Infotips » Alternative

You cant lose weight if you listen to your family and friends

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:32:02 +0000

I bet you already know all the health benefits for keeping slim. You have probably tried every diet; the Atkins, the Southbeach, the metabolic, the fruit, the water or just plain starvation. In fact, you may even have gained extra weight. You know all the intellectual stuff about keeping healthy, exercising and eating consistently. But you are still as heavy as ever.

How is it that all those intellectual knowledge is not driving you towards weight loss?

This is because the human body is driven by passion and not intellectual knowledge. Knowledge teaches us techniques; passion dives us to make it happen.

In this situation, external circumstances are not conducive in igniting our passion for keeping healthy and slim.

If we have failed numerous times in our weight loss efforts, it may be time that we evaluate our external environment. That may be the cause of our failures.

Our family, partner and friends make up this external environment that we live in. It is not by malice that they want to sabotage our weight loss plans. It is rather their own innate fears that they wrestle with. They are like the mother who nearly drowned. Hence, she will never allow her child to go swimming.

Ultimately, they are not passionate about encouraging you to lose weight because they attach certain meaning and value to your weight.

It is good intentions but ultimately bad expressions.

Family

Families can affect personal diet plans when everyone in the family has a preference towards heavy weight.

Let us take for example that all your brothers and sisters (or fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts) are 200 pounds (100 kgs) and yet, seem to be having a whale of time in their life.

How motivated will you be to lose weight?

The Chinese Family

In the Chinese family, food is good and our parents insist that we eat as much as possible; chubbiness is a mark of fortune and blessing. To add to this conundrum, it is superstitiously believe that every plate has to be cleared up. Otherwise, you will get an ugly wife/ husband in future.

This, to me, sounds like the perfect setting to guilt-free weight gain.

The American Family

In a similar vein, most American family diets contain unhealthy fats and weight gain ingredients. You would feel obliged to eat a similar meal while at family functions to prevent being the centre of attention

I am sure that there are many other cultures that have unhealthy eating rituals and superstitions. Think about your own growing up experience – what are the values placed on food and the consumption of food. How does it affect your weight loss efforts at this moment?

Partners

Then, there are those other people called partners!

Our partner spends the most time with us, and their implicit, silent actions create a massive amount of pressure on us, regardless of the actual words they say.

An overweight partner who does not want to lose weight will definitely not help you ignite the passion that you need to lose weight. He/ she will have a comment for every exercise day and every healthy meal. Every action towards health may seem like a personal attack on him / her.

Friends

Lastly, we have our circle of friends. Friends can, of course, affect us in the usual manner of over-eating and cajoling us to follow suit.

However, the realm of friends has an added unique dimension. It is quite common to see overweight people group with slim friends.

Social dynamics dictate that friends of the same characteristics (especially physical) tend to polarise towards each other. Hence, the babes shop together and the hunks hang out together.

Nonetheless, groups that comprise both fat and slim individuals usually come together because of a different similarity. They associate because of their low levels of self esteem. Such friends do not want you to face up to your inadequacies, because it would make you different from them. Your insecurity is in your fat body and they would help you to maintain it.

The Crux of the Problem

Our concepts, meanings and values of health have been moulded through childhood years, then the teenage years and then far into the adulthood years. It is definitely not a new notion that popped out of yesterday. The lifestyle and size that we have today, is the product of years of cultivation.

It is not right to blame our family, partners or friends; they are just living life the way they know best.

Now that we know the value of being healthy, we should see our family, partners and friends as the main crux of our motivation to slim down.

We mould a better future for our lives so that we can be in the position to help them reshape theirs!

What do we do now?

Everyday, we are faced with these emotional challenges that need to be sorted out. Only then, can we see past the nearby obstacles and look further into the promising future.

We have to reflect if we are truly satisfied with our lives. Is our extra weight affecting us now and will it affect us in the future?

Do we believe that being fat will forever keep us in a perfect marriage?

Will we die before we see our children graduate?

Some obesity statistics to help us frame our mind:
.Twice the risk of raised blood pressure.
.Increased risk of heart problems
.A weight gain of 11 – 18 pounds (approx 8kgs) increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 100%.
.Obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 1000%!
.Middle aged fat people have the same reduced life expectancy as smokers.

