A slight, but "Good News" departure from the overall theme of this Blog...Jacques
The Nanosolar company is working to build the world’s largest solar cell factory in California (slated to be in full production in 2008), and the world’s largest panel-assembly factory in Germany.
They have successfully created a solar coating that is as thin as a layer of paint, while at the same time reducing the cost of production from $3 a watt to only 30 cents per watt. For the first time in history, solar power will be cheaper than burning coal.
Nanosolar won the Popular Science Innovation of 2007 award, and they plan on producing their first product next year. They have been able to reduce the price of solar power by 90 percent. This has the potential to radically change the equation when it comes to choosing your energy sources.
Sources:
Celsias.com November 23, 2007
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Offering these 10 Rarely Used Bonuses Can Triple Your Sales
1. Announcement Alerts - Give customers e-mail alerts about critical information or product releases before your non customers find out about it.
2. Discounts - Allow your customers to get lower prices on your products and other related products other businesses sell.
3. Expert Call Ins - Set up a date and time when your customers can call up and talk directly with experts that are related to your industry.
4. Private Invitations - Give your customers private invitations to customer events that non customers cannot attend.
5. Online Rolodex - Compile a list of web sites or online contacts that are related to the product. You could publish it on CD-ROM or on the web.
6. Archived Information - Bundle together some older information that's no longer available. It could be e-zine back issues, articles, transcripts, etc.
7. Mentor Program - Give your customers unlimited consulting with their purchase. Allow them to contact you by e-mail, phone, fax, in person, etc.
8. Audio/Video E-zine - Give customers an upgraded version of your e-zine in online audio or video format. Non-paying customers could only get it in e-mail.
9. Freebie Announce Board - Offer your customers a message board were they can announce freebies they offer from their web site.
10. Barter Discussion List - Offer your customers the option of joining a barter email discussion list. They can barter goods and services with others.
Courtesy of Kathy Barnikel (U.K.)
http://www.Accelerated4Success.com
2. Discounts - Allow your customers to get lower prices on your products and other related products other businesses sell.
3. Expert Call Ins - Set up a date and time when your customers can call up and talk directly with experts that are related to your industry.
4. Private Invitations - Give your customers private invitations to customer events that non customers cannot attend.
5. Online Rolodex - Compile a list of web sites or online contacts that are related to the product. You could publish it on CD-ROM or on the web.
6. Archived Information - Bundle together some older information that's no longer available. It could be e-zine back issues, articles, transcripts, etc.
7. Mentor Program - Give your customers unlimited consulting with their purchase. Allow them to contact you by e-mail, phone, fax, in person, etc.
8. Audio/Video E-zine - Give customers an upgraded version of your e-zine in online audio or video format. Non-paying customers could only get it in e-mail.
9. Freebie Announce Board - Offer your customers a message board were they can announce freebies they offer from their web site.
10. Barter Discussion List - Offer your customers the option of joining a barter email discussion list. They can barter goods and services with others.
Courtesy of Kathy Barnikel (U.K.)
http://www.Accelerated4Success.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
Dealing with Performance Anxiety
Hello again, my Friends!
I hope you and yours enjoyed a Happy Easter and are coping with all those alarming and alarmistic news items and rumors about "The State of the Economy". I shall refrain from making personal comments about this unfortunate situation here and now, however.
Instead, allow me to offer the following article, courtesy: "The Business Shrink Newsletter" dated today...
Wishing you safe, healthy, fulfilled days ahead!
Your Friend always,
Jacques
-----
We're going to switch gears now but stay with the theme of how you view your work and your place in it. Other than ongoing self-examination, perhaps the most critical feedback mechanism you have at work is your performance appraisal or review, whatever you want to call it.
Regular appraisals are a very valuable, very vital form of maintaining mental hygiene in the office. They're critical for morale and for keeping both the business and its employees functioning at peak performance. Some experts think evaluations should be held once a year, some say twice. It could be more or less. The actual number is not the main thing. What I often hear from employees are stories of going for as much as two years time or more without one, just because their managers don't like doing it any more than they do, and so they procrastinate. I think that's a serious mistake. It's a missed opportunity for the employer as well as huge disservice for its employees, who may only get pay raises or bonuses based on their evaluations.
