Are You Empathic?

Watch this video from Dr Brene Brown to find out exactly what empathy is, and why it's so important to successful human relationships. It's a fun watch, too!

 Are You Empathic?

The Relaxation Mineral

The Relaxation Mineral

There are many vitamins and minerals that you hear discussed in the news, but there’s one mineral that provides help with relaxation that is often underrated.  Magnesium is a mineral that is a powerful ally in helping you to relax and get a better night’s sleep.

Click here to order your magnesium today!

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral that’s found all over your body.  It’s naturally occurring in many foods such as almonds, spinach, cashews, black beans, and peanut butter.  But you can also find it in supplement form.

It has an important role in the body and actually is a catalyst for over 300 reactions in your tissues.  But its most prominent role is in your muscles, bones, and brain.  Your cells need magnesium in order to make energy, help cell membranes stay stable, and to help your muscles relax.

Am I Magnesium Deficient?

Magnesium is a critical mineral, but many people are walking around with deficiencies and don’t even know it.  If you have symptoms or conditions such as muscle cramps, twitches, insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, autism, migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and diabetes you might be deficient in magnesium.  And the list can go on and on.

With the current Western diet, a good portion of the population is magnesium deficient.  This can lead to chronic inflammation in the body and illness.  When you eat highly processed foods, you typically lack this mineral.

Food such as coffee, sodas, sugar, salt, and alcohol also cause your body to lose magnesium.  High stress levels can also lead to magnesium deficiency.  And some medications can also contribute to this problem.

Adding Magnesium

The good news about magnesium deficiency is that you can easily correct it.  First, you’ll want to avoid things that can cause your body to be drained of magnesium.  Then you’ll want to increase your intake of this important mineral.

Eat foods high in magnesium such as nuts, beans, brown rice, avocado, garlic, figs, and dates.  Food is the best way to gain this mineral.  You can also take a magnesium supplement that will help you to get what your diet doesn’t provide.  If you have kidney or heart disease, you should talk with your doctor before adding magnesium supplements. 

By restoring your magnesium supply you can help your body to get better sleep and relaxation, but you can also improve many different health conditions related to inflammation and magnesium deficiency. This is a simple, inexpensive way to enjoy better health.

Click here to order your magnesium today!

Ovarian Cancer - Ignorance is Not Bliss

Ovarian Cancer – Ignorance is Not Bliss

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in American women.  And sadly, more than half of women who are diagnosed with it will die from it.  (https://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2018-09-02/what-every-woman-needs-to-know-about-ovarian-cancer).

Part of the reason for the high mortality rate of this cancer is that it is often diagnosed at late stages when it has already spread to other areas of the body.  Symptoms of ovarian cancer also range from no symptoms to things like pelvic pain, weight gain, fatigue, and abnormal bleeding post-menopause. 

Often these symptoms are mistaken for something else and many women go without proper diagnosis.  Still some women are afraid to get testing and avoid it until it is too late.

This is a huge mistake.  Women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in its early stages have a very high chance of cure and survival.  The survival rate after 5 years of women who were diagnosed before the cancer has spread is 93%.  Time is of the essence when it comes to diagnosing and treating this form of the disease.

It’s important to have regular pelvic exams.  During a pelvic exam your doctor will feel the ovaries and uterus and pay attention to any abnormalities in the size or shape.  Occasionally this exam can detect cancers, but ovarian tumors can be difficult to feel in their early stages.

If you have symptoms of ovarian cancer, you should insist on a screening exam.  This can be done with a transvaginal ultrasound that allows a physician to look at the ovaries and detect any tumors.  There is also a blood test called CA-125 that detects a protein in the blood that can be found in high levels when a woman has ovarian cancer. 

The most important thing you can do is pay attention to any symptoms and make sure to see a physician as soon as you notice them.  You may have to insist on a pelvic ultrasound.  If your doctor doesn’t take you seriously, you should look for another who will.  If transvaginal ultrasounds sounds invasive, but it is typically painless and is a short experience.

If you have bloating, pelvic pain, trouble eating, urinary urgency or frequency, fatigue, pain during sex, constipation, or bleeding after menopause you may be experiencing ovarian cancer symptoms. 

Risk factors for ovarian cancer include a family history, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, Lynch Syndrome, personal history of endometriosis or breast, uterine, and colorectal cancers, increasing age (age 55-64), hormone replacement therapy, obesity, and infertility.

Lung Cancer Now Affects More Young Women than Young Men

Lung Cancer Now Affects More Young Women than Young Men

For much of history, men have had higher rates of lung cancer than women for people age 35-54.  However, in a new study released in 2018, it turns out that now young women are more likely to develop lung cancer than young men.

Lung Cancer Has Decreased Overall

While this shift in demographics is surprising, there is good news.  Overall, lung cancer rates have decreased across the board.  Much of this can be attributed to a decrease in smoking rates.  In fact, 85% of lung cancer is related to smoking so by quitting smoking, you can substantially decrease your risk of developing this cancer.

Why Women Are More At Risk

While it may seem that smoking is to blame, most researchers believe that smoking alone can’t explain this shift.   Women and men typically have almost the same rates of smoking and in some populations men still have a higher rate of smoking than women.

Rather than women doing something that is causing this shift, it’s more likely that men are quitting at higher rates than women.  When a person stops smoking, their risk of cancer begins to decrease over time.

But for women, this risk of cancer decreases slower than it does for men.  This could be why men have fewer cases of lung cancer.  Women could be more likely to develop illness as a result of their smoking and exposure to other risk factors.

However, scientists still need to continue their research to determine if this is in fact the reason.  

Lung Cancer Can Occur Early in Life

Lung cancer isn’t always on the radar for young people when they consider their health choices.  You may believe that lung cancer only occurs in older populations.  But most people start smoking at an early age – their young teen years – and that means that lung cancer can occur early in life.

Instead of thinking that you might develop cancer in your 60s or 70s, consider that you could develop it as young as 40.  If you’re a smoker, the best health decision you can make is to stop as soon as possible.

