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  • How to Prevent and Overcome Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure

    How to Prevent and Overcome Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure

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    Drug and alcohol abuse is one among the major challenges of an expecting mother. This usually has a lot of negative effects on the fetus during birth and can lead to other bigger problems in life.

    To light up the issue associated with the use of drug and alcohol during pregnancy, a week has been launched to create awareness about this growing problem. Alcohol, drug, and pregnancy should not go together are the main scope of this event. Every year the Alcohol & Drug-Related Birth Defects awareness week starts on the 13th of May and will continue until the 19th. This awareness week targets mainly on the childbearing women whose age ranges from 15 years to 45 years.

    It is not fair for an innocent soul to be punished because of its mother's poor decision. More babies could be prevented if their mothers are not indulged in drug and alcohol abuse. When mothers take proper care during their pregnancy, some problems, namely: low birth weight, the improper diameter of the head, age-related developments, epilepsy can be avoided.

    Only some women will intake alcohol even after knowing about their pregnancy, whereas many are unaware that they are pregnant until their 4th to 6th week and consumption of these during that time might have already done enough damage to the fetus. Since all the women want to have a baby at some point in life, it is advice for mothers to quit using them if they are trying to get pregnant. Using any amount of drugs and alcohol is considered unsafe during pregnancy.

    How to overcome prenatal alcohol and drug exposure

    It is a must for everyone to attend the events related to this week to educate yourself and your family members know about the seriousness of it. Listed below are some ways to overcome the prenatal and drug exposure:

    Join hands with your community members, nearby hospitals to create an awareness event. Seek attention from the wide range of audience by choosing the most attractive giveaway items. Some of them include caps, pocket pins, finger rings, wristbands. The interesting thing about choosing them is, they can be customized with personalized messages about the event.

    Design posters, banners, templates related to the event and distribute it for free. Make use of the social media websites and popularize the events. Ideas include creating chat groups on Facebook, hashtags in Twitter and posting pictures related to the event on Instagram.

    To be precise avoid drugs if you are wanting to get pregnant, that's the only way you can protect your child from the havoc caused by the usage of drugs. Since, it is easier for others to comment about the use of alcohol, for the sufferer, it is not really easy to come out of it. Speak with your healthcare professional and look after the ways to refrain yourself from using it. Also, you can find many counseling centers in and around your community to help people deal with such problems. Ideas discussed here are not based on the opinions or suggestions from a medical practitioner. Please check with your healthcare provider to get more information about this serious issue.

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    Source by Billie Jean Bateson

    Views: 0

  • The Power of Content Marketing

    The Power of Content Marketing

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    WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

    Content marketing is described as a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on the creation and distribution of valuable, consistent and relevant content to attract a certain refined audience for profits in the consumer market.

    Most leading brands hire people with courses in content marketing to improve the branding of the product or service being marketed in the public domain and also benefits enterprises by increasing sales, cost saving and getting more and better consumers with higher loyalty.

    THE NECESSITY OF CONTENT MARKETING

    Marketing has revolutionized today due to the digitization of almost everything around us. Mass media is targeted to reach the specific audience for which the product or service has been catered for. Quality content is extremely essential for successful marketing along with a well-defined plan or strategy.

    Different forms of content marketing like social media marketing, search engines publishing quality and consistent content, successful PR strategies, inbound marketing etc. are dependent on a proper content strategy that helps deliver the perfect content for a curated or mass audience.

    Today, everything is digital. Marketing for almost anything, be it political, retail products or services, food or academic books etc., Everything is effectively and almost freely marketed via social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Most of these social media websites and search engines pop up relevant ads according to the searches we make across the Internet.

    STATEGY FOR CONTENT MARKETING

    Content marketing must be smart so as to capture the attention of the target audience for the service or product. Targeting the youth on social media, the elderly via television and radio advertisements are some of the strategies for smart content marketing.

    The content must be designed in such a way so as to target the right audience in their mindset. Map the content for the product or service and then try to use the right type of content for the problem by mapping the buying cycle of people who have the specified problem and would be willing to venture into the product or invest in the service.

    VARITIES OF CONTENT

    Different types of content are available suitable for different marketing strategies like vlogs, videos, advertisements, billboards, surveys, email newsletters, posts on social media pages like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc., Polls, podcasts, quizzes, outreach programs, photographs, predictions, news etc.

    Each option has its own benefits and can be used according to the demand of the situation. The single main goal of marketing is to increase business revenue and there are numerous ways to achieve that.

    Content marketing requires creative brainstorming from professionals who can analyze the minds and thinking of the consumer to decide which approach is best to capture their attention. Interactive and creative content will definitely help make a product or service successful.

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    Source by Shalini M

    Views: 0

  • Breaking Down Sales and Marketing

    Breaking Down Sales and Marketing

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    Revisiting the Sales and Marketing Conversation

    Back in October 2015 we shared an article called "5 Ways Marketing Departments Help Salespeople Catch Butterflies." Recently a tenfold article was shared with us, titled "What is the Meaning of Sales & Marketing and Their Advantages? " And, I have to say, it does a pretty awesome job of breaking down the differences, responsibilities, and links between sales and marketing roles. Why revisit this now? Because it has never been more apparent that the relationship between sales and marketing is still just as misunderstood as ever, especially with advances in marketing technology.

