Delicious ways to reduce cholesterol with out drugs

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Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is present in the cell membranes of body tissues and is carried in the blood plasma. It is a sterol; a combination of alcohol and steroid and is also called atherosclerotic plaque. The body requires cholesterol in order to form and sustain cell membranes, help with the production of bile and aid the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins.

Over time, cholesterol builds up on the artery walls and this condition is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was thought to be an affliction of the elderly until the 1950's when American pathologists were sent to Korea by the Pentagon to study the bodies of servicemen who died during the conflict. They autopsied around 2000 soldiers and found that approximately 75% had waxy, yellow deposits on the walls of their arteries; a shocking statistic considering the average age of the soldiers was 21. Their findings astonished the scientific community as it highlighted the onset of heart disease in the very young.

LDL and HDL Cholesterol

There are two different types of cholesterol; low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). HDL is commonly known as 'good' cholesterol and LDL is recognised as 'bad' cholesterol. LDL has been markedly linked with heart disease, whereas HDL is thought to reduce the chance of a heart attack. It has been estimated that approximately 25% of Americans are at risk from heart disease due to atherosclerosis, and around 10% have such high levels that doctors are left no choice than to prescribe cholesterol reducing drugs.

Foods that Lower LDL Cholesterol

There are a number of foods which are believed to significantly lower LDL cholesterol. Fiber-rich foods are said to be particularly beneficial and will not only lower 'bad' cholesterol, but also help the bowel to function properly, lowering the risk of colon and bowel cancer. There are many other foods that can help the body fight back against these dangerous deposits.

• Fiber-rich foods, particularly oat bran, barley and wheat bran. They can be eaten as a cereal for breakfast and sprinkled onto other foods. Pearl barley can be added to soups. Apples and pears also have considerable amounts of soluble fiber and should be enjoyed on a daily basis


• Beans and pulses are high in fiber and low-fat. They also contain lecithin, a nutrient that lowers cholesterol. Try to incorporate kidney, fava, borlotti and other dried whole-foods into your diet; there are many different types of lentils and pulses that are delicious in soups and stews


• Avocado contains prolific amounts of monounsaturated fat, which helps to reduce LDL cholesterol and has many other health benefits including anti-cancer properties


• Raw carrots are rich in a fiber called pectin that is renowned for minimizing cholesterol. There are a number of fruits that also contain pectin, including; apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries and other red or black berries


• Shitake mushrooms are widely used by the Japanese and include a compound called lentinan, which not only lowers cholesterol, but is also thought to be anti-cancerous and may help to boost the immune system


• Garlic is a super food and is well known for its blood-thinning properties. It also contains a substance allicin which is thought to prevent the body retaining LDL cholesterol and research has shown that the equivalent of one clove per day can lessen 'bad' cholesterol by 10-15% in the majority of people


• Root ginger has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and has numerous health benefits. It can be added to stir-fry's (using healthy sesame oil) and other vegetable dishes


• Nuts are naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids and are known to significantly reduce blood cholesterol; walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are especially beneficial


• Sesame seeds are rich in phytosterols. These compounds are said to substantially lessen LDL cholesterol. Other foods containing phytosterols include; celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, ginger, squash and strawberries


• Safflower, canola, soybean, and olive oil are monounsaturated and are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Research indicates that they can decrease atherosclerotic plaque by up to 15% when eaten regularly


• Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel contain considerable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits and are essential for brain and eye function


• Prunes are a wonderful source of antioxidants and fiber, which is known to reduce LDL cholesterol


• Alfalfa sprouts contain a substance called saponin, which is thought to obstruct and inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries

If you have high cholesterol or a family tendency towards atherosclerosis it is best to avoid processed and prepared foods, fried food, food containing animal fats or animal products, high-fat dairy products and food containing either saturated fat or trans fats. Research has revealed the key to lowering LDL cholesterol is a healthy, balanced diet that incorporates plenty of soluble fiber and at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day. This combined with regular cardiovascular exercise should help keep the heart healthy and provide numerous other health benefits as well.

Why first borns fuss seconds are resilient and youngests like to laugh

How can two or three children in the same family be so different? They are brought up in the same broad social environment, under a similar set of rules and an identical family value system. They also come from the same genetic pool yet they can be so different in personality, interests and achievement. While they may be born into the same family they are not born into the same position. The effects of their birth position have a significant impact on children, their behavior and their personalities. In order to really understand children it is useful to look at how their position in the family impacts on their development.

If we look at the big three in birth order – first, middle and youngest – we will notice that children born in each position share a similar set of characteristics. Note that birth order presents possibilities only for parents. Also only children share similar birth order characteristics to first borns – they are super first borns.

First borns are often more motivated to achieve than later borns. A greater percentage of first borns end up in the professions such as medicine and law. They go for jobs where determination, strong powers of concentration and discipline are valued. First borns are born into a pressured yet treasured position. They are usually the objects of great delight in a family – they are the first. Parents and grandparents often overdo everything with first borns. There is an air of expectancy even before their birth. Names are chosen half way through the pregnancy and photo albums are filled as baby’s every special moment is captured on film. They are the centre of attention, which is an obvious plus if you are a first-born child.

The flipside to this adulation is that first borns are coached, prodded and pushed to perform. The expectations are high for first borns, particularly first-born boys, so pressure is something they know all about. It is no coincidence that anecdotal evidence suggest that first born males tend to be lower risk-takers as learners than girls or those in other birth positions. First-born boys fear failure so they often steer away from areas where they can’t excel. Interestingly, some first borns confuse excellence with perfectionism and won’t try unless they can do the perfect job. These kids drive their parents and teachers nuts as they just won’t move out of their comfort zones to take a few risks and even (shock, horror) mess up. This is first-born thing.

First borns are trailblazers for parents and for the children to follow. Parents are usually hardest on their first borns in terms of discipline and they loosen up as they move further down the family. First borns usually don’t react well to the arrival of the second born. To parents the arrival of another child means a playmate for their eldest. To the first born the arrival of another child means only one thing – DETHRONEMENT. You can read the headlines: “The emperor loses his crown.” Well not quite. The first-born child does everything in his of her power to retain the favoured first position. He will point out the failings of the second born to his parents. In all likelihood as he grows up the first born may well be less than pleasant to this intruder – particularly if they are both boys.

According to Kevin Leman author of The New Birth Order Book there are two types of first borns. The first are the compliant nurturers and caregivers. These children love to please and also love to do well in school as they have a high need for mum or dad’s approval. They also like to look after and care for other children. These compliant nurturers are more likely to be girls. Parents often rely heavily on their first borns and let them take much of the responsibility around the home.

The second types of first borns are the aggressive movers and shakers. These children are assertive, achievement-oriented and strong-willed. They are often boys who have the drive but not the skills to be effective leaders. Their bull-in-a-China-shop approach doesn’t always endear them to others.

The middle (and in all likelihood the second) child is influenced by his elder sibling. The one rule of thumb about birth order is that children are directly influenced by the sibling above and will differ from that sibling. Frank Sulloway, the author of Born To Rebel, puts it succinctly, when he says that the first rule of the sibling road is that first and second borns will be different in personality, interests and achievement. Generally, the middle or second will be what the first-born isn’t. If the first born is responsible the next in line may well be a pest. If the first born is serious, as they often are, the second borns may well be easy-going and gregarious.

Middle born children are victims of bad timing. Born too late to get the perks and privileges of being born first but too early to get the easy ride that youngest receive, middles often feel squeezed between these two siblings and wonder, “Why me?” or “Its not fair!” The positive side to middle borns is that as they are squeezed between two siblings they are good negotiators and generally develop an adept set of people skills. They are often more flexible as their lives tend to fit in more with the first born. Also they tend to spend more time with children away from their family to avoid the frustration of being an outsider in the family. Middle children subsequently can end up with more friends than their elder sibling.

Middle born children, particularly if they are surrounded by other boys often become the free spirit or the child most likely to upset (annoy, hassle) his siblings. If you have three children sitting quietly watching television and you suddenly hear a yelp coming from the television room you can bet that the middle child has disturbed the peace in some way. Perhaps he has thumped the youngest or flicked the eldest with a ruler or some foreign object. Middles can be like that! They like to get even!

Parents need to be aware of the need to make middle children feel SPECIAL. Take photos of just them, and not the whole pack. Make sure you spend time with just them. Help them find their special talent that they don’t share with their siblings (that should be easy as they often stand apart).

Youngest children in the family are typically charmers and manipulators. They love to get their own way – and they invariably do. They are in the fortunate position of having a sibling break their parents in for them and they don’t have the pressures of the first born. Their birth is not the big event as was the first born’s arrival. Parents are still thinking of a name when they are putting the birth notice for the youngest in the paper. “Ah what will we call him? Jarrod will do. Yeah, that sounds fine.”