Do we want to burden our family with the hefty financial obligations of heart surgery, costing no less than a $100,000?

Action

Time

Take out a piece of paper, draw a line horizontally across the paper to divide it into 2.

Write down all the scenarios that would happen if you do NOT lose weight. Write it down as detailed and as many as possible.

Give yourself 2 minutes and write every single thing down.

Use specifics. Who will it affect if you fall ill? (Use your son’s name, e.g. John, or your husband, Tim, who has to pay for all your medical bills)

You can use the above statistics to help you.

.
..
.
…

All done? GREAT!

Next, write in the bottom half – How you would like your life to be in 1 years time AFTER you have lost all your weight.

How much weight would you have lost?

Are you running around the garden with your children?

Is your wife/ husband “showing” you off to his friends?

Are the neighbourhood people giving you 2nd glances?

Do you wake up energetic and bounce off to your daily work routine?

Have you listed every beautiful image that you want in a year?

Same as above, be specific, use names, and let your pen write freely. Don’t think of how it will be done. Focus on what you want. Feel free to add some colours, draw some pictures.

.
..
.
…

Your 2 minutes are up!

Great!

One additional thing to do, go to http://phenogy.com/model to be linked to a great service that allows you to build your future body shape that you want!

Print out this future shape and paste it right next to your description of life in 1 year!

The Final Bit

1. Now fold the paper in half and stick it up at a place where you can frequently see it. IT could be the toilet where you shower, or the fridge door, or the key hanger.

Keep the side with the bad stuff covered and your dream life facing you.

2. Every morning, look at it and recite, shout, declare out the great life you will have in a year!

For days that you feel lazy, flip over the other side, look at the messed up life you will have if you do not do something now!

. and Congratulations!

Congratulations that you have come this far and are prepared to radically shift your mindset. You are now on your way to a new life and to be strategically empowered to help your loved ones achieve theirs too!

Nonetheless, I would be lying to you if I said that mindset training ALONE will make you lose all your weight.

It is critical. It is the most important start.

However, you have to equip it with the right diet (does not mean you can never eat the fun stuff) and exercise (does not mean it has to be painful).

You would want a weight loss programme that is fun, so that you do not find it to be a chore.

You would want a system that is natural and have no side-effects.

You need a system that saves you time, so that it does not affect your current daily commitments.

You need a system that is sustainable, so that your life can be changed forever and not a passing fad.

If you already have health plans that meet all these key qualities, please go right ahead! I wish you all the best and do tell me how it turns out!

If you are still looking for a system that meets these hallmarks of fun, natural, quick and sustainable, you need to call up a Phenogy Health Coach right now! Have a chat with them and see how they can help you grab hold of that dream life in 1 year!

http://phenogy.com

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The author, Winston Ng, is an avid peak performance coach and CEO of Phenogy Health Advisors Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. His Health Consultancy programmes are renowned worldwide for their efficiency, simplicity and independent unbiased advice. The Phenogy Health ConciergeT is unparalleled internationally in providing cutting edge Natural Health Alternatives to the busy individual who needs viable options to invasive surgery, dangerous synthetic pills and overpriced ineffective therapies!

They want you to experience their service before spending a single dime! Receive FREE Health Coaching and find out more about their E-Manuals and Consultancy Services! http://phenogy.com

Winston Ng and his Coaches are contactable at enquiries@phenogy.com

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Reproduction of this article

You are free to reproduce this article on condition that it is reproduced in its entirety and with all the hyperlinks intact. The article is not allowed to be sent out as spam, unsolicited mail or in print format. Phenogy Health Advisors Pte. Ltd. Reserves the right to ask any person to remove the article from their site or email in the event of abuse.

Earn Money! – Receive Commission when you sign up for our Affiliate programmes. You can change the links to include you Affiliate Id and leave us to do all the rest! Earn money in your sleep without ever needing to know nuts about health! We do everything. Find out more on our Affiliate Page at http://phenogy.com/joinus.htm

About the Author

The author, Winston Ng, is an avid peak performance coach and CEO of Phenogy Health Advisors Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. His Health Consultancy programmes are renowned worldwide for their efficiency, simplicity and independent unbiased advice. The Phenogy Health ConciergeT is unparalleled internationally in providing cutting edge Natural Health Alternatives to the busy individual. Email Winston Ng and his Coaches at enquiries@phenogy.com.