Quitting smoking, regardless of your sex, is going to allow your body to begin reversing the damage caused by cigarettes.  While women tend to have a slower reversal, the reversal still occurs and it’s important to give yourself the best chance at reducing your risk of this life limiting cancer.

How to do a Self Check for Skin Cancer

How to Do a Self-Check for Skin Cancer

It’s important for all adults to regularly check for skin cancer – and as we get older it becomes even more important as our risk of developing these cancers increases.  In fact, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. (https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts)

 Read on to learn more about how you can perform this important task.

Mark Your Calendar

One of the best ways you can insure that you always remember to perform a self-exam is to mark your calendar each month on or around the same day.  For example, the first Sunday of every month – or any day where you might have more time than usual.  It may take a few months to get into the habit of doing this.

Gather Your Supplies

To perform a self-check, you’ll need a few simple tools.  These are things you probably already have at home including a bright light, a hand mirror, two stools or chairs, and a blow dryer.  You’ll also want to print off a body map to help you keep track of your self-exam and what you find.  You can print those off here:  https://www.skincancer.org/Media/Default/File/File/scf-body-map-2016.pdf. 

Know What to Look For

Before you begin your exam, make sure you know what you’re looking for.  For example, you can use the ABCDE method for examining. 

A stands for Asymmetry.  Look for moles that don’t have two matching halves.

B stands for Border.  Moles should have even, smooth borders. 

C stands for Color.  Benign moles are usually just one color and melanomas often have many different shades of brown and can also have red, white, and blue colors.

D stands for Diameter.  Benign moles are usually smaller than skin cancers.  Take note of anything larger than a pencil eraser.

E stands for Evolving.  This means you need to take note of any mole that starts to change over time. 

Start the Exam

To perform your self-check for skin cancer, you’ll need to remove all of your clothing so that you can get to every part of your skin – your body’s largest organ.  It’s good to go from top to bottom and start with your head. 

You may need to use a mirror to get to areas such as the back of your ears, back of your head, and any other area that is difficult to see.  You can also use chairs to help prop up your legs to check your feet, toenails, and groin area.  Make a note of anything you see that is unusual and share it with your doctor.

Drug Free Steps to Avoiding or Ending IBS

Drug Free Steps to Avoiding or Ending IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a condition that plagues as many as 20% of the population.  This is a condition that can be mild or very severe and even debilitating for people.  If you’re suffering from IBS, there are many things you can do to relieve the symptoms and get back to living a full life.

IBS Basics

IBS is a syndrome.  What that means is that it’s a collection of symptoms that are often found together and thought to have a common cause.  In the case of IBS symptoms include bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation and pain.

Many people who suffer from this syndrome are told that there’s nothing they can do about it.  Still others are prescribed medications or other treatments that simply don’t work.  But there are some things you can do to rid your body of these symptoms and enjoy life again.

Steps to End IBS

When it comes to IBS, you’re probably ready to just about anything to get rid of it.   There are some very simple steps you can take that are drug-free and can bring back normal function to your intestines.

Start with looking at food allergies.  You can go to a health practitioner to get tested for food allergies.  Many medical doctors will prescribe this type of test and you can also get it from naturopathic practitioners.  When you get the result eliminate the foods that test positive.

You can also try food elimination diets on your own for 12 weeks to determine what might be a problem for your system.  The typical culprits are diary, gluten, yeast, eggs, corn, soy, and peanuts.  And, by the way, these foods tend to be very common in the Western diet. 

Avoid these foods for about 3 months and then reintroduce one at a time to see if your symptoms return.  This can help you figure out which foods might be triggering IBS and help you to make better food choices.

Take out bad microbes.  You may also want to ask for a prescription of rifaximin and fluconazole.  These prescriptions help to get rid of drug resistant bacteria as well as fungal infections to eliminate bad microbes from your gut.

Invite good microbes.  Once you have eliminated bad microbial populations, you’ll want to invite good microbes back to your gut.  Taking a probiotic can help you to restore gut balance.

Add digestive enzymes.  Digestive enzymes can help you to break food down more efficiently and ease the burden on your gut.  Try taking fish oil, glutamine, or GLA to assist with this.

Better Mobility As You Age

Better Mobility As You Age

One of the greatest challenges of aging is maintaining mobility.  The process of aging can cause your bones, muscles, and joints to undergo changes.  Joints can become stiffer, bones less dense, and cartilage can become thinner.  All of this can make mobility a challenge.

But as you age, there are things you can do to help keep muscles and joints healthy to support your mobility.  Having more mobility as you age makes it easier perform tasks of daily life and prevents injury.  It also allows you to remain independent as long possible.  Let’s take a look at what you can do.  

Stay Active

You may have heard that motion is lotion.  This means that movement helps to bring lubrication to your joints.  If you want to move better the trick is to keep moving regularly.  Taking time for a walk several times a week and looking for ways to remain active instead of becoming one with the couch can help you to have more mobility.

Focus on Balance and Flexibility

Balance and flexibility are also critical to allow you stretch further and to keep you from falling.  Exercises such as yoga can help you to focus on both of these at the same time.  Tai Chi is another form of exercise that focuses on balance.

Maintain Vision

As you age, your vision can become impaired.  And when you have poor vision it’s difficult to remain mobile and prevent accidents.  A yearly eye exam is critical along with eating foods such as carrots and foods with omega-3 fatty acids to support good eye health.

Proper Footwear

As you age, it becomes more and more important to invest in supportive, comfortable footwear.  You’ll want shoes with good tread that help you prevent slips and falls.  It’s also important that shoes fit properly so that you don’t slide in them or develop pressure sores and blisters.  In this day and age, you can find supportive shoes that are also attractive so that you don’t have to give up your sense of style.

Use Mobility Aids as Needed

As you age you may find that you need a little assistance and support while walking and moving.  Rather than fighting their use, accepting the need and embracing the use of these supports can allow you to remain mobile and independent.  For example, a cane can help provide support.  A walker may also allow you to have support and balance so that you can continue to walk.

