Tag Archives: Lifestyle

5 Steps to Living a Debt Free Lifestyle

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Everyone has a difficult time figuring out how to get out of debt and staying out of it.  Sometimes we pay off our debts and feel a sense of victory and then go right back into debt again figuring we have conquered the monster so it won’t get us again.  What we don’t realize is that that debt monster will sneak up on us again, and the next time may bite us even harder. 

The first step to getting out of debt is to change your belief system around money and debt.  Ninety percent of the problem is behavior.  Our behavior is driven by our belief system.  If we believe that we will always have a car payment and that we’ll always have a mortgage payment, then we always will.  If we believe that credit cards are necessary and required in today’s society, then we will fulfill that prophecy by becoming completely dependent on them.  This is probably the most difficult step of all, and it is the one often ignored by financial experts.  We have to learn more about money and how it works, as well as how debt really works, so we can see the truth about it.  Too often what we believe has been formed by advertising and peer competition.  We have been indoctrinated by our society to believe that debt is a tool of “leverage” that we use to make ourselves wealthy.  What we don’t realize, is that it makes the lenders wealthy, not the borrowers.

Once you get past the first hurdle, and you have learned the truth about money and debt, you are ready to implement those new beliefs into your life.  You have to establish a $1000 to $1500 Crisis Fund.  However you can come up with the cash, you need this to be a cushion between you and the next financial emergency.  Don’t use a credit card as a source of funds for an emergency, which is how you get into debt not out.

The third step is to have a plan to get out of debt.  Accelerate the payments on your debts and put everything you have extra into paying down those debts until they are gone.

The fourth step is to take the monthly cash you were using to pay down debt and start saving it to bring your Crisis Fund into a balance that can cover six months of expenses.

The fifth step comes after you have fully funded the Crisis Fund.  Now you have extra cash each month to save toward retirement, and to pay off your mortgage.  If you pay off your mortgage it would provide thousands of dollars extra a month to invest.  By this time you will have changed your habits and will be living a debt free lifestyle that gives you tremendous peace of mind.  You will be living a lifestyle that now allows you to spend like you wanted to before, but couldn’t afford it.  The difference is that now if something happens like an economic crisis or a personal financial crisis, you will be prepared and not go into survival mode.  

Healthy Meal Guidelines Are A Lifestyle Change, Not Something You Can Buy Over The Counter

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Eating healthy is not about buying all the low-fat and sugar-free items you can find in the grocery store. These items will not hurt you, but they will not help you lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or even give you the energy you need to get through your day.

It is more important to focus on the foods that provide us with natural sugars – like fruit – and fats – like low-fat milk or yogurt – rather than the processed kinds. Why is this? It is simple; your body knows what to do with the natural foods that are not caked in chemicals, pesticides, and toxins.

Basically, your body can function more efficiently when it is being fed the right kind of fuel. Take a vehicle with an 8-cylinder engine as an example. It will run fine if you put unleaded gas in it; however, it will give you a longer run for your money if you fill it with premium fuel. Why? Because this is what it needs to function properly and efficiently.

Our bodies are the same way; they function more efficiently when they are filled with proper nutrients. Feeding your body junk, day-in and day-out will do nothing but shut it down; it realizes it needs to focus all of its energy on processing these toxins, but eventually runs out of places to store them.

Having said this, learning to eat healthy is a lifestyle change that we need to make on our own as no one is teaching us as we age. Being healthy is about eating the right foods, exercising, and treating our bodies as if they are they are the only bodies we will get. If we give our bodies the vitamins and minerals they need, it will give us more energy and a longer life in return.

Okay, this may sound a bit silly, but it is true. People who take care of themselves via diet and exercise tend to live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. Additionally, they are able to ward off some of the deadly diseases that are taking so many lives; diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Both of these, yes, can be hereditary. But have you seen the rise in these diseases? It has been proven that these are lifestyle changes and can be avoided; and not with medication, but by living a healthy lifestyle. So, you ask, what guidelines do I need to stick by to live a healthy life? It’s actually quite simple:

Eat natural foods – lean meats and dairy, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and eggs
Exercise on a regular basis – make the time
Eat 5-6 small meals a day
Stay away from juices, and other flavored drinks; drink water

If you can do this, you will be well on your way to a long, satisfying life. You only have one chance to get this right; take care of you and your body now and it will take care of you as you age.

Daily Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Prevent Psoriasis Outbreaks

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Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disorder that is mainly characterized by the appearance of red patches with silvery white scales on the skin. It can be found all over the body, while in some cases, it can appear in only a few isolated spots. Millions of people all over the world have this peculiar skin disease, but up to now, there’s still no permanent cure for it. Although psoriasis is not a contagious disease, the appearance of psoriasis lesions can scare other people off. There may be no permanent cure for it yet, but there are ways to keep skin flares at bay. Let me share to you some daily lifestyle changes that you can do to prevent psoriasis outbreaks. Here are some of them.

1. Soak up some morning sunshine. Natural sunlight, has been known to improve psoriasis. It is advisable to get daily doses of morning sunshine, but it’s important to keep them short. Also, you should avoid the sun from 10 am to 2pm, when the sun’s rays are strongest. Morning sunshine is still the best.

2. Use natural exfoliants once a week. When added to your bathing ritual, natural exfoliants such as oatmeal, epsom salt and dead sea salt can effectively soften the skin and get rid of dry skin scales. It is very important however, to not exfoliate every day. Once a week is fine as more than that can further aggravate your skin condition. Too much exfoliation can make your skin dry and damaged.

3. Always use moisturizers after bathing. Moisturizing may not necessarily help clear out your lesions, but it can definitely help reduce the itching associated with it. It also helps retain moisture in the skin. Aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, olive oil and vitamin E oil are also good alternatives to your good ol’ lotion. Apart from being inexpensive, these alternatives are all natural.

4. Take supplements every day. Supplements such as zinc, beta carotene, and vitamins A, C and E can help protect skin tissue. These supplements also aid in the formation of collagen and skin tissue. This can help soothe and nourish the skin cells and prevent lesions from forming.

5. Decrease your intake of red meats and dairy products. Red meats and dairy products contain arachidonic acid which can cause skin inflammation. They can make your psoriatic lesions swell and red so it is advisable to keep your consumption of such foods to a minimum.