The real significance is that employees need the feedback and encouragement and the opportunity to correct course where that's necessary, especially if evaluations serve as the basis for determining compensation. Many employees work hard and do what they think they are supposed to be doing, only to get an unpleasant surprise at evaluation time when they find out their raise or bonus – if any new money gets added to the pay envelop – is much less than they were expecting. That's a double disservice: a worker doesn't get an opportunity to improve, then gets financially penalized for not improving. Instead of helping to strengthen the bond between management and staff, this kind of occurrence only weakens it. It hurts morale. It provides the grounds for negativity in the office. In short, it unravels everything we've been working so hard to achieve.
As with so many things we've talked about, responsibility for this lies solidly with management. Yet there are ways that employees can take initiative to improve the situation by managing up. You don't have to wait for your boss to schedule a review. On the contrary, many employers today are adopting creative approaches to evaluations in a way that allows workers to take initiative and responsibility for the process.
On my radio show I asked Sharon Armstrong, a human resources consultant for more than twenty years, to explain the seeming oxymoron in the title of her book Stress-free Performance Appraisals. “It can be stress-free if you follow some simple techniques,” she said. “For one thing, don't have it on the same day as the office holiday party.” We like to joke around on the radio!
Mainly, keeping performance appraisals stress-free requires an ongoing collaboration between the supervisor, the employee, and the workplace culture itself, a culture which is set by the executive leadership. It's part of the manager's job to create a proper, cordial environment for the evaluation meeting itself and to make sure there are no surprises. For either the employee or the evaluator. Spring an unpleasant surprise during a review on an employee, Armstrong and I agreed, and he or she may respond in a way you don't expect, a response counterproductive to the employee and the employer-employee relationship. You can avoid this if you've been doing your job all along: setting clear goals and expectations, and keeping open lines of communication throughout the year. “When the appraisal meeting happens, it should be just a summarizing or culmination of all those other discussions,” Armstrong said about ongoing routine office communication between employer and employee. What you want to avoid, according to Armstrong, are a number of mistakes that, unfortunately, are all too common, such as:
-Favoritism, and overlooking the flaws of favorite employees (or employers)
-Grouping, that is excusing below-standard performance just because, supposedly, everyone does it
-What Armstrong calls the Halo/Horns Effect, letting one particular behavior you like or dislike color your opinion of other factors
-Recency, letting some recent behavior or event block your view of what happened the rest of the evaluation period
As a manager, you want to be keeping track of employee performance continuously. Waiting until the last minute to think about an evaluation means you'll have to base your review on the most unreliable factor of all, your memory. When an employee's review time approaches, start thinking about it a at least month ahead of time so your thoughts can gel and you can get some perspective.
As an employee, you want to do much the same thing. Keep track. Document your performance and accomplishments, even if it's as simple as keeping an ongoing list in a file folder at the front of your file cabinet. Your supervisor might be good about doing this too, but sometimes people forget. It's certainly within your rights, and the professional thing to do as well, in order to make sure your accomplishments are remembered at review time. Your boss may even appreciate the reminders. And if there is any disagreement, then you have documentation to back up your case.
Some companies are even adopting an employee-driven approach to performance reviews, which managers love because it takes much of the burden off of them. The employee starts the process, brings his or her goals and results together, gets input about their performance from other people they've worked with, and fills out a self-assessment. Only then is it time for a meeting and the opportunity for a discussion that's based (theoretically) on a calm, thorough, factual evaluation. “It really brings home that this is a partnership, and it's really about the employee and his or her career,” Sharon Armstrong made clear.
One of the biggest problems with this whole process is that creating and maintaining a healthy, proactive appraisal process is the responsibility of management, but few managers have the training or experience to do it properly. Instead of providing such training and support, or ensuring that supervisors stick to their evaluation cycles, company executives seem to think that managers just know how to do it naturally. Maybe a few do, but most do not. That can only make a supervisor uncomfortable, concerned about being misunderstood, afraid of how an employee might react. No wonder so many procrastinate about the reviews, or don't put in the time to do a thorough job of it, and so make the mistakes outlined above.