Youngest are often babied, spoiled, affectionate, outgoing and uncomplicated. The pressure is off the last borns in terms of having to meet their parents’ high expectations so they are more likely to achieve in their own ways. Creative, artistic pursuits are full of later or last borns, whereas firstborns are more likely to end up in positions of leadership. One of the traits many last borns share is persistence. They learn when they are young that if they persist with what they want they will outlast their siblings and wear their parents down eventually. Persistence is a characteristic that pays off for this group.

Last borns tend to be more impetuous – they act now and worry about the repercussions later. The positive is that they are more likely to stretch themselves and try new experiences than their siblings. The negative aspect for boys is that their tendency to jump first and think later on can be downright dangerous. Youngest born girls can often be babied and have their parents jumping through hoops to satisfy them.

Last borns can appear a little self-centred, which is probably due to the fact that they tend to do less at home to help others. There are bigger, more capable siblings at home to take all the responsibilities so youngest children can easily grow up with an ‘I’m here to be served’ attitude. It is important to give youngest borns plenty of opportunities to help around the home.

The position a child in his family holds is a predictor only of personality, but a powerful predictor nonetheless. It is definitely a factor that parents need to consider as we look for ways to raise happy, well-adjusted and confident children.

Michael Grose is an authority on birth order and affects on children’s personalities, interests and achievements. Read more about how birth order affects personality and behaviour in his brand new book Why first borns rule the world and last borns want to change it. You can purchase it for only $27.50 at Parentingideas. com. au

Flowers the language of love

Flowers Truly Reach Your Soul.

Flowers are a heartfelt, natural way to lift our spirits. They can provide a smile for a tired face or brighten a room for a convalescent. Just imagine your favourite flower. Are you smiling yet? You are obviously in a better mood.

There is not a doubt that beautiful surroundings provide us with a favourite environment that helps us thrive. Flowers are an elementary and affordable way to add a splash of color and emotion into your life.

Tropical flowers are an exciting new change from traditional floral gifts like roses , and with modern shipping methods a tropical bouquet is available worldwide. Their massive size and vibrant colors produce an impressive gift for favourite occasions like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, birthdays and anniversaries.

Flowers can be purchased from local florists or even "Grower Direct" services that ship them worldwide. If purchasing flowers to be shipped, it is vital to ensure that someone is waiting to pick up the delivery and that it is not left with the mail on a back porch in the sun all afternoon until someone comes home from at six oзlock. Flowers are shipped without any water to sustain them, and hours of neglect on top of the shipping time can take days off their lifespan.

If you acquire tropical flowers like heliconias or even gingers, or even if you were lucky enought to live in the tropics and have them for your garden, just remember a few select tips to help them thrive and to extend their shelf life as cut flowers.

Caring for Cut Tropical Flowers.

1. Water your plants well and give them a big drink before cutting. This is important for foliage plants as well because some species “drink” incredibly little after cutting. Instead, they live off their stored sap. Tropical plants have adapted to their natural environment which means frequent however short periods of massive tropical downpour.

Look at the flower heads and notice how the petals are “cupped” to catch and store as much water as possible. These plants drink from the top and like being showered with water. Look at the pattern on the leaves. The ridges channel water down to the stem where it's absorbed into the many layers of the plant.

2. If your flowers have been out of water for any length of time after cutting, submerge them totally in the bath for half an hour prior to placing them in a vase.

3. Cut 3 to 4 inches off the stem and then place them in a tall vase FULL of clean water.

4. Employ a spray bottle to mist them at least twice a day.

5. Change the water and trim a new end on the stems each 2nd or even third day. You are able to double the vase life of your cut flowers by applying these simple techniques.

How to stand a chance in the search engine optimization maze

Despite all the other methods available for obtaining a decent web ranking for your website, for instance, link exchanges, search engine optimization or SEO is still regarded as the way to go to ensure that your website is listed high in the search engine rankings.

Search engine optimization is a method of analyzing your site and modifying it to allow search engines to read and index it. Search engine optimization is about building and maintaining a website that will get ranked highly on the major search engines. SEO comprises of a set of techniques used in order to attract visitors or prospective customers to your website, and the aim of a search engine is to provide high quality, relevant content to the users of the Internet. Search engines are now more particular on what they list in their databases and a content relevant site is the requirement if you are to stand any chance of getting ranked successfully.

It's a fact that when surfers conduct a search and the results appear, that they do not generally look further than the first twenty results that are displayed and to make you really miserable, it is widely accepted that the first 10 results is the target to aim for if you want to get customers to your website. You see, people are generally lazy and they will not deliberately look for you; you have to seek them out. So the bottom line is you need to get a top ten position or at the very least be in the top twenty out of potentially thousands of websites that are all trying to achieve the same as you.

It is important therefore, that if you intend to use search engine optimization as one of your arsenal of tools, that you encourage the search engine spiders to not only find your website but also to index it as well and you can do this through the keywords that you use on your website. You need to encourage the search engines to rank your website in that all important high position and for this you need good page content containing your chosen keywords. If you use keywords in your Meta Tags for instance, that do not appear in your page content, then your site could be penalised.

Bear in mind also, that you want the search engine spiders to keep coming back looking for something different on your site to give them a reason to continue to list it. So, ongoing maintenance is important. You simply cannot just submit your website and think that the job's done.

So, having established what is required, how do you go about search engine optimization easily? You will find many websites that provide free SEO tools, or you can pay a professional to take care of it for you. But bear in mind that "professional" also means professional pricing. Also, remember that FREE normally comes with a price tag anyway and you will have to visit numerous sites to use the various SEO tools available and these will be limited in their functionality.

A quality SEO tool that can perform all of the functions required for website optimization will become your time saver when it comes to SEO, especially when you're just starting out and the intricacies of optimizing your website becomes a chore.

So consider an SEO tool that can at least analyze websites of your top-ranking competitors so that you can emulate them by making the relevant changes to your own website. In addition, you will need a keyword generator and a keyword density analyzer tool and search engine and directory submission functions that will allow you to make automatic and semi automatic submissions. Extra functions could include link popularity and pay per click management.

In conclusion, to obtain high search engine rankings, you must optimize your web pages before submitting them to the search engines as it is pointless to submit an un-optimized site. You can do this by visiting numerous sites to use free tools with limited functionality or use an award winning software program that will do it all or you. For further in depth information on search engine optimization software please visit 1st-4-income. com.

Ian Simpson reviews software and informational products on the internet for their value and usefulness. Subscribe to his free tips newsletter at information4income. com

Hello from orlando a little picnic lunch in kissimmee

After our exhilarating airboat ride and swamp buggy tour at Boggy Creek, we snaked our way north towards Orlando and decided to have a picnic lunch in the Orlando suburb of Kissimmee. This town is located at the doorstep of Walt Disney World complex and offers a variety of tourist class accommodations near historic downtown Kissimmee. The historic downtown districts feature walking tours, antique shops, shopping, dining, or sightseeing.

According to the City of Kissimmee's web site"local historians have offered many variations of the origin of the city's name. Most agree that Kissimmee is a modern spelling of a tribal word. The book Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe by Jerald T. Milanich, links "Kissimmee" to a village of the Jororo, one of Florida's lesser-known tribes. Historian John Hann researched Spanish documents about missions estabilshed to convert the Jororo and other groups to Christianity in the late 1600's. Spanish records indicate that a mission was built near the tribe's main village, also called Jororo. Another mission was called Atissimi. Milanich writes, "Hann suggests that the name Atissimi, sometimes given as Jizimi and Tisimi, may be the source of the modern place name Kissimmee." A 1752 Spanish map used the name "Cacema" which has evolved into today's spelling, Kissimmee."

Kissimmee's main strip features a variety of local merchants and restaurants. The town was festively decorated and even the police department showed itself in a festive pre-Christmas mood:

Kissimmee is located at the north end of Lake Tohopekaliga and one of its squares is appropriately named "Toho Square":

We noticed several murals throughout town, illustrating the town's history. My husband tried to check if he could blend into the mural without being noticed, I am not so sure that it actually worked:

On a brief walk along Lakeshore Boulevard we discovered a war memorial that commemorates the Second World War:

For more information about Kissimmee contact its Convention and Visitors Bureau. Call 800.333.KISS (5477) or visit their website for more information.

Playing poker for the first time

Many people are intimidated on their first visit to a public card room. Knowing what to expect and some simple rules of etiquette will help the first-time visitor relax and have a good time. Any card room. with more than a few tables will have a sign-up desk or board for the various games being played. Usually someone will be standing here to take your name if a seat is not immediately available. This person can explain what games are offered, the betting limits, special house rules and so on. This is the moment of your first decision: which game and for what stakes?

Choosing a game is fairly easy; you already know which game is most familiar to you. You may be surprised to find that your favorite home games are not spread in public card rooms. Most will offer one or more of Texas Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud, and Omaha Hold'em (usually hi/lo split, 8-or-better for low). Sometimes you will find California Lowball (5-card draw for low), Seven-Card Stud hi/lo, or Hold'em variations like Pineapple. You will rarely find High Draw (5-card draw for hi), and will never find home game pot-builders like Anaconda, Follow-the-Queen, 7-27 or Guts. Except for the joker in draw poker, card rooms. never use wild cards.

