Category Archives: Lifestyle

Lifestyle, Professional Profiles

Jeffrey Nimer Offers Tips to Celebrate Vegetarian Awareness

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Any time of year is the perfect time to embrace all that a vegetarian diet has to offer, said Los Angeles Chef to the stars Jeffrey Nimer. His kitchen is stocked with a variety of local produce and whole grains, and he recommends that people start to take advantage of their farmers markets for seasonal items.

The tradeoff on missing out on those Fourth of July burgers and franks may be worth it, says Jeffrey Nimer, as research shows that vegetarians tend to weigh less and have lower rates of cancer compared to their omnivore peers. Although October is officially Vegetarian Awareness Month, any time of year is the perfect time to embrace a meat-free diet, says Haute Chefs Los Angeles Owner and Executive Chef Jeffrey Nimer.

Initiated in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society, whose mission is “to promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism,” Vegetarian Awareness Month kicked off with World Vegetarian Day on October 1. The goal of Vegetarian Awareness Month is to celebrate fresh produce, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, and ways to cook them creatively, reports Jeffrey Nimer.

“For me, there’s nothing better than organic, local food,” states Chef Jeffrey Nimer. “Most people don’t understand, but by buying the best product out there and simply preparing it, the food will speak for itself.”

Jeffrey Nimer, whose client roster boasts names of A-list celebrities, is a classically French-trained culinarian. He has worked with many talented, world-renowned chefs, such as Nuevo Latin Chef Douglas Rodriguez and Miami Beach Chef Mark Militello. Jeffrey Nimer created Haute Chefs in 2005 and says that it is critical to be ahead of the latest trends while creating a diverse, inspired, and scrumptious menu.

In his kitchen, Jeffrey Nimer keeps a variety of in-season, local produce that he purchases from the local farmers market. Some of the seasonal produce choices in the Los Angeles area include root vegetables, such as pumpkins and yams, apples, and golden chanterelles. He emphasizes the importance of patronizing farmers markets to get the highest quality local produce.

“Vegetarians have a huge palate of different produce, and you can be very creative with vegetables and produce,” reports Jeffrey Nimer. “Really breaking it down and being very creative displays the mindset of at talented cook.”

The National Institute of Health has reported that vegetarians tends to consume fewer calories and lower levels of fat and cholesterol, while getting more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C in their diets. The closer a person follows a strict vegetarian diet, says Jeffrey Nimer, the lower their risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. Whether a person is vegetarian or not, anyone can benefit from a diet high in fiber and low in fat, with a combination of vitamins and minerals, according to Jeffrey Nimer.

The position of the American Dietetic Association, published in a 2009 report, represents their official stance on vegetarian diets:

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes.”

One of Jeffrey Nimer ’s many vegetarian specialties is a green and white asparagus salad. During the heart of fall season, asparagus is integral to Nimer’s menus.

Jeffrey Nimer founded Haute Chefs LA in 2005. The Los Angeles based catering company offers the finest culinary delights to both Hollywood’s elite and the general public alike. Jeffrey Nimer is known for combining the best service with scrumptious menus for any occasion. Nimer has received numerous awards and recognition as a world class facilitator of diverse, inspired services. Haute Chefs and Jeffrey Nimer offer personal chef services, catering, restaurant consulting and cooking classes and are pleased to accommodate clients to create a breathtaking culinary affair.   

Lifestyle, Travel

Traveling to Australia

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“Australia is no doubt one of the outstanding multicultural nations of the world” says Kyle Thomas Glasser. The country has hundreds of thousands of people from almost every part of the world including Britain, Africa, Asia, Europe as well as the Aboriginals. The fact that it doubles as the 6th largest country in the whole world as well as a continent by itself makes it very unique. As a student, he understands how a visit to such a country could make a positive impact on his medical career. He particularly notes that the black box flight recorder for airplanes was invented in this country.

Australia has always been referred to the home of the Aborigines something that makes him to want to travel to this beautiful country. Who in the world would not plan to go to a culture of people who were reputed for sleeping in the open and only providing campfires for warmth and never caring about building permanent shelters such as the Aborigines of Australia? Even  as a future medical doctor he would love to find out how these people survived through cold weather seasons by sleeping in the open or at best, building some dome-kind of temporal shelters.