Why Things Are The Way They Are

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:21:08 +0000

Things are the way you think they are, because you think they are that way. An interesting statement I know, but let’s break it down a bit if you will, and see what this Really means.

When it’s all said and done, “things” do happen right? In fact there is a bumper sticker that I am sure you have all seen which had been the National catch phrase that really summed it up in a more colorful manner….&#IT Happens! Remember that one?

Well, this got me to thinking…you know what? That sticker is right, life is going to throw us a few curve balls now and then. I believe that is simply a part of life itself. It’s not really a matter of If something challenging is going to come our way or not, but only when these things are going to arise. Now if this is an agreed upon statement, let’s continue down this road a bit more…

Since things are going to happen anyway, shouldn’t we maintain the most Positive solution searching attitude toward them for when they do? I mean, it beats the alternative doesn’t it? And have you ever noticed that no matter how dreaded the situation seemed at the moment, over time it is realized that it wasn’t so horrible after all? I tend to refer to this as “mid-night thinking”, you know, when we lay awake in the middle of the night worrying over every little thing, every little sound, every problem or situation that we possibly could, and then in the morning we realize that everything is fine and we laugh at ourselves, wondering what the heck we were worrying about in the first place?

For, when daylight comes, or any light is cast upon our crisis, (like reality) it’s our Interpretation of the experience, not the experience itself that determines the emotions we attach to it. And even more importantly, it’s this reaction (the way in which we respond to adversity) that others determine our character as a person to others. What do I mean by this? Well, simple really…we learn more about someones character on their bad day-when things go wrong, far more than we can learn about them while everything is going right. Let’s face it, it’s easy to be all happy and go-lucky when things are going your way, but it’s when the chips are down that we learn what we need to most about who they really are as a person.

A dramatic illustration of this was unfortunately on 9-11. Why did mayor Guliani and president

Bush’s support and approval rating go through the roof on this infamous day? It was Because everyone saw how they dealt with crisis, and then the world took notice and applauded their strength, gaining the respect of the Nations by the way they handled their horrific situation.

Some saw this tragedy as something that would pull the American people apart, others, especially the aforementioned, saw it as an opportunity to pull us all together. Things were the way they Thought they were, because they thought they were that way.

An adverse example would be where weve all seen (great) things, wonderful things, happen to others, like someone getting a promotion at work that some would dreamed of, and then heard them say under their breathe in a sarcastic tone, “well…it looks like now I’ll be having to work more than ever, whoopee…great promotion.” never appreciating the opportunity being bestowed unto them.

Compared once again in a brighter light to when we’ve seen tragedies that most would run from, and witnessed people rise to the moment and make the most of it, learning from the experience if nothing else, what we will never tolerate again.

What’s the true difference here? I believe it comes down to this, we have two choices, 1.) We can let the situation dictate our attitude, OR 2.) We can let our ATTITUDE dictate the situation. The best part is, the choice is ours.

Now with this in mind, for the next time things come up, and come up they will…write down this simple little message and keep it with you, or even better, write it down twice, once for yourself and another to share with someone you love.

“Things are the way you think they are, because you think they are that way.”

Keep Smilin

–

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated – send to: GregReid@AlwaysGood.com

Gregory Scott Reid, GregReid@AlwaysGood.com

Speaker and two-time #1 best-selling author,

The Millionaire Mentor and Wake Up: Live the Life You Love

http://www.AlwaysGood.com

Why Our Healthcare System Isnt Healthy

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:19:08 +0000

Most people are well aware that an estimated 45 million Americans currently do not have healthcare, but is the crisis simply the lack of health insurance or even the cost of health insurance? Is there a bigger underlying problem at the root of our healthcare system? Although the U.S. claims to have the most advanced medicine in the world, government health statistics and peer-reviewed journals demonstrate that allopathic medicine often causes more harm than good.

