Bootstrap Financing Boot Camp – A Crash Course in Business Start Up Funding – Tactical Maneuvers

Attention! Are you ready to enlist in Bootstrap Financing Boot Camp? TODAY’S MISSION: Business Start Up Funding Tactical Maneuvers. Start Up Soldier, I’m going to be giving you a crash course in how you can start a small business, without BIG bank loans. Before you can get started, you must first pass through 3 check point pre-screenings.Check Point 1: Do You Have What it Takes?Are you willing to travel through rough and tough terrain, without going A.W.O.L.? Do you understand the risks involved with starting up a new business? Think carefully cadet — and remember, nothing worthwhile is ever going to be easy.Check Point 2: Are You Willing to Do Whatever it Takes?Are you ready for hand-to-hand combat with your bank book? You must be willing to make personal sacrifices to get the job done? Essentially, living with less to gain more. Will you do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be? Will you show no mercy and cut back on frivolous expenditures, like satellite TV?Check Point 3: Do You Know How to Take…?…Orders that is soldier! Can you take orders? Not for fries and a shake, but direction from others. Are you willing to learn something new, or to try unfamiliar ways of doing something quite ordinary? If you aren’t teachable, then bootstrap financing is not for you. You see, it goes against the grain — the established ways of doing things. Most “experts” will tell you that the only way to start a business, is if you have access to some major cash of your own; or if you’re willing to borrow from banks or investors willing to front you the business start up funding you need.Congratulations – You’ve Just Earned Your Stripes!You’ve made it. You are no longer a cadet, but a full fledged Start Up Soldier – and you have the battle scars to prove it. Now, onto the crash course in bootstrapping.Lesson 1: Start With a Highly Profitable Idea, Product or ServiceThis step is absolutely key to your success. If you were to tell me you’d like to start a café or restaurant business, I’d do my best to talk you out of it. If you were one of my soldiers, I’d order you to rethink your decision. It is next to impossible to bootstrap a restaurant or retail food business with very little money. However, if food was your passion, I would present you with some case studies of how others have bootstrapped and acquired the start up funding needed to grow successful food businesses. Some suggestions? How about a Personal Chef Service, or perhaps you could start up a company baking delicious energy bars and organic snacks, like the owner of Clif Bar & Company.A Case StudyThat’s exactly what Gary Erickson (owner and founder of Clif Bar & Company) did. He began trying out energy bar recipes in his mother’s kitchen. This is a definite bootstrap financing success story. In 1990, Gary lived in a garage with his dog. Two years later, he launched what would become one of the most successful natural and organic privately held snack food companies, with sales topping $150 million. The future for Clif Bar remains bright. Especially since they have me as one of their loyal customers. I’m munching on one right now, as I peck away on my computer. I would say my family goes through a case of the organic Z Bars in a week! :-) Lesson 2: Plan a Bootstrap Business Start Up Funding StrategyThis requires that you first have a streamlined personal budget in place. Once you have accomplished that goal, the next step is to create a bootstrap financing plan for your business. This will involve making a complete list of your start up and operating costs, and employing varied bootstrap finance tactical maneuvers to reduce and/or eliminate many of these costs. Lesson 3: Learn the Art of BootstrappingBootstrapping is not just self financing. It is the art of acquiring business start up funding sources that don’t put you into long term, or high interest rate debt.Did you know that you can find free sources of start up funding? Turn your dreams into a success story. Get on the road to success by starting your business TODAY – even if you have little money, poor credit, or don’t own a home.To learn more, request your free copy of “The Bootstrapper’s Business Start-Up Planner”, by visiting my website.©2009 Kimberly Kelly – All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Permission to reprint this article is granted strictly on the condition that it be reprinted in its entirety, with all live links and author bio in tact.

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Specialized Styles of Photography

