Home business income opportunities abound all over, especially on the internet.
It is a known fact though that over 90% of people fail to achieve the success they so desperately desire, especially in these economic times. The lifestyle of financial freedom and exotic travel eludes them and there are a few reasons why this occurs and I hope to shed some light on it here.
This list is by no means exhaustive but I hope, with this article, to set you on the right path to success as you explore these 3 deadly mistakes that could derail even the most seasoned online entrepreneurs.
Home business income opportunity killer #1: Lack of Diversity when it comes to marketing
For you to be successful with home business income opportunity, you need to be able to market your business. Of course without marketing, no one will know your home business exists online and no one will come into your virtual store.
Consequently you will not be able to achieve your financial goals as you will not.
So to get noticed, most home business owners strive to learn how to market online. However, a lot of them learn one marketing method and stick to just that. However, lessons were learnt from one of the recent 'Google slaps' as it is popularly called.
A lot of online businesses went downhill because they relied heavily on one marketing method, Google AdWords, in this case. The same danger awaits others who rely heavily on one marketing method even if it is not Google AdWords.
The remedy is to have a range of marketing methods so that if one marketing method becomes enviable you will have others in place to fall back on. If each marketing method contributes equally to your total business income then losing one of them will only put a small dent into your finances and not a big hole. 5 marketing strategies is a good number to strive for.
Home business income opportunity killer #2: Doing too much at once
The opposite of the above point is also true; taking on too many marketing strategies at the same time will kill your home business opportunity instead of growing it. This issue needs to be addressed in two ways - first, having too many marketing strategies that you are trying to implement and the other is having the right number of marketing strategies to grow your business but trying to perform these all at once and in a haphazard manner.
I like to use an analogy here - when you direct the rays of the sun through a concave mirror you focus the energy to the point that you can start a fire (remember the science experiments at school). But this is unlikely to happen without concentrating the energy first.
In the same way, to see the success you desire you need to concentrate on one or at most two strategies at a time. Otherwise you will dilute your efforts and it will take longer to see good results. Without this kind focus, you will not experience the success that you so greatly desire.
Home business income opportunity killer #3: Not keeping track of your marketing activities.
A mentor of mine used to say, anything that does not get measured will not be improved upon. This is true in all spheres of life and also in attaining success in your home business. With each and every one of your home business income opportunities you need to keep track your activities and measure the results you are getting. There are numerous tools you can use for this purpose - some of them are free and other more sophisticated ones are not so free.
Learning to track your marketing activities for example will highlight the weaknesses in your marketing campaign so you can concentrate more of your efforts on these to get them better.
Say for example you write two completely different articles, by checking them out and analysing the responses you get you will eventually be able to tell which one performs better over time and produces your desired results. You can then concentrate more of your efforts on the activities that are producing the results for you.
5 Simple Things That Could Cut Your Breast Cancer Risk
1. Limit yourself to two or three alcoholic drinks a week
Alcohol, consumed even in small amounts, is believed to increase the risk of breast cancer. Most doctors recommend cutting back on wine, beer, and hard liquor.A recent study showed the link between drinking and breast cancer was especially strong in the 70% of tumors known as hormone-sensitive.
And when you do exercise, work to keep your heart rate above its baseline level for a minimum of 20 continuous minutes. Long walks are nice too, but it's the more vigorous exercise (expect to sweat!) that really helps your heart and cuts your cancer risk.
3. Maintain your body weight, or lose weight if you're overweight
Research shows that being overweight or obese (especially if you're past menopause) increases your risk, especially if you put on the weight as an adult. And a study released in March 2008 by researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston showed that obese and overweight women also had lower breast cancer survival rates and a greater chance of more aggressive disease than average-weight or underweight women.
4. Do a monthly breast self-exam
Be sure to get proper instruction from your doctor and have your technique reviewed regularly. You might catch a lump before a mammogram does, and it's a good idea to follow the changes in your body.
5. Have a mammogram once a year after 40
Catching a tumor early boosts the chance of survival significantly: The five-year survival rate can be as high as 98% for the earliest-stage localized disease, but hovers around 27% for the distant-stage, or metastatic, disease.Surprising Headache Triggers
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
What's to blame?
Could it be something you ate? Not enough sleep? Want to know what could be causing your headache? Our comprehensive list just might help you out.Your weight
In a recent study, researchers found that women with mild obesity (a body mass index of 30) had a 35% greater risk of headaches than those with a lower BMI. Severe obesity (BMI of 40) upped the chances to 80%.
