Phung

Given the opportunity to work less and earn more money is a dream worth pursuing.

Most people join Network Marketing because they are pursuing the dream of financial independence and wealth.

Usually these programs cost any where from $30 - $300 to start up and require that your associates and customers continue to purchase products month after month in order for you to continue to receive a pay check.

What most people dont consider when they join these programs is the amount of effort, time and people it will take for them to earn a decent pay check every month.

The reality is, that in order to earn a $10,000 + income with Network Marketing, you will need thousands of people in your downline. On top of this, you will constantly need to replace customers and associates because most people cancel their orders and dont stick with the products longer than 3 months.

Compare this scenario to high ticket programs such as Direct Sales.

It takes the same amount of effort to recruit a person into a high ticket opportunity as it does a $30 program. The only difference is that you will need less people in a high ticket type of business to earn a great income.

In fact, it takes more effort to sustain a network marketing type of business than it does a direct sales type of business.

Your income is dependent on your own efforts instead of depending on whether or not your downline is working their businesses.

You may ask, how about the passive income? A direct sales type of business doesnt give me a passive income.

Consider this:

You can earn as much as youd like with a direct sales business for a fraction of the effort it would take you to build a Network Marketing business.

You will receive a big pay check in one shot, versus working 3 5 years for that same pay check.

In order to maintain the passive income in a Network Marketing business, you will still have to work it by maintaining the leadership requirements for the position you hold.

In a direct sales business, you will know how many sales you will have to make to earn the income you desire and it doesnt depend on anyone else outside of yourself.

You wont have to worry about fulfilling requirements, points, volume etc Your paycheck will not fluctuate month after month unless you want it to.

You wont have to worry about autoships and replacing customers.

You can become wealthy in a matter of months instead of waiting years to achieve financial independence.

Lets face it. We would all like to start enjoying our lives NOW versus having to wait 3 5 years to start enjoying a prosperous life.

The truth is that if I handed you a check for $1000 right now for just ONE sale that you made, you would be very happy.

How would you feel if I handed you a check for $3 for the same sale you made?

I dont know about you, but Id much rather get years worth of income right now, all at once, and know that I can do it over and over again, rather than having to wait 3 - 5 years to start receiving that same income.

What about you?

***********************************************************

Lydia De Leon is a home schooling, work at home mom of two beautiful children ages 4 and 8.

With a background in teaching and counseling, she has opted to create her livelihood through a home based business which she markets online.

The main focus of her home based business is internet marketing.

For more information on Lydia's business, go to:

http://www.netmomof2.com
http://www.ceomombydesign.com

God Bless You!

With mortgage rates near 20-year lows, competition in the mortgage industry is fierce. It seems like every day a new mortgage loan strategy comes out that is suppose to be the best thing since sliced bread. Whether it's a mortgage with no closing costs or an interest only mortgage, everyone is claiming they can save you a ton of money. Now someone has come out with something called Mortgage Cycling. Mortgage Cycling could save you thousands of dollars or it could cost you your home.

Mortgage cycling is a program that advertises itself as a method to payoff your mortgage in 10 years or less without making biweekly mortgage payments or changing your current mortgage. Does mortgage cycling work as advertised? The answer is unequivocally yes with a few caveats. I'm going to let you in on the secret to mortgage cycling.

Mortgage cycling is based on making huge lump sum principal payments every 6-10 months. What this means is mortgage cycling works well for those who have at least a few hundred dollars in extra cash at the end of each month. The problem is most people don't have that kind of cash available.

Mortgage Cycling relies on using a revolving Home Equity Line of Credit to make huge lump sum payments against their original mortgage principal balance. When you take out a home equity line of credit, you pay for many of the same expenses as when you financed your original mortgage such as an application fee, title search, appraisal, attorney fees, and points. You also may find most loans have large one-time upfront fees, others have closing costs, and some have continuing costs, such as annual fees. You could find yourself paying hundreds of dollars to establish a home equity line of credit. Most home equity lines of credit also carry what is known as interest rate risk.

Home equity line of credit interest rates are typically variable. The Federal Reserve is currently in the process of raising the overnight federal funds rate. As the Fed continues to raise rates, it is all but inevitable that variable interest rates for mortgages will also rise. Your savings may not be as great as anticipated.