Women have a vital history in Australia. He notes that the importance of women in any society cannot be ignored. They are the birth channel of every human life. But the women of Australia have women ancestors in whom they are very delighted about for example Judith Chisholm. Her role as a renowned female philanthropist, women rights activist and social worker is something they can boast about. This kind of information is of great priority not only to him but to other students in every part of the world.

The fact that Australia is the only country in the world without an active volcano is another factor as to why Kyle Thomas Glasser would like to visit Australia. There is sufficient evidence that there were volcanoes in Australia in the geological past evidenced by some of the volcanic rocks that can that range from over 2 billion years. Sydney harbor Bridge is one of the popular Australian historic sites that he would love to visit. Since the day it was opened in 1932 to date, it is still the widest steel bridge in the entire world. Because of his passion for music, his trip to Australia would be incomplete without making a trip to Sydney Opera House.

Health and Beauty, Lifestyle, Sports

Garrett Hoelscher Speaks about CrossFit’s Many Benefits

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Zrywl recently caught up with Garrett Hoelscher, an exercise enthusiast and follower of the CrossFit method of strength training, to get the inside scoop on this relatively new fitness program.

Zrywl: Thank you for joining us today. We’ve been wondering what all the talk was about. CrossFit is everywhere here lately.

Garrett Hoelscher: That’s because it is so effective; it’s a program that you can follow every day, never get bored, and wake up each morning ready to find out the WOD.

Zrywl: WOD?

Garrett Hoelscher: Workout of the Day. It’s basically a series of motions the gym plans. Followers actually post their times, weights, and reps online to see who is the fittest that day.

Zrywl: Oh, so a little friendly competition?

Garrett Hoelscher: You bet. That is one of the coolest aspects of the workout. You get to compare yourself to others and see where you rank each day.

Zrywl: Very interesting. How did CrossFit come about?

Garrett Hoelscher: Back in 1995 a man names Greg Glassman opened up a little gym in Santa Cruz. Today, there are over 3,500 CrossFit certified training facilities across the nation.

Zrywl: That’s a very fast rate of growth.

Garrett Hoelscher: The gym also advocates a Paleolithic diet.

Zrywl: Can you explain that? It sounds like something from the caveman era…

Garrett Hoelscher: Well, you’re actually right about that. Most people are surprised to find out that today’s current diets are terrible for our human anatomy. We eat way too much processed food and our bodies are fighting back with reactions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Zrywl: Really? What kinds of foods are consistent with the CrossFit ideology?

Garrett Hoelscher: You’ve been to a grocery store – you know the outside isles are the perishable products and the inside isles are boxes and bags. Avoid those inside isles and focus on the perimeter and you’ll basically have the foundation for a Paleo diet. Lots of greens, lean meats, and low glycemic carbs are a pretty good start.

Zrywl: How hard is this diet and exercise program to follow?

Garrett Hoelscher: Not as hard as you’d think once you get your mind geared toward a new way of thinking. They say that after 21 days something becomes a habit – I think three weeks of forcing something is nothing compared to a lifelong opportunity to benefit health-wise. Not to mention, for those with children, teaching future generations how the body should look and feel.

Zrywl: This is all completely fascinating.

Garrett Hoelscher: There is a great deal of scientific research to back up both the diet and workout regime. Of course, nothing is without it critics and I’d suggest each individual consult their family doctor before making any drastic changes over night.

Zrywl: It looks like we are out of time for the day. Thank you, Garrett. This has been a conversation that we are sure our readers can ponder for quite some time.

Garrett Hoelscher: My pleasure.

Health and Beauty, Lifestyle

Incredible Discoveries on Lifetime with Keenfit

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The following segment aired on Incredible Discoveries on Lifetime Television. Joining the show was Sheri Simson of Keenfit to discuss Keenfit Walking Poles

Incredible Discoveries on Lifetime Television Guest: Sheri Simson

Incredible Discoveries on Lifetime Television: Forget having to pay to use an expensive stuffy gym. Forget the hard-to-use exercise equipment. Forget trying to work your schedule around workout times that don’t work for you. Forget having to “sweat like a pig, pant like a dog and hurt somewhere” in order to get fit. Instead, Incredible Discoveries shows you how to turn a simple walk around the block into an efficient, effective, total-body workout, with less effort and more benefits than regular walking.