Your personality
Certain traits, including rigidity, reserve, and obsessivity may make you headache-prone. If that sounds like you, it could be time to sign up for relaxation training.
The big O
In one survey, 46% of headache sufferers said sex had triggered a headache. Usually, this is an overexertion headache (like joggers and weightlifters sometimes get); you may feel a dull pain that builds during foreplay or get a sudden headache around orgasm (more likely in men). In rare cases, such an intense headache could be caused by a tumor or aneurysm. For most folks, though, sex headaches are harmless.
That three-day vacay
Weekend or "let-down" headaches can happen when you take a break from your routine, says Alexander Mauskop, MD, founder and director of the New York Headache Center and co-author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines. Ease into the change by keeping your sleep time as normal as possible—you’ll end up feeling more rested than if you stay in bed until noon.
Your bathroom paint job
It’s not just arguing over paint colors that can give you a headache; fumes from traditional paints can trigger pain. Many companies now make nearly odorless, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulas, like Benjamin Moore’s Natura line or Devoe’s Wonder Pure.
5 Steps to Take If Heartburn Won't Quit
When acid reflux persists
Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, curb stomach acid production, keeping gastric juice from backing up into the esophagus and causing heartburn. But they don’t always work—sometimes because heartburn has been misdiagnosed. Even when PPIs do work, up to 40% of people can still have breakthrough symptoms from time to time.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent and minimize breakthrough symptoms.
Make sure you're taking medication correctly
If you don’t know how and when to take your meds, call your doctor for specific instructions.
“Typically, the proton pump inhibitors are given 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast,” says David A. Johnson, MD, a professor of medicine and the chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Va., and past president of the American College of Gastroenterology.
However, some people do better taking two doses a day to stave off nighttime symptoms, he adds.
“Typically, the proton pump inhibitors are given 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast,” says David A. Johnson, MD, a professor of medicine and the chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Va., and past president of the American College of Gastroenterology.
However, some people do better taking two doses a day to stave off nighttime symptoms, he adds.
Don’t hit the sack on a full belly
Lying down within three to four hours of consuming a large meal, particularly a late-evening feast, could spell trouble.
"My big push is to keep the patients away from late eating, large meals, and recumbency," says Dr. Johnson. Such a triple threat may pose too large of an insult on the body, one that even PPIs—the gold standard in GERD treatment—can’t handle.
For nighttime symptoms, Dr. Johnson suggests elevating the head of the bed with blocks or using a bed wedge to elevate the upper torso.
"My big push is to keep the patients away from late eating, large meals, and recumbency," says Dr. Johnson. Such a triple threat may pose too large of an insult on the body, one that even PPIs—the gold standard in GERD treatment—can’t handle.
For nighttime symptoms, Dr. Johnson suggests elevating the head of the bed with blocks or using a bed wedge to elevate the upper torso.
Shed a few pounds
A 2006 study in the New England Journal of Medicinefound that overweight and obese women were two to three times as likely as thinner women to have frequent reflux symptoms.
Moderate weight gain, even in normal-weight people, may exacerbate reflux symptoms, according to the survey of more than 10,500 people.
"A reduction of even 2.5 pounds may be enough for some patients to decrease or eliminate their reflux symptoms," Dr. Johnson points out.
Moderate weight gain, even in normal-weight people, may exacerbate reflux symptoms, according to the survey of more than 10,500 people.
"A reduction of even 2.5 pounds may be enough for some patients to decrease or eliminate their reflux symptoms," Dr. Johnson points out.
Try an over-the-counter drug
Drugs like Tagamet HB, Pepcid AC, Axid AR, and Zantac 75 are very effective in knocking out acid, says Joel Richter, MD, the chair of the department of medicine at Temple University, in Philadelphia.
The paradox is they’re not very effective when taken daily, because people develop a tolerance to the drug, he adds.
"What I suggest to my patients is that they take an over-the-counter H2 blocker when they have their breakthrough symptoms," he says. "That seems to give them better control."
The paradox is they’re not very effective when taken daily, because people develop a tolerance to the drug, he adds.
"What I suggest to my patients is that they take an over-the-counter H2 blocker when they have their breakthrough symptoms," he says. "That seems to give them better control."
Know your triggers
If jalapeños or onions always get you, consider skipping them. If you’re going to eat spicy food, taking an H2 blocker an hour or so before may help stop symptoms.
