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Organic Foods – Panama Vacation Home Expert Presents Tips on Eating Organic While You Travel

There isn’t much to hate about a good vacation, but if there’s one thing I despise, it’s boarding the plane back home and realizing that the airplane seat-belt needs to be loosened a bit more than it did on the way there. Preservative filled airplane food, sodium-laden street fare and a daily fruit quota fulfilled by pina coladas can really put a damper on a healthy lifestyle.

In a world of Whole Foods and USDA certified organic labels at nearly every grocery store, it’s easy to choose healthy and organic food at home. Amongst wrinkled maps, foreign languages and packed itineraries, seeking out organic food while traveling presents a whole new challenge. The “I’m on vacation” mentality doesn’t have to mean settling for a fried platter of preservatives or refined sugar that you normally wouldn’t dare touch. Instead, treat yourself to organic, fresh and healthy options because travel is supposed to make you feel free and light, not weighed down and lazy.

What is organic?

Eating organic doesn’t necessarily mean making sacrifices or missing out on your favorite treat. There is such a thing as an organic cheeseburger, after all. Organic foods are those raised without conventional pesticides, petroleum-fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised organically are fed organic feed and are not given antibiotics or growth hormones, and they are given access to the outdoors (National Organic Program). Sewage sludge-based fertilizer? Who doesn’t mind taking a vacation from that.

Google before you go.

You’re already scouring the internet for the perfect vacation home, least crowded beaches and greatest adventures before you go — so why not throw a little organic knowledge into your vacation plans? What better way to mix with the locals than to seek out an organic farm or farmer’s market? Or, up the complimentary resort coffee to an organic honey latte at a local café. If you are traveling abroad, research what organic means to that particular country. Is there any sort of organic certification? How would you ask about organic produce in the language of that country? Is there an organic brand offered at grocery stores? Any organic restaurants you can try? These are all discoveries you can make with a simple internet search. You’ll be thankful you did before you leave – with internet access, online translation and a familiar keyboard at your fingertips.

I was excited to find out that the trend towards organic food in Panama, although in its infancy, is very much alive. CulantroRojo.com is a startup company that delivers fresh and delicious organic produce to homes in Panama City twice monthly. You could have fresh produce delivered right to your hotel room or Panama vacation home, guaranteeing fresh and healthy snacks all vacation long. The growing expat community in Panama also means that foreign organic standards are finding their way into local stores and restaurants, like Organica in the Paitilla Mall.

Take pride in the re-usable bag.

Just say no to airport and airplane food. It’s fast and therefore furiously preservative filled. Between the changes in time zone and air pressure, air travel already affects your body immensely. The last thing your body needs is to feel bloated and the discomforts of indigestion from less than satisfactory, not to mention un-organic, meals and snacks. Pack a snack pack before your trip, and stash non perishables in your checked baggage for the way home. Fruits, nuts, sandwiches and organic granola bars are all fulfilling options that will get you through the flight and have you feeling good upon arrival. Be sure to finish all fruit and veggies before you land though, bringing produce across borders is usually a huge “no.”

If organic restaurants aren’t prevalent in the area where you are staying, perhaps you can scout out organic produce at a local market. Grab a local bottle of wine and reload that snack bag for an alfresco dinner on the beach. Or perch on your vacation home balcony or a park bench and watch the world go by as you indulge in organic local flavors.

Local doesn’t always mean organic – but it’s a good start.

Unless you are traveling to see if the fries at your favorite chain restaurant taste the same half way across the world, then stay away from mainstream restaurants you could frequent at home. Instead, fulfill your desire to be naturally and culturally stimulated by eating what grows locally. Browse a local market and ask the people there how they grow their produce or raise their animals. If they don’t have an answer, it’s probably a bad sign, however if they mention a farm they are passionate about or pastures where animals can roam, then that is a great first step. In some countries or slightly off-grid destinations, there isn’t access to meat factories or money for expensive pesticides. In fact, in some corners of the world, farming is still being practiced like it has been for centuries – organically. Supporting these efforts while traveling is one of the best ways you could possibly spend your vacation dollars, not to mention that you get a healthy dose of culture, connection and local produce out of the deal.

If you find that the produce in the markets seems to be organic, then the local restaurants might be as well. After all, local restaurateurs probably shop and stock those markets. There might not be glossy advertisements or taglines promoting the organic nature of their cuisine, but if pesticide free produce and grass fed beef is the local standard, then it is organic nonetheless. While figuring out how to say “pesticides” in a foreign language is bound to present some challenges and funny looks, eating local while on vacation can be organic, rewarding and easier than you think.

