The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television Host Beth Troutman:  We like to take The Balancing Act viewers to some lesser-known places to showcase those undiscovered destination gems worth visiting. As part of the My Weekend Series on The Balancing Act, we are all about helping plan your weekend.  This latest destination boasts some very interesting facts.  It was the home for over 30 movie companies in 1916, with stars like Oliver Hardy and Fatty Arbuckle making movies there. It is also known as “The River City by the Sea” and was the first Florida tourist destination.  It’s also home to the country’s largest urban-park system, with almost 112,000 acres of parks.  We’re talking about Jacksonville, Florida.

LYNDSAY: Jacksonville is a very unique destination. It is a city that is 840 square miles, making it the largest city in the Continental United States, land wise.  So there are many opportunities for a diversity of attractions.  Jacksonville has great beaches, with over 20 miles of beaches, as well as an urban core in downtown with lots of great performing arts, museums, wonderful dining and nightlight throughout the area, spas, shopping, you name it.

The Balancing Act Lifetime Television: What about things like the festivals that people love to go to when they’re thinking about a vacation?  Does Jacksonville have a lot of festivals to offer?

LYNDSAY: Jacksonville does have a lot of festivals throughout the year.  Many are low-cost or even free.  Jacksonville has wonderful music festivals like the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, which takes place downtown, as well as Springing The Blues which is a three-day blue festival at the beach, alongside the ocean and both are free events.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: I am ready to plan my trip now.  Free is for me! What kind of food can The Balancing Act viewers expect when dining in Jacksonville?

LYNDSAY: We are in Florida along the ocean, so seafood is definitely on the menu in Jacksonville.  The two festivals to take advantage of that are The Great Atlantic Seafood Festival and The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival that takes place in the spring. I am sure The Balancing Act viewers will not be disappointed.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: Earlier I mentioned that Jacksonville used to be home to more than 30 movie companies. Can you tell The Balancing Act viewers a little more about the history of film in Jacksonville?

LYNDSAY: Jacksonville does have a rich film history.  The city pays homage to that every year with the Jacksonville Film Festival that takes place in October.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: It sounds like we’re going to be able to find a festival no matter what weekend we choose to visit Jacksonville.  How about family-friendly destinations?

LYNDSAY: Jacksonville is definitely a destination that families enjoy.  There are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of there.  The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a wonderful property along Trout River.  They have a wonderful amount of animals that were born there this year, including a jaguar, a giraffe, three stingrays which were born this year and are part of the interactive stingray bay where you can pet them, and new this year, sharks! Also, Adventure Landing is a wonderful water park that we have and Kids Kampus is a downtown park that is also educational and showcases Jacksonville’s history.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: We mentioned earlier that there are 112,000 acres of parks in Jacksonville.  I would imagine that Jacksonville is pretty friendly for the eco-tourists who want to come and have a green vacation?

LYNDSAY: Eco-tourism is big in Jacksonville as the city has a wonderful array of national, state and city parks. These are perfect spots for kayaking and hiking. You can even go camping along the ocean.  Jacksonville also has a unique attraction where you can actually segway in the national park and see the flora, fauna and history right there in the park.  There are also a lot of great farmers markets where you can buy local produce and local artwork.

The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television: Seems like a perfect vacation destination for families, couples and individuals looking to get out and have some fun.  We at The Balancing Act thank you for the great destination idea!

The Balancing Act 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.

Chef Ben Vaughn is a restaurant owner and acclaimed chef doing business in Memphis, Tennessee. Chef Ben Vaughn relies on varied forms of professional cooking knowledge. One of the most important bodies of knowledge in cooking, says Chef Ben Vaughn, are the facts pertaining to cooking oil. Different cooking oils, explains Chef Ben Vaughn, are more suited to different cooking situations.

Sesame oil for example, says Chef Ben Vaughn, has a very unique flavor and is probably not the right cooking oil for an Italian meal. When gathering supplies for a recipe, suggests Chef Ben Vaughn, read about and experiment with different cooking oils. Chef Ben Vaughn says that knowing the smoke point of different oils is key.

Smoke point, explains Chef Ben Vaughn, is the temperature at which certain oil begins smoking. At this temperature, says Chef Ben Vaughn, the oil will begin to burn and break down. When oil burns, the fats and nutritional components that make the oil unique begin to break apart. Chef Ben Vaughn says that cooking oil that has surpassed its smoke point loses the integrity of its flavor, commonly referred to as flavor degradation.

Flavor degradation is just the beginning, adds Chef Ben Vaughn.  If oil gets too hot, Chef Ben Vaughn explains that the burnt oil can actually yield carcinogens and become harmful to health. If oil has a low smoke point, it must only be cooked at low temperatures or not at all.

Oils with low smoke points, continues Chef Ben Vaughn, are well suited to salad dressings and flavoring already prepared meals. Examples of oils with low smoke points are walnut oil and extra virgin olive oil. If oil has a high smoke point, it is better for hotter cooking jobs like pan-frying.

Dr. Eric Siani DMD says that adults should spend a minimum of two full minutes — that’s 120 seconds — brushing in order to really cleanse the teeth thoroughly. In addition to brushing long enough, Dr. Eric Siani DMD advises his patients to brush gently. Hard brushing doesn’t equal cleaner teeth. In fact, brushing too hard can cause sensitive gums to bleed, cautions Dr. Eric Siani DMD.

Remember that it’s not just the easy-to-reach front teeth that should receive attention. Dr. Eric Siani DMD says that each tooth must be cleaned as thoroughly as possible, including the back teeth and the inner surfaces of all the teeth.

Like many dentists, Dr. Eric Siani DMD prefers that his patients use toothbrushes with soft bristles. For the same reason that brushing should be done gently, soft to medium toothbrushes are strong enough to remove debris and plaque, explains Dr. Eric Siani DMD, but not so hard as to irritate sensitive gums.

Automatic toothbrushes are often recommended by dentists, including Dr. Eric Siani DMD, as many people will brush longer with them than they do with standard toothbrushes. Children especially can benefit from using battery-operated toothbrushes, observes Dr. Eric Siani DMD, as they tend to race through brushing — or even try to get away with not brushing their teeth at all.

Dr. Eric Siani DMD also believes that hi-tech toothbrushes can also make hard-to-reach teeth somewhat easier to clean. People with arthritis or rheumatism (or any other manual dexterity limitation) can also find automatic toothbrushes helpful, says Dr. Eric Siani DMD.

When a toothbrush is three months old or shows any sign of wear, Dr. Eric Siani DMD recommends replacing it with a new one. Worn bristles don’t reach as far nor are they as effective in cleaning teeth and removing plaque, explains Dr. Eric Siani DMD. Many brushes have color indicators on the bristles themselves as another visual reminder of when it’s time for a new toothbrush.

The Coral Lake and Beach Resort is a boon for investors and travelers alike. It is located in an affluent coastal suburban area of Brazil, in the state of Ceara. The Coral Lake Beach and Resort is a front line beach property. Such beach properties appeal to the widest demographic of people, insuring tourist interest.

In the coming years, Brazilian tourist developments such as the Coral Lake and Beach Resort will continue to grow. With Brazil’s robust economic climate, it is insulated from the extremes of the recent global economic downturn. Investors have been looking at Brazil for years, and Coral Lake and Beach Resort is a gorgeous testament to this economic activity.

So whether you are planning a vacation or searching for a market to invest in, Brazil and the Coral Lake and Beach Resort are calling. Come visit Brazil – for the food, for the culture, for the economic opportunity. At the Coral Lake and Beach Resort you can find all three of these things.

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