7 Ways to Avoid Mistakes with Money

I’m going to guess you’ve made a financial mistake or two in your life. Who hasn’t? For some of us, it was more than an occasional late fee or random urge to overspend that brought us to our financial knees. But I’m not talking about the kind of blunders that got us into trouble—we could list those in our sleep. Instead, I want to focus on the mistakes people make while they’re working their way back to financial health. Whether you’re recovering from a season of unemployment or from a financial mess you created on your own, avoid these goofs and you’ll get where you want to go much faster.

1. Not Saving
You’ve heard this plenty, and here it comes again: Jump to the front of the line— ahead of your creditors—when you divvy up your paycheck. Get over feeling guilty about keeping money for yourself. You need a fat emergency fund, and the only way to build it is to pay yourself first! Stuff happens, and if you’re not financially prepared for those emergencies, you’ll keep falling back into debt.
You’ll need enough in your fund to pay all your bills for at least six months. But don’t let that big number discourage you. Start by saving enough to live on for two weeks, then up it to one month, and so on until you reach goal.

Solution: Put your savings on autopilot—you won’t miss what you don’t see. Commit to saving 10 percent of every paycheck. If you can’t start there, start with 2 percent. Then in a few weeks, change it to 5 percent, then 7 and so forth until you reach at least 10 percent.

2. Paying for College
If you must make a choice between adequately funding your own retirement and paying for your kids’ college education, put retirement first. Contributing to college funds, going into debt by cosigning for student loans or taking out a home equity loan to cover tuition before you’ve taken care of your own future are huge blunders. The best gift you can give your kids is to make sure you won’t become a financial burden to them in your sunset years.

Solution: Kids have far more options for funding their college education than you have for your retirement. They’ve got scholarships, grants, financial aid, student loans, work-study programs and the not-to-be-forgotten method of working their way through college. Once your own future is secure and you’re out of debt, that’s when you’re in a position to help pay for education. Use the free Retirement Calculator at MoneyCentral.MSN.com/Retire/Planner.aspx to determine how much you need to be setting aside for retirement each month.

3. Too Much House
Add up your shelter costs (monthly mortgage payment plus taxes and insurance). Your total shouldn’t exceed 28 to 33 percent of your gross income—and that’s only if you don’t have a lot of other debt. Biting off more house than you can chew leaves you wide open to foreclosure and bankruptcy.

Solution: Don’t let a commissioned professional talk you into buying the most house you can qualify for. Do your own research and run your own numbers to determine how much house you can afford. You need a 20 percent down payment and a 30-year fixed-rate loan, with monthly payments that can easily fit within 28 to 33 percent of your current gross household income. If you’re over your head in a house you can’t afford, maybe it’s time to sell. If you’ve fallen behind or fear you may soon, but you owe more than the house is currently worth, call your lender immediately. You may be able to enter into a short sale (the lender agrees to settle your debt for the sale price that you can get for the house now, and forgives the balance you owe). Or speak with a HUD-approved housing counselor to find out about other options, such as loan modification (the lender agrees to adjust the terms of your loan so you can afford to keep living in your home).

4. Refinancing a Fixed-Rate Mortgage
With mortgage rates at a 50- year low, it’s tempting to refinance to get a lower monthly payment. But before you do that, ask yourself this: Can you take the difference between the payment you have now and the lower payment and use it to repay all your refinancing costs within 24 months?

Let’s do the math. The average closing cost is 2.5 to 5 percent on a $150,000 loan ($3,750 to $7,500), but the percentage normally goes down as the loan increases. Divide the amount you’ll save each month into the closing cost. If the result is more than 24, you’ll be making a big mistake by refinancing.

Even worse, refinancing with this lower monthly payment will “reset the clock,” putting you back on a 30- year payback schedule. Your goal should be to pay off the home so you own it free and clear before you retire If you’re 10 years from paying off your home and you refinance to get a lower monthly payment— but end up with a new 30-year term—you’ll be making those new “lower” payments for an additional 20 years! If the payment is, say, $2,000, you’ll end up paying an additional $480,000 just because you refinanced and reset the clock.