People in general have always felt they could trust doctors and the medical profession, but according to the Journal of the American Medical Association in July 2000, iatrogenic death, also known as death from physician error or death from medical treatment, was the third leading cause of death in America and rising, responsible for at least 250,000 deaths per year. Those statistics are considered conservative by many, as the reported numbers only include in-hospital deaths, not injury or disability, and do not include external iatrogenic deaths such as those resulting from nursing home and other private facility treatments, and adverse effects of prescriptions. One recent study estimated the total unnecessary deaths from iatrogenic causes at approximately 800,000 per year at a cost of $282 billion per year, which would make death from American medicine the leading cause of death in our country.

Currently, at least 2 out of 3 Americans use medications, 32 million Americans are taking three or more medications daily, and commercials and advertisements for pharmaceutical drugs have saturated the marketplace. Although our population is aging, exorbitantly expensive drugs are being marketed and dispensed to younger and younger patients, including many children who years ago would never have been given or needed medication, for everything from ADHD to asthma to bipolar disease and diabetes. Clearly, the state of health in this country is not improving even though there are an increasing number of medications and treatments. Between 2003 and 2010, the number of prescriptions are expected to increase substantially by 47%. In recent years, numerous drugs previously deemed safe by the FDA have been recalled because of their toxicity, after the original drug approvals were actually funded by the invested pharmaceutical companies themselves.

According to the media, thanks to advances in U.S. drugs and medical procedures, Americans are living longer statistically, but they are living longer sicker, with a lower quality of life, and often dependent on multiple expensive synthetic medications that do not cure or address the underlying causes, but only suppress symptoms, often with a plethora of dangerous side effects to the tune of billions of dollars for the drug industry. Considering that the U.S. is supposed to have the most advanced technology in the world and the best health care system, it is at odds that we spend the most on healthcare, yet are the most obese and most afflicted with illness outside of the AIDS epidemic in some third world countries.

Unless you have an acute emergency that requires emergency room care, being admitted to a hospital environment may be more dangerous to your health than staying out. In 2003, epidemiologists reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that

hospital-acquired infections have risen steadily in recent decades, with blood and tissue infections known as sepsis almost tripling from 1979 to 2000. Nearly two million patients in the U.S. get an infection while in the hospital each year, and of those patients over 90,000 die per year, up dramatically from just 13,300 in 1992. Statistics show that approximately 56% of the population has been unnecessarily treated, or mistreated, by the medical industry.

Additionally, as a result of the overuse of pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics in our bodies and environment, our immune systems have become significantly weakened, allowing antibiotic-resistant strains of disease-causing bacteria to proliferate, leaving us more susceptible to further disease. Not surprisingly, incidences of diseases have been growing at epidemic levels according to the CDC. Now diseases once thought conquered, such as tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, and childhood ear infections are much harder to successfully treat than they were decades ago. Drugs do not cure. They only suppress the symptoms that your body needs to express, while they ignore the underlying root cause. Side effects of synthetic and chemical drugs, which even if they are partly derived from nature have been perverted to make them patentable and profitable, are not healthy or natural, and usually cause more harm than any perceived benefit of the medication.

Where “physician errors” are concerned, these may not be entirely the fault of the doctors, as they are forced to operate within the constraints of their profession or risk losing their license, but doctors have become pawns and spokesmen for the drug companies, and the best interest of the patient has become secondary. In the name of profit, physicians are also under great pressure from hospitals to service patients as quickly as possible, like an assembly line, increasing the likelihood of error.

In conclusion, increases in healthcare costs are not just the result of frivolous law suits, but are primarily the result of a profit-oriented industry that encourages practices that lead to unnecessary and harmful procedures being performed, lethal adverse drug reactions, infections, expensive legitimate lawsuits, in-hospital and physician errors, antibiotic resistance due to overprescribing of antibiotics and drugs, and the hundreds of thousands of subsequent unnecessary deaths and injuries. Many people do not realize that there are healthier natural options, and anything unnatural or invasive we are exposed to is likely to cause either immediate or cumulative damage over time.

