Did you know that the number of overweight adults in the US is continuing to rise from 25 % in 1980 to over 33% in 1991? This is secondary to the sedentary lifestyle and consumption of excess calories. It is already established that being overweight is associated with increased risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Every year over 50% of Americans try to lose weight or maintain a recent weight loss. While some of them are successful, most of them fail to keep the excess weight off. Healthy eating and regular physical activity are key to successful weight loss. The following are guidelines to achieving a healthier you:

1. Eat a balanced diet: no food can supply all nutrients in needed amounts. In order to meet your body’s nutrient needs, make sure to choose from the five major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid on a daily basis. These groups consist of breads, cereals, rice, and pasta (6-11 servings); vegetables (3-5 servings); fruits (2-4 servings); milk, cheese, and yogurt (2-3 servings); meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans and nuts (2-3 servings). The number of servings needed from each group is based on your caloric needs. It is wise to vary one’s choices within each group, because foods vary in nutrient content within the same group. Vitamin or mineral supplements at or below the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) levels are not needed if you eat a balanced diet. Supplements should not be a substitute for proper food choices.

2. Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products: most of the calories in your diet should come from these foods, which are low in fat and provide fiber. Adequate fiber intake reduces the risk for colon cancer. It is best to include a variety of fiber rich foods, because foods differ in the kind of fiber they contain. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which are substances that lower the incidence of heart disease and cancer.

3. Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol: diets low in fat are associated with a low risk for heart disease and some types of cancer. Your diet should contain no more than 30% of calories from fat; less than 10% of those calories should come from saturated fat. Your diet should also contain no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day. Some tips to reduce fat include: choosing lean cuts of meat (such as loin and round); taking the skin off the chicken; drinking 1% or skim milk; limiting fried foods, creamy soups, and other fatty foods. In addition, choose fat-free or reduced fat cheeses, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and luncheon meats. Read your food label: a low fat food contains 3 grams or less of fat per serving. Caution with fat-free desserts, they may not necessarily be low in calories.

Remember that there is no such thing as "bad foods"; moderation is the key.

4. Avoid excess calories from sugar and alcohol: eat fewer high sugar foods that contain unnecessary calories and few nutrients. Switch to diet sodas if you haven’t already. One 12-ounce can of soda contains the equivalent of nine teaspoons of sugar. Alcohol contains seven calories per gram, and alcoholic beverages provide few or no nutrients.

5. Choose a diet moderate in salt or sodium: learn to enjoy the flavor of unsalted foods, use very little salt in cooking, experiment with different herbs and spices to enhance the flavor, and limit salty foods.

6. Maintain an active lifestyle: try to incorporate walking, cycling, swimming or other aerobic exercise for 30-45 minutes at least 3 times a week. Stay active! Gardening, housework and taking the stairs instead of the elevators are all activities that count. Regular physical activity has substantial benefits for your health. For people who are already moderately active, greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (frequency, duration, or intensity) of physical activity.

For questions or concerns, contact me at (972) 934-3919 or e-mail Larah@why.net

By Dr. Adballah E. Najjar

The Druze faith is a Protestant movement in Islam and a product of Sufism, Islamic mysticism and Neoplatonism. For the most part, the Druze are the product of religious and political disputes that date back to the Partisans of Imam Ali, the fourth Caliph after the death of the prophet Mohammed. The precepts of the faith are basically Qur'anic presented with aspects of the esoteric. The theosophy deals with two major features, the metaphysical, and the ethical. These two features are otherwise referred to as precepts of faith and precepts of living or ethical code. This latter is more explicit and simple and has more than any other factor helped mold the Druze character. It is so forcefully stressed that it has through the centuries left its wholesome mark on Druze thought and behavior such as dignity, love of liberty, good manners, perseverance and heroism.

The Muwahhidoon (or Unitarian) understands the Pillars of Islam Druze as follows: 1. Testimony (shahada) is the recognition and full comprehension of the oneness of God, realized not by utterance only but by striving toward Tawhid in word and deed. 2. Prayer (Salat) is the link of the hearts and the drawing nearer to god by realizing oneself in the Divine Unity. This self-realization is attained proportionately to the extent of purity that a person attains. 3. Charity (Zakat) means helping and safeguarding the brethren. Such help is to be given freely with out the feeling of an imposed duty. 4. Fasting (Sawm) is abstinence from every act that distracts from the knowledge of Tawhid. 5. Pilgrimage (Hagg) is the journey to the House of Knowledge-knowledge of the unity of God. 6. Allegiance (wilaya) is submission to the five Universal or Spiritual Luminaries namely: Al-Aql, Annafs, Al-Kalima, Assabiq, Attali. The Druze consider these five to be an authority, and they pledge allegiance to them. 7. Strife in God's ways (Jihad) is the believers’ exertion to suppress worldly desires and strive toward a state of peace and contentment, known as Arridha.

