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The current economic hardships is putting real constraints on the food choices we are making. Furthermore, the poor food choices we are making is one of the chief reasons for the obesity epidemic that is spiraling out of control, with two out of three Americans currently overweight and expected to rise to three out of four by 2020. Many people choose junk food or fast food because they think that the $5.25 Quarter Pounder Meal is their best option for cheap meals. What they don’t know is that there are ways to eat healthier on a budget and that these options are in most cases, much more inexpensive over the long run. Below are 10 tips to eat healthier on a budget.

1) Cook your own meals

There is no way around it. If you want to eat healthy, on a budget or not, you MUST cook your own food. Restaurant food or worse, fast food, load their food with salts, sugars, msg, fats, and the cheapest ingredients that will increase their net profits. Also, cooking your own food will drastically lower your food bills.

2) Pack your own lunch

Along the lines of cooking your own meals, you must cook and prepare your own lunch as well. Lunch is when most people eat that unhealthy Big Mac or Tangerine Chicken loaded with who knows what. If you’re too lazy to prepare your own lunch, just cook a little more for dinner, pack it, throw it in the fridge, and nuke it with the office microwave the next day.

3) Cut out the crap

Like most people, you probably have soda, fruit juice, and other junk in your fridge. Along with Cocoa Puffs, sugar snacks, and other packaged junk whose only nutritional value comes from the artificial color made from grape extract. All these packaged junk food is a great source of expensive, empty sugar calories and will kill your waistline and your wallet.

4) Buy in season

Fruits and vegetables are way much cheaper when they are in season versus when they’re out of season and shipped halfway around the world in expensive refridgerated containers. Don’t worry, every season offers lots of delicious options, just as nature intended it.

5) Buy in local markets

To buy in season, there is nothing better than to shop at your local farmer’s market. The stuff they sell at farmer’s markets are very nutritious, locally grown, and inexpensive. Many times, they will be organic and pesticide free as well. Also, everybody at these markets are friendly and health conscious so you can mingle with like minded folk.

6) Protein from less expensive sources

Animals these days are fed a chemically balanced diet of hormones and chemical-laden grass and grains. Consequently, they are unhealthy, unnaturally fat, and pass this onto the end consumer, you. Therefore, you should opt for organic meats whenever you can. However, organic is most times prohibitively expensive so you should eat less meat and substitute it with cheaper, healthy, protein rich sources such as tofu, beans, lentils, and legumes.

7) Grow your own food

This should be a no brainer. Growing your own fruits and vegetables will not only save you money, you can ensure that it is pesticide and chemical free. You will also be cooler and be the center of attention and envy from your neighbors.

8) Shop smart

Shopping smart should be a habit regardless of what kind of budget or eating habits you have. Generics are as good as the name brands that spend a lot more money not on the quality of the ingredients, but the quality of the marketing experts. Also, buying uncut, whole, and frozen is usually cheaper and just as nutritious. Lastly, check out the loyalty programs at your favorite grocery store. You can save 10~20% just for carrying around their little loyalty cards.

9) Coupons

Coupons are not only for old ladies and penny pinchers, you really can save huge amounts of money using these. Check out your local paper or online coupon sites. You will be pleasantly surprised at the discounts you will run into.

10) Eat your own breakfast

That large coffee and bagel with cream cheese just cost you $4.59 at starbucks. If you make your own coffee and bagel with organic cheese, it costs less than a dollar. Not only is this a fraction of the cost, you can actually use organic and high quality ingredients and eat healthier on a budget.

A person has different budget on different stages of life and it is impossible an adult person to live on the money and have the same expenditures as he or she used to have while being a student for instance.

Parents frequently give pocket money to their kids to teach them to save and calculate. This is important as they grow learning the value of money and how important budgeting is.

For a lot of people budgeting is the key to survival. This is understandable with the salaries being insufficient and not enough to make ends meet. There are second jobs and so on but there are also the situations when budgeting is no help. In an emergency situation when someone gets ill or a car breaks and all such thins need to be handled at once payday loans come very handy.

Budgeting is a great thing as it helps to evaluate the financial potential of one’s salary. It is also very effective to write a list of expenses and define the priority of repayment. If there are any mortgages or other loans, they should be timely paid and so are various bills. Then you can consider how much you are left with to go on. Sometimes payday loan is needed to cover unplanned expenses and this is a very beneficial solution.