Choosing a betting limit is a bit harder. It is best to start playing at a limit so small that the money is not important to you. After all, with all the excitement of your first time playing poker there is no need to be worried about losing the nest egg to a table full of sharks. Betting limits are typically expressed as $1-$5 or $3-$6, and may be "spread-limit" or "structured-limit". A spread-limit means one can bet or raise any amount between the two numbers (although a raise must be at least as much as a previous bet or raise). For example, in $1-$5 spread-limit, if one person bets $2 the next person is free to call the $2 or raise $2, $3, $4, or $5, but cannot raise just $1. On the next round, everything is reset and the first bettor may bet anything from $1 to $5. In structured-limit like $3-$6 (usually recognizable by a factor of two between betting limits), all betting and raising on early rounds is in units of $3, and on later rounds is in units of $6. One only has a choice of *whether* to bet or raise; the amount is fixed by the limit. One usually doesn't have a choice between spread and structured betting at a given limit. Keep in mind that it is quite easy to win or lose 20 "big bets" (the large number in the limit) in an hour of play. Also, since your mind will be occupied with the mechanics of the game while the regular players consider strategy, you are more likely to lose than win. In other words: choose a low limit.

If the game you want is full, your name will go on a list and the person running the list will call you when a seat opens up. Depending on the card room., you may have trouble hearing your name called and they may be quick to pass you over, so be alert. Once a seat is available, the list person will vaguely direct you toward it, or toward a floor man who will show you where to sit.

Now is the time for you to take out your money and for the other players to look you over. A good choice for this "buy-in" is ten to twenty big bets, but you must buy-in for at least the posted table minimum, usually about five big bets. Most public poker games are played "table-stakes", which means that you can't reach into your pocket for more money during the play of a hand. It also means that you can't be forced out of a pot because of insufficient funds. If you run out of money during a hand you are still in the pot (the dealer will say you are "all-in"), but further betting is "on the side" for an additional pot you cannot win. Between hands, you are free to buy as many chips as you want, but are not allowed to take any chips off the table unless you are leaving. This final rule gives opponents a chance to win back what they have lost to you. If you bust out, you may buy back in for at least the table minimum or leave.

Once you have told the dealer how much money you are playing, the dealer may sell you chips right away or call over a chip runner to do so. You may want to tell the dealer that you are a first-time player. This is a signal to the dealer to give a little explanation when it is your turn to act, and to the other players to extend you a bit of courtesy when you slow down the game. Everyone will figure it out in a few minutes anyway, so don't be bashful. You may even ask to sit out a few hands just to see how it all works.

There are three ways that pots are seeded with money at the beginning of the hand. The most familiar to the home player is the "ante", where each player tosses a small amount into the pot for the right to be dealt a hand. The second way, often used in conjunction with an ante, is the "forced bring-in". For example, in seven-card stud, after everyone antes and is dealt the first three cards, the player with the lowest up card may be forced to bet to get things started. The third way, often used in games without up cards like Hold'em or Omaha, is a "forced blind bet". This is similar to the bring-in, but is always made by the person immediately after the player with the "button". The "button" is a plastic disk that moves around the table and indicates which player is acting as dealer for the hand (of course, the house dealer does the actual dealing of cards, but does not play). A second or even third blind may follow the first, usually of increasing size. Whichever seed method is used, note that this initial pot, small as it is, is the only reason to play at all.

If the game has blinds, the dealer may now ask you if you want to "post". This means, "do you want to pay extra to see a hand now, in bad position, and then pay the blinds, or are you willing to sit and watch for a few minutes?" Answer "no, I'll wait" and watch the game until the dealer tells you it's time to begin, usually after the blinds pass you.

Finally, it is your turn to get cards and play. Your first impression will probably be how fast the game seems to move. If you are playing stud, several up cards may be "mucked" (folded into the discards) before you even see them; if you are playing hold'em, it may be your turn to act before you have looked at your cards. After a few hands you should settle into the rhythm and be able to keep up. If you ever get confused, just ask the dealer what is going on.

Young adults need to seek wealth literacy not financial literacy

Today there is much talk about how young adults are financially illiterate as if financial literacy were adequate to build wealth. Millions of people have read one of the best financial literacy books out there “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” yet there is a loss of translation somewhere between the sound principles of financial literacy and their utility in building wealth. Somewhere, there still is a bridge to building wealth that books such as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” have failed to cross. This bridge is one of not financial literacy, but one of wealth literacy. If I were a university President, I would ensure that my business program offered the following courses:

(1) How to Leverage Money

(2) The Four Pillars of Wealth

(3) How to Invest Money

(4) Gold and Precious Metals

(5) How to Leverage Time

(6) Debunking Widespread Investment Myths; and

(7) Networking

There would be several more lessons that I would provide after this basic curriculum was completed, including:

(1) The Connection Between Politics and Investing; and

(2) Leveraging Technology to Build Wealth

With an adequate foundation of knowledge in all these courses, a young adult would be prepared to build wealth without so much trial and error, struggle, or outright failure. Instead, no level of traditional institutions of education teach such courses and instead remain mired in curriculums skewed towards theory and not applicability such as statistics, economics 101, marketing and finance. If you think about it, even at the Master level, none of these traditional business or financial literacy courses will really teach any student how to build wealth. This is precisely the reason why young adults must seek an entirely different foundation in order to understand how to truly build wealth.

Various surveys that I have stumbled across that assess the financial literacy of young adults are inadequately structured because they focus too much on traditional concepts such as stocks, options, real estate, and so on versus granting an assessment on whether young adults are knowledgeable about any concepts necessary to build wealth. Being “financially” literate versus being “wealth” literate are two entirely different concepts. I believe that one can be financially literate while not being wealth literate.

The difference between financial literacy courses and wealth literacy courses is this. Financial literacy courses focus on topics such as budgeting, basic understanding of investing concepts, funding retirement accounts and so on – concepts that young adults rarely consider but still not concepts that will help them build wealth. Financial literacy courses teach young adults what they need to do to build wealth but grants them none of the tools they will actually need to successfully build wealth. Furthermore, they never inform them on actionable steps to build wealth other than common sense such as learn how to invest, max out your 401 (k) contributions and so on.

For example, if one was a basketball player, the comparable level of a financial literacy course would be to tell a power forward that he needs a good array of post-up moves close to the basket, a sweet outside shot to make opponents respect his range, a quick first step to create off the dribble and a solid defensive game so that opponents can not exploit him for being a one-dimensional player. But after telling the power forward that, there would be no further explanation but a wish of “good luck” and a pat on the back. A wealth literacy course would actually teach the athlete specifically what he would need to do to achieve success in each area of his game that would make him a premier athlete.

Telling young adults what they need to do will have little impact on improving their quality of life or making a successful transition from young adults into financially independent adults. Providing a toolkit for how to do so is far more important. To this end, seeking courses that teach wealth literacy instead of financial literacy to young adults is much more important.

More than your average valentine s gift

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Valentine’s Day is approaching, and you have no idea what to get your special someone. Sure, you could try chocolates, flowers, or another plush gorilla singing “Wild Thing,” but for a Valentine’s gift that is fun, personal, and says more than just “wild thing, you make my heart sing,” consider jewelry.

What could be more exciting on February 14th than taking your special someone to your local jeweler and letting them choose their very own Valentine’s gift? This would be an exceptionally enjoyable way to bond over Valentine’s Day, but if you’d rather keep your gift a surprise, there are plenty of ideas to create a fun way for your partner to open her gift. You could take her out for a romantic dinner and have the waiter bring the ring with dessert, or you could lead her on a scavenger hunt through all the places that are significant to you, with the final clue leading to you and the ring. These are just two of hundreds of fun ways to present your special someone with her Valentine’s gift.

Jewelry is personal. You can choose something already fashioned, or you can design your piece for a keepsake she’ll treasure. Either way, a Valentine’s gift of jewelry is a gift that says that you truly care about your partner. And there are so many options to choose from, it’s hard to go wrong. You can decide on a gemstone, or a precious metal. There are necklaces, bracelets, rings, anklets, brooches, watchbands, and much more. With so many options, you can choose a Valentine’s gift that reflects your loved one’s personality and tastes.

A Valentine’s gift of jewelry can show your feelings for your significant other. Your Valentine’s gift can be passionate and serious or fun and lighthearted; giving her jewelry shows that you put a lot of thought into your gift, and she will be sure to love it no matter what because it is from you.

Amanda Trevino is a client account specialist for Harris Michael Jewelry.