Outlined below is a list of genres that call for specialized treatment in the process of creating outstanding photographs. These thematic approaches will be discussed in detail here, though there are few more categories and sub-categories in thematic photography like ad messages, corporate brochures, under-water photography and so on.–Wildlife photography–Landscape photography–Sports events–Photo-journalism–Fashion photography–Black & White treatment–Shooting Celebrities–>Wildlife PhotographyWildlife photography is often assumed to be an exciting and high adventure genre of photography. In reality it is extremely challenging and wildlife photographers find themselves at the mercy of inclement weather and sometimes even face danger. Here are some suggestions for this specialized form of photography.Understand the life form that you plan to photograph in terms of living habits, habitat and behavior. In other words you need a perspective on ‘a day in the life of’ your wildlife subject. Books and online research will throw light on your subject. The importance of getting acquainted with the behavior of the animal is a lot more important when you have to shoot dangerous jungle animals that can attack like lions or tigers or even bears. Animals will become aware of you when you enter close to their habitat but will usually not attack if you keep your distance. But you have to be clear on the distance at which an animal will begin to feel threatened by your presence and decide to attack you.It goes without saying that you can’t expect any kind cooperation from your subject! You have to fit yourself in, place yourself in a vantage point and have your camera set and ready and then wait for the ‘right moment’ to take the shot that you are looking for.You may have to wait many days before you can capture the right shot. Your subject could not care less if the light is diminishing or the light is at its best. You may have perfect light conditions on a particular day but your subject may not be in the right spot for you to take the shot.You need telephoto lenses to shoot from a distance and other camera features like Center-weighted metering. The Center-weighted meter allows you to meter the wildlife subject at the center of the frame and vary the size of the sensing area based on the dimensions of the subject and its distance from you.–>Landscape PhotographyTaking landscape pictures within a city from atop a building or on the beach is one type of landscape photography. But if you want to get closer to nature and shoot unique pictures of nature and environment in remote locations like wild forest area or mountain ranges, then you have your task cut out for you just like a wildlife photographer. You need the spirit of adventure within you in order to travels around to different places and scour different regions for landscape opportunity.It is tough to firstly identify the right spots, you may have to explore for days before you find an idyllic panoramic landscape to shoot. You then have to wait for the right light conditions while braving the weather and the rough living conditions. In terms of equipment, landscape photographers need to go in for a variety of wide-angle lenses since this type of lens is capable of lending depth in the photograph. A wide-angle zoom lens is useful in this type of photography because of the range of focal lengths it can provide while fine-tuning a shot. But there is also the need for telephoto lenses for certain shot though not of the high focal length required by sports photographers. Landscape photographers usually go in for telephoto lenses with focal length less than 300mm (a telephoto lens has a focal length greater than 50mm, a wide angle lens is less than 50mm, and a standard lens has a focal length of 50mm).–>Sports EventsThose who have made a career of photographing sporting events have a different style of operation to capture the high action of dramatic moments in a game. The length of the lens, the location of the photographer taking the shot and the need to limit blurring are the three critical aspects in sports photography.Sports photographers use a telephoto lens. This type of lens magnifies the subject. The focal length to choose from in telephoto lenses varies from 60mm to 1000 mm. A lens with a high focal length can give you a wider visual area which is a necessity when you photograph field events. Sports photographers by and large prefer 35mm cameras and use focal lengths of 300-600mm especially for field events like soccer.The location where photographers position themselves to take different shots is directly responsible for capturing the relevant high-points in a match. It also helps if you have a good knowledge of the sport. This ensures that you identify the right moments and are alert and ready when a memorable situation occurs during the sport. You can get the right shots if you are able to move around and use the right location in different points in a game. However, quite often the areas of movement are restricted for photographers and the best way to tide over this problem is to use a lens of focal length in the region of 600mm to enable shots of the far end of a court or field. Though a good location is usually described by the angle and distance from the court or field, the other aspect of a good location is also the play of light from your vantage point. Most photographers have the task of avoiding shadows caused by the quality of light. The intensity of color in a photograph is reduced in dull light conditions while bright sunlight can create shadows in certain angles.To limit blurring and capture action during a special game moment, you need to have fast shutter speeds at your disposal. A 35mm camera that is generally favored in sports photography can provide the high shutter speed necessary for action shots. Besides shutter speed, the speed of the film also plays a role. Higher film speed enables higher shutter speeds. A film speed of 100 is inadequate in sports photography. You need a 400 and above speed film.The autofocus mechanism in is also useful in sports photography especially when manual focus is difficult to achieve quickly in certain sports situations.An interesting technique called panning is applied in capturing action shots. You have to avoid holding the camera still when you shoot action. A rule-of-thumb is to hold the camera steady but move it along with the action rather than attempting to hold still. This steady movement of the camera along the path of motion of the player; incredibly, has the effect of minimizing blur. On the other hand, you will get a blur if you hold your camera still while the action is taking place. This technique is actually based on sound scientific principles.It should also be mentioned here that the art of sports photography actually goes beyond capturing action or high points in a game. The readers who view these photographs in newspapers and magazines want to see player expressions, the thrills, the disappointments, the concentration that players display is something that readers find captivating and it becomes a talking point. Readers also like to see crowd reactions and reactions of family members of the players in certain critical game situations. To cater to the public sentiment, a photographer has to also attempt to click these special poignant moments during a game by capturing reactions and facial expressions.