While Mortgage Cycling does have some additional costs for most people, that is not what makes this mortgage reduction strategy risky. If you use a Home Equity Line of Credit and money gets tight, you could lose your home and the equity you have built up. Home equity lines of credit require you to use your home as collateral for the loan. This may put your home at risk if you are late or cannot make your monthly payments. And if you sell your home, most lines of credit require you to pay off your credit line at that time.

Mortgage Cycling requires you to make mortgage payments and Home Equity Line of Credit payments for up to 10 years. For most people mortgage cycling is an extremely risky way to payoff a mortgage. Mortgage cycling should be used only after a careful assessment of the risks and benefits. Prepaying your mortgage is smart. You should explore all of the mortgage reduction alternatives before choosing Mortgage Cycling as a mortgage reduction strategy.

George Burks of http://www.mybiweeklymortgagepayment.com has offered a biweekly mortgage payment plan with no enrollment fee since 1999. His interest in financial topic is varied. Visit http://www.mybiweeklymortgagepayment.com financial library for more information about a revolving Home Equity Line of Credit.

The crazy holiday season why does it make our heart beat faster knowing we have so much more to do and so little time to achieve it all? Why is it we both love and hate this time of year? We place high expectations on ourselves and others during the holiday season however there are ways to be more productive during this holiday season.

The holiday season is not the time to slow down your business development activities or stop networking because we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve. How do you handle the unproductive attitude that holiday season brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, the holiday season may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve for next yearnot this year! Decide to make this your most productive holiday season ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business and set up a productive 2007.

Make 2007 your best year yet

Book a two-hour appointment with yourself to begin planning for next year to include cash flows, targets and staff development activities. Determine what you need to achieve to make 2007 your best year yet. This business plan should not be collecting dust in your bottom drawer - it is a living document to be used as a guide for you and your team.

Review your marketing plan

Invest the time and resources in creating a customised plan for your business. If you are self-employed, ask colleagues and people you trust to brainstorm ideas with you. If you have a company, ask clients, staff and colleagues what marketing activities will be effective for your business. If you created a marketing plan for this year, review your progress to date and determine what strategies will be effective again for 2007.

Conduct focus groups

Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your business, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your teams input on how to action them.

Conduct a six-month business review

Spend two hours reviewing your business achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself these 11 questions:

1.How would I rate the past six months business performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?

2.Did I achieve my financial goals each month?

3.If not, why not?

4.If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual budget or plan?

5.If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?

6.Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? If not, why not? And when?

7.If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?

8.Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?

9.Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?

10.If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?

11.Have I done sufficient networking to grow my business or my connections? If not, why not?

When you have completed these questions, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

Clean up

You have heard of a spring clean, well this is a winter clean. This clean out could include:

Clearing, deleting or filing those read emails in your inbox.

Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you dont read.

Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hours worth, do 15 minutes per week until it is all complete).

Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been meaning to read, but havent and wont.

Reviewing your tasks on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply wont be completed.

Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.

Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year!

Hold a team development activity

If you manage a team of people, allocate some time to meet for lunch at cosy restaurant with a warm fireplace and delicious food or bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your conference room. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team.

Implement a product or service trial

This is the perfect time of year to try a new product or introduce a new service to your customers. Map a plan, seek team involvement and watch your customers reactions.

Cancel unnecessary meetings

If you have regular weekly or monthly project or staff meetings that dont need to occur during the holidays, cancel them. Most people appreciate being given more time and spending less time in meetings.

Create a list of new business development targets

Once you have made your list, sort it into three groups: spheres of influence, those that are able to make decisions about your products or services; centres of influence, those that are already your advocates; and strategic alliances, those that you can refer business to and that can also refer business to you. Once you have your list completed, book appointments with these people to include lunch, breakfast or even a tele-coffee. Create a plan within your schedule to contact them regularly. Contact could include a phone call, email, sending them an interesting article youve found, inviting them to a networking event with you, sending a parcel of products or a face-to-face meeting.

Book a tele-coffee with your clients

What is a tele-coffee? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel), especially if you are trying to avoid the snow. Just like a normal meeting you set an agenda, take minutes if required and agree on the outcomes.