The eastern league

The Champions League is a rich man's club, complain football teams from nine south and east European countries. They are bent on setting up an alternative dubbed the "Eastern League". The revolt is led by Dinamo Bucharest and Greece's Olympiakos Pireu and has been joined by 14 other clubs: Steaua and Rapid from Romania, The Turkish Galatasaray Istanbul and Besiktas PAOK Salonic of Greece, the Serbian Steaua and Partizan Belgrade, Hajduk Split from Croatia, the Cyrpiot Apoel Nicosia, Maribor from Slovenia, the Bulgarian teams TSKA Sofia and Levski Sofia and the Ukrainian contributions of Shakhtor Donestk and Dinamo Kiev.

It is partly about pride and partly about money.

In the past decade eastern footballers, trounced by well-heeled competitors from the West, consistently failed to qualify to participate in the Union of European Football Associations Cup and the Champions League games. This translates into a loss of up to a million dollars per team per year as they miss out on lucrative advertising and broadcasting deals when they are matched against giants from Spain, Germany, Italy, or even England.

The Eastern League is not a done deal, though. It first has to be voted on and recognized by both the Federation of International Football Associations and UEFA, the world and European football federations, respectively. This may prove to be a tall order. The game is still organized as an old-fashioned cartel, with each regional association envious of its market share and clout.

Still, football in the eastern nether regions is in dire straits. As its economics worsen - the inventiveness of managers and players alike blossoms. In January 2003, the Bulgarian Levski club offered, with great fanfare, 250,000 of its shares to fans, aiming to break the Guinness Book of Records entry of Manchester United.

It was promptly castigated for ripping off the innocent. The "free" shares, found out embittered takers, came attached to a season's ticket at full price. Alternatively, would be shareholders were asked to purchase a club membership for $25 - a few days wages in the impoverished country. Quoted by the newswires Presstext. Europe and Newsfox, a Levski official Todor Batkov said that "real fans must give and not take from the club".

Football teams in the former communist countries realize that it is either big time or no time at all.

Romanian club Universitatea Craiova has recently courted Paul Gascoigne, a British asset known more for his exploits off-field than for anything he has accomplished on it. The figure floated was $170,000 - a fortune in Romanian terms, where the average annual intake is rarely about $2000.

Omnipotent president Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan granted immediate citizenship - by a constitutionally dubious presidential decree - to Bulgarian football striker Georgi Georgiev and defender Alexsi Dionisiev. This allowed them to keep their Bulgarian passports even as they played for the host country in the World Cup.

Football has always been about politics. Violence inspired by virulent nationalism often vents itself most visibly in bilateral matches.

In a typical case last year, three police officers were wounded and nine Bosnian Serb fans were detained in the wake of a riot following the first football match since 1992 between Borac from Republika Srpska and Zeleznicar from Sarajevo. The Muslim-Croat team and fans required police escort out of Banja Luka to escape the wrath of the local yobs. Borac had to play two games to empty stadiums and part with $1500 in fines.

The Bosnian Football Federation - representing 14 clubs from the Croat-Muslim parts of the divided country - teamed up in May 2002 with 6 counterparts in Republika Srpska. They formed a joint league and a common professional association. Moreover, the two entities already fielded a joint team in the Olympic games in 2000 and maintain a single basketball federation. Yet, even this apparent reconciliation failed to prevent the outpouring of hostilities.

Nor is football-related aggression confined to zealous nationalists. Slovak fans taunted black English players Emile Heskey and Ashley Cole with racist slogans in October last year. The vast majority of the crowd - and the medical teams on the sidelines - balefully recited "monkey, monkey" at the top of their lungs for minutes on end.

Quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Michal Vesecka, a research fellow with the Slovak Institute for Public Affairs, linked the abuse to problems in cultural development and identity:

"Slovakia is a country that is the most ethnically heterogeneous in Central Europe, but the 'culture of tolerance' is not as well developed [here] as in the European Union, or even with respect to neighboring countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary ... [Slovakia] is still a country that is trying to solve its own identity problem, and precisely [during] such times, the people are relatively aggressive toward those people who are different."

Add to this combustible mixture crumbling economies and all-pervasive disillusionment and the spillover to football is hardly a surprise. The game is an inseparable part of daily life in many of these polities where life is unbearably drab, economic opportunities are rare and cultural diversions even scarcer.

For instance, football associations offer a cornucopia of sinecures to cronies and relatives of all degrees and colors. Hence the high turnover and ubiquitous venality which characterize these murky bodies.

Both UEFA and FIFA have warned the Azerbaijan Football Federation Association that it must settle a five years old simmering dispute or else face the suspension of all financial aid and, ultimately, expulsion. AFFA's president Fuad Musaev refuses to go, despite pressure from the government above and at least nine clubs below. This resulted in a boycott by said disgruntled of the national football championship and a feeble attempt to organize an alternative.

Little giant ladder review a housewife review

There are countless satisfied customers who are really happy to call themselves proud owners of little giant ladders. From experienced contractors to aged grandpa, people all over the world are thrilled with their Little Giant Ladders. It is a special asset to the housewives who feel they are somewhat indebted to the little giant ladder company.

It is morning time - husband and children are out and housewives are alone to complete the day’s chores. You find the light does not work. – Either it is the fuse or you have to replace the bulb. Get in your little giant ladder. The giant little ladder is a source of strength to every housewife. You don’t need anyone to hold the ladder while you are climbing up. It has a solid footing and you are safe as long as you maintain the giant ladder’s rules and regulations.

You need to climb upto the loft and search for something important? Your husband is not in yet? Never worry. The little giant ladder system will provide you with all the help so that you can reach out to the required height. The little giant folding ladders are easier to carry and doesn’t require a masculine strength.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the conversation between two ladies at the bus station:

Mary: “Hi Anna where are you upto?

Anna: Going downtown to get a ladder for my husband. He needs to paint the back part of our house. Do you have any idea where to find a suitable one?”

Mary: Hey you can try the little giant ladder. May be I can also give you a coupon for discount on little giant ladders. My husband has now got the little giant ladder for his painting/remodeling project. He has wanted this specific type of ladder since 20 years, but could not find one. If he did find something similar the cost was beyond his budget. It was me who spotted the little giant ladder and I gave him a surprise birthday gift! The giant little ladder is simply a miracle and my husband is so possessive about it. It even saved his life. I was stunned when it broke down and made a scaffold by adding a plank thus saving my husband’s life. It takes hardly any space to store. Money well spent indeed.

Anna: Great idea. Next week is Sam’s birthday. He too will get a little giant ladder as a present from his beloved wife.”

Are you required to report your ebay earnings

Many people ask me if they are required to report the profits they earn on items they sell on eBay on their income tax return. In short, yes.

If you sell items on eBay for a profit, then you should report your eBay sales on your income tax return, and you may owe income taxes on any profits. It doesn't matter if it's just a hobby or if you are trying to build a business - if you earned a profit it's taxable income.

Generally, any income you receive from all sources is subject to income tax unless it is specifically exempt by law (hint: eBay profits are not exempt).

You must file a tax return if your net earnings from self employment are $400 or more. You are self employed if you carry on a trade or business for profit. If you are selling on eBay with the intent of making a profit, then you are self employed.

To report your eBay earnings, you should file Form 1040, and attach Schedule C or C-EZ. Schedule C is used to calculate your net profit or loss from your business, which is then reported on your Form 1040. This is assuming you are a sole proprietor. If you are incorporated, you have to file a separate business return. You will file Form 1120 or Form 1120s (for S Corporations). If you are a partnership, you will file Form 1065.

At this point, you may be thinking “I don’t run a business; I just sell on eBay as a hobby”. Unfortunately, income from hobbies is taxable as well. Even worse, you can only deduct expenses up to your hobby income, which means losses are not deductible.

Finally, there is a common misconception that if you did not receive a 1099 or W-2, you are not required to report your income. This is not true. All income is reportable, regardless of whether you receive a form or not. EBay is only a facilitator of the auction; therefore you will not receive a 1099 from eBay reporting your sales.

To your financial success,

Kristine McKinley

Its ok. to love

Its OK. To Love.