–>Photo-journalismPhotojournalism is a different ball game altogether. It is visual storytelling. It has a strong social and cultural context and is a visual form of reportage based on newsy and current affairs topics. Being in the right place at the right time and understanding the situation as it unfolds helps a photojournalist deliver reader interest material. The objective is to usually pick up contemporary topics and portray a visual story that creates an understanding on the pattern in which people live their lives or social changes that impact them in different walks of life. Photojournalism also lends credibility to the written word and can support a public interest story with visual proof. The visuals complement the written reportage on the story.A visual representation of contemporary situations is a powerful way to make a point and the photographer who is into photojournalism has to be a firstly aware of the socio-political and cultural scene of a region to be able to shoot the relevant pictures. The equipment required by photojournalists varies by the type of story they pursue. If a photojournalist is picking up images of a town or if the photography is the type that portrays cultural and historical sites, or if the task is to follow the campaign trail of a political leader, each of these require a different treatment.–>Fashion PicturesA fashion photographer needs to be a creative thinker with a good eye for aesthetics and the ability to use sound judgment in implementing out-of-the-box ideas. Fashion photography is meant to render an elegant, stylish effect on readers so the mundane and the run of the mill shots will not work. Each photograph is a piece of art in itself and has to be original.Creating an impact in fashion photography requires the photographer to take a leap in imaginative thinking and to create images that are different and unusual. The treatments that have been tried over the years range from the surreal to muted black and whites, to geometric shapes to brilliant color schemes. A fashion product has to be portrayed creatively while at the same time conveying style and classiness. A fashion photographer needs a high level of visual sophistication combined with ideation skills. It also helps to try and understand the psyche of models that fashion photographers have to regularly interact with, in order to get the best out of them. Your choice of camera and accessories will vary depending on whether you shoot indoor or outdoor, light conditions, theme of the picture, etc.–>Black and White TreatmentThe black and white effect is used by artists and fashion photographers to create abstracts or classy ‘other worldly’ images. The camera equipment required in black & white is not very distinct from other types of photography but the key actually lies in the processing and printing quality. This is an important area of emphasis in black & white photographs in order to get the desired effect.You will need an assortment of lenses for different situations – such as a combination of wide-angle lens as well as a standard lens. If you want large prints, you may need a camera with a high-resolution digital image sensor for sharpness of large format prints. The resolution should be more than 3 mega pixels.Whether you develop your photographs in the darkroom (traditional film based camera) or process the pictures digitally (digital camera usage), when you develop the picture yourself you have the leeway to heighten or reduce the contrasts in tour picture based on the type of impression and visual impact you hope to create. You can also scan from traditionally processed negatives onto a computer and then process the images digitally.To fine-tune the images digitally you need some basic knowledge of Photoshop software. Without manipulating the main picture in any way, you can enhance your black and white images by fine-tuning the contrasts. Photoshop assists in optimizing the images. The principles are the same as those used in a traditional darkroom. Using Photoshop you can apply various techniques like dodging (you selectively lighten a certain portion of a photo), cropping, optimizing density and fine tuning the contrasts. Fine tuning the contrasts is important in creating the right effect in black and white.The print quality is another important factor in creating high impact black & white photographs. If you intend to print digitally processed images, you need a good printer and long lasting ink in your printer. You should also use photo quality paper to print your images.–>Shooting CelebritiesCelebrity photography is challenging and the same time an exciting, glamorous field. When you deal with celebrities, firstly you have very little time to work within. There is always a time constraint even after you pin down a celebrity for a photo session. You have to therefore have good infrastructure and be ready with the necessary equipment. You have to plan the shot and adjust your camera, before asking your celebrity to pose.Celebrity faces are well known so the key lies in attempting to capture something a little different, to create a different perspective. You need to build a good rapport with the celebrity and have to persevere to get the right mood to capture the real essence of the person. If you are photographing the celebrity for an ad, then the strategy behind the ad has to be considered to blend in the celebrity’s expressions and posture to suit the requirements of the ad.To sum up, the discussion – Wildlife photography requires you to brave rough conditions and thoroughly understand the habitat and behavior of the animal. The relevant and useful tools in your camera system are the right lenses and center-weighted metering if you are into shooting wildlife. Landscape photography requires you to be a wandering explorer, constantly seeking out those spectacular scenic settings. You mainly need wide-angle lenses in your camera system to demonstrate depth and scale in your picture. Sports events need a good vantage point and if you want to freeze the high action in the game, you have to learn and hone the skill of panning. Photojournalism calls on your social and political consciousness and is the art of visually unfolding a story, while Fashion photography requires ideation and out-of-the-box thinking. The impact of Black & White treatment can be heightened during the processing phase using various techniques and, Celebrity photography is not all glamour. Capturing the right mood and the essence of the celebrity becomes the key to a good shot and you often work within time constraints.It is apparent that different photography streams each have their own specialized approaches and style of treatment. Your mind-set and your interests should influence the path that you choose as a photographer.