Incredible Discoveries viewers can turn their body into a calorie burning incinerator with Keenfit walking poles. You’ll ramp up the benefits of your daily walk by raising the experience to a total-body workout that engages over 90 percent of your body’s major muscles. And you’ll boost your ability to burn calories by up to 48%. Incredible Discoveries will show you how Keenfit walking poles can strengthen your arms, legs, back, and your entire core, while strengthening and improving your posture. And you’ll do all of this with less effort than regular walking.

Exercise has numerous health and well-being benefits that help in preventing, and sometimes, even cure many health challenges. With walking being one of the easiest forms of exercise that you can do, there’s no reason not to add Keenfit walking poles today, so you can make it even easier – easier on you and a lot more beneficial. Pole walking is a rhythmically, energizing form of walking that includes a specially designed pair of walking poles that engage the use of your entire body rather than just your lower half.

Forget the old “no pain – no gain” mentality.  Incredible Discoveries knows you can get fit, with Keenfit. Start today – take the Keenfit challenge and get your Keenfit walking poles and make your walk more beneficial.

“I started using my pole walking sticks about 3 and a half months ago.  I lost 40 pounds in 3 and a half months.  It is just amazing, I step on the scale and I can’t believe it,” says one Keenfit walking pole user.

As seen on Incredible Discoveries, your Keenfit walking poles come with cork-rubber-mix handles that absorb moisture for a safer, more comfortable grip and ergonomically designed palm straps that eliminate hand cramping. These light-weight poles are made of aluminum-alloy and are completely adjustable for different heights. Whether you’re a casual average walker or a serious athletic walker, anyone can pole walk. Incredible Discoveries wants you to take the Keenfit walking pole challenge, get your Keenfit walking system today and walk your path to a healthier and happier life.

Incredible Discoveries: I’m Brian Fasulo here, with my very buff and enthusiastic co-host, Sheri Simson. Now Sheri, you couldn’t tell by looking at you now, but before you became well-known as “The pole lady”, you were actually struggling with your weight and exercise. Please tell us how you came to find out about pole walking.

Simson:  I truly know what it’s like to be frustrated while trying to get fit. I know what it’s like to be over-weight. I was a crazy, busy building contractor and the mother of 3, when my mother-in-law from Denmark gave me a pair of walking poles. First of all, just so you know, I’m one of those women that put on 50 pounds with each pregnancy, and I tend to keep at least 10 pounds each time.

When I first started walking with poles, I didn’t have a clue on how to use them. I didn’t even know how they worked.  But before I knew it, I couldn’t get over what started happening to me, I started feeling muscles I hadn’t even felt before – in my shoulders, arms, core, and in my back.  It was so great.  But the thing that I love the most was the added energy I had.  Before, when I used to walk, I used to watch my clock and go “OK, that’s enough, I’m done now”.  But now with the poles, instead I go “Do you think I can go another block? Do you think I could go for 10 more minutes? Oh that block went fast, I’ll go another.”  I just had so much energy, I felt like the energizer bunny.

Six months later, I lost 30 pounds, and I was so fascinated by what had happened to me, and so excited about what this European fitness secret could do for others. After training and studying, I founded Keenfit and developed the Keenfit walking system.  North America has a crazy lifestyle and our health system is in pretty rough shape; not to mention we are in epidemic proportions with cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and obesity. They are at an all-time high.  Interestingly enough, exercise is at the top of the list to help prevent and even help cure many of these health challenges, with walking being one of the easiest forms of exercise that we can pretty much all do.

Incredible Discoveries: Now, I know Incredible Discoveries viewers are sitting at home right now that can totally relate to your incredible story.

Simson: Well, that’s why I so appreciate being on Incredible Discoveries to be able to share it with people, because I know what it’s like to be overweight and out of shape. But, I tell you, when I found poles, it changed my life forever.  But what I really want to let Incredible Discoveries viewers know is how easy and fun it is to do.

ABOUT INCREDIBLE DISCOVERIES
As one of the nation’s leading direct response marketing firms, Incredible Discoveries offers unrivaled production capabilities and the industry’s most professional creative staff. With over 125 dedicated and eager employees, Incredible Discoveries has the right people for every situation and the experience to make every campaign a success. To Incredible Discoveries’ credit is the Lifetime Network’s morning variety show, The Balancing Act. As well, the firm is a leading e-commerce provider, offering strong tie-in content to their TV spots. Incredible Discoveries is a division of O2 Media, Inc.

Health and Beauty, Lifestyle, Media

The Balancing Act on Lifetime with Dr. Leslie Zebel

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The following segment aired on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television. Joining the show was licensed mental-health counselor, Dr. Leslie Zebel, to discuss what is needed for healthy relationships and what is needed to be left behind in past relationships.