Solution: If you did the math earlier and it worked out in your favor, go ahead and refinance—but keep making the original, larger mortgage payments you’ve been making all along. Now, that lower payment will make an authentic, financially wise difference. You’ve managed to outsmart that reset clock and the extra interest that comes with it.

5. Paying Off the Mortgage Too Soon
Paying extra on your mortgage each month is laudable, but not if you time it badly. Your mortgage should be the last debt you pay off. Why? First, its interest rate is a lot lower than the interest you’re paying on your other debts (credit cards, student loans). Second, mortgage interest on your primary residence is tax-deductible. While you’re in debt having that deduction helps to ease the pain by lowering your tax bill.

Solution: Once you’ve built up a fat emergency fund and all of your high-interest, unsecured debts are paid in full—only then should you consider putting money toward paying off your mortgage.

6. Investing in the Wrong Thing
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year, it’s that money invested in the stock market is at risk. You could lose it! Don’t jeopardize any of your hard-earned money while you’re carrying high-interest, unsecured debt. Instead, invest in your debt—it’s a much smarter move. Let me explain: If you have a $2,000 credit card balance at 14.5 percent interest, you’re paying $290 per year in interest, or $24.16 per month. Instead of taking a $2,000 gamble on the stock market, put it toward reducing your credit card debt Now each month, rather than paying that $24.16 interest to the credit card company, you get to keep it.

Solution: As long as you’re carrying unsecured debt, do everything you can to pay it down each month. You’ll get a return equal to the amount of interest you would have paid to the credit card company.

7. Debt Consolidation
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Get a new low-interest loan to pay off all your high-interest debts! But more often than not, that’s a big faux pas. Low-rate consolidation loans are typically tied to something of value like your home’s equity. Bad enough, but here’s the real problem: The financially immature person gets that equity loan and then keeps using those credit cards. In no time, the balances creep back to the limit. And that means double the trouble.

Solution: Forget about consolidating old debt into new debt. Instead, get serious about cutting your spending so you can pay off the debts you have as quickly as possible. If you have a good payment history, call the creditor and ask for a lower interest rate. You never know— you just might get it!

By Mary Hunt

Related Articles at WomansDay.com

8 Foods that Help to Fight Fat

Combat fat! Your allies in battling bulge? Foods that do the work for you. These edibles have proven lipid-melting powers that help you slim. That’s a win.

Almonds Almond joy! Dieters who ate 3 ounces of these nuts every day reduced their weight and body-mass index by a solid 18 percent compared with an 11 percent drop in the no-nut group, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can speed the metabolism of fats. Stick to 12 per serving.

Berries Vitamin C–loaded fruit such as strawberries and raspberries can help you sizzle up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, suggests research from Arizona State University at Mesa. Blend a vinaigrette of 1 cup berries and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar.

Cinnamon This spice could make your waistline nice. Sprinkling ¼ teaspoon on your food may prevent a postmeal insulin spike—this increase normally occurs after you eat and “signals the body that it should store fat rather than burn it,” explains Lauren Slayton, R.D., of New York City. Add a dash to your oatmeal, yogurt or coffee.

Mustard Hello, yellow. The spice that gives mustard its color, turmeric, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology notes. Eighty-six mayo in favor of any mustard; sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower and roast for a tangy side.

Oranges Prevent pound creep with this citrus star: It contains fat-torching compounds called flavones. Women who ate the most flavones had a significantly lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Snack on slices or drink freshly squeezed OJ (with pulp!) for the biggest payback.

Soybeans These green gems are rich in choline, a compound that blocks fat absorption and breaks down fatty deposits. Add ½ cup edamame to a salad.

