laborious process, Leonard is determined to make it work. Gobi is currently is China with a trusted friend and Leonard is collecting funds for the process. So far dog-lovers from all across the world have donated money to cover the costs and if you want to help him bring his friend home.
Leonard sums it up pretty much: “Gobi picked me to be her pal for life, so I am doing what I can with some great support from around the word to make this happen.”

You don’t need to be a dog lover to be touched by this heart-warming tale, but if you enjoyed this story, you can show your support for Leonard and Gobi by sharing this article!

Featured photo credit: Omni Cai via assets-auto.rbl.ms

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An Elderly Couple Was Found Shouting And Crying In Their Flat, And The Cops Did An Amazing Job

An elderly couple in Rome, married for 70 years, were overheard by neighbours shouting hysterically. After police sought out the situation, they discovered that the couple — a 94-year-old man and his 89-year-old wife — were very upset and crying about the current state of the world.

Instead of telling them to be quiet, the Roman police officers did something wonderful instead. They asked the couple about their long life together and made them some pasta from the ingredients they found in the couples’ fridge.

“Nothing special,” The officer wrote on his Facebook page regarding the incident. “But with a precious ingredient: Their humanity.”

The officers kept the elderly couple company and shared some photos of the couple enjoying their pasta while another officer did the washing up in the background.

The police department shared the meaningful post: “Sometimes the loneliness melts into tears. Sometimes it’s like a summer storm. It comes suddenly and overtakes one. Jole and Michele they love each other. But when the loneliness is a burden on the heart, it may happen that they lose hope.”

Loneliness, particularly for the elderly, is a serious and damaging health concern. These officers considered this and went above and beyond to assist this couple, and we all could take a leaf out of that book. As we know, it takes very little, yet it gives so much, to offer kindness to those in need.

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Sometimes You Still Love The Person But You Have To Let Go

It is that struggle that makes the final release feel so freeing, so life-affirming, and it is what makes us stronger

Love is a tricky thing if we find ourselves standing on the giving, but not receiving side of it. Sometimes it feels as though someone is literally cutting us into pieces when we are stuck loving someone who has moved on. This emotion can truly consume a person. Every thought, every action or inaction, and every moment is taking up precious life as we try to hold on to those who have walked away. Think of it like a giant boulder that is tied to your leg. You cannot move forward easily as you drag that boulder behind you. If you do happen to get an inch ahead that boulder is still tied to you. It becomes a giant conversation piece when you wish that it would become invisible. Cutting the ties to that boulder is the only way that it will ever become invisible. It seems like such a simple thing, but anyone who has ever had that boulder tied to them knows the real struggle of letting go. It is that struggle that makes the final release feel so freeing, so life-affirming, and it is what makes us stronger.

If we do not learn to let go then we are asking for trouble. Holding on to someone that has let us go is unhealthy. This behavior is not only mentally unhealthy but can be physically unhealthy as well. Stress is the silent poison that sneaks up on even the strongest of persons and breaks them down into a sick pile of goo. Holding on to someone that has let us go puts our bodies in a constant state of stress, which leaves us vulnerable to every creepy, crawling germ out there.

There are many different psychological theories on why we are all resistant to change and this also means resistant to letting go. One theory that is brought up in Behavioral Psychology is the resistance to extinction. This simply means that even though a person that we love is no longer in the picture we still refuse to give up the behavior of loving them. Something is still hanging on in us that reinforces that type of behavior. This reinforcement could come from old photographs or even old text messages that we know we should delete but for the purpose of holding on to the one we love, we keep them. Keeping this type of reinforcement hinders a person’s ability to move forward in life.

We are creatures of comfort that comes from a habit that has been built over time

Fear of letting go and moving forward is another problem that many of us encounter even if we are not aware of it. We are creatures of comfort that comes from a habit that has been built over time, and undoing that habit is frightening as it takes us out of our comfort zone. In reality that zone is not that comforting and in fact it can be very painful. Facing reality is just one step to letting go and healing. There are a few tried and true methods that help to get over the fear barrier and face reality. Therapy is one of those methods that will work for facing any obstacle that we may encounter in life. In therapy we get to talk to a person about our problems confidentially and this person even has unbiased help to offer us. Writing things down is another common practice that people use to help them break through barriers. Writing down goals that do not include self-delusions of getting the other person back or changing certain things about us for that other person are helpful. Of course replacing one not so comfortable habit with a healthier habit is also helpful in moving on in life. Our bodies would love us if we suddenly dropped down to do sit-ups each time that other person entered our heads.

Replace the old habit of loving someone who does not return the emotion with a habit that is beneficial to our health and our lives

The old saying that life is short is undeniably true. We can either spend our lives being miserable, holding on to poisonous ideas and notions, or make this life one that has been lived to the fullest. Taking the time to work through the barriers that keep us tied to someone who has turned away from us is one step in creating a life that has been well lived. Making goals, short term and long, can give us direction. Replacing the old habit of loving someone who does not return the emotion with a habit that is beneficial to our health and our lives is an excellent way to recover from the heartbreak. Be strong, be vigilant, and one day you will wake up and you will be happy. You will find a calming peace within yourself, the moment that you do let go. Your time and life will be your very own to do absolutely anything that you put your minds to, once you leave the poisonous thoughts that consume behind.

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