Think of how this lack of training and support might play out in a situation we looked at in an earlier chapter, when someone is promoted from line staff to management within a department. Suddenly you're in a position of evaluating your friends, or being reviewed by someone you thought was your friend. What should have been a positive, career-enhancing experience for all – a promotion and a positive review and raise – can end up destroying a personal friendship.
This is why I keep stressing the importance of good mental hygiene, because that's what all of this keeps coming back to
I hope you and yours enjoyed a Happy Easter and are coping with all those alarming and alarmistic news items and rumors about "The State of the Economy". I shall refrain from making personal comments about this unfortunate situation here and now, however.
Instead, allow me to offer the following article, courtesy: "The Business Shrink Newsletter" dated today...
Wishing you safe, healthy, fulfilled days ahead!
Your Friend always,
Jacques
-----
We're going to switch gears now but stay with the theme of how you view your work and your place in it. Other than ongoing self-examination, perhaps the most critical feedback mechanism you have at work is your performance appraisal or review, whatever you want to call it.
Regular appraisals are a very valuable, very vital form of maintaining mental hygiene in the office. They're critical for morale and for keeping both the business and its employees functioning at peak performance. Some experts think evaluations should be held once a year, some say twice. It could be more or less. The actual number is not the main thing. What I often hear from employees are stories of going for as much as two years time or more without one, just because their managers don't like doing it any more than they do, and so they procrastinate. I think that's a serious mistake. It's a missed opportunity for the employer as well as huge disservice for its employees, who may only get pay raises or bonuses based on their evaluations.
The real significance is that employees need the feedback and encouragement and the opportunity to correct course where that's necessary, especially if evaluations serve as the basis for determining compensation. Many employees work hard and do what they think they are supposed to be doing, only to get an unpleasant surprise at evaluation time when they find out their raise or bonus – if any new money gets added to the pay envelop – is much less than they were expecting. That's a double disservice: a worker doesn't get an opportunity to improve, then gets financially penalized for not improving. Instead of helping to strengthen the bond between management and staff, this kind of occurrence only weakens it. It hurts morale. It provides the grounds for negativity in the office. In short, it unravels everything we've been working so hard to achieve.
As with so many things we've talked about, responsibility for this lies solidly with management. Yet there are ways that employees can take initiative to improve the situation by managing up. You don't have to wait for your boss to schedule a review. On the contrary, many employers today are adopting creative approaches to evaluations in a way that allows workers to take initiative and responsibility for the process.
On my radio show I asked Sharon Armstrong, a human resources consultant for more than twenty years, to explain the seeming oxymoron in the title of her book Stress-free Performance Appraisals. “It can be stress-free if you follow some simple techniques,” she said. “For one thing, don't have it on the same day as the office holiday party.” We like to joke around on the radio!
Mainly, keeping performance appraisals stress-free requires an ongoing collaboration between the supervisor, the employee, and the workplace culture itself, a culture which is set by the executive leadership. It's part of the manager's job to create a proper, cordial environment for the evaluation meeting itself and to make sure there are no surprises. For either the employee or the evaluator. Spring an unpleasant surprise during a review on an employee, Armstrong and I agreed, and he or she may respond in a way you don't expect, a response counterproductive to the employee and the employer-employee relationship. You can avoid this if you've been doing your job all along: setting clear goals and expectations, and keeping open lines of communication throughout the year. “When the appraisal meeting happens, it should be just a summarizing or culmination of all those other discussions,” Armstrong said about ongoing routine office communication between employer and employee. What you want to avoid, according to Armstrong, are a number of mistakes that, unfortunately, are all too common, such as:
-Favoritism, and overlooking the flaws of favorite employees (or employers)
-Grouping, that is excusing below-standard performance just because, supposedly, everyone does it
-What Armstrong calls the Halo/Horns Effect, letting one particular behavior you like or dislike color your opinion of other factors
-Recency, letting some recent behavior or event block your view of what happened the rest of the evaluation period
As a manager, you want to be keeping track of employee performance continuously. Waiting until the last minute to think about an evaluation means you'll have to base your review on the most unreliable factor of all, your memory. When an employee's review time approaches, start thinking about it a at least month ahead of time so your thoughts can gel and you can get some perspective.