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Proven Alternative Treatments ADHD Experts Recommend For Kids

Because of the findings over the last decade or more, alternative treatments ADHD experts are now recommending are not the hard core prescription medications of the past. The alternative solutions for kids with ADHD are at least, if not more effective than those medications like Ritalin and Adderall. Parents are also thrilled to know that the cost of these alternative treatments ADHD experts are talking about are more cost effective than ever before – substantially less than their traditional prescription counterparts.Alternative solutions for kids with ADHD can include various methods on their own, or more often, a blend or combination of two or more of these natural treatments is used together. By far, the three most popular alternative treatments ADHD experts are saying are the best are homeopathic remedies, dietary control and behaviour therapy. Homeopathic remedies is the top recommended natural therapy choice because they are extremely effective at suppressing ADHD symptoms yet have none of the harmful side effects of prescription medications often used for ADHD.With any of the proven alternative treatments ADHD experts are talking about, you can supplement with vitamins along side them. Iron and fish oil are two of the supplements that children will definitely benefit from. If you aren’t able get enough into them through dietary changes like red meat and natural fish, you can always use a pill form.The best homeopathic remedies will include high quality plant and herb extracts. Good remedies should includes things like Hysoscamus, Verta alb, Lemon balm and German chamomile. These different ingredients are meant to help with calming and helping the child to focus and concentrate better. Make sure any homeopathic remedies you purchase have all-natural ingredients and have been approved by a qualified homeopathic practitioner.If you you’d like to go the route of one of the proven alternative treatments ADHD authorities recommend, be sure to continue your research to ensure your child gets the best help possible. There are many authorities on dietary control and behaviour therapy. You can do further studying on your own with the dietary control but if you wish to try behaviour therapy, seek help from a qualified therapist who specializes in ADHD. You will be in much better hands.Alternative solutions for kids with ADHD are a hot topic right now. There are plenty of options available for parents these days. Should you choose to start with one of the alternative treatment ADHD authorities are suggesting, be sure to keep a log or a journal to see if and what your treatment option is doing to help. Record time and dates when your child is displaying ADHD symptoms before you start treatment. Keep this log up once your child starts treatment as well.Keep in mind, any treatment option you choose is long term. There are no magic treatments that provide overnight help. With time, though, you should be pleasantly surprised to find you won’t be marking your journal on such a frequent basis. Not only will you be helping your child on the path to a balanced life, but you will do so without risking their health.

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Exploring a Few of the Different Alternative Treatment Options Available For ADHD

ADHD affects more children in the US than you would believe. And about 4% of all children put together take drugs to help them with the way they pay attention in class and with hyperactivity in general. Of course, these medicines are not free of troublesome side effects. So troublesome and so frequent are these effects that two out of three children with ADHD have parents looking for an alternative to conventional treatment for ADHD. One of the first things that parents try in their mission to help a child with ADHD, is a change in the diet – a change for the better. Often, keeping children away from processed sugar-hopped foods and food additives helps quite a bit. Lots of parents, about one in five, have tried herbal products. Supplements like vitamins and alternative treatments such as yoga and biofeedback aren’t exactly unpopular either. The problem is, as with every other kind of alternative treatment, these have precious little scientific research to hold them up.It isn’t as if parents always have a choice in standard psychiatric drugs for ADHD treatment anyway; some children are completely intolerant to them. For these children, an alternative treatment for ADHD isn’t an alternative at all – it is the only way. And even in the children whose bodies do tolerate the drugs, one time out of three, there are problems – a terrible loss of weight, stomach ache, sleep loss, a complete change of personality. The FDA has been paying attention too – and for a few years now has stamped warnings on popular drugs like Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Those messages warned of possible heart attacks, hallucinations and death. So if a parent does want to explore the options in alternative treatment for ADHD, what kind of choices that they have?The initial results are not encouraging; there has been a major study done on the effects of a herb that has been much in the news for its effects in all kinds of psychiatric conditions, including depression; it is called St. John’s Wort and it has been tested on dozens of children; the study found that the herb worked no better than sugar pills. But the study only tested for its effects over an eight-week course; some prescription drugs can take 12 weeks to show any kind of effect. An eight-week study isn’t exactly fair. The thing is, in any course of complementary medicine, no one method ever works by itself. It is always groups of mutually complementary treatments that get picked. Ginkgo biloba, ginseng and echinacea are among the other herbs that are known to have an effect – in preliminary studies. If you are looking for an alternative treatment for ADHD, you do need to keep searching.But you could help a child gain many of the effects of a good alternative treatment for ADHD, just by avoiding some of the foods that are known to aggravate the problem. There was a study done in the respected medical journal The Lancet three years ago, that looked into how children with ADHD, whose diet included foods with artificial colors and preservatives, only make their problem much worse. They were put on an additive- and color-free diet for a month and a half; and their condition improved a whole lot. The moment they were given a can of soda at the end of that period though, it drove them up a wall. So an additive-free diet is great for ADHD; and while it might be intuitive to think that a high sugar diet can be really bad for ADHD too (especially since sugar is known to get even normal people ll agitated), that connection doesn’t work really as well.Here is an interesting alternative treatment for ADHD; it’s called biofeedback. It’s kind of high-tech; children are made to put on electrodes on their foreheads; when they have specific kinds of thoughts or thoughts of intent, the electrical energy generated by the brain is caught by the electrodes, and is used to control events on a video game. It is so entertaining to children to see that they can control things with their mind that they keep at it; and in the process, gain valuable experience in the control of their minds.They say that this works just as well as most drugs. You could go to the Integrativepeds website to find out more about doctors who might be willing to explore alternative treatments with children.