Are You at Risk for Autoimmune Disease?

Are You At Risk for Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune diseases are nothing new.  But if you’ve paid attention to the news lately, you’ve probably noticed an increasing number of autoimmune diseases and heard that they are becoming more and more common.

What is Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune disease encompasses many different diseases and syndromes.  What they all have in common, though, in inflammation in the body that causes it to attack itself.  This can include multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis and many more.

The Western Diet and Autoimmune Disease

There are many different causes for autoimmune diseases. We know that genetics play a factor in whether or not someone is susceptible to these forms of illness.  However, we also know that there are environmental factors that can trigger these illnesses to arise.

One of the most common culprits is the Western diet.  The Western diet is typically high in fat, sugar, salt, and protein.  Think of your typical fast-food meal and multiply that over many meals over a lifetime and you start to get the idea.

This type of diet is known to be filled with processed foods and often contains artificial chemicals as well.  It can lead to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.  It can also trigger inflammation in the body and promote autoimmune disease.  This diet also fails to promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut.  This imbalance can also lead to autoimmune conditions.

What You Can Do to Prevent Autoimmune Disease

While there’s no 100% way to be certain you won’t develop autoimmune disease, you can take steps to prevent it.  And if you’re already suffering from autoimmune disease, you can take steps to reduce your symptoms.

One of the best ways to do this is to eat a diet that is anti-inflammatory.  Eating whole foods, little sugar, and increasing your healthy omega-3 fats can all help you to reduce inflammation in your body.  This includes eating many plant foods to provide your body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

When making choices about what to eat, look at the color of your food and try to eat a rainbow of nutrients.  This will allow your body to get a wide variety of different vitamins and nutrients to support your health.

In addition to making dietary changes, you’ll find that reducing your stress levels and getting plenty of sleep are critical to lowering the stress hormone cortisol that can also trigger inflammation in the body.

How to Get Over a Breakup Faster

There is probably nothing as sad as a sweet love affair gone sour. It is quite a difficult time for anyone whenever there happens to be a breakup and both parties have to go their different ways for whatsoever reasons might have been put up to necessitate the breakup.


Whichever way we look at it, the truth is that breakups are a part of our lives and we therefore need to accept them when they occur and learn to move on with our lives. With that said, it is still not that easy getting over a breakup. Due to the space in time between the breakup and finding a new relationship, depression, which so often sets in during this period, is a very big problem for most people after a breakup. You will need every help possible to quickly and easily get over the breakup and start living life again.

It is so naturally that when we are happy we simply smile, and when sad, we cry. We need to come to terms with our feelings at this time of sadness and you should not let anyone tell you not to cry during this period only avoid doing it unnecessarily. When you feel the pain of the breakup surging within you and you feel like crying, don't try to hold it back but simply just let yourself cry for a while. Open up yourself and let those warm tears fall down your cheeks and believe you me, after those sobs, you will definitely feel good about yourself. Those tears often helps you comes to terms quickly with the reality of the breakup.

After a breakup, the propensity is to get bitter and start blaming your ex for the breakup accompanied with no small amount of self-talk about how you were ditched by him or her. A sure way of avoiding this tragic situation is to spend quality time with friends.

The period immediately after a breakup, is often the best time to have your close circle of friends around and this should be a pointer to why you should always strive to build good friendships because you never know when you will need good friends to be around you. A caveat here is that depending on how much your ex and your relationship with your friends overlapped, you might need to be careful associating with some of them at this stage as they can very likely bring back memories you would rather want to forget.

At times like these, not everyone can deal with the problem alone and often the advice and care of friends and acquaintances might not suffice. It might therefore be necessary to seek the help of a professional who might be in a better position to assist. Look for a professional relationship counsellor or pick up one of two professional recommended readings to help with your recovery. The unbiased advice from a professional is in fact more effective at this time than that of friends and family.

Also, there is the need for you to get out more and engage in activities that would help occupy your time and keep you busy so that you have little or no leisure time to whine and pine over the breakup. Physical activities like running, going to the gym and riding a bike releases endorphins, a hormone produced in the brain that reduces the feeling of pain, stress and such ill-feelings like anger, frustration and heartaches. Remember to ensure that you take care of yourself. Your welfare both mental and physical should not be allowed to suffer because you are upset with your breakup.

The most important thing to do after a painful breakup is to think positively. There are reasons for every action under the sun and your breakup is not an exception in any way. Retrospectively look back into what might have caused the relationship to fail. Evaluate it and try to pinpoint the moment things started falling apart. Get a clear idea of the problems that occurred and made it not to work. Through such self reflection you might discover that you and your ex simply might just need time and space apart for a while, you might not be compatible or just not meant for each other.

Always remember that the end of a relationship is not the end of the world. Things might not be the same again after the breakup but depending on your actions, they could definitely get better after the wounds might have taken their time to heal.

That said you should understand that even when we think we've probably lost the best love of our life, as most people are oft to think, a better love might just show up and the lessons we've learnt from this failed one could be the building blocks of your true happy-ever-after.

Written by Raymond Ehoma

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Raymond_Ehoma/643072

A Simple Strategy To Manage Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is never fun and it can be quite counterproductive. What do you do when you start to doubt in your own abilities to get things done? You deploy this simple three step strategy, gain the confidence you need and then get to work. Give it a try the next time that little voice in your head tells you that things can’t be done, you’re not good enough, or there’s no point in trying because there’s no way it will work.

Step 1 - Determine What’s Causing The Doubt

Before you can do anything about it, you need to find out what’s causing your self-doubt. Is it fear? Is it not having enough knowledge? Is it a lack of self-confidence? Spend a little time thinking about why exactly you feel that you can’t do this.

This first step is crucial. Don’t skim over it... your solutions won’t work unless you get down to the root of the problem. Be honest with yourself and dig deep. It is well worth it since this alone will often help and it will make the next two steps much easier to do.

Step 2 - Figure Out What You Can Do About It

Once you know exactly what the problem is, it’s time to make a plan for overcoming it. Don’t know how to do something? Go find someone that can teach you how to do it, read a book, take a course, or watch a YouTube video. The world is full of knowledge for those who seek it.