Druzism, more accurately known to its adherent as TAWHID or unity, evolved under the tutelage of Al-Hakim bin Amrallah, the sixth Fatimid Caliph who ruled from 996 to 1021 C.E. Al-Hakim enlisted the help of learned preachers headed by Hamza bin Ali to proclaim the call of Tawhid to a society desperately in need of a spiritual and social revival. Al-Hakim proclaimed freedom of slaves and equal rights for women among other reforms, and mounted a campaign against the superficiality of rituals.

The Druze have always been in front lines in the struggle for freedom and independence. They valiantly fought the invading Crusaders, Ottomans, French and other foreign forces that threatened the homeland. The Druze proudly trace their genealogy to noble Arab Tribes that settled in the Fertile Crescent in the ninth century C.E. History testifies that their Emires or Patriarchs were the founders of a pluralistic, nontheocratic state with equal justice for all of its sects. Religious tolerance was an outstanding quality of Emir Fakhred-Din II, the Druze ruler of Lebanon, (1590-1633). Under his enlightened rule, for example, the Marounites were the principle beneficiaries of his tolerance as they took refuge in his domain from the oppressive rulers in north Lebanon. Kakhred-Din'd was not indifferent to religious tolerance, for he built mosques at his own expense and often subsidized the pilgrimages to Mecca. The government under his direction was indeed just. Only when outside elements interfered, or when one sect from within would attempt to impose hegemony did the Druze rise to the challenge. The prominent role the Druze played in the history of the Arab East inspire despite their small numbers, emanates from their belief in separating their religious affiliation from their loyalty to the state.

The Muwahhidoon Druze, throughout their turbulent history, were victims of persecution and falsehoods that were unjustly spread against them. Their liberal perspective and their doctrine were too far ahead of the times, thus causing vile reactions against them, which resulted in persecution and massacres. Those who held on to the faith in the face of adversity currently inhabit the mountain regions, which were not easily accessible to foreigners. These include the Metn, the Shouf, Wadi-a-Tym and the slopes of Mount Hermon (Jebel-e-Sheikh) in Lebanon: Jebel-el-Arab, the Ghuta of Damascus, the Golan heights and small settlements near Aleppo in Syria and the Safad region, slopes of Mount Caramel and the Galilee area in Israel/Palestine. Today, our Druze have inhabited numerous countries all over the world.

In the Unites States, some 25,000 Druze are being served by the American Druze Society, the American Druze foundation and the Druze Council of North America. An national convention is held annually, during which time devotionals, lectures, seminars and lessons in Tawhid are held, along with haflis (or parties) and picnics to which other Arab Americans are invited and welcome to share or participate. Several committees are active in religious affairs, charities, research and education. The Druze Cultural Center in Los Angeles, established in 1989, is a vibrant place for social, educational, and cultural activities which include teaching the Arabic language as part and parcel of their culture and heritage.

 The Wisdom

According to the theosophy of TAWHID, faith without knowledge leads humanity to stagnation, and knowledge without faith leads it to emptiness. Only when faith & knowledge are joined in a holy matrimony can humanity evolve in the direction of the creator. The Muwahhidoon Druze revere the five universal (spiritual) principles (referred to previously) that represent: REASON, WILL, THE WORD, THE PRECEDENT AND THE FOLLOWER. Each one of these Spiritual Luminaries is manifested to some degree in each person who gives it a corporeal quality in this physical life.

Reincarnation of the soul is also a cardinal precept of the faith that considers the physical person as the attire that clothes the eternal soul during a person's life span. 

We would like to start this article by stating the usual disclaimer. We do not claim to be experts on such a topic. The information presented in this article has been gathered from books and a seminar that was attended. From talking to a lot of our members, it seems that most of us are in the same boat, struggling to balance our lives and work. The first thing that you really have to do is examine your current life situation. You need to look at what is important for you, what it is that brings self-satisfaction into your life, and how you can go about achieving that goal. In this article I'll present sections from "Working Smart" by Michael Le Boeuf, Ph.D. "If you really know what things you want out of life, it's amazing how opportunities will come to enable you to carry them out." - John M. Goddard

Human beings are naturally goal-seeking creatures. When we have no goals, we live an aimless and purposeless life. Of course, we all have some goals. However, the overwhelming majority of them are vague and poorly conceived. Few of us ever undertake the task of setting some definite goals for our life. Doing this, however, would greatly increase the odds of working less and accomplishing more. Until we decide what we want, we aren't very likely to get it. In the mean time, we flounder around working more and accomplishing less by frittering away our time and energy aimlessly. Here is a program that will provide the structure you need to get you started on your way to meaningful goal setting. If you follow these instructions and guidelines, the task of goal setting will become far less burdensome. In fact, you will probably enjoy it.