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How to Make Money Online, Fast: Your Key to a Successful and Wealthy Life

Obviously you making money online and becoming wealthy fast is a nice position to be in. There is a common and general notion today, and it’s that, every single person is looking for a means to getting rich, fast. This is probably the reason why many people easily fall into the snares of con artists in the online money-making world. People are willing to believe anything, especially when they are desperate and in need for that fast means of getting money to solve their everyday problems or a solution for getting themselves out of the very pit they dug for themselves in the form of debts. In truth, whether you are looking for a way of getting that dream job, house, car or even fending for your family daily, you should know that many people especially the young are searching for the easiest and fast means of hitting the “jackpot of gold” in the form of easy cash. Only a few of them will succeed.There are literally thousands of ways of becoming wealthy online fast. The only thing that will prevent you from doing so is your creativity, willingness to go that extra mile when things get tough and your ability to act upon the things you have learned. It is possible to become wealthy if you have the drive, determination and ambition to succeed beyond all odds. It’s completely understandable if you are one of those that are pessimistic and have negative attitudes towards the majority who come knocking with the claim of being able to help you make money online. You are in your right mind to do so, because the internet world is full of con artist who want nothing more than to just empty your already “wind blowing” wallets, or to drain your single to triple digits bank accounts. In truth, there are only a handful of series and websites that present thousands of ways to becoming wealthy by making money online, and I am here to share with you the secret key to becoming wealthy fast by making money online.Having 10-20 million dollars in your bank account is you being rich, but you should know from the start that being wealthy is reflected in your lifestyle and the root of this lifestyle may lie on the fact that you are making 2000 dollars a week. This will lead you into an early retirement with a million dollars in your bank accounts. This might sound too good to be true, believe you me, I would also be skeptical if I heard of such notions myself. Fortunately, it is very possible for you, for anyone. Making money online fast might not be as fast as you would expect, but it can happen fast enough for you to get a very early retirement. It is possible.Alfred Aldler once said, “Follow your heart but take your brain with you”. You have to know that making money online is not easy, and thinking of making money easily online and fast is out of the equation. It’s not about pushing a few buttons here and there or even sitting back with your arms crossed. It requires your time, little of your time every day, your determination and the ability to apply every single detail you’ve learned as you embark on the process of becoming wealthy, while also using your brain in the process. Most marketers won’t give you the simple secret for the one thing you need to do, to really make money online fast. The ones that try, will try to convince you that their system or product is the “kryptonite” to your poverty or the master key to unlocking the streams of unending cash that will flow into your poor and humble bank account. Some of them might be right, but most of them are just the financial nightmare you would never dare to have in this lifetime. Yes, you can be wealthy by making money online and fast. Yes you can!

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3 Mistakes On How To Make Money Online

In this 21st century era, the internet has taken most of the big businesses trading around the globe. It is no doubt that making money online is booming real fast. What used to be deemed by the society as fraud, scheme… etc all sorts of negative impression on the internet has now been replaced by praises. The internet has enable people to escape the 9-5 job routine and create their own online business.We have heard many people are earning a lot of money from the internet. Make money online has been a dream for many since then. Whatever their end desires are, it can be summarized as below on why people what to start an online business and make money online.1.) They own the business. No longer need to repeat the same old 9-5 routine.2.) Earning margin is unlimited. There is no limit to how much you can earn online.3.) Enables you to reach to audience of worldwide.With all the benefits above (and more!), it is no wonder more and more people are looking into making money online.However, the real question hits everyone who wish to start an online business real hard. The question is: How can I start to make money online then? The moment people ask this question, a sense of fear immediately arises in their blood. It is because they have never done anything like that before, and have all the pre-conceived notion on what the online business is.Here are the 3 mistakes that you need to avoid when it comes to build your own online business and start to make money online.Mistake number 1 – You need to be extremely good at programming and coding in order to make money online. Doom is the age of alien languages, now is the era of drag and drop! To build an online business, you don’t need to know even a single line of code. Many times people have been told that to start an online business you will need to at least master the foundation of programming and all the technical knowledge. Truth and the good news is, you don’t have to! With all the technologies in place now, you can even create a website in less than 30 minutes without facing the alien languages.Mistake number 2 – Sell service. By selling service you are exchanging time for bread. You can’t pull yourself out from the equation when you sell service. Simply put, you stop earning money online the moment you stop working online. Make sense? The better way would be to sell information digital products. Not only it’s earning margin is high, you can put it in automation as well. That means you can earn money even when you are away, even when you are not managing the business.Mistake number 3 – You need to get a Master Degree in designing a website. Scrap this. All you need is a good course that teaches you the right way of doing marketing online to drive traffic to your site. Let’s face it, without traffic, your beautiful website will be rendered as useless. It is because no one is looking at it! Marketing is the important puzzle that gives you revenue, not the look of the website.With these 3 mistakes to avoid, you can literally be relief to start to make money online. As long as you put the efforts in it and be patience, you will see result. Build an online business and make money online are real. Don’t be chickened out by those deceiving 3 mistakes!