The Balancing Act Lifetime Host Beth Troutman:  We’re always welcoming relationship advice that we can all benefit from whether we’re in one or we’re looking for one. Dr. Leslie Zebel is a licensed mental-health counselor and is joining us on The Balancing Act to talk about the things that you need in order to have a healthy relationship. Leslie, what are we looking for when it comes to a healthy relationship? What should we strive for in order for the relationship to succeed?

Leslie: The first thing I would think about is, what is your attitude about relationships? Most people just think that they’re one destructive disaster after another and they get upset because they don’t turn into marriage or they don’t turn into an engagement.  You should look at relationships like a learning experience and use that to learn, grow and have fun.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: If someone seems to be having the same type or failed relationship, what would your advice to them be? Is it about them or the person that they are choosing? Please tell The Balancing Act viewers what the real issue tends to be.

Leslie: It is about them and there is a reason why they are choosing the people they are with.  A lot of times all of us will repeat emotional patterns. If you’re doing that then the same feelings are going to carry over to the next relationship and you have to look at why you keep doing that to yourself.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: It seems that the emotional pattern is what really has to change. If we don’t change the type of person we choose then we have no hope of finding a healthier relationship than the last.  I know that a lot of this pattern is unconscious and we have to understand that as well.

Leslie: It’s very unconscious and I am sure some of The Balancing Act viewers are aware of this unconscious emotional pattern.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: There’s an underlying issue that needs to be brought to the surface and dealt with. People seem to carry their issues from one relationship to the other, so how do we change those patterns?

Leslie: People do carry their emotional baggage with them and they also find that they’re communicating in similar ways in these new relationships. They find themselves in similar destructive patterns that they’re finding themselves either being criticized or they’re feeling like a victim in relationships, they’re feeling judged and losing themselves. When that starts to happen, its lack of skills on their part and their partner’s part.  Both partners need to have very good, healthy communication skills that are kind and caring which makes each person feel good about themselves.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: What else should we be striving for? How do we work toward getting to that place? What are the things that we should focus on?

Leslie: I think that you need to focus on getting yourself as healthy as possible. If you go into a relationship depressed, you’re just going to have a depressed relationship. If you work on being the best you can be, sharpening your communication skills and your conflict resolution skills, then you will learn how to feel good about yourself.  Then you are going to have better relationships and you are going to choose people who have those similar parts in themselves.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: How big of an issue is forgiveness and how do we know when to forgive and when to walk away?

Leslie: Forgiveness is learned and a lot of times we do exactly what we saw our parents do.  Forgiveness is a day-to-day thing that involved the little things and the big things in life.  To forgive is to make the choice that you want to and it is a process.  Working through the sadness and disappointment and being able to put it behind you and not bring it up in another relationship and clobber your partner with it.

The Balancing Act Lifetime Television: Thank you so much for sharing so much important information with The Balancing Act viewers and family.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television is the only morning show in America produced by women specifically for women. Every morning, The Balancing Act on Lifetime hosts Danielle Knox and Kristy Villa tackle the issues that face today’s woman. Popular show segments include Live weather updates with Mark Mancuso, surprise celebrity visitors, and news about the latest trends affecting your life, home, career and family. The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television airs daily on Lifetime at 7 a.m. ET/PT. For more information, visit The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television’s website at www.thebalancingact.com.

Lifestyle, Media

BrandStar Entertainment’s The Balancing Act with Lisa Dorfman and Chef Ozzie

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The following segment originally aired on the January 26th, 2011 show on BrandStar Entertainment’s morning TV show, The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television.  The featured guests were Nutritionist Lisa Dorfman and Chef Ozzie from Heartland Sweeteners.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: It’s the New Year and that means that you get a “clean slate.”  You can start all over and maybe do thing a little differently in 2011.  One thing that many of us in this country need to change is our eating habits.  Putting the right foods in our bodies and cutting out the wrong stuff with not only help us look great for the New Year, but it will also make us FEEL great.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: BrandStar Entertainment’s popular “New Year- New You” series on The Balancing Act on Lifetime is going to help clear up any confusing details about our food with Nutritionist, Lisa Dorfman and we’ll get some fabulous recipes to get us on track to staying healthy in the New Year from Chef Ozzie from Heartland Sweeteners.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: Lisa, there’s so much info out there when it comes to some of the bad things we could put into our bodies.  Fats confuse everybody, so let’s start with the bad fats.