Sweet potatoes Trade up to sweet taters. They’re high in fiber, which means no drastic insulin jumps and thus less fat packed onto your hips. Bake a small sweet potato—think of two bars of soap as a portion size—and top with a dollop of lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese.

Swiss cheese Holy cow: “Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown,” says Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Put toe to toe with some of its cheesy counterparts, Swiss is a heavy hitter in the calcium department; layer a slice on a lunchtime sandwich, or stack some on high-fiber crackers.

By Veronica Byrd

Why Mushrooms in Coffee and Tea are Good for Your Daily Health

Dr. Hoover, NHD explains in the video below the daily health benefits of having mushrooms in your favorite cup of coffee or tea. He also recommends these mushroom products to his actual patients - watch the video below!





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New Coffee just for the Ladies!

We are proud to introduce a wonderful new healthy coffee just for the ladies. Our new Kacip Fatimah - Collagen - Ganoderma Coffee is not only delicious, but great for the female body! This new coffee contains several proven natural ingredients that may provide some much needed support for females and the best part of it all, it is as easy to use as drinking a great cup of coffee!

Dr. Hoover has been recommending healthy ganoderma coffee in his clinic, Essential2Health Advanced Natural Health Center, for years and was instrumental in making Healthy Coffee a household name in the Ozarks and across the country. "We now have a great tasting coffee that is great for women looking for that edge, especially during those menopausal years!"

One of the main ingredients is Kacip Fatimah. Kacip Fatimah is traditionally used to maintain a healthy female reproductive system, to help tighten and lubricate, and to enhance sexual function. Kacip Fatimah is rich in phytoestrogen and isoflavones, that may ease menopausal symptoms.

Kacip Fatimah is said to boost a woman's libido and support the health of the female reproductive system. This herb is said to provide sexual benefits specifically for the female body, and manufacturers that promote this ingredient claim that it can help tighten and naturally lubricant vaginal muscles. Though, for the most part, this herbal extract is primarily advertised as a strong aphrodisiac for female users.

+ Acts as an aphrodisiac for many people
+ Improves physical and mental performance
+ Enhances energy levels, endurance and stamina
+ Reduces mental fatigue and exhaustion
+ Helps Reduce high blood pressure
+ Helps Strengthen bones and muscles
+ Improves blood circulation
+ It especially helps to achieve the effect of contracting and firming of the muscles in the abdomen.

Another ingredient is Collagen. Collagen is one of the most plentiful proteins present in the bodies of mammals, including humans. In fact, it makes up about 25 percent of the total amount of proteins in the body. Some people refer to collagen as the glue that holds the body together. Without it, the body would, quite literally, fall apart. As people age, however, collagen degradation occurs, leading to wrinkles. As such, it is an important substance for those looking for ways to fight the visible effects of aging on the skin, weight loss and reducing body fat. Collagen may also help with inflammation, joint pain and joint health.

As with all of the Healthy Coffees Dr. Hoover promotes, Reishi "Ganoderma" is a core ingredients with provides a "wealth" of health benefits including, powerful anti-oxidants, digestive support, liver support, adrenal/thyroid, and immune system support.

All of this is blended into a grade A great tasting coffee. It can't get any easier to help yourself than doing what you already do each morning, have a great cup of coffee knowing you are supporting your body!

Kacip Fatimah Collagen - Ganoderma (Female Enhancer)












Known as the the female version of Tongkat Ali. Traditionally, it is used for enhancing vitality, overcome tiredness and addressing female balance issues.

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6 BOX CASE $91.33
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Does Green Tea Promote Long Life?

Drinking green tea does promote long life. But, there is a major catch. You have to drink green tea regularly. If you want a long life, you should be drinking green tea at an early age. Remember, there are many different types of green tea available that come from both China and Japan. Depending on how young you start drinking green tea, keep in mind the type of green tea that you are drinking. If you are nearing the end of your life and you start drinking green tea, then your will not extend your life that much. But, you might be able to extend your life for maybe a year at least.

