Archive for June, 2008

Low Carb Does Not Mean No Carbs

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

By Frances Coleman In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given everything they needed to be healthy and happy. They had plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meats. The garden was a buffet of all you can eat healthy foods. Now when I say all you can eat, I am not talking about your local pizza buffet or the greasy spoon buffet. I am talking about an abundance of healthy carbs and lean meats. Yes, they probably had potatoes but without a deep fryer or butter and sour cream, those potatoes were not a problem. There were no chocolate trees, no potato chip factories, no sweet soft drinks, and definitely no ice cream. They were provided with the nutrients that their bodies were created to need and nothing more. Unfortunately, when they were thrown out of the Garden, the road to unhealthy eating had begun. As with everything in history, as man progresses, he regresses. The first warrior’s weapon of choice was a stone. Look how far we have come from that stone that was used for the first murder. Now we have bombs that can blow up whole countries. Progress? — maybe not. In terms of food, we have more choices than ever before in history, but one truth has survived since the beginning of time. If you consume more calories than you utilize, you will gain weight. Every diet, no matter which one you look at, still runs on this principal. Eating a balanced diet of Adam and Eve’s fruits, vegetables, and lean meat will allow anyone to lose weight. Add exercise and you will lose more weight. Even a twenty minute walk will help you lose weight. How many of you ride around a parking lot five or ten minutes to find the closest parking space rather than walk a few extra steps. Don’t deny it; I know you are out there because I have seen you. I have lived in the South my whole life. Yes, we love fried foods, bountiful tables of food, and a good dessert and yes even bread. For centuries our Southern ancestors ate this way and created our tradition of fabulous Southern cooking. We cooked our vegetables in meat and couldn’t imagine a meal without biscuits or cornbread. My grandmother cooked that way and to this day I remember her meals. My mother cooked that way and I can still taste her fried chicken. The difference is that in those days people didn’t have to run on a treadmill or use exercise equipment. Exercise came from hard work. My mother picked cotton when she was young. My grandmother never had inside plumbing. She worked hard all of her life. She expended those calories she was eating by years of cleaning, cooking from scratch, walking to the out house, using a wringer washing machine, and carrying heavy pans of boiling water for baths and dish washing. Yes, in short they could eat what they wanted because they expended more calories than they took in each day. Today, we simply do not work as hard. With all of our appliances that make work easier and non manual labor jobs, we simply cannot eat the way our ancestors did. We can’t eat the fried everything, the greasy vegetables, bread at every meal, and the desserts our forbearers ate. Of course, we can, but we will pay the price by gaining weight. My blog is all about finding ways to eat healthy without feeling deprived or hungry. I include recipes that I have created for my husband and myself that follow the guidelines for low carb eating but are delicious and easy to prepare. I don’t know about you, but if a recipe has more than five ingredients, I move on. Learning to stay home and cook simple, delicious meals will also help you to stay away from restaurants where the chef piles your plate with enough food for not only you but the whole table. Restaurants are definitely a place where you can eat low carb, but take a look at the calorie count. When I did, I was horrified. The slightly boring meal that I thought was low carb and, therefore, low calorie was a disaster. I could have had something really tasty for the calories contained in that mediocre meal. Low carb has become my life and I have never felt better or healthier. Remember; when you have that desire for bad foods, ask yourself what would Adam and Eve have done. On second thought maybe that’s not such a good idea. It’s their fault we have all these problems in the first place. If it weren’t for them, we’d still be in the Garden of Eden eating the way we were created to eat and we would all be slim as super models without all the air brushing. After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Read her daily blog about Free Low Carb Recipes and Tips. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frances_Coleman http://EzineArticles.com/?Low-Carb-Does-Not-Mean-No-Carbs&id=120845 e-z payday loans in t cash out fha loan well fargo personal loans no checking account required payday loans

What is the Real Personal Impact of Rising Interest Rates?