As an employee, you want to do much the same thing. Keep track. Document your performance and accomplishments, even if it's as simple as keeping an ongoing list in a file folder at the front of your file cabinet. Your supervisor might be good about doing this too, but sometimes people forget. It's certainly within your rights, and the professional thing to do as well, in order to make sure your accomplishments are remembered at review time. Your boss may even appreciate the reminders. And if there is any disagreement, then you have documentation to back up your case.
Some companies are even adopting an employee-driven approach to performance reviews, which managers love because it takes much of the burden off of them. The employee starts the process, brings his or her goals and results together, gets input about their performance from other people they've worked with, and fills out a self-assessment. Only then is it time for a meeting and the opportunity for a discussion that's based (theoretically) on a calm, thorough, factual evaluation. “It really brings home that this is a partnership, and it's really about the employee and his or her career,” Sharon Armstrong made clear.
One of the biggest problems with this whole process is that creating and maintaining a healthy, proactive appraisal process is the responsibility of management, but few managers have the training or experience to do it properly. Instead of providing such training and support, or ensuring that supervisors stick to their evaluation cycles, company executives seem to think that managers just know how to do it naturally. Maybe a few do, but most do not. That can only make a supervisor uncomfortable, concerned about being misunderstood, afraid of how an employee might react. No wonder so many procrastinate about the reviews, or don't put in the time to do a thorough job of it, and so make the mistakes outlined above.
Think of how this lack of training and support might play out in a situation we looked at in an earlier chapter, when someone is promoted from line staff to management within a department. Suddenly you're in a position of evaluating your friends, or being reviewed by someone you thought was your friend. What should have been a positive, career-enhancing experience for all – a promotion and a positive review and raise – can end up destroying a personal friendship.
This is why I keep stressing the importance of good mental hygiene, because that's what all of this keeps coming back to
Monday, March 17, 2008
A special St. Patrick's Day Greeting
Remember that "Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's
Day"!---regardless of Nationality, Religious beliefs
or ancestry!
So: ENJOY! Love,
Jacques
>
>
> His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
> trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from
> a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
>
> There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified
> boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer
> Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow
> and terrifying death.
>
>
> The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the
> Scotsman's sparse surroundings An elegantly dressed
> nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the
> father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
>
> 'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my
> son's life.'
>
> No, I can't accept payment for what I
> did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer.
> At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of
> the family hovel.
>
> 'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.
>
>
>
> 'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.
>
> 'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level
> of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is
> anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a
> man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.
>
> Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and
> in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical
> School in London, and went on to become known throughout
> the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
> discoverer of Penicillin.
>
> Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved
> from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
>
> What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
>
> The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His
> son's name?
>
>
> Sir Winston Churchill.
>
>
>
> Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
>
>
> Work like you don't need the money.
>
>
> Love like you've never been hurt.
>
>
> Dance like nobody's watching.
>
>
> Sing like nobody's listening.
>
>
> Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
>
>
>
> It's National Friendship Week. Send this to
>
>
> everyone you consider A FRIEND.
>
>
>
> Pass this on, and brighten someone's day.
>
>
>
> AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH: You had better send
>
> this back!! Good Luck!
>
>
> May there always be work for your hands to do;
>
>
>
> May your purse always hold a coin or two;
>
>
>
> May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
>
>
>
> May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
>
>
>
> May the hand of a friend always be near you;
>
>
>
> May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
>
>
>
> OK, this is what you have to do... Send this to all of
> your friends.
>
>
>
> Now.....Make A wish!! I hope you made your wish!
>
>
>
>
Day"!---regardless of Nationality, Religious beliefs
or ancestry!
So: ENJOY! Love,
Jacques
>
>
> His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
> trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from
> a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
>
> There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified
> boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer
> Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow
> and terrifying death.
>
>
> The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the
> Scotsman's sparse surroundings An elegantly dressed
> nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the
> father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
>
> 'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my
> son's life.'
>
> No, I can't accept payment for what I
> did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer.
> At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of
> the family hovel.
>
> 'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.
>
>
>
> 'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.
>
> 'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level
> of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is
> anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a
> man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.
>
> Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and
> in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical
> School in London, and went on to become known throughout
> the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
> discoverer of Penicillin.
>
> Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved
> from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
>
> What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
>
> The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His
> son's name?