Lisa: The bad fats as we know them are the hard fats at room temperature.  Things like butter and lard not only put on pounds, but also can clog our arteries and increase our blood pressure.  They’re just not generally good for our health.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: What about the bad fat category called—trans fats?

Lisa: I call the trans fats the Frankenstein of fats because they were created in a lab a couple of decades ago when companies wanted to pull out the cholesterol and the animal fats from their products.  What happened was they put in some oils, but the oils didn’t hold at room temperature.  So, they added back and made them more saturated again—creating these trans fats.  These trans fats are worse than any of the saturated fats on the market.  At a very quick rate, they build up cholesterol in our bloodstream, bring up our blood pressure and cause all kinds of metabolic and health problems for everyone—young and old.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: That’s what we don’t want—but we do need some GOOD fats in our system, right?

Lisa: Yes.  We do need fats in our diet.  Fats help us to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins “A” and “D.”   “E” and “K” help us to prevent inflammation.  The good fats, known as the Omega-3s and the Omega-6s are essential fats that are found in vegetable oils and olive oils, are good for our health so we do want to include them in our diet.  We have some commercially prepared products now that contain a lot of those good fats.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: So, keep a smart balance but don’t overdo it?

Lisa: There is definitely too much.  On a 2-thousand calorie diet, most people don’t realize they only need between 44 and 66 grams of fat a day.  Like, when you go to those restaurants and you’re dipping away with the bread and oil—each tablespoon of olive oil has 14-grams of fat so that adds up very quickly.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: Let’s talk about Fat-Free.  Is that something that’s still important?

Lisa: Ok, if low fat is good for you—then let’s take out all the fat.  But, what happens is then there’s no taste.  So, what companies started doing was adding in a lot of sugar and other ingredients as well as processing.  It’s these things that created a lot more health problems and cravings.  You know, people don’t eat one cookie these days.  They eat a BOX!  So, it’s a huge problem.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: Chef Ozzie, you’re the guy who knows how to replace the sugar in these things.  So, let’s talk about Ideal No-Calorie Sweetener!

Chef Ozzie: Ideal is the best no-calorie sweetener on the market.  It’s made from Xylitol, which has added health benefits.  What’s unique about it is that you can bake and cook with it.  It’s wonderful and your guest would never know that you did NOT use real sugar.  In independent taste tests, consumer actually picked it over sugar!

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: You’ve brought some great tasting things along with you.  Let’s talk about what you’ve replaced to make yummy pumpkin bread.

Chef Ozzie: This pumpkin bread is absolutely most and flavorful.  You put this on a table and no one would ever know that it’s actually GOOD for you and made WITHOUT sugar!  I made it with Ideal and I’ve also taken out the eggs and used egg substitute—so we’ve gotten rid of some of those fats.

Chef Ozzie: We’re also using alternative spreads.  You can use a 50/50 blend, or you can use a straight commercially prepared.  These new spreads out there are fabulous and you don’t even know they’re in the mix.  So, you can save not only the sugars and the calories from the sugars—but you’re saving all the extra fats too that you don’t need.  This pumpkin bread saves you 25-grams of sugar and 70-calories per slice.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: So, you’re not sacrificing any flavor, sweetness or ANY taste at all! Now let’s move on to that delicious looking chocolate cake!

Chef Ozzie: This is a no-dairy chocolate cake.  When I say, “No Dairy,” it’s actually healthy, moist and decadent!  In this cake we’re saving 44-grams of sugar and 100-calories.  Per slice!  We’re taking the fats out.  There’s no dairy in the cake, so there’s no eggs or butter.  I’m using other ingredients in there.

Chef Ozzie: All these recipes are in my cookbook and I personally like to use a lot of these different alternatives.  A butter alternative instead of butter—or you can do a 50/50.

Chef Ozzie: I like to use olive oil but NOT the extra virgin because of the very strong flavor.  I use just plain olive oils in the recipes, like canola and vegetable oils in lieu of some of the fats in there.  For example these muffins have a low-fat yogurt, a butter substitute, Ideal sweetener and oils.  So, I’m taking the fats out.

Chef Ozzie: In the cookbook I’ve really taken the sugar out of all the recipes, but these are all great tips that you’re not going to sacrifice a lot of the flavor.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: It’s time to move on to the muffins!  They look like raspberry?