It is not always a way out to save every penny and refuse every fun even if your wages are really not that big. Sometimes it is more sensible to allow yourself spending something and enjoy it. With payday loans it is easy to arrange.

However, make sure that you take a payday deliberately and that you will be able to return the money in the short time period. Lenders charge a great interest on such loans that is about $25 for every $100. That is why it can become a complication, provided that a person does not calculate the expenses. Payday loans are short term and refer to alternative credit line. These are loans up to $1,500 and are unsecured. This explains their expensive interest rating nature. However, they are broadly available to almost all the customers and require neither any collaterals nor they involve any credit checks. This is very advantageous for customers with bad credit. They are not eligible for banks loans and payday loans are great option for small budgeting solutions.

Payday loans are great for planned and unplanned purchases and with a proper and wise approach they can be beneficially used as assistance for your budget. They should not be adhered to as a constant solution to any financial problem, should one arise, as this can lead to the worsening of the situation. To cap it all, one is welcome to apply for payday loans but with consideration.

To a lot of people, hearing loss is just an issue that the elderly need to worry about. Although deafness can occur naturally with age, there is an alarming number of workers suffering from noise induced hearing loss. The two forms can be easily confused as hearing loss due to working environments will occur slowly over time so isn’t always recognized until later in life. Your employer has to by law protect you from noise or they could be subject to hearing loss compensation claims against them.

The two forms of deafness can be differentiated due to the parts of hearing that are affected. Noise induced hearing loss will only deteriorate the hearing capability of the high frequencies. This will mean that a sufferer will struggle to hear sounds such as children’s speech and the TV. Other forms of hearing loss affect the whole spectrum of frequencies. A simple hearing test performed by a doctor or audiologist will determine this.

One of the reasons why work causes industrial deafness so often is the fact that people are not aware of the sounds capable of causing hearing loss. Sounds of 85dB and above have the capacity to do damage. This isn’t as loud as you may think. Busy traffic often exceeds this so as you can imagine, many people are exposed to much louder sounds in work. The time periods of exposure also have an influence over the possibility and extent of any hearing loss. Certain volumes become dangerous after certain lengths of time that people are subjected to it. If someone is exposed to 85dB it would require 8 hours of exposure to cause hearing loss. With every 5dB increase in volume, this time is halved. Worryingly this means that a chainsaw of 110dB would cause damage after only a matter of minutes.

Preventing hearing loss should be easy. There are many methods to do this and no excuses for exposing workers to dangerous noise levels. The first action considered should be to address the noise at its source. This is the best form of protection as it will ensure no one is exposed to sounds of a level that could lead to permanent deafness. This can be done by installing new machinery, sound proofing, lubrication, new methods to name a few. Personal protection such as ear muffs or plugs should only be used as a short term measure whilst the origin is being looked at. Ear plugs are usually utilised for longer periods of use due to their light weight and comfort. Ear muffs are the choice when a higher level of protection is needed.

If you feel that you work in a noisy environment you need to take action straight away. Discuss it with your management who should apply preventative measures. If they don’t do this you should then take legal advice. You may be granted a hearing loss claim but it is more important to prevent any damage being done in the first place. Developing hearing loss can have a big impact on your quality of life so anything that can be done to prevent it should be pursued.

Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island, chances are you’ve used Skype™, FaceTime®, or another type of video chat technology at some point in your personal or professional life. And unless you’re a supermodel, you’ve probably had to swallow your pride at least a little bit when you saw yourself staring back through the screen: grainy, blurry, and generally unremarkable. Truth be told, while the technology has worked wonders for families who live apart and has saved corporations millions of dollars in travel costs, it does little for your self-esteem. You appear to be calling from a dark, shadowy cave — a magical cave where your flaws suddenly look more noticeable. It’s similar to those 4-way mirrors in dressing rooms, only worse. You may wonder, “Do I really look like that?”

For some, that question is a minor discomfort in an otherwise enjoyable and valuable means of communication. Others, though, in particular those who telecommute or find themselves discussing their strengths and weaknesses during virtual job interviews, feel that the way they look during video chat is a hindrance to their success. Worse, these cosmetic concerns can lead to a deeper drop in self-esteem and confidence, especially when the virtual communication is constant.