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Nutritional Supplements: Do You Know What You’re Doing?

When we talk about nutritional supplements, what are we talking about?According to the FDA: Nutritional supplements, also called dietary supplements, are products you ingest that contain a dietary ingredient intended to add further nutritional value to (supplement) the diet.The most popular are multivitamins, calcium, and vitamins B, C and D. They can also be an amino acid, a mineral, an herbal or other botanical. They come in tablets, capsules, liquids, or powders.According to the National Institute of Health News in Health: “More than half of all Americans take one or more dietary supplements daily.”What that means is that there are a lot of people taking supplements not knowing what they’re doing.Is that you?What’s at Stake?As busy professional women, we’re used to working long days, skipping meals, and picking up ‘take out’ on the way home for dinner. It seems easier to just reach for a supplement to fill in the nutritional ‘gap’ rather than slow down and eat healthfully.As Americans, it seems we’re always in a hurry. We eat fast, drive fast, multi-task, and hurry to the doctor’s office for a pill to get better quickly.I wonder… Are we also popping supplements, willy-nilly, without thought?When it comes to nutritional supplements, do you know what you’re doing? Are you qualified to decide for yourself what supplements to take?When it comes to choosing nutritional supplements, besides a daily multi-vitamin, most of us don’t have a clue.Here’s the problem: When you reach for that bottle of vitamin C or pop a fish oil pill, do you know if you’re taking the right amount for your body? Do you know if your supplements are safe to take with prescription medications?Take an Active Role in Your Health with the Right Mix of Supplements.As busy professional women, you already take an active role in your business. You make informed decisions and don’t do anything willy-nilly.It should be the same with your health.Choosing the right mix of supplements is important for anyone interested in taking an active role in their health.While most supplements don’t have side effects, they still impact our body.For instance, vitamin C when taken in the right dosage helps build the immune system. Adversely, in higher doses, it’s a laxative. The amino acid L-Theanine can help to lower cortisol levels and aid in relaxation. If you’re currently taking a prescription to lower blood pressure, you wouldn’t add L-Theanine as a supplement.Three Avenues to Pursue When Seeking Nutritional SupplementsWhat a busy professional woman to do?Nutritional supplements can be a powerful ally for busy professional women interested in achieving optimal health. And while it is possible to get all the nutrients you need by eating a variety of healthy foods, it’s difficult to do so.If you do decide to take supplements, here are three avenues to pursue:1. Consult with a doctor – just not any doctor.For optimal holistic health, seek advice from a degreed medical professional. One that is trained to focus on whole-body health. Doctors of Oriental Medicine, Naturopaths, Alternative or Integrative Medical Doctors, for instance, can advise you on nutritional supplements.N.B. Traditional, western medicine doctors are neither trained nor able to be licensed to discuss nutritional supplements with clients!2. Partner with a Holistic Health Consultant.A lower cost alternative to seeking advice from a holistic medical doctor is to consult with a certified holistic health consultant. Many are educated and trained in how to help you wisely choose supplements best for your health goals.Be cautious of ‘health coaches.’ Not all health coaches are certified. Be particularly wary of anyone who wants to sell you their health product.3. Do your research on Google.Although this is the lowest cost alternative, it takes the most amount of time. To become knowledgeable about nutritional supplements you’ll need to do one heck of a lot of research, slog through endless websites touting elixirs to optimal health, and sort through a dizzying amount of contradictory information. Word to the wise: If you go this route, read carefully.Nutritional supplements can be a powerful ally for busy professional women interested in achieving optimal health. However, before you go off, willy-nilly, choosing whatever nutritional supplement you think would do you good, make sure you know what you’re doing. Pursue these three avenues when deciding on what nutritional supplements to take. Your body will thank you.