If you are looking to green tea as a means to live a long life, you will have to start drinking that stuff at an early age. The reason that green tea helps extend life is because that the stuff is full of antioxidants. Back during my junior year in high school, I had learned that eating chocolate in moderation would extend a person's life by one year. This is because chocolates such as dark chocolates are full of antioxidants. However, green tea has far more antioxidants than dark chocolate does.

The magic word would be "antioxidant." Eating foods full of antioxidants are keys to living a long and healthy life. Regularly drinking green tea is the key to living a long and healthy life. However, you have to do your research on what type of green tea you are drinking. It is important that you do not go crazy with drinking the green tea. While there are many health benefits to drinking green tea, there are as many side effects to drinking green tea.

According to a study released back in 2003, it has been revealed that green tea does boost ones gamma delta T cells. In turn, it boosts ones own immune system. When you get older, your immune system breaks down. Having a strong immune system is crucial to living a long life. Green tea will help boost your immune system and ensure you do live a long life. Remember, you must have been drinking green tea for quite awhile.

Green tea has the antioxidant known as EGCG that protects against many cancers such as lung, prostate, and liver cancer. When we get older, we are more prone towards getting cancer. Cancer can shorter a person's life. If green tea protects those against cancer, then it should promote long life. Keep in mind that you have to have been drinking green tea on a regular basis for quite some time.

For the elderly, green tea lowers the risk of getting cognitive impairment. That should say it helps promote long life.

There are many properties of green tea that does extend ones own life. However, one must be award of the side-effects of green tea. Too much green tea may shorten a person's life instead of extending it.

If you are looking to green tea to promote long life, make sure you do your research. However, I would recommend looking to other sources of foods that are full of antioxidants.

But if you are starting out with green tea, I would suggest the Japanese green tea of kukicha. This can be mixed with any type of juice for a children's drink. Kukicha has plenty of antioxidants and is low in caffeine. Children will not be at risk of getting addicted to caffeine.

That is just one example.

Remember to do your full research on green tea. One type of green tea is different from another.

Green tea does promote long life. But, it needs to be consumed in moderation. The key word is "moderation." Drink it in moderation on a regular basis.

by: Can Tran

Foods that Help You Get HAPPY

Fight stress and depression with five nutrient-buffed snacks

Sorry, ice cream isn't on the list! But the following foods do have nutrients that can help fight stress and depression, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness.

Food: Oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: Vitamin C
This vitamin helps you cope better in stressful times by lowering your levels of stress hormones. If you get a lot regularly, you'll feel calmer during tough situations.

Food: Nuts
Mood-Boosting Ingredients: Vitamin E, arginine (an amino acid) and magnesium
A handful of nuts will keep you full and satisfied because they have a low glycemic index-which means they don't jack up your blood sugar levels and cause mood swings. It also makes you feel good to eat something that seems decadent (they're considered a little bit naughty because they're high in fat) but actually has health benefits.

Food: Leafy greens
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: Folic Acid
Research has shown that the folic acid in leafy greens such as kale and spinach can reduce depression and even improve blood flow to the brain. If you're not eating at least one serving per day you're more than likely low in folic acid, so try getting more or consider taking a multivitamin that contains it.

Food: Salmon
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid)
The omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines have been found to improve your mood while lowering the risk of depression and age-related memory loss. The depression link is so strong that American Psychiatric Association suggests that anyone taking antidepressants and/or going through therapy also boost her intake of omega 3s.

Food: Dried cherries
Mood-Boosting Ingredients: Potassium, magnesium and vitamin C
These nutrients all work to curb your body's stress response. Dried cherries also keep your brain healthy because they're packed with antioxidants (including vitamin C), which prevent damage to your brain cells that can lead to memory problems.