More and more people have found a solution by scheduling some actual face-to-face interaction — with their plastic surgeons. Cosmetic procedures are safer and more accepted than ever, and a little enhancement can provide just the boost in confidence many people seek. These people are making a highly personal decision that allows them to feel better about themselves and the way they look.

Facial Rejuvenation Growth and the Link Between Social Media

The trend is not all about video chat, and it’s not all about business. According to Time magazine, the rise of social media is also a big influencer. An increasing number of people in the dating world make their first impression with their profile picture on Facebook or dating websites. Some seek plastic surgery as a way to enhance their appearance, thus boosting their confidence and landing a first date.

According to an annual report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons®, facial rejuvenation procedures, both surgical and minimally invasive, saw the most growth in 2012 of all cosmetic procedures when compared to data from 2011. The finding is not surprising when you consider video chat boxes and social media profile pictures focus mostly on your face.

Here are the fastest-growing procedures:

• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment: 10% increase


• Laser skin resurfacing: 9% increase


• BOTOX® Cosmetic: 8% increase

The thought of an electrocardiogram (or ECG) can be frightening, but that should not be the case. As indicated by its name, an ECG is a test designed to check the electrical activity of one’s heart. The physical result of the test is a graph of line tracings called “waves.”

Who needs an ECG?

If you have experienced chest pains, unusual breathing problems, fainting, dizziness and palpitations, or have a history of high cholesterol or blood pressure, your doctor may suggest that you receive an electrocardiogram. If you have a pacemaker, your doctor may require you to have an ECG as part of a checkup. It is also not uncommon to have an ECG prior to major surgery.

What happens during an ECG?

An ECG procedure is painless and now only takes about 10 minutes. Despite its name, the procedure does not give off any electrical charge, and will not harm you.  Prior to the procedure, notify your physician if you are on any medications, as they may alter the results. Men typically go through the procedure shirtless, while women often wear a medical gown.

A technician will place 12 quarter-sized electrodes (sticky, circular patches) to your arms, legs, and of course, chest, while you lay flat. In the recent past, technicians had to move these electrical sensing devices to different spots throughout the test. But today, the process is much quicker, simpler and streamlined. Sometimes, however, the technician will use a small amount of gel to apply the electrodes to encourage a better electrical impulse transmission. And occasionally, men might have to shave certain areas to allow for proper contact of skin and electrode. Some patients develop a small rash where skin touches the electrodes; this typically goes away on its own.

This efficient test is the standard ECG – sometimes called the 12-lead ECG because of the 12 sensing devices used to record electrical activity – which can trace a heart problem only if it occurs during the procedure. Some problems such as heartbeat irregularities only happen a couple of times a day, and will not be picked up by a standard ECG. This is why patients may receive a portable Philips Zymed Holter recorder, or a small device that will monitor the heart’s electrical activity during your daily routine.

Doctors may also choose to conduct a stress test, in which the patient’s heart rate is accelerated by taking special medication or by exercising. The accelerated heartbeat sometimes makes it easier for physicians to diagnose heart problems.

What do ECG results mean?

Upon completion of the ECG, the physician or cardiologist will study the graph’s waves. Doctors can determine myriad conditions from an ECG, even those that were not anticipated. ECG results can show heart birth defects, sac inflammation, problems with heart valves, abnormally slow or fast heart rhythms and blood flow.

After an ECG, you can most likely go back to your normal routine. The patient whose procedure shows any of these symptoms will require further evaluation, testing and treatment by a medical professional.

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We all hate stuffy noses and sneezing, right? There almost seems to be nothing worse than the irritation of a runny nose and heart stopping sneezing, but wait till you have a sinus pain bout that make even a general cold not seem so bad. What is a sinus and why does it pain? Well, let’s dig a bit deeper into this, shall we? The word “sinus”, in regards to the human anatomy usually refers to the cavity between a bone or tissue. These sinus places are located on your face and connect with the nasal cavities, they are places where the air passes and mucus drains. There are four pairs of sinuses to be exact. One is behind your forehead, one in each cheekbone, one each side of your nose bridge, and one behind each eye. Each of these sinus points are cleverly connected to your nasal passage and act as a gauge, making sure that the air that is coming through your nose has the right temperature before it reaches the lungs.