Is fear fueling your self-doubts? Face that fear and ask yourself what would happen if you did it anyway. This simple act is often all it takes to gain the confidence to give it a try despite the fear.

Step 3 - Do What You’ve Set Out To Do

The last step is simple. It’s time to take action and get to work. Do something. Do anything. Make some progress and move forward toward reaching your goals. The hardest part is often just getting going and taking those first few steps.

Yet that’s all it takes is to get moving and build a little momentum. That’s often enough to silence the self-doubt and give you a boost of confidence. And that in turn will keep you going.

Give this simple little 3-Step strategy a try the next time you suffer from self-doubt and see if it works for you.

The Importance of Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination makes people feel elated initially. They don’t have to deal with a situation or task at that moment in time. But, for most of these situations, there will come a time when it needs to get done. The feeling of elation turns to panic. Then panic becomes a rush to figure out ways to handle the situation.

When you compare this to people who don’t procrastinate, they may not get that initial surge of elation. However, they also don’t have to worry about the panic setting in. All things being equal, these non-procrastinators will not be as stressed out.

It’s proven that stress can lead to disease. The resources that your body needs to fend off disease will be diverted to handling your stress. Short-term stress is not likely to impact health as much as stress that is constant. However, people who procrastinate do it with all (or most of) their tasks. Therefore, they are likely to be stressed out longer term. They are the ones more at risk of getting stress related disorders.

Procrastination can often impact others in the procrastinator’s social circle as well. For instance, your friend may be depending on you to book a holiday for the two of you. If you miss the booking deadline, you can't go. Most friends will not be happy with this outcome.

If you don’t learn to overcome procrastination at work, it could impact others in the organisation. For example, if you are responsible for a certain aspect of a project and miss the deadline, it may cause others on the team to miss their deadlines. Be aware they will know you are the bottleneck. This puts you in an awkward position that could eventually lead to your dismissal.

Procrastination can cause you some financial pain. You may wait to the last minute to file your taxes. But, when you do so, you may not find the necessary information needed to reduce your tax liabilities. You will end up paying more than had you taken the time to look for all your legitimate deductions, etc.

If you are worried about not getting that initial surge of elation, just remember that the good feeling you get from handling your situations on time will last much longer. It lowers your stress and makes your friends and family happier with you. It does take some effort to break the bad habit of procrastination. But, it is entirely worth the effort.

And achieving tasks when, or before, you need to, is a great way to build your self-esteem and self-confidence too. When you procrastinate, the tasks stack up in your subconscious, and lead to that little voice telling you that you're not capable, you're useless, you can't get things done on time. So don't give that voice a chance to pipe up - make a list of all the tasks you need to do at the moment, then take action and get them done. For every one you cross off your list, you'll feel better and better about yourself.

Build Your Confidence And Self Esteem For Now And Forever!

What exactly is Confidence and Self Esteem?

Although they are related, there are differences between the two!

Self esteem relates to what a person thinks of themselves... basically their own self respect! If their esteem is high, then they think highly of themselves and feel that their worth is more. Vice versa if it is low.

For those who have very low esteem, the answer is inside of themselves. They are in control of whether or not this will change or stay the same. Nothing anyone else does or fails to do will change them, but how they choose their beliefs is very important.

For example, it is important to distinguish beliefs that are based on knowledge against those that are based on assumption. These people should try to take the assumed beliefs and change them to become beliefs based on knowledge. In this way, the actions they take, as a result of these beliefs, will be based more on reality than on what they are assuming reality is.

Some people have a tendency to compare themselves to other people who they feel are better than they are. This can knock their self feelings down quite a bit!

In reality though, these other people actually have other flaws that they may not be noticing, and they will never know this unless they can change their beliefs to be based on their knowledge of all the flaws of that person as well as their attributes.

Confidence relates to how strong and secure a person feels with respect to doing a specific job or task. The highly confident person doesn't care about what others think and they believe in their own abilities to do a great job.

Self Esteem can definitely have an effect on the person's confidence to perform a task or do a job. The higher the esteem, the higher will be the assurance and the happier the person will be. It's all like one big cycle because then the happier the person is, the higher will be their esteem and the better they will perform a task because their confidence is higher also. This cycle just keeps re-fueling itself when a person's inner feelings are well balanced.

I hope all this can prove helpful... but if you feel the need to self improve a bit you can visit here and here for more information on how to strengthen your inner feelings and live a much happier life!

Written by Ken L. Larizza

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ken_L_Larizza/1422816

Top 3 Fat Fighting Fats

When you think of a healthy diet, you think "low fat"... right? These days you also hear a lot about "low carb" diets and foods no doubt but the most widely thought of term when thinking of dieting for weight loss is still "low fat".

Why? Well for the same reasons that people think they can't have carbs anymore... they aren't disciplined enough to not eat the whole damn bag, or tub, or whatever contains their favorite carb-y goodness. This is a mistake that you can NOT make though, with carbs OR with fats because pretty soon we'll all be sitting around eating grass, since it is the only "safe" food left to feed the "all or nothing" mentality that so many people have fallen into.

You are here to learn how fats are not bad at all and can actually be beneficial to your weight loss goals, yes? Well, you are in luck because we are about to hit on my top 3 fat-fighting fats, go over how much is an ideal amount to add to your diet and WHY they are beneficial to you. Read on people, because we are about to have you eating your way to leaner body, and you can start today!

1. Nuts (Almonds/Walnuts)
Nuts are awesome for a variety of reasons, because even though they are very high in fat they can and do provide a LOT of benefits! My number one reason when explaining the benefits of eating nuts (preferably raw/unsalted) is the appetite suppressing capabilities they have. My clients reading this are already thinking "of course nuts are number one on this list" because I love them for every person and just about every goal... unless you're allergic of course.