By: Abigail L. Cuffey

28 Facts About Caffeine Everyone Ought To Know

This is a great list of facts about caffeine:

1. Caffeine is a stimulant that temporarily wards off drowsiness and restore alertness. 2. Over 60 plants use caffeine as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kill insects.
3. Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed legal, unregulated drug estimated at 120,000 tons per year.
4. Dark-roast coffee has less caffeine than lighter roasts because the roasting process reduces the bean’s caffeine content.
5. The color of tea cannot be used to indicate caffeine content.
6. Arabica coffee normally contains less caffeine than coffee originating from Western Africa.
7. Caffeine is COMPLETELY absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion.
8. A cup of tea contains half the amount of caffeine of an average cup of coffee.
9. Caffeine in chocolate is insignificant to the point where a 28-gram serving of milk chocolate bar has as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.
10. A study found out that 5.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass resulted in subjects cycling 29% longer during high intensity circuits.
11. Animals like dogs, horses and parrots are unable to metabolize the compound thus caffeine is toxic to them.
12. 80% to 90% of American adults consume caffeine daily, and their mean daily caffeine intake exceeds 200 mg/day which means that a large fraction of the U.S. adult population is completely tolerant to most of the effects of caffeine.
13. A reduction in serotonin levels when caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate, diminished motivation to complete daily tasks and even mild depression.
14. Other side effects include dizziness, tachycardia, blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, diuresis, loss of appetite, nausea and stomachaches.
15. Caffeine intoxication happens at 3-4 cups of brewed coffee.
16. Caffeine intensifies and prolongs the effects of epinephrine-like drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, or methylphenidate.
17. A small dose of caffeine taken with pain killers increase the effectiveness of relieving headaches and body absorption levels by 40%.
18. Drinking 100 cups of coffee in a streak is another method of committing suicide.
19. Extreme overdose starts at 2 grams of caffeine.
20. According to British Journal of Addiction, caffeine addiction troubles 1 in every 10 of the population.
21. Caffeine reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in men.
22. Caffeine improves short term memory only when the information to be recalled is related to the current line of thought.
23. Caffeine prevents dihydrotestosterone from damaging hair follicles.
24. Caffeine increases sperm movement.
25. Caffeine significantly reduces the risk of heart diseases of non-high blood pressure patients.
26. Caffeine causes excess release of stomach acids during ingestion.
27. Smoking can shorten caffeine’s half-life
28. Give a spider caffeine and and you will notice the speed of it’s web construction





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6 Healthy Habits You Can Start Today

Although there are some things we can't control about our health, there are many things we can. By developing healthy habits that we practice on a daily basis, we can tip the odds in our favor for living a long and vibrant life.

1. Drink more water. Most people don't drink nearly enough water to properly hydrate their bodies. If you simply consider the fact that the human body is about 75% water, it helps to understand the importance of drinking the recommended daily amount of 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses.

2. Eat less food more often. Many people believe that the best way to lose weight is by skipping meals and eating less often. The truth is that when you skip meals, the metabolism slows down and you burn less calories and fat.

3. If it's white, don't bite. Processed foods that contain limited amounts of natural fibers and nutrients may fill you up, but they can still leave your body malnourished. Natural foods contain the fibers and minerals your body needs to function properly.

4. Give your liver a daily cleansing. For a good natural detoxification, squeeze half a lemon in 8 ounces of water and add stevia to taste first thing every morning. The lemon juice helps clean out the liver and also balance blood sugars naturally.

5. Get moving. There’s no way around it—if you really want to get and stay healthy, exercise is a key factor. Of course, the benefits of exercise reach much farther, including cardiovascular health, stress reduction, muscle toning, and sleep enhancement.

6. Get your sleep. Sleep rejuvenates cells and helps in the healing process and also helps to maintain and boost the immune system. Lack of sleep also leads to stress, which leads to increased cortisol release, which leads to weight gain.

10 Great Benefits Of Drinking Green Tea

Green tea has a great importance in China history. Ancient Chinese people knew the benefits of green tea for health. They have always used it for medical purposes. It is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis by some special processes. This is the list of benefits of green tea which I’ve found during my research.