The sinus of your nose has the important job of producing the mucus that goes through your nose. The only down side of this particular sinus passage is that when you have a cold  the nasal passages become inflamed and make it difficult for the air you breath to pass through. This in turn puts pressure on your sinus walls and leads to sinus pains, or what we more commonly refer to as having a stuffy nose. Having sinus pain can also be more intense and lead to sore eyes, toothaches, or headaches because of the built up pressure.

Some of the best ways to be rid of sinus pain are using a steam inhalation a couple times a day, drinking plenty of fluids so that the mucus build-up can thin down, avoiding dust and flowers and smoking, not making sharp movements with your head, or lying down with a warm washcloth over the bridge of your nose. Something else that may bring relief as well is using a Nasal Spray or Neilmed Sinus Rinse. Both the Nasal Spray and Neilmed Sinus Rinse are naturally soothing saline based nasal washes that are perfectly safe for use at any age and work by clearing out the mucus, allergens, irritants, viruses, and bacteria from your nose. Probably the best thing about using a nasal spray is that it is 100% natural and even helps to relieve headaches.

Lucky, there is also a host of good nutritious foods that can be used to combat a sinus break down, because only God knows moms and dads don’t really have time to lie around getting over the flu! A personal family secret is adding several drops of grape seed oil to a glass of orange juice to help silence the sinus sooner. Another food that I’ve found to be quite useful is broccoli because it is packed with lots of antioxidants and vitamins that help your body fight infections. It’s pretty good however you decide to cook it, either just plain steamed, stir-fried, or blended into your soup. This particular vegetable is a real winner when it comes to sinus attacks. Other great foods for clearing sinus problems are apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, ginger, blueberries, oranges, and spinach.

A highlight should be on saving their clients time, offering them some help with maintaining a strategic distance from bothering, extreme misunderstandings and clearly, should have the ability to line up the right bank to the borrowers phenomenal situation. Essential concern, the vendor’s connected information should control the borrower, who may have for all intents and purposes no experiencing sourcing, masterminding, planning, and closing a commercial home loan.

One of the more gainful parts of what an OK commercial loan merchant does, is familiarize the borrower with moneylenders they would never, (sensibly) have the ability to find in solitude. There is a full market of commercial moneylenders out there that don’t have branches and rather depend on upon their agent frameworks to find courses of action and present imaginative/novel tasks that standard banks don’t offer, (for instance, commercial communicated compensation loans, commercial 40 year modified or second lien position loans, etc.).

Besides, delegates should have the ability to give their clients solid, vital proposition on which specific loan experts fit the borrower’s situation. The certifiable stands out beginning from one bank then onto the following can be extraordinarily difficult to uncover. There are clear parts, for instance, which banks are referring to the most insignificant rates, offering the longest amortization arranges, longest settled periods, et cetera. Be that as loan terms earnestly bustling taking care of a loan are simply found through experience. This is the spot a commercial loan trader genuinely picks up his cost and this psyche being in order to boggle bank data is simply learned included on a regular reason. A not too bad commercial loan delegate near 2 – 4 loans for consistently.

Dealers are on a very basic level on the same side of the table as their clients. Disregarding the way that there is no official representation declaration like a posting comprehension, a pro should land in perspective of their borrower’s leverage. Besides, at all like bank loan officers, specialists simply get paid when the loan closes. We get paid to close loans. Various bank officers then again are on remunerations and have distinctive amounts other than financing loans, for instance, after a long time meeting targets, number of telephone calls made, turned in applications, etc. So the bank officer may understand that your loan remains by zero shot of closing (this happens always).

A not too bad specialists will make a forceful space with sponsoring sources to convey the best rates and most insignificant charges workable for their clients. The specialists reputation with banks will in like manner add to this in that if the dealer is known, the financing source will consider the loan request more critical, put extra time and imperativeness into the record. Moneylenders similarly won’t “re-trade” as quick with incredible middle people in trepidation that the specialists won’t bring the bank additional commercial loans.

Experts worth their “salt” should have the ability to recognize the right options for the borrower considering little intricacies of the record. As often as possible, it is a little detail that will direct or butcher a game plan. A solid merchant should have the ability to recognize these unobtrusive components from the soonest beginning stage that would somehow cost the borrower thousands, and waste months as the wrong loan expert tries to make the archive fit their guidelines.