Nuts are a preferred snack food of mine in between larger meals because they are calorie dense, but it also takes less of them to fill you up and KEEP you feeling somewhat full until your next meal. As high as the fat content may be on that label of Blue Diamond almonds, I'm here to tell you that you're not quite as "nuts" as you thought for adding these appetite killers into your diet. Benefits of nuts also include lowering your risk of Type 2 Diabetes as well as heart disease, so this is also good news to know on your path to rapid weight loss.

2. Avocado
Avocados are another healthy fat that I have had people almost love TOO much in the past. Avocados can be used as an alternative or addition to your favorite healthy dip recipe, which can be great to make even your grab-and-go or grab-because-bored options that much healthier. For this reason though, avocados can be overused in that you must stick to the recommended serving size (half an avocado) because after all... it is still a fat and too much of a good fat can still become a bad fat!

3. Coconut Oil & Olive Oil
Last but not least... maybe even last but MOST is the oils, coconut and olive. The new craze seems to be coconut oil due partially to the (bogus) Bulletproof Diet and this video of fat melting that went viral, or whatever. Here's the thing... no it is not going to burn your fat for you to the point of success just by drinking coffee with coconut oil every day.

Now that we got that out of the way, what coconut oil and olive oil CAN do is lead to more rapid fat loss simply by cooking in this stuff rather than butter or whatever else you may be using. Both oils not only add healthy fats into your diet almost without you noticing, but they both combat heart disease and high blood pressure along with many other things! Once again these healthy fat options are not going to melt away your sad areas overnight, but it is the easiest way to kick start your weight loss, which can be just as great overall!

Honorable Mention. Eggs.
When I mention eggs, I mean the most controversial part of them... the yolks.

We have heard for forever that the cholesterol in egg yolks is terrible and should be avoided, and to just eat the whites. As with anything else though, this part is not bad for you when eaten in moderation and it can be the best part of the egg. The yolk not only holds some of the protein that you read on the nutrition facts of these guys, but it holds most of the overall nutrition that the egg provides. I have gotten the question countless times "Isn't the yolk the worst part of the egg?" and the answer is no... it isn't, that's the shell... don't eat that. My recommendation is usually out of the amount of eggs you eat, take in half of the yolks that way you can benefit from the nutrition that the egg provides while still getting the big protein number/quantity that you want from the eggs overall.

Fats are no longer bad. Well, they never were but I feel like they have received so much hate due to dietary trends over the years that we have to be reminded that they are (and always were) cool. Not only are fats not bad for you, they are necessary, even GOOD for you and your goals! With that being said, they can still be bad when taken in too high of quantities at a time, which goes for anything... so keep the high fat recipes to a moderate level.

Written by Jay Johnson

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jay_Johnson/2519722

18 Laws to Create Wealth to Make You Become and Remain Rich

This is a 'do's and don'ts' guide. With many of the basic principles time tested, these laws will teach you how to create and attract wealth using specific strategies and systems that bring results. They are so important that we will dwell a bit more on some of them.

Law 1: Teamwork: you need great people around you to help you succeed.

You need friends, family, coaches, mentors and advisors to help you grow and handle aspects of your businesses that you can't do alone. The more you give them, the more they will help you make money. So don't hesitate to add some kind of value to other people's lives.

How can you add value to people's lives? Even a smile to make their day or a financial offering and opportunity will do. To have a solid team, favour strong and trusting relationships with others and constantly seek to help them and add value to their lives.

Law 2: Take action now! You can't build wealth on mere intentions.

Knowing what to do to change your situation and not doing it is worse that ignorance of how to progress in life. If action is the way to get results (intentions keep you in lethargy), consistent action however is the only sure way to achieve wealth and success.

How fast or how slow you act, which way you go or which strategy you employ are irrelevant; what counts is to continue taking action and be open to opportunities and growth. So do a little more each day and you will be on your way to wealth.

Law 3: Be Financially Literate: That is, speak and understand the language of money.

To be rich you must be financially literate, that is, speak and understand the language of money. Carefully choose the books and publications you read, the websites you visit and the people you spend the most time with. Master the language of finance, and you'll be wealthy.

Law 4: Why you must be a 'salesman': Wealth is produced by sales.

Sales are one of the three skills necessary for attaining long term wealth and success. You need to be able to sell yourself, your ideas, via other people and other companies, on websites, in shops, at all prices with good margins, all over the world and even while you sleep.

Law 5: Adding value: Help raise other people's lives and your wealth will grow.

When we add value (financially, by service or in kind) to other people's lives, we earn more and our lives grow. In fact, the amount of our wealth is directly proportional to the value we give other people. Never forget: great results for other people mean great results for you.

Law 6: Leverage: Relying on the skills and talents of others to build your own wealth.

Leverage is depending on other people's time, money and skill set to gain a greater advantage, result or wealth than you could do alone.

These are ways you can also leverage for wealth:

- Get experience from peers and bosses in your job.

- Hire a money mentor or business coach.

- Invest in property and pay your mortgage with a tenant.

- Use the internet to touch a greater audience.

- Get yourself a personal assistant.

- Subcontract.

- Use a spread sheet.

- Use a ladder, get a piggy back.

- Have a small business on the side of your job and nurture into a big one.

- Use drop shippers and copywriters.

- Join affiliate companies to get referrals and earn commissions.

- Do joint ventures to reach more people.

- Invest in property and shares [Law 39].

- Get professional help, but don't forget your due diligence and your intuition. Look for people who have the knowledge and skills you need to be wealthy and successful.

- Get other people to do what you lack the skill to do.

- Be a great people person and never hesitate to offer great benefits to other people for their services to you.

- Be a great leader. To be one:

• Never ridicule a learner.

• Only reprimand in private and when absolutely necessary.

• Always praise good work publicly.

• Be personable and care about other people.

• Always involve people in your long term vision.

• Remunerate well and reward good work financially.

• Motivate, inspire and lead by example.

• Be consistent.

• Forgive.

• Be clear of the outcome before you start [write it down].

• Set realistic goals: set others up for success not failure.

• Earn respect and keep respect [which may involve distance and professionalism].

Learn to master the art of leverage and you will be wealthy beyond your widest expectations, plans and goals.