Shop On-line

Avoid the stress and hassle you may feel during this busy time of year. Allocate two hours to complete your gift buying online. First make a list of those you want to buy for and some suggested gift ideas. Secondly log onto popular websites that allow you to purchase multiple products from one location (and you can save on shipping) and lastly order as much as you can from that store and request the gift-wrapping service. For a small extra charge you will receive your gifts wrapped and ready to give to someone. This is far more productive than you spending time buying the gift-wrap accessories and trying to wrap it last minute!

Select Holiday gifts for clients

Make a list of clients you would like to acknowledge this year. Firstly, set a gift budget. Secondly group your clients into three (3) categories (maybe gold, silver and bronze) and then determine how you will classify them i.e. by sales, by referrals or by repeat business? Once you have three lists determine a gift for each category and ask someone to order these, have them gift wrapped, a card written and delivered to your client. There are services that specialize in this at this busy time of year, take advantage of this. I use Tiffany & Co for holiday gifts for many reasons including quality, gift-wrapping and reliable delivery. My clients look forward to receiving their gift and I love to send them. Find something that represents you and your business and will stand out on their desk when it is delivered to them.

Conduct a client appreciation event

This does not have to be an expensive or lengthy office party, a simple elegant event is all you need to do to recognise your clients and thank them for their business. Be creative. Use your conference room and bring in an external caterer. If you are self-employed without an office space, use a popular caf or restaurant and provide light refreshments. Just take the time to say thank you and invite the team and other suppliers so they can also thank your clients too.

Visit a new networking group

Many networking groups meet during the holiday season because they are serious about building their businesses and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this holiday season. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

To continually grow your business you do need to be mindful of the seasons but dont slow down in holidays get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those 2007 meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your annual results, tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter, and experiment with new products, focus groups and new networking opportunities. Embrace the cooler weather for indoor meetings and events and enjoy all that the holiday season can bring for your business growth.

Neen is an International Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy and where they focus their attention Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice (Aussie accent), sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more and subscribe to Neens free monthly ezine at http://neenjames.com

Once you take a pet to your home, you are responsible for the health of the pet that includes general physical examinations, emergency care, vaccinations, dental care, etc. People do not understand the importance of Pet Health Insurance in such cases. If you count the charges that these check ups will cost, you will round up to several thousands. In such situations Pet Health Insurance becomes handy and saves your bank balance.

Who Stands to Gain ? You or Your Pet?

The insurers offer diverse covers for your particular needs. It works just like your health insurance. All you have to do is to pay a small premium each month. Whenever your pet needs veterinary care, you have to co-pay or have to pay deductible, whatever plan you have chosen. This will save a lot from huge medical expenses of your pet because obviously you love your pet and want the best for your pet. Dont be in a misconception that Pet Health Policies are only meant for dogs and cats. At the contrary, there are policies that cover any kind of pet you own.

Which Insurer to Choose?

The most common way of acquainting yourself about the best plans available, is through the internet. Nowadays there are many companies offering such policies so you can surf around and find the best one for your pet in your budget.

Though most insurance companies these days offer different packaged insurance, but you need to look closely to find what you and your pet really need. Their may be clauses which might not be relevant in your context like those clauses which pertain to an unhealthy living environment of the pet. Things to consider while opting for a pet health insurance are,

Age of your pet
Medical history of the pet
Potential risks
Vaccination

The age of the pet plays a crucial role as it relates to the average life of the pet, and hence conveys what risks the pet might be prone to. The medical history helps in ruling out some major symptoms of diseases. The living habitat of the pet is also considered to gauge the potential of the risk to the pet and to others because of the pet.

You never know when something un-expected is going to happen to your pet. The fact that you are reading this article implies that your pet is very important to you, so you definitely dont want to repent later that you did not get the correct guidance on acquiring a Pet Health Insurance. Do yourself and your pet a favor by getting a Pet Health Insurance today.

You can also find more info on Pet Insurance Quotes and Pet Insurance Ratings. knowpetinsurance.com is a comprehensive resource to know about pet insurance.

Mention creativity or creative thinking and inevitably someone says it's all about thinking outside the box. This is true to a certain degree. Creativity encompasses the ability to look beyond our perspective and shift away from existing paradigm. However in reality this is harder than we think. It is not always that we have the capability or the capacity to think outside the box. Sometimes we need the box. The question we need to ask is what does this box represent?