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Piercy]Tracy Piercy My work is to help people (myself included) understand and apply the principles and strategies of financial independence. I was in the middle of preparing a lecture on analyzing financial statements to help make investment decisions, when I found myself wondering about the real impact of a rise in mortgage rates by 0.5%. So I invested a half an hour with my financial calculator and a few good web sites to do some analysis. The real aha for me came when I realized that I was in fact doing financial statement analysis on a personal level. This is probably a skill not common to most of the population. Yet, at the same time, the majority of the population is affected by these economic changes and could benefit from a personal analysis and by the more informed decisions they could make in response. I was considering the impact of rising mortgage rates, so lets look at what it takes to qualify for a mortgage. First, the property must meet certain criteria then the person seeking a mortgage must qualify for a loan (unless of course they have enough money to make a cash purchase we can still do that you know!). A lender will want at least a 5% down payment and a total debt service ratio (TDSR) of less than 40% in most cases. What is a TDSR you ask? Its simply the total of your monthly debt obligations plus costs to maintain the property and the new mortgage payment divided by your monthly gross income. This is key information if you have any credit use. Why? Because you can have a great credit rating, but if you have too much available credit, it can impact on your ability to borrow. If you have many credit cards, even if they are paid regularly and have no balance, which can impact your ability to borrow also. These are all things to discuss with your lender before you need a loan or mortgage. So heres what I did: I compared a $230,000 30 year mortgage at 6% and at 6.5%. If I only looked at monthly payments, the difference between the two rates was $72.08 per month. It is important to note that this exercise can be done with any other frequency of payments with similar results. And, you can personalize the results by finding a mortgage calculator online and using your own numbers or by sitting with your own financial advisor. So what does $72 a month really mean? It will certainly buy some things, pay some bills or do well somewhere. Ill challenge you to seriously consider what you would do with the money. If you take this a step further, and consider the value of $72 a month actually invested somewhere say at 4% - over the life of your mortgage it would mean about $50,000 to you. What could you do with an extra $50,000? What would an extra $50,000 mean when youre retired and your mortgage is fully paid? $72 a month can also be used as a loan payment on about $3,700 or at the lower rate of 6% could produce a mortgage that was $12,000 higher. What does that do for your home? All this of course, and we havent even considered the enormous impact of adding $72 to your existing mortgage or loan payments what a huge savings that could make!! Considering that the total interest paid on a 6% mortgage of $230,000 would create total interest over the 30-year mortgage life of $262,502 compared to a 6.5% mortgage creating total interest charges of $288, 648 when you add a simple little $72 a month to your 6% mortgage you end up paying only $221,459 a savings of 41,043!! What would you do with an extra $72 per month really? There is obviously a significant amount of money at stake long term, but lets get back to today and the discussion of total debt service (TDSR). If we use the following personal financial information we can easily see that this small jump in rates really can have a profound impact today: Gross monthly income: $6,000 Household heat: $75 Property tax: $150 Minimum payment on $10,000 available credit on cards: $300 Car payment: $300 Mortgage payment on $230,000 at 6%: $1,368 This existing debt service would be 37%. By simply adding the extra $72 from the higher rate we bump the ratio to 38%. This would still be within some lenders qualification requirements, but at the limit for others. Now we have a situation where we are somewhat limited in our options and more likely to experience a cash crunch. My suggestion is to learn about some of these ratios and qualification numbers and use that information to monitor your own personal financial situation. If we treat ourselves like a business, the full economic impact of rising rates can be anticipated and planned for. Awareness of the short and long term effects that changes in the economy have on our personal lives means we are more in control and able to make more informed financial decisions both big ones like buying a home, and day-to-day ones like whether or not to buy a $3.50 snack five days a week - $70 a month! MoneyMinding Inc. and Tracy Piercy accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the results of any actions taken or not taken on the basis of the information provided. The content is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional, personal financial advice. Tracy Piercy, a Certified Financial Planner, offers step by step proven success principles, tools, ideas and strategies integrated with practical financial planning strategies. She has worked in the financial industry, in insurance, banking, and as a well respected investment advisor with CIBC Wood Gundy, for more than 15 years. Tracy is the author of Enlightened Wealth, a personal money journal [http://www.moneyminding.com]http://www.moneyminding.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Piercy http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-the-Real-Personal-Impact-of-Rising-Interest-Rates?&id=143723 bad debt personal loan uk loans for small business short term federal bid loans research articles on personal loan in pakistan money more send loan