For more information on how to help your body heal itself naturally without chemicals, information on drug side effects, and harmful disease-causing chemicals in the foods you eat and your environment and how to avoid them, please visit the NatureGem web site at http://www.naturegem.com.

About the Author

Deb Bromley is a science and technology researcher and the President of NatureGem Nontoxic Living, an organization devoted to promoting awareness of toxins in our food and environment that can cause disease, and providing access to nutrition information, natural remedies, and alternative health resources. Please visit http://www.naturegem.com for more information.

“Why Fitness Equipment Must Be A Vital Part Of Your Health

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:18:02 +0000

Fitness equipment is playing a vital role in the National
Health Campaign. A successful nation needs healthy
citizens. It is no secret that the sedentary lifestyle has
taken a heavy toll on the health of citizens.

Many citizens who could not manage daily walking or jogging
schedules have found secret of health in exercise machines
and fitness equipment.

Thousands of companies are contributing to the National
Health Campaign by producing affordable fitness equipment
that the people can use to stay healthy and keep fit.

Necessity of Fitness Equipment

Some good reasons for maintaining a healthy body are to
avoid doctors and medical bills, be active on the work,
looking smart and achieving success in life. Fitness
equipment can help in your drive to remain healthy. Gone
are the days when you had to go to the gym or buy expensive
equipment for different workouts.

The fitness equipment industry has underwent a tremendous
change and now you can have a handy exerciser that can let
you exercise conveniently at any time or any place and
above all in any weather.

Various types of fitness equipment are available in market.
Exercise bikes, exercise balls, Ab Exerciser, Sit-up
machine are not only cheap but also easy to use. The new
generation fitness equipments are light, portable, trendy
and occupy a small space.

You can keep them at home, in your office or in your car
and maintain a regular exercise schedule despite of your
busy lifestyle and

occupation. Some of them can be carried
in your briefcase if you are a frequent traveler and help
you to maintain an uninterrupted exercise schedule.

The new generation exercise equipments are cheap and
affordable. You need not purchase different equipment for
working out different muscle groups. Most of the exercise
machines available in the market are sufficient to provide
a workout for all the muscle groups with minimal effort and
exertion.

Fitness Equipment Alone Wont Work

Merely purchasing the fitness equipment is not going to
keep you in good health. To stay slim and healthy, you will
need to do regular and consistent exercise with the fitness
equipment.

You must set a daily target for workout if you are looking
for fast as well as long-term results. Make a small
notebook to maintain a record of your daily exercise and
experiences.

Write some healthy quotes in it and make it a habit to read
it daily.

Alternatively, you can paste the pictures of your ideal
figure in your journal pad to keep you motivated. This will
help you in coming back to the fitness equipment on a
regular basis and maintaining a fit and trim figure.

About the Author

aul Johnson works as a software developer, often working
long hours under great stress. He considers exercise
crucial to his health. When purchasing his own fintess
equipment he researched all available products. Now hes
written a series of useful articles on choosing (and using)
exercise equipment.

“Why Exercise Bikes Might Be the Ultimate Fitness

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:17:05 +0000

Exercise bikes are the first things that come to your mind
when you talk about home exercise equipments. Exercise
cycles popularly known as exercise bikes have gained so
much recognition that they are next to TV in demand and
popularity among the household items.

The best part about workouts with exercise bike is that it
has no side effects or no rules to follow. This makes it a
tremendous gizmo to chop off that extra fat just like that.
Most health conscious people keep the exercise bike in
their home for fitness.

There are fundamentally two types of exercise bikes,
upright bikes and recumbent bikes. Upright bikes are more
like real bicycles with the exception that they do not run
on road. Recumbent bikes on the other hand, have bucket
seats and the pedals out in the front. These exercise
cycles are fit for overweight people and those suffering
from backaches.

Exercise Bikes the Easiest Way to Burn Fat

Unlike big exercise machines and gym equipments, exercise
bike are simple to use and free from side effects. The
functions of this exercise equipment are simple and
everybody in you family, even kids can use it. Just sit on
it, start pedaling and see your fat start burning.