2 Corinthians 2:4-2:4

Its OK. To Love. There are many occasions in our life that we love someone dearly. Sometimes it the first person that we see and sometimes we must hunt most of our lives to find that special someone. There are also ocassions that we never find that person that we are looking for, but we still have love to give. Love is not physical, love is a place in our spirit that needs to be filled. Sex is not love but only the expression of it. Love is sharing the good times and the bad. Love is an opportunity to deliver ones soul to another for safe keeping. Love is a fulfillment of Ideas and thoughts. Love is the union of two minds, two hearts and two souls. Love is sacrificing ones self for another. Pain, Suffering, anguish and many sleepless nights are also common in love. Tears and sorrow in the loss of a love. Many have asked, ”With all this, Is Loving someone really worth it?” The answer is yes. Without love Jesus would have never died for strangers and sinners, God would have never gave His Son for a sacrifice. Lets read a little scripture. Love is fulfillment of the Law of God and any thing out side of Gods law is an abomination and not love. 2Co 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; {Paul is speaking, not financially but of his life. Sometimes we give all for the one we love.} though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. {This is very true. Sometimes we love so much that what we receive in return is less than what we give.} 2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, { Love takes many forms. There are too many people that relate love with the pleasures of the body. These people are missing out of what love is all about.} 2Co 2:4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; { The sacrifice of the heart, as Paul states, is one of the purest forms of love.} not that ye should be grieved, {Not allowing the other to suffer but to command all suffering to ones self.} but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. { The sacrifice of ones self is always recgonised by the other. Some of the greatest love is when we scrafice all without letting anyone know it.} In John 14:15, Jesus commanded Love but does demand it, there is a difference. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Are we commanding or demanding love? Have we gotten so self-centered in our own lives that we forget what love is? How many, here today, are willing to give their own lives over to the other? Are willing to give up your own life, needs, desires, wants and goals for someone else? Lets take, Mark 12:33as an example. [Speaking of God]“And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And to love with ALL, Heart, Understanding, Soul and strength. Is this not what we are to be doing with our husbands and wifes? Are we not also to be doing this with our enemies and neighbors? Are we not to be doing this with ourselves? To love with all our Heart, that is who we are inside and not outwardly. We can always find people that will love us outwardly. This is a false love, a love that exists only for the moment. To love with all our Understanding, Understanding the needs and wants of the other. Being there when the other crys, for no apparent reason, being there when the other is depressed or down and not knowing why. To love with all our soul, the part of us who makes us an individual, the thoughts, the emotions, the feelings, one for another. I have always said, I am who I am by the grace of God. To love with all our strength, loving to the fullest measure that is within our ability. Jesus gave His life, knowing well that He would be able to take it up again unto Himself. We can Love, with all we are and still be assured that we are still in control of who we are. We do not have to give up our identity to love. We are still an individual, still able to make decisions based on what is right and what is wrong. Is Jesus stating, in John 10:17, that His Father would not have loved Him if He refused to be the Sacrifice for man? No. Jesus is stating that no matter what His decision, His Father would always love Him. “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Can you love someone that doesn’t love you, can you express love to someone else that refuses to return that love? Yes. Jesus did and we can. We don’t have to be ashamed to express love. Expression is a way of venting our thoughts and feelings. To paraphrase a verse of scripture, the love of God, and the love of man, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Just because others don’t love you doesn’t mean that you cant love them, just because others don’t show love to you doesn’t mean that you can show love to them. Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. We don’t have to be ashamedto love. We can show love in many ways. Does a man love his children when he refuses to feed them, does a man love his spouse when he refuses to care for them, does a man love God when he refuses to serve Him? No. Refusing to feed, to care and to serve is the absence of love and the breaking of the Law and not the fulfillment of it. There are many verses in scripture that state what love is, the love of God, the love of Spouse, the love of neighbor, the love of enemy and the love of Children. Lets not be afraid to love. ars

Quick guide to understanding your cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatlike substance which is found in the tissue of humans and other animals. It plays important roles in cell membrane structure, certain hormones, and manufacturing vitamin D. Our livers procude all of the cholesterol that we need for these important functions. Excess cholesterol can contribute to antherosclerosis or clogging of the arteries.

Cholesterol is found in all food from animal sources: meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products. Some animal foods contribute substantial amounts of cholesterol, while others contribute only small amounts. There is no cholesterol in any plant-derived foods. Excess dietary cholesterol can increase blood cholesterol, which can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

You'll often hear cholesterol referred to as either good cholesterol or bad cholesterol. To help in our understanding of the two and their differences, we first need to define the word "lipoproteins." These are packets of proteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides that are assembled by the liver and circulated in the blood. When we talk about LDL cholesterol, we're referring to low density lipoprotein cholesterol. And when we refer to HDL cholesterol, we're referring to high density lipoprotein cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol, often referred to as "bad cholesterol," carried cholesterol through the bloodstream, dropping it off where it's needed for cell building and leaving behind any unused residue of cholesterol as plague on the walls of the arteries.

HDL cholesterol, often referred to as "good cholesterol," picks up the cholesterol which has been deposited in the arteries and brings it back to the liver for reprocessing or excretion.

You can easily understand why there's a distinction between good and bad cholesterol now that you understand the unique functions of each.

Saturated fats are usually from animal products such as lard, fats in meat and chicken skin, butter, ice cream, milk fat, cheese, etc. Tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil are also highly saturated. These fats are usually solid at room temperature. You've undoubtedly heard from somewhere that you should keep your saturated fats to a minimum, but do you know why? Because these fats tend to increase your blood cholesterol levels, which in turn increases your risk of coronary heart disease.

Hydrogenated fats are those liquid vegetable oils than have been turned into solid saturated fats through a chemical process. These fats also contribute to your blood cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and derived from plants. Examples: safflower, corn, soybean, cottenseed and sunflower oils. Polyunsaturated fats tend to lower LDL (your bad cholesterol), but in excess can also lower your HDL (good cholesterol).

Monounsaturated fats are also derived from plants. These include olive oils and canola oil. Replacing the saturated fats in your diet with monounsaturated fats can help to lower your LDL (again, bad cholesterol) without lowering your HDL (good cholesterol). This is why monounsaturated fats are a healthy choice for your heart. However, keep in mind that too much of any form of fat can contribute to obesity.

The bottomline: whenever you're making a choice about the fats you use, keep in mind that good heart health depends on keeping your LDL cholesterol low while maintaining your HDL cholesterol.

Elephant-back safaris in south africa

South Africa Elephant Back Safaris - following in the footsteps of the Ancients: Elephants, the largest land animals in the world, inspire a feeling of awe and respect in most people. Weighing up to 6 tons (11 000lb) and reaching speeds of up to 40km/hr, this monster of the animal kingdom has an impressive presence.

Whilst the majority of people will never have the opportunity to come close or even touch these animals, many South African game reserves (SEE: sa-venues. com) offer the once in a lifetime chance to do an Elephant Back Safari. Imagine yourself, perched 6ft in the air on the back of a 6 ton elephant, slowly making your way through open velds or dense forests. It’s a safari like no other. As such, Elephant Back Safari’s in South Africa are growing in popularity.

Game viewing on elephant back provides you with the unique opportunity of getting really close to wildlife (SEE: sa-venues. com/wildlife) that you could normally only view from far off. The smell of the elephants overpowers that of people so that other animals like rhino, giraffe and buck etc will not be scared off by the scent of people nearby. As such you’re able to get close up to extraordinary wildlife. An elephant back safari at most game reserves is usually a well catered for event including meals and of course, the elephant ride. The elephants are prepared with a comfortable saddle and you’ll be seated behind an experienced elephant handler. An elephant back safari will usually last around an hour and 30 minutes. Granted, your initial few minutes on the back of this monstrous animal will be endured with more than a little apprehension, but rest assured that as the safari begins and you become accustomed to the rhythmic and calm movements of the elephant, the experience that follows will be incredible.

Many game reserves in South Africa also provide the unique and enjoyable opportunity to walk along with the elephants as you move through the velds and forests. Being surrounded by these enormous animals and moving along with them during the safari is a sobering experience and one that is not easily forgotten. The elephant sanctuary near the Magaliesberg Mountains offers the opportunity of spending an entire day out with these animals and taking part in activities like elephant walks, elephant back safari rides, feeding and brushing the elephants and much more.

A South African elephant back safari is a truly wonderful experience. Being immersed so deeply in nature and interacting with such powerful creatures is deeply rewarding and satisfying and is an opportunity that should not be missed.

Taking a self catering vacation

When it comes to a summer vacation, often most people love to flock to the beach in order to get a tan and to relax as much as possible. However sometimes it isn’t possible to relax as the beach can be extremely crowded. So, if you are looking to get away from it all and if you wanted to be surrounded by peace and tranquility, then it may be a good idea to stay in a Mountain cabin.

Mountain Cabin Rentals

If you are looking for outdoor vacation rentals then a mountain cabin rental is definitely for you. Allowing you to be surrounded by stunning natural beauty, you really will feel alive as you wake up to nothing but the sound of wildlife and nature in all its glory. It is just what you need if you are looking for pure relaxation and it is certainly different from the bustling beaches that you would otherwise experience. Being in a mountain cabin really can help you to enjoy your time with your family or a loved one. There is something extremely romantic about staying in the mountains and you can even partake in a number of different activities too if you would lie to. Hiking, cycling and sightseeing can all easily be enjoyed if you go a short distance away from your cabin.

There are a number of popular Mountain ranges to choose from and you will find that mountains in Colorado, New York, Pennysylvania, North Carolina and Wyoming, are all equally popular. Look around at all of your options to see which area would best suit your needs. You will notice that a lot of mountain cabin rentals are found closely together. However, all cabins do tend to be different and so it is worth looking into each individual one to see what the differences are.