Take ten index cards. On one side of each card write the following incomplete statement: My name is (your name) and I am a(n) _____. Answers such as gambler, alcoholic, or Ping-Pong fiend are no less valid than answers like human being, parent, student, wife, homeowner or sports fan. Next, take about ten minutes to complete each statement differently for all ten of the cards. Work rapidly, as the objective of this exercise is to discover your true feelings about yourself. Don't censor any answers that come to mind; write them down. You may find that you need more than ten cards, which is fine. Use as many as you need. Some people find it difficult to come up with ten answers, which is generally due to their censoring of first thoughts. If you encounter this problem, perform this exercise where you will be alone and undisturbed. Most importantly, remember that there are no right or wrong answers; spontaneity is the key.

Keep the self-discovery cards and the answers to the above question nearby. You will want to refer to them as you formulate your goals.

Setting up Your Goals When trying to decide what you want out of life, it helps to break down your life into manageable units. In order to do this, try the following exercise. Take six more index cards or sheets of paper and label each with one of the following headings: career goals, personal relationship goals, recreational goals, personal growth goals, material goals and prestige goals. Next, pick up each card and write down some goals that you would like to achieve. As in the first exercise, work rapidly and don't censor your impulse. If you think you would like to do it, it's a potential goal. Be sure your goals are your own! Setting your own goals and striving to achieve them is a major step toward personal freedom and a meaningful life. This doesn't preclude your doing what others want you to do or soliciting suggestions from others about what your goals should be. In fact talking and listening to friends or relatives who know you well may trigger some meaningful goals you wouldn't have thought of alone. But the final decision on your goals must be yours. Listed below are several examples of each type of goals in this exercise. They are here merely for the purpose of illustrations.

Career Goals: Become president of a company by age forty; get promoted this year; find another career more in the line with my tastes and aptitudes; open my own restaurant; get transferred to the home office; pass the CPA examination.

Personal Relation Goals: Devote two hours each day getting to know my children better; take at least one escape weekend every three months with my spouse; convert a former adversary to a friend; fall in Love; get married.

Recreational Goals: Go on a safari; buy a boat; write a novel; take a trip around the world; sleep late on Saturdays; watch the sunset; go skiing; learn a new sport.

Personal Growth Goals: Learn one new word each day; attend a lecture on something I know little or nothing about each month; learn to control my temper; go away to college.

Material Goals: Be financially independent in five years; buy a house this year; get a sports car; add another bathroom to the house.

Social Goals: Make the Dean's list; graduate with Honors; run for a political office; wear expensive clothes; host formal dinner parties; attend formal dinner parties; take an active part in the community.

Set Challenging but Attainable Goals: As you search through your goals cards, seek out those goals that are attainable and challenging. Unattainable goals aren't goals; they are merely fantasies.

Setting Target Dates: A good rule to impose on yourself is this: A goal doesn't become a goal until you have a deadline for accomplishment. When you have a major goal to accomplish, decompose it into smaller sub-goals and place deadlines on them. As you meet sub-goal target dates, you will feel the satisfaction and pride that comes with meaningful progress. Consider each goal from a relative time perspective. For simplicity’s sake, divide the goals into lifetime goals, intermediate goals, and daily goals.

Setting Priorities: If you carried out the exercise on goal settings, you probably had little trouble in coming up with many goals. You are now faced with the prospect of setting priorities or deciding which goals are most important to your overall happiness and fulfillment. Setting priorities is simply a matter of putting first things first. The main idea is that to be effective you must concentrate on the most important items first.

Conclusion: I hope that the information presented in this article helps you to focus better on what you think you need to do in life, in order to make your daily activity less stressful, more productive and more enjoyable. If you would like to learn about this topic in more detail, I suggest reading Michael Le Boeuf’s book entitled, "Working Smart." We at the YDP are continually trying to include articles that will address common issues that we many of us may experience in our daily activities. If you have any comments on this article or the submission of similar articles, we welcome your feedback, as it is very important to us.