The box may represent many things such as the values that we uphold, the vision that we have and the principles that we live by. Thinking beyond this box might not be a good option if we have to operate within a certain code of practice. This is where we need to see how we can be creative when we have to work within the ambits of the box.

The box that you are in might provide you with ample opportunities to become creative whereby you could tap into the resources that are available within and come up with new ideas and solutions to existing problems without having to go beyond the boundaries of the box.

Learn to use existing information to come up with new ideas. As George J. Seidel puts in: The ability to relate and to connect, sometimes in an odd and yet in striking fashion, lies at the very heart of any creative use of the mind, no matter in what field or discipline.

Here are some tips to Think Creatively Within the Box.

Combine and Synthesis Existing Information

Dr Myron S. Allen said: COMBINATION the essence of creative imagination. When you learn to combine information or things you might come up with new solutions and ideas. Alex Osborn said: Creativity is the production of meaning by synthesis.

There are many combinations of unrelated products and services that have created new and effective ideas. The radio was invented by an Italian Guglielmo Marconi and the telephone by an American Alexander Graham Bell. When you combine the radio and the telephone what do you get? Answer: A mobile phone!

Another example: Gregor Mendel combined the concepts of mathematics with biology to come up with a new field of science Genetics. Benjamin Franklin was put off by having to change his glasses one for reading and one for looking the distance. Why not combine the two types of lenses? Now we have the bifocal glasses.

In your workplace you can think of combining existing things or ideas to come up with something useful that might make you more productive. How about combining two different routines to see whether it shortens the time to complete the task? Keep thinking.

Manipulation of existing ideas

Sun Tzu said: Manipulation is the brother of Creativity. Sometimes instead of thinking outside the box and coming up with something completely different, you can manipulate with existing ideas to make what you have more efficient. There is a story of a barber in America who though on how to improve the laborious process of cutting hair with a shears which was slow and cramped his fingers. With a little manipulation of the existing ideas of the scissors and pliers he invented the hair clipper which barbers world over use today.

In your office take a different look at the way you are doing things. Can you manipulate any of these things to make them more efficient?

Disrupt your routine behavior occasionally

We are all culprits of routine behaviour. When we start doing things in a certain way we become entrenched in it and enter into what is called the comfort zone. There is nothing wrong being in the comfort zone. After all why change when everything is working fine Right? The only problem is that we cant guarantee that it will always be this fine. What we could do however is to see whether we can disrupt our routine behaviour occasionally to see life from a different perspective.

Try doing something different everyday. It does not have to be a drastic change. A little one will suffice. Like go to a different eatery and try a new meal. Or instead of taking the train try taking the bus. Bring one of your colleagues from another department in your organization for lunch and find out what his/her job is all about.

When you do routine things differently once in a while your Mind takes notice and you will start to look at your life from different perspective. Thus you wont get trapped in the Obvious though process. The Obvious though process is one where you think that what you are doing is the most logical way and there is nothing else to it. Such a though process stifles creativity. Henry Eyring said: A keen observer once said of Einstein that part of his genius was his inability to understand the obvious. Perhaps this is what you should do if you want to think creatively within the box.

Learn to disrupt the Obvious though process. You can achieve this by paying attention to the small and insignificant things that surrounds you by improving your observation skills. That way you will realize that there is more to creativity than meets the eye within the box itself.

Dr Daniel Theyagu is a corporate trainer and seminar leader who has designed and conducted competency-based training for more than 150 organizations. He is based in Singapore and can be reached at dtheyagu@singnet.com.sg Website: http://www.thinklaterally.com

Do you know anyone who can not speak? Do you know anyone who can not hear? Did you know their is a telephone communication system for their individual disability? If you have answered yes or no to any of these questions, read on.

The California Telephone program or TTY is a program of the California Public Utilities Commission.

When you can not talk for whatever reason, stroke, medication side effects, or cancer to name a few you can use the telephone.

TTY MACHINE FOR SPEECH COMMUNICATION

The telephone which is provided for you FREE is a normal size phone with a small key pad. You call the operator to the TTY Relay and in a few seconds you will be connected to your party. You then type your message to the relay operator and you can hear your telephone contact speak to you.