Each cabin will also be surrounded by different things. So you should research the nearby facilities to see what is available. All mountain cabin rentals are self catering, but you can always see if there are any nearby restaurants or cafes that you can dine out in. If there isn’t then you will have to make sure that you take enough food to last you or at least that there is a local store nearby. You also need to think about whether there is a gas station nearby too. If you are traveling by car then you will need a gas station, otherwise you will need to take extra gas with you just in case.

Overall an outdoor vacation could be just what you need if you are looking to get away from it all. However if the right amount of research is not done on each cabin, you could end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. So be prepared and you should have a fantastic vacation.

Dating senior where senior singles find love and companionship

Are you a senior single who is thinking about dating again? Meeting new people can be challenging especially to older people as they often face unique circumstances.

One of the greatest challenges is that many older people have been in a relationship that may have lasted for decades. Having to learn the dating game all over can give one an awkward feeling.

It is beyond the scope of this article to offer support to the person who, for any reason, is unable to let go and start over. Such a person may need help from a professional. This article is for the relationship-ready person who does not know where (or how) to start.

Another obstacle to senior dating is that there are not too many avenues open to this age-group. Singles clubs and bars and clubs are not exactly made with this population in mind. Well, being the one senior person in a club full of twenty-something year olds is not particularly endearing, and is open to the wrong interpretation.

Added to this is feeling, real or imagined that one is no longer as attractive as they once were. Physical limitations that sometimes inevitably come with age complicate things even farther. People of the same age-group might be more understanding and accommodating to these limitations.

So, where to go for the senior single seeking a companion or partner?

While joining a group or club consisting of people with similar interests may be a starting point, there still might not be as many available (and compatible) seniors. Dating has always been a numbers game. Cruises and vacation packages for seniors could cost a fortune, with zero end-results.

One option that offers the best value is senior online dating. There are dating services dedicated specifically to helping people over 40 or 50 years old find partners.

Surveys by dating sites indicate that the fastest growing segment in online dating (aka internet dating) is the above age 40 bracket. This can be traced to the virtual non-availability of other convenient dating methods open to senior singles.

Senior dating sites are very active and are not just for retirees. Nor are they for perverts simply out to satisfy their twisted cravings. Most people in this age group seek serious relationships. Plus, you need not worry about competing with younger people as they won't be on these sites!

A senior dating service offers several advantages over other dating methods. One big advantage is ability to search among hundreds of senior singles all of whom have one goal, to find a mate. All are there because they are available (no guessing).

Another advantage is that you can search by geographical area, age, height etc., as well as interests. This greatly increases your chance of finding a compatible partner.

Reputable dating sites make huge efforts make your mate-finding experience easy through user-friendly interfaces. They also go to great lengths to protect your privacy.

Online senior personals help bring this segment of people together from the comfort and privacy of their own homes, 24/7. Seniors are able to meet on the internet without having to worry about physical limitations, loosing face, or feeling out of place.

Little wonder then, that senior dating is such a growing phenomenon on the internet. Most of the top-rated sites offer free trials. You should at least give senior online dating a try for one simple reason. It works.

Multivitamins - a ticket to daily health

An increasingly number of the world's population is now eager and interested in looking after their health and in keeping tune with their well-being. It is important to note that this awareness is progressively contributing to the creation of several health supplements to benefit both the adults and the young ones. Dietary and vitamin supplements have constantly proven their worth to health conscious individuals.

An excellent daily multivitamin supplement does not only develop your general bodily functions but also improves your mental and physical condition and well being. Occasionally specification is needed in appropriately supplementing nutrients to deal with any individual needs. An example would be in heart disease patients, they would have to take in CoQ10 in preventing the said condition. Alzheimer's disease can be effectively prevented by a regular combination of Vitamin C and E intake.

Multivitamin supplements necessarily include all the vitamins and nutrients essential for recommended daily dosage. Multivitamin supplements may also be formulated to meet the needs of individual conditions like pregnancy and specific age brackets. It is a well settled fact that multivitamins in liquid form are more efficient than the ordinary pill forms. This is due to the fact that the body can easily absorb liquid nutrients five times more than ordinary multivitamins in tablet or capsule form.

Basically, the body needs 13 essential vitamins to function properly. In regulating the crucial performance of the body, it has to have vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, B12, and the 7 B-complex vitamins. Majority of these vitamins are obtained by our body through the food that we eat. The danger of illness or even mortality is in the deficiency of some of the essential vitamins. This is where vitamin supplementation comes in. It counteracts the illness caused by such deficiency. With this fact, it is very unlikely for someone to refuse vitamin supplementation on a daily basis. So the question now is, why is it necessary for individuals to take multivitamins when majority of our daily diet can provide us with the basic nutrients we need? It may not be compulsory, but everyone can profit from daily multivitamins.

As previously mentioned, the clear benefit of daily intake of multivitamins it to prevent vitamin/nutrient deficiency. Some personal circumstances may increase dietary needs. Pregnant women, during their first trimester, are recommended by their doctors to take multivitamins. This does not only provide the mothers with sufficient nutrition but also proper vitamins to benefit the unborn child inside their womb. Taking multivitamins everyday reduces the risk of transmitting malnutrition from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. Other conditions such as old age, alcoholism, smoking, and exposure to excessive pollution have long-term detrimental effects to the body system which can be successfully counteracted by multivitamins.

Stress is also one risk factor which needs serious supplementation that multivitamins can provide. Especially with people who have so much to do and have a hard time in keeping up with their health needs, multivitamins are a must to keep them always on the go without any health complications in the long run. Stress formulations benefit both your mental ability and daily endurance. Aside from the mentioned benefits, daily multivitamins also minimize the risk of cancer or any cardiovascular disease.

Several people, if not all, testify to have a feeling of comfortable health in regularly taking in multivitamins. This is due to the synergistic or combined effects of the supplemental ingredients found in multivitamins. A fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin, like the Vitamin E, works to neutralize probable harmful free agents in the body. This vitamin also maintains healthy skin through protection of cell membranes, blood circulation, heart, nerves, red blood cells, and muscles. Another antioxidant is the Vitamin C which effectively fights blood cell infection and is vital in collagen formation, wound healing, and formation of bone structures, capillaries, and teeth. Vitamin is also helpful in the iron absorption from plant sources. Vitamins A, D, K and other supplemental nutrients found in multivitamins have specific functions that benefit the bodily functions.

While daily intake of multivitamins may have proven beneficial, it is not a 100% guarantee to be free of serious illness attributed to other factors. It is often a misconception that symptoms of disease may always be cured by taking multivitamins. Health experts have the better opinion of immediate medical assistance rather than resorting to multivitamins alone.

Fast cars and the weight issue

Weight is one of the most important issues to consider when building a fast car for road or track. Putting a car on a serious diet is pretty much free horsepower, as any attempt to lighten a car improves the power to weight ratio, this seriously improves acceleration.

The gains on a lightening a car are huge and not just limited to gains in acceleration either. Once you have lightened a fast car you will find the car performs better in the corners and under braking, parts such as brakes and tires will last longer on the car also.

The potential gains are huge but it must be done correctly, you would not want to lighten a rear wheel drive car too much on the rear or you may find traction a problem particularly with a high power output.

The truth is your fast car could be made a great deal faster cheaply and easily just by shaving a few pounds off the body.

How do we remove weight from the fast car?

This bit is as easy as you want it to be, but as with most forms of car modification it depends on how far you want to go. I know a guy who races a BMW and he decided to go all out on weight saving, he even scraped every bit of under-seal from the floors of the car, extreme perhaps but he managed to remove nearly 2 stone of under-seal, not a bad effort.

The obvious place to start saving weight on your fast car is by removing the interior, and anything else that you do not need, the front seats can be replaced with light weight racing items, the unused wiring removed, carpets and sound deadening, pretty much all of the unnecessary parts, my car has just a driver seat and a cage with much of the unnecessary wiring removed. This makes for a car with very impressive performance.

Many other components can be replaced with lighter parts, gear box casings, axle covers etc. It is worth noting that a stainless steel exhaust is lighter than the same in mild steel, so this constitutes a worthwhile investment.

It is also important to reduce the unsprung weight on the car also, by this I mean wheels, brakes and anything else before the suspension mounts, this provides a very good increase in the handling of the car.

Article writing tips for profit

Writing articles is a very effective way to get one way links to your site as well as to have people learn more about your website or service. However, there are ways to do this that can make you more successful versus have your articles be overlooked and not considered.

Shane Pearce has written the Lazy Man's Guide to Article Writing which outlines some helpful tips. I was first impressed with his tip that when you submit your article to an ezine publisher or a webmaster, that you can offer him to use his own affiliate link in place of your own. For instance, if you have written an article on motivation and have a link to a clickbank ebook on motivation and goals, you can offer the publisher that he use his own affiliate id instead of yours. What this means is that the ezine or website publisher will be getting a free article already written with a link that may give him some monetary income. You still would have your own information in your resource box at the end, so people can click to your website as well. Think about what the website publisher you write to will get out of the exchange and find a way to make his or her life easier.