But if you make changes and still have heartburn, get help.
“If people are having residual symptoms several times per week, and certainly if they’re having residual symptoms to the point that it’s interfering with their ability to sleep…or function on a day-to-day basis, they should definitely talk to their physician about it,” says William D. Chey, MD, director of the gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
But if you make changes and still have heartburn, get help.
“If people are having residual symptoms several times per week, and certainly if they’re having residual symptoms to the point that it’s interfering with their ability to sleep…or function on a day-to-day basis, they should definitely talk to their physician about it,” says William D. Chey, MD, director of the gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
Can the Sunshine Vitamin Ease Fibromyalgia Pain?
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because when sunlight hits skin, the body produces this vitamin, essential for strong, healthy bones. (That’s the reason your mother told you to slurp down your vitamin D-fortified milk.)
However, a mountain of new evidence suggests that the vitamin may have a more versatile role than previously thought, particularly when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system and boosting mood.
Low levels have been associated with more severe asthma, colds,seasonal affective disorder, depression, and even chronic pain or fibromyalgia.
So does that mean that taking more vitamin D (or spending a bit more time in the sun) can combat fibromyalgia? Not just yet.
Studies have found that pain patients, including those with fibromyalgia, are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than their pain-free peers. However, it’s not clear which came first; people in pain may get less sun (presumably because they may be more likely to stay inside, due to pain), which could lead to a vitamin D deficiency, rather than vice versa—a vitamin D deficiency leading to pain.
And it’s also not clear if making sure you have adequate levels of the vitamin will help relieve pain or other fibromyalgia symptoms, such as lack of energy or difficulty sleeping.
What’s known about vitamin D
Our bodies make vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day outside (without sunscreen) to make an adequate amount, but according to studies, about half of adults and 70% of children don’t get enough. In a 2003 study, 93% of pain patients had low levels of vitamin D. The dietary reference intake was revised in 2010 to attempt to clear up conflicting messages about the importance of vitamin D. The current recommended dietary allowance for people up to age 70 is 600 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D. Adults older than 70 need 800 IU/day, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU/day deemed safe.
Screening for vitamin D deficiency is as easy as a blood test, and deficiency can be righted with a few minutes of sunscreen-free time in the sun, supplemental pills, or by incorporating foods like eggs, mushrooms, and salmon—all natural carriers of vitamin D—into a healthy diet.
Getting vitamin D from natural sources can stop you from getting too much of the vitamin, since the body makes only what it needs.
Although it’s hard to overdose on vitamin D, it is possible if you take megadoses of the vitamin, which can cause hypercalcemia, an above-average concentration of calcium in the blood that can lead to kidney failure and nervous system problems, and hyperphosphatemia, an increase in levels of phosphates in the blood, which can affect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Many who lack vitamin D—especially during the dark and dreary winter months when sunlight isn’t abundant—do turn to supplements. In 2008, Americans spent $235 million on vitamin D supplements, up from $40 million in 2001.
However, a mountain of new evidence suggests that the vitamin may have a more versatile role than previously thought, particularly when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system and boosting mood.
Low levels have been associated with more severe asthma, colds,seasonal affective disorder, depression, and even chronic pain or fibromyalgia.
So does that mean that taking more vitamin D (or spending a bit more time in the sun) can combat fibromyalgia? Not just yet.
Studies have found that pain patients, including those with fibromyalgia, are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than their pain-free peers. However, it’s not clear which came first; people in pain may get less sun (presumably because they may be more likely to stay inside, due to pain), which could lead to a vitamin D deficiency, rather than vice versa—a vitamin D deficiency leading to pain.
And it’s also not clear if making sure you have adequate levels of the vitamin will help relieve pain or other fibromyalgia symptoms, such as lack of energy or difficulty sleeping.
What’s known about vitamin D
Our bodies make vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day outside (without sunscreen) to make an adequate amount, but according to studies, about half of adults and 70% of children don’t get enough. In a 2003 study, 93% of pain patients had low levels of vitamin D. The dietary reference intake was revised in 2010 to attempt to clear up conflicting messages about the importance of vitamin D. The current recommended dietary allowance for people up to age 70 is 600 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D. Adults older than 70 need 800 IU/day, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU/day deemed safe.