TTY MACHINE FOR SPEECH AND DEAF COMMUNICATION

TTY Telephone has a keypad and a small screen to receive phone messages. If you can not speak - or if you can not hear - you will type your message from the keypad on your TTY phone. The operator will talk to the party on the other end of the phone and type the message back to you. You will then type a response. In this way you can make personal and business calls.

This is why it is called a relay system. There are always three people involved in one telephone conversation.

When you call - or somebody else places the call for you- to request an application form for the California Relay Service- you will speak with a customer service representative. The customer service representative wants you to receive the equipment that best fits and your specific needs.

At that time an application will be mailed to your home. When you receive this application, you need to take it to your doctor for a signature. After your doctor signs the application it can be faxed or mailed to the California Access Program.

The phone number is 800-806-1191 and the fax number is 800-889-3974. website www.ddtp.org.

Once your application is processed you will receive a phone call from a Field Representative. The representative will come to your home train you on your new equipment and install it. This wonderful equipment is your voice to the world.

Thank you for reading my article. Please feel free to read any of the numerous articles on various subjects.

Copyright Linda E. Meckler 2007

Linda is the author of her first published book, Ghost Kids Trilogy. "Christy, 12 and her Brother Brad, 16 moves into an old house on top of a mountain and meet two Ghost Kids.

Then we have a mysterious, magical Blue Vase where Uncle Charlie the villain is trapped. He wants out of the Blue Vase and exchange he will tell Christy and Brad where Pirates Treasure is Hidden.

Take a walk with Christy and Brad down a dark hall hunting for Pirates Treasure. You will think were you there right there with them.

Love, Family Values and Charity burst off the pages. http://www.lmeckler.com

Check out my new 4 E books Titled:

How To Appeal Medical Bills

Appeal and Collections Letters for Medical Providers

Boost Your Self Esteem and Blossom

Stop Computer Pain on my website http://www.lmeckler.com/store

Check out my website http://www.lmeckler.com

Ecstasy use, gained its popularity in the 1980's, mostly in the clubs. At that time, they were called raves. Now even though it is still primarily used by young white Caucasians, other cultures and races are now using it more regularly as well. Ecstasy is commonly called E, the love drug, Adam, X, XTC. Most users of MDMA use it on a recreational basis, although there have been reports of a man using ecstasy over 40,000 times. This is not the "average" use though.

MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and a hallucinogen very similar in structure to mescaline. Ecstasy primarily affects the serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin affects mood, aggression, and sexual feelings. There have been numerous studies about the dangers of ecstasy, and whether or not this drug has addictive properties. There have been several studies showing that chronic users of MDMA do have withdrawal symptoms, confirming the belief that ecstasy is addictive. These symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggression, impulsiveness, sleep disturbances, thirst and memory loss.

There are possible physical side effects from using MDMA. They are muscle cramping, blurred vision, dehydration, high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney failure, sweating chills and nausea. One of the biggest hazards with MDMA is the rise in body temperature (hyperthermia). This has led to numerous deaths. Most MDMA users understand that they need to keep their body well hydrated by drinking water, to avoid this causality. There have been reports of clubs shutting off the water in the bathrooms so that their clients would have to buy the bottled water at ten times the cost. Symptoms of overdose of MDMA include seizures, fainting, panic attacks, high blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Using ecstasy repeatedly in short intervals can cause an overdose. This is due to the fact that MDMA can interfere with its own metabolism and reach potentially fatal levels.

Other drugs that are sold as ecstasy have also led to numerous fatalities. These drugs are MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine); this is the "parent" drug of MDMA, and PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine). Particularly with PMA, there is an increased risk of dying from hyperthermia. Some people who have died from PMA, believing that it was MDMA have reached temperatures of 108 degrees. The other risks involved with MDMA, as with any other illegal drug, is that sometimes there are things added to the MDMA. Chemical reports of MDMA sold on the street have shown to also have properties of caffeine, cocaine, cough suppressants, ketamine and ephedrine. These extra additives place the MDMA user at higher physical risk.