Seek destinations with sustainability in mind.

For those truly passionate about preserving an organic lifestyle while traveling, there are plenty of sustainable destinations that will take the guesswork out of eating organic while you travel. On Isla Palenque, we have already planted our organic farm, so that by the time our Phase One Panama vacation homes are built in 2012, our organic tropical trees will be bearing fruit. The seedlings will be spread across the island, positioned to lean over the decks of our beachfront homes for an organic snack you can pick yourself. We look forward to supporting local farmers, organic coffee farms and other sustainable suppliers in the area. Whether you decide to dine on the beach, in our restaurants, pool side, on your back deck or even in a private nook halfway across the island, your meal will be fresh, delicious and full of organic flavor. After researching the challenges and benefits of eating organic, we take great pride in offering an organic and sustainable vacation home and resort option in Panama.

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Effective Business Presentation Using Multimedia Hardware Equipment

Are you planning to replace your old multimedia equipment? Are you looking for ways to improve your industrial productivity and to enhance office operations? Are you searching for ways to change your business presentations? Are you planning to buy new equipment for the conference room? If so, you can select from variety of technological innovations that suit your budget, your needs, your preferences and you lifestyles.

Technological innovations become the byword of everyone in the world attributed to its benefits to companies, households, schools and individuals like you. It revolutionizes the lives of both companies and consumers by lowering the prices of goods and services and providing easy access to information.

Multimedia equipment is one of the myriad technological innovations in the market. Equipment like projectors, flat screen plasma television and touch screen television and monitors not only help employees and students in their school and business presentations, but it also serve as a medium in advertising and marketing products and services of companies. It also aids journalists in delivering quality news to the public.

Regardless of the venue of multimedia business presentations, either in a boardroom or classroom, you can have a unique and effective presentation using user friendly applications. Knowing how to use and integrate these applications help you obtain a successful presentation.

Tips to consider in business presentations:

  • You should allocate enough time to prepare all the things needed in your presentation. Make sure that you arrive earlier than the scheduled time.
  • Assess first who are your audience, the purpose of the presentation. When you use PowerPoint slides, avoid integrating background music because it affect your discussion. Avoid talking over videos, instead give your discussion before or after the video.
  • Use graphics, photographs, charts and graphs to your presentation. These visual makes your presentation unique and original. It also enhances the overall issues and message that you want to impart to your audience.
  • When using a slide, use a blank slide or a simple slide containing a logo as a background visual for parts without audio or visual components. In this way, you can prevent your audience to continue watching the slide show.
  • Timing is vital in every presentation. In a PowerPoint presentation, use manual transition instead of automated to give you control to when you advance to the next part or your topic. It also gives more time for the audience to raise questions and to keep them engaged.
  • It is important that you choose the right equipment for the task, like projectors, computers, flat screen monitors and many more. Before the scheduled presentation, double-check with facility operators to know the availability of the equipment and to evaluate if all of them are properly functioning and without complications. You should also use wireless equipment if possible, like laser pointer or wireless computer mouse. Never forget to keep your presentation space organize.
  • Allocate time to practice your presentation before your schedule. During the event, make it a point to establish eye contact with your audience and speak clearly. If you are nervous, take a long deep breath to remove the tension.

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What You Can Learn From Presentation Skills Seminars

Everyone has to present in some form. It is not just about making presentations in board rooms or in front of a group of people. You need to present and project yourself everyday in your life. Every person needs some presentation skills, and this is what Presentation Skill Seminars help you build.

When making a presentation, the first impression you make is by the way you are turned out. The largest impression has been made even before you have said the first word. Therefore, the way you are groomed, the way you carry yourself and the confidence you exude are important. If you do not have all these in you naturally, they can be taught and moulded.

When making presentations, there is a certain methodology to be followed. While the matter and the flow may differ depending on the subject and kind of presentation you need to make, the basic structure and form remains the same.

Presentation skill seminars are important to a number of people. Vital for those who work in organizations, they can also be immensely beneficial for those looking to excel in public speaking, and also for students who intend to study media, communication and management. They give you plenty of confidence, exposure and also the wherewithal that is required to become more adept at presenting.

Presentation skills are help at various levels to help give more specific solutions. Starting with students and lower level employees, they also extend help to those in mid management positions. Specialized seminars also cater to senior level team heads since their presentations need to be more complex and motivational.

No matter who you are, at what level, or what you want to take away from the seminar, at the end of day you should have enough information and the will to be a better speaker, have much more self confidence and be sure that you can sway with your words.

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