>
>
> Sir Winston Churchill.
>
>
>
> Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
>
>
> Work like you don't need the money.
>
>
> Love like you've never been hurt.
>
>
> Dance like nobody's watching.
>
>
> Sing like nobody's listening.
>
>
> Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
>
>
>
> It's National Friendship Week. Send this to
>
>
> everyone you consider A FRIEND.
>
>
>
> Pass this on, and brighten someone's day.
>
>
>
> AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH: You had better send
>
> this back!! Good Luck!
>
>
> May there always be work for your hands to do;
>
>
>
> May your purse always hold a coin or two;
>
>
>
> May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
>
>
>
> May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
>
>
>
> May the hand of a friend always be near you;
>
>
>
> May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
>
>
>
> OK, this is what you have to do... Send this to all of
> your friends.
>
>
>
> Now.....Make A wish!! I hope you made your wish!
>
>
>
>
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A Feast For Your Eyes
(Brought to you, Courtesy: RealAge)
You know how to protect your eyes from the outside in: Wear shades to shield against UV rays, and cover your eyes whenever you see oncoming projectiles, be they bugs or baseballs.
Now here's how to protect them from the inside out: Get plenty of lutein, vitamin C, and glutathione. Read on for how much you need of each.
Vision Quest
Protecting your eyes from aging just got easier, thanks to these recommendations from RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD:
Lutein:
You can take it in supplement form at 6 to 30 milligrams daily. Or find it in corn and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C:
People who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (which contain vitamin C and other bioflavonoids) are less likely to develop eye conditions.
Glutathione:
A daily 500-milligram supplement may help you avoid cataracts. Or find glutathione in eggs, garlic, avocados, asparagus, and onions.
A Clear-View Cocktail
The docs recommend this combo if you already have age-related macular degeneration: 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta carotene, 30 milligrams of zinc, and 2 milligrams of copper -- every day, in divided doses.
RealAge Benefit: Patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.
See Ya soon! :o)
Jacques
You know how to protect your eyes from the outside in: Wear shades to shield against UV rays, and cover your eyes whenever you see oncoming projectiles, be they bugs or baseballs.
Now here's how to protect them from the inside out: Get plenty of lutein, vitamin C, and glutathione. Read on for how much you need of each.
Vision Quest
Protecting your eyes from aging just got easier, thanks to these recommendations from RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD:
Lutein:
You can take it in supplement form at 6 to 30 milligrams daily. Or find it in corn and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C:
People who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (which contain vitamin C and other bioflavonoids) are less likely to develop eye conditions.
Glutathione:
A daily 500-milligram supplement may help you avoid cataracts. Or find glutathione in eggs, garlic, avocados, asparagus, and onions.
A Clear-View Cocktail
The docs recommend this combo if you already have age-related macular degeneration: 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta carotene, 30 milligrams of zinc, and 2 milligrams of copper -- every day, in divided doses.
RealAge Benefit: Patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.
See Ya soon! :o)
Jacques
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Clean Breath is Good Business
(Coutesy of "Real Age")...
Last night, the tacos smothered in onions were great. But this morning, your breath could fell a sumo wrestler.
What to do? When your breath has turned toxic because of smelly foods -- usually garlic, onions, or curry, but fish and cheese can do a number, too -- you need an air freshener for your mouth. And you need it often: every 30 to 60 minutes until the odorous offender has cleared out of your bloodstream, which can sometimes take up to 24 hours. Because brushing constantly is impossible, try countering breath-busting foods with what's likely to be handiest: other foods.
1. Lemons. Suck on a lemon wedge, or nibble on the rind -- easy to do in restaurants, where there's often a citrus garnish; if not, you can order sparkling water with lemon. For other times, lemon-flavored hard candies work just as well, and they’re totally portable. (Yeah! but what about those scary reports in the media about bacteria-laden lemon peels? - Jacques' note).
2. Parsley and other green garnishes. When your favorite garlic-laden pasta dish or onion-topped burger arrives with a few sprigs of parsley on the side, consider it a hint, not just a colorful trim. Chewing on the sprigs releases parsley's pleasant, breath-freshening oils. Garnishes of fresh basil and rosemary work, too.