1. It is used to treat multiple sclerosis.
2. It is used for treatment and prevention of cancer.
3. It is used to stop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
4. It is used to raise the metabolism and increase fat oxidation.
5. It reduces the risk of heart diseases and heart attacks by reducing the risk of trombosis.
6. It reduces the risk of esophageal cancer.
7. Drinking green tea inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells, reduces the level of cholesterol in blood, improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
8. It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases
9. It is used to treat impaired immune function. .
10. Some researches show that, drinking green tea regularly may help prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria which causes the dental plaque.

Via HealthMad




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Coffee and Exercise Performance

If you’re planning on using exercise to get yourself in shape for summer, you might want to drink a couple of cups of coffee first. In a study recently released, researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens found that the amount of caffeine in two cups of coffee cut exercise-induced muscle pain in half.

The group studied nine college-aged women who were given caffeine or placebo at 24 and 48 hours after performing what is called eccentric exercise. The two intensities of exercise tests were actually designed to cause soreness in the subjects’ thigh muscles, or quadriceps. It is interesting that the harder the women exercised, the more effective was the caffeine at relieving their muscle pain. Those who consumed caffeine one hour prior to the more difficult exercise test had 48% less pain than the placebo group, while the women who consumed caffeine prior to the less difficult test had 26% less pain than the placebo group.

The authors wrote: “Eccentric exercise occurs when skeletal muscles produce force while being lengthened. For example, the biceps brachii muscles act eccentrically when a cup of coffee is lowered from the mouth to a tabletop. This experiment found that caffeine (equal to approximately 2 cups of brewed coffee) could produce a large reduction in pain resulting from eccentric exercise-induced, delayed-onset muscle injury. This finding may improve the quality of life of individuals who experience skeletal muscle pain after engaging in unaccustomed, eccentrically biased exercise.”
According to Dr. Victor Meridakis, “If you can use caffeine to reduce the pain, it may make it easier to transition from that first week into a much longer exercise program…. but you have to apply some common sense and not go overboard.”
_________________________
Reference: Caffeine Attenuates Delayed-Onset Muscle Pain and Force Loss Following Eccentric Exercise. Maridakis V, O'Connor PJ, Dudley GA, McCully KK. J Pain. 2006 Dec 8; [Epub ahead of print]

How the Sweet Taste of Soft Drinks are Destroying Your Health

Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own.

Soft drinks are hard on your health
Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.

A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Why the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweet
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!

Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.

Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.

The health effects of diet soda
You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.

Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.

Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.

Carbonation depletes calcium
Beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.

Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.

Skip the soda and go for:

• Fresh water
Water is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.

On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.

• Fruit Juice
If you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.

• Tea
Tea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.

If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here. Drink up!

Happy Drinking!

Coffee Buying Online... Is It Better?

You may have never thought about buying coffee online before, but it could very well be the next thing you fall in love with. But why would someone want to look for online coffee when there are a few good selections at the grocery store? Well, if all you have ever had was grocery store coffee, then you might feel like shopping online is a waste. The thing is though, the coffee that you purchase online is typically better than anything you are going to find in the grocery stores.

Since grocery stores only have a limited amount of shelf space, they can only store a certain number of various kinds of coffee. If you are really into coffee of various blends, then looking to purchase coffee online is your best bet. Since the online store is able to stock many more different kinds of coffee than your local grocery store, you will be able to find just the right coffee for you. You probably won't believe your eyes when you see all of the different selections that are really out there.

Also, you will find that the coffee online that you purchase is much fresher than what you could run down to your local grocer's and pick up. This is because the coffee did not have to travel to the stores, sit in the back room and then sit on the shelves for weeks before being purchased. When you order online, you are usually getting the best of the best which means you will have the freshest coffee for you and your loved ones when you wake up in the morning.