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How Do Nutrition and Mental Health Work Together For Your Benefit?

How exactly does nutrition and mental health go together? What effect does the food we eat have on our mental well being? Can we make some changes that will positively influence our brains and the state we find ourselves in? Absolutely.The foods we eat can greatly affect the body and its systems. The types of nutrients (or the lack of them) determines how our body and mind operates. If you find yourself dealing with anxiety, depression and other mental issues making some adjustments in your diet may help.Mental nutrition and health related food is not something new, but has been somewhat overlooked by the public and to an extent health professionals. Diet and exercise are usually offered up as helpful tips to combat mental disorders, but the information is often general. Usually doctors go for therapy and drugs for more noticeable forms of depression and anxiety. They do so without more specifically looking at how natural substances can help without the need for drugs or other expensive options.However, recent nutrition and mental health studies have begun to highlight specific natural substances that directly impact mood, anxiety and depression. Many of these we can get in our diet by adjusting the foods we eat. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough of these even by eating right due to the fact that much of the food we get in stores is processed to the point of removing nutrients. Usually a person will need to both eat the right foods and use supplements to get the total amount needed to make a change in their mental state.Mental nutrition and health experts have noticed that B complex vitamins have a role in mental function and mood. B complex vitamins have been understood to help provide energy to the body by working in the process of breaking down food into energy more efficiently, but research also shows that they work in the brain to protect and maintain nerve cells and brain function. Increasing levels of B complex vitamins brought noticeable improvement in mood, memory and mental energy for those studied over time.The nutrition and mental health studies also noted that what was good for the heart was also good for the mind. Reducing bad fats and increasing Omega 3 fatty acids like those found in fish had a positive effect on the brain as well. Omega 3′s contain DHA and EPA two fatty acids that help create healthy nerve cells and promote mood and function. There have been studies using Omega 3′s to treat depression with positive results.In addition to eating less fatty foods, increasing Omega 3′s and B vitamins, mental nutrition and health experts also recommend adding some nutritional supplements to the mix. These supplements contain various natural extracts and compounds that the body needs to produce neurotransmitters and other brain chemicals necessary for proper communication between nerve cells as well as regulating things like mood.For example, 5-HTP is a substance the body uses to create serotonin. Serotonin, is a brain chemical that is responsible for mood, appetite, sleep functions, etc. People fighting depression and insomnia often have issues with their serotonin levels. A supplement with 5-HTP can help the body to increase the level of serotonin in the brain and alleviate the symptoms of depression and sleeplessness.Another substance recommended by nutrition and mental health research is SAM-e. SAM-e has been used in Europe and other countries for years to treat depression and other mental issues but has only recently begun to see use in the US. SAM-e is used by the brain to create a variety of brain chemicals and neurotransmitters. Studies done on SAM-e showed that some people started responding to it in literally hours, noticing positive effects. SAM-e may also be helpful to people who can’t take prozac or who don’t respond well to the drug.There are other compounds too like L-Tyrosine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, choline, etc. that are helpful. However, we don’t have time or space to go into all of them here. The important things is that there are natural substances out there that nutrition and mental health experts are now offering their patients in light of recent research. These substances can have a profound impact on lifting depression, anxiety and reducing stress. As with anything it is important to find a health provider who is familiar and comfortable with these things that can help you decide what might help you and what might interact with any medicines you are taking. Aside from that, making some simple adjustments in the food you eat and taking a daily supplement may be just what you need to get to a better place mentally.

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Short, Intermediate, And Longer – Term Impacts On Home Sales, When Rates Rise!

For many reasons, some, economic, while others, related to the pandemic – related, so – called, fatigue, etc, home prices, in most areas, have gone up, at, or, near, record amounts! Because of the prolonged period of artificially – created, low – interest rates, mortgage rates, have been at historic lows! Since, for most home buyers, using financing is essential to affording a purchase, when a low rate, causes cheap money, and, thus, the ability to afford more home – for – the – buck, prices usually rise! It permits qualified buyers to qualify for more money/ loan, because the ratio of monthly mortgage, to overall income, is artificially – reduced! How long will this trend continue, will it become the new – normal, will previous trends/ cycles return, and how will pricing be affected, in the immediate, intermediate, and longer – run, are, all factors, to consider! With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, some possibilities, to consider, and understand.

1. Short – term: Since, the Federal Reserve Bank, announced, they planned to raise rates, three times in 2022 (of course, this was before the potential implications, and ramifications, from the Omicron variant), many feel pressure, to act quickly, to take advantage of today’s low rates, before they go up! Three increases will probably translate to, at least, a 0.75% higher rate, which will translate, for most mortgages, to hundreds of extra dollars, per month. Some things to consider, and pay attention to, is, this rate of increased home prices, will, probably, not continue, especially, at such a large degree! How longer one, expects to keep a specific house, is, one issue, to consider, thoroughly, and wisely, before proceeding!