The exercise bikes have a regulator gear to control the
power exerted and you can adjust it according to the
workout required. Adjustable seat and handle makes it
possible for persons of all age and size to use the same
equipment. You cant go wrong with an exercise bike. It
counts your miles and gives better control on your diet
management program.

Exercise Bikes: Mix Workout With Entertainment

The biggest excuse for inability to exercise is lack of
time. Exercise bike is an appropriate solution for all such
problems and excuses. If you are a TV buff and spend most
of your free time watching TV, you can keep the exercise
bike in the TV room and enjoy the movie or your favorite
soap while exercising.

You can even read a book, newspaper or help your kids with
their homework while pedaling and burning out those extra
inches from your waistline. You do not have to take a step
out of your home for exercise and you can spend that time
with your family and enjoy the workout without missing any
important phone call.

Exercise Bikes-The Economic Exercising Alternative

Besides simplicity, the second best thing about the
exercise bike is its cost. Bikes with several features are
available to fit all the budget requirements. The basic
equipment comes for as low as $50.

For a trial, you can even start with a used bike. There are
ample of used bikes available on sale through online
stores, auctions and garage sales. Moreover, the bikes have
a long life and low or even no maintenance requirement.
Select the right exercise bike for yourself and get going
for a healthy and fit body.

About the Author

Paul Johnson works as a software developer, often working
long hours under great stress. He considers exercise
crucial to his health. When purchasing his own fintess
equipment he researched all available products. Now hes
written a series of useful articles on choosing (and using)
exercise equipment.

Who Are You?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:14:03 +0000

Who Are You?
Helaine Iris

WHEN YOU SEE RED

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:12:10 +0000

When you are feeling angry at someone, what do you do? Do you know how to
express your feelings in ways that are clear and assertive? Many folks
dont. For that reason, one of two things happens: they hold the anger in,
and, as we all know, it sneaks out in strange and often inappropriate ways,
or, they explode and scatter their unhappiness over everyone, perhaps,
destroying relationships on the way! Neither of these are healthy
alternatives.

Anger is an arousal in the body that is triggered by frustration, fear or
hurt. As that arousal escalates, your body goes into the stress response.
When that arousal raises your heart rate to about 120 to 150 beats per
minute, the blood from the frontal lobes of your brain, the centers of
reason and logic, drains down to protect your vital organs. This is not good
news. Why? Because the more angry you become, the more unable you are to
think clearly! You have probably experienced that. Just when you are at your
loudest, wanting to deal the death blow to prove your righteous position,
you cannot think. Then, you often say one of the best things youll ever
regret! Right?

When the body goes into arousal, notice. If you are talking to someone at
the time, think. It is important to your well-being and the health of your
relationships to answer this

question: What do I want from this exchange? If
a potentially volatile volley of words, accusations, and threats are likely
to erupt, leave. No, this is not “running away from a fight”. This is just
informed decision-making. There is one important difference, though: tell
the person that you are leaving and when you will return to discuss the
issue. This is the difference between being responsible and being a
“hit-and-run” offender. Take care of the relationship. Do not abandon the
other person. Simply say, “Im too angry now and Im likely to say things I
dont mean. Ill be back in three hours and lets discuss this then. If it
is in the work setting, acknowledge your desire to work out the issue, and
promise to get back to them within three hours to set a time to talk
further. This is not easy, but it is effective!

Why three hours or more? Simple. It takes a full ninety minutes for the
blood to return to your centers of reason and logic and your heart beat to
return to normal. It makes good sense to wait and it demonstrates that you
care about yourself AND the relationship.

About the Author

Dr. Shaler is the creator of the
Living RichlyT Programs. For further articles, free ezines, upcoming
teleseminars and booking information, visit http://www.OptimizeLifeNow.com
today!

When Is It Time To Stop Gambling?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:10:07 +0000

Do you sometimes wish you could continue gambling for just a few more minutes? Do you stop when youve had enough of a good time or because your money has run out? Here are some budget-stretching ideas.You can use four basic methods to make your casino money last longer. The first speaks for itself – bet low! Find games where its cheap to play, or at least no more than a small portion of your budget. If you come with a few hundred dollars, go for the nickel or penny slot games. If your balance is a few thousand dollars, play Blackjack for a dollar or two per hand.