Chef Ozzie: These are lemon-raspberry muffins.  We’re using fresh raspberries and fresh lemon.  I just like to use all fresh ingredients, even fresh pumpkin seeds on the pumpkin bread.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: What about these cookies?

Chef Ozzie: These are oatmeal raisin.  I once again used the spread and great raisins.  These are traditional favorites—people love them.  A lot of kids love chocolate chip, but I really like these.  It’s good and healthy.  You have the oats and you’re using the spread instead of butter.  It’s a really good cookie and you’re not sacrificing flavor or sweetness with our product—Ideal.

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: Chef Ozzie, you’re getting people ready for the New Year because you can still have delicious food and you’re saving yourself so many calories and sugar– a perfect way to get on track for the New Year!

BrandStar Entertainment – The Balancing Act on Lifetime: If you would like more information on Ideal No-Calorie Sweetener, visit idealsweet.com.  To check out more tasty and sugar-free recipes, check out Chef Ozzie’s Cookbook, “Sweet Revolution.”

The award-winning television production team at BrandStar Entertainment is one of the industry’s leaders.  BrandStar Entertainment features a full array of creative services that include distribution, sound stages and production/post production facilities. BrandStar Entertainment is known for producing content driven shows like The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television, the only morning show in America produced by women specifically for women. BrandStar proudly carries a WomenCertified® Seal, demonstrating leadership in women friendly programming. BrandStar Entertainment’s The Balancing Act airs daily on Lifetime at 7 a.m. ET/PT. For more information, visit BrandStar Entertainment’s website for The Balancing Act at www.thebalancingact.com.

Lifestyle, Professional Profiles

Growing Up Mill Town: Joe Zanotti Remembers Life Before Superstores

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Joe Zanotti is a small-town boy at heart. Growing up near the tiny mill town of Braeburn, Pennsylvania, Joe Zanotti learned first hand the value of hard work. The self-sufficient town’s residents were hard-working immigrants, many of whom worked in the towns steel mill, that, at one point made what was considered to be some of the world’s best high alloy tool steel.

“No fancy computer stuff in that mill at the time,” Joe Zanotti said, “just hard working, loyal men who took tremendous pride in what they did.”

Joe Zanotti vividly recalls the time he spent at his grandparents’ house in Braeburn as a kid. A large flood on St. Patrick’s Day in 1936 was away the train station and created a pond that connected to the river, filling the pond with fish. Joe Zanotti has many stories from his week- to two-week routines visits to his grandparent’s houe.

One of Joe Zanotti’s memorable childhood experiences came when he would accompany his grandparents on Saturdays to buy a live chicken for dinner on Sunday. To get chickens, Joe Zanotti’s parents would take the grandparents to Pollock’s farm.  On one visit an ornery young Joe decided to throw rocks at a big, mean bull that was kept in a pen. Even though the bull was penned up, when the bull began scratching the ground and snorting, Joe ran away in fear and tears.

“I remember bringing the chicken home,” Joe Zanotti says. “Grandpap would chop its head off and it would still run round.” Anyone growing up during that time knows the full meaning of the term, ‘running around like a chicken with its head cut off.’

Joe Zanotti’s grandmother would pluck the feathers off the chicken. He still recalls one time watching his grandmother pull an egg out of one of those chickens. A very young Joe was frightened by this since he knew he thought eggs came from the grocery store!

“It was maybe a month before I ate an egg,” Joe Zanotti remembers with a laugh.

About Joe Zanotti

For Joe Zanotti, family heritage has always been important. Growing up in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Joe Zanotti was always aware of his Italian and Slovak heritage enjoying the culture, foods and curtoms. In fact, he spent many weekends and long summer weeks at his grandparents’ house in the nearby mill town of Braeburn.

Joe Zanotti has lived in Pennsylvania most of his life, mostly near Pittsburgh. After graduating from Burrell Senior High School, Joe Zanotti attended the Pennsylvania State University, where he majored in civil engineering. During college, he was an invited member of both the Chi Epsilon Honorary Society and Tau Beta Pi Honorary Society, both national engineering societies for honors students. Joe Zanotti attended graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied structural engineering.