Screening for vitamin D deficiency is as easy as a blood test, and deficiency can be righted with a few minutes of sunscreen-free time in the sun, supplemental pills, or by incorporating foods like eggs, mushrooms, and salmon—all natural carriers of vitamin D—into a healthy diet.
Getting vitamin D from natural sources can stop you from getting too much of the vitamin, since the body makes only what it needs.
Although it’s hard to overdose on vitamin D, it is possible if you take megadoses of the vitamin, which can cause hypercalcemia, an above-average concentration of calcium in the blood that can lead to kidney failure and nervous system problems, and hyperphosphatemia, an increase in levels of phosphates in the blood, which can affect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Many who lack vitamin D—especially during the dark and dreary winter months when sunlight isn’t abundant—do turn to supplements. In 2008, Americans spent $235 million on vitamin D supplements, up from $40 million in 2001.
Can vitamin D help fibro symptoms?
While more research is needed, experts believe supplementing with vitamin D may lessen pain, says Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, the medical director at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, in Minneapolis. “Many Americans are reporting that replenishing their vitamin D results in significantly reduced pain, increased energy, and better sense of well-being,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, who published a 2003 study of the link.
However, W. Michael Hooten, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and the medical director at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center, in Rochester, Minn., notes that patients in pain may be more inactive and spend less time in the sun than people who are pain free.
“They may stay indoors more, their diet may become altered, which may predispose them to develop a vitamin D deficiency,” he says.
In a study published last year and co-authored by Dr. Hooten, pain patients with a vitamin D deficiency took almost double the amount of pain medication to control their symptoms as pain patients with adequate levels of the vitamin.
In the study of 267 chronic pain patients, 66 had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Over half of the participants had such intense pain that they were using opioid painkillers daily.
“If you’re choking down 150 milligrams of morphine per day, you don’t have energy, you feel lousy, you’re staying at home all the time,” he says. “Clinicians should be suspect of chronic pain patients. What we measured justifies screening for [vitamin D deficiency].”
For now, more research is needed to determine whether exposure to more vitamin D will truly help cut fibromyalgia pain.
It is known that vitamin D can help lessen pain caused by osteomalacia, a softening or weakening of the bones caused by a severe, long-term lack of vitamin D. Researchers aren’t sure how many people suffer from osteomalacia, says Dr. Hooten, but it can be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or other conditions.
But even if an adequate intake of vitamin D doesn’t alleviate pain, it mayboost mood and could potentially prevent 150,000 cases of cancer annually.
According to a 2009 study, supplementing vitamin D may also protect you from the common cold. In a study of nearly 19,000 people 12 and older, colds and other respiratory tract infections were found more frequently in people with lower levels of vitamin D. People with asthma and low vitamin D are six times more likely to get a cold, and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes chronic bronchitis andemphysema, were at two to three times the risk.
"Simply replenishing vitamin D,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, “can have profoundly positive effects.”
While more research is needed, experts believe supplementing with vitamin D may lessen pain, says Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, the medical director at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, in Minneapolis. “Many Americans are reporting that replenishing their vitamin D results in significantly reduced pain, increased energy, and better sense of well-being,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, who published a 2003 study of the link.
However, W. Michael Hooten, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and the medical director at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center, in Rochester, Minn., notes that patients in pain may be more inactive and spend less time in the sun than people who are pain free.
“They may stay indoors more, their diet may become altered, which may predispose them to develop a vitamin D deficiency,” he says.
In a study published last year and co-authored by Dr. Hooten, pain patients with a vitamin D deficiency took almost double the amount of pain medication to control their symptoms as pain patients with adequate levels of the vitamin.
In the study of 267 chronic pain patients, 66 had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Over half of the participants had such intense pain that they were using opioid painkillers daily.
“If you’re choking down 150 milligrams of morphine per day, you don’t have energy, you feel lousy, you’re staying at home all the time,” he says. “Clinicians should be suspect of chronic pain patients. What we measured justifies screening for [vitamin D deficiency].”
For now, more research is needed to determine whether exposure to more vitamin D will truly help cut fibromyalgia pain.
It is known that vitamin D can help lessen pain caused by osteomalacia, a softening or weakening of the bones caused by a severe, long-term lack of vitamin D. Researchers aren’t sure how many people suffer from osteomalacia, says Dr. Hooten, but it can be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or other conditions.
But even if an adequate intake of vitamin D doesn’t alleviate pain, it mayboost mood and could potentially prevent 150,000 cases of cancer annually.