2. Intermediate – term: Although, many believe, to – know, the precise timing of any projected rate – hike, is uncertain! The Fed has changed, and/ or, altered its strategies and approaches, in the past, What the intermediate – term, may bring, including potential inflationary pressures, how long the economic conditions, and unknown factors, related to the pandemic, etc, will determine, largely, what this phase, may bring! In addition, the attitude, and perceptions of buyers, and their confidence, etc, largely impact this real estate market!

3. Longer – term: In the longer – run, will things, restore, to what we have seen, so often, in the past, which is, alternating cycles, between, Sellers, Buyers, and Neutral Markets? The possibilities, include: a continued large escalation; a more – gradual, but persistent – one; some leveling; and/ or, will we see, at least, in certain areas, some sort of falling prices, for a period.

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Affiliate Marketing Coach – Speed Up Your Affiliate Progress With A Coach

An affiliate marketing coach is someone who can help you lift the invisible ceiling which may be holding your affiliate business back. So much in business it is the limits of our thinking which stop us from achieving the things we set out to achieve.

In affiliate marketing this is very much the case. You don’t know what you don’t know! You may even be running down a rabbit hole in the complete wrong direction. I did this for years before finding an affiliate marketing coach who helped me.

Before this point I was trying to do everything alone. Many affiliates are doing the same but don’t realise their actions aren’t aligned with their desired outcomes. For me, I was focusing only on the things I liked to do, not the things which would drive my business forwards.

A clear perspective from a coach who isn’t so myopic in their thinking can change everything. If you keep doing what you’ve always done as an affiliate, your results will likely be the same. But if you’re prepared to step outside your comfort zone, you can make far greater changes in a small amount of time.

Much of affiliate marketing is about trial and error. You try several things and focus on the things which work. This is Pareto’s principle, or the 80:20 rule. But if you have no results to draw from, you could easily be focusing on strategies which will take years to gain any traction.

A few of the small shifts I made in my affiliate marketing endeavours are: shifting to promoting products which offer recurring commissions, I stopped promoting small value, low commission products, and I started using high ticket digital products instead.

These steps alone hugely helped me start generating tactics in my affiliate business. But I also got coaching and mentoring, and decided to take affiliate marketing more seriously. In the beginning, it was just a hobby, and I treated it like a hobby. But if you look at your affiliate business like a hobby, you’ll earn a hobby wage from it. Treat it more seriously, and focus on building a sustainable income which can replace existing work, and you can achieve much more. You get what you focus on!

Goals are useful signposts for affiliates too. For such a long time I was without a rudder as an affiliate. A goal gives you a specific destination you can measure and work towards. If you don’t have either a goal, or a strategy you can stick to with affiliate marketing, it’s easy to lose purpose and drift off in another direction.

When you’re looking for results and don’t have any, it can become completely demoralising! You need to stoke the fire of your own enthusiasm continually or you’re likely to become disillusioned and drop out. This happens to around 95% of affiliate marketers.

But you need to be in the 5% who stick at it and eventually break through and start making consistent sales. When this occurs will depend on the actions you take and how long you keep going for. If something isn’t working, try something else. Focus on the small wins like a hit on a website, or an email lead. Keep your enthusiasm high and you’ll be able to surmount the obstacles which come with the territory. But if you allow yourself to become dissatisfied, it’s much more difficult to keep going.

Affiliate marketing isn’t easy. It’s performance related which means that if you don’t make a sale, you don’t make any money. This is tough in the beginning because you can do a lot of activity which is unrewarded. But once you make a sale, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. This is the goal of many new affiliate marketers – to make their first sale.

Once you have some positive feedback in terms of success, you can focus on the activities which brought it about. But until this happens, you very much need to trust the process. If you’re also paying a membership fee while this is happening, there can come a point where you decide it’s simply not working! This is common, and people drop out. But if you have a coach you can trust, things are so much more sustainable.

An affiliate marketing coach can help you overcome negativity, indecision, hesitancy and self belief issues. A coach can help you see things in a different light and to notice limitations in your thinking.

For me this has been a complete game changer, and not just for affiliate marketing. When you notice your own self talk is talking away your success and happiness, you realise you are the creator of your own outcomes. As you remember to change your self talk and thinking habits, you realise without belief there is no action. So belief is everything.

The person we listen to more than anyone else in life is ourselves. We talk to ourselves in our head constantly. Re reaffirm what we think and believe about ourselves continually. If we can learn to tap into this power, and start giving ourselves more positive commands, then we can grow both personally and professionally in a much more congruent way than simply through thinking, planning and attempting things in only the physical aspect of our affiliate business.

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