Law 7: Money attracts Money: Investing and reinvesting will bring you wealth.

Like attracts like, that's why you use bait to trap fish. Money is not an exception. Money invested brings in more money. The more money you invest, the greater the returns you will get. This is the Law of compounding. So do invest and reinvest what can be invested.

Law 8: Think Long term sustainability: That's how you become and stay wealthy.

Anytime you have to make a career, business or investment decision, ask yourself: will this contribute to my long term wealth? Is it sustainable? Will it create a good return on investment (ROI)? Think long term and be forever wealthy for generations to come.

Law 9: Know how to be good at saying no!: If it is for the best.

You can't hurt people's feelings, so you are afraid to say no? If yes, know that sometimes the best thing to say is No: politely and firmly. And once you make that decision, stand your ground and don't be bullied. Jimmy Cliff sang: "Let your Yes be Yes and your No mean No".

Law 10: Modelling: Studying the successful methods of the rich and replicating them.

Many wealthy and successful people became rich through learned systems, strategies, mindsets and behaviours which constitute tracks that you can find, study and replicate. Learn from their mistakes and the successes to save you years of time, energy, trial and error.

Law 11: Price vs. Value: What you pay and what you get.

Price is what you pay and value is what you get. Nobody buys anything that they do not think is good value and many will be willing to pay premium prices for apparent value, sometimes regardless of cost. So always offer value and the money will pour in.

Law 12: Risk: Speculation, investment and gambling: Invest but don't gamble.

Your attitude to risk will determine the amount of money you make. Although you must speculate, you must take only 'calculated risk'. And like everything else, risk is relative and you must determine your own perception of risk and update it regularly.

On the other hand, any action (such as throwing your life savings into a procedure to resuscitate dinosaurs) which does not fit into an educated, well researched and carefully timed investment is a gamble. Your road to wealth begins with speculation and not gambling.

Law 13: Deal making, and negotiation: Think cooperation, partnership and long term.

Three skills necessary for attaining long term wealth and success are the Arts of sales, of deal making and of negotiation.

As they have the potential to return a life time of passive income, deals [such as negotiating a great property deal with discount and a high yield] can make you wealthy.

However to strike great deals you must understand negotiation. Don't ever go into it to:

1. Get a cheap price by skinning people.

2. Obtain what you want by bullying people.

3. Make people sign to things they did not agree to or understand by conning, tricking or cheating them.

True negotiators avoid ego, barriers to entry or selfishness; they do not also seek to cut people too much on price because they know nothing is so guaranteed to make them pull out of a deal, change their minds sooner than later, resent you or portray you as a git!

People serious about making great wealth know that the true Art of negotiation consists in 1) highlighting perceived benefits to the other party, 2) helping them to the maximum and making the transaction as easy as possible, and 3) giving them the last word for them to get the feeling that they got the upper hand in the negotiation.

So, to build lasting relationships (not just in your job, business, wealth and success but also with your kids, family, friends and loved ones), think cooperation (not competition), partnership and long term benefits in any negotiation you enter into with people.

In any negotiation determine the maximum you are prepared to pay and stick to it. Say 'thank you' if the price is not your ideal and don't be afraid to back out. That will not be the only deal in your life; and even in 30% of cases you might be contacted again.

In going into a deal, be cool and patient. Keep in mind that 60% of communication is non-verbal. So use the posture and the body language of those you are talking to as well as what their eyes are conveying to you to read into what they are not saying.

Get to know the emotions negotiations bring out in people: don't make people crazy or take the 'Michael'. Be diligent and educated about the deal. Be flexible and offer other benefits. Don't give anything away but offer exchange. Let your vis-à-vis feel good about the negotiation; you aren't giving up your only remaining kidney.

When you master the Art of negotiation you will have mastered half the art of being a great dealmaker.

That, however, requires:

Being a good negotiator: that is, knowing what value and price to put on a deal and shopping around and understanding relative value: a deal on its own might look good but compared to the market it might turn out to be anything but desirable.

Know your goal, what you want out of a deal and what the others are also seeking. Don't make the biggest mistake most deal makers make by always stating from the outset that they want cheap or discount. The seller, of course, is not thinking of giving his product or service away for less than he sees it is worth.

Be opportunistic. As you have things, products, services and knowledge that other people need, offer them in return. Get to know other people that can help. Be flexible, professional and personable.

Law 14: The Art of borrowing money [and the rules!]: Borrow only if you must or is fruitful.

A very careful consideration of your strategy should guide you in borrowing money. You can easily adopt the following Laws-that wealthy and very rich people follow when thinking about borrowing-into your strategy:

1. If possible don't borrow from friends or family.

Should you borrow from close ones, you will have a hard time trying to avoid them and they will try very hard to catch up with you when things go wrong. Don't strain or lose your close relationships.

2. Only break Law 1 above if you absolutely must.

If borrowing from friends or family is your last resort for cash flow and investment into your business, then go ahead and do it.

3. Borrow only to invest in income producing assets.

When you have to acquire something that could potentially generate a lifetime of income far beyond the repayments, then there could be great leverage in borrowing money to do so.

However be warned that borrowing money can bring heartaches: people have lost everything, including their lives, in this regard; interest on loans can be crippling and emotional debt to someone even more so.

Your debts and loans are what you must pay off first. Just as the Law of compounding [Law 34] can work to make you rich, it can also destroy your finances in matters of compounded loan interests.

Law 15: Property and shares: Chosen carefully, they will return you long term wealth.

Property and shares will generate long term sustainable wealth for you and for many years if you choose them carefully. They make you passive income (money while you sleep) through the art of Leverage and the Law of compounding.

Although they made and still make people lots of money, but like any investment, shares and property are not risk-free. They appreciate and depreciate, and can do in the twinkle of an eye. Remember the crash in the 80's and the dot com crash on the NASDAQ?

Law 16: Multiple avenues of income: is the way you significantly increase your wealth.