Other tips he gives are to read frequently asked questions to find out what people want to know about in terms of popular topics. Shane discusses how to make a viral ebook based on a faq niche that can be passed around. If there are frequently asked questions on a topic that is a sign that the topic has an interest as well as the fact there may be an interest in some guide or tutorial.

Also I like the sample autoresponder examples he uses as well as different ideas for a signature file at the end of one's article. I think he is very good at showing how to integrate a couple of affiliate links without being pushy. He recommends sending people to opt-in to a mailing list as part of your signature file.

Another section I found useful discusses how to create checklists and use them both for your website and in articles that lead back to your website. People like checklists. Shane discusses how to use these. They also help break through writer's block or paralysis because you can have a list of steps .

There are ideas given about utilizing both 2-tier affiliate programs and residual income programs that will help you keep you earning as your articles circulate around the net. Shane gives some interesting suggestions on types of sites that work for this.

I also like that Shane gives an example of a flop he did of an unsuccessful attempt at marketing. He analzyes it and compares it to something someone else wrote he feels was better expressed. It is a very interesting study covering various ways to get your articles noticed and published. I publish articles regularly but learned some valuable tips from this ebook.

Visitors guide to venice veneto italy

One of the jewels of Italy, Venice is known throughout the world for its stunning architecture and miles of canals. Consisting of 117 separate islands linked by a series of historic bridges, canals and pavements, Venice is visited each year by many thousands of tourists. Home to some of the world most stunning buildings, impressive museums and art galleries, and a large selection of top restaurants, Venice has much to offer and rarely disappoints.

Central Venice consists of six main regions, Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Polo and San Marco, each full of local charm and appeal. One of the most famous landmarks in the city, San Marco Square is the only public square in Venice and offers a rich heritage, with the magnificent buildings of Doge's Palace and the Basilica San Marco nearby. Castello is the most historical area of the city and is known for its Arsenale ship-building yard.

On the northern side of Venice, Cannaregio contains the Santa Lucia Railway Station, with nearby Santa Croce linking the city to Italy's mainland. The smallest area of the city is the San Polo district, which offers many local eateries and inns. On Venice's southern side you will find the district of Dorsoduro, which contains the notable 17th-century Dogana da Mar.

Transport in Venice:

Central Venice is easy to traverse on food, being generally well pedestrianized. Popular methods of transport include inexpensive water buses and more pricey motorboat taxis, both of which offer a convenient and extremely scenic way to travel around the canals. Connected by rail to many large cities in both Italy and Europe, Venice stands on the A4 Autostrada.

The city is home to a large and busy airport, which is located around 8 miles / 13 km from the centre and caters for many international airlines. Venice's Marco Polo International Airport is easy to reach by a range of transportation, such as buses, cars, taxis, boats and rail.

Venice Tourism:

No trip to Venice would be complete without a trip in a traditional gondola and the city is geared up towards the tourist trade, with many must-see sights and attractions. Some of the most popular things to see in Venice include the numerous palaces and historic structures, such as the Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto), the Palazzo Mocenigo, the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace), the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and a host of churches. The city is also home to countless trendy shopping areas, which are lined with local boutiques and specialist shops, together with a number of colourful markets.

Some of the most outstanding art galleries and museums in the city include the Marciano Museum, the Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico), the Accademia Gallery and the Contini Gallery. The watery city of Venice is also home to a surprising number of green spaces and parklands, such as the Royal Gardens (Giardinetti Reali) and the Giardino Giusti. Nearby Venice you will find a many interesting and appealing towns worth a visit, such as Burano, which is just a short trip by ferry and is known for its lace making.

Throughout the year, many major events are held in the Venice area and consist of religious festivals, cultural events and sports. Events not to be missed include seasonal carnivals, the Festa di San Marco at the end of April, the Festa Medioevale del Vino Soave Bianco Soave each May, the Vogalonga rowing regatta in May, the Venice International Film Festival at the end of August, and also the New Year's Eve masses in the city's Catholic churches.

Venice Shopping:

Full of elegant and trendy boutiques, independent shops and vibrant markets, the city could be called a 'shopper's paradise' and offers plenty of genuine bargains. The best shopping areas in Venice are around the San Marco region, the Mercerie and also close to the Calle dei Fabbri. Also, regular fish markets are held alongside the Grand Canal and are popular with both locals and visitors to the city.

Venice Restaurants:

With a vast selection of restaurants, cafes and eateries, Venice offers many traditional Italian dishes, which include freshly made pizzas, pastas, paninis, cheeses and salads. Many other types of cuisine are also available aimed at tourists visiting the city, such as fast-food outlets and bars. Al fresco dining is particularly popular in the city and around the San Marco area, known locally as the 'Piazza San Marco'.

Stress and high blood pressure

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Stress can make blood pressure go up for a while, and it has been thought to contribute to high blood pressure. But the long-term effects of stress are as yet unclear. Stress management techniques do not seem to prevent high blood pressure. However, such techniques may have other benefits, such as making you feel better or helping you to control over-eating thus helping in decreasing your blood pressure.

Remember Your blood pressure increases remarkably when you are under physical or emotional stress. If you constantly feel "stressed out," your body may maintain an abnormally high level of responsiveness, creating an artificially induced state of high blood pressure.

Exercise can also cause stress, but Unlike exercise, which provides your body with well-controlled physical stress for a limited amount of time, chronic stress does not benefit your circulatory system. Rather, it increases your risk of illness. However, stress is very much a part of modern life, and it can be hard to control the amount of stress in your life without changing your daily habits significantly.

what are the ways to control your stress? Many persons do follow these habits to relieve from stress—eating, drinking alcohol, and smoking—contribute to the development of high blood pressure. You may wish to use exercise to manage your stress. Failing that, you may need to seek counseling to help you change how you think about certain things that cause you to be stressed, or to learn relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation and transcendental meditation may help reduce mild high blood pressure.

How your heart is affected by stress? Stress has noticeable effects on the cardiovascular system. Who hasn't felt their heart beat faster because of stress or anxiety? Chronic stress can result in high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, strokes, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular system disorders.

Keep in mind that Stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure. Even a small stress response causes blood vessels to constrict. Research is unlocking a complex relationship between stress, high blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. Some studies has proved this fact that stress is deeply related with high blood pressure.

Recent studies have brought to light how stress and high blood pressure influence the chance of a stroke and transient ischemic attacks. A study in the June 2003 edition of Stroke draws a connection between the severity of stress-induced blood pressure changes and the risk of strokes. Danish study supports this finding: the study discovered that middle-aged men who reported high levels of stress were twice as likely to suffer a fatal stroke compared to men who reported low stress levels. As little as one incident of stress a week doubled the chance of a stroke.

Atherosclerosis occurs when fat, cholesterol, and plaque deposits build up and clog the cardiovascular system's blood vessels. Arteries become thick with this process. If atherosclerosis affects blood vessels leading to the heart, the disease is referred to as coronary artery disease. High blood pressure , cholesterol, smoking and diabetes are important risk factors for High blood pressure. Stress may also be a contributing factor. An Ohio State University study discovered that stress slows the body's metabolism of triglycerides, a type of fat linked to cardiovascular system disorders, including heart attacks. By slowing the metabolism of triglycerides, stress allows the fat to remain in the blood longer, a factor that may speed up atherosclerosis development.

Relaxation techniques can help minimize the effect stress has on the cardiovascular system. Research has noted that breathing exercises and meditation help control high blood pressure, and may even have a preventative effect. Development of atherosclerosis can also be delayed by relaxation techniques. Regular meditation, breathing exercises and other techniques can help to lower the level of oxidative chemicals in the blood, which in turn lowers the risk of atherosclerosis and thus maintaining your blood pressure with in normal limits.

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Folding mobility scooters how to bring more independence to your life

Having trouble simply walking is bad enough. It’s even worse when you require family, friends and nurse aids to do your shopping, errands or to even get you around your home. Feeling like you’ve lost your independence is a hard pill to swallow. Luckily it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

That’s because more and more people are learning about “folding mobility scooters.” Now a mobility scooter is an electric powered scooter that has either a three-wheel or four-wheel base. It’s the perfect mobility aid for people who have trouble walking.

Better still, if you are still independent and would largely like to remain so, having what’s called a folding mobility scooter is a blessing. Actually, many models of mobility scooters today break down into individual, lightweight parts, allowing you to put the scooter in the car or in the back of your min-van or SUV. Surprisingly, it can take less than a minute to put the scooter into your car!

Even though the folding mobility scooter breaks down small enough where you can store it in your car, many models are sturdy enough to carry up to 300 pounds. Folding mobility scooters can range in price from $450 to $1,000.