According to a 2009 study, supplementing vitamin D may also protect you from the common cold. In a study of nearly 19,000 people 12 and older, colds and other respiratory tract infections were found more frequently in people with lower levels of vitamin D. People with asthma and low vitamin D are six times more likely to get a cold, and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes chronic bronchitis andemphysema, were at two to three times the risk.
"Simply replenishing vitamin D,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, “can have profoundly positive effects.”
Eating Baked, Broiled Fish Protects the Heart
Sunday, 29 May 2011
The study followed the eating habits and health of about 85,000 postmenopausal women for an average of 10 years. Compared to women who rarely or never ate fish, those who ate five or more servings per week had a 30% lower risk of developing heart failure—but only if the fish was baked or broiled.
If the fish was fried, it appeared to be harmful, not healthy. Eating just one serving of fried fish per week was linked to a 48% higher risk of heart failure, even after the researchers accounted for the participants’ overall diet (including french fries and other fried foods) and medical histories.
“How you prepare fish is just as—if not more—important than the type of fish in terms of seeing benefits,” says the senior author of the study, Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, the chair of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Evanston, Ill. “This may not be earth-shattering news, but it is important to get people focused on a healthy diet, because that is what helps us avoid disease.”
Nearly 6 million people in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from heart failure, a chronic condition in which a weakening heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. Heart failure is often a result of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions, and it kills 1 in 5 people within a year of diagnosis, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
In a separate analysis, Lloyd-Jones and his colleagues also found that some types of fish appear to be healthier than others. Eating dark, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel was associated with a lower risk of heart failure, whereas eating tuna fish or white fish such as sole and cod were not.
The findings, which appear in the AHA journal Circulation: Heart Failure, “reinforce current dietary recommendations” that encourage eating fish as part of a balanced diet, says Gregg Fonarow, MD, codirector of the preventative cardiology program at UCLA, who was not involved in the study. “In light of this new study, greater emphasis on encouraging baked [or] broiled fish and dark fish—salmon, mackerel, and bluefish—should be considered.”
Dark fish may be especially beneficial for heart health due to its high content of omega-3 fatty acids, good fats that appear to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering inflammation, blood pressure, and cell damage. (Atlantic salmon, for instance, contains roughly three to six times as much omega-3s as cod or sole.)
There may be more to it, however. Using detailed diet questionnaires, the researchers estimated the study participants’ total intake of omega-3 fatty acids (including from fish oil supplements), and found no link between omega-3s on their own and reduced rates of heart failure.
This suggests that it’s the whole fish—rather than its component parts—that provides heart protection, Lloyd-Jones says. “Pills just don’t have the same benefits,” he adds. “It’s a mistake to think that we know all the benefits of fish, and clearly not all of those benefits come from omega-3s.
Memorial Day Weekend: Finding Cheap Gas Prices to Fill Up Your Tank
Friday, 27 May 2011
At least 35 million people are expected to hit the road this Memorial Day Weekend, choosing cheaper hotels and restaurants because of high gas prices. If gas prices will determine if you're going to get behind the wheel, here are some tips on how to find the cheapest way to fill up your car's tank.
Fill Up On Fridays: Using mapping firm Esri, ABC News looked at prices at more than 5,100 gas stations in four areas of the nation: Chicago, Boston, Orange County and Jacksonville. In April, when the average price of gas shot up 30 cents, ABC News found that filling up on Friday saved the most money. In three of the areas, gas prices increased most on Saturdays.
Go to Warehouse Clubs: Gas prices at warehouse clubs like Sam's, Costco and BJ's are at least 3 percent lower than the average gas station. With gas prices hovering at nearly $4 a gallon, you could save nearly $2.25 every time you fill up at a warehouse club.
Choosing the Right Location: On the way to the beach, the countryside or the big city, it might seem easiest to fill up along the highway, but that could cause you more pain at the pump. ABC News found that finding a gas station just one minute from a highway can save you 11 percent or about $7 to fuel your trip. Also, avoid filling up downtown.
With gas prices hovering near $4 a gallon, Americans are already feeling the effects of gas prices well before the summer driving season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend. Gas prices are the highest they've been since August 2008. The national average for retail gas prices is $1.07 per gallon more than last Memorial Day Weekend.
There are some signs of relief. The national average for unleaded regular gasoline was $3.81 on Thursday, 9 cents less than it was last week.
Pump prices this weekend are expected to drop even more because oil prices are down about 12 percent since the beginning of the month.
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