To significantly increase wealth you need to create multiple streams of income around your skill and expertise. Open an e-store. Create a website. Open more shops. Franchise your business model. Sell a part of your business. Sell education based around your skills. Reach more people. Utilise the media. Create multiple avenues of income through your investments.

The more avenues you earn from and compound, the wealthier you will become. So master the Art of earning while you sleep and be well on your journey of great wealth.

Law 17: Only buy quality: it saves you money in the long run and makes you feel good.

Craving cheap items (whether a business one such as stock or a personal possession) will very often end up costing you more money in the long run unless it was very well calculated.

Buying only quality also concerns 'utility' and 'feel good factors'. Where is the utility if you bought a Ferrari and kept it in the garage all year? But a M3 or an Audi R8, at one-fifth the cost, which you drive every day, will give you almost as good a feel good factor and are infinitely more value.

Law 18: Work on your wealth not just in your job: Pause in your routine and plan to grow.

To succeed in your small business and move forward in your career you need to understand what 'working on' and working in' mean.

Working in a career or job is what most of us do every day. We accomplish our day to day duties at the job, we live month to mouth and get our pay cheque and maybe year to year for the end of year bonus.

Worker or self-employed however, you must work on your wealth as well as your job, career or business. This is what will push us forward. To accomplish it, "we must step outside ourselves and look for means to grow, improve, increase turnover, increase profit and margin, reduce costs and overheads and learn more that will give us the skills we need to succeed." Thanks, Johnnie.

We can call this the 'strategy' part of your business or career. It consists in asking questions as: how can I work to get that promotion and higher salary? How can I grow my business or set up systems so that it is not entirely dependent on me?

Now, how can you work on your wealth?

The most successful and wealthy people devote a great deal of time on growth, strategy and the future of their businesses. You must also find a specific and set time and use it to build your wealth. Do it at your most productive hour where there are no distractions. One hour every morning in a quiet corner of your house will do.

You also need monthly and yearly review of your finances.

Find out each month if you have worked within your wealth strategy and how much as a percentage you have spent/invested compared to what you budgeted.

Then every year do a thorough check up to review your net worth as compared to the previous year's. Edit your spread sheets as you change your figures and increase the amount of money going in, debtors and creditors, expenses, investments, loans and interest, direct debits and standing orders, credit card balances and so on.


As an affiliate marketer, I have carefully chosen online businesses to help me make money. One is Wealthy Affiliate. How does it work?
Choose an Interest
What interests you? We all have a hobby or something that gets us excited and motivated when we think about it. There are millions of different ideas that you could potentially tap into online and we are going to help you come up with your very own "topic" within Wealthy Affiliate.
Build a Website
Building your very own website is SIMPLE within Wealthy Affiliate. The process takes less than 30 seconds to build a beautiful looking, revenue ready website. This is going to be the foundation of your business and what will ultimately lead to a successful venture.
Attract Visitors
Your goal before you try to make money with any website is to focus on getting actual people to that website. Without people, you have no business so this is a critical stage.
Earn Revenue
Once you have an audience (traffic), you can promote products and services through special programs called "affiliate programs" which are free to join. These allow you to promote pretty much anything you can imagine without having to own or create the product yourself.

Written by Akoli Penoukou

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Akoli_Penoukou/4421

INNERCISE | Fix Your Focus, Release Your Fears

Don't Ever Let Anyone Crush Your Spirit! The Business Owner Mindset Is What Will Define Yo

Many of you have lived in the employee mindset most of your working life. What you really need to do is clear your minds, clean out your old ways, and transition to the business owner mindset. Make a conscious decision that you want to be a business owner.

I was forced into my decision to be a business owner. As an employee, working in the same job for many years, teaching others to do what I have learned was extremely satisfying. But as an employee, I realized I was only training my replacement. If I had been a business owner all those years, I would have been creating duplication and wealth!

What does a business owner mindset, as opposed to the employee mindset, look like? Let me give you a few examples:

• The Business Owner Mindset understands that the purpose of business is to make money. The goal is to generate income! After all, income and freedom is what you want. Whereas the employee mindset is limited to the narrow view that working overtime to impress the Boss, earn some extra overtime, or extra vacation days is the key to success.

• The Business Owner Mindset individual thinks for themselves. Allowing others to think for you is the employee mindset; and furthermore, the employee will only perform what they are paid to do - no more and no less.

• In the Business Owner Mindset, creating the proper system that produces the results of success is your aim. The employee mindset believes they don't have to think about systems, it's already done for them.

• In the Business Owner Mindset, understanding strategy and implementing that strategy into your business practices is essential. In the mindset of an employee is to follow a strategy in place and rarely understand that strategy.

• The Business Owner Mindset is open to multiple streams of income with multiple business strategies. The employee mindset believes that if they just work their job all their life, they will retire wealthy.

Now that I've given you some examples of the differences between a Business Owner Mindset and an Employee Mindset, I'm sure you would agree that the Business Owner Mindset is the more attractive of the two. In saying that, let me give you a few pointers on how to achieve the Business Owner Mindset.

• To begin, have a clear vision of your business, and commit your vision to paper. In other words "Ink It". Plan your work and then work your plan. Setting a clear outcome will keep you focused on your goals. No one will tell you what time to show up or how long you have to stay. There's no "duties" list to follow, make your own!

• As a business owner you are in charge and performing without limits is your goal. Think about this. What do you want your business to look like? Have a mindset of preeminence. Marketing yourself is your number one goal. Do whatever it takes to build your business, with proper ethics; and then teach others to do the same. Once you have determined your goals and direction, then you can duplicate it by training others to do the same.

• Be more strategic about your business activity. Take action. Work on your business, not just in it. A proper system allows automation and creates time for you to do more in the same amount of time. I once read that the only difference between you and a wealthy person is what you do with your time. During your idle time are you watching some unimportant TV show or just being lazy? Don't get me wrong we all need relaxing time to clear our minds, but wait until after your system is in place and working for you. Then you will have the income to enjoy your time.