3. Apples and other crisp, fresh foods (firm pears, carrots, jicama). They're high in fiber, and all that chewing bumps up saliva production -- the combo acts like a scrubbing rinse for your mouth. Sweet.
4. Crunchy spices. For a more exotic solution, pick up some anise, cardamom, coriander, and fennel seeds, available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. Mix equal parts in a small covered bowl, and keep it on the dining room table next to the salt and pepper. Chewing on a few seeds will release enough oil to sweeten after-dinner curry or coffee breath. And your mouth will taste amazing.(To whom?--another note by Jacques) :o)
5. Mint sprigs or cinnamon sticks. Either of these deliciously potent flavors will squelch the sulfurous scent of onion and garlic. Plus, an essential oil in cinnamon kills a nasty type of oral bacteria, discouraging it from setting up house in your mouth. Cinnamon or mint gum is just as effective. If you pick a gum sweetened with xylitol, it will freshen breath and help reduce cavities --smart, if you're a gum lover. Bonus: Regular oral care can make your RealAge as much as 6.4 years younger.
6. Berries and yogurt. If you can't get through most days without indulging in foods that are less than breath-friendly, eat for prevention, which is even better than a cure. Consuming half a cup of plain, sugar-free yogurt twice a day can lower mouth levels of hydrogen sulfide (yes, that rotten egg smell). Berries (and melons, oranges, and other fruits high in vitamin C) also deter stinky mouth bacteria. Start and end each day with a cup of fruit topped with a big dollop of yogurt and you might never have to worry about bad breath again
Last night, the tacos smothered in onions were great. But this morning, your breath could fell a sumo wrestler.
What to do? When your breath has turned toxic because of smelly foods -- usually garlic, onions, or curry, but fish and cheese can do a number, too -- you need an air freshener for your mouth. And you need it often: every 30 to 60 minutes until the odorous offender has cleared out of your bloodstream, which can sometimes take up to 24 hours. Because brushing constantly is impossible, try countering breath-busting foods with what's likely to be handiest: other foods.
1. Lemons. Suck on a lemon wedge, or nibble on the rind -- easy to do in restaurants, where there's often a citrus garnish; if not, you can order sparkling water with lemon. For other times, lemon-flavored hard candies work just as well, and they’re totally portable. (Yeah! but what about those scary reports in the media about bacteria-laden lemon peels? - Jacques' note).
2. Parsley and other green garnishes. When your favorite garlic-laden pasta dish or onion-topped burger arrives with a few sprigs of parsley on the side, consider it a hint, not just a colorful trim. Chewing on the sprigs releases parsley's pleasant, breath-freshening oils. Garnishes of fresh basil and rosemary work, too.
3. Apples and other crisp, fresh foods (firm pears, carrots, jicama). They're high in fiber, and all that chewing bumps up saliva production -- the combo acts like a scrubbing rinse for your mouth. Sweet.
4. Crunchy spices. For a more exotic solution, pick up some anise, cardamom, coriander, and fennel seeds, available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. Mix equal parts in a small covered bowl, and keep it on the dining room table next to the salt and pepper. Chewing on a few seeds will release enough oil to sweeten after-dinner curry or coffee breath. And your mouth will taste amazing.(To whom?--another note by Jacques) :o)
5. Mint sprigs or cinnamon sticks. Either of these deliciously potent flavors will squelch the sulfurous scent of onion and garlic. Plus, an essential oil in cinnamon kills a nasty type of oral bacteria, discouraging it from setting up house in your mouth. Cinnamon or mint gum is just as effective. If you pick a gum sweetened with xylitol, it will freshen breath and help reduce cavities --smart, if you're a gum lover. Bonus: Regular oral care can make your RealAge as much as 6.4 years younger.
6. Berries and yogurt. If you can't get through most days without indulging in foods that are less than breath-friendly, eat for prevention, which is even better than a cure. Consuming half a cup of plain, sugar-free yogurt twice a day can lower mouth levels of hydrogen sulfide (yes, that rotten egg smell). Berries (and melons, oranges, and other fruits high in vitamin C) also deter stinky mouth bacteria. Start and end each day with a cup of fruit topped with a big dollop of yogurt and you might never have to worry about bad breath again
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