One of the more disturbing facts of ecstasy is the numerous reports that ecstasy can cause brain damage. There have been studies done on rats, mice etc. that have shown that high doses of MDMA can cause irreversible brain damage. There have also been studies completed on habitual MDMA users. In 1998, the National Institute of Mental Health studied habitual MDMA users that have not used MDMA for years. They found that these users had suffered damage to portions of the brain that regulate critical functions such as learning, sleep and emotion.

Every drug that is available whether it be prescription, over the counter or illegal, the one thing they all have in common is side effects. The side effects with ecstasy can lead to irreversible brain damage, long lasting depression and anxiety. In the worst cases, death can result. As a parent, it is important to talk to your kids about drugs. Listen to them, share your hopes and dreams with them, and support them. They are our future.

Wendy McLellan has an extensive background as a licensed counselor. For more than sixteen years, Wendys career involved working with adolescents and their families in agencies that specialize in residential and outpatient substance abuse counseling as well as mental health rehabilitation. As a counselor and Program Director of an intensive outpatient program, Wendy has experienced first-hand the devastating effects that abuse, violence, sexual abuse, addiction and predatory behavior have on adolescents and families.

With deep professional and personal concerns to these issues and an opportunity to help protect children, adolescents and families, Wendy has lent her experience, knowledge and time to the efforts of http://www.safecomputerkids.com and their online parental resources and components of their cyber safety toolkit in her own efforts to help parents keep their children safe online.

Health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to s, helping to protect you from high medical care costs. Its an important aspect of life and it should not be overlooked just because you dont have proper knowledge of the topic and how to deal.

Health insurance is important in the event that you or any member of your family is ever sick or injured, get in an or fall ill, you can provide a financial cushion.

Its important to you and your family giving you peace of mind into the future whether its a quick visit to the doctor or a family medical emergency that you face. Today, most comprehensive private health insurance programs cover the cost of routine, preventive, and emergency health care procedures, and also most prescription .

Many people in the United States get a health insurance policy through their employers. Approximately 60% obtain health insurance through their place of employment or as individuals, and various government agencies provide health insurance to over 29% of Americans.

According the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nearly 100% of large firms offer health insurance to their employees. People who meet certain requirements can qualify for government health insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Your state, and every state in the nation, has a health insurance program for infants, children and teens.

You can also purchase health insurance on your own. If you do not have health insurance, you must pay your medical bills directly or rely on health care providers or organizations that donate care.

If you have a really tight budget youve got two options: look for cheap health insurance or reduce your health insurance rates by taking a higher deductible thats $1000 or higher. Dont be fooled by cheap health insurance plans that cover the little stuff but not the big stuff.

Before buying health insurance, a person typically fills out a comprehensive medical history form that asks whether the person smokes, how much the person weighs, whether the person has been treated for any of a long list of diseases and so on. Unhealthy people are more likely to purchase health insurance because they anticipate large medical bills. Or at least they desire to purchase it.

Unfortunately, if you pass on health insurance while youre healthy and then discover you have an illness or injury that requires extensive and expensive medical attention it will be too late. Thats like driving around without auto insurance and then getting in an and calling an insurer desiring to get coverage. Its too late and you must suffer the consequences of your earlier decision.

Its nice to be an optimist and believe all things are going to work out for the best, but what would you do if today everyones healthy and tomorrow theres an and there is no health insurance?

If your employer offers it, all it would have taken is for you to opt into your companys affordable health plan. Youll be thinking Its too bad I didnt opt in when my employer offered it.

Hospitals have an extraordinary ability to save life but without health insurance you could be medically saved but financially ruined.

Do your homework, shop around, and find the right health insurance for your needs.

For more detailed information on your options take a look at http://www.HealthInsuranceWellBeing.com/index.html , where you will find useful information to assist you in all aspects of health insurance. Browse through the extensive information resources on all major health-related insurance plans, including short-term, long-term, travel, international, dental, Medicare supplemental, student, family, individual, and group health insurance, complete health insurance information. Health Insurance Information

Jeff D Fenske owns and operates http://www.healthinsurancewellbeing.com Health Insurance

Rarely do I ever see prime time news but it happened to be on when I was in the room the other night at the gym. I saw a CBS news report that got my attention and people have been talking about.

CBS reported that herbal supplements like St. Johns Wort are dangerous and potentially harmful because the FDA does not regulate or test the many supplements available today. Now I do not even know much or care about St. Johns Wort but I feel strongly about this subject and decided to take time out from writing my book to write this article. I hope you find it informative.