• A consumer purchasing your product on a regular basis is your goal. The strategy of creating a loyal customer base is only done by the ease of transferring your product for money. Creating a plan is your strategy. Working the plan is your implantation. Tracking the results for needed changes and adjusting your plan is the ongoing strategy and implementation. This is what is done by successful business owners. A good strategist has a business mindset. Stay Focused on Your Goal.

• While your marketing plan is in operation always encourage and respond to feedback. This will be your indicators that your strategy is on track or indicate if a swift change of plan is needed. Every battle is an indicator of whether you're winning the war. Additionally, if your marketing plan is systematic in attraction, you can use it to market any product. Know what your customer wants or desires, and then quickly create a plan to fill the void.

• Understand your emotional ties to your business. Take Responsibility for Your Results. It is all your risk and your reward now. While controlling your risk, focus on your reward. Psychological studies suggest that your mind works on bringing into reality whatever you are focused on the most. Have you heard "what can be done in 90 days consistently becomes habit"? This is why it's important to be clear and concise what goals you are aiming for.

• You know that the days of a retaining one job all your life is in the past. The days of a company "taking care" of you we all know is dead. Many of today's companies will replace you for someone younger and less expensive as you get over qualified or even older. You just lost the control you thought you had of your future.

Being your own boss entails a lot of responsibility, but it provides a very attractive sense of freedom. An additional reward of starting your own business - and it is a big one - is the great satisfaction of accomplishment that comes with having built an enterprise from your hopes and dreams, and then teaching others on how to do the same.

Written by Craig M Emerson

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Craig_M_Emerson/1193314

How To Find Happiness In Life: Simple Things You Must Know And Do To Be Hap

I believe that every single person in the world is driven by an inner urge to experience and produce more happiness in his or her life. That's why we all do what we do and while each one of us may term it differently, the underlying desire is to feel good - to be happy. We all want to be happy and rightfully so, life is goodness and the whole purpose of living is to enjoy life. So there's nothing wrong with seeking newer, better ways of manifesting happiness in your life, but it's about time you started gaining a better understanding about how to find happiness in your life because many times, we go about it the unlawful way chasing after things that we think will bring us the happiness we seek only to discover that it isn't so.

Social conditioning has painted a somewhat distorted picture of what happiness is. All ideas of happiness carry an emphasis on the external part of life. It seems to be attached to doing certain things or having certain things and while the doing and having isn't wrong in any way, making happiness dependent on effects is a sure way of missing it for a bigger portion of your daily living. If you want to find happiness in your life on a daily basis, there are certain things you must know now and begin adapting in your daily routine. To begin with, let's reframe what happiness means to you.

Happiness doesn't mean that everything is absolutely perfect each moment of the day, it means that you are content and grateful for where you are, that you can see some good in your current situation and that at your core, you feel stable, whole, and enough - just as you are. Happiness is being in your alignment. It is being in a state of appreciation, love and feeling good not because of what's happening in that moment but because of who you are. It is allowing life to freely be, as it will, trusting that only good can come to and through you because goodness is the fundamental essence of your life.

This doesn't mean that you won't have challenging days or things to overcome. It doesn't mean that you will always have everything perfectly laid up each day. The clouds are just as necessary to this beautiful world as the clear blue sky. The storms are just as normal as the gorgeous summer days. But the sun and the clear blue skies don't go into depression or doubt their own goodness simply because dark skies cover them for they know the truth about life. I want you to start recognizing the same in your life. So here is something new that I wish to introduce to you:

Happiness is the outward expression of Joy, which is an overfill, a saturation and a state of being from a mind that is highly developed, strengthened and deeply connected to its source. At the core or source of any individual existence is Spirit and at this inner most central life-giving place there is only bliss. So in my opinion, what I have found to be the truth about happiness is that: It is bliss from that spiritual center that gives life to you and I, seeking to express itself. That expression at its most concentrated and individual level is what we consciously refer to as happiness.

Is it thus normal to want happiness in life? Absolutely! That is who we are in essence. The inner pull we feel toward seeking more happiness is simply that life- giving spirit within us wanting to express more of the bliss that it is. So how can you find happiness in your life?


First of all, slow down, stop pursuing it or chasing after it as though it is something external to you that you must get. It cannot and will not be found in the doing, getting or having of some external thing because it is in itself an expression of something fundamentally higher - bliss.

Secondly, know that there is no way to finding happiness. Happiness is the way. It is the way to eternal joy, to effortless manifestations and to a thriving lifestyle that is based on freedom. You can't put happiness on hold to a future time because you either cultivate it here and now or it remains elusive.

Third thing that you must know is that if you choose to view happiness as an outward expression of Joy, which is a state of being that's generated from the experience of bliss coming about through that higher connection with the living spirit within you, then you can relax more and be easy with this idea of having more happiness in your life. You can start working on the current beliefs you have regarding happiness, how to have it and where to seek it so that they can reflect more of this new understanding that is dawning upon you.


Knowing that the starting point is the living spirit within you, the only work then is for you to discipline yourself enough and retrain your mind into a stronger connection with the source of your happiness so that you can make it manifest in your outer physical world effortlessly and in ways that you are sure will never be threatened by any facts that arise as you continue with your human journey.

When your happiness is coming from its true source, the cars, homes, money or anything else you play with in the physical world will be enjoyable but they won't enslave you or dictate how much happiness and joy you can experience. Even during stormy or cloudy days, your central sun will still stand strong and stable until the temporary changes have passed on. This for me is what the modern individual needs to know about happiness. All the common little ideas and practices that personality teachers emphasize are well and good as far as they go but given the constant changes of the material world, cultivating happiness must be at a level that surpasses the personality or even the dual world. A mind that seeks to cultivate happiness physically, mentally and emotionally alone will still not strike the level where the source of happiness is to be found. We need to create mindsets that cultivate happiness from the true source and then naturally balance the two extremes of our existence such that at the highest level we can then be able to connect with bliss and from the lower levels of our every day living we are confident enough to go about daily work and dream building with a confidence that happiness is in us not in the thing we are attempting to produce.


Written by Janette Getui

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Janette__Getui/1662232