Depending upon the dealer, you may be able to get a good service plan and warranty. Plus, your insurance or Medicare may be able to pay for part of your folding mobility scooter. Be sure to talk with your local dealer about this.

Once you have your folding mobility scooter, no longer will you feel like a burden (if you do) on others. You can have much of your independence back. What’s more, there are many, makes and models of folding mobility scooters. You can get a scooter that fits your own personality, traveling up to 5-10 miles per hour to get where you need to go.

The cause of global warming. is it you

We know the Earth is getting warmer.

The International Panel on Climate Change predicts a global temperature rise of about 5C by the end of this century. That’s enough for major changes. Like in rising seawater levels, in food production and rainfall.

Knowing why we are in this fix is the first step to doing something about it. Yes, that’s you and me.

There are four levels at which to understand the cause of global warming.

* The mechanics of global warming

* What we do

* Our beliefs and values, and

* Natural cycles, involving the sun

The mechanics of global warming are simple. There’s too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

The Earth absorbs heat from the sun and radiates much of it back into space or else we would cook. But presently the Earth retains more warmth from the sun, about 0.85 per square metre, than it radiates back into space. It is mainly CO2 that hinders solar radiation back into space and this creates the greenhouse effect.

Currently the atmospheric CO2 content is about 380 ppm (parts per million), up from about a thousand years ago at a level of 280 ppm. Predictions are that it may go up to 500ppm by the end of this century.

And CO2 hangs around for a long time. It takes about 100,000 years for atmospheric CO2 to reduce by about 63% through natural processes.

What we do contributes to so much CO2 in the atmosphere. It got there because of massive amounts of fossil fuels that humanity has been burning since the start of the Industrial Revolution, some 300 years ago.

Coal and oil are the mainstays in power generation and to power our transport. Of course a growing world population needs more energy for food, clothing, housing and comforts. But when there are 8 billion of us, all wanting a big house, the latest electronic playthings, a car, and access to world travel, we’re in trouble.

We’re in trouble because the Earth cannot physically support all those needs and wants and because the energy emissions needed to meet them would choke us.

Our beliefs and values have much to do with why we want so many more things than we really need.

It is to do with ideas about “progress” that started before the Industrial Revolution, during the period known as the “Enlightenment”, starting in the 16th century.

It generated ideas about the importance of the individual, about the use of reason and material wellbeing. Rene Descartes was one of this period’s foremost philosophers. You know his famous quote: “I think therefore I am.” Recently I saw an advertisement using that quote like this: “I think, therefore I shop”.

Funny? Yes, and getting to the heart of the problem. The way we think, about ourselves and about the world is the problem.

Does our consumer world leave room for nature, for things we can make and maintain ourselves, for “slow” and natural growth, for each other and our environments? Not much.

So, it’s our values and our beliefs that continues to put CO2 in the air and are cooking us.

Natural cycles, involving the sun have something to do with global warming too. That’s true.

The Earth is now receiving 30% more solar radiation than it did 4.6 billion years ago. And there have always been cycles of ice ages and warmer “interglacial” periods, depending on the Earth’s orbit, solar radiation strength and changes in ocean currents.

The last “Little Ice Age” was between 1400 and 1840 with significantly lower temperatures. And such events are part of 1,500 year cycles.

Presently the Earth is at the end of an interglacial, warmer time and is due for a cooling down. But it seems that we are not going to let that happen. The steep increase in CO2, particularly over the last 45 years, does not fit into any natural cycle.

We cannot blame the sun. It’s us.

What to do is the question. The facts are that global warming will be with us for a long time, whether we stop putting CO2 into the air today or not. It will get worse as fast developing economies involving billions of people in the USA, China and India will rely on fossil fuels for decades yet. Renewable energy is only at the start of making any inroads.

You can only change what you do by changing how you think. If we don’t figure our way out of our consumerist addictions we will eventually have to go cold turkey. Or is that hot turkey?

There is a need for re-valuation of living well with an interdependent, connected and unpredictable world. One with limits.

What better way to change your thinking than by getting close to people who do live – and some do so very well - with high levels of vulnerability and dependence, like people with disabilities or those who are frail aged.

Giving a hand to those who live in your street or come on your path, is a way to get reconnected with what life is all about.

Whether or not alternate energy sources will be used in time to make global warming tolerable, getting on with each other, in all our diversity, is good for planet Earth.

And for you.

Your options in car financing

There are so many car financing options available how do you know which one is right for you? Read on to obtain information about all of the different options available and how to determine which one will provide you with the best benefits.

Many people take advantage of an option known as dealer financing. This is when you handle the financing of your new vehicle directly through the lender. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be making your payments directly to the dealer. Usually, they work with a finance company to provide the financing to you. There are definitely some benefits to this option. First, depending on your situation you may be able to obtain extremely low interest rates; in some case you may be able to obtain a zero percent interest rate. In order to obtain this special rate; however, you will need to have excellent credit with no problems. If you have any problems at all on your credit history you will not qualify for the special interest rate although you will probably be able to still obtain a loan; just at a higher rate. When your credit report is not perfect ask yourself whether you could get a better deal at a bank.

Bank financing is an option that is typically available as long as your credit history is good. This means it doesn’t have to be perfect but you shouldn’t have any major flaws either. If you have already worked with the bank in the past this will increase your chances of obtaining a loan. While a bank interest rate may not be as low as what a car dealer can offer for individuals with excellent credit, it may be better than what you could obtain at the dealership if your credit is only ‘good.’

Another option you may wish to consider is credit union financing. Of course, this option is only available if you belong to a credit union. If you do happen to have a credit union membership; however, the rate available to you may be much better than what you can obtain through a bank or dealership.

These days it is also quite easy to simply go online and surf around for a quote from an online lender. This option has become so popular many lenders are now willing to compete with one another and offer very attractive rates. In the event you do not have perfect credit, this can be a good option for you; just make sure you fully understand all of the terms of the loan before accepting it.

Another option would be to simply borrow the funds from a family member of friend. Of course, this is extremely risky because it could cause problems in your relationship in the event that you run into a problem with the payments. But, if you can’t obtain a loan elsewhere because of credit problems this may be a good option.

Finally, you may wish to consider refinancing your home or taking out a home equity loan in order to finance the cost of your new home. This basically allows you to pay cash for your vehicle with the proceeds of the loan and then paying back the money through the refi loan. In some cases you may be able to get a better interest rate with this route than you would with a traditional bank auto loan. In addition, the interest you pay on the loan is tax deductible. Like other options; however, there are some disadvantages. With this option, be aware that you could be putting your house at risk, not just your car, if you run into a problem and can’t make the payments in the future.

Internet drugstores eventually get the increasing popularity

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People aspire not to save on their own health and not to make experiments which are fraught with undesirable consequences. For this reason many people concerned with doubt such type of service as internet drugstores until recently. It’s well-known fact that innovations not only draw attention and cause a buyer fever, but also produce some fear and reflexions about how much this or that innovation is expedient in general.

But internet drugstores eventually get the increasing popularity because of convenience and advantages by which they are characterized.

In the USA and Europe the percentage of people, who use these internet drugstores services, grows strictly. The most popular are networks of real drugstores, which have got web-sites and show their products there. But drugstores which have no traditional primary source are also demanded. Nevertheless, it does not influence on quality characteristics of sold medical means, because the legal internet drugstore for getting the license is obliged to have suitable warehouse for drugs, and also qualified staff, which will be engaged in consultation of buyers.

Legislative regulation of internet drugstores is strict enough to provide high level of services. Public services are constantly engaged in tracing and liquidation of illegal internet drugstores selling fake medicaments or narcotics without the prescription. Legal internet drugstores are capable to substitute usual street drugstores. The drugstores’ web-sites give detailed information about company, and also about medicines which they sell. The customer can get proper consultation on medicines, and also find out the symptoms of possible disease on these web-sites. One of the main advantages of internet drugstores is a full confidentiality for customers. The buyer makes an order for medical products individually, not disclosing the information about his/her health condition among other buyers that always happens in street drugstore queues.

The online pharmacy becomes the best solution for the buyer who gets medical treatment in-home and cannot go to a drugstore to buy medical products independently. It is enough to make an order, and it will be delivered to the house in as much as possible short terms. Qualitative internet drugstores provide adequate packing, transportation and transferring of medical products for the purpose of full preservation of their quality and efficiency, transferring of medicines to the person who has made an order, possibility to control order delivery.

There will be no problems with an order of drugs which require prescription from a doctor. The buyer can receive the order after providing the prescription. Internet drugstores are inferior to real drugstores on goods assortment. On the contrary it is possible to make an order in these internet drugstores on rare drugs which not always available in usual drugstores. Users order such goods in internet drugstores more often.

As for the price policy of internet drugstore it does not differ a lot from usual drugstore. With only one difference: some kinds of drugs in internet drugstores are cheaper. Among extra benefits - individually developed discount system for regular customers.