An Overview of Microdermabrasion

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

By Ricardo Silva From wrinkles to blotches, the appearance of our face is critical. While there are many treatments available, microdermabrasion is one with positives and negatives. The field of plastic surgery is one of the fastest growing areas in medicine. New developments and techniques are constantly being developed to correct many different areas that are causing cosmetic concern in both the young and the elderly. One part of the body that causes considerable stress to people in a cosmetic way is the skin, specifically the skin of the face and neck. Wrinkles, discoloration, scars and acne all affect the way people look, which in turn affects their self esteem. Luckily, a new type of procedure is available to help erase these problem areas. Microdermabrasion is not really a surgical technique, rather it is a non-invasive procedure performed in spas and plastic surgery offices that gives terrific results without the use of knives or lasers. Basically, microdermabrasion is the process of using an abrasive (rough) service to polish away the outer surface of the skin, known as the stratum cornea. Some of the substances that are used to accomplish this are jets of zinc or aluminum oxide crystals, or rough surfaces akin to very fine grade sandpaper. When the mechanism is passed over the skin, the stratum cornea is literally sanded off, and it is then suctioned off (in a dust like form) with a small wand vacuum. Since this layer of skin is composed of dead and old skin cells, the removal of this skin surface doesn’t hurt any of the important tissue underneath. It also does not hit any nerves, so no anesthetic is needed and microdermabrasion is not painful. There are other things to consider about microdermabrasion, most importantly, what it can and can’t do. After a course of microdermabrasion, your skin will be left looking smoother and glowing because you’ve removed the layer of dead, lackluster skin cells that was sitting on top of your healthy skin. You may see a reduction in fine lines and small wrinkles, as well as a reduction in the appearance of acne or raised scars on your face. Microdermabrasion does not, however, get rid of large wrinkles, deep discoloration, or large deep scars. It is not a complete solution for acne, either; repeated treatments are required to treat acne and keep it from coming back. Microdermabrasion is a good alternative to more invasive skin procedures but only if you keep in mind its limitations. Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com - a directory of plastic surgeons. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricardo_Silva http://EzineArticles.com/?An-Overview-of-Microdermabrasion&id=293375 no tele check cash advance no hassle no fax no employment verification payday advances smart choice paycheck loans payday loans california

Cosmetic Surgery Loan to Take the World by Surprise

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Pane]Amanda Pane Do you think your flat nose hampers your beauty and lessens the impressiveness of your personality? Are you dissatisfied with it and deeply desire to get it sharpened? Well; you can go for a cosmetic surgery and sharpen the nose up to the level of your satisfaction. But cosmetic surgery is highly expensive; you may not be able to afford so big an amount at a time. Then the best option is a cosmetic surgery loan. Through this loan you can take out enough cash to bear the expenditure of the surgery. Cosmetic surgery loan can be taken in secured and unsecured type. If you are a homeowner and there is equity available in your home then you can take a secured cosmetic surgery loan by offering the home as collateral. The most important benefit of this loan is the low rate of interest. Other benefits of a secured cosmetic surgery loan are big amount, small monthly repayment installments, and a repayment period stretched over a long time. But there is a risk factor in this loan. In case you fail to pay off the loan the collateral you offer will be seized by the lender to recover his money. For an unsecured cosmetic surgery loan you will not require offering collateral. So you can avoid the risk of losing your home in the event of failure. It has other benefits like fast processing, less paperwork and quick money delivery. However, the seamy side of this loan is that it carries a comparatively high rate of interest. Cosmetic surgery loancan be availed despite a poor credit record. So avail the opportunity of this loan to carry out the cosmetic surgery and take the world by surprise with your new look. About The Author The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting apply-4-loans.co.uk as a finance specialist. For more information please visit: http://www.apply-4-loans.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Pane http://EzineArticles.com/?Cosmetic-Surgery-Loan-to-Take-the-World-by-Surprise&id=232478 90 day payday loans get a quick small loan with bad credit organizations that provide small personal loans for people who have bad credit fort worth small business cash advance

Ultra Violet Pond Filter

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

By Robert Dorrance Having an ultra violet pond filter will give you a much better chance at keeping your pond water clear. When used in conjunction with your regular pond filter, its more than likely that you will have nice clear pond water. The way it works is this. As water in your pond passes through the ultra violet pond filter, the UV light inside of the tube kills the algae. As the algae dies, it begins to clump together. Now your regular pond filter goes into action and traps these dead algae. Without one of these ultra violet pond filters it will be difficult to keep your water clear, and on sunny warm days you will get algae blooms like you wouldnt believe, which in turn will make your water pea soup green. You can get a couple different kinds. They make a submersible kind and an external one. Personally, I think its better to have a submersible UV light, just for the simple reason that theyre out of sight. They are durable and should last you for years, although you may have to replace the light bulb after so many hours of use. In a nutshell, you really dont want to be without an ultra violet pond filter. Robert Dorrance has had a pond for the last eight years and would like to share his experiences with you. Be sure to come by and download the free e-book, How To Build A Beautiful Backyard Pond. Find out more at http://www.Backyard-Pond-Guide.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Dorrance http://EzineArticles.com/?Ultra-Violet-Pond-Filter&id=36683 hialeah car company loan online bad credit secured personal loan how to get a loan with bad credit cash advance lender unemployed