Are you worried about the shipping prices for the online coffee? Well, don't be. Since the online stores do not have as much over head as the regular grocery stores in your town, they are able to help you with the shipping a little. Some online stores will even offer for you to have free shipping, which means that you are not really out any extra money. In fact, you save money buy purchasing coffee online because you do not have to waste gasoline and time running to and from the store. The coffee will be shipped right to your front door.

So, do you really think that you will enjoy shopping online for your coffee? You really will not know until you try it for yourself. You might be surprised and find that you love it so much, that you really cannot think of any other way to purchase your coffee. Purchasing coffee online is something that you will get extremely used to. Give it a shot and see what you think. Since you really are not spending any extra money to shop for online coffee, there is nothing to lose.

by:
Ruaidhri Prendergast
EzineArticles.com Expert Author

Loss - How To Overcome Any Calamity

There are many in America right now that are losing their homes.

My children and I lost our home shortly after my divorce. Losing your home, a loved one, a business, a job, or any other significant thing or person in our lives brings forth vast and unsettling emotions.

Our sense of security, identity, and safety is threatened.

We wonder if we will survive. We wonder how we will survive. We feel pain, anger and a sense of tremendous loss.

At one time or another we will all experience this in our journey through life.

Sometimes we merely survive the upset.

Sometimes we are left with unresolved anger and a lingering or lifelong feeling of unjustness and unfairness.

Sometimes we experience a greater sense of ourselves and our abilities. We realize that we can not only survive but that we have intelligence, instincts, and strengths beyond what we previously believed. Sometimes we experience a peace that is more profound than we ever imagined. Sometimes our self-confidence expands. Many times we learn the power of letting go. And many times we learn that we are not the things we own or we are not the other half of another person.

What is life about?

Why do these “calamities” befall us?

Why are we here?

I believe that we are here to learn who we really are. I believe that we are here to grow in our power, love, intelligence and sense of self. I believe we are here to demonstrate to ourselves that we can survive and that after and through survival we rise to higher levels of spiritual and internal power. When I use the word power, I mean the ability, capacity and action of generating – of creating – this divine power within that many times has lain dormant waiting to be awakened.

Are you experiencing a wakeup call right now?

Are you being challenged beyond reason?

Are you unsure of your ability to survive or cope?

Know that you are more than this experience.

Know that you are divine.

Know that, on some level, you may even have created this event for your own growth or wakeup call.

Know that this may be a turning point in your life.

Know that you may discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed.

Know that – in time – you may look back on this experience and call it the best

thing that could have happened to you.

Know that it is not “bad” and neither are you.

Know that you are a creator.

Know that life is with you – whether you feel it now or not.

Know that you have the ability to look at what occurred or is occurring and figure out what you could have done differently to have prevented this. Know that it really is okay that you didn’t prevent it. Learn from this experience.

Some of you have read in Outrageous Mastery® how I figured out how to get a home for my children and myself. It was a wreck and it made me angry but once my children and I accepted it as a challenge – we rose to the occasion.

The pride that we all felt a year later went soul-deep. A neighbor just shook her head and said, “You are superwoman!”

And I felt like superwoman.

Know that everything passes.

Know that life goes on.

Know that you are more than this experience.

Know there is a reason for it.

Know it may turn into a gift.

Know that you are incredibly special.

Know that you are loved.

Know that it doesn’t mean you are a failure.

Know that it doesn’t mean anything negative about you.

It is a life experience. That is all.

And it is an opportunity to be stretched, to go beyond your comfort zone, to find
out how tough you really are. It is your challenge.

Rise to the occasion and show yourself who you are.

Look for and find the opportunity that is awaiting you. It is there.

Know you are more important and worth more than what is happening.

Know, as time passes, everything will be fine.

Know that you are the one that can make it fine.

P.S. One of the key ways to break free from loss is using your self-confidence. It's your greatest tool, so don't let it go to waste!

by: Sasha Xarrian