If you stick to the inexpensive games, even the worst player should be happy to call it quits before the funds run out. Objective achieved!

Our second suggestion for saying goodbye to the casino when youre tired but not broke is to bet intelligently in a game where the odds are favorable or at least reasonable. Here wed recommend Baccarat if youre willing to bet on Player or, preferably, Banker – and youll discipline yourself never to put a wager on a tie. You can also linger a while at Craps as long as you wager only on Pass/Dont Pass and meticulously go for the Odds bets. Another good alternative is the slots games where payout ratios are high; if theyre above 98 percent, give it a go. Never automatically assume that the payouts are this good – check first!

Even when adopting the strategy based on encouraging odds and placing only smart wagers, its advisable to come in with a worthwhile balance. In general, your minimum bankroll should be between 50 and 100 times as much as the cost of a single bet. If your pockets are not that full, our first method is better suited to you.

The third technique that should keep you going for some length of time is to play a game where things happen slowly, not because of a bad Internet

connection but to make your money last longer.

Find a leisurely game. This may not be easy since casino games are generally designed for quicker action to generate higher revenue flows. A prime contender for the crawler award is Keno, where you can control the pace of the game. Or join a multi-player game of poker where the ante is low and chatter among the players flows faster than the wagers. As for Pai Gow, its confusing enough to slow things right down while everyone tries to suss out how to play the game.

Our fourth suggestion is the most difficult – take part in a game of skill where youre something of an expert. Blackjack and Poker immediately spring to mind. Blackjack has been popular for ages because the Basic Strategy will see you through numerous hands without botching things up for yourself. Dont make impulse decisions, dont let hunches influence you and ignore the comments of other players. Treat the Basic Strategy with the reverence youd give to an ancient tome of wisdom. Play nothing but Basic. Stretch your money even further by holding the table bets as low as you can endure without becoming bored.

Poker has never been a “sure thing” but it is a bankroll-expander for the skilled player. Know theres a better player than you out there somewhere. Do your best to avoid this competitor. Rather try to join a bunch of novices and quietly drain their money from them while you gently show them the ropes. When youve cleaned them out theyll still think youre a nice person because you improved their skills. Youll love them for giving you their money.

About the Author

Ryan D. has been involved in the online
casino and online gambling
industries for over 6 years as an operator, marketer and consultant. He can be
contacted via his website at http://www.online-gambling-insider.com.

When a Real Estate Agent May Not Be The Best Option

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:09:06 +0000

Historically, when homeowners wanted to sell their home, the first call made would be to a Realtor. Since the early 1900’s, Realtors have represented homeowners during the process of selling their home, which is usually to another homeowner. Real estate brokers hold state regulated licenses that allow them to market real estate on behalf of the owner. The national average for broker commissions is approximately five percent. In many cases, another broker will bring the buyer and receive typically fifty percent of the commission. When the majority of homeowners sell their home, they believe a real estate agent gives them the best chance to maximize the amount they receive and the agent commission will come out of their proceeds at closing. This is a process that takes place everyday throughout America.

Unfortunately, life does not always follow a predictable format that allows for the sale of a home with a Realtor. More and more, Americans are facing circumstances that demand unique solutions. Foreclosures, job transfers, over-leveraged financing, and problem properties are just a few of the situations that require alternatives to using a Realtor.

When a homeowner is facing a job transfer or foreclosure, a quick sale is essential to avoid losing the home or facing the prospect of paying two mortgage payments. Utilizing a Realtor can take weeks or months to find the buyer, and then there are no guarantees that the buyer will qualify or go through with the purchase. Many homeowners cannot afford to take that chance.

Often times, when a house is in poor condition or needs major updating, traditional homebuyers are not as likely to make an offer since it is not up to market standards or may not qualify for financing. The majority of homeowners do not have the time, desire, or money required to make the necessary updates or repairs.

A problem facing many Americans in recent years is that even when the home is in great condition, there may be little or no equity. This problem will become even more of an issue in coming months as many homeowners over the past several years have leveraged the financing on their home up to as

much as one hundred percent. When there is no money to pay a five or six percent commission, then an agent is not a viable solution.