First of all the FDA approves pharmaceutical drugs based on biased research from the same companies developing the drugs. They are an ineffective agency that really does not regulate anything.

In the news report by CBS they did a really good job of grouping all supplements together and portraying them as unhealthy, dangerous and ineffective, while portraying doctor prescribed drugs as safe, effective and really your only choice if you want to be safe.

Nothing could be further from the TRUTH! The TRUTH is that pharmaceutical drugs, chemical supplements and cheap synthetic vitamins are unhealthy, dangerous and ineffective! These misleading fear tactics work really well at getting people to not explore alternative health options that might save their lives or spare them horrible side effects from doctor prescribed drugs and OTC medications.

Randall Fitzgerald summarizes the truth well in his recent blockbuster book The Hundred-Year Lie which you must read to truly understand how food and medicine are destroying your health. From his book:

However broadly speaking, the evidence indicates that most naturally occurring foods and medicines are healthy for us, as they have been for our species for thousand of years, while many if not most synthetic chemicals in foods and medicines pose some health risk.

One of the REAL problems with the natural supplement industry not being regulated is that the same vitamin companies that produce cheap, ineffective synthetic vitamins are producing cheap ineffective versions of herbal supplements. Many natural, herbal and whole-food supplements are safe and have tremendous health benefits and could seriously improve or even save someones life. The effectiveness of natural supplements, however, varies greatly by the brand and manufacturer and in general you should avoid anything made by a large publicly traded company.

What happens is someone walks into a store and buys the cheapest bottle of St. Johns Wort or some other herbal supplement. They take it for their malady and after a period of time say This stuff does not work; I think I will go see my doctor. This product was probably made by a company that cares little about the quality or freshness or else it would cost more. They may have gotten the herb from a questionable source that was cheaper or figured out they could make more money by using an ineffective part of the plant like the stem. There is a huge difference in effectiveness based on freshness, quality, and the method prepared. A freshly squeezed shot of wheat grass for example would be much better than wheatgrass powder or pills.

The problem is natural remedies and whole-food and herbal supplements compete directly with the pharmaceutical industry, which I am guessing is CBSs biggest advertiser. In the CBS news report there was an alleged number of deaths from adverse effects of natural or herbal supplements. The number was made to look really large and bad by making it over a large span of time. I do not remember the exact numbers used in the report but I do know that MANY, MANY more people have died from adverse effects and reactions from doctor prescribed drugs! Look it up for yourself but I will let you know ahead of time you will find very little negative information about legal, patented prescribed drugs that the pharmaceutical companies make millions on.

The War on Drugs in this country is a war against naturally occurring drugs that Big Pharma can not patent and profit from! I am seeing in the drug rehab where I work a dramatic rise in people addicted to these doctor prescribed drugs because people are being reassured that they are safe and good by doctors and the media.

This news story is incredibly well orchestrated propaganda; do not believe what you hear on the news. Some people may remember recently the interview between celebrity Tom Cruise and reporter Matt Lauer. There has been a huge media effort to discredit Tom Cruise and make him look like a whacko or weirdo because he has been outspoken about prescription drug use and the pharmaceutical industry.

There were also attempts to discredit other alternative health advocates like Kevin Trudeau of www.naturalcures.com. I will be writing another article in the near future about BusinessWeeks story called The Organic Myth that will blow you away! Dont believe the media! Their news stories are mostly just advertising in disguise or Big Business Propaganda.

I do not fault them for this it is just the American Way in the Land of Opportunity. I love America, capitalism, free enterprise, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and Liberty and Justice for all. We can not blame governments, corporations and political leaders for lying to us. We can only blame ourselves for being blind to the truth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ian Kelley is the author of The Organic Body fitness and cookbook. Ian is a lifelong chef, competitive natural bodybuilder, holistic health advocate and writer. His website, www.organicbodybuilding.com, provides informative articles and resources on natural/organic bodybuilding. Ian is now offering a FREE copy of his "Organically Ripped" Pre Contest Diet to all who subscribe to his FREE newsletter.

Stretch marks. Striae Gravidarum. The marks of pregnancy. Call them what you will. But they are the one thing that all women dread will occur as soon as they get pregnant.