An experienced structural engineer with more than 31 years in the field, Joe Zanotti often travels throughout the USA and overseas for work. Joe Zanotti is currently employed by Camp, Dresser, & McKee, Inc., a worldwide engineering firm based in Pittsburgh. Joe Zanotti’s work often stations him in many Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and in Middle-East countries such as Israel.  He considers working overseas, such as when he helped rebuild a Catholic church in tsunami-damaged Banda Aceh, Indonesia, an experience that has been life changing.

Prior to Camp, Dresser, & McKee, Joe Zanotti was project design manager for MPS Corporation in Leetsdale. He worked as a structural engineer for Sargent & Lundy Engineers in Chicago, as well as Dravo Engineers in Pittsburgh. His professional associations include the American Society of Civil Engineers, International Concrete Repair Institute, for which he serves on the board of directors, and American Concrete Institute, for which he is a subcommittee member on the national level.

An avid golfer, Joe Zanotti has had the privilege of golfing everywhere from overseas in Asia to many top courses in the USA. Joe Zanotti began golfing at the age of fifteen, at a tiny 9-hole course near his house where greens fees were only $3-$4 a day.  For years, he was part of an annual golf retreat comprised mostly of former Pennsylvania State graduates. Joe Zanotti is an avid cook and would maybe enjoy attending chef school when retired. He is a lover of great wine and while he wouldn’t consider himself a connoisseur, Joe Zanotti keeps 40-50 bottles of wine in his basement at all times.

Born in 1958, Joe Zanotti currently resides in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where he has lived since 1988. Joe Zanotti is registered as a professional engineer in eleven states, including Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. He is single, with no children, has a brother, sister, nieces and a nephew and both of his parents are still alive.

Lifestyle

Coral Lake and Beach Resort

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Bountiful Brazilian Culture is Complimented by the Coral Lake and Beach Resort

Flexeiras, Ceara, Brazil, October 17, 2009 — Brazil is the cultural and economic center of gravity of South America. She is an enormous and magnificent country of varied climates and international presence. There are metropolises, like Rio, teeming with human energy. And then there are quaint coastal towns, like Flexeiras, home of the Coral Lake and Beach Resort.

If visiting Brazil, you have many choices. If traveling on business, you may check into a grand hotel in one of the country’s city centers. If traveling for the legendary equatorial weather, the Coral Lake and Beach Resort in Flexeiras may be the ideal destination.

Situated a stone’s throw from the Earth’s equator, the Coral Lake and Beach Resort offers delightful scenery and unmatched tropical weather. More than that, it offers a visitor peace and privacy. But don’t be fooled by its vacation friendly design. The community at Coral Lake and Beach Resort offers opportunities to vacation in a luxurious Brazilian paradise. The beauty of this paradise lies in its versatility. Travelers to the Coral Lake and Beach Resort come for many inspired reasons, including the rejuvenating effects of the dazzling Atlantic Ocean, the peace and quiet of the secluded lagoon, and the 5 star amenities of the hotel and private villas.

About Coral Lake and Beach Resort

Coral Lake and Beach Resort is known as a world-class travel destination. It is located on famous Flexeiras Beach, in the northeastern state of Ceara. This Brazilian beach was voted by the Washington Post as one of the best beaches on Earth. Coral Lake and Beach Resort is comprised of an international community of investors, developers and businesspeople. The community at Coral Lake and Beach Resort promises opportunities to vacation in a luxurious Brazilian paradise. The beauty of this paradise lies in its versatility. Travelers to the Coral Lake and Beach Resort come for many inspired reasons, including the rejuvenating effects of the dazzling Atlantic Ocean, the peace and quiet of the secluded lagoon, and the 5 star amenities of the hotel and private villas.

In fact, enterprising investors looking for a new market need not look farther than the Coral Lake and Beach Resort, situated at the heart of Brazil’s beach culture. For this and other reasons, the Coral Lake and Beach Resort is a growing investment opportunity in and of itself. Many investors are projecting a 200% plus return on their investment in this fresh Brazilian market.

The Coral Lake and Beach Resort is also a focal point for expected growth because the 2014 World Cup will be hosted in Brazil. The resort is just over an hour away from one of Brazil’s biggest stadiums and the international airport. By the time of the 2014 World Cup, Brazilian road improvement plans in anticipation of the event promise to make the trip to Coral Lake and Beach Resort even shorter. The host city of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, another major feather in the cap of this thriving South American country.

Contact Coral Lake and Beach Resort:

Coral Lake and Beach Resort

Flexeiras, Ceara, Brazil

www.thecorallakeandbeachresort.com