Fortunately, today homeowners have options other than calling a Realtor. There are many private companies that specialize in buying homes in situations that are not the norm. The majority of these companies focus on homes that are in poor condition. Utilizing private funds, the company will purchase the property, make the necessary repairs or updates, and then look to sell the house at or above market value. Since the company utilizes private funds, the property does not have to qualify for financing, which allows for a great deal of flexibility when evaluating a house for purchase. Although there are far fewer that are interested in homes that have little or no equity, the companies that do focus on these types of properties provide a valuable service to homeowners that have no other options. In a foreclosure situation, the company will many times agree to bring the mortgage current and assume making payments going forward. This solution not only saves the homeowner’s credit from an immediate foreclosure, but also provides debt relief so that the homeowner can move forward with their life.

In summary, if the situation demands it, homeowners now have options when selling their home besides using a Realtor. If a homeowner needs to sell fast, has little or no equity, or owns a property that is in need of major repairs or updating, then there are private companies that specialize in addressing these situations. There are very few problems that cannot be solved by one of a variety of flexible solutions that one of these private companies can provide. For more information or to find a company that handles these situations in your area, please visit www.webuytheusa.com.

About the Author

Chris Cates is a nationwide real estate investor, who co-founded WeBuyTheUSA along with Todd Dotson. In addition, Mr. Cates is a national real estate mentor for Tactical Real Estate, where he has trained real estate investors across the country. For more information, please visit his website at www.WeBuyTheUSA.com.

What you should know about a Medical Billing Specialist

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:08:02 +0000

Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs. We will first take a look at what it takes to become a medical billing specialist, and then we will also explore the alternatives to hiring a medical billing specialist.

What is a Medical Billing Specialist?

A medical billing specialist is someone who works with a medical office and is in charge of the company’s medical billing. If you desire to be a medical billing specialist then accuracy and attention to detail is a must as you will most likely be in charge of claims processing, charge entry, and billing and collections. However, most medical offices will hire someone to do more than just be in charge of medical collections. They will want someone to be more of a medical assistant as well. Job duties will then expand to include things like:

. Accounts payable, payroll and banking tasks

. Prepare and maintain patient charts

. Schedule appointments

. Receive and make phone calls

. Perform insurance verification, pre-authorize and referral duties

How do I become a Medical Billing Specialist?

Most businesses will require you to either have several years of experience working as a medical assistant or some kind of advanced certification as a medical assistant. There are several programs out there to help train and educate you to become a medical billing specialist. By doing a Google search for “medical billing specialist” you should be presented with a lot of options to help guide you to becoming a certified medical billing specialist. There are programs that you can complete online and at your own pace. Others require you to attend some classes for a couple of semesters. In my search I found many of the programs to cost around $1000 but some were as much as $6500.

Is it worth it to become a medical billing

specialist?

The medical industry is experiencing a tremendous demand for individuals knowledgeable in medical office operations. Medical billing specialists are one of the fastest growing professions and are currently a very high demand job. According to the American Medical Association, there are over 1.2 million Medical Specialists in the United States. If you are interested in this kind of profession, it would be to your advantage to learn more about it.

What about outsourcing?

Because of the time and meticulous accuracy that medical billing requires, there are some companies that only specialize in being a medical billing specialist. Medical offices outsource all of their medical billing practices out to these companies rather than hiring an in-house specialist to manage their medical billing needs.

Is there software that can do everything a Medical Billing Specialist can do?

There is yet another solution to managing your medical billing needs. Companies such as AdvancedMD provide a software solution to be your medical billing specialist. An advantage for a medical office to go this route might be that it will be cheaper in the long run to have software to manage all of their billing needs. Also the electronic medical billing specialist will be less prone to errors unless they are due to a human entry error.

As you can see there are many solutions to help you to better manage your medical office. There are advantages in every category; it just depends on what will be the best fit your office. If you are thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist, I feel that it is worth looking into as it is a very high demand job. However, you should be aware that with alternatives out there, like outsourcing and medical billing software, you might have a little competition.

About the Author

Mike Nielsen is a client account specialist with 10xmarketing – More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information about medical billing specialist, visit AdvancedMD.com