• But what are stretch marks anyway? And why do they occur?
  Well, the reason lies in the anatomy of the skin. The skin has two layers a thin upper layer called the epidermis, and a thicker, lower layer called the dermis. Scattered in the dermis are fine protein filaments called elastin that, like a piece of rubber band, are capable of stretching on being pulled. But just as a rubber band can stretch only so far and no further, these elastin fibres can also be stretched only to a certain extent. If stretched further, they snap. The increasing bulk of the uterus during pregnancy causes the skin to stretch to a great extent and the elastin fibres are torn. The torn elastin produces scars on the skin called Stria Gravidarum or stretch marks.
  

• They occur on the lower abdomen of all pregnant women, right?
  Well, right and wrong. They appear in most pregnant women, but not in all and not just on the lower abdomen. Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched in a very short period of time, as in pregnancy or in obesity. They occur:
  • In the lower abdomen in pregnancy.
  • Along the sides of the breasts either in pregnancy or in obesity.
  • Upper thighs.
  • Occasionally even on the inner sides of the upper arms.
  
  

• But can stretch marks be prevented?
  Thankfully, the answer is yes, to a certain extent. Although some women are genetically prone to develop stretch marks, it has been noted that athletes and women accustomed to heavy, physical labour get very few or no stretch marks. This is regardless of whether their female relatives have stretch marks or not. The reason for this is that that these women have very well-developed and strong abdominal muscles. These muscles can easily take the weight of the growing uterus and prevent it from pressing forwards on the skin rather like wearing a strong muscular belt under the skin. The skin is thus stretched less, less elastin fibres are damaged, and there are fewer stretch marks.
  
  Again a supple, healthy, well moisturized skin is capable of stretching more without any lasting damage. So if a woman can strengthen her abdominal muscles and keep her skin healthy and supple, there is less chance of her developing stretch marks.
  

• But how? How do I develop my muscles and keep my skin moisturized?
  Gentle exercises for the abdominal muscles can be started as soon as pregnancy has been confirmed or even as pregnancy is being planned.
  • Exercise 1 : Standing erect, raise both arms above the head. Bend forward slowly to touch your toes. Hold the position for a count of 100. Then slowly straighten up. Do this exercise at least once daily.
  • Exercise 2 : Standing erect, raise both arms above the head and clasp your hands. Now bend slowly to your left as far down as you feel comfortable. Hold for a count of 10. Straighten up slowly and then bend to your right. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.
  • Exercise 3 : Stand straight with feet about 12 inches apart. Place hands on your back at the waist. Slowly bend back, as far back as you feel comfortable. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Now bend forward slowly, hold the position to a count of 10. Then straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.

  These three exercises will strengthen the abdominal and back muscles as well as gently stretch the skin. They also improve the posture during pregnancy.

  Caring for the skin : Keep the skin moisturized by applying oil olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil or any good baby oil thoroughly over the skin of the abdomen, hips and thighs. Massage it in with sweeping upward strokes. You can do this before you exercise so that the oil is properly absorbed as the skin is stretched during exercise. This will make the skin supple and healthy and capable of stretching without damaging the elastin fibres.
  
  A Good Diet : Take a good diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and adequate liquids. And do not forget your daily vitamins. This will ensure a healthy and supple skin.
  

• But what happens if the stretch marks have already occured? How do I get rid of them?
  The good thing about stretch marks is that they fade over time. When they are first formed, they are reddish or purplish, but later they become thin silvery lines that may not be visible at first glance. The bad thing about stretch marks is that they can be removed permanently only by surgery. The elastin and collagen growth can be stimulated to some extent by cocoa butter, Vitamin E, wheat germ oil and lanolin. But to remove the marks completely, laser surgery, blue light therapy and other surgical treatments are the only options. Many creams and lotions available on the market also claim to be able to remove stretch marks but have yet to be medically proved.

The author, Dr.M.D.Mazumdar is a consultant gynaecologist with more than fifteen years of experience in private practice. She runs an Online Consultation Clinic at http://www.gynaeonline.com , where she answers questions on Pregnancy and Gynaecology. For more information on Care during Pregnancy, click http://www.gynaeonline.com/care.htm