    Setting the Record Straight

    Many in the business world, especially those who rely on sales and marketing for success, don't actually have a concrete grasp on exactly what sales and marketing are. Yes, the two are linked, but they are not one and the same. Sales departments rely on marketing; marketing departments and strategies exist to feed sales (notice I didn't say "make" sales). You wouldn't engage in marketing if you had nothing to sell, and your sales strategy would be much less informed and successful if not for your marketing efforts. Yes, many old-school salespeople (or go-getter small business entrepreneurs) are quite capable of drumming up business on their own, and may even have some tried-and-true marketing tactics up their sleeve – but few have the time, skill , or technological resources to effectively capitalize on the true potential of their market.

    A common mistake made by older, more established businesses is to assume that salespeople are skilled at marketing and that marketing people are skilled at making sales. In some cases this may be true, but certainly not across the board. While trying to conserve capital, many of these companies will attempt to combine their sales and marketing departments, essentially tasking their employees with two job descriptions, and that's usually a bad move. It's no accident that more recently established companies, tech giants, and organizations that employ a large number of millennials are killing it with their marketing efforts.

    Breaking It Down

    As the tenfold article explains, some of the key responsibilities of a sales team include:

    • Follow Up
    • Relationship Building
    • Closing
    • Retention

    The mark of a great salesperson is the ability to cultivate a personal relationship. Many consumers who have stayed loyal to the same brand, dealership, or salon for years will say that they appreciate the personal attention they receive there. It is not a marketing employee's responsibility to follow up with a salesperson's existing customer once the lead has been handed off, nor is it their responsibility to convert a lead to a sale, "close the deal," or make sure the client remains a client for many years. Short of having an outstanding relationship with a skilled salesperson, product quality and excellent overall experience are the main things that will bolster client retention.

    On the marketing side, primary efforts are:

    • Awareness
    • Engagement
    • Conversion (from anonymous to known)
    • Retention

    It is not a salesperson's job to generate awareness or buzz about their brand, product or service. If they are expected to use their energy to make sales by nurturing leads and relationships, then how can they also be expected to have the time to do the leg-work up front that brings those leads to the table in the first place?

    The marketing department creates awareness, builds engagement by creating information that will invite audience members to take action, and targets and tracks engagement by motivating audience members to provide contact information or initiate a free trial or consultation (converting them from a cold prospect to a known lead or potential buyer). It is important to note here that the retention function of a marketing department doesn't really overlap the retention efforts of a sales team.

    On the sales side, client retention refers more to the salesperson's efforts to use the client relationship to continually check in with the client, attempt to engage them in further discussions about additional products or services they may be interested in, and seek referrals to the client's friends and family members. On the marketing side, however, retention refers to maintaining a higher level of consistent engagement (through targeted marketing based on buying preferences, interests and history) so that the customer relationship doesn't end at the initial purchase. Those email newsletters you receive after becoming a customer somewhere are not random – they have a purpose and are often tailored to things you've viewed or expressed interest in. A sales team simply doesn't have the insights, time, or often the resources to execute these types of strategic campaigns.

    The Fine-Tuned Coexistence Of It All

    The ideal sales and marketing relationship is a symbiotic one. Marketers and salespeople work together to determine what consumers need and how to deliver it. Sales and marketing should motivate, inspire and feed one other. They should collaborate and coexist. In the hierarchy of the business food chain, sales and marketing should not be seen as rivals or equals, but counterparts. One truly cannot exist without the other, but their skill sets are not the same – especially today, where advances in technology require the modern marketer to have a very specific, honed, and competitive set of skills that most sales people simply do not need to have.

    For this reason many marketers are introverted, analytical, and deep-thinking individuals. Whether they're crunching numbers and analyzing data, compiling reports on trends and conversion rates, or writing awesome ads and creating beautiful websites and collateral material, they are required to intensely focus on what works, what doesn't, and adjust their creative efforts accordingly. Usually a marketing department will have creatives, analysts, and more tech-oriented people (who dive into the numbers and algorithms behind advanced marketing tools).

    In contrast though, many salespeople are extroverts – they light up a room, they have excellent "people skills," can easily relate to others, and have the ability to pick up on social cues that might actually help them close a sale. Oftentimes salespeople have a broader focus, preferring to spend their days with appointments and meetings – activities that build relationships – rather than sitting behind a desk doing what a marketing department does best. For this reason, many salespeople have administrative assistants to help them with follow-up, paperwork, appointment setting, phone calls, proposals, and calendar management. This type of functional assistant role is less widespread in the marketing realm.

    Share Your Thoughts

    Be sure to read the full article (and let us know how it compares to our post ) for additional insights on the relationship between sales and marketing teams. Join the conversation: in your experience, what have been some key components of a successful sales and marketing partnership?

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    Source by Jessica Champion

    Views: 0

  • Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

    Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

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    One might be led to believe that profit is the main objective in a business but in reality it is the cash flowing in and out of a business which keeps the doors open. The concept of profit is somewhat narrow and only looks at expenses and income at a certain point in time. Cash flow, on the other hand, is more dynamic in the sense that it is concerned with the movement of money in and out of a business. It is concerned with the time at which the movement of the money takes place. Profits do not necessarily coincide with their associated cash inflows and outflows. The net result is that cash receipts often lag cash payments and while profits may be reported, the business may experience a short-term cash shortage. For this reason, it is essential to forecast cash flows as well as project likely profits. In these terms, it is important to know how to convert your accrual profit to your cash flow profit. You need to be able to maintain enough cash on hand to run the business, but not so much as to forfeit possible earnings from other uses.

    Why accounting is needed

    Help you to operate better as a business owner

    1. Make timely decisions

      • Know when to hire a team of employees
      • Know how to price your products
      • Know how to label your expense items
      • Helps you to determine whether to expand or not
      • Helps with operations projected costs
    2. Stop Fraud and Theft

      • Control the biggest problem is internal theft
      • Reconcile your books and inventory control of equipment
    3. Raising Capital (help you to explain financials to stakeholders)

      • Loans
      • Investors

    What are the Best Practices in Accounting for Small Businesses to address your common ‘pain points’?

    1. Hire or consult with CPA or accountant

      1. What is the best way and how often to contact
      2. What experience do you have in my industry?
      3. Identify what is my break-even point?
      4. Can the accountant assess the overall value of my business
      5. Can you help me grow my business with profit planning techniques
      6. How can you help me to prepare for tax season
      7. What are some special considerations for my particular industry?

    To succeed, your company must be profitable. All your business objectives boil down to this one simple fact. But turning a profit is easier said than done. In order to boost your bottom line, you need to know what’s going on financially at all times. You also need to be committed to tracking and understanding your KPIs.

    What are the common Profitability Metrics to Track in Business — key performance indicators (KPI)

    Whether you decide to hire an expert or do it yourself, there are some metrics that you should absolutely need to keep tabs on at all times:

    • Outstanding Accounts Payable: Outstanding accounts payable (A/P) shows the balance of cash you currently owe to your suppliers.
    • Average Cash Burn: Average cash burn is the rate at which your business’ cash balance is going down on average each month over a specified time period. A negative burn is a good sign because it indicates your business is generating cash and growing its cash reserves.
    • Cash Runaway: If your business is operating at a loss, cash runway helps you estimate how many months you can continue before your business exhausts its cash reserves. Similar to your cash burn, a negative runway is a good sign that your business is growing its cash reserves.
    • Gross Margin: Gross margin is a percentage that demonstrates the total revenue of your business after subtracting the costs associated with creating and selling your business’ products. It is a helpful metric to identify how your revenue compares to your costs, allowing you to make changes accordingly.
    • Customer Acquisition Cost: By knowing how much you spend on average to acquire a new customer, you can tell exactly how many customers you need to generate a profit.
    • Customer Lifetime Value: You need to know your LTV so that you can predict your future revenues and estimate the total number of customers you need to grow your profits.
    • Break-Even Point:How much do I need to generate in sales for my company to make a profit?Knowing this number will show you what you need to do to turn a profit (e.g., acquire more customers, increase prices, or lower operating expenses).
    • Net Profit: This is the single most important number you need to know for your business to be a financial success. If you aren’t making a profit, your company isn’t going to survive for long.
    • Total revenues comparison with last year/last month. By tracking and comparing your total revenues over time, you’ll be able to make sound business decisions and set better financial goals.
    • Average revenue per employee. It’s important to know this number so that you can set realistic productivity goals and recognize ways to streamline your business operations.

    The following checklist lays out a recommended timeline to take care of the accounting functions that will keep you attuned to the operations of your business and streamline your tax preparation. The accuracy and timeliness of the numbers entered will affect the key performance indicators that drive business decisions that need to be made, on a daily, monthly and annual basis towards profits.

    Daily Accounting Tasks

    1. Review your daily Cash flow position so you don’t ‘grow broke’.

    Since cash is the fuel for your business, you never want to be running near empty. Start your day by checking how much cash you have on hand.

    Weekly Accounting Tasks

    2. Record Transactions

    Record each transaction (billing customers, receiving cash from customers, paying vendors, etc.) in the proper account daily or weekly, depending on volume. Although recording transactions manually or in Excel sheets is acceptable, it is probably easier to use accounting software like QuickBooks. The benefits and control far outweigh the cost.

    3. Document and File Receipts

    Keep copies of all invoices sent, all cash receipts (cash, check and credit card deposits) and all cash payments (cash, check, credit card statements, etc.).

    Start a vendors file, sorted alphabetically, (Sears under “S”, CVS under “C,”etc.) for easy access. Create a payroll file sorted by payroll date and a bank statement file sorted by month. A common habit is to toss all paper receipts into a box and try to decipher them at tax time, but unless you have a small volume of transactions, it’s better to have separate files for assorted receipts kept organized as they come in. Many accounting software systems let you scan paper receipts and avoid physical files altogether

    4. Review Unpaid Bills from Vendors

    Every business should have an “unpaid vendors” folder. Keep a record of each of your vendors that includes billing dates, amounts due and payment due date. If vendors offer discounts for early payment, you may want to take advantage of that if you have the cash available.

    5. Pay Vendors, Sign Checks

    Track your accounts payable and have funds earmarked to pay your suppliers on time to avoid any late fees and maintain favorable relationships with them. If you are able to extend payment dates to net 60 or net 90, the better. Whether you make payments online or drop a check in the mail, keep copies of invoices sent and received using accounting software.

    6. Prepare and Send Invoices

    Be sure to include payment terms. Most invoices are due within 30 days, noted as “Net 30” at the bottom of your invoice. Without a due date, you will have more trouble forecasting revenue for the month. To make sure you get paid on time, always use an invoice form that contains the right details such as payment terms, itemized charges, and your payment address.

    7. Review Projected Cash Flow

    Managing your cash flow is critical, especially in the first year of your business. Forecasting how much cash you will need in the coming weeks/months will help you reserve enough money to pay bills, including your employees and suppliers. Plus, you can make more informed business decisions about how to spend it.

    All you need is a simple statement showing your current cash position, expected cash receipts during the next week/month and expected cash payments during the next week/month.

    8. Executive Dashboard (weekly review)

    This dashboard gives you a ‘snapshot’ of your operations on a weekly basis.

    It consist of Cash on Hand, Cash burn rate, Account Receivables, Accounts Payable, Items sold, Inventory on Hand, inventory turns, outstanding issues in the business, and gross profit margin, new sales wins, customer losses, customer service performance, on time delivery rate and product quality performance.

    Monthly Accounting Tasks

    9. Balance Your Business Checkbook

    Just as you reconcile your personal checking account, you need to know that your cash business transaction entries are accurate each month and that you are working with the correct cash position. Reconciling your cash makes it easier to discover and correct any errors or omissions-by you or by the bank-in time to correct them.

    10. Review Past-Due (“Aged”) Receivables

    Be sure to include an “aging” column to separate “open invoices” with the number of days a bill is past due. This gives you a quick view of outstanding customer payments. The beginning of the month is a good time to send out overdue reminder statements to customers, clients and anyone else who owes you money.

    At the end of your fiscal year, you will be looking at this account again to determine what receivables you will need to send to collections or write off for a deduction

    11. Analyze Inventory Status

    If you have inventory, set aside time to reorder products that sell quickly and identify others that are moving slowly and may have to be marked down or, ultimately, written off. By checking regularly (and comparing to prior months’ numbers), it’s easier to make adjustments so you are neither short nor overloaded.

    12. Process or Review Payroll and Approve Tax Payments

    While you have an established schedule to pay your employees (usually semi-monthly), you need to meet payroll tax requirements based on federal, state and local laws at different times, so be sure to withhold, report and deposit the applicable income tax, social security, Medicare and disability taxes to the appropriate agencies on the required dates.

    Review the payroll summary before payments are disbursed to avoid having to make corrections during the next payroll period. A payroll service provider can do all this to save you time and ensure accuracy at a reasonable cost.

    13. Review Actual Profit and Loss vs. Budget and vs. Prior Years

    Each month, take the time to review your budgeted expenses and compare them to what you have actually spent. Are you spending above or below budget? Discuss the variances and take action as needed

    Your profit and loss statement (also known as an income statement), both for the current month and year to date, tells you how much you earned and how much you spent. Measure it against your budget every month (or quarter). Comparing your actual numbers to your planned numbers highlights where you may be spending too much or not enough, so that you can make changes.

    If you have not prepared a budget, compare your current year-to-date P&L with the same prior-period year-to-date P&L to identify variances and make adjustments.

    14. Review Month-End Balance Sheet vs. Prior Period

    By comparing your balance sheet at one date-June 30, 2015, for example-to a balance sheet from an earlier date (December 31, 2014), you get a picture of how you are managing assets and liabilities. The key is to look for what is significantly up and/or down and understand why. For example, if your accounts receivable are up, is it due to increased recent sales or because of slower payments from customers?

    Quarterly Accounting Tasks

    15. Prepare/Review Revised Annual P&L Estimate

    It’s time to evaluate how much money you are actually making, whether your net assets are going up or down, the difference between revenues and expenses, what caused those changes, how you are spending profits, as well as identifying trouble spots, and making adjustments to improve sales and margins.

    16. Review Quarterly Payroll Reports and Make Payments

    You have been reviewing your semi-monthly payroll reports. However, the IRS and most states require quarterly payroll reports and any remaining quarterly payments. Again, it’s best if your payroll service provider completes these reports and files them. Your job is to review to make sure they appear reasonable.

    17. Review Sales Tax and Make Quarterly Payments

    If your company operates in a state that requires sales tax, make sure you comply to avoid serious penalties. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help you determine your state tax obligations.

    18. Compute Estimated Income Tax and Make Payment

    The IRS and states that have income taxes require you to pay estimated income taxes. Review your year-to-date P&L to see if you owe any estimated taxes for that quarter. Your tax accountant can assist if necessary.

    Annual Accounting Tasks

    19. Review Past-Due Receivables

    Now it’s time to check significant past due receivables and decide whether you think customers will eventually pay, whether to send past due bills to a collection agency or whether to write them off for a deduction.

    20. Review Your Inventory

    Review your current inventory to determine the value of items not sold. Any write-down of inventory translates to a deduction on your year-end taxes. If you do not write down unsellable inventory, you are overstating your inventory balance and paying additional taxes that you don’t owe.

    21. Fill out IRS Forms W-2 and 1099-MISC

    The IRS has a January 31 deadline that requires you to report the annual earnings of your full-time employees (W-2s) and most independent contractors (1099s). This deadline includes mailing copies of the tax forms to the people who worked for you. Note: A 1099 form is not required for any contractors who earned less than $600. Consider saving time and avoiding errors with an e-filing service.

    22. Review full-year financial reports for tax reporting

    • Get organized

      • Collect and store important documents (use apps and calendars for help)

        • Create email folders to store bank statement and receipts
        • Store contracts and agreements
        • Track miles and vehicle expenses
        • Store all required documents for your business type.


      • Tax Preparation

        • Tax preparation is a historical view and not a profit planning event
        • Capture all relevant events
        • Identify all deduction categories
        • Capture all meals

          • Meetings —-whatever was discussed/calendar

            • Try not to go over industry average industry cost for meals.

    At tax time, carefully review your company’s full-year financial reports before giving them to your accountant. Before you sign your return, be sure to review it for accuracy based on your full-year financial reports. Remember if IRS audits due to underpayment, they will deal with you not your accountant for any additional taxes, penalty and interest.

    If you don’t have the bandwidth to do all this yourself, a great strategy is to partner with a monthly accounting service. Outsourcing your accounting to an expert will simplify your life and give you more time to focus on running your business operations.

    A monthly accountant will provide you with a profit and loss sheet, balance statement, and accurate account reconciliation every month, ensuring that you have the financial information you need to make the best choices for your company.

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    Source by Vinson Primas

    Views: 0

  • Ways Schools Can Fight A Drug Menace

    Ways Schools Can Fight A Drug Menace

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    A combination of factors, including the ease with which drugs can be procured, alienation and peer pressure, is driving American teens toward their abuse. As a result, adolescents in high school and college do drugs on the sly. In dorm and frat parties, it has become customary to pool all drugs – stolen from elder's medicine cabinets, or procured from vendors or pill mills – before going on the adventure ride of a collective high. However, this fun and adventure comes at a cost. As most teens doing drugs are aware of the implications of the misdemeanor once caught, they do not report to the authorities in case a peer overdoses, resulting in tragic loss of young lives.

    The problem of drug abuse has spread its deadly tentacles across schools, posing a significant threat to the future of children in terms of impact on their health, academics, career and personal life. In the wake of such a serious implication on the future of the society, many schools, despite the paucity of funds, have put together programs for spreading awareness and keeping drug abuse under check. While some approaches rely on prohibition and punishment, others stress on education and rehabilitation. The objective is to keep drugs off the campus and establish a solid foundation to empower individuals to resist such temptations.

    As youngsters prefer engagement to long boring lectures, some of the means adopted by the schools are as follows:

    Disseminating knowledge through antidrug assemblies : Antidrug assemblies are engaging means to showcase the grim consequences of drug-seeking habit. With addiction treatment doctors and recovering patients turning up as guest lecturers, students can have a realistic picture of how drugs take them away from their loved ones and cause impairment of cognitive skills, such as difficulty following instructions. Students get the opportunity to clarify their doubts during such sessions.

    Educating children as early as possible : Considering the fact that most youths start doing drugs, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol in school days, or when they are on the cusp of adolescence, it is the best time to drive home the dangers of doing drugs and other addictive substances.

    Conducting self-reliance programs : Children who are confident about themselves are less likely to take drugs. Therefore, some programs stress on building the child's self-reliance in all sorts of social situations. This helps them even under adverse peer pressure to not succumb to the temptation of doing drugs and say no to such activities firmly. Such programs are effective even in the long run as they teach children some essential life skills necessary for abstaining from drugs, alcohol, etc.

    Stocking antidotes : As it makes no sense to shy away from the truth that youngsters, especially those in college, will be doing drugs irrespective of the controls, authorities are advised to stock up their supply of opioid overdose antidote naloxone.

    Engaging children from families grappling with addiction : Instead of isolating a child with a problematic family, including members addicted to drugs, it is essential to engage him or her in all school or college activities. Irrespective of whether the child reports late to school or has problems with homework, a concerned and supportive school environment will mitigate the chances of the child falling into the same addiction cycle. Children of drug addicted families could also participate as guest lecturers in antidrug assemblies.

    Focusing on building teen assertiveness : With the help of a trained child counselor and other professional services, schools could focus on providing training to teens to develop their assertiveness and emotional control level. This is not only handy in career building, but could also help the teen realize his or her worth. Teens who feel sad and befuddled have greater risks of taking drugs to feel successful or empowered.

    Get help for drug addiction

    Children run the increased risk of falling into the trap of drug addiction due to their emotional vulnerability and undeveloped brain still in the process of developing the key cognitive skills. It becomes essential for parents and teachers to listen and talk to their fears and emotional upheavals, rather than ignoring them as their tantrums.

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    Source by Barbara Odozi

    Views: 0

  • Health Impact of Consuming Alcohol at Different Ages

    Health Impact of Consuming Alcohol at Different Ages

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    After analyzing the health implications of alcohol consumption on varied age groups a recently conducted study concluded that adults in the age group of 50 and above may see less severe health consequences compared to adults below the same age group. The objective of the study was neither to justify nor glorify drinking, but to study the impact of drinking on various ages. The fact still remains that people who drink heavily are susceptible to a variety of serious short- and long-term health issues.

    Some of the common health problems pertaining to heavy alcohol consumption include liver and heart ailments, cancers, and damage to the nervous system and brain. From time to time, various health and wellness articles have highlighted the fact that if an individual drank in moderation, it can have certain health benefits. To corroborate this fact, several studies have suggested that drinking alcohol within a medically permissible limit may have a positive bearing on an individual's health. For instance, one of the studies revealed that moderate to light drinking can bring down the mortality rate caused due to cardiovascular ailments.

    Having said that, while these studies have been widely read and received well by people, not all researchers stand by it and the debate still continues on the same.

    A fresh perspective

    Dr. Timothy Naimi of the Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts carried out this study, adding fuel to the ongoing debate on the health impacts of consuming alcohol. Dr. Naimi and his group of researchers analyzed the methodology that was utilized in the previous studies and found that the manner in which the previous researchers measured the impact of alcohol on health may be flawed. The researchers highlighted the fact that the previous studies were based on more general observations and they usually enrolled participants over the age of 50. Usually, the deaths attributed to alcohol consumption occurred within the age group of 20 to 49. Simply put, "one cannot include dead people in a cohort study, "said Dr. Niami.

    The team highlighted that around 40 percent of alcohol-related deaths took place before the age of 50. This made it quite obvious that the earlier researchers did not take into consideration these people and may have thus underestimated the real risks pertaining to alcohol consumption. Incidentally, Dr. Naimi was one of the first researchers to raise the concern about this bias in terms of participant age group and had published his findings in the journal Addiction in 2017.

    Therefore, Dr. Naimi reinvestigated the matter and reanalyzed the data using the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact Application (ARDIA) software, maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ARDIA is a reliable application that offered state and national estimates of alcohol-related health implications including potential years of life lost (PYLL) and deaths.

    Influence of age factor

    According to the study, the level of alcohol-related risk pertaining to an individual was largely influenced by the age factor. The data analysis revealed that around 35.8 percent of deaths caused due to alcohol consumption took place in the age group of 20 to 49. On the other hand, a mere 4.5 percent of fatalities were averted due to consumption of alcohol in this age group.

    However, when the researchers looked at individuals in the age group of 65 and above, the statistics were slightly different. In this group, around 35 percent alcohol-related deaths were recorded, but it also depicted a whopping 80 percent of deaths averted by alcohol.

    However, as stated earlier, there is still an ongoing debate regarding the impact of consuming alcohol in varied age groups.

    Seeking help for alcoholism

    Irrespective of gender, age, or social standing, anyone can be affected by alcoholism. One of the stepping stones for effective recovery from alcohol addiction is detoxification. The detoxification process helps purge all toxins accumulated in the body owing to years of alcohol consumption and prepares the body and the mind for the ensuing treatment.

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    Source by Susan Navarez

    Views: 0

  • Make Time to Heal

    Make Time to Heal

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    The course of life can lead to many roads. As a child we don’t have much say about anything. As a young adult we can begin to make choices; some lead to pleasure, while others lead to pain. We may not realize that some of those choices determine the direction of much of our adult lives.

    If we grew up in a dysfunctional home we may repeat some of the same mistakes that caused us pain while growing up. When we make similar mistakes that our parents made they can lead to a cyclical pattern of emotional pain. If you were abused, neglected or abandoned you suffered some degree of emotional trauma. Recognizing emotional deficiencies is the first step.

    Not everyone processes emotional pain the same

    Getting help for emotional issues requires humility and courage. The fact that emotional pain isn’t outwardly visible; often results in denial; which leads to not pursuing any form of help. Not everyone processes emotional pain the same.

    Imagine – two people lose their job. One person goes home and is sad, yet not over taken by emotions. The other person is also terminated; he leaves the work-site and returns in a fit of rage. Why? No one can pinpoint all of the reasons two persons experience identical circumstances yet respond differently.

    Whenever someone experiences unexpected tragedy in life: there is a process or method that intuitively begins to take place. The Kubler-Ross model states there are 5 stages to grief and loss. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Each person is unique therefore there is no specific order or amount of time that dictates how brief or lengthy this process takes. The Kubler-Ross model identifies the emotional occurrences that one might experience due to sudden loss or grief.

    Inner healing takes time

    Inner healing takes time. Whenever an individual is stuck and seems unable to move past any specific emotion professional help may be the best out. All too often hurting people don’t identify themselves as needing help until things have gotten way out of hand.

    Self-Love is a good starting point for healing. Love and forgiveness are equally important for emotional well-being. Struggles can build character if we process our emotions in a healthy way. Feeling alone, forgotten and misunderstood is common to man: being stuck in these emotions isn’t. It takes strength, courage, perseverance and support to overcome tragedy. Not everyone will overcome; some will remain stuck in grief. No matter what we say or do for them some will not move forward. It’s at this point that we should maintain a loving heart towards them; and set boundaries when necessary.

    God will often use people to help other people navigate through difficult times. Those that overcome obstacles in their personal lives can be strength to those who are struggling

    Your past is your reality, not your destiny

    If you have been unable to move forward from grief after an extended amount of time, don’t blame yourself. If you have unresolved emotional pain, grief, or bitterness don’t lose hope. I’d like to encourage you to make it a point to seek professional and spiritual help to heal. Don’t settle for pain being your lot in life. Instead take courage; press past your wounds until you experience wholeness. Make peace with your pain. Your past is your reality, not your destiny.

    God wants to heal you and restore peace to your life. There are many dedicated professionals such as; social workers, psychologist, psychiatrist and therapist who are available to help you.

    In addition there are qualified pastors and ministers who can help guide you to inner peace. Finding the right help might not be as hard as you imagine. Getting started is the first step. Make getting help a priority and be consistent. Recognize when it’s time to stop dealing with your troubles on your own. If your efforts have failed to yield notable results it’s time to reach out for help. If you’ve gotten results that only provide temporary relief this indicates the need for a new method. Get professional help.

    Don’t let excuses keep you from becoming emotionally sound. Be humble; bold and courageous by taking the necessary steps to acquire victory. Be willing to do the work to get results.

    There are many reasons you shouldn’t give up on being restored. Do it for yourself, and those who love you. Expect healing to take place. Expect relief to come and grief to be gone. You are worth the fight. Everything in your life won’t be summoned up in a day; reach for healing anyway. It takes time to heal; Healing is a process.

    Give your pain over to God; He is able to take on the caresof the world without being overburdened.

    Instead of suppressing old emotional wounds, confront them, make peace with them, and then let them go. Turn your pain over to God; He is able to take on the care-of the whole world without being overburdened.

    Make a decision to be the best you, that you’ve ever been; starting right now! Get a grip on yourself so you can take charge of your future. Step out of your place of barely getting by. Put away all the things you’ve used to self-medicate. Trust someone to help you move past your pain. Healing is available!

    Come out of your place of hiding; there is no healing there! There is no resolution in a private box! Mankind was not created to become an island. People were created to relate to other humans. Help is waiting, Are you ready? Your healing is waiting for you!

    Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

    1Peter 5:7 NLT

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    Source by Elaine P Jones

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  • Key to Good Health Tips

    Key to Good Health Tips

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    So many a times in life, people misuse their bodies trying to fulfill a dream. They eat whatever they find around, they are too busy to schedule period of time to drink enough water or engage in enough physical activities. They hardly find time for relaxation and they are continuously stressed. They outspend their bodies to fulfill their dreams. They may succeed, feeling fulfilled for a while and applauded by the whole world but their bodies may collapse earlier than they can imagine and hence not able or available to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

    Health is a state of social, physical, and mental well being, not just the absence of disease and this is what God is interested in. you should not just be basking in the euphoria of not lying down in the hospital bed or hoping that anytime sickness knocks at your door you should be able to withstand.

    Some people think they don’t need to do anything about their health because they felt their physical, mental and social state of health is okay. Whatever your state of health is you need to play your part to continue enjoying good health.

    There are laws and natural laws of health you need to obey. Some of these laws include:

    Law of knowledge: Don’t despise knowledge even if you think you don’t need it now. You can store it as a wise man. A lot of people despise knowledge in different aspects of their lives and get into trouble. Whatever is judge to be right by nature should not be despised. For instance, several researches have shown that certain foods, stressful lifestyle and physical inactivity are associated with non communicable diseases. It will be suicidal for a person to be consuming excessive amount of such foods, not exercising at all and living a stressful life continuously in the name of having faith for good health. Such attitude is not faith but rather foolishness.

    Law of nourishment: The cells that make up every organ in your body are formed from the food you eat; therefore you should eat proper food (health diet) if you want these cells and hence your body to be healthy.

    You should eat from all the basic food groups including fruits and vegetables every day. You need five servings of fruits and vegetables. Avoid excess sugar, salt, fat (including meat) and calories.

    Law of Hydration: Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily and don’t wait till you are thirsty. Spread it round the hours of the day; don’t drink too much at a time

    Physical Activity: You should engage in exercise (including walking) for at least 30 minutes per day for 5 days a week. Moreover, learn to move around generally rather than sit in one place. It improves all the systems in your body and prevents various chronic diseases. If your weight is above normal you need more exercise to burn the fat.

    Adequate Rest and Relaxation: An average person needs about 8 hours sleep and rest daily. Strive to move near it even if you can’t get eight hours daily. Make sure you rest one day a week and at least four weeks annually away from your usual activities.

    Avoid Overwork: Plan your life in such a way that you can be doing less and earning more. Learn to relax, take time to laugh and do other things you enjoy for some time daily. Form and retain healthy relationships, avoid the ones that stress you.

    Other measures of ensuring good health include personal and environmental hygiene, exposure to sunshine, detoxification, avoidance of tobacco and alcohol, avoid indiscriminate sex, go for regular check up and prompt treatment.

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    Source by Aikoye Victor

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  • Sick and Tired in America: Waiting for a Cure

    Sick and Tired in America: Waiting for a Cure

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    The Mayo Clinic, recently reported that only 3% of Americans lead a healthy lifestyle that includes adequate exercise, diet, and effective stress management. Shockingly, the most advanced medical care system in the world has not been able to safeguard its citizens health. Up to 60% of the U.S. population suffer from chronic, debilitating health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressures, stroke, COPD, immune disorders, mental health problems, and addictions.

    If you are poor or live in disadvantaged or minority neighborhoods, your health status and resources are much worse. This trend is also effecting younger generations who are developing chronic health problems earlier in life.

    Symptoms vs Causes

    Traditional medicine primarily targets the physical symptoms of disease with expensive, high-tech diagnostic tests, medicine, and surgery. However, increasing evidence implicates lifestyle and environmental toxins among the fundamental causes of disease. The typical American leads a sedentary lifestyle often associated with passive pursuits such as dependence on computers at work and home. Pollutants in the water, food, and air contain toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Sugary drinks, processed foods containing sodium, artificial flavors, and preservatives are all cited as causes for health problems. Until we learn that the fundamental cause of disease is embedded in the way we live, Americans will be sick and tired and seeking a medical cure in vain.

    Improve Health and Immunity

    The scientific literature has identified eight key lifestyle changes associated with improved health and Immunity:

    1. Following an anti- inflammatory diet rich in fiber, fresh organically grown fruits, vegetables, nuts, fresh fish, vegetable proteins to reduce inflammation associated with chronic disease. Eliminating toxins associated with fatty, fried, and packaged foods, sugary drinks, smoking, and the excessive use of alcohol and addictive substances
    2. Supplementing with vitamins, minerals, and herbal medicines to compensate for deficiencies, support metabolism, and repair cellular damage.
    3. Hydrating: drinking 64 oz. of water daily including electrolytes to flush toxins from bladder and kidneys and carry nutrients to cells.
    4. Using probiotics to balance gut flora and counter the effects of toxins
    5. Exercising: aerobic training, strengthening, walking, stretching, yoga, Tai Chi, 3-5 x per week to increase stamina, strength, mobility, flexibility and balance.
    6. Meditating: 20 minutes daily and eight hours of sleep to modulate autonomic, metabolic, endocrine, psychological and immune functions.
    7. Cognitive Reprogramming: continuous monitoring and restructuring of negative thinking
    8. Developing social resources using your medical team, family, friends, and treatment groups to maximize social and emotional support.

    Research

    Research Results reported by the Cleveland Clinic’s 180 wellness program lists improved physical health, disease prevention, weight stabilization, improved energy, strength, endurance, immunity, improved mental health, stress management and mood stability as benefits of healthy lifestyle programming.

    Summary

    Traditional medicine primarily targets the physical symptoms of disease with diagnostic tests, medicine, and surgery. However, increasing evidence implicates lifestyle and environmental toxins as the fundamental causes of disease. Eight key lifestyle changes are discussed that have proven value in improving health and boosting immunity.

    * My Rx for Boosting Health and Immunity

    1. Diet: anti- inflammatory diet such as the Mediterranean diet
    2. Supplementation: daily multiple vitamin and a cellular protection formula
    3. Hydration: 60 oz. daily with electrolyte addition
    4. Probiotics: daily
    5. Exercise: aerobic and strengthening with weight training 40-60 minutes daily, and regular walking
    6. Meditation: 30 minutes daily to music using relaxation imagery auto- suggestion, and therapeutic affirmations.
    7. Cognitive Restructuring: identifying and challenging negative thinking, and reprogramming constructive alternatives
    8. Develop members social support resources including treatment team, family, friends.

    * Nothing in this article is intended as medical advice to the reader. No patient-doctor relationship is intended or implied. The reader is advised to work closely with his/her health providers when considering any/all health related interventions. The author disclaims any liability associated with any of the information contained in this article.

    Copyright © 2018 by James W. Siddall

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    Source by James W. Siddall, Ph.D

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  • Basic Affiliate Internet Marketing

    All of us would love to make a little more money. Sometimes just a little to supplement an income can be a huge help. Today it is easier that you think to get a little extra cash in your bank accounts. Most of us today have our own personal websites. We can get them for free and use them as a method to keep others informed of what we are doing. You can actually turn your website into a way of making some extra cash for you. By placing some ads on your site, you have the potential to earn some cash.

    When people go onto your site, if they see an ad that is interesting and click it on you receive what is known as a referral payment. The more clicks the better. Gradually your earnings will increase as your website gets viewed.

    You’re not likely going to get rich with just your own personal website. However, it is a way to get started. There may come a time when you create another site and you can start turning this into a money making venture as well. You could sign up for an affiliate program and make money through their ads. To do this well you need to think of an appropriate affiliate program that readers of your site would appreciate. For example, if you site is about pets, you may want to look for affiliates that work with pet supplies, pet food or veterinary services. You’ll want to have affiliates that will enhance your site. Having ads for rare books or sporting goods on a pet’s website isn’t going to attract too much attention.

    Once you have a site up and running, you need to get a list of affiliate companies that will give you their advertising banners. There are loads of companies on the net that will help you. You can also get performance statistics on them as well. You will be able to track how much you will earn and how you will be paid. Once you get a few banners onto your site you’ll be able to check the progress for yourself.

    Two companies that are incredibly popular are commission junction and link share. These will both help you find affiliates for your website. They have loads of good, accurate information available on what companies would be best and how well they perform.

    Signing up for one of these affiliate programs is easy. You will be asked for personal information so don’t be put off. This is necessary because they will be paying you commission money. You’ll be expected to give your social security number as well as take information. Once you sign up you will need to think about which programs to choose.

    Commission junction has all of the information available on which companies pay which rates of commission. They also have information on how well and timely they make their payments. If a company is a shaky reputation, commission junction will know about it.

    If you’re looking to make a little more money then it is easy. Why not take the first step and turn you personal website into a way to make cash. Fill up those blank spaces with advertisements and let the money roll in. you can always expand and create different websites. They more ads you can get the better. Affiliate programs are great ways to help you earn money. You can start off small with your own site and then expand into other areas. Eventually, you could build your own affiliate business. Look into affiliate